LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda review

76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda may not be the biggest version of Tony Stark’s massive armour released to date, but is it the best?

Just like buses, you wait years for a new LEGO Marvel Hulkbuster set to arrive and then two come along in the space of a few months. 76210 Hulkbuster launched back in November 2022, giving fans the largest and most expensive version of the armoured Avenger’s Mark 44 suit to date, clocking in at a whopping 4,049 pieces and standing 52cm tall.

However, the fan response to the huge LEGO Marvel model wasn’t great, with one initial review describing the set as ‘atrocious,’ and many complaining about the mech’s lack of articulation and poor overall build quality. Fast forward to January 1, 2023, and 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda – a smaller, less-expensive yet more accurately scaled version of Tony Stark’s technological creation – arrived on shelves. But is it a worthy improvement on previous iterations of the model?

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster:
The Battle of Wakanda set details —

Theme: Marvel Set name: 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda Release date: January 1, 2023

Price: £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 Pieces: 385 Minifigures: 4

LEGO: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda —

76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda is available to buy directly from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, but you may be able to find it cheaper through third-party retailers. Check out the latest deals on this LEGO Marvel set below.

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— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda build —

Arriving in Infinity Saga packaging, 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda breaks the LEGO Marvel build down into three distinct stages. The first section to be constructed is the armoured suit’s torso, with room inside the snug cockpit to fit one of the included minifigures. Construction is simple enough, but we did find two angled pieces underneath the arms a little tricky to connect. This portion of the build also requires careful application of a few stickers, although there aren’t that many in the set (14 in total).

With the upper and lower sections of the torso assembled, the impressive new printed Hulkbuster helmet can be snapped into place. However, the two battle droid mechanical arm pieces used to secure it are a little flimsy, to say the least. Another minor niggle comes when placing a minifigure inside the opening cockpit and attempting to close the helmet. There’s an annoying gap around the lower edge of the piece and the top of the Hulkbuster’s chest, meaning it’s possible to see a character’s hands from inside, even when the helmet is closed.

Next up for assembly are the mech’s legs, comprising multi-jointed, locked knee joints and articulated pieces that offer a surprising range of movement. They also make the build satisfyingly stable, with three toe pieces on each foot being a particularly nice touch. Again, a few stickers are required, but they all blend in well on the finished model. The completed legs snap into place with very little pressure, allowing the mech to be placed in a standing or running pose, although the latter does require holding onto the model whilst doing so.

The final parts of the Hulkbuster to be completed are its oversized arms, complete with opening thumbs and fingers, plus opalescent trans-light blue 1×1 round tiles representing repulsors. This is another area where 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda really shines. With a minimal number of pieces, the model is afforded an impressive range of movement and poseability, with rotatable wrists, jointed elbows and hands that can be used to grab objects. The upper armoured shoulder plates can also be repositioned, allowing for additional arm movement or access to the inner workings of the mech.

The fully-assembled minifigure-scale model is a sturdy and chunky creation, one that manages to easily outshine 76210 Hulkbuster in terms of scale, articulation and build quality, with fewer pieces and at a fraction of the larger set’s price. Older LEGO Marvel fans after a more accurate (albeit smaller) version of the Mark 44 suit will want to pick up the model, whilst younger fans will get plenty of playability out of the set without worrying about too many pieces falling off during superheroic battles.

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda minifigures —

76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda includes four minifigures: Bruce Banner, Okoye and two Outriders. This version of Banner is all-new and features front and rear torso printing, plus double-sided head prints, with one revealing the character’s green eyes and a strained expression as he begins to transform into his giant green alter ego.

This iteration of Okoye appeared in last year’s 76214 Black Panther: War on the Water and has the same spear accessory, although she does now gain pearl gold shoulder armour. The two Outriders have popped up in numerous sets before, including 76131 Avengers Compound Battle and 76103 Corvus Glaive Thresher Attack, and they’re presented here with black Venom-style arms and gold claw accessories.

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda price —

There’s no denying 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda offers great value for money. The piece count of the licensed set justifies its price, as does the range of minifigures included with the build.

Likewise, the cost of the set is a lot less than that of 76210 Hulkbuster, for what is essentially a much more accurate model. Those who may have missed out on previous now-retired versions of the massive mech, such as 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash and 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up, would definitely do well to grab this model while it’s available.

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda pictures —

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda pros and cons —

There’s plenty to recommend about 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda. From its affordability and accuracy to its chunky stability and overall play options, this is a LEGO Marvel set that really manages to deliver.

Whilst bigger and more expensive versions of the mighty mech have been released over the years, this model of Tony Stark’s massive Mark 44 armour is the first to deliver a truly representative interpretation of the giant-sized suit, as seen in Avengers: Infinity War.

LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda pros	LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda cons
Accurately-scaled version of the Hulkbuster armour	Helmet attachment is too flimsy
Solid build quality	No room in the cockpit to fully close the helmet
Wide range of articulation and movement	Some model poses require support
Good value for money	Small pieces under the arms are fiddly to attach

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda —

Fan with deep pockets can still pick up 76210 Hulkbuster, priced at £474.99 / $549.99 / €549.99, but there are plenty of options for those looking for smaller and more affordable builds. For instance, the LEGO Marvel mech range recently expanded with 76241 Hulk Mech Armor, 76242 Thanos Mech Armor and 76243 Rocket Mech Armor all having launched on January 1, 2023.

Alternatively, both the NINJAGO and Monkie Kid themes offer up similar-sized suits, such as 80040 Monkie Kid’s Combi Mech, 80033 Evil Macaque’s Mech and 71781 Lloyd’s Mech Battle EVO.

— LEGO Marvel 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda FAQs —