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Legion Cheetah Anti-Terrorism Bricks
Jie Star(Jie Xing)
29017
348 pcs(combined)
Yep, sounding like something that belongs in a modern-day G.I. Joe cartoon, the Legion Cheetah is here to make sure your day remains terrorist-free! ...I just love when things clearly not meant for children are marketed to them. I mean, what's next? A fully-working Lego handgun?!
This is brought to us from a company called Jie Star, a Chinese toy manufacturer based in ShanTou City in Guangdong. ...However, the Jie Star name made getting information difficult, since the name of the company is actually Shan Tou Jie Xing Toys Industrial, and Googling Jie Star just brings up various toys as opposed to the company's information. Still, since they're marketing their products under the Jie Star name, that's how I'm going to address them.
So according to Jie Star's surprisingly well-made website at http://www.jiexingtoy.com/eng/index.php(heck, the company HAS a website), in addition to producing small electronic toys, they produce quite a range of various lines of building bricks, including Police, Galaxy, Space, Dinosaur, Robot, and, of course, Anti-Terrorism.
And, looking through their catalog, their products all seem to have original designs rather than knocking-off established sets from larger companies, which is surprising for a manufacturer based in China!
...They do blatantly copy artwork for some of their box designs, but we'll get to that when we tackle one of their Pirate sets in the future.
So I actually tell a lie when I say that this is a set, because it's actually SIX sets(each with two variants, hence the "12-in-1") that combine into one MEGA set if so desired. It's the Power Rangers, Voltron, or 90s McDonald's toys of building bricks.
Except now that just makes me question the design of the box. It's clearly meant to be a display box for store counters... but it only contains the six sets needed to combine into one. Unlike individual minifigures or blind bags, which are self-contained and meant to be sold separately, it's more likely that people are going to buy all of them at once so they can build the uber-giant robot tank or whatever it is.
In fact, the instructions for the combined set are just loosely tucked away on the bottom of the box, so it's obvious that this is meant for a single sale. So... WHY?!
Now before we move away from the main display, it's time to play my favorite game with overseas products: SPOT...THE...ENGRISH!
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| Camion is NOT Engrish. It's actually French for truck, so Jie Star dodged a bullet here... |
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| I'd like to buy a period, Merv. Also, improper formatting. Bad fo-rm indeed... |
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| Modelling: Good British spelling. Merge Modelling: Bad English period... |
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| I think any victory in battle, is splendid! Develop your kid's imagination and creativity... by introducing them to terrorism! |
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| Adult cares, on the other hand, aren't speical enough... |
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| 2 kinds redundancy! |
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| My name is The Brick Miser and I approve of this message. |
And finally, my favorite part of any packaging, local or overseas. Most packaging has a standard 0-3 "sad onion", as Ashens puts it, to suggest that kids younger than three don't play with the toy.
...But then you have the age recommendation, which in this case, is 6 and up. And this is something that I've noticed on about 90% of all packaging, where they just leave a void between both ages.
It's my firm belief that if any kid tries to play with this when they are between the ages of 3 and 6, they are immediately drafted into the Chinese People's Liberation Army, a fate far worse than choking on the pieces. PARENTS BEWARE!
Also, Chinese products seem to have their own unique warning signs, so remember these important notices:
- Do not let Pac-Man jump on a spring
- Do not let Evil Otto wear the Comedian's smiley-face pin
- Do not slap yourself in your eye
- Do not let Pac-Man try on shoes
Anyway, let's move on and look at each of the six boxes contained in this inappropriately designed case. In order of product numbers, we have:
Since the Anti-Missile Defense/Mini Armored Vehicles!
Own Anti-Aircraft Guns/Commanding Chariot!
Explosive Armor/Missile Launch Vehicle!
Anti-Aircraft Missile/Tank & Artillery!
Explosive Aircraft Guns/Black Hawk!
Mortars/Warship!
...Ok, I get the impression that they just read a random War on Terrorism article, picked out some words that sounded good, and assigned them to each form. They didn't even bother to take out the adverbs!
So each vehicle is plastered in front of these shots of a ruined city, which I'm sure is stolen from something, and each name is given on opposite sides of the box.
In fact, the first object on each box is cut off on the back to make room for this "Recommended Products" area, which just shows the next set in the series. Once again, I'm confused as to if the boxes were meant to be bought separately or as a group...
And we get some more Engrish on the boxes, meaning the boxes are rapidly becoming more fun than whatever's actually in the boxes.
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| Infinity Creation? Sounds like the title of a Doctor Who episode. |
Sadly, the boxes are sealed with this sort-of "zip" packaging, meaning they're unresealable. This is going to take a while to get back into storage when I'm done.
Alright, enough stalling. I'm going to show you each of the models and their alternate builds, then I'll put together the "Amphibious Camion" at the end and see if it can indeed prevent Robo-Hussein from destroying us all.
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Pheef! ...Well, that took a lot longer than I expected. I thought that with these being mini sets, I'd get them built in no time, but I forgot to include the time constantly switching to their alternate forms and back. ...And I still need to build the mega form...
So let's go through each and evaluate their effectiveness in preventing a terrorist attack.
First up, Mini Armored Vehicles!
What we have here looks like an IMV with a large cannon strapped to the top, so somewhat like a Cougar or a Dingo maybe?
The top is hinged, letting you place a minifig in the cockpit ...but this sort of puts the cannon at an odd angle and I don't think it's built for lob-type ammo.
And obviously, it doesn't close all the way, leaving the troops pretty exposed to enemy fire.
But the worst part is that the tires are made out of slippery plastic, providing no traction on any form of terrain. Whether it's sand, dirt, or the kitchen countertop, it's unlikely this vehicle will be able to steer away from any terrorist with a bazooka.
Point goes to terrorists...
In its alt form, we have Since the Anti-Missile Defense!
This is a mobile adjustable cannon a minifig can stand on and... adjust the handle to aim the cannon...? At least the cannon isn't hindered by the minifig riding it this time.
Here, the wheels are strangely bent backwards to allow the cannon to stand up, but this doesn't exactly help move the cannon on a whim.
There! Now it can move no problem.
...Never mind... Still has the slippery wheels...
Still, as long as it stays in one place, it''ll probably deflect any missiles you throw at it.
Point to Legion Cheetah!
Next, we have Commanding Chariot! If the army had its own line of Transformers robots, I'm guessing this would be their Optimus Prime.
Again, the roof has a hinge, allowing the figure to sit down and drive the vehicle... still with very little protection since the roof can't come down all the way.
Though if they made it remote controlled, I guess they could probably get an injured infantry back.
This vehicle actually has rubber tires, so we have some traction and it can probably get a fair distance away from the evil Saddam Hussein clone army and their thousands of bazookas(not pictured due to budget limitations.)
And I have no idea what these things on the side are, but they look cool, and that's what counts.
Point to Legion Cheetah!
In the alt form, we have Own Anti-Aircraft Guns!
...Well, I hope they meant for this to be remote controlled, because there's no place for an infantry to sit and man the cannons.
The design is also quite questionable. It's hinged, sure, so it has a bit of angle when taking down enemy fighter jets
...But I question the purpose of having it flip vertically 180 degrees. Call me stupid, but I'm pretty sure angling it that way sort of ruins the point of it being "anti-aircraft" and instead turns it into "anti-any equipment you happen to have behind you..."
Also, the hinge is stuck in one place. ...Again, I'm pretty sure when there's a mobile flying war machine, you'd want a gun that can turn in its direction and not have to constantly adjust itself.
Point to terrorists...
In our next box, we have a Missile Launch Vehicle! ...Yep, that about sums it up...
No place for the minifig to sit, but you can take the top off and have him sit there, I guess. ...Sort of loses the lights on the top though...
Again, we have the slippery plastic wheels on the front providing zero traction. ...But I'm not complaining this time, since they're backed up with rubber tank treads that'll get the artillery where it needs to go, whether it's Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or the backyard sandbox.
And we have missiles on a hinge again, but since the truck is much more mobile and the missiles are probably guided, it's again not a problem.
Point to Legion Cheetah!
In its alt, it's Explosive Armor! ...Pretty sure that not even in war do people want equipment likely to explode...
It's basically the other vehicle with the front part cut off. On the plus side, that means much easier R2-D2-style steering and movement. On the minus side, a minifig can't ride this into battle without putting its head in front of where the missiles' flame jets would be. The missiles are also a lot bigger on this than the other form, so let's see if they can hit a target from a much further distance.
...Yep. Point to Legion Cheetah!
Next in line, Tank & Artillery! ...So, tank then...
Now at first glance, it looks threatening. Four treads, big ol' cannon, part for the minifig to stand on in the back, what look like eyes on the front... but then you realize the main construction fail. ...Haven't noticed it? Let me spell it out for you.
Yep, the cannon is attached to the top by one stud, so moving it will most likely cause it to fall off. ...Well, let's put it back on then.
Whoops, that part's not given a strong connection either. Well, let's just give that a quick fix...
Point to terrorists. They don't even have to do anything...
Maybe its alt as Anti-Aircraft Missile will fare better?
Well, this is already better than the Anti-Aircraft Guns since it has both a hinge and can freely swing left and right, and I don't feel like I can lean on a button and have it aim directly at me... or the fig, rather.
However, it states that it's an Anti-Aircraft MISSILE, and based on what they've shown us is a missile for them, it looks much closer to a gun or a cannon.
Maybe it would help if they stuck the missile's tail on the actual missile...
For some reason, they gave it treads, even though it can't roll on them due to several bricks and plates holding it up, so all it can do is spin its wheels in the face of danger.
And once again, the gun can fall off if you even breathe on it due to its loose connection. Another point to terrorists...
And before we move on, I'd just like to quickly show you the instruction sheet for this set. I did not bend it in any way, it arrived like this. They cared as much about this set as I did...
For the next set, we have Black Hawk! Finally, a name that I can believe is a military code name and isn't just what it does...
Though it's a little strange that they're calling an airplane that when a Black Hawk is actually a helicopter...
Or maybe they're paying tribute to their favorite D-list DC comics team?
Still, it's nice that Legion Cheetah has some air support! There's even a cockpit for a minifig to pilot the plane in. ...And he's lucky this isn't an older model with a propeller on the nose...
Not much to say about this one. It contains no weapons and it's put together fairly well.
...As long as you don't take the wheels off.
Still, if ever the Legion Cheetah calls for kamikaze pilots, this is a good model to serve the cause. Point to Legion Cheetah.
Can't say the same about the alt, Explosive Aircraft Guns! It goes right back to the descriptive phrase rather than giving it an actual name...
...What am I looking at? So you have propellers on each side and wheels on what I'm guessing is the gun barrel? Or are the propellers supposed to be special tires and the wheels are gears?
Then you have the gun barrels... or are they missiles? And why does it have wheels on the front if it can't move them? And how does this thing even fire?!
Or maybe it's upside-down? ...I dunno, does this look better to anyone else?
Point to terrorists. Legion Cheetah would spend the entire war just trying to figure out how to turn it on...
And finally, we have Warship! Sounds like The Asylum's version of Battleship. ...Hey, it doesn't star Liam Neeson and Rhianna, so I'm on board.
Out of all the designs we've seen, I probably like this one the best. It actually looks like what it says it is and is functional to boot.
On the front, we have a cannon with a scope attachment that can aim anywhere in a 90 degree angle, including upwards in case it needs to sink itself. Very important to note.
On the back, we have these turbo engines. ...Or are they cannons...? ...Whatever, they look cool and that's what matters!
And there are also these flaps on the sides. Why? ...Reasons!
But now for the most important question concerning any boat model. Does it float?
...Not very well. Sorry Warship, while I like your design, point goes to terrorists for lack of functionality.
And for the final alt mode, we have Mortars! ...The most needlessly complicated mortar I've ever seen...
...Yeah, all the mortars I've seen don't look like a Microfighters version of the mechanical spider from Wild Wild West...
What is it even shooting? On the right, it looks like a mini bomb, I guess, while on the left, it looks like a... laser cannon?
And the bottom supports all bend in different directions, making it impossible to bend on a studded surface.
That settles it. I'm convinced that they've actually built a killer robot mount they've developed under the code name MORTAR(Mobile Original Ranged Targeting Attack Robot.)
And on that note, I award the point to the Legion Cheetah, since, let's face it, the terrorists will never see this coming!
So what's the final tally?
Terrorists: 6
Legion Cheetah: 6
A tie! It all comes down to the 12-in-1 Modelling Amphibious Camion. Will terrorism prevail or will the Legion Cheetah show us it stands for truth, justice, and the Minifig way?! Let's find out!
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And with the Legion Cheetah's powers combined, they are AMPHIBIOUS CAMION! If I may pull out this old cliche...
The Amphibious Camion seems to have taken the best parts of each model and fused them into one massive powerhouse that even Mr. T would be jealous of!
Though amusingly, the instructions asked for parts that weren't available for this set. For example, it asked for 4 black bar pieces when there were only 3 across the sets, so I had to substitute a tan bar piece for one. This halfway convinces me that this model was designed before the others were and the designers for the mini sets were just given a vague list of parts to add to and work with.
There were also a few parts left over from building this and I was halfway curious if there are enough to build any of the sets for comparison, but I've already taken apart and put back together 12 different models several times each, so I'm going to table this experiment for another day...
The Camion is surprisingly big, especially compared to its mini sets and any minifigures.
It's about as big as an official Lego City train I own. Unfortunately, unlike the train, it's not battery powered, which would add to its awesomeness factor, but it has plenty else to give it the edge in combat.
First, they weren't kidding when they called this "amphibious", since not only does it drive on two sets of treads
But it also has two propellers on the back, truly making this an all-terrain armored vehicle.
It even floats better than the Warship! ...Not perfectly, but enough to deliver a boatload of pain to any terrorist battleships! ...Or to anyone who made the movie Battleship anyway...
No wings, sure, but that's easily remedied.
And there's a space on the back for a minifig to stand and ride this thing into battle. Again, it would have been nice to have a space INSIDE for the minifig to ride, but at least this way, it can pose triumphantly as if to say "JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY! I'M DRIVING A FREAKIN' TANK AIMED RIGHT AT YOUR FACE!"
But the most intimidating part of this model is that pretty much everywhere you look, it's armed to the teeth!
To start, the Camion has a missile launcher on each side, which I'm just going to assume are nuclear homing missiles capable of blowing up a small country or, alternatively, Al Qaeda's giant robot powered by Osama Bin Laden's brain.
But on the off chance those fail, the Camion is also equipped with twin lasers that can tear through any solid material! ...Yes, I know they look like headlights, but that's just what they WANT you to think!
And for enemies that decided to sneak up behind the Camion, these rocket jets/twin light cannons will blow away any unsuspecting terrorist that thinks the Camion has a weakness that can be exploited!
For smaller jobs, twin machine guns can mow down entire platoons of enemies with .50 caliber custom made bullets that explode on impact. One belt can level a mountain!
But if all else fails, the Camion possesses a giant, uber-powerful, energy-based cannon mounted on its top, which, when fired, is guaranteed to bathe any area in a Dragonball Z-style wave of destruction!
And with all that this war machine proves it can do, I believe there is no doubt that the Legion Cheetah has earned its final point and proven that they ain't afraid of no terrorist!
So remember. If you have a problem with terrorists, if no one else can help and you don't have a spare nuclear cannon on hand, and if you can find them before they've already sought out and taken care of the problem, maybe you can hire...
The Mighty Legion Cheetah Transformer Team! ...Or just The Legion Cheetah Team. ...Or The LC-Team. ...Whatever floats your boat.
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Quality: The plastic quality of the bricks is very high, almost indistinguishable from Lego bricks. They're missing a logo and feel slightly smoother than Lego bricks, but otherwise you probably wouldn't tell the difference if they were randomly mixed in with real Lego. Most of the stuff clicked into place, but there were a few spots, especially with the Black Hawk and the Tank and Artillery, where the connection was very loose and parts came off in my hand. Overall though, they're pretty high quality and can create relatively sturdy models, especially when all are formed into the Amphibious Camion!
Design: The designs of the models are distinctive, but questionable. They seemed to have a relative vision of what they based the models on, but not so much the idea of how to execute the idea. Sometimes we get a model whose function is clear, like the Missile Launch Vehicle, and sometimes we get the Explosive Aircraft guns, where I can't even tell if it's right-side up. I don't know if this was due to a lack of reliable models or just they were given a limited amount of pieces to create a mini-set out of. Still, each one at least looks like something and all look like they belong in a war zone, so they got the idea down of what they were building. And again, I have no complaints with the Amphibious Camion.
Creativity: As I said, I can't tell what the function some of the pieces have or what some of the models are, so that's creative, I guess... But in all seriousness, I love that they were able to create 6 sets that could not only transform into 6 other sets, but could then all be used to form the Amphibious Camion! I would have appreciated it if all the guns and other accessories that look like they could be moved were put on wheels or hinges so they could move, but that's mostly a nitpick. Overall, I'm impressed that they could create these mini sets and have each set have 2 forms that look like something you'd see in war. ...Even if they mixed up a Mortar with a MORTAR.
Readability: Each set of instructions is only on one sheet, so most of the steps include several bricks to be put on at once, and this can lead to a bit of confusion if the bricks end up overlapping. Still, it's nice that in each step, they grayed out the bricks from previous steps to make it clearer what bricks go where. There was never a step that left me feeling frustrated or seemed out of place and whatever mistakes I made could be easily remedied before I got too far in its construction. I guess the major problem I had with these instructions was when I was building the Amphibious Camion and it requested parts that didn't exist, at least not in the colors it depicted. But even then, it was relatively easy to catch on and add the pieces they meant, and, of course, we got the Amphibious Camion in the end!
Packaging: I LOVE this packaging! From the unneeded store display look to the high quality of the box to the amount of detail in the text and images on each side. But my favorite part is, of course, the Engrish that can be found practically wherever I look, including in the names they gave to the vehicles that still contain some leftover words from wherever they stole them from. This is one of the reasons why I started this blog and I'm always excited when we get some unintentional hilarity from overseas. The only negative point I can think of is that the boxes cannot be closed on their own after opening due to the zip packaging and need to be taped shut to keep the set intact. But if that's the worst thing I can think of, then I can see nothing that gets in the way of promoting the Amphibious Camion!
Compatibility: The blocks are high quality and almost indistinguishable from Lego, fitting perfectly with most other standard Lego-esque building blocks. There aren't any custom blocks that require this set in particular to attach to and they're all standard bricks you'd find in most Lego sets. The models themselves look like vehicles Lego often packages with larger sets as secondary models and I would have no problem believing it if Lego packaged their own version of these. Of course, if they did put out their own set, it would still have to be called the Amphibious Camion!
Overall:
AMPHIBIOUS CAMION!
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