LEGO Champion is packaged in one of the largest boxes LEGO makes for their board game line. The last board game to use this size of a box was Creationary. LEGO Champion shares some similarities to Creationary. In fact, some wondered if it would be an updated version of the other game.
Whether good or bad, this game is definitely its own board game. It only shares the ability to accommodate eight players. Beyond this, there is little that is similar to Creationary.
Many board games have a general theme which is altered by some subtle changes to the rules. LEGO Champion is a game of pure variety. The game elements are simple and only your imagination will limit you in how you play.
Building LEGO Champion, a LEGO Board Game
Once you open all the bags of parts, you’ll find it will take roughly a minute to assemble the pieces. You’ll construct a trophy that the players try to win. This is followed by tiling the dice in the correct colors. Finally, you’ll build a simplistic game board with a starting platform, and rectangular track. The majority of the set is left as loose bricks.
How to Play LEGO Champion, a LEGO Board Game
Once each player has been placed on the starting platform, the youngest player will roll the LEGO dice. They will then perform the actions according to what the dice reveals. If the dice shows a green tile, simply move the game piece of the player’s color to the next green brick. Their turn ends. Every other color will involve a mini-game. The first to circle the track and make it back to the starting platform wins.
When you roll a color other than green, you must follow these steps. First, put down that color brick in the closest available space to the starting platform. Then move your character to the first brick of that color. Remember, others may have put down bricks of the same color before you so you may not necessarily step on the brick you put down. Then play that color’s specific mini-game. The winner of the mini-game will move to the next green brick along their path.
Red: The mini-game is called On Target. Each player takes a brick of the color that matches their game piece. The LEGO dice is then placed in the middle of the track. Then each player throws their brick at the LEGO dice. The player whose brick is closest, wins.
Orange: This mini-game is called Bluffing Bricks. Each player takes turn grabbing three bricks of any color while no one else is looking. Then each person takes turn making a statement. For example: there are two red bricks. The next person would then either say they are lying or claim a different amount. For instance: there are three pink bricks. Eventually, someone will have to say that person is lying. Everyone reveals their bricks. If there is the right amount of bricks in the right color, then the person who made the claim wins. If it is a lie then the person who called them out wins.
Yellow: This mini-game is called Topple Tower. It starts with the person that rolled the dice. They will grab one brick and place it on the table. Then the next person will grab two bricks, put them together in any way and place it on the first without attaching the creation via studs. Each successive person will have to make a creation with one additional brick and continue the stack. When the tower falls, the last person who stacked it and it didn’t fall, wins.
Blue: This mini-game is called Codebreaker. The person who rolled blue takes three bricks secretly. The bricks must be different colors. Once they put the bricks together in a stack, they may then be asked “yes” or “no” questions. If the answer is “yes,” the person who asked may ask again. If you think you know the exact colors in the exact stack, you may make a guess. If it is correct, the guesser wins. If it is wrong, the one who made the code wins.
Purple: This mini-game is called Speed Builder. The person who rolled the dice takes eight different colored bricks. Every other player does the same. The player who rolled has to secretly build a construction with the pieces. When finished, they reveal it. Everyone else tries to build the same thing as fast as they can. When someone thinks they are done, they cry “finished.” All building should stop. If the shape of the construction is correct, the speed builder wins. If it is wrong, the original builder wins.
There are other tiles so that you can come up with your own mini-games or change a few of the existing rules.
Interesting Elements in LEGO Champion, a LEGO Board Game
Really, the thing that is worth getting is the nine microfigures that come in the set. There is a nice selection of basic two-by-four bricks in a variety of colors including purple, pink, orange, blue, green, red, and white, but there’s nothing great about them.
Some people may also like the variety of tiles that come in the same colors. There is also a question mark tile and a skull tile for variety, but even these can not compare to the microfigures.
The microfigures you get are solid pearl gold, yellow barbarian lady, purple skeleton, pink princess, lime green space man, red gladiator, orange merchant, white pirate, and blue adventurer. Many of these can be found in othe LEGO board games. However, some are only found here.
Ratings for LEGO Champion, a LEGO Board Game
Originality: 4.5 out of 5 Studs. This is a game that will definitely tax your imagination.
Replay Value: 3.5 out of 5 Studs. This is a nice game, but it really shines when you have plenty of people to play it with.
Fun Factor: 3.5 out of 5 Studs. It’s a good party game, but you may want to have other games available since some may not find it interesting.
Unique Parts: 3 out of 5 Studs. If it wasn’t for the microfigures, this game would get a 1 in this.
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Studs. It’s not a bad game for parties, but for two people it’s not really that great.
Recommendations
You’d only want this set if you are in desperate need for some two-by-four bricks in various colors. However, this may be overpriced for even that need. It does have some truly unique microfigures, but this price tag seems a bit high if you want unique parts. If you really like it for the games, buy it at a discount.
List of LEGO Board Games to Search For
There are many other LEGO board games currently out and many expected to be released in the future. Here is a list of known board games (current and future) and their set number. Just a note: they are not necessarily being released in order of set number.
- Robo Champ, set #3835
- Magikus, set #3836
- Monster 4, set #3837
- Lava Dragon, set #3838
- Race 3000, set #3839
- Pirate Code, set #3840
- Minotaurus, set #3841
- Lunar Command, set #3842
- Ramses Pyramid, set #3843
- Creationary, set #3844
- Shave a Sheep, set #3845
- UFO Attack, set #3846
- Magma Monster, set #3847
- Pirate Plank, set #3848
- Orient Bazaar, set #3849
- Meteor Strike, set #3850
- Atlantis Treasure, set #3851
- Sun Block, set #3852
- Banana Balance, set #3853
- Frog Rush, set #3854
- Ramses Return, set #3855
- NinjaGO - the board game, set #3856
- Heroica: Draida Bay, set #3857
- Heroica: Waldurk Forest, set #3858
- Heroica: Caverns of Nathuz, set #3859
- Heroica: Castle Fortaan, set #3860
- LEGO Champion, set #3861
- Harry Potter Hogwarts, set #3862
What Sets Have Been Reviewed?
Instead of guessing which sets have or have not been reviewed, go to LEGO Board Games to get an overview. This article will briefly discuss each set in brief and let you know what sets are still on the horizon.
William Reed - With a B.A. in Communications and an intense love of LEGO, Will journeys forth to share and educate others about LEGO.
