One new set that we haven’t talked about yet is the enormous #21137 LEGO Minecraft Mountain Cave. With 2,863 pieces, this is the largest LEGO Minecraft set released to date, and because the set is built of mostly standard LEGO bricks, it is also one of the largest sets as far as overall size. So let’s talk about this beast! 🙂
Something I would like to point out right away is that you don’t have to be a Minecraft fan to appreciate this set. The price/piece ratio is less than 9 cents, which means that it is also valuable to those who would like to bulk up on basic LEGO elements in nice earthy colors. To give you an idea of some of the interesting pieces, the set includes eighteen 2×2, eight 2×6 and twelve 6×6 sand-green plates (yes!), twenty-nine 2×2 bricks and 18 2×2 slopes in translucent-blue, twelve 1×4 masonry bricks and seven 6×6 plates in nougat, and lots of basic bricks and plates in white, tan and reddish-brown. The bulk of the set is light-gray, including some very useful basic pieces, like sixty-two 1×2 bricks, thirty-six 1×6 bricks, ten 1×16 bricks and eighteen 1×16 LEGO Technic bricks (yes to both!), twenty-eight 1×2 corner bricks, eighty-three 1x2x2 bricks (another yes!), fifty-six 2×6 bricks, twenty-eight 2-stud wide wall panels, eighteen 2×4 tiles, forty-six 1×6 tiles, and more. There are also some other colors like various shades of green, yellow, orange, red, blue, dark-gray, black, and translucent colors. Not a lot of small pieces in the set, which is why model ends up being so large. Oh, and we shouldn’t forget the sweet light-brick!
And of course, for LEGO Minecraft fans The Mountain Cave is meant to be the crown jewel of their layout, and the ultimate set in their collection. Keep in mind that the set is huge, measuring over 12” (31cm) high, 20” (53cm) wide and 11” (29cm) deep, so you will need a lot of space to display it. It practically needs its own table! Speaking of Minecraft fans who are always looking for more characters, the set includes Steve and Alex, plus a cave spider, wolf, baby wolf, slime, 2 small slimes, 2 bats, zombie, enderman, skeleton, sheep and a charged Creeper. The charged Creeper is definitely the best, but I also like the big slime with the small slimes inside – lots of fun.
The main moving play-feature of the set is the minecart track, which waves through the entire model, and also includes a minecart elevator. The first set that included a minecart and minecart track was the #21118 LEGO Minecraft the Mine from 2014. The track was quite choppy, especially at the corners, so LEGO improved the system with some new pieces that were introduced in the #21130 LEGO Minecraft The Nether Railway (see below). The corners were replaced with new curved tiles, and the connections between the tiles are made with a special new piece. The overall result is a much smoother ride for the minecart.
Besides the minecart track and elevator, there are lots of other simple but fun and functional play-features, which are a characteristic of LEGO Minecraft sets. This includes TNT blasting, explosions, lava bursts, traps, and more. The light-brick function is a nice touch and can be slipped into a number of different areas to illuminate the rotating spider-spawner, wall of redstone, jack o’lantern, first-night shelter, furnace, lava or the torch above the cave entrance. If you have more than one light-bricks, you can make this feature even more awesome! I also wanted to mention that big cave at the back, and all the little nooks, corners and hiding places throughout the terrain that make this set so interesting!
Just like all other LEGO Minecraft sets, the layout of the Mountain Cave is modular. This means that chunks of the set are built as a unit, and they can be swapped around to quickly and easily create a different layout without taking apart the whole model. The back of the instruction manual includes a couple of alternate layouts as inspiration, and of course, you can make your own as well.
All in all, The Mountain Cave is an excellent set for LEGO Minecraft fans, and it is also a great parts-pack of basic LEGO elements. The construction is very solid, and the play-features are fun and interesting. I would have perhaps liked to have a bit more modular sections like in some of the other LEGO Minecraft sets, however because the cave is hollow inside and need structural stability, I think LEGO designers did the best they could with the layout. In the video-player below, JANGBRiCKS will take you on a tour of the set, so you can see review all the features and functions in more detail. I have also included the speed-build (also from JANG), and the designer-video and behind-the-scenes video from LEGO. Enjoy!
Here if the official description for your convenience: Build and experience the Mountain Cave, featuring an amazing minecart track with an integrated redstone‑powered minecart elevator, and an array of other features and functions, including TNT blasting, rotating spider‑spawner, charged Creeper explosion and a lava burst. Position the light-brick to illuminate the rotating spider-spawner, wall of redstone, jack o’lantern, first-night shelter, furnace, lava or the torch above the cave entrance. Enjoy hands‑on Minecraft adventures featuring your favorite characters and objects with this easy-to-reconfigure, modular LEGO Minecraft set designed for young fans of the highly successful sandbox video game. Includes 2 minifigures: Steve and Alex, plus a cave spider, wolf, baby wolf, slime, 2 small slimes, 2 bats, zombie, enderman, skeleton, sheep and a charged Creeper. Measures over 12” (31cm) high, 20” (53cm) wide and 11” (29cm) deep. 2,863 pieces. Price: $249.99 – BUY HERE
Please note that The Mountain Cave is currently out of stock due to popularity, however LEGO does accept backorders on the set, and it will ship by July 23rd, so the wait is not that long. If you are interested in purchasing the set, I would suggest to get it earlier than later, so your order is further ahead in the queue. You can find it under the LEGO Minecraft section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Minecraft The Mountain Cave? Do you have it already, or are you planning to get it? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉
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I already had an interest in this set, but seeing the actual numbers of useful parts, I put this on my wish list right away!
Thanks for the thoughtful article and the links to youtube and previous related posts!
Martin, glad you found the breakdown helpful. Minecraft sets are fantastic part-packs! 😀
Thanks for the parts list pictures. Very useful. I agree that this is a great parts pack. The initial investment is high though, so it may be easier to get earth colors from the smaller Minecraft sets. But it is definitely a great set.
That’s a good point. For a lot of people it’s easier to pick up a couple of smaller Minecraft sets to bulk up on basic bricks in earth-tone colors. If someone doesn’t care for the Mine at all, that might be a better option. But the Mine itself is super awesome, so it’s worth saving up for it. 🙂
This is even better than the village because of how complex it is. And there are more colors. I don’t know when I will be able to afford it with all the new sets coming out next month, but would be great to get it at some point. How long these really large sets stay around?
Jeff, most large sets are available for at least a couple of years, even longer if they are very popular. The exception would be LEGO Ideas sets and some specialty sets, which are limited-release. So yeah, The Cave should be available for a while. 🙂