Mega Construx Call of Duty WWII Beach Invasion

At this point in time, I have every Mega Bloks/Mega Construx set that has been released to the public. In this case, I figure it's not a bad idea to review these various sets.I will review them on four factors, each scored with marks out of five: style (the general pizzaz of the set, does it "pop", is it in general awesome?), functionality (how "usable" is the set, is it just a display piece, or can you use it functionally?), ease of use (Is this a tricky set to put together, and once it is together, how does it hold up?) and value (generally, an average accepted "good value" is a dime per piece, with unique and interesting pieces bringing things up a bit). Here goes.This set is the Beach Invasion set. It is 386 pieces, and was purchased at MSRP of $39.99. It has four figures, with a sling vest and stand for each figure. This is in essence a rehash of the Landing Craft Invasion set, so there will be comparisons to that set. This set is an LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel), traditionally known as the craft used in the Invasion of Normandy.Style: The four included figures are truthfully somewhat generic. Three have "meshed" helmets, the fourth what appears to be a more standard "covered" helmet. There's not much individuality, the faces are very similar on three figures, with the fourth having a more tanned/Hispanic skin tone. Three of the weapons are single-colored, with the scoped rifle being two toned. The set itself is primarily gray and brown, with some splashes of red. It does have some printed pieces, such as the LCVP-70 pieces at the side of the ship.Beneath the ship is a propellor and rudder - this is a habit that Mega Construx is getting into, putting details into sections that are not seen as often. The life preserver is a nice touch, and you can see what appears to be the engine in the center.There's pros and cons compared to the previous set. The red and the decals do make the exterior stand out differently from its predecessor. The attached guns are done differently - they're a bit more streamlined, which I like, but that's a matter of preference. However, the previous one had a flag that was not included in this. The fact that the engine was included, which was not seen in the older set, though, is a counterbalancing touch for the better.Ultimately, I'll give style a three out of five. It would have been better for more individuality with the figures and some more paint applications on the firearms would have been appreciated.Functionality: For this set, the bow ramp can be raised or lowered via a string that you attach to a winch. This is a little more streamlined than the previous version, where you would pull the string from the back of the craft to raise or lower it. The gunner's cockpits both rotate, and the guns are rather manuverable. The rudder can turn left or right, and the propeller spins and rotates.Ultimately, you don't expect many moving parts in a set like this, so I won't hold it against the set. I'll give it a four out of five.Ease of Use: This is the first Mega Construx set I've gotten that had the parts in numbered bags. Previously, similar pieces were kept in the same bag, and you'd have to hunt for the pieces during the entire build. There was still some hunting involved, but the bag numbering made it incredibly easier.There were no issues constructing the set itself. All pieces were included, with a few extra tidbits for some smaller bits. The only hiccup I've had has been tying the rope to the winch and the bow ramp. Overall though, it tied successfully and has held up. There have not been any issues with stability post build. A solid five out of five.Value: Had this set come out on its own, without the Landing Craft Invasion, this section may have a better score. The retrospective to that previous set: it was $49.99, and in addition to the craft came with four figures (two bearded and one with a star on the helmet, so they all stand out), all two-tone painted firearms, two full WWII style care packages (which include two backpacks, a shovel, canteen, pistol holster, binoculars, flashlight, and ammo belt per package), one additional backpack, a bipod, and a knife; the boat itself, two barbed wire barricades, two wooden blockages, and a bunker that had built in sandbags and an anti-air gun with shells. The craft had a life preserver, the flag, and a pole. It was 595 pieces and would score a full five out of five for value.Included in this set is a WWII era revolver, scoped rifle, and two traditional rifles with bayonets. There are two backpacks, two pineapple grenades and one pouch. There is no flag, no pole, no bunker, no care packages, no barbed wire. Three of the weapons are monochromatic. No care packages are included. Sure, we get some figure stands, but they're not necessary when the figures can stand on the boat and, in the previous set, the bunker.Even though it's $10 less than the previous set, there's so much less included. As such, I'm going to give value a two out of five.Final Verdict: Ultimately, this averages the set to 3.5 stars. I'll round up to four stars. As a standalone set, it's nice, and a good collector's piece. Compared to what came before it, it's a disappointment, and if you can find Landing Craft Invasion for a good price, snap that one up instead. You won't regret it.Side note: This set also includes a random part attached to a rubber band that you can attach to a pen or pencil and put blocks on it. I'm not sure collectors of the Call of Duty line are the right target demographic for this, but whatever.

satisfied

It’s a five star item overall if you want DDay stuff like my son does. It wasn’t easy for him to put together because it’s easy to get confused based on how the drawings are oriented in the directions. But it’s doable. Also it’s a little delicate and due to its size, not “sturdy” which the ratings asked about. And it was in my opinion rather pricey, considering that I was able to get other sets of this line on sale at my local stores. I never actually saw this carried in the store so that’s why I have no choice but to pay full amazon price

The media could not be loaded.  This is a very cool landing craft boat and it can float which is really cool especially if u want to use some kind of stop motion you could actually put it in water it’s price isn’t bad could be atleast 25 35 is a little much but over all build is great figures great and overall stats great recommend buying it’s worth it

My 7 year old grandson's birthday was a BIG HIT with this gift. Not only did he love it but his 13 year old brother was right there helping him put it together, but I don't think the 7 year old would have had any problem on his own. They are both fascinated with soldiers and war equipment and this was greeted with screams of joy! Excellent quality, tremendous detail and a great buy!

My 13 year old son loves this! He LOVES everything WWII. Out of all of his presents at Christmas, including the electronics, this was the first thing he went wanted to tackle. It took him a few hours to put it together, but he was able to do it on his own and thought it was awesome once completed.

Child loves Call of Duty sets. Does not play the Call of Duty video game but loves military stuff and history. Great addition to my child's COD sets.

not good for people who like the regular lego guys