Sir Dillon

In response to Def's review of 6080 King's Castle, WhiteFang declared that the castle “is truly one of the few magnificent Castle sets ever produced by TLG.” While I agree that King's Castle is a great model, my first thought upon reading that statement is that there are more than just a few magnificent castle sets. To make sure we are all on the same page as to what “magnificent” means, here is the word's entry from the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary: Main Entry: mag·nif·i·cent Pronunciation: \-sənt\ Function: adjective Date: 15th century 1 : great in deed or exalted in place —used only of former famous rulers <Lorenzo the Magnificent> 2 : marked by stately grandeur and lavishness <a magnificent way of life> 3 : sumptuous in structure and adornment <a magnificent cathedral>; broadly : strikingly beautiful or impressive <a magnificent physique> 4 : impressive to the mind or spirit : sublime <magnificent prose> 5 : exceptionally fine <a magnificent day> synonyms see grand mag·nif·i·cent·ly adverb Definitions 2 through 5 could all work in this situation, but I think 3 fits the most appropriately: sumptuous in structure and adornment; strikingly beautiful or impressive. However, even if we are all using the same definition to categorize a group of sets, every evaluation is of course completely subjective. I, for example, feel that “magnificent” implies grandeur in size as well as in form, so even though 6038 Wolfpack Renegades is a great set, I do not consider it magnificent. Because of this most of the sets I list are the largest of their lines. So how many magnificent castle sets are there? Moving in chronological order, the first I would include is the first minifigure scale castle 375 Castle, which was released in 1978. You could argue that this set is regarded so highly because of nostalgia and “historic” significance, not design. But historic significance isn't something to be carelessly discarded, and while the design isn't extravagant, it looks good. The generous supply of good-looking minifigures doesn't hurt either. This receives the stamp of “magnificent” in my book. Next we have 6080 King's Castle, the set that inspired this thread. Released in 1984, six years after 375, the most obvious difference between the two is 6080's grey colourscheme, but it also contains a selection of new pieces, and all the parts are printed instead of requiring stickers. The overall structure may be a little boring, but it's a solid looking castle, and the gatehouse in particular is very nice. I agree with WhiteFang that this is a magnificent set. Then come 6074 Black Falcon's Fortress and 6067 Guarded Inn, both released in 1986. Though these are smaller sets, they are both great models, and were both later rereleased as legends. For these reasons I make an exception to my size requirements and dub these as magnificent. In 1988, TLG brought forth 6085 Black Monarch's Castle, the first black castle. It looks very similar to King's Castle, but some slight structural improvements along with the colour difference make it stand out enough to be included. Plus, it came with twelve figures. Another slightly smaller set I think is magnificent is 6077 Forestmen's River Fortress, which came out in 1989. The Forestmen is one of my favourite of the castle subthemes (I almost included 6066 and 6054 here as well, but thought better of it) and 6077's combination of stone structure and tree makes it quite striking. 6086 Black Knight's Castle, released in 1992, is my favourite castle the LEGO Group has produced. It has a relatively small piece count for a set of its size (569) but with the help of the raised baseplate it still looks more formidable than most of the other castles. An outstanding set. Next on my list is 1995's 6090 Royal Knight's Castle. It features another good use of a raised baseplate to increase the overall size of the structure, and while it doesn't look as solid as the Black Knight's Castle, it's a little bigger and has taller towers, making it an impressive (and magnificent!) castle. Moving from 1995 to 2007 (move along, nothing to see here) brings us 7094 King's Castle Siege, the first castle in years to have walls on all sides. To me, it looks like an updated implementation of 1985's King's Castle (6080), complete with catapults. On a different note we have 852293 Castle Giant Chess Set from 2008. While the intricacies of this may would make it difficult to actually play chess with (I don't own the set so I don't know for sure), the sheer size and amount of detail makes this set magnificent. And last but not least is 2009's 10193 Medieval Market Village. Two beautiful buildings, good-looking figures, a tree, and a handful of accessories all at a good price-per-piece ratio. Magnificent! Well, that's my list, which comes to eleven sets total. I think that counts as more than a few, but then I suppose it depends on your definition of “few”. So, which sets do you consider magnificent? Is there something on my list you disagree with, or a set I omitted that you wouldn't have?

But that's the point! You can take it apart and put it back together.

Is the statue movable? If so, I would like to rotate it to face each arch and then towards the staircase to see if anything happens.

I'd like to be part of this again. Here's the image: The legs are [these] but with a different waist piece. It doesn't matter to me whether of not the belt is the same, so the original green is fine. Hopefully everything else is recognizable.

I agree that a line of sets based on the legends of King Arthur could be very neat, but this thread is meant for discussing the Kingdoms sets coming out this year. Talking about other castle themed lines you would like to see would be better elsewhere, such as [here] or [here].

Your figures look good, but I agree with the previous comments about the gentleman and the sheriff. It's hard to suggest anything particular without knowing what you have, but dark grey legs work well for cowboys and could add more variety. Since this is only minifigures, it actually belongs in the minifigure customisation section. I look forward to seeing your town!

I could not find a previous discussion about this here, but there is one on Classic-Castle: [link]

Even though there aren't any custom pieces used in this figure, he still belongs in the Minifig Customisation forum.

It seems most of our speculation threads end up doubling as a place to put set ideas, but there hasn't an "official" thread for castle set ideas recently, so this is fine.

Sure, if you would like to.

I don't think there is a definitive answer to give you on this subject. You need to find what works for you and practice at it. Looking through others' creations can be helpful, and studying a good looking MOC can reveal new ways of building and inspire you to try things you would not have before. As far as building with BURPs and other large pieces, my recommendation is to use them sparingly. Depending on your collection size, building without all your big rock pieces may make the creation seem inadequate, but a smaller build with more polished details will usually look better than a creation that stretches your part supply. You might also want to post one of your creations, which could result in more specific feedback. This fits better in the Historic Themes forum. I'll move it there.

No patience. I blame all these new-fangled video games and reality TV shows you kids watch now. They're only good for melting your brain, I say. The guide said the tour would start in half an hour, so I'm guessing the eclipse will happen around that time. Try to enjoy the scenery while you wait.

Wow. I've seen pictures of this place before, but to actually view the ruins with my own eyes is something else. I would like to take a closer look at these lovely pillars.

If TLG wanted to make a Roman or Greek based theme, I doubt they would release it alongside the new Castle line (plus, we would have heard about it by now if they were). I believe there is chance we will get Greek or Roman sets, but not this year.

Smurf you!

This is not the place to discuss the new truck set or similarities it may have with creations. I've moved the off-topic posts into a new thread, where you can continue that discussion if desired.

The Arabian farm scene is a great creation, but the cathedral steals the show. Magnificent work.

DNL rounds off his CCC VII entries with a Cathedral and an Arabian Farm: See more in the discussion thread.

Whatever you feel about a person's opinion, directly insulting them is against the site guidelines. Please remember that.

I personally am glad the weapons are being confiscated. You never know who might suddenly go on a ballistic killing spree. I should have you all know that I took self defense classes, so I'll be prepared if one of you hooligans tries to snatch my purse.

Very nice! My favourite of your creations so far. The rounded section is well done, and I like the integration of those rounded pillars.

Member L-space is working on a series of creations based on the Discworld novels. Here is his latest, the Library: See more of the Library in the discussion thread, and all of L-space's Discworld creations in his index thread.

The change happened on the 13th of this month, so while you are not necessarily crazy, you are a little late.

Oh good, the leader-person has arrived. If I weren''t such a pleasant person I might say something about him making us wait like this.

This is a repeat topic. I've merged it with a previous thread.