nemorino

I am a big Castle fan (especially like Kingdoms) but I have to say that this set was the least favourable for me in the whole Kingdoms line. Kingdoms Joust is absolutely dissapointing in every aspect. The building looks nice at first but if you watch it carefully it is absolutely pointless. What is this? A gate? No, it isn't, you cannot close. Bridge? No, I think it is meant to be some kind of palace but has no functionality at all. If you put aside the Kings Castle they look weird. So much taller then the castle. I like only the dais, it is nicely built. The figs are dissapointing too. Why are there only two knights in a joust set? It has to be at least 4 in a set priced like this. I have to admit that the Falcon knight is outstanding at least, it is the highlight of the set. I think there are collectors who bought the set only for this minifig. The other figs do not worth mentioning. I would prefer to have bear dancers, fortune tellers, singers, troupers instead of the large and pointless structure. I had the opportunity to get this set at bargain price but I missed it. It wasn't even worth the lower price for me.

Thanks for your answer and research. My opinion is that the age recommendations are based on two things: 1. how complex is the building process and 2. how violent or shocking the subject of a set. So if they put soldiers, weapons or scary figures into the set the recommendation will be higher. Thats why Chima or Ninjago is recommended to e.g. 14 years old kids. (Can you imagine a 14 years old playing with Laval and Cragger? At this age usually they play video games like Call of Duty or Battlefield. Some age recommendations seem absolute nonsense to me.) My experience based on a 7 and a 3 years old boy. Both love Chima and Ninjago and that's why I saw some episodes. I know that serious things can look childish, but unfortunately Chima isn't Usagi Yojimbo, it is as childish as it looks. That's why I think that Chima is aimed for 5 or so years old kids despite any recommendations. On the other hand I can remember how good time I had building 6054 way back when I was 12. I was too old to play with it but the building process was fun and the set looked really good. (I still think 6054 is one of the best Castle sets ever.) I don't think that a Chima set (even a more sophisticated one) would have been so much fun to me. But I can be wrong :-)

I can see your point, but still think you're wrong. Kids are not only five years old, Lego can target older kids. A ten-year-old won't like a set designed for nursery-aged kids. I admit that Chima has it's own charme and as time goes may will be remembered as a classic theme by those who played with it as small kids despite I don't like it at all. A classic Castle theme's targeted for the 8-12 years old and adults can see value in theese type of sets too. So I think we don't want a theme for adults, just want a more sophisticated theme primarly targeted for the 8-12 years old kids. Lego already has every moulds to make it just needs to give the green light for the designers. I don't hate NK, actually looking forward to it for new moulds.

You are wrong, I think. The 2013 theme wasn't that bad at all, it was just boring. They used the lion/dragon heraldry again only 2 years after Kingdoms. I missed civilian sets and female characters, it was all about soldiers&fight. A new fantasy theme could be great because the last one ended way back in 2008 and we have a lot of new accessories since collectible minifigures and LOTR/Hobbit. Nexo Knigths is a mixed theme and most of us think it's not real Castle. I'm afraid that Lego will not introduce real Castle parallel to NK, so we have to wait another 3 years and we'll miss it at all, because the kids grow too old for it.

This theme is unfortunately not for me. But could have some good accessories (helmets, armors) so looking forward to it. The sad thing is that we have to wait at least another two years for a proper historic theme. I am starting to lose the interest in Lego, which started with Kingdoms and LOTR/Hobbit.

Maybe you're right, but I won't buy dumb sets because Lego makes good marketing to hook on kids. We have enough sets based on robots or mechs or anything like this. I would happily buy historic sets of the antiquity or any medieval related sets because Lego have none of them that time. If I want to buy robots, I will buy SW or any space related set. Would have been better if Lego leave us the opportunity to have proper historic sets. We have 7946 and the kids love it without any steempunk object. They have the Hulkbuster mech, and they love it without any knights. If the kids want to mix them, they can do it.

But adults buy Lego for kids. If I hate a theme simply I won't buy it for myself and for the kids. I'm pretty sure that Lego needs a good historic theme and as I see Nexo knights won't fill that gap...

My thougts too... no Sideshow Bob, no Skinner, no Duff-man, no Reverend Lovejoy, neither Flanders-kids. But a second Homer, Marge (imho two absolutely useless figures), Lisa, Maggie (they are interesting only for the pets) Bart and Milhouse (these two are cute, at least). What a dissapointment... I will get only the new characters and maybe Bartman.

After watching some video reviews, I have to admit that the new Hulk mold is worse in every aspect, than the old one. The old one has molded toes, the new one has ugly rectangular feet with printed toes. What a cheap solution. And the worse of all: the gap on his collarbone. I cannot understand why Lego changed the design to the worse.

We had S2 Vampire and Monster Fighters Lord Vampire, S8 Santa Claus and the same Santa in 10245, S8 Man-bat and the Man-bats in 9468 or in 76011. There are several other examples to produce proof to your contrary. The question is only that can Lego see the opportunity to gain money on it, or not. I would be happy to see a roman-greek-egyptian-celtic theme, but I don't think Lego will create it. If we stay in medieval manner, I would like to get more civilian sets: houses, markets, inns. The return of the forestmen is a good idea, the 2013 Castle and the Kingdoms either had no outlaw figures, just two boring main factions.

The ultimate option would be Witch king on fel beast for me. But I would like a Hero Factory-style Sauron too.

I can agree with some of your opinions: the current Castle line is very lame. I had several Kingdoms sets (7189, 7946), none of the current line reaches the level of them. When the news came of the new Castle wave, I was hoping of more civilian sets and forestmen. And finally we've got these dissapointing, boring wave. I have to admit, the minifigs are great, but all the concept is a big fail, I didn't buy any of them. Seeing the popularity of the classical age roman and greek collectible minifigs, I think the next Castle line have to be a roman line. Lego can give us several factions: romans, greeks, germans, gauls, egyptians and carthaginians. They have already most of the necessary molds. I think these sets would fly off the shelves, I can already see the boxes with the label "Castrum". (Playmobil has classical sets for ages and they are very popular. I cannot understand why Lego missed this opportunity.)

Actually, if I would know, that the LOTR is over, I would buy some multiples of the sets I already own. Now I spare my money for new sets, then I would know, there's nothing to spare for. I want more uruk-hai warriors, orcs, elves, but I am expecting to buy them in the upcoming new sets.

I am expecting a new version of Final Duel for the summer of 2014. The Death Star Troopers and Imperial Guards BP doesn't make any sense without something Dath Star and Palpatine related set. I think (or better to say: I hope) a new Final Duel, something very much like Palpatine's Arrest or Duel on Geonosis. I think it's time for a new AT-ST set with AT-ST pilot, new version of Chewbacca and an Ewok warrior (hopefully not Tokkat or Logray...) And of course it would be nice to have a new Mos Eisley Cantina and Luke's Landspeeder to match last year's Droid Escape. If the Sandcrawler prove to be real, maybe we'll see more Ep. 4 sets. (Actually I don't like the Sandcrawler, it has a really lame design and only a few boring seconds on screen.)

The best piece for cigar to date is the paintbrush (CM4 Artist, 41005 Heartlake High). A very nice example: http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/