LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus (77073) Review

There aren’t many games I play that also have a LEGO set replica. Sure there is Super Mario and Minecraft but one I haven’t played in years and the other has slowly faded into the background thanks to LEGO Fortnite. Having got into Fortnite quote late I had a lot of catching up to do, thanks to my 9 year old Son, I have found LEGO Fortnite a total blast to play and we enjoy building and exploring what the game has to offer together.

When LEGO announced a Battle Bus set I rushed home to tell my boy that the set will be dropping soon and we just had to get it. I could have pre-ordered it but thankfully I didn’t as a themed gift with purchase set was revealed just days before the sets launch. Release day came and I placed my order, only a few days latee the package turned up and we were both so excited to get it built that we sat down that weekend and did just that. Read about our experiences during the build and what we think of the set as a whole and the Minifigures.

Product details:

• 77073
• Fortnite Battle Bus
• 954 pieces
• £89.99/$99.99/€99.99
• 1st October
• 9 Minifigures
• 650 Insiders points

The Box & Contents:

The box art is great, it’s so bright and cool, every inch of it pops with excitement. The Fortnite branding really shines through here with the purple and yellow accents, combined with the blue Battle Bus and white & light blue balloon, is awesome. On the back you’ll see some of the play features including the removable balloon contraption, the roof and the interchangeable Minifigure heads/hair pieces.

The instruction manual is surprisingly thick for what from the outside looks like a generic, albeit blue and battle-ready, bus. Before I moved any further I scanned the QR code in the front and claimed my 20 free Insiders points (become a member and scan the codes to get 20 points, these soon stack up and can get you some cool goodies). The sticker sheet is nice too, not many individual designs but enough to match it to its on-screen counterpart.

The Build:

As the bus is the main and only build, you make a start in the base and build up from there. Comprising of the odd colour piece, the base is layered with mostly blue and black pieces, along woth randomly placed stickers which represents rust and general wear & tear. I really like the use of the stickers on the side and think it adds so much to the overall build, without them it wouldn’t be the Battle Bus we know and love.

Wheel arches, bonnet, windscreen, front grill, back bumper and seats are added along the way. The seats are simple builds but quite satisfying to make, with basic hinges, slopes for the backs and 2×2 one-sided stud plates. 10 seats are made in total with one being for the Driver, although that character isn’t included (or known), it seems both logical and odd to include a seat. Oh and don’t forget to thank the bus driver when you exit!

The later part of the bus build is enjoyable but basically layering at this stage, blue bricks on top of blue bricks, 21 windows & panes to fit and place, 3 doors and the many slopes that finish off the roof. The last couple of parts to build and add is the holding brackets and balloon.

The arms that form the brackets that subsequently attach to the balloon are mirrored build and don’t really differentiate from each other much. 4 of the same sticker are also added to the arms which again give them more detail and makes them more realistic. Held on with a series of clips they do tend to raise up occasionally which is a little anno, especially when trying to attach the flexible tubes on each corner. Trying to get them tight is a pain and just can’t be done, similar problem with the strings/mast on the LEGO Ideas Jaws (21350) set, they don’t really work. This can be overlooked and isn’t a massive issue, just a general annoyance.

The balloon sections are fun to add and sinply clip into place at the top and base of the central column. Once it is all together the set looks awesome and one I’m so glad I picked up on release day, the characters included are the real show stops, as you’ll see below.

The Minifigures:

There are a total of 9 Minifigures includee in the set, which is rather generous of a set in this price bracket. I’m in no way saying this is a down point, far from it, I would actually say more the merrier. From some cool original skins right up to present day characters, there is something for everyone to get excited about here.

The characters included are:

• Battalion Brawler
• Adventure Peely
• Brite Bomber
• Cuddle Team Leader
• Cube Assassin
• Trespasser Elite
• Drift
• Meowscles
• Raven

Each of the Minifigures bring something cool and unique to the set, from Adventure Peely’s new moulded Banana head-piece, Cuddle Team Leader’s pink design and again new moulded head-piece, infact most of the characters come with a new head-piece. It’s so refreshing to have something to display and okay with, sure the other LEGO themes such as Star Wars, Marvel, City and so on are great and offer funky Minifigures, but this just feels better, it’sikenthe design team were told to have fun and go all out.

A couple of the Minifigures come with additional hair pieces, incase you want to display them without their hoods/masks. I love it when LEGO do this, it seems like it’s standard practice now, which is how it should be.

Included with each character is either a Pickaxe, Grappling Gun or Slurp Juice power ups. These are valuable items for any Fortnite gamer and it’s good to see LEGO include them. The basic but super effective builds are great and really do look the part, especially at Minifigure-scale, I feel it’s time to make a small BrickLink order and get some to stash around my LEGO City!

Final Thoughts:

Overall the set is fun to look at and play with, it’s the perfect shelf-sitter for Adult collectors and a perfect play set for younger fans. The build process doesn’t feel slow, although there are 21 windows to assemble and fit.

The contraption that holds the balloon to the Battle Bus can be removed surprisingly easy but it also sturdy enough that it doesn’t just come off, a series of studs, clips and hinges hold it all together. I plan on suspending the Battle Bus from the ceiling over my LEGO City and having the Minifigures and my Sigfig jumping out and landing in Gregsville!

I highly recommend this set to fans of the game, it captures so much of the excitement both the Fortnite game, and the expansion LEGO Fortnite, has to offer.