Set Name: Winter Elves Scene
Set Number: 40564
Pieces: 372
MSRP: GWP, November 2022

Why I Bought this Set

During VIP weekend in November 2022, I qualified for this GWP by making a minimum purchase of $170. This is my first winter GWP, and I was excited to add it to my winter village. The set is valued at $19.99 US, and I would have happily paid that to get my hands on this Christmas set.

The Build

There are two building stages described in an 84-page instruction manual. The first section builds the base and an elf minifigure. The second half of the build constructs the vertical elements – trees, landscape, and the second elf with their sled.

The base of the scene comprises mainly of white plates and bricks. Tan tile is used as the floor of the skating rink. Transparent and aqua-blue elements generate the ice detail, and a few light grey cheese pieces add landscaping. The effect is a dynamic, detailed base with plenty of texture.

I haven’t seen pieces 6271207 and 6238331 (the blue gear teeth parts), and I didn’t know how they’d be used. I was giddy when I placed them in the scene, realizing the skating rink would rotate. Yes, looking at the box, this is evident to a keen eye, but I try not to look too deeply at set pictures once I have decided to purchase them. It leaves a little more surprise during the build.

To complete stage one, the base is finished, with the rotating ice rink the focus. It’s enclosed with white plates, so none of the tan tiles are visible.

Onto stage two and it starts with making the sled. It’s a simple mini-build but a fun one. I am curious why the elf is transporting snowballs on a sled. I’m going to have to think about that one when storytelling 😂.

Light blue-grey 1 x brick is placed at the back of the scene to create the outline of a mountain. This set is my first experience seeing background landscaping like this, and I am impressed with how good it looks. It’s a straightforward building technique but valuable to create a backdrop. I’ll keep this in mind for next year’s winter village, as it will be cheaper than using rock pieces to generate the same effect.

The grey brick is topped with a series of sloped white elements to complete the effect of creating snow-covered mountain tops. Adding white teeth pieces adds needed texture and the illusion of fresh snowfall.

The trees in front of the mountain might be my favorite part of the build. I’ve almost exclusively constructed Christmas sets to date, and each comes with a Christmas tree mini-build. This is the first time I have seen silhouetted trees, and I adore how it looks.

Time for the foreground 3D trees in the build. Once again, it is a different design from other Christmas sets, with cheese wedges creating the tree’s body. Stacking two triangle plates for the larger tree gives the width difference needed to build a voluminous tree. Placing white wedges in the design is an effective way of adding snow to the tree branches.

With the trees in place, the build is almost complete! A string of lights connecting the two trees is constructed from the Spiderman web element, 1x clips, and inverted studs. It looks fantastic, and I want to incorporate stringed lights like this into my winter scene!

All that’s left is to place the sled, squirrel, and the two elves. The skating elf rotates as you turn the gear, so they can show off their twirling abilities! With a snowball in hand, the other elf is ready for a fight.

As many pieces in this set are tiny, you are left with quite a few extras. It’s a great bonus and nice to have more parts to add to my inventory. The elves are the scene stars; their hats are my favorite element!

Set Review

This set is right in my wheelhouse – Christmas, cute, and detailed. For a GWP, it’s a fantastic build, and everyone can make use of it. If you have a winter village – it’s easy to incorporate, and if you display this set on a shelf, it looks fantastic.

While the parts are standard and small, they are used well in the design to construct a complete scene full of elements, texture, and storytelling. The two dimensions in the diorama work flawlessly, creating a spectacular mountain range backdrop to the elves playing in the foreground.

Looking at the finished product, it screams fun, winter, and festive joy.

Ratings

Build: 5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed this build, which I completed “together” via video chat with a friend who had the same set. We listened to Christmas music in the background.

While the build wasn’t technically challenging (and you don’t want it to be for a GWP), it is well-designed to give a good build experience for all ages and abilities. Adding the gears to allow the elf to spin on the ice is a marvelous quirk that elevates the build.

Display: 5/5
Lego has designed a fabulous display set here. Images do not do the set justice. I am constantly scanning the scene and seeing something different, which is impressive for such a small set. The color scheme is electrifying – the perfect balance of muted hues allows the vibrant minifigures to pop.

Price: 5/5
I have no reservations about the $170 US entry point Lego set for this GWP. Their evaluation of $20 makes it an excellent value (PPP comes to be just over 5 cents). Twenty dollars for a set with two minifigures, a squirrel, and this piece count is fantastic value for Lego.

Final Thoughts

I was excited when I saw images of this GWP and the product delivered in droves. It’s a fun build with plenty of details for all Lego fans to enjoy. Visually, it’s gorgeous and radiates joy and winter fun. Considering this was free during double VIP points weekend, I only have superlatives for this set. My winter village will appreciate the addition too.

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