Sir Dillon Posted May 3, 2006 Hello all. A few days ago, I received this as a very belated birthday gift from my mom. *sweet* (My birthday was in December, and this wasn't availible until about a month ago) I know there has already been a review on it, but I loved this set so much, I wanted to do one anyway. I hope you all don't mind. Also, this is my first ever review, so If I'm doing something wrong, please let me know. First off, a pic of the whole set: This set is huge. Much bigger then it looks in the pictures. It around 21" long and 15" high. I'm not even sure how wide it is. The figures and their equipment: It comes with six vikings, which is a nice amount, but when they need to row the boat, everyone needs to help, even the cheif. :-P It comes with a good amount of weapons, but I still don't like those new swords, and probably never will. I wish it came with a few more shields though. The Serpent: Though I don't really like the monsters in the Viking line all that much, this is my favorite so far. The colours look nice, and it's made of those new-ish click hinges, so it not only move up and down, but also twist. :-) The sepent's underside The end part of it's tail Front of it The inside of it's mouth Though it doesn't look that great in there, I like it 'cause it's just big enough to fit a minifig inside. :-P Though the spine part on the back of it's neck looks kind of cool, it gets rather annoying, because it's only attached in the front, and can flip up easily The Ship The side/front The side/back The sail The sail is rather large, (which is good, IMO) and I like the design. I was expecting it to be a cloth like the pirate sails, but it's more like a treated paper. Still nice though. The front figure head: This is nice. I'm not sure if I like the wings or not though. I think my favorite part is that the lower jaw is actually the wolf head from the Fenris set. You can see it better in this picture. The shield holder Impressive, no? :-P The stange looking... Shooting thing... (note viking Apo at the controls :-P ) I don't really like this, so I'll probably replace it with something. But if you take it out, the front looks very empty The mid section of the ship, with a cooking fire, ale barrel, and weapon racks. Again: The perty shields on the side (Unfortunetly, these are bigger then the minifig's shields.) The back part of the ship, with a cage, and a stand for the chief person to stand on. The pully thing, you can wind the cage up with it, and if you lift up the lever, it drops back down. Well, that's it. Overall, I think it's a great set, and would give an 8/10 for it price range. Oh, and here's the gallery Leg Godt! X-D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xwingyoda Posted May 3, 2006 What a great review Dillon !! As a side note, there is no unique way to do a review !! Its all a question of feeling ;-) And on the issue of multiple reviews of the same set, hats has been covered: its no problem because every reviewer has its own personality and emotions (...) whuich makes any review different and unique. Now onto the review of this great set !! I like the angles of the pics you took (especially the bbq part hehe) Its great to have good quality pics !! Review on !! PS: I will add your review in the Viking Index ;-) *yoda* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norro Posted May 3, 2006 I always like more reviews (with different perspectives)! It was especially nice to see all the shots of the serpent (I didn't build mine as I was in a hurry to get back to MOCing...) Thanks again and God Bless, Nathan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeMI6 Posted May 3, 2006 That's a really good review Dillon. I like how you covered all the details without making it boring. Very good quality pics too. I'll be interested to see what you replace the missle system with. Keep up the good work. ~Joe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 4, 2006 Thanks for the replies guys. :-) Now onto the review of this great set !! I like the angles of the pics you took (especially the bbq part hehe)Its great to have good quality pics !! Review on !! PS: I will add your review in the Viking Index Thanks! *sweet* I like how you covered all the details without making it boring. Very good quality pics Thanks. I'm glad you didn't think it was boring. I wasn't sure how people would respond, since this has already been reviewed. I'll be interested to see what you replace the missle system with. Lol. Me too. ;-) Thanks again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 4, 2006 Sir Dillion you have done a good job with this review and it will definitely earn you points towards your next promotion in the Pirate Ranking System. Creating threads like this is an example of how to get promoted fast! And to make it worth your while for taking the time to write this review I'm going to write comments for each picture you've taken. However, I will not double post so someone else must post after I do for me continue. Since I don't own nor have never seen this set in the real world (if there is such a thing) I shall use this picture for an initial impression. The first thing that disappoints me is the cannon at the front - it looks a bit too futuristic for this craft and if I remember correctly this looks very similiar to the cannons used in the Dino theme. It looks too much like modern artillery in the guise of something historic. Next the serpent... I just can't help think that it looks rather insect like with its segmented body... Obviously it can't have articulation and resemble LEGO if its one piece which smooth and cylindrical but I think the segments should been of more consistent size. However, on the upside this appears to be built rather than one or a couple of pieces like the old SYSTEM animals. So this gives it a higher degree of customizability. As for the ship itself... It looks like it could do with a bit more structure which may beg one to ask how can a ship of this nature have more structure than what its already got? To me it just looks a bit sparse and in need of beefing up somehow. It may seem that I don't think much of this set, but that's not really so as they are just my initial criticisms. If I should be enticed to write comments about the subsequent images my opinions will seem somewhat more optimisitc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 4, 2006 Thank you for that generous offer, Mister Phes. *sweet* Sir Dillion you have done a good job with this review and it will definitely earn you points towards your next promotion in the Pirate Ranking System. Creating threads like this is an example of how to get promoted fast! You mean that this will help me get promoted, even though it's not involving Pirates? The first thing that disappoints me is the cannon at the front - it looks a bit too futuristic for this craft and if I remember correctly this looks very similar to the cannons used in the Dino theme. It looks too much like modern artillery in the guise of something historic. Yes I agree with you on that; the catapult thing is not very historically accurate at all. It's also an eye sore, IMO. I do not own any of the Dino sets, but I'm almost certain it's the same type of cannon. The serpent's segmented body doesn't looks great, but I'm not sure which I would like better: Segmented, like it is, or non segmented, but unable to move and twist. As for the ship itself... It looks like it could do with a bit more structure which may beg one to ask how can a ship of this nature have more structure than what its already got? To me it just looks a bit sparse and in need of beefing up somehow. The ship does look kind of empty, and I think another structure or two could make it look a lot better. (as long as the wouldn't look like the catapult :-X ) Or maybe if the back part was a little bigger. I think the main reason TLC didn't add anything was they were trying to keep the cost low, but another might be it would be too hard for little kids to set up their mini figs and play with the ship without breaking something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 4, 2006 You mean that this will help me get promoted, even though it's not involving Pirates? for little kids to set up their mini figs and play with the ship without breaking something. That is correct Sir Dillion, as any noteworthy thread or post can be taken into consideration for promotion. But ultimately you'll get the biggest promotions for creating or contributing to pirate threads. Support the SYSTEM Pirate LEGO theme and it will support you back! Now lets take a look a the mini-figures... Hooray! The LEGO Company has finally moved away from this every mini-figure has to be part of the larger story crap. That's good! Each mini-figure has a different torso and a different face which is even better! Each has his own helmet and the leader has cape which makes him look more distinguished - which is why I just assumed he was the leader. Now for what I don't like... There's only 6 of the little buggers. Yep, just 6! Given this ship is about as long as The Black Seas Barracuda and Skulls Eye Schooner I'd be expecting a couple more Vikings to man this craft. 6 seems somewhat stingy to me. The weapons... It looks as though there should be more... Maybe some more shields too even though there seems to be plenty around the hull I think portable shields for defence is somewhat manditory. Could use a few more treasures for the chest as well. So I'd say the set is skimping on the mini-figure accessories a bit. But what disappoints me the most is those damn Knights Kingdom II swords. AAAAAARGH!!! They look like something out of Masters of the Universe. "I held aloft my magic sword and said... I ain't no Viking!" Or maybe He-Man isn't what I'm thinking of. But what I'm getting at is the sword looks too futuristic. Bad. Real bad. Don't have futuristic looking swords in a historic theme. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 5, 2006 Now for what I don't like... There's only 6 of the little buggers. Yep, just 6! Given this ship is about as long as The Black Seas Barracuda and Skulls Eye Schooner I'd be expecting a couple more Vikings to man this craft. 6 seems somewhat stingy to me. Yeah, like I stated earlier, when they need to row the boat, there are six rows, and only six men. So even the chief needs to help. (I made a few more viking figures from my collection, so that doesn't happen.) I don't own the SES or the BSB, but this is longer then my Red Beard Runner. But what disappoints me the most is those damn Knights Kingdom II swords. AAAAAARGH!!! But what I'm getting at is the sword looks too futuristic. Bad. Real bad. Don't have futuristic looking swords in a historic theme. Yeah, they look like something from Power Rangers or something. :-X And what's ironic is that the old broadswords were actually something like what Vikings would have used back then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 5, 2006 Yeah, like I stated earlier, when they need to row the boat, there are six rows, and only six men. So even the chief needs to help. (I made a few more viking figures from my collection, so that doesn't happen.)I don't own the SES or the BSB, but this is longer then my Red Beard Runner. The Skulls Eye Schooner and Black Seas Barracuda had 3 middle hull pieces wheras the Red Beard Runner only had 2, so the Viking ship is definitely longer than that. Now let us stop and think about the serpent for a moment... Actually I think I've said all I need to say about this serpent. It looks more like Bionicle creation rather than something of SYSTEM so I feel its somewhat out of my zone, however I would have to say it looks heaps better than that Fenrir (Spelling?) Wolf with that horrible cannon for a body. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 7, 2006 The Skulls Eye Schooner and Black Seas Barracuda had 3 middle hull pieces wheras the Red Beard Runner only had 2. Ok, I thought so, but wasn't sure. however I would have to say it looks heaps better than that Fenrir (Spelling?) Wolf with that horrible cannon for a body. I don't actually own the Fenris set yet, but from looking at the pictures, I would agree with you. I don't think the body of the wolf is all that bad, but I don't think it looks great, and I don't really like the hollow legs either. But, as I'm not sure how I would make it better, I probably shouldn't be complaining until I have the set. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 8, 2006 The sail... Its quite a nice sail... Better than any of the sails used for the pirate sets... And I must admit I thought some of the earlier pirate sails look a bit dorky. What I like about this Viking sail is it looks aged and weathered which adds a nice "wear n tear" quality to. The serpent design is nice too, simplistic but effective. This is probably the nicest component of the whole set, from what I've seen in these pictures at least... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 8, 2006 Yes, the sail is very nice. Like I said though, it's not cloth as much as treated paper, so I'm a little worried about it getting ripped. I'm probably just paranoid though. :-P I also like the design on it, but if you follow the design, it looks like the serpent is made up of two or three pieces, instead of one all rapped up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 9, 2006 Ahhhhh the figure head... Lookie! It uses the old Batlord dragon wings! This is a nice addition to the bow of the ship and without a figurehead it would look rather empty. I assume this is suppose to be an ornamental depiction of serpent found on the sail. It looks very fitting and I'd say this is definitely an asset to this vessel, however do the Viking historians amongst us agree? Would such a figurehead really be found of a Viking ship or is this something The LEGO Company has thrown in to make the set look more interesting? Regardless of historical accuracy it does look better than any of the figureheads found on the Pirate ships. DAMMIT!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 10, 2006 It looks very fitting and I'd say this is definitely an asset to this vessel, however do the Viking historians amongst us agree? Would such a figurehead really be found of a Viking ship or is this something The LEGO Company has thrown in to make the set look more interesting? Well, I'm not really a Viking historian, but I do believe vikings did have figure heads something like this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
natelite Posted May 10, 2006 hmm, didn't most pirate ships have maiden figures for figureheads? usually a naked mermaid. i think it would be wrong for lego to do that though. *sad* the sets are still meant for 7-14. *sweet* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 10, 2006 Maidens for figureheads were popular to be sure, but there were some alternatives... Check this for some examples... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted May 11, 2006 didn't most pirate ships have maiden figures for figureheads? Yeah, and IIRC, TLC gave most of the pirate ships a figure head of some kind, but I don't think they were all that fancy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted May 12, 2006 I really don't like this because it looks too futuristic. It reminds me of modern artillery which is something I definitely don't want to see in a "history" based LEGO theme. It also makes me wonder: Did Viking ships really have such weaponary or is this something The LEGO Company devised to make the set more appealing to stupid little kiddies that need action in their toys? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamweb Posted July 20, 2006 Well, better late than never, I finally decided to purchase this set. That was because I had the opportunity to buy it for a really low price so I decided to take it. So, I just want to say that despite reading numerous reviews and seeing numerous pictures, there are a few things which surprised me in the real thing: - The size of the sail. From the pictures I thought it would be big, but when I opened the box I was quite stunned - it was almost as big as the bottom of the box! - The fact that the sail is made of paper. Yes, I know it's mentioned even in this very thread, however I haven't read that particular post until today, AFTER assembling the ship... :-) Well, the pattern does look good, however the fact that it's paper is a dissapointment and a major step in the wrong direction compared to Pirate sails. - The sail is printed on one side only! Somehow I missed that in the reviews as well. I consider it a major disadvantage, which is even more disturbing considering the sail's size. - One of the Vikings has Harry Osborn's face... Huh? - The serpent... In fact it's better than I expected. It has much more normal, System parts (which might be useful for MOCing) than I thought it would. Apart from that, I completely agree with Mister Phes about the weapon (is this a catapult?) - it looks much too modern and doesn'rt fit a historic theme at all. I know it's been put there to increase playability (so that kids can play with a weapon that shoots), but it spoils the overall look of the ship. The swords are awful too, I think I still have a few Classic Castle swords somewhere, and I'll use them instead. And there's also this stupid little gap between bow/stern pieces and the middle hull - I really don't understand why Lego didn't make that egde perfectly vertical to eliminate that gap. But don't get me wrong, I still think it is a good set. The minifigs are great, the chrome parts (helmets, breastplate, axes) are excellent! The ship, when built, looks really cool. The serpent is OK, as I mentioned before. The shields are nice too. I like the details such as the figurehead, the barrel with (probably) alcohol and the food. This ship has a great MOCing potential and I think I'll customize it in the future and make my own version, perhaps more historically accurate, and I'll definitely start with removing that ugly shooting weapon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Kid Posted July 25, 2006 I scored this for half price ( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kahgarak Posted August 20, 2006 Great review!The serpent looks sweet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JINZONINGEN73 Posted August 20, 2006 As much as I like it, the paper sail thing bugs me to no end. I wonder how much difference in cost it would've been to be something more material-like and durable. Stickers and paper accessories inside my Lego purchases ALWAYS go straight into a box, never to be seen again. And like, here's a set where the most giant piece is just that. Pity. How many sections make up the bottom of the ship? (It's not all one piece, is it)? o__O Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Dillon Posted August 20, 2006 Great review!The serpent looks sweet. Thanks! As much as I like it, the paper sail thing bugs me to no end. Well, I don't think it being paper is actually that bad, it would be nicer if it were cloth. How many sections make up the bottom of the ship? 5. Two ends, and three middle sections. The middle sections are the same pieces as the pirate middle sections, but I'm not sure how good they'd look together, because these are in new brown. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unknown Artist Posted August 21, 2006 Hey Dillan, I really would like to thank you for your wonderful review - it is much more encouraging than the TLC's catalogs. I have been very neutral towards the Viking line until now, but this topic really awoke the love for sea and history in me. :-D Though I have not yet bought the set, I am certainly planning to do so now - I have a few ideas on how to customize it a bit to make it more accurate. Now, all I have to do is wait till the nearest TRU sale... *sweet* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites