Though the first of the LEGO 2014 sets are starting to sneak out to retail now (as the Bricks and Bloks Facebook followers have been hearing about for days!), there are still some upcoming sets that I want to take a look at before they hit stores. Continuing on with my coverage of one of my favorite underrated themes, it’s a set that makes my skin crawl and also the first major LEGO Chima Spider Tribe set: the LEGO Chima 2014 Sparratus Spider Stalker 70130!

Before I begin, let me get something out in the open: I hate spiders. Hate. As in, I am a total arachnophobe. So when I heard LEGO was going to be doing a Legends of Chima Spider Tribe, my creepy-sense started tingling instantly. But to my eternal surprise, when I saw images of the Spider Tribe minifigures for the first time, I wasn’t totally horrified by them. In fact, I daresay that their tribal look is slightly endearing. So thumbs up LEGO–you made me not run away in terror from a plastic LEGO toy!

The high point of the set is easily the LEGO Sparratus minifigure. The Sparratus Spider Tribe figure is exclusive to this set, and is downright adorable in his grass skirts and skull kneepads. This is about as close to “sweet” as an anthropomorphic spider can get! The other included figure is a reissue of the Gorilla Tribe Gorzan minifigure, which is “okay”, but not really a figure that needed another release.

The LEGO 70130 Sparratus’ Spider Stalker vehicle itself is less to my liking than the Sparratus minifigure, however. While the Spider Tribe minifigure is almost (almost) cute, his Spider Stalker is just as eerie and scary as I feared the LEGO Chima Spider Tribe toys were going to be.

The LEGO Chima Sparratus Spider Stalker has the ability to fire a LEGO spider web, which is sort of cool, but not cool enough to make up for the heart attacks I’d have when walking into this set in my apartment while I’m half-asleep and the lights are off. For insect-haters like me, the Sparratus Spider Stalker LEGO set is easily the most frightening Chima set that LEGO has concocted yet.

The 2014 LEGO Legends of Chima Sparratus Spider Stalker 70130 set is scheduled to be released in stores by January 1st, 2014. I’ll update with the price and piece-count for the set as soon as that information is available.

What do you think of LEGO 70130, Chima collectors? Is the LEGO Sparratus Spider Stalker the scariest LEGO spider ever, and is it the kind of thing that you want adorning your room?