Freak369's Full Review: LEGO City Firefighter - 5613
Over the years the Lego City and Lego Town themes have undergone some serious transformations. Sometimes change can be a good thing, if they didn't start thinking outside of the box chances are we would have never gotten series like Metropolis or Creator. Inevitably the add on sets would start to surface and while they had a low price they weren't all that interesting. 2007 and 2008 saw a lot of small sets being adding to the main themes; this was done to bridge the gap between the older and newer sets and to keep the themes active. Being a Lego junkie I had to get most of the add on sets just to get them but for casual collectors, well, they aren't the best way to spend your toy dollars.
Lego City Firefighter 5613
The figure is nicely done and thanks to the slightly generic uniform he can be added to just about any rescue or City theme. The hat does sort of make him look like he is a chief so if you are lacking one of them in your scene this could be an easy way to add one. Contrary to what another site says, this figure does not come with a scuba tank or any type of breathing apparatus. The tools are the biggest perk to the set; you get a black hatchet, two saws and a fie extinguisher. The single flame that is attached to two basic elements is a little cheesy but hey, at least you get them. The figure can handle all of the accessories and that holds true for all of the standard sized Lego mini figs.
There is a possibility that Lego will release the 2008 series of add on sets in a boxed or gift pack; it will be a strange assortment but could make for a really nice gift for your Lego fanatic. That's just a rumor that's been floating around the Lego message boards so we'll have to see what the holiday catalog brings.
Lego throws in a small stand that you can attach the tools to; the prong pieces are nice and you can never have too many of them but if you are adding this to a fie or rescue scene then you will probably have more tools that will need storage. If that's the case you can build a larger wall with more prongs; that's also a great way to keep from losing pieces. The biggest perks to the set are the tools and the firefighter; everything else is pretty much useless unless you are just starting out and then, well, then every piece counts. Lego could have made this a lot better by eliminating the stand and adding more functional pieces. Since it is an add on set there should be more of a focus on increasing the replay value of large sets. Even though I trash the set some people can and will get a lot of use out of it.
Let's face the facts here, paying $3.49 for this can be seen as a real rip off. If you are Lego lover then you know that there are sites that sell individual pieces. One of my favorites is Baylit [Bricks As You Like Them]; you could order a ton of the fire fighter pieces from there and still be ahead in price but that isn't the same as getting that lovely box and ripping it open. So, if you are getting this just for the tools you may want to consider checking out brick brokers and really stocking up on the accessories. You can order this from the Lego World Shop or try your luck finding it at retail stores but because of the size of it, most places aren't going to want to carry it because there isn't much of a profit to be made on it.
The Bottom Line
Is this set worth it? Yes and no. You do get another figure and that is always good but the stand that the tools are clipped on to is basic and something that you could build from stock pieces. Add on sets can be a nice investment if you are building a huge scene or are doing a competition but if all you are after are accessory pieces then you are not going to get your moneys worth from this set. This does have an age recommendation of five and older because of the small pieces and it is in the best interest of your feet to make sue that all of the pieces are cleaned up and stored away when done playing.
Name: Lego Firefighter
Set Theme: Lego City
Set Number: 5613
Piece Count: 25
Age Recommendation: 5 and older
Difficulty Level: Easy
Build Time: 1 minute
Price: 3.49
Lego City brave firefighter set Comes with equipment and accessories Everything you need to save the day Contains 25 pieces For ages 5 to 12, Manufact...More at Amazon Marketplace
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