LEGO The Old Town 15th Anniversary 71861

My Review I already own the Four Weapons Blacksmith, and the Old Town set (71861) is my second Ninjago 15th Anniversary set. I originally wanted the Ninja character stand display to be my second set, but it was on backorder, so I picked this one up instead. This set has some great things, but also some clear flaws. This is my first time owning a large LEGO set, and I was shocked by the size of the box. It was taller and wider than my PS5, which really surprised me. The set comes with 44 bags, which is a lot compared to the LEGO sets I usually buy, since most of them have fewer than 20 bags. The Good The set has a great selection of minifigures overall, even though I wish some of them were done better. There are awesome Easter eggs and references to the Ninjago show that longtime fans will really appreciate. The main build is a decent size and looks great on display once everything is finished. The Bad / Needs Improvement Some of the minifigures could have been improved: Dr. Julien should have had leg printing and a more accurate falcon instead of a black parrot. The Time Twins and Harumi should have included capes. Mystaké and the mailman should have had hat-and-hair combo pieces. For the main build, I didn’t like some of the side builds, especially Chuck’s woodworking shop. I would have preferred more minifigures or better details added to the main build instead of that side build. Another issue is the overuse of stickers. There are simply too many, and applying them can get annoying. I really wish LEGO had used more printed pieces, especially for a 15th Anniversary set. Durability is also a problem in some areas. The pink and yellow tree is very fragile, with pieces falling off easily. The tunnel area near Dr. Saunders’ house has a gray floor plate that isn’t very secure. When picking up or moving that section, the plate often comes off, as shown in the photo. Another major issue for me was the building experience itself. Building this set was honestly very boring. There are very few actual bricks used; most of the build relies heavily on plates, which made the process feel repetitive and slow. Even as an experienced builder, it took me around 10–20 hours to complete, and much of that time wasn’t enjoyable. I would much rather build the Four Weapons Blacksmith (71858) ten times over than go through this build again. Final Thoughts If you have the money, then yes, I would recommend this set—especially if you’re a longtime Ninjago fan. But if not, I’d honestly say wait until it goes on sale.