LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus review
LEGO Fortnite finally takes physical form and as expected, 77073 Battle Bus is a must-have model – and not just for those nine exclusive minifigures.
After heavy investment in Epic Games and the launch of the LEGO Fortnite survival-crafting mode, sets based on Fortnite were as inevitable as a brick-built Battle Bus. The iconic transportation has been used since the first day of Battle Royale to transport players to the island, ready for them to survive and build.
It has also recently debuted in the LEGO Fortnite mode, but 77073 Battle Bus is not taken directly from that build, instead scaling down ready to be recreated as an official LEGO set. Importantly, 77073 Battle Bus is the only current way to get your hands on LEGO Fortnite minifigures, based on nine of the thousands of outfits available in-game.
That latter feature will certainly play a crucial role in how appealing 77073 Battle Bus is and for any Fortnite players, this is going to be a must-have model.
Release: October 1, 2024 Price: £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 Pieces: 954 Minifigures: 9 LEGO: Order now
Where we dropping?
There’s only one model in 77073 Battle Bus and it uses most of the set’s 954 pieces. The blue American school bus has been modified with a hot air balloon to transport 100 players to the island over and over again or transport a single person in LEGO Fortnite. The LEGO designers have managed to faithfully capture the appearance of this gaming icon and there’s no doubt that this is a brick-built Battle Bus.
The build is equal parts simple and complex. The bus itself is relatively straightforward, following standard construction techniques that work efficiently as they always have, and things never get too repetitive – even when you have to place 21 windows in frames, an inevitability with a brick-built bus.
The balloon up top is much more sophisticated and will take some concentration to put together and correctly line everything up. A limited range of stickers supports the overall design with additional details, but these could easily be left off while maintaining the iconic appearance of the Battle Bus. A LEGO Battle Bus was always a recipe for success and it’s no surprise to see this model executed so effortlessly.
All form, few functions
A recent interview with the LEGO Fortnite designers revealed that all four sets have been designed with ‘display play’ in mind. That’s especially evident in 77073 Battle Bus with a faithful design and very few play features. The only function that you could label as a play feature is the removable roof and interior seating, though this was essential for the Battle Bus.
Removing the roof is easily done and it slots back into place just as conveniently. Inside, you’ll find nine seats which are intended to fit all nine minifigures. Meowscles’ tail makes it hard to position him, but there’s room for two standing minifigures as well. It may appear simple, but from the few times the interior of the Battle Bus has been shown, this is entirely accurate and serves its purpose perfectly.
You won’t be fitting 100 minifigures inside 77073 Battle Bus any time soon, but there is more than enough space for all nine minifigures included here, along with the set’s accessories. It’s a useful storage space that allows you to effectively display the set in your gaming space. Those accessories add more to the experience too, but you can find nearly all of them in 77071 Supply Llama. It’s no bad thing that they’re available in more sets though and it would feel wrong to not have players find some loot after exiting the Battle Bus.
The stars of the show
There’s no doubt about it, the minifigures are the stars of the show in 77073 Battle Bus. This is the only LEGO Fortnite set to include them and for £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99, a wide swathe of new elements and prints are included in an entirely exclusive cast. Many will be eying up 77073 Battle Bus solely for its minifigures ahead of October 1, and there’s good reason to.
The full list of minifigures in 77073 Battle Bus includes Battalion Brawler, Adventure Peely, Brite Bomber, Cuddle Team Leader, Cube Assassin, Trespasser Elite, Drift, Meowscles and Raven. To some, these names will mean nothing but rest assured that this is a great selection that is representative of Fortnite’s many chapters. You might struggle to find use for them beyond Fortnite (though some detailed legs may be tempting), but they’re completely accurate to the game’s outlandish lore.
Non-Fortnite enthusiasts can safely skip 77073 Battle Bus unless you need those minifigures for custom creations. If you’re familiar with the game, you’re probably already planning on picking up this set and its minifigures, and that would be a wise decision as this is a notably high-quality set that captures the essence of Fortnite and its most iconic motif.
This is an undeniable victory for LEGO Fortnite’s first flagship set and getting all the minifigures so far in one decent-value package works well, while also allowing the other LEGO Fortnite sets to be more diverse. Bonus: it’s not just the physical product that you can look forward to with 77073 Battle Bus, as scanning the instructions’ QR code from any of the four LEGO Fortnite sets will unlock an in-game bundle. You can find out more about that by clicking here.
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO via one of our affiliate links, thank you!
Our honest opinion: The Battle Bus is the safest pick for a LEGO Fortnite set but the final product is well-executed and features an awesome array of minifigures. It’s nothing but a win for Fortnite fans.
How long does it take to build LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus?
With under 1,000 pieces, LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus should take you two hours or less to put together.
How many pieces are in LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus?
LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus is made up of 954 pieces and that includes the Battle Bus, nine accessories and nine minifigures to equip them.
How big is LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus?
Everything in 77073 Battle Bus neatly fits inside the main model, which measures 28cm high, 28cm long and 13cm wide.
How much does LEGO Fortnite 77073 Battle Bus cost?
You’ll be able to board 77073 Battle Bus from October 1, 2024, and the set costs £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99.
Author Profile
- LEGO has been a part of my life ever since I was young. It all started when my brother passed down 7657 AT-ST to me. It’s guided me through my early years, through school and eventually through my degree in journalism. I still have all my collection proudly on display, including my many NINJAGO sets, my favourite of all the LEGO Group’s themes. Outside of Brick Fanatics I am an avid gamer and enjoy a good game of Dungeons & Dragons.
