The 10 Best Lego Elves

Ashwing, the lime-green beast in the Goblin King's Evil Dragon, is the creature Elves fans bring up first, and it holds up as a model on its own. The wings, legs and jaw all pose, so it can perch, pounce or fly on a shelf. The Goblin King comes with a goblin helper and a little crystal cave that bursts apart. Sellers now ask about four times its first price, and many have a single box left.

Aira's Airship & the Amulet Chase still sells for well under twice its original price, which is rare for a retired Elves set this size. The lilac balloon ship has a spinning propeller, wings that fold out, seats for two and a hold for treasure. Emily Jones and Aira fly it while a goblin gives chase on a bat-winged glider. That lone goblin and his small glider make the villain side thin.

Sonya, the orange fire dragon in Fire Dragon's Lava Cave, stands on her own feet with a wide, bright wingspan, so she works on a shelf as well as in play. The cave behind her has a lava fall that slides aside, a fountain that flips from poisoned to clean water, and moss beds for Azari and Emily Jones. The cave is small and plain beside the dragon, and sealed boxes are getting hard to find.

Queen Dragon's Rescue holds the largest dragon of the whole line, a white-and-blue queen with wide sails for wings, plus a dark tower with a crossbow and a trap door. Brickset's review praised the dragon's scale and poses but found the plastic-sheet wings less convincing than brick ones. Her head can also pop off during rough play. It's rated for ages 9 to 12 and suits a patient builder.

From the line's final year, Noctura's Tower & the Earth Fox Rescue pairs a dark bat tower with a green guardian fox whose jaw opens and whose see-through tail catches the light. Turn a knob on the back and the tower's bat wings and head rise to reveal stolen gems, while a web door traps intruders. Farran and Noctura come with two bats and a spider. It now sells for about three times its original price.

The flagship of the first year, Skyra's Mysterious Sky Castle is a purple-and-gold palace with a waterfall spa, a dining room, an owl messenger and four magic keys that open a portal home for Emily Jones. It's the most sought-after set from that opening wave, and resale prices show it. Kids get plenty of rooms for stories. The rooms are open-backed and shallow, so the castle is wide but thin.

The Precious Crystal Mine packs a lot of hidden play into a compact build: a mine cart that rolls down a track and tips out treasure at the end, a water slide, a secret compartment and a cozy mouse bed in a back cave. Naida and Farran come with Floria, a baby earth dragon, and a dragon egg. It's a small model, so it can feel slight for what it costs secondhand.

Kids who want a big animal to ride will find it in Azari & the Fire Lion Capture: a golden lion with a see-through flame mane and a seat on its back for Azari. The villains get a bat car with a catapult, a capture net and a glider that breaks away, plus a bat cave with a fireplace and beds. Prices have climbed to nearly four times what it cost new, which is steep for a mid-size set.

Younger fans starting out can begin with Emily Jones & the Eagle Getaway, a small build rated from age 7. Emily rides a golden eagle with spread wings, and a cliff cave hides an upside-down bed and a treasure chest that spins out of sight. A bat with a disc shooter plays the villain. With so few pieces it's over fast, and the cave is more backdrop than play space.

Kids who like shops and small stories will enjoy The Capture of Sophie Jones, where Emily's little sister visits Mr. Spry the squirrel's grocery under a tree. The store is stocked with tiny jars of honey and peanut butter, acorns and a shopping basket. A goblin rolls up in a capture car with a dropping net, and a magic portal flips open. There's no dragon or big creature here, a letdown for dragon fans.