New Castle Sets

Discussion of official LEGO Castle Theme sets and products
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Sir Kohran
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Post by Sir Kohran »

The past few iterations of KK included kings and heroes and Vladek with almost every single set, with nary a regular soldier to be found. But with this line, we get little sets like the crossbow attack to build with, plus the tic-tac-toe and chess sets.
Um...the chess sets started with KK2, and they contained -16- regular soldiers, and other KK2 sets like this also contained lots of regular soldiers. Sure, the first year was a bit weak but the second and third were a big improvement IMO. Please, make sure you know what you're talking about before you post.

Anyway, to keep on topic, I think the new line is fantastic. After 04-06 (Vikings/KK2), which were good, if not great years, Lego has finally given us a Castle line that's truly awesome. They've taken good elements from many previous lines, given them a new polish and have built something brilliant. Thanks Lego, you've made this fan happier.

- Matt
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Anaxamander
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Post by Anaxamander »

Sir Kohran wrote:
The past few iterations of KK included kings and heroes and Vladek with almost every single set, with nary a regular soldier to be found. But with this line, we get little sets like the crossbow attack to build with, plus the tic-tac-toe and chess sets.
Um...the chess sets started with KK2, and they contained -16- regular soldiers, and other KK2 sets like this also contained lots of regular soldiers. Sure, the first year was a bit weak but the second and third were a big improvement IMO. Please, make sure you know what you're talking about before you post.

- Matt
Um, I do know what I'm talking about and thanks for being jerky. I'll respond in kind.

So you really think that powder blue crossbowmen mesh well with the green and gold soldiers in the Battle at the Pass? Answer: no. With Castle 07, we get regularized troops that are consistent throughout the sets. With KK2 we got Vladek and the Power Rangers in almost every set. You cite Battle at the Pass (an awesome set) as offering more troops, but they obviously have NOTHING to do with the Vladek vs. Power Rangers storylines. The only regular troops were the Shadow Knights.
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Sir Kohran
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Post by Sir Kohran »

Anaxamander wrote:
Sir Kohran wrote:
The past few iterations of KK included kings and heroes and Vladek with almost every single set, with nary a regular soldier to be found. But with this line, we get little sets like the crossbow attack to build with, plus the tic-tac-toe and chess sets.
Um...the chess sets started with KK2, and they contained -16- regular soldiers, and other KK2 sets like this also contained lots of regular soldiers. Sure, the first year was a bit weak but the second and third were a big improvement IMO. Please, make sure you know what you're talking about before you post.

- Matt
Um, I do know what I'm talking about and thanks for being jerky. I'll respond in kind.

So you really think that powder blue crossbowmen mesh well with the green and gold soldiers in the Battle at the Pass? Answer: no. With Castle 07, we get regularized troops that are consistent throughout the sets. With KK2 we got Vladek and the Power Rangers in almost every set. You cite Battle at the Pass (an awesome set) as offering more troops, but they obviously have NOTHING to do with the Vladek vs. Power Rangers storylines. The only regular troops were the Shadow Knights.
Sorry for my attitude, unfortunately I have a bit of a reputation round here for being harsh at the wrong points. :oops: I wasn't trying to start an argument, just address some points on your post.


I'm not contesting about the consistency of the figs; that's a different matter. But anyway...styles change. Lego Castle sets in 1984 and Lego Castle sets in 1994 were also very different...yet no-one would deny they were both Lego Castle. Things just have to change to keep it original. Sometimes they change for the better (blue crossbowmen to golden-clad knights), sometimes for the worse (Black Falcons to Fright Knights). But it's the same line. I don't see why they have to mesh well. They're from different factions. No-one criticises the Wolfpack for being different to the Black Knights...why would they? No-one expects a bunch of rough bandits to be clad in full armour with huge dragon shields. It's similar here. Don't expect each faction to be the same as each other - styles should be different to create contrasts and make factions stand out more. One of my few problems with 80s Lego is that the Lion Knights and Black Falcons sometimes lacked individuality.

The official word from Lego is that 04 was focused on introducing the king and knights as characters; it was 05/06 that focused on the warfare. Also, apprently the theory is that the years 'mature' with the children. Hence 04 was bright and colourful - it appeals to young kids who like bright heroes. But as the years pass they get older and start to look for different things, so the theme becomes darker too - you get the change from caricatured baby blue knights to more realistic gold/green knights.

Also, the KK2 line in 06 was set many years after the 04/05 'era' and so armour and styles would realistically change. And anyway, if they had kept baby blue soldiers constantly, year in year out, I'm sure we'd have complained :P


However you stated that in KK there was 'nary a regular soldier to be found'. The fact is that there was, regardless of whether they were consistent. Perhaps less than we wanted or at the right time but they were there. You just had to know where to look. I would agree that Castle 07 does it a lot better.

I also think it's a bit unfair to say that Castle 07 is consistent when KK2 'wasn't'; Castle 07 has not had a second year yet like KK2 had (though one is coming) so no-one can yet say whether it is also consistent.

- Matt
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DNL
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Post by DNL »

Names and numbers of the new castle sets!!

:D :shock:

:arrow: Lego castle 7037
tower attack, april 2008

:arrow: Lego castle 7038
battle wagon of the trolls, april 2008

:arrow: Lego castle 7040
the defender of the dwarf's mine, april 2008

:arrow: Lego castle 7048
attackship of the trolls, april 2008

:arrow: Lego castle (impulse) 5615
guard, april 2008

:arrow: Lego castle (impulse) 5614
wizard, april 2008


the names are translated from dutch.
the source is a dutch webshop.
wow! :shock:

DNL
Last edited by DNL on Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by natepc »

You mean... I have to wait until April? I was hoping January... I don't know if I should be really happy about these, or sad that I have to wait. I suppose that will give me some time to save up for them...

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Post by Dr. J »

I'm pretty sure those last 2 are the two Castle-oriented 'impulse' sets. Thanks for the find!
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Count Blacktron
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Post by Count Blacktron »

Oh good, my wallet will have stopped smoking by then. Geeze (though), the baddies seem to be getting all the boats since the Vikings sailed off. :lol:
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Escape The Fate
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Post by Escape The Fate »

lego, why must i give you all my money, just take it. :)
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Post by Lamanda2 »

Very awesome!

Tower Attack, Defender of the Dwarf's Mine, Wizard, and Guard sound especially great to me!

Thanks for keeping us posted, DNL!

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Post by arc »

Yes! I so want a small set that has the wizard in it on his own! Most awesome! I hope there's a medium sized building in this too.
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Post by DerBum »

I love the current 2007 lineup. I dont like the skellies, but hey they are something for kids to play with. The Crown Knights have become my new faction of choice and I have been working on several projects for them, I love the colors and the torsos. As for 2008, I just hope that the impulse sets will be easy to find. When that silly little KKII catapult set was out and about I went looking for it for a week or so. I finally found it at Walmart (not with the Lego or by the checkout, but rather by the handheld electronic games). I bought 5 and never saw them anywhere in my area again. Sad... So, as I said, I hope Lego and retailers make them widely available. I dont care too much for the bigger 2008 sets. The Tower Attack (which I assume is the one with the siege tower and the small Crown Knight tower) is the only one I plan on buying, at least for now.
domboy
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Re: New Castle Sets

Post by domboy »

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I was reading through it, and noticed a large number of posters really disliked the Skeleton faction, which I find a bit strange. Or maybe I'm the strange one as I really like the Skeletons. The Trolls are cool, but I like the Skeletons a bit more for some reason (as far as the "evil" factions go). I was also starting to noticed they'd almost but disappeared in the 2008 sets (except for the battle pack), so I for one am happy they're back for 2009 in the new 7079 Drawbridge Defense. I see no reason why any of the four factions from 2007-now (Knights, Dwarves, Trolls, and Skeletons) should be mutually exclusive, so I hope Lego continues to keep them all going for awhile.
Last edited by domboy on Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jojo
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Re: New Castle Sets

Post by Jojo »

Hello!
domboy wrote:Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I was reading through it, and noticed a large number of posters really disliked the Skeleton faction, which I find a bit strange.
Well, I know, for some reason children love skeletons. Which, frankly, I find a bit odd.

As much as I like fantasy I like it as reality-based as possible. And animated skeletons forming an army ain't that. Orc/Trolls on the other hand are some kind of humanoid beings, having a brain, blood flowing through their veins, muscels to move and a will of their own. So even in a fantasy world they are bound to natural laws. These Skeletons are not, and that ..erm.. I don't like. For me personally skeletons always are just dead remnants of former living creatures, but can't be "living" by themselves. I know, they are supposed to be controlled by that evil sorcerer, but still. I never was fascinated by the thought of a living (or animated) skeleton. Sorry.


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AhabDarab
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Re: New Castle Sets

Post by AhabDarab »

I must admit, I've always been a Ray Harryhausen fan. Despite this, I like the trolls (orks) and skeletons equally.



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