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Majisto's Workshop would be the GWP for the black castle (Only in my dreams, because black castles don't seem to be very popular).

That's amazing news! I hope that they bring back black knights along with it and release a matching black castle. Dragon masters would not only involve a new helmet mold but - according to the anniversary survey - are also far less popular. Also, these factions may be too similar to do a revival for both. What do you think?

Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback! I finally released part 2 on rebrickable. If you consider both parts, you even get 10 sets now from a single 10305! Part two is a medieval village with different kinds of half-timbered houses. As soon as I find the time, I will add a review here.

Awesome concept! I really hope against all odds that your idea makes it to an actual product.

For those who are interested in MOCing, here's a histogram of the part category and color distribution of set 10316. It may help to decide if that set contains the types of parts you want.

I'm mostly referring to unique things like minifigures and animals. The goat of course being an exception and if there was a new faction of knights included it would be a different story as well. Your response made me have a look at the image again and I edited my comment. I think, my impression was mostly due to that exact khaki building. I can't see how these buildings could look good in closed form either. The most left building looks lbgrey to me. Thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback. A tournament with joust is one of the best possibilities to provide condensed castle content which I guess is not in the interest of TLG. If they add a lot of buildings to it, like in the Kingdoms set it might work for them. At least, they have all the moulds to do it right now and it would be a proper set to include a king. However, I doubt that we will ever get a set like 1584 again because it complements castles of other manufacturers too well.

To be honest: I doubt it. At least in the form that is shown in the picture. There is just too much of it included in 10305: LKC. I noticed that while building my alternate model for 10305 and don't really see an outstanding unique selling point here. I hope that this is just an early draft of something that is much better than this. A least, it is one more prove that LEGO is aware of the huge potential of civil medieval focussed sets and will continue to serve this desire. Edit: After looking at the photo again, I have to correct myself. It looks quite finished. It was probably the plain olive green building that made me remember it as "unfinished", paired with the bad resolution. A good example of the negative impact of leaked images.

As promised earlier, here's the model that I turned in for the Bricklink Designer Program. Fortress of Lakeside County With this entry, I wanted to achieve several goals: Show that you can make nice castles with less than 1000 pieces that still forms a complete structure Use the color scheme from the awesome Royal Knight's Castle Create an addition to the two official castles that are available right now Use parts that inspire you to build your own castle Offer a lot of playability and functions Avoid confllicts of interest with the LEGO group when competiting with their own products Before I go into detail, here is a picture of how it complements the LEGO castles. As you can see, it is very unique and has a similar level of detail. While the front of the model makes it appear larger, it gets very compact when you close it. I developed this layout when designing an alternate build for set 7947. Of course, I was quite limited with the parts here. Still, I loved the way it changes its appearance when closing it. Despite the low piece count, the fortress of lakeside county offers a rich interieur that still leaves room for play. Here you can see one of its functions: you can access a hidden treasure by lifting the roof of the tower. Furthermore, the prison cell has a break-out function and the drawbridge can be raised and lowered to control access. As you can see in the next picture, the castle looks good from all angles when closed. In order not to compete with LEGO's own products too much, I didn't add what are unique selling points of other castle sets. That's why i avoided big animals I created a new faction to make the minifigures distinct The color scheme is very different from the other recent castles It is much smaller than LEGO's flagship set For the sake of completeness, here is the description that I added to it for the BDP. Description For decades, the people of Lakeside County had been loyal to the Lion Knights. Now the count's daughters rule the fortress. Their good contacts with the Forest Guardians indicate that the crown should not rely on them anymore. This model is a valuable addition to the existing LEGO castle world. A new faction has arrived and brings additional excitement to the story. The high-contrast but very classic color scheme and the crooked floor plan give this fortress its very own character. When closed, the residence forms a complete fortress. Access is via a working drawbridge. A dark dungeon can be found in the basement vault. Prisoners with the necessary knowledge can break out through a secret passage in the wall. Or they convince the rat to bring them the keys. In addition to a treasury and armory, there is also a well in the basement that supplies the residents with water. Stairs lead to the living area of the fortress. There is a table by a cozy fireplace with two stools and a tallow lamp. The blue bird that lives in the castle can be observed from the romantic windows. At night or when danger is imminent, these windows are simply closed. Of course, a bed should not be missing here either. To defend the gate and drawbridge, a wooden battlement can be manned, which has loopholes and machicolations. Another treasure is hidden in the detachable top of the tower. The raft that comes with it is reminiscent of the connection to the Forest Guardians, but can also be used to visit the Lion Knights. This fortress is neither too small nor too big, but just right. You will have a lot of fun building it as it really is more than the sum of its pieces. Here's the link to the entry: https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-1/100/Fortress-of-Lakeside-County Have you been hoping for a long time to get a black castle again? Preferably with proper Black Knights, of course!

Thank you so much for your feedback! Thanks. That's completely understandable. I also see a lot of benefits of having a single big set over a wave of smaller ones. The biggest downside beside the affordability is perhaps that a castle wave for 200 € total would have the same amount of minifigures as this 400 € castle.

Thank you. I added a link to my video where you can see it in action :) PS: I love the model in your profile picture! It combines so many awesome castle sets and still each is recognizable.

I calculated these example prices based on a formula: 5 per minifigure, 10 per horse, the rest divided equally by piececount. Once I add part 2 of this, it will sum up to the price of the castle + my fees for the instructions so might be interesting for those who want to share the set with others.

Just like many others, I would have preferred a full castle wave over a single monolithic 10305: Lion Knight's Castle. While there are other options avaiilable right now, but they contain very few castle-related minifigures. This is why I decided to split each of the two castle sections from 10305 into a whole medieval world. Now, I finally completed that project! You can build all 10 models at once from a single set 10305, using 94% of the pieces included and no spare parts. Read on if you're interested :) Part 1: from bags 14-26 Part 2: from bags 1-13 Review - Part 1 Here it is: my alternate build for the second half of 10305. Considering that this only uses roughly half of the bricks from the set, I think that it shows pretty well, just how much you get for your money with set 10305. From left to right, you see a forest treehouse, a much smaller lion knight's castle, a tournament that is hosted by the queen, a fortress for the black falcons and Majistos magic hut. Let's take a look at the details, starting with my favorite amonst the models: Majisto's magic hut - Tensegrity included! This model is based on the many tensegrity sculptures you find in the internet. A single leaf element is bearing most of the weight of the model while two chains are used to balance it. You can see the wobble effect of it in my (german) video on youtube. Stairs lead from the water level to the entrance of the hut, passing a frog and the sword excalibur that is stuck in a rock. Using a ladder, Majisto can enter his home. If you happen to have a spare door, you can simply add it. To get a better look, you can remove the roof that rests on top loosely yet secured in place. Inside, there is a bed and a fire place with a golden chalice. Furthermore, you find a table with some potions. I also improved on Majisto's staff a bit: instead of the gem, it now features a more organic looking end. Perhaps, a similar design could have been used in the LotR Rivendell set for Gandalf's staff. What I like most about this model is the "floating" immersion, created by the tensegrety concept. If you poke it gently, it starts to wobbles for a while which is very satisfying to watch. Let's continue with the fortress of the black falcon knights. Black Falcon's Fortress The black falcon knights from set 10305 appear a bit lost without an own fortress. Luckily, the set includes more than sufficient parts to fix that. Using the portcullis from the back gate, the entrance of their home is protected from enemies. To enter, you have to pass an additional wooden door, that can also be used to close Majisto's hut. Next to the entrance, a stable provides just enough space for two horses. The 2nd floor houses the portcullis mechanism while the 3rd floor has some simple furniture. Furthermore, you get a small prison cell, currently occupied by a skeleton. However, if you take a closer look at the first picture, you'll find that there is a break-out function for the imprisoned to be rescued. On the top of the tower, there is a catapult, used for launching projectiles at any attackers. As you can see, the fortress can be also be closed. It seems like the leader of the black falcons is currently not at home. Let's find out where he went. The Queen's Tournament The queen is hosting a tournament where her best knight is challenged by the leader of the black knights. From her podium, she can watch the joust whilst enjoying a drink. Once there's a winner, she would ring the bell. Her guard is at her side, playing the drums or the fanfare to get the attention of the crowd. The weapon rack provides two swords so the two knights can also prove their skill in close combat. The forest guardians did not show up, due to the lack of an archer contest. Forest Treehouse Deep in the dark forest, the forest guardians built a small treehouse next to a small stream. The forest woman made a campfire to stay warm and to cook. For safety, a water bucket is always nearby. Using a ladder, she can enter her modest home that features round windows and a round door. Inside, there is a bed and a barrel with her sword, as well as a table. Her bow hangs on the wall. Below the treehouse, you can find a beehive that provides the residents with honey. But back to the civilized world of the knights! Lion Knight's Castle The last model is the castle of the lion knights that has lost a lot of its size. Nevertheless, it still includes a working drawbridge and portcullis! Similarities with the glorious set 6080 continue inside with stairs that lead to the batllements. Behind the stairs, you find the treasury. A ladder can be used to access the upper levels. Furthermore, the prison cell in one of the towers may remind you of older days. Just like the black falcon's fortress, there is a break-out function. If you don't like the open back of this castle, you can just hinge both side arms to the back to close it. Modularity The two castles are not very big. If you like the two factions to join forces, you can just combine them to a single one! Now that's a castle that deserves the name! I hope you enjoyed this journey through my castle world from 10305 that offers different locations to visit and to explore. While the official build is like the end of a story, this is merely the beginning. There are so many options for play included in these five models, so many stories to be told. If you are interested in the instructions, you can find them on rebrickable.com. Now, the only thing that's left is to work on the second half and rebuild the more civil part of the castle. Review - Part 2 Here's a picture of part 2 that is finally complete and only uses the parts from the first half of the set! I wanted to focus on the civil side of medieval life and therefore created a medieval village scene, complete with a windmill, a peasant's thatched roof cottage, a medieval Inn, a guardhouse and a merchant ship. Let's have a look at each of the models, starting with the windmill. Windmill Windmills are underrepresented in sets in my opinion, especially in the castle series. There is only a single castle set with a windmill: the 7189 Mill Village Raid. Therefore, it was an obvious choice to include in this project. I wanted to create half-timbered buildings of different color and this is the first of three: white and brown with blue roof tiles. The roof is made from almost all blue parts in the set. Both sides of the building can hinge open to reveal the millstone that is driven when you turn the windmill. Further more, there's a working table for the miller inside and a little bird nests on the roof. Without farmers, such a mill is of course pointless... The peasant's thatched roof cottage The farmer and his son live close to the village in a plain cottage. To do transport, they have an oxcart that offers enough space to hold trees, a chest or some barrels. Next to their cottage, they cultivate a small field where they grow grain and beetroot. On the other side of the building, there's a block with an axe for chopping wood and a dry place to store it. A small stream is their source of drinking water. If you open the building, the sides fit together perfectly at the back. And you can easily access the interieur that offers a fire place with chimney, a table with dish and a straw bed. Medieval Inn - "The Prancing Pan" Let's take a look at the second half-timbered house: the medieval inn with its black and tan colored facade and its black roof. You can recognize the "Prancing Pony" by the golden pan with the guild sign above the door. Next to the covered entrance, a vine grows up the wall and a barrel is waiting to be brought inside and tapped. The yellow flag shows that a room is free. The red-roofed well adds some color to the scene. When opened, it gives the impression that there are two buildings. Inside, a staircase leads upstairs where a hatch can be opened to the guest room with comfortable bed. Below the staircase, another barrel is stored. The other half of the building includes the kitchen with tiled floor. Vegetables are being cut there and a pot is on the fireplace. Upstairs is the heated room with table and stools where guests are served the most delicious dishes. The Forestmen's Merchant Ship The village depends on supplies, which are delivered to the dock. This trading ship of the forest guardians is about to arrive. You can recognize it immediately by the coat of arms on the sail. The bow is decorated with a figurehead that reminds the captain of his missing daughter. And the steering wheel can be used to operate the rudder. On deck there is enough space for many different goods. Including a barrel with fine fruits, some honey and a crate. These goods have to be declared through customs. Lion Knight's Guardhouse The lion knights guard the harbor. From the high bell tower of their guardhouse, they can see approaching ships early on. I'm especially happy with this half-timbering that mainly consists of the nano scale yellow castle from the original set! Just like the other buildings, this one can be opened for play. Here you see that the wooden door can be locked with a beam from inside. A well ensures an independent water supply and there is also a target practice. On the upper level, the guards have a writing table with some very valuable equipment. I also added the possibility to connect the guardhouse to the Lion Knight's castle from part 1. But this isn't the only way to connect it to the models from part 1... Since black and yellow half-timbering is associated with the Black Falcons, you can add it to their fortress too forming an angled building. Please note that this isn't an exact fit and might stress the clips over time. You can find the instructions for part 2 here. The only thing that remains now is to share some pictures of the two parts combined, showing some of the countless stories that could take place here :) I hope you enjoyed these smaller builds from the Lion Knight's Castle! Maybe it inspires you to wipe the dust off your castle and start building as well :)

Hi everyone, Spend a lot of my spare time with building alternate models which I share on rebrickable. While most of my models are castle- or Minecraft-related, I am also interested in almost any other theme that is not based on an external license and minifigure scaled. Besides building, I also like to dig through set data. Is there a dedicated place here for set data analysis? I'm looking forward to many fruitful discussions! What to expect in the near future: - an alternate build for 10305 - an entry to the bricklink designer program

Thanks for sharing my door mod here :) Does anyone here have an idea if the designers planned to connect a particular castle set to this technic hole? I looks like it was copied from 6081 that also had that suspicious technic hole. Of course, many will fit since this interface used to be very common. E.g. 7946, just to name one. Edit: I just saw that this interface is also being discussed in the medieval village thread. This could be the reason for adding it of course.