Castle Sets 2010

[The Green Brick Giant]

I'm not gonna complain much, I DO love the dwarves and the Orcs (and the skeletons to a lesser extent), but I think you can branch the Fantasy theme off, as a sub-theme. So long as they continue to support it, anyway.

That's what I don't get, LEGO can't have human fractions and orcs and dwarfs? Just throw them all together and have fun.

[DLangRI]

A great addition to this theme, and to bridge the fantasy and kingdoms lines, would be to make a MMV-type tavern/travellers inn set, and have the various minifigs include an orc, a dwarf, and maybe a minifig from an older set redone ala pirates and space police III. Considering these sets are calling back to prior sets, an exclusive 'guarded inn' redone with those minifigs would be an epic set.

[Sandy]

That's what I don't get, LEGO can't have human fractions and orcs and dwarfs? Just throw them all together and have fun.

*Coughs* Factions, not fractions!

Anyway, what are you talking about? Now you can mix up your trolls and dwarves with the new human factions all you want! The old sets you've bought don't just magically vanish into the air, do they?

[metalandi]

i agree, and design-wise i think the new theme fits perfectly to the fantasy sets. It's just a different color scheme, but looking at the buildings one could easily imagine that they're just 2 different kingdoms, but at the same time and in the same world.

[Klaus-Dieter]

Thank you very much for the links to the new pics and the further information, Navy Trooper Fenson!

About the Prison Tower:

Like already mentioned I'm - at least until now - not very impressed by this set.

At least one horse for the dragon knight should be included since he wear's a knight's armor with which he would not be aible to walk because of its weight.

About the Advent Calendar:

It's great to see that we'll get a huge number and diversity of minifigs: a good classic-styled blue wizzard, two lion knights, one dragon knight, a skeletton, a lion archer, a medieval woman, a blacksmith and a queen. (The medieval woman and the blacksmith will very supposably be exactly the same like in the MVV.)

Although it's still a long time until then - but:

With these great new minifigs I hope that TLG will release a medieval tournament as January 2011 Exclusive - with tribune, tents, many horses, minifigs and accessory - let's say a bigger re-design of 6060 Knight's Challenge:

:wub:

(Regrettably I do not own this set. )

Klaus-Dieter

Edited February 10, 2010 by Klaus-Dieter

[The Green Brick Giant]

*Coughs* Factions, not fractions!

Anyway, what are you talking about? Now you can mix up your trolls and dwarves with the new human factions all you want! The old sets you've bought don't just magically vanish into the air, do they?

No, everyone loves fractions.

And yes, yes they do. My point is I would like if they mixed them all up, so I get a new red human and an older dark blue human along with Dwarfs and such.

[CMP]

I guess the old hinged helms have been replaced. Meh, never liked 'em that much anyway.

[metalandi]

Klaus-Dieter, i like your idea with the exclusive set! But unfortunately i don't think we'll already get another exclusive castle set as we already had MMV last year But you never know...

Anyhow, you shouldn't have posted that picture of this beautiful tournament set, ever since i saw it first i wanted it, but, if you even see it for sale somewhere, it's always hugely on the pricey side Now i can't stop thinking of it anymore once again!

[Rocketbilly]

I like the look of this "new" theme - I've been wanting to get into the Fantasy Era Castle sets, but since it's currently in what, it's fifth wave? I found it difficult to really "join" the theme, as I like army building (in moderation) and all of the older sets were unavailable to me, it was hard for me to buld a Troll army out of King's Battle Chariots and Dwarves mines...far too expensive.

So the beginning of this theme ( and the cheaper sets) let's me start at the same time as all you others, instead of getting that sense of "Arriving late".

Though the fact that the Dragon Knights are outnumbered in pretty much every set frustrates me.

Also, there's something about these sets that seems very "sterile" to me.

Not sure what exactly it is. Something about this theme looks like it belongs with classic smile heads...it looks so "80's".

Not sure I like that, but the theme itself is pretty nice.

Wow. I really abuse quotation marks.

And that was a great looking set, Klaus Deiter! would love to see a set of that style released for the Kingdoms line.

Will/Rocketbilly

[blueandwhite]

Thank you very much for the links to the new pics and the further information, Navy Trooper Fenson!

About the Prison Tower:

Like already mentioned I'm - at least until now - not very impressed by this set.

At least one horse for the dragon knight should be included since he wear's a knight's armor with which he would not be aible to walk because of its weight.

I don't know where people get this idea. Armour was certainly heavy, but it really didn't weigh any more than the equipment a modern soldier would carry. Knights were known to dismount and could easily mount/dismount a horse. At Agincourt French knights dismounted to meet the English in combat (then again, they were slaughtered ). Wealthy men-at-arms were often as well dressed with heavy armour just as a knight would be. Honestly, the notion that Knights were imobile walking tin-cans is mere fantasy.

Still, I do agree that it is disappointing that we don't get a second horse, but that's really par for the course these days. It's not like last year's Drawbridge defence included a horse for our beloved golden knight.

About the Advent Calendar:

It's great to see that we'll get a huge number and diversity of minifigs: a good classic-styled blue wizzard, two lion knights, one dragon knight, a skeletton, a lion archer, a medieval woman, a blacksmith and a queen. (The medieval woman and the blacksmith will very supposably be exactly the same like in the MVV.)

The advant calendar looks intriguing. There are a number of new figures (a queen and prince) along with some of the more sought-after figures from the MMV. At the same time, the figure many people have identified as a black knight looks a lot like a troll IMO. Either way, this year's calender looks great with several unique figures and useful bricks (an extra suit of armour never hurts). I hope that some of the figures like the blacksmith and the medieval woman are actually placeholders for different designs, but I suspect that we are going to get the same ones we recieved in the MMV. You would think they could have at least changed the medieval woman's hair though.

Edited February 11, 2010 by blueandwhite

[Hound Knight]

I don't know where people get this idea. Armour was certainly heavy, but it really didn't weigh any more than the equipment a modern soldier would carry. Knights were known to dismount and could easily mount/dismount a horse. At Agincourt French knights dismounted to meet the English in combat (then again, they were slaughtered ). Wealthy men-at-arms were often as well dressed with heavy armour just as a knight would be. Honestly, the notion that Knights were imobile walking tin-cans is mere fantasy.

I heard that knights did somersaults in full plate armor as a part of their training.

[Spyder]

This year's Castle sets look very nice, and after I buy all of the Harry Potter sets, these are my first priority. This year is definitely better than last year. Just look at all that dark green, and it's nice to finally have knights fighting knights again.

[prof1515]

There were never any blonde figures at all until Luke in 1999 for the Star Wars license. Have their ever been non-licensed blondes? I guess tan hair (or the newer yellowish blonde) just looks kind of weird with yellow skin.

There have been plenty. They were widely used in Lego's soccer/football theme and in several city sets.

Also, from a historical point of view, I don't think many people in Western Europe (where castle always takes place, I suppose) were blonde. Certain regions had red haired people, but the rest had dark colored hair I believe. So it makes sense not to have blonde castle figs.

So where, pray tell, do you think blond hair originates? Blond hair isn't a dominant gene but it's hardly rare in European populations. In fact, it's in European populations that blond hair has the greatest frequency of appearance whether "Western European" or "Eastern European". This is because populations in Europe as well as the rest of the world have never been as static, despite what common ignorance seems to believe. Alexander the Great conquered all the way to India. The Roman Empire extended from northern Britain to Iraq. The Huns drove all the way into France and Italy pushing wave after wave of people forward through the continent as they did. The Mongols went all the way across Asia into Europe doing the same. The Muslim armies of Suleiman laid siege to Vienna in the heart of the continent. There is no genetic "purity" in history; such stereotypes are just the result of ignorant and arrogant modern view perpetuated by flag-waving nationalists sometimes bearing racial and ethnocentric prejudice. In other words, don't buy into that crap.

I don't know where people get this idea. Armour was certainly heavy, but it really didn't weigh any more than the equipment a modern soldier would carry. Knights were known to dismount and could easily mount/dismount a horse. At Agincourt French knights dismounted to meet the English in combat (then again, they were slaughtered ). Wealthy men-at-arms were often as well dressed with heavy armour just as a knight would be. Honestly, the notion that Knights were imobile walking tin-cans is mere fantasy.

Still, I do agree that it is disappointing that we don't get a second horse, but that's really par for the course these days. It's not like last year's Drawbridge defence included a horse for our beloved golden knight.

Full suits of armor were on the whole not the norm. The spread of the use of plate mail was a response to more powerful weapons like the longbow and firearms. The spread of such weapons made such armor popular in the minds of people but on the whole the armor was not common. Men dressed head-to-toe in plate weren't very common both on account of cost and practicality. The future of warfare did not rest with such warriors and they quickly faded from the scene. As one historian once said to me, the reason we have so many fine suits of armor so well-preserved is because no one ever used them. They were produced and fell by the wayside of history as warfare changed. Wars were won by building castles to secure the territory and by fielding large armies consisting of blocks of pikemen flanked by musketeers. The armored knight was a romantic notion of writers and poets more than anything.

Edited February 11, 2010 by prof1515

[Jack Bricker]

I don't know where people get this idea. Armour was certainly heavy, but it really didn't weigh any more than the equipment a modern soldier would carry. Knights were known to dismount and could easily mount/dismount a horse. At Agincourt French knights dismounted to meet the English in combat (then again, they were slaughtered ). Wealthy men-at-arms were often as well dressed with heavy armour just as a knight would be. Honestly, the notion that Knights were imobile walking tin-cans is mere fantasy.

Well, it wasn't just a weight issue. Chain mail breathes pretty well depending on how its made but, plate armor does not breathe well at all and because of that and its weight a knight needed to be mounted in order to fight for long periods of time. If the knight dressed in plate armor was just using his arms on horse back he can fight for quite a while without getting fatigued but, if he is having to run walking and manuver on the ground using his legs as well as his arms he can get tired really quickly. That being said I kind of like dismounted knights in chain mail so I guess I don't mind that set not having two horses.

[blueandwhite]

Full suits of armor were on the whole not the norm. The spread of the use of plate mail was a response to more powerful weapons like the longbow and firearms. The spread of such weapons made such armor popular in the minds of people but on the whole the armor was not common. Men dressed head-to-toe in plate weren't very common both on account of cost and practicality. The future of warfare did not rest with such warriors and they quickly faded from the scene. As one historian once said to me, the reason we have so many fine suits of armor so well-preserved is because no one ever used them. They were produced and fell by the wayside of history as warfare changed. Wars were one by building castles to secure the territory and by fielding large armies consisting of blocks of pikemen flanked by musketeers. The armored knight was a romantic notion of writers and poets more than anything.

Full plate was worn for a span of over 300 years in Europe, so I'm not sure I would suggest that it was a quick fad. Certainly, most museum pieces we have today are tournament and parade harnesses which rarely saw actual combat, but that doesn't change the fact that for a span of three centuries wealthy aristocrats wore full plate into battle. As you mentioned, armour evolved to a point where it ceased to be effective, but it doesn't mean that it wasn't used. There is a significant change in the ways wars were fought between 1300 and 1600. Plate armour fell from use in the 1600s, but in the 1300s and 1400s where firearms were less common it was actually quite effective. In this respect I still don't see the issue of having a 12th-13th century knight without a horse. The extra horse would have been nice, but I don't think it's a serious issue.

[The Penguin]

Um, gentlemen, I'm not a moderator, but perhaps the discussion of armor would be more suitable in other thread? )

Speaking of tournament set, that sounds like a great idea, as long as it's not like this one:

Addition:

It appears that there's definitely a new piece for a catapult, btw. If you look closely on the calendar and set pics, wou'll see the new "cup". )

Good day, ladies and gentlemen! )

Edited February 11, 2010 by The Penguin

[dizzy]

Is the female minifigure in the cornor the same as the witch in 7979?

[Lordofdragonss]

Is the female minifigure in the cornor the same as the witch in 7979?

in the calendar? No its the same babe that is in Medival village.

[Rick]

It appears that there's definitely a new piece for a catapult, btw. If you look closely on the calendar and set pics, wou'll see the new "cup". )

Yup, it's also in the new Prince of Persia fort.

[prof1515]

Full plate was worn for a span of over 300 years in Europe, so I'm not sure I would suggest that it was a quick fad. Certainly, most museum pieces we have today are tournament and parade harnesses which rarely saw actual combat, but that doesn't change the fact that for a span of three centuries wealthy aristocrats wore full plate into battle.

No, but wealthy aristocrats increasingly were not risking themselves in the heart of a battle either.

As you mentioned, armour evolved to a point where it ceased to be effective, but it doesn't mean that it wasn't used. There is a significant change in the ways wars were fought between 1300 and 1600. Plate armour fell from use in the 1600s, but in the 1300s and 1400s where firearms were less common it was actually quite effective. In this respect I still don't see the issue of having a 12th-13th century knight without a horse. The extra horse would have been nice, but I don't think it's a serious issue.

I agree with you; a knight need not have a horse. The image of a knight on horseback is a romanticized one, not a historical one. That's not to say it didn't have some truth but it wasn't the way Hollywood portrays it.

[Elander]

Although it's still a long time until then - but:

With these great new minifigs I hope that TLG will release a medieval tournament as January 2011 Exclusive - with tribune, tents, many horses, minifigs and accessory - let's say a bigger re-design of 6060 Knight's Challenge:

:wub:

(Regrettably I do not own this set. )

Klaus-Dieter

Nice idea!

What do you think about a 25 years anniversary castle collection in 2014:

That would be a ultimate tournament collection with all knights since 1979.

01 tournament-place with tribune for the kings and aristocrats

the kings, aristocrats, princesses and 2 x knights with shield bearer and tent

02 tribune for the folk, funfair with boothes

showmen, actors, snatcher and citizens

03 2 x knights with shield bearer and tent (for example: black falcon and lion knight, 1984)

04 2 x knights with shield bearer and tent (for example: dragon and bat, 1992 and 1998)

05 and so forth....

I think so a collection would be spectacular!

EDIT: 35 years anniversary castle collection. ^^

Edited February 11, 2010 by Elander

[dizzy]

Have any one seen BBC's TV series MERLIN, 2 seasons already released.

The TV series are terrbile, but everything is just like the new castle theme.

The red-white kindom, the style of castle and tower, the new helm...

I like the new theme, except for the bright-red. Maybe dark-red would be better. (fantasy era's navy blue is perfect!)

[RocketClone]

Although it's still a long time until then - but:

With these great new minifigs I hope that TLG will release a medieval tournament as January 2011 Exclusive - with tribune, tents, many horses, minifigs and accessory - let's say a bigger re-design of 6060 Knight's Challenge:

:wub:

(Regrettably I do not own this set. )

Klaus-Dieter

That set looks great, complete with a queen a couple of knights and a keg of rum!

Edited February 11, 2010 by RocketClone

[metalandi]

I just thought, that it's kinda odd there never was a king in any castle sets until the mid-90's, though a few castles even jad "king" in its name. Does anyone know why that is? I find that pretty interesting.

[badboytje88]

Good listing, The Penguin. But it says 9 minifigs on the box and I think I can spot them all:

2) Queen (the minifig in the Dragon tower have a different hairpiece, see here)

A must-buy for sure. And don't be afraid my American friends, TLG has said that this years advent calendar will be available across the pond too.

Do you have more pics of the queen?