Review: 7571 The Fight for the Dagger

[Inconspicuous]

When I first saw this set, it was my least favorite set out of the Prince of Persia line. However, it grew on me, and ended up being the first set I bought. Featuring a camel, Persian architecture, and the two main characters, this medium-sized set gives a very good impression of the Prince of Persia line. At a relatively cheap $30, I simply couldn't miss it. And indeed, it was everything I had hoped for and more. But is it really worth your excitement too? Read on to find out.

BASIC INFORMATION:

Set Name: The Fight for the Dagger

Set Number: 7571

Number of Pieces: 258

Minifigs: 4 (Alamut Merchant, Princess Tamina, Asoka, and Dastan)

Price: 29.99 USD, 39.99 CAD

Theme: Prince of Persia Sands of Time

Year Released: 2010

Duel for the Dagger of Time!

In a battle with Asoka for the powerful Dagger of Time, Dastan may have finally met his match. Here in the busy Alamut Market, will his amazing ability to run up walls and jump from balcony to balcony be enough to wrestle the dagger away? Watch out for the hidden traps and collapsing balconies!

* Includes 4 minifigures: Dastan, Princess Tamina, Asoka and Market Stall Owner

* Features LEGO camel, hidden traps and collapsing balconies

* Climb the steps to fight for the Dagger!

* Camel measures 2" (5cm) tall

RESOURCES:

Brickset

Bricklink

Shop @ Home

Flickr

THE REVIEW:

BOX:

Front:

Up first is the amazing box. It really jumps out at me, due to the vibrant colors and details. The market in the background and the blue sky are pretty touches, and the set is arranged in an appealing fashion. Thankfully, the Disney and Dastan pictures at the top don't distract the viewer from the set too much.

Back:

The back of the box showcases details of the set over a crimson background. The vibrance and detail on the front is also apparent here. The traps are a hard to show and explain, since the pins are a confusing and close together, but I think they did a good job.

Side:

Along the top are 1:1 pictures of the minifigs. Asoka's hat is horrendously cut off, due to its insane height. However, I'm glad the decided to keep the box thinner and more space efficient instead of making sure you could see the rest of his hat.

Open:

Box savers rejoice! The box has seals and can be stored flat.

Box:: Thoughts: A very pretty and detailed box- one of the few I will actually keep and admire!

Contents:

The box was relatively efficient with the space, but unfortunately the instructions were mutilated in the process. The camel is also bagged separately. From this shot, it looks awfully small.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Front:

One badly printed and mutilated instruction booklet is all we get. Lego really shouldn't overlook the quality of the instructions this much.

Random Page:

A random page showing the subtle sand background. Also note the piece call-outs, which have become increasingly more common in sets these days.

Parts Inventory:

The parts inventory takes up only one page, since there are lots of multiples of pieces and not that many types. To view the Bricklink inventory, click here.

Instructions:: Thoughts: Mutilated and poorly printed, a major let-down, but otherwise fine.

PIECES:

Pieces:

All of the pieces, meticulously spread for your viewing pleasure. The main colors are tan, dark tan, medium nougat (or whatever the heck it's called), brown, and black. There are plenty of exciting accessories from the weapons and fruits to the arches and domes. Remember, you can click the picture for a much larger version.

Separate/Bagged Pieces:

The camel is bagged separately, while the red canopy and white cape get their own boxes. The boxes open the same way as the new rubber band boxes- by peeling down the flap and sliding out.

Pieces of interest:

The more interesting pieces of the set include the new domes, arches, 2x2 jumper, and weapons. There is such an abundance of these cool pieces that I've only included one of each type in the picture.

Dagger:

One of the most exquisite pieces of the batch is the Dagger of Time. The blade is intricately designed and colored, and the curved section is equally amazing.

Pieces:: Thoughts: Lots of interesting pieces, and in good quantities too.

MINIFIGS:

Front:

The set comes with four satisfactory minifigs. Tamina has a lovely torso and face, as well as a white cape. I've wanted an official white cape most of my life, and I didn't bother getting the Home One. I've very pleased to finally have one! Next is Dastan with his torso and leg printing. I do like his hairpiece. Then comes Asoka, with his flamboyant hat and plume. His face would make an excellent Sallah. Last is the market salesman, with his exclusive white headwrap and chicken leg. All very impressive.

Back:

A back view reveals Tamina's crazy ponytail, Dastan's sharp swords, and the salesman's back printing. The braid is well sculpted and I really like Dastan's double sword holder. The salesman has a nice vest design on his back.

Revealed:

Tamina, Dastan, and Asoka all have reversible faces. Tamina's is an angry one, Dastan's is a fierce/constipated one, and Asoka's is a blank pokerface. Also note the salesman's sideburns and Asoka's printing. I'm glad Lego printed his torso, even though they didn't need to.

Minifigs:: Thoughts: Plenty for this sized set, with lots of generous printing.

THE BUILD:

Build:

The build starts out with a few small trinkets, which aren't pictured. Then construction of the main building begins. It takes a decently-long 35 steps, pictured here at roughly 9 step intervals. There are no particularly special techniques used, except on the red canopy and fish, which will be discussed later. The build is a little shaky going up, but as soon as you secure the second floor, it get better. Otherwise, it's very straightforward.

Extras:

The extras are standard- cheese, studs, axles, etc. The cherries can be thrown back into the market stall though.

Build:: Thoughts: Simple, and fairly interesting. It felt about right for a $30 set.

COMPLETED PRODUCT:

The Whole Set:

Let's take a look at our completed set! The market salesman seems to be running a good business under his red canopy, selling fish and fruits. His loyal camel is tethered to a post nearby. Dastan seems to have just climbed the stairs and is charging at Asoka. Tamina gazes at the world around her from her simple bu elegant balcony. Overall, a busy and exciting scene. The one thing that bugs me is the color of the arches- they stick out in a bad way. They would look much better if they were tan.

Merchant and Trinkets:

The market stall section of the set is one of my favorites. The camel, table, and cart all go together and are relevant. It almost reminds me of a cross between an impulse set and a battlepack.

Crates:

The camel holds two containers- one filled with jewels and one with fruit. It's a miracle the poor beast can stand! The mechanism that keeps the boxes in place is cool and effective.

Back:

The back view shows some pretty arches and plants. That pin controls the balcony on the front, as we'll see later. The bricks with the cheese slopes are also used in the Alamut set, hinting that the two sets may have been originally intended to be connected.

Top Area:

There's only a little space on the second level. The walkway is three studs wide, but it's more like two because of the annoying plants. The balcony is the other main source of space. The little room is cramped, and it's pretty challenging to get a minifig to stand on the trapdoor. The canopy is attached creatively, using a pole to anchor the top, and another pole to keep the bottom in place. You can also see the studs on the wall. they can allow the minifigs to don parkour poses, but in my opinion the only useful one is the far left one.

Dome:

The building features some nice architectural designs, like the cheese slopes and the arches. The golden dome is particularly eye-catching. That pin on the side drop the middle trap door.

Fish:

One of my favorite small details is the hanging fish. One is attached to the pole supporting the canopy, and the other is clipped in place. It's really cool that they are opposite direction, it gives sense of asymmetry.

Fusion:

One of the reason I bought this set was to enhance my Cairo setup. Here are the two sets fused together, minus the machine guns and more modern aspects. I think they look quite well together. However, they're not perfect together. The Cairo set is less elegant, while the Persia set is more beautiful.

Balcony Scene:

The balcony could be used for a Persian Romeo and Juliet. Here we have Tamina playing the role of Juliet, and Dastan as Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet Ending:

Of course, no rendition of Romeo and Juliet is complete without dead bodies at the end! Romeo has killed himself with poison cherries, while Tamina has stabbed herself with the Dagger of Time. Asoka makes a cameo as the County Paris, slain by Romeo.

Video:

A quick video showcasing the two main functions, both of which are trapdoors. The balcony works very well, but the other trapdoor often doesn't fall smoothly, and it's hard to fit minifigs under the roof. Tamina's cape, Dastan's swords, and Asoka's hat often keep them from falling through.

_______________________________________________

Totals:

Design: 9/10 The overall design is very good, but the mismatched arches stick out like a sore thumb. The set is otherwise very attractive and effective!

Parts: 10/10 A very satisfying amount, with lots of new types and colors. Definitely one of the sets stronger points.

Build: 8/10 A little unstable going up, but is about the right time and difficultly.

Minifigs: 10/10 Four lavish figs for a $30 set is great! Especially at their caliber.

Playability: 10/10 Tamina and Dastan are good, Asoka is "bad', and the salesman is neutral, so all sides are represented. Plus, there's plenty of accessories, traps, and wall studs for poseability.

Price: 8/10 The piece/price ratio isn't that good. The pieces aren't that huge either, but the ratio is better than many licensed sets.

Total: 55/60 Overall, a very good set. Its strong points are parts, minifigs, and playability, so this set has something to offer for MOCers, collectors, and kids. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to sample the Prince or Persia line, since it has many features of the other sets. And of course, any Prince of Persia fan should definitely pick this up!

Parting Shot:

One extra letter can be fatal...

Thanks for reading!

-Inconspicuous

[RoryoCox]

Thanks for another great review of this brilliant set.

I think I will be getting this set from amazon as it is not available anywhere near me.

[ILikePi]

Great review Inky! Your pictures are even more crisp than ever.

This looks like a wonderful set! Some highly detailed minifigs, a very cool camel (with baskets!), some neat play features, and quite a large selection of accessories and some interesting parts. I like how there are so many of those new arches here! It'll provide for tons of MOCing possibilites, along with the other parts like the pearl gold quarter domes and all of those tan corner bricks.

And that final pic is hilarious

If it ever goes on sale, I'll definitely buy a copy!

Edited April 11, 2010 by ILikePi

[Lord Arjay]

Thanks for the review Inky. Lovely pics!

I'll definately be getting this set, it's full of nice parts and has a relatively good price. Unfortunetly it is not yet available in the UK yet.

[FedericoTorres]

Excellent review!!!

Thank you

[prateek]

Niiiiiiice! As you, I didn't really like this set at first, but now, I can't wait to get it. Thanks for the review

[Minxter]

Thanks for the great review .

I hope PoP makes it to sweden.

Minxter

[Svelte]

Thanks for the great review, Inconspicuous!

I have to agree that in general the PoP sets are well packaged - the 7573 Alamut box is the same size as the 2007 Skeleton Tower box, which is rare for a flagship set from a line. I find this trend very encouraging!

I do wonder about those 1x2 bricks with the cheese slopes. It's an odd piece of detailing both here and in the Alamut set. It doesn't seem to have any obvious analogue either in the movie trailer or Arabic architecture generally. I guess archers could use it to line up their bows but there are no archers in the line either!

A great set, filled wih great pieces. The dark tan camel is much better looking than his tan associate. The dark red canopy deserves special mention for really 'lifting' the whole set colour-wise too

[CMP]

One of my most favorite Lego sets so far, and that means a lot considering it's my most recent set, yet triumphs over countless other sets. I also am very happy Lego printed Asoka, it's a duplicate, but it's still printing! I only wish this set had 2 Daggers, I mean Battle of Alamut had 2, this set is based around the dagger and only has 1! But it's still a lovely piece.

[lightningtiger]

Thanks 'Inconspicuous' for your review - second review of this one - dam it - so COOL !

Must get this my brain says , my back pocket might say no though .

The playability of just AWESOME.

I'm a conformist! !

[pedro]

Very nice review, thanks!

I love these PoP sets... am currently highly jealous of everyone flaunting them around EB as I'm not sure when they'll be available in the UK... Bricklink to the rescue!

But really, the quality and detail of the minifigs and accessories is truly superb, together with the new parts leave these very high on my wanted list.

[Svelte]

I love these PoP sets... am currently highly jealous of everyone flaunting them around EB as I'm not sure when they'll be available in the UK... Bricklink to the rescue!

Brickset says they're in the Argos catalogue and Huw previously reported a release date in Brand stores/ S@H of 16 April.

[ziljin]

This set is too good, I am ordering a second copy.

[Jack Bricker]

Great review. I do somewhat agree with you about the color of the arches but, I am also kind of happy that they included the arches in the new color since we only have two sets with arches in that color. I would also recommend the battle of alamut to you since it is very much like this set only much bigger and more detailed.

[prateek]

I got this set. It's amazing! I love all the new pieces, and all my figs from the Christmas Raffle fit in well.

[legitimatealex]

Very nice review. Although I could have simply imagined the trapdoor working I liked the video you included : )