Catamaran Sea Battle Review (71748)

We’re back with more amazing Ninjas and Islander bad guys in the Ninjago Catamaran Sea Battle set.
With 6 numbered bags to work our way through we start with building Island Kai and Island Jay. The minifigs are generally always really detailed with Ninjago sets including many accessories and that’s the case here as well. Both are prepped for battle with ample weaponry and a cool throwing shield.

The Ninjago’s Catamaran

We then move onto the Ninja’s catamaran. The build is relatively quick. We start out but building the underlying chassis. You can start to see the mechanism that allows the catamaran to transform into a speedster if required during the chase. It’s a simple, but effective mechanism.

After the side pods are built and added, it’s clear just how much drag would be added in the attack mode on the right! I suspect minus 7.235 knots… through a highly scientific guesstimate. It’s a really fun feature to play with as you are swishing through the waves. The design even adjusts the angle of the rear wing as it transforms for an improved drag co-efficient. I like it!

The detail in the catamaran is great and it also includes two spring loaded shooters – one on each side. These inclusions by themselves add so much fun. Every chance the LEGO group designers get, they should add shooters, cannons, catapults etc. Anything that fires a projectile supercharges the games you can play.

There are a few stickers, but the sticker sheet is relatively small so not too tedious. I loved the dragon emblem on the side mounted spear. It’s a nice touch.

We also build Island Zane as part of the first catamaran. Another great minifig for the set with a lot of detail on both the Torso and legs.

Once the sail has been added, Catamaran 1 is finished. It looks as fast as it goes!

Chief Mammatus’ Catamaran

As we commence on Catamaran two, it’s amazing just how much a catamaran shares the same aerodynamic ideas as a fighter plane. As you can see, this one as is pretty much could go straight into Top Gun! Ok, well not exactly but it does share very similar traits. The rotating lightning strikes make for awesome engines and show the speed the catamaran travels at.

In a similar manner to the first catamaran, this one has the ability to adjust the attack teeth at the front. The clip mechanism at the rear works really well to keep them locked in place but with ease to recess them again as required.

After we add the upper support and the sail, the catamaran looks epic. It closely resembles some form of attach shark from the deep. You’d hate for it to rapidly advance on your whilst you’re enjoying your leisurely holiday cruise! Plus two more spring shooters. Hurrah!

But wait, there’s more! The set also includes two removable side pods. These are standalone vessels each with their own special power. The vessel on the left has two more shooters, and the vessel on the right has a prison cell for captured foes.

But there’s even more… They connect to the main vessel to create the ultimate attack ship! It’s a little like Voltron! Ok, again, not too much like that, but for those “mature” AFOL’s like me, you’ll get what I mean. 🙂

Once the sail has been added, the enemies catamaran is just as impressive as the Ninjago’s.

We also build Chief Mammatus, Rumble Keeper and Thunder Keeper – three epic looking minifigs. Once we finish playing with the set, they’ll certainly be taking a place on our minifig display wall! Just like the others, a huge amount of detail exists with each minifig. And look at that headdress – stupendous! In fact everything about these three minifigs is fantastic. The shield, the war mask, the weapons. It’s all fantastic.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, this is yet another fantastic addition to the Ninjago range. Just like our review of the Ninjago Dojo, this has a tonne of colour, a few cool build techniques and heaps of playability. The highlight for me was the three minifigs – Chief Mammatus, Rumble Keeper and Thunder Keeper. They are just stunning and have me giddy with excitement. Yes, it’s strange I know, but I really love the variation in the minifigs!

If you’re into Ninja’s, or just looking for a set thats fun to build and play with, we highly recommend this one. It’s not too expensive at $119.99 RRP and if you keep your eyes open, you can often pick it up on sale. In fact, it’s only $80.99 at Zavvi at the moment!