Last year, LEGO® NINJAGO® launched Ninjago Legends, a miniseries with a different art style to the original. The first instalment, Monstrosity, was accompanied by some great sets, and the upcoming instalment Duskfall will provide us with 3 sets. Today, I’ll be reviewing the smallest of the batch: 71871 Battle at the Dragon's Blade.
We were given this product early by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.
71871 Battle at the Dragon's Blade
- Release date: 1 June 2026
- Pieces: 1016
- Ages: 9+
Price:
- US$ 99.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ .99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 79.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 149.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- 89,99 € on LEGO.com Deutschland, Nederland, France, etc
Ninjago Legends: Monstrosity shows Kai lost in the Land of Monsters after exploring the Merged Lands, trying to find his way home. Monstrosity is available to watch for free on the LEGO® Kids website website.
I love the art style of the first season, and can’t wait for the continuation. At time of writing, little is known about the plot of the second season, Duskfall but we can see Kai and Nya – as well as new characters (closely resembling Kai and Nya) – battling Oni.
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| ©2026 The LEGO Group |
In our reviews we usually don’t pay too much attention to the box the bricks come in, but these sets come with stunning box art. I think this is the first time I have seen the disclaimer "illustrated cover art treatment", meaning some image editing has enhanced the appearance, such as the flaming sword, to avoid any potential misunderstanding about the nature of the toy.
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The back of the box is even more minimal, and shows a shot of the un-edited model.
Also found in the box is this wonderful poster.
New molds
Mech Chest Plate / Armor with Handle (8091)
This new mech chest plate appears here in dark blue (6595692 | 8091), but is also seen in dark green (6612984 | 8091) in the affordable set 71862 Lloyd's Dragon Mech Battle Pack from the same wave.
If you think the part looks familiar, you’d be right: it is basically an update of Plate Special, 2 x 2 Studs and Handle, Closed Ends (27167), introduced in 2017 by LEGO® NEXO Knights. It matches the overall size as can be seen in the photos above with the LEGO Nexo Knights version shown in dark turquoise, but there are some differences. The most obvious is the lack of studs, removing the option to add a printed tile to show the faction of the mech. Instead, we get a clean surface with a layered armor pattern.
Another difference that could be useful can be seen in the second row of the image: the cutout at the top is much deeper, providing a more spacious area for the minifigure to sit in. This opens the possibility of the figure wearing, for instance, armor or a form of backpack.
So while losing some functionality, we do get a cleaner and wider option for our mechs. Hopefully this new part is an addition to the existing one rather than a replacement.
The new layered front fits in nicely with another element of LEGO Ninjago origin: Slope Curved 4 x 3 with 3 Layers, 1 x 3 Cutout on Underside (66955), seen above right.
Hipwear, Katana Holder / Scabbard (8011)
A new mold that has already got a big response from fans is the katana holder (8011). In this set, there is one in dark red and one in black, but happily both colors have a spare provided.
Previously, the ninja had to wear their weapons on their back, or had to borrow the scabbard with shoulder strap (95348) from the LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean. Now, they can have their katana ready to be drawn at their side.
I’ve dug through my weapons collection, and found these other blades that fit the scabbard as well. Sadly, the classic swords are all too wide to fit.
There are some more new molds to be found, but I’ll show them in the minifigures section.
Recolors
- 1x Brick Curved, 3 x 1 with 1/3 Inverted Cutout in Sand Blue (6612528 | 70681)
Decorated elements
- 1x Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Upper Jaw with print in Dark Green (6601155)
The other decorations are handled by a small sticker sheet, which got a bit mangled in my box.
Minifigures
We are treated to four new characters, two of whom look familiar.
Mira
- New molded Hood with Long Tan Hair in Dark Azure (6585117 | 7976)
- New printed head in Yellow (6601142)
- New printed torso in Dark Azure (6611560)
- New printed legs in Dark Blue (6601144)
Jin
- New molded Ninja Wrap in Black (6585118 | 7977)
- New printed head in Yellow (6601137)
- New printed torso in Red (6612455)
- New printed legs in Red (6601141)
Master Ivo
- New printed head in Yellow (6601149)
- New printed torso in White (6612900)
- New printed legs in Sand Blue (6601151)
Omi Warrior
- New molded Neckwear Mask with Horns in Pearl Titanium (6595781)
- New printed head in Sand Blue (6601152)
- New printed torso in Sand Blue (6612906)
- Hair, Mohawk Wavy in White (6438422 | 3758) has appeared once in 71039-11 Storm
Rare elements
- 1x Technic Axle and Pin Connector Angled Triple - 60° in Reddish Brown (6579002 | 7329)
- 6x Technic Pin Connector Hub with 2 Axles in Reddish Brown (6579000 | 27940)
- 5x Wedge Curved 6 x 2 Right, Smooth Inner Walls in Tan (6501138 | 5711)
- 5x Wedge Curved 6 x 2 Left, Smooth Inner Walls in Tan (6523969 | 5830)
- 5x Tile Special 1 x 2 with Two Vertical Teeth / Tooth in Tan (6398003 | 15209)
- 3x Tile Special 1 x 3 Inverted with Center Hole in Red (6533766 | 35459)
The build
The model is split into 3 sections. First, we build a small dragon for Jin to ride. Due to the scale, the dragon is pretty basic.
Next is a mech operated by a Oni Warrior. Like the dragon, the model feels standard and simple at this size.
Then on to the main event: a dragon skull with a big katana sticking out. The top of the skull uses a plate with bar to secure the LEGO® Technic connector in place, and angled plates shape the rear section.
The bottom half of the skull uses more LEGO Technic parts than I expected. The katana is slid between the axles for a secure fit. The hinge in the back holds the top of the skull, which has 2 clicks of movement after being attached.
The handle of the katana consists of a row of SNOT bricks with tiles and slopes wrapped around it. At first, I was surprised that the messy ‘bottom’ ended up at the top of the katana, but both the LEGO Technic connector and the holes in the inverted tiles will provide attachment points later on.
Lastly, a small plateau with a scrawny tree completes the skull display.
The LEGO Technic pins look weird sticking out at first, but they are used to hold the mech and dragon. The mech is easy to place at various stances, but the joints of the dragon are a bit too loose to find many dynamic poses.
It is also possible to remove the skull and just display the mech and dragon together.
Conclusion
The accompanying side builds have me less excited: due to their scale, the dragon and mech feel too simple for me. Mounted onto the skull they do their job, but the build is pretty standard. I do have to take in account that I'm an adult fan building a 9+ set here.
The minifigures include in the set are great, and contribute the most in terms of new elements. Otherwise, most parts are fairly standard.
READ MORE: Review of set 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith™
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