REVIEW: 4818 Dragon Rider

[WhiteFang]

Hello all Eurobricks members and Castle collectors,

The Black Dragon is on the loose! Yes, Cedric from the Black Bulls Kingdom has decided to adopt a Dragon Squadron to form its attack formation, fighting against the Dragon Masters and Lion Kingdom which led by King Leo. What havoc could this black dragon rider caused? Discover the evil below!

Name: Dragon Rider

Theme: LEGO System / Castle / Knights' Kingdom

Year: 2000

Pieces: 14

Minifigs: 1

Price: USD$5.00, SGD$6.90

Resources: Brickset, Peeron

An image of a 4818, Dragon Rider

Look at the beautiful display, which prompts you to complete the entire set.

Here comes the Dragon Rider

Cedric is determined to rule and dominate neighboring kingdom. With its intimating Black Dragon Squadron, the above dragon is one of its Black Dragon Riders.

The 4818 Dragon Rider is one of the small sets that was released in 2000 under Knights' Kingdom which is a power struggle between King Leo and Cedric. These is the Castle theme back then. This set has an interestig concept, which required a complete set of 4 in order to have a special bonus weapons and accessories.

This is one of my favourite small sets, and is useful to build an army of dragons at a relatively low price. In addition, you are able to obtain very good accessories. More importantly, dragons are my all time favourite mythical creatures. Although this dragon breed is under the bloodline unlike its green counterparts, but these dragons are fierce in battle, with one objective in their mind, eliminating its enemines with its ferocity flame.

Different angles of the Black Dragon

I love how TLG creates such dragons. In fact, such design is simple to play with, uncomplicated, and having an elegant design. Indeed, all dragons are elegant, proud looking creature which only respect its rider and nowhere else. The difference between the green dragon, is its black allure body and its flaming red wings.

Taking the dragon apart

Meet the Rider

The rider is equipped with its halberd and shield. It wears its intimating fiery bull attire and a bright unique chrome silver headpiece.

Exclusive part in 4818

This chrome silver helmet headpiece is an representation of the Black Dragon Riders. This helmet is available in this set and is part of this unique collection. This is a must get, for Castle Collector rare accessories.

Meet the Black Dragon Squadron Leader!

Bonus image

This is the special bonus image which required all 4 sets to display this maginificent minifig rare accessories, which is only included from Set No 4816 to 4819. The leader of mine Black Bulls Kingdom, King Cedric in this awesome outfit. Oh, the black robe/cape is my add on to complete its fearing aura.

Black Dragon Riders in action

To conclude, I love this set very much. I love it so much until I felt so regret, not buying multiple sets of this. In fact, I only have one MISB set left. At that time, this set was not offically released in my country. It was a rare shipment which was displayed in one of the LEGO shops and selling at a very affordable price. This is a lovely dragon. I am sure Dragonator, will agree with me that this is an awesome Dragon Builder set. Tell me, how often are you able to see dragons at such affordable price. Furthermore, there is a rare headpiece included in this lovely set. What more can I complain? The only thing I could think of complaining is, why don't they include Green Dragon as well.

Summary review

Playability: 10/10 (Awesome playing possibilty. Leave it to your imagination in your medieval kingdom.)

Design: 10/10 (Simple and effective dragon rider design)

Price: 10/10 (A very inexpensive set. Great way to build an army of black dragons.)

Overall: 10/10 (An outstanding army builder dragon set with an exclusive rare head piece.)

I gave it a "5" based on my Review Score Card. What about yours?

Hope everyone of you enjoyed reading this simple review of mine. Comments and Critics are strongly welcomed.

Pictures can be found in My Brickshelf (When moderated)

Edited September 14, 2008 by KimT
indexed

[Sandy]

I like the glittery silver helmet, but otherwise I don't really understand what a bull-themed warrior has to do with a black dragon (or the glittery armor either)? I just feel this set lacks consistency, and only offers pieces instead of a package.

Thus I voted average.

[WhiteFang]

I like the glittery silver helmet, but otherwise I don't really understand what a bull-themed warrior has to do with a black dragon (or the glittery armor either)? I just feel this set lacks consistency, and only offers pieces instead of a package.

Thus I voted average.

Sandy, thanks for explaining why you voted average. It's interesting to know how you actually felt. You have provided an interesting perspective. You are correct, on why a Black Bulls actually required a Black Dragon? In fact, Black Bulls in that theme orientation revolved around catapults and siege engines. They plunder resources from King Leo and are renegades themselves.

In the offiical catalog which feature this theme, never reflected these sets or unique parts before. In fact, it was a concidence that it appear out of nowhere. I rated outstanding mainly for its dragon army building capability, exclusive chrome silver headgear and its affordable price.

[KimT]

I remember getting more than one of this set.

I found it on sale (with the other 3 sets) and bought what I could find.

Why? Simply because it was cheap, gave a lot of accesories and a black dragon.

All 4 sets are great additions to ones Castle army and should be bought when found.

As for the lack of fitting in to the theme, yes it is a bit off - but I've never cared for KK and as an army supply set, this one is awesome.

Thanks for the review WhiteFang. I've added it to the index.

[JimBee]

Thanks for this review, WhiteFang. I think I might have gotten this one, because I have that (now somewhat rusted) chrome helmet, which is a beautiful piece. That chrome warrior looks awesome, I wonder how much it's worth? Anyways, looks like a neat little set, especially for only $5. The dragon is also cool, it's a shame that they are discontinued. I would much rather have those than the <insert that tiresome argument> new dragons.

[Klaus-Dieter]

Again a very nice review, Whitefang!

I voted for Below Average:

The dragon is also cool, it's a shame that they are discontinued. I would much rather have those than the <insert that tiresome argument> new dragons.

I totally agree with you, JimButcher!

The dragon is great - that's the only dragon TLG release which really lookes very nice!

But the minifig does really not fit: There has to be a witch or a magician - or at least the boss of the bad/good knights who flies the dragon. But this "normal" knight really doesn't fit. And what does he want with this big halberd?! Does he want to kill his own dragon?!

Klaus-Dieter

Edited September 14, 2008 by Klaus-Dieter

[The Cobra]

I also voted average, and only beacuse of the dragon. IMHO, castle sets in those year had awful colours; I hardly like a few of them.

Anyway, cool review.

[Guss]

I like the way they put a different part of an "armour set" in different sets , it s sure made to make us buy more sets, but Anyway I like it ^^

and they put all the part in little sets like this one, that are cool anyway so it's not really expensive finally, sadly when these sets came out I was in my dark age .. so I do not have one of these.

[ptdapen]

I remember collecting those four chrome weapons and armors. Unfortunately, I lost all of them, and yet strangely I still have most of the parts from the actual sets. It was a cool concept, and maybe they'll do it again later. Hopefully they'll stay in the relatively low priced sets.

I'll rate this set an Average, because its simple. Just not good nor bad, though maybe leaning towards Above Average, but not quite. Also, I think that the leader of the Bulls could somehow get a dragon, simply because he's the leader. But for an entire squadron, not so much.

Anyways, I liked your review. Though there wasn't much build, you still showed detail on the things that were there.

[WhiteFang]

Thanks everyone for their kind words. I am so glad that you have enjoyed reading this review of mine.

I remember getting more than one of this set.

I found it on sale (with the other 3 sets) and bought what I could find.

Why? Simply because it was cheap, gave a lot of accesories and a black dragon.

All 4 sets are great additions to ones Castle army and should be bought when found.

As for the lack of fitting in to the theme, yes it is a bit off - but I've never cared for KK and as an army supply set, this one is awesome.

Thanks for the review WhiteFang. I've added it to the index.

KimT, thanks for adding it to the index. In the first place, I never knew that this theme was under Knights Kingdoms. Instead, I always thought it was a power struggle between King Leo and Cedric. I thought it was something like Lion Knights Kingdom or what. I may have mixed up from its earlier theme since both shields has the lion emblem.

Thanks for this review, WhiteFang. I think I might have gotten this one, because I have that (now somewhat rusted) chrome helmet, which is a beautiful piece. That chrome warrior looks awesome, I wonder how much it's worth? Anyways, looks like a neat little set, especially for only $5. The dragon is also cool, it's a shame that they are discontinued. I would much rather have those than the <insert that tiresome argument> new dragons.

I totally agree with you, JimButcher!

The dragon is great - that's the only dragon TLG release which really lookes very nice!

I agreed with you and K.D on this. I prefer this design strongly over the <insert that tiresome argument> new dragons that is appearing in the current castle theme. One of my helmet has wear off. It does not rust. The paint will come off after a period of time, if you come into contact with it.

But the minifig does really not fit: There has to be a witch or a magician - or at least the boss of the bad/good knights who flies the dragon. But this "normal" knight really doesn't fit. And what does he want with this big halberd?! Does he want to kill his own dragon?!

K.D, I feel that the minifig is more suited than using a witch and magician. How many magical wizards will you need in a kingdom? To emphasis on the point that this set is meant for building Dragon Riders, similar to Eragon for example. Maybe, the way it present itself looks a little less attractive. However, the soldier has to fufill the role of the rider. The big halberd is meant to charge against its enemines or defend itself in the skies with its long range weapon.

[Sandy]

I prefer this design strongly over the <insert that tiresome argument> new dragons that is appearing in the current castle theme.

I just can't get over that you consider the new dragons <insert that tiresome argument> in comparison to the older ones, even though they have twice as many points of articulation, pieces that can actually be used in other things besides the dragon itself, and much more details in them in general. Does the fact that they have cartoony eyes really bother you guys that much?

To me, <insert that tiresome argument> means that something is overly simplified and made suitable for small children to handle. That's certainly not the case of the new dragons. I'd rather give a toddler one of the old dragons to play with, since they don't include as big of a choking hazard.

Sorry to sound so rude, but this unjustified mockery of the new dragons just irritates me to no end.

I guess it's just the problem of introducing something new to fans: it always takes time for us to get used to new things, but eventually the new things become old things, and then we'll all be looking back on these "new" dragons with teary eyes, thinking how good things were back then.

[JimBee]

I just can't get over that you consider the new dragons <insert that tiresome argument> in comparison to the older ones, even though they have twice as many points of articulation, pieces that can actually be used in other things besides the dragon itself, and much more details in them in general. Does the fact that they have cartoony eyes really bother you guys that much?

Well, just un-Lego-ness of them in general. They strongly remind me of the Megablocks Dragons (I have two). They have too much texture and design put into them, while the original dragons were simple and (what I consider to be), the original Lego style. I would prefer that TLG makes them a little bit bigger than they are (about half to three-quarts the size of these new dragons), but still keep the same look, and use more pieces instead of just maximizing the few pieces that make up the original one. Of course, we all have our opinions, and this is mine, ready for argument.

[Sandy]

Well, just un-Lego-ness of them in general. They strongly remind me of the Megablocks Dragons (I have two). They have too much texture and design put into them, while the original dragons were simple and (what I consider to be), the original Lego style. I would prefer that TLG makes them a little bit bigger than they are (about half to three-quarts the size of these new dragons), but still keep the same look, and use more pieces instead of just maximizing the few pieces that make up the original one. Of course, we all have our opinions, and this is mine, ready for argument.

But how come you call the new dragons "<insert that tiresome argument>", then, if you admit that they are more complex than the old dragons? I just don't understand your logic...

[WhiteFang]

I just can't get over that you consider the new dragons <insert that tiresome argument> in comparison to the older ones, even though they have twice as many points of articulation, pieces that can actually be used in other things besides the dragon itself, and much more details in them in general. Does the fact that they have cartoony eyes really bother you guys that much?

To me, <insert that tiresome argument> means that something is overly simplified and made suitable for small children to handle. That's certainly not the case of the new dragons. I'd rather give a toddler one of the old dragons to play with, since they don't include as big of a choking hazard.

Sorry to sound so rude, but this unjustified mockery of the new dragons just irritates me to no end.

I guess it's just the problem of introducing something new to fans: it always takes time for us to get used to new things, but eventually the new things become old things, and then we'll all be looking back on these "new" dragons with teary eyes, thinking how good things were back then.

Sandy, I grew up with the old dragon days, where the design of such black and green dragon is used above. I will like to clear up my thoughts as of why I felt that way earlier.

Dragons has come a long way, and have been actively used since the days of Dragon Masters in the early 1990s. Till now, there are many different designs such as the Vikings Dragons and the current Castle theme dragons, even including Duplo dragons. The green and black dragon was the orignal creation of how Dragons are created by LEGO, the first unique flying dragon design, which is small and handy. Some people might actually not like the small scale dragon when it's compared with the rider/minifig. I agreed with you on the point/problem of TLG introducing new elements and replaced the old elements of which we adore and love.

As for the new castle theme dragon, I bear no huge grudges against it. In fact, I owned four of that dragons. The reason why I don't like is its main construction design which makes me favour more over this one, due to the fact that I have pre-bias of retaining the old school thoughts of dragon design. At the same time, this dragon resembles more of a Duplo theme, more than System sets. The plus factor of having that dragon, is the realistic size of how should a dragon looks like.

I don't want you to take my opnion as a rude comment or insisting who is right and wrong. There is no ends to it, just a matter of preference. It's pretty interesting to know your views and know the other side of the arguement. As it always said, there is always 2 sides to a coin.

[Sandy]

I don't want you to take my opnion as a rude comment or insisting who is right and wrong. There is no ends to it, just a matter of preference. It's pretty interesting to know your views and know the other side of the arguement. As it always said, there is always 2 sides to a coin.

I know that. I really couldn't care less if someone doesn't like the new dragons, or prefers the older dragons. I'm just miffed that they are mocked as being <insert that tiresome argument> or un-lego-ish, when they clearly aren't that.

I like all the dragons, after all, they're all LEGO!

[JimBee]

Hmm, I call the new dragons "<insert that tiresome argument>" because they are huge pieces made specifically for that purpose. I like the size of them, but the old dragons just look better to me. Like WhiteFang said, we all have our own opinions, and I respect yours, so this is mine.

[Dragonator]

I don't know how I missed this topic, but I'm here now.

I am sure Dragonator, will agree with me that this is an awesome Dragon Builder set.

Most certainly I agree! This is an awesome set, and fantastic for building up your dragon army. I myself unfortunately only have one of this set, and that without the box, but still, I love it. It is small, and simple, but it has some awesome accessories, and of course, it has a dragon!

Just to insert myself into the conversation, I myself am a lover of all dragons, and I think they all have there advantages. The small ones are great for interaction with minifigs, especially in such things as comics etc, while the viking dragons have a lot of articulation. The new ones are a bit bulky for my taste, but still have a nice size, although I think they could have been a bit more articulated for the size of them. What I really love are brick built dragons, some people are just masters at creating brick-built creatures, and I adore the various dragons I see about the place for their cunning designs and beauty.

[Norro]

Since I didn't particularly care for the bulls, for me this was about as close to a one piece set as Lego got.... And yes I still bought a few on sale

God Bless,

Nathan

[Mörs]

I had all the other sets from this special collection, but not this one (because I was playing a more realistic castle, and didn't need another dragon at the time). Now I regret not buying, because I could have had that cool chrome armour complete. I've lost the chestplate and the bull shield, anyway, but still... the chrome helmet is a very useful part in its own right. All of those 4 sets had great and rare stuff in them... but one thing surprised me: the price the reviewer mentioned. In my country those sets were much cheaper.