Empire Temple of Madness — B · The Brick Drop Score
B
The Drop Score
Empire Temple of Madness
71712-1 · Ninjago
Early read · 4 reviews
Six minifigs, a snake-themed villain lair, and a working trap door — Empire Temple of Madness delivers the Ninjago chaos you'd expect, just at a price that stings a little more than it should.
Is the price fair?C+$79.99 for 820 pieces and a Ninjago villain lair — the name costs more than the bricks.
Will you love it?BTrap doors, snake temples, six minifigs — this is Ninjago doing exactly what Ninjago does best.
Holds its value?C-Retires quietly, moves slowly — not a set the secondary market circles.
True ValueC+
$98
Street price
$106
Parts value
108%
Ratio
The parts alone are worth about 108% of the street price — the basis for this C+ price read.
What you get
Plain bricks
$41
Printed & detailcalc
$3
Functional piecescalc
$22
Figures (×6)
$41
BargainThe parts alone are worth more than you pay — $106 of parts for $98.
The Full Take
Empire Temple of Madness is one of those sets where the theme does the heavy lifting — villain temples with trap doors, snake imagery, and a six-minifig lineup hit different when you're in the Ninjago world. The build has real character: layered stonework, hidden chambers, and enough play features to keep the action going long after the box is opened. Six minifigs for a set this size is a genuine win, and the character selection is solid rather than filler. The price, though, is where this stumbles — $79.99 feels like LEGO® leaning on the Ninjago name a bit harder than the parts count justifies. On the shelf it reads more as a playset than a display piece, which is fine if that's what you're after. Hold value is middling at best, so buy it because you want it, not because you're banking on it. A B overall: good set, wrong price.
