I Scream Clone Posted March 22, 2009 Review: 10193 Medieval Market Village Once in a Lego castle fans lifetime a special set will be created to raise the bar of what is considered amazing! Is this the set that raises the bar for me and you? Read on to see.... Set Name Medieval Market Village Year of release: 2009 Set Number: #10193 Pieces: 1601 Minifigures: 8, 2 Knights and 6 Villagers Price: 149.99 Aus/99.99 US/68.50 GBP/ 99.99 EUR S@H Bricklink Brickset Box Lets take a look at the wonderful imagery that greats you each time you see this set in a Lego shop or at home for the first time. A truly enticing set appears laid out in all its glory, a veritable feast for the senses as well as a multitude of great looking structures and brick on display. This truly looks like an amazing village that a starving commoner may stumble up to in need of rest and food. Lets flip it over for the trademark action shots, cows, birds, people and horses all up to a myriad of fun looking activities, be it combing your hair or being chased by a bull. The top of the box reveals the characters involved in this landmark/groundbreaking set, looks like a few new torso's and pieces, lets read on to see. Parts/Bags Upon opening the box you are greeted with 17 sealed bags, there was also 2-3 smaller bags inside some of thes larger bags. Once I opened it all up it took up a lot of space, that wasn't conducive to photography, suffice to say with 1600 pieces its value for money, and not a single BURP or LURP in sight (Heaven for a MOCer like myself) Here are just some of the parts I was excited about owning for the first time. Just count those windows, 17, in one set, just amazing. Some dark tan plates, loads of foliage, and great accessories too. Instructions The instructions come in two booklets, the first includes the instructions to build all the figures, the market stall, tree, cart and weapons rack as well as the blacksmith/tan house. The second booklet has the instructions for the guesthouse, and also features the parts index and advertising for the Taj Mahal and Volkswagon sets. Here we see a shot of the a random page of the instruction booklet one, the similar cover for book two and the dreaded sticker sheet. The stickers don't feel like they have been forced onto the set, with only a few portait shots and signage for the two buildings. I was pleased that such an awesome set wasn't reliant on stickers for the overall appeal. I also managed to apply them all pretty close to perfect, which always makes for a more pleasant experience. Minifigures I have broken this up into two groups of four and front and back shots of all figures. First up, from left to right, we see the old peasant, with new torso, basket and a new dark brown cowl. Next is the maiden from the Advent calendar (with her release in this set and the Jester arriving in the next wave that leaves the witch as the only figure from the advent calendar that hasn't been released elsewhere)Sandy: the witch from the Advent Calendar was also in the Giant Chess Set. Thirdly, we see one of the two young boy figures in this set, sporting the same new torso as the old man, and Luke Skywalker blonde hair. Clearly this lad has some growing still to do! (probably plays with his model T-16 Skyhopper a lot too ) Lastly for the first batch of four, I present the blacksmith, quite the character, with his nice new torso, unshaven appearance, dirty hands and new dark brown cowl, you could forgive the other figures for not wanting to mix with him too often From the rear, we see the bucket, screaming female face, and both new torso's printed on the back, bravo TLC! so far so good The next group, contains the two token soldiers to keep the piece, and collect taxes. nice to see the inclusion of the two-sided screaming knight face too for extra playability. The new pirate female figure sports lovely hair and bountiful bosom much like the first maiden, and great Sabrina hair The other figure is the older of the two lads, and features a different mop style hair piece that I am not familiar with, though Sandy has pointed out that the dark tan hair on the peasant is actually a color variant of Harry Potter's hair, which was also used in the young Anakin Skywalker minifig.He also has the same torso from the first group. From the back we see another scared female face, must have been a lot to be scared of in medieval times I guess, as well as the alternate face to the scared knight. Livestock Lets take a look at some of the animals that grace this set. For starters there are the new cows, which are made in China coincidently, and the nice white horse and carriage (featuring 2 x 3 tan bricks as hay). Yes, we have udders! The cow and horse heads move up and down as well. Main Build: Accessory Structures. Starting on the main build (after the cart) We kick off with the weapons rack, table and stool, as well as the treasure chest plus gold pieces. The table base is made from one of the new dark brown barrels, which is nice to get a third one in the set, but means you don't get to see the barrel in its full glory. The weapon rack holds up to 4 weapons though only three are shown for the instructions. There is also an old battered looking grey goblet, like you would expect a peasant to drink from, another nice touch. Here is the lovely market stall, complete with lovely designed canvas material roofing. Next to the stall are all the goodies for sale. Buckets of apples, flowers and fish as well as a menu, rat and the roast dinner. One of the great returned pieces in this set is the turkey, it consists of the two drumstick pieces and the turkey body, mmmmmmm turkey, yet another great reason to pick up this set. One the table with the turkey is some cheeses and bread just to complete the whole feast, very medieval. Next up in the wonders of the courtyard is this beautiful brick-built tree, just amazing and made out of a lot of useful pieces like the brown half-arch pieces as well as loads of foliage. Also seen here are the three brick-built birds. I think looking at them we have a duck (orange web feet), a chicken (white) and a turkey (black and red) These are very cute and feature some nice pieces including this brick which is hard to come by in most sets, and has been voted by a lot of builders as one of the most useful bricks ever created. Main build: Blacksmith cottage First of the two cottages is the Blacksmith's. Below is a couple of progress shots. First off, we can see the stables on the left and smithy's workshop on the left taking shape nicely, and in the foreground the paddle wheel construction. I have left one of paddle wheel panels folded out to demonstrate what materials are used to make the six sided structure. The next two pictures demonstrate how the paddle wheel drives the blacksmiths hammer up and down using a propeller blade. Just a really nice detail/feature worked into this set, and adds playability to a great little Blacksmith set up. The new flame pieces can be seen in the fireplace and are great. Hammer up! Hammer down! The bottom floor is complete now, with nice stable doors. Another progress shot shows the first floor halfway completed and a beautifully built furnace about to be placed upstairs. Note the two paintings, nice little stickers that blend in well with the colour scheme, and don't detract from the build. Complete Blacksmith cottage showing the little frog playing around the paddle wheel, and the nicely designed torches on the outside of the building. I actually prefer the cottages closed up as they look so authentic. From the front, the nice wall detailing is evident, as well as the nice bay window design, just brilliant. "What are you screaming at?" "There's no way out of this room except the windows!" Now the complete internal view, showing our trapped knight on the first floor with no way down, the horse doing what comes best and the Smithy hard at work. Main build: Tavern Again I will start off with some progress shots to better appreciate the lovely detailing that goes into each building facade. The Tavern has a great little doorstep, lovely open windows for airing out the joint after a rowdy knight, and beautiful woodwork too. Just look at the use of the dark brown periscope/eyeglass pieces to add an ornate look to the window frames, top notch A quaint little tavern. Yet again I favor the cottages closed up as they have a homely feel to them. The staircase is now in position, lets spin it around... A nice bay window on the side and sign posting below to alert patrons to the good ale inside A nice chimney to accompany the internal fireplace. I admit folding the tavern out, does make the establishment look a lot more impressive, but I still like the cottage feel. The designers really deserve a pat on the back for coming up with yet another quality set, especially aimed towards AFOLs. The complete inside boasts some nice features as well such as the cushioned stool and table for the maiden to beautify herself, lovely bed with ornate quilt work, barrel holder and chest of drawers. Watch out for the shifty lad downstairs though.... Complete A couple of pictures of just the two cottages together before the party starts. Time to get this party started, medieval style Hmmm, no white horse here, must have been busy.... Leftovers Quite a few useful pieces leftover, we all covet cheese slopes and I have a fondness for 1 x 1 round plates too. Conclusion Lets start with all important ratings. Build: 9/10, Despite my lack of organising pieces by colour (I went for free building) the build was very smooth and easy. I had no real trouble with tan vs gold or dark grey vs black, but I did build during the daylight hours. Playability: 8/10, There may not be a lot of moving parts beside the large windows, a door and the blacksmiths hammer, but this is more than made up with the number of accessories and unique figure to populate this brilliant village. Hours of posing potential. Swooshability: C'mon you didn't think I was serious about this one! Minifigures: 9/10, With 8 minifigures in total it feels about right, perhaps one or two more wouldn't hurt, but the new torso's included certainly add some spice to the whole set. A real mix of age groups helps ground this set in reality too. Design: 10/10, Amazing design! Not really much more to add after so many views of the set and comments previously made by me. Price: 10/10, As far as price per piece it is a whole lot better than other sets in the price range, I know a lot of the pieces are tiny but thats what I want in a set, you can keep your BURPs and Castle walls. Pieces: 9/10, Nothing really missing for mine. With so many small pieces included in this set its a high rating from me. I will surely put all the great bits to use in future MOCs. Overall Score: 9.2/10 If my review hasn't convinced you to snap up this set already, I'm not sure what else I can do to point out to you all of the marvels included in this set, it really is an outstanding set with loads of great features, figures and beautifully designed to boot. Heck, don't buy one, buy two that's all I can say. If you have made it this far, thank you for reading what was a labor of love. Thanks ISC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the great review, ISC! I'm getting this set next month just as soon as my salary arrives to my oh-so-empty bank account. This truly is a marvelous set for any fan of historic LEGO themes. It appeases the AFOLs yearning back to Classic Castle sets, but also serves us fantasy fans very well. I too wish to see more sets like this in the future. PS. Just a few corrections to what you said about the minifigs: the witch from the Advent Calendar was also in the Giant Chess Set, so all the unique minifigs aren't that unique anymore; and the dark tan hair on the peasant is actually a color variant of Harry Potter's hair, which was also used in the young Anakin Skywalker minifig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I Scream Clone Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the great review, ISC! I'm getting this set next month just as soon as my salary arrives to my oh-so-empty bank account. This truly is a marvelous set for any fan of historic LEGO themes. It appeases the AFOLs yearning back to Classic Castle sets, but also serves us fantasy fans very well. I too wish to see more sets like this in the future. PS. Just a few corrections to what you said about the minifigs: the witch from the Advent Calendar was also in the Giant Chess Set, so all the unique minifigs aren't that unique anymore; and the dark tan hair on the peasant is actually a color variant of Harry Potter's hair, which was also used in the young Anakin Skywalker minifig. Excellent work Sandy, thanks for that, I will edit it into the review. Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simonwillems Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the review! I recently traded my misb 2140 set for this one and I still believe that was a good deal because I have not been this impressed by a set for many years. The build was absolutely fantastic, with the fireplaces, chimneys, the curved supports for the tavern roof, the cows , and so much more! If you want to start a castle collection, this set is the one to begin with! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WhiteFang Posted March 22, 2009 Superb amazing in-depth review! I am sure this review will found a well deserved spot within our index. By far, this is one of the most incredible castle set over the recent years, and my favourite as well, after the Dwarf Mine. In fact, TLG has did a great job by doing up this long awaited set. For such incredible design efforts, I have bought this set too at a premium price and I can't wait to find a little bit more time to construct this beauty. One thing for sure, for all castle fans, one is never enough. I can imagine myself getting a few of this, if it ever appear locally, just to construct a beautiful medieval market villiage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zorro Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the great review I Scream Clone, I love how you did the details. It's also a great set and I am sure I will buy one myself one day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Talon Karrde Posted March 22, 2009 Excellent review, all of this will be mine in May :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Millacol88 Posted March 22, 2009 Excellent review ISC! This set is expensive, but the design and the huge variety of pieces definitely put it at the top of my "to-buy" list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erdbeereis Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the bee-yutiful review ISC! This certainly has to be one of the best sets for a long time. The level of design included within is superb, and adding to that the great minifigs and animal, you have the makings of a legendary set. I'm glad I'm around to get this, and not in a Dark Age or something. Great review of a lovely set! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bonaparte Posted March 22, 2009 This review is a real piece of art ISC! Needless to repeat that I adore this set. I didn't yet buy it because currently I wouldn't have much space to put it. However, one of these weeks I won't be able to resist and get me one. I'll probably store it until my new house is ready (and my space problems are solved). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I Scream Clone Posted March 22, 2009 Nice to see all the teachers supporting me I don't think I have seen a review with so many teachers outnumbering other members I'm sure others will check it out too This review is a real piece of art ISC! Needless to repeat that I adore this set. I didn't yet buy it because currently I wouldn't have much space to put it. However, one of these weeks I won't be able to resist and get me one. I'll probably store it until my new house is ready (and my space problems are solved). Thanks Bonaparte, I am in the same position, moving house in three weeks, and all my other Lego is packed away in storage, its going to be hard especially with all the ideas for Castle Village MOCs I have at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Svelte Posted March 22, 2009 Another teacher enters the fray! I really like the set. I agree, everybody should have multiples! Parts-wise, it can't be beat and the design is nice, a more modern update of the 3739 Blacksmith Shop approach. I also prefer the buildings folded up - it does add to the village atmosphere. I'm still not really sold on the medium blue of the tavern building though, for some reason. Details such as the tree, oven, waterwheel and the wine cellar furniture are outstanding A $AUD150 set, and you want more than 8 figs? Thanks for this wonderful review, ISC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cavannus Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks for this detailed review. My girlfriend didn't understand why I will buy this set, now she does!! Of course this set is above average and looks like a MOC. However there are a couple of petty details that make me be disappointed: There are too many holes on the blue tavern walls, especially on the second floor between the windows and the spyglasses. It's really a pity! And why is there no door upstairs? Why is the door frame left open? This looks very cheap especially considering that the set contains many details. You get cows, poultry, fishes, food, even horse poops -- but you don't get a door for the blue house! About the tan house: an attic would be great: with only a couple of pieces, you get a lot of playability (to hide a rebel, a treasure, etc.); moreover it would be more realistic. It's a pity not to have it. Indeed there are no stairs and it's weird considering that all recent house sets have ones; but I'm not completely disappointed if I consider that the 80's sets didn't have ones either. The cows are very realistic while the (older) horses have right angles and look more schematic. The cows are Playmobil-like and the horses are Lego-minifig-like. There shouldn't be such a difference! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legoist Posted March 23, 2009 This review is a real piece of art ISC! Needless to repeat that I adore this set. I didn't yet buy it because currently I wouldn't have much space to put it. However, one of these weeks I won't be able to resist and get me one. I'll probably store it until my new house is ready (and my space problems are solved). It's not actually that big... each house is smaller than 20cm x 20cm when folded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guss Posted March 23, 2009 that's a very cool review ISC , of one of the best set ever released! I fell in love with this set, I already bought one but I'm hesitating to buy some others!!!! ( yes SOME ^^) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
def Posted March 23, 2009 Great review, great looking set. I think it'll be my first of the castle line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Izzy Posted March 23, 2009 Great review, great looking set. I think it'll be my first of the castle line. My thoughts exactly... why oh why haven't I got into CASTLE earlier? Love it, love the review. Love how the ladies are taller than the men, love the fish in the bucket Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djo Posted March 26, 2009 great review, great set. the minifigures count is quite generous. i like the building style too. worth to get for the set. i like the new cows too. Review: 10193 Medieval Market Village Livestock Lets take a look at some of the animals that grace this set. For starters there are the new cows, which are made in China coincidently, and the nice white horse and carriage (featuring 2 x 3 tan bricks as hay). btw, how do you know the cows are made in China? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I Scream Clone Posted March 26, 2009 btw, how do you know the cows are made in China? The polybag that the cows come in has it printed on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tacitus Posted April 8, 2009 Thanks for this detailed review. My girlfriend didn't understand why I will buy this set, now she does!! Of course this set is above average and looks like a MOC. However there are a couple of petty details that make me be disappointed: There are too many holes on the blue tavern walls, especially on the second floor between the windows and the spyglasses. It's really a pity! And why is there no door upstairs? Why is the door frame left open? This looks very cheap especially considering that the set contains many details. You get cows, poultry, fishes, food, even horse poops -- but you don't get a door for the blue house! About the tan house: an attic would be great: with only a couple of pieces, you get a lot of playability (to hide a rebel, a treasure, etc.); moreover it would be more realistic. It's a pity not to have it. Indeed there are no stairs and it's weird considering that all recent house sets have ones; but I'm not completely disappointed if I consider that the 80's sets didn't have ones either. The cows are very realistic while the (older) horses have right angles and look more schematic. The cows are Playmobil-like and the horses are Lego-minifig-like. There shouldn't be such a difference! I just got this set, and I, too, have to chime in on these points. Why is it that we can get a gorgeous tree, but we can't get a door on the blue house, or a set of stairs and a door for the tan house. Kind of silly. And the way the blue house is designed, you can't add a door without ruining the design aesthetic of the second floor. Sad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
def Posted May 13, 2009 I got this today, and I love it. It's only half built (a guy needs to sleep you know). But, the parts are all delightful so far, and well worth the hassle of getting my hands on it. I wanted to do my own review but A) this is a great and complete review and B) I couldn't wait until daylight hours to take pics as I build. It's too nice. I just need a castle to dominate it now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Commodore Hornbricker Posted May 13, 2009 This set literally stopped me in my tracks when I saw it for the first time. I left the store with 3. I have 12 now. I am working on building them all stock just to take a picture of them all together (I have three sets left to go...and yes it has gotten very old building the same set over and over but I want that picture). After, I am going to start modifying and turning them into more customized designs. I actually built one substituting green bricks for the tan and it looks kind of cool. Anyway...great review for a great set. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lordofdragonss Posted May 13, 2009 (edited) Twe...twe...twelve? I can't buy even one ,this set is too expensive for me, in Poland it costs around 150$... This set is beautiful, I wonder, will we get something like this but for next year? Edited May 13, 2009 by Lordofdragonss Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I Scream Clone Posted May 13, 2009 I got this today, and I love it. It's only half built (a guy needs to sleep you know). But, the parts are all delightful so far, and well worth the hassle of getting my hands on it.I wanted to do my own review but A) this is a great and complete review and B) I couldn't wait until daylight hours to take pics as I build. It's too nice. I just need a castle to dominate it now Ha, beat you to the punch def! It really is above and beyond any castle set I have ever owned (20 yr dark age aside) As for reviewing and building in daylight hours, mine arrived on the last day of a holiday so it was built in broad daylight whilst the kids were at school This set literally stopped me in my tracks when I saw it for the first time. I left the store with 3. I have 12 now. It really is a beauty, but 12 sets, c'mon at least keep one MISB for later on. svelte_corps substituted dark green for the light blue and it looked fantastic. This set is beautiful, I wonder, will we get something like this but for next year? I'm sure it has been a huge success for TLC, but I wonder if they will continue to build exclusives like this? I guess money talks, just look at the modular house series for proof. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Svelte Posted May 13, 2009 I'm sure it has been a huge success for TLC, but I wonder if they will continue to build exclusives like this? I guess money talks, just look at the modular house series for proof. I think the release schedule now includes one large Exclusive in the Jan slot - last year Town Plan, this year MMV - so it will probably be a different theme next year (just like last year had a Castle Advent and this year has Pirates...) 12 is a lot of sets but if you do colour substitutions and simple mods then you can quickly build up a very beautiful and detailed medieval village. It's also such a great parts pack it's hard not to cannibalise it for something else! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
