The Lego Black Knights Sets 1988-1993

[SirSven7]

Hello again all

Im sure this is nothing new to most of you by now.

I have reviewed the Black Knights sets

The Lego Black Knights Sets 1988-1993

I hope you enjoy, feedback would be most welcome.

Cheers

[BTappel]

Love the review! The best part for me was all the great pictures that went with the text. It really helps being able to see what you are talking about. Great work!

[Lordofdragonss]

Thanks for sharing this very well written article/review man!

[Vindicare]

Another good article. One of my all time favorites, still not in my collection , is 6085 Black Monarchs Castle. I absolutely love that set.

[fhomess]

Black Monarch's castle was my absolute favorite lego set ever for a very long time. There was something so unique about the inverse of black walls with gray stone rather than grey wall with darker gray stones of the Crusaders and Falcons. That said, it was the only set in the line I really liked. My dark age began around 1992/93 with the advent of the raised/molded baseplates that ruined castles (and a whole host of other "bricks" that replaced brick built structures).

[de Gothia]

Oh my favorite faction ever! Well written article as always! You are spoiling us!

I´ve got three copies of 6086 and two of 6085. As soon as I started to earn money I snapped them up! I had one of each as a kid but had always dreamt of more so the adult me bought the little me some extra!

[Pizinho]

Man, I love your reviews!!!

You describe verything so well, congratulations!

Cant wait to see the next ones!

[TheLegoDr]

I enjoy reading about the past factions. It always makes me feel nostalgic, which is why these factions are very much alive in my house. I recently rebuilt 6086 Black Knight's Castle and am still in awe. I love the design and color scheme. I always wanted the Black Monarch Castle, but the Black Knight castle is still the most superior castle to date, even with the raised baseplate. I have never had a problem with the baseplate on any of the sets (King's Mountain Fortress or any of the Imperial pirate sets). It is true that the Knights never had their own identity, but I like the chain mail look. I would prefer if they were more uniform in that regard, which is why I changed the blue armed chain mail into Crusaders and the blue torso chain mail into Falcons and left the red or black armed chain mail for the Knights. By doing that, I still have 20 Black Knights, so I think it works out okay. The oval shield was/is very welcome, as is the barding. I have 3 of those original bardings and am quite fond of them.

As much as I like the new Lion kingdom and Dragons, I will always prefer the Crusaders, Falcons, Knights, and Forestmen/Wolfpack over anything TLG will release. But I welcome the new pieces/colors/designs with open arms.

Looking at your post, what is that last set? They had different barding for the Crusaders????? That would have been amazing! I saw an early version of some castle set where they had the oval shield for the Crusaders also... hmm

Great post. Sorry for the wordy response. Keep up the good work.

[Skipper]

Thanks for doing this! Very well written and entertaining.

Great to read in-depth about all these sets I missed.

I'm intrigued by the alternate model pictures, where did you find them? Some of them are really excellent, and would be great sets on their own.

Again, thanks. Can't wait for the next installment.

[dwarf-brik]

That's funny, I was looking at Black Knights Castle just today! It really is a masterpiece-I just wish Lego hadn't abandoned the concept of raised baseplates. The new castles are all well and good, you really cannot beat the old castles: they just had so much more playability and possibility. I would be hard-pressed to build more than two alternate builds out of, say, Kings Castle Siege.

Once again, thanks for that great summary!

[SirSven7]

Thanks alot guys its nice to get so much feedback

Both the castle's from this faction were brilliant, as each had alot to offer the castle series.

TheLegoDr - I had the same issue with my Black knights, alot of them got moved to my crusaders or falcons and i think thats a shame as the deserved better. I agree with the modern sets, I like them but they will never compare to the sets of old.

That last pic is sadly a prototype castle set that was never released (i added that at the bottom of my blog to avoid confusion ).

Alot of the alternative sets are on http://www.rittersets.de/, its a german site but the pics are universal

I am a bit sad that I have finished with the sets of the 80s as they were my fav and now I feel like I am slowly sliding into the castle depression of the late 90s and early 00s and a am not looking forward to it as much (though I still love writing the blogs).

Keep watching this space guys because I plan on doing my Wolfpack review very soon

Cheers all

[Derfel Cadarn]

Another interesting addition to your growing blog. I enjoyed reading this and its great that you are taking the time out to do this. I was always quite a fan of the Black Knights and 6086 is still the best looking castle Lego have made In my opinion, although the Royal Knights castle 6090 comes close. I look forward to reading your next installment, keep up the fine work!

[Artanis I]

Great article again. I quite like the Black Knights, they have TWO very awesome castles! The combination of the new helmet & armour pieces with either the triple plume or the large feather made for the most awesome looking knights to date. The dragon plume a few years later was even better!

Interesting in the second photo that's posted (I've not seen that one before) there is a MOC version of the 6085 castle complete with Black Knight flags & shields manned by both Crusader and Black Falcon knights...

Regarding the alternative builds, those pictures come either from the back of the box or the instruction booklet. I would buy almost any of those alternate castles as a set in their own right, they look so good!

PS there's a typo at the top where it says 6075 instead of 6085.

[smitty9999]

My good friend has had 6086 since the initial released and I've lusted over it ever since. I think I'll have to break down soon and buy one off bricklink

[Hartfan]

Your blog is exellent. And You just added another great chapter to it. Love reading it.

[Ardelon]

Great review, as usual.

I myself consider the 6086 Black Knights Castle the best ever, even though I prefer gray castles overall. As for raised baseplates, I have no problems with them.

6034 Black Monarchs Ghost was one of my most treasured sets, as it gave me my only ghost and breastplate. But ever since I learned the name of the set, it had me wondering: was it the ghost of the black monarch, or was it a ghost that somehow belonged to the black monarch, and if so, was the knight the black monarch, or was he just a knight of the black monarch who was to check on the ghost, or ...???

[Brinstar]

I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts SirSven7, your detailed surveys of Pirates and Castle sets are a valuable resource for the lego community, keep up the good work! I think the Black Knights are my favorite theme overall. Two excellent castles, a good wall structure and the best navy. The only thing they were lacking was some decent siege weaponry. The 6086 Black Knights castle is probably my favorite castle of all time. From an architectural standpoint it is a thing of beauty. I'm not sure that I agree that the Black Knight's lack an identity, I always found them with their black castles and castle structures as quite distinctive from the rest. I think its a shame Lego reused their emblem for the Dragon Masters (albeit with a slight colour change) but I've always associated it with the Black Knights.

[Jack Bricker]

I really enjoyed your review on the black knights. They and the dragon masters were my favorite factions when I was a kid and still are. I really appreciate all of the time and effort you put into this overview and I look forward to what you have to say about Fantasy Era Castle and Kingdoms even though you probably will not get to those for a while.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Jack Bricker

[Ogre]

A very fun read. Nice job.

I also agree on your choice of 'best castle ever'.

Great review, as usual.

I myself consider the 6086 Black Knights Castle the best ever, even though I prefer gray castles overall. As for raised baseplates, I have no problems with them.

6034 Black Monarchs Ghost was one of my most treasured sets, as it gave me my only ghost and breastplate. But ever since I learned the name of the set, it had me wondering: was it the ghost of the black monarch, or was it a ghost that somehow belonged to the black monarch, and if so, was the knight the black monarch, or was he just a knight of the black monarch who was to check on the ghost, or ...???

Heh. I had all those same thoughts, too!

[SirSven7]

But ever since I learned the name of the set, it had me wondering: was it the ghost of the black monarch, or was it a ghost that somehow belonged to the black monarch, and if so, was the knight the black monarch, or was he just a knight of the black monarch who was to check on the ghost, or ...???

That has also confused me for a number of years, I guess its the classic ambiguity of Lego, if I had to chose I would say it is the ghost of the Black Monarch, because the 1988 castle was called Black Monarchs Castle while the one realsed in 1992 was called Black Knights Castle I always assumed that the Monarch had died in the following years (hence the name change to the castle). I guess the knight was just visting the black monarch haunting spot to see what was happening (like in the beginning of Hamlet).

I like the idea of an army marching under the banner of a dead monarch that still haunts some of his land.

I'm not sure that I agree that the Black Knight's lack an identity, I always found them with their black castles and castle structures as quite distinctive from the rest. I think its a shame Lego reused their emblem for the Dragon Masters (albeit with a slight colour change) but I've always associated it with the Black Knights.

I can understand your disagreement with the Black Knights sets, as lookng at them now I can see a big difference between the Dragon Masters and the Black Knights, it was just that when I was a kid I never realised this and I always assumed that the Dragon Masters were just a slightly evolved form of Black Knights (I thought the same with Forestmen and Dark Forest, and Crusaders and Royal Knights).

I think it was a real shame lego never gave the Black Knights a torso design and then reused the Shield (with a color change)as looking at the Black Knights now they are one of the coolset old factions, strading between the classic of Crusaders and Falcons yet with a morden twist.

I would call them the last of the classic factions (Crusaders, Falcon's, Forestmen and Black Knights), whilst I see the Dragon Masters, Wolfpack, Royal Knights and Fright Knights the next generation, all have merits in there own way but I always love the classics (the generations after that went down hill alot).

[Ardelon]

That has also confused me for a number of years, I guess its the classic ambiguity of Lego, if I had to chose I would say it is the ghost of the Black Monarch, because the 1988 castle was called Black Monarchs Castle while the one realsed in 1992 was called Black Knights Castle I always assumed that the Monarch had died in the following years (hence the name change to the castle). I guess the knight was just visting the black monarch haunting spot to see what was happening (like in the beginning of Hamlet).

I would call them the last of the classic factions (Crusaders, Falcon's, Forestmen and Black Knights), whilst I see the Dragon Masters, Wolfpack, Royal Knights and Fright Knights the next generation, all have merits in there own way but I always love the classics (the generations after that went down hill alot).

Hmm... I never thought of the set name as intentionally ambiguous, just as a poor formulation of a name. I tend to prefer an explanation which keeps the Monarch alive and hopefully to be seen someday (if only in my MOCs).

I also see the Black Knights as the last classic faction, for purely subjective reasons - my golden age started in 1993 with the Dragon Masters, and while Wolfpack were still in the catalogs (and the largest DM set), the previous factions were "prehistory" as far as I saw it.

I read a few times (and sourced it to brickipedia, in the 1992 chapter) that the 6086 Black Knights castle was originally called the Dungeon Master's Castle. (Maybe you would like to include it in your article, SirSven7?). I sometimes thought of the newer Black Knights as a splinter faction of the original ones, using new dragon plumes and ovoid shields and calling themselves Dungeon Masters. This in contrast to the original Black Knights, who kept their allegiance to their unseen Black Monarch (whether ghost, missing, hidden away, or otherwise).

[TheLegoDr]

I always considered Crusaders, Falcons, Black Knights, and Forestmen to be in the same time period, with the wolfpack being an intermediary between this generation and the next (involving Royal Knights and Dragon Masters). I thought I had more Dragon Master sets, but it turns out I only had Mephisto's Magic Workshop. And I didn't get any Royal Knights sets since that was the beginning of my dark age. That is also probably why I consider the original sets to be all linked since I quit Lego after that time period.

Interesting concept with the Dungeon Masters splitting from the Black Monarch.

[Ogre]

I read a few times (and sourced it to brickipedia, in the 1992 chapter) that the 6086 Black Knights castle was originally called the Dungeon Master's Castle. (Maybe you would like to include it in your article, SirSven7?).

I still recall the confusion I had over the name change from one catalogue to the next.

I chalked it up to being possibly due to threats of a lawsuit, or some such thing, from the creators of D&D.

(Still have the catalogues!)

[SirSven7]

Thanks alot for the information, I have now added that in my article.

Dungeon Masters, I like the sound of that, they would make an interesting faction (think of the sets they could have built).

Tomorrow I will post my Wolfpack Blog so watch this space.

Cheers all

[LegoInHand]

Great review, as usual.

I myself consider the 6086 Black Knights Castle the best ever, even though I prefer gray castles overall. As for raised baseplates, I have no problems with them.

6034 Black Monarchs Ghost was one of my most treasured sets, as it gave me my only ghost and breastplate. But ever since I learned the name of the set, it had me wondering: was it the ghost of the black monarch, or was it a ghost that somehow belonged to the black monarch, and if so, was the knight the black monarch, or was he just a knight of the black monarch who was to check on the ghost, or ...???

Speaking of 6034, many years ago my parents bought this set for us at random and the knight with the armor was the coolest minifigure that we had at the time. The only thing from the set which has gone missing! It has eluded me for a long time!