Vikings gone for good or on hiatus?

legokilt · Post by **legokilt** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:01 pm

Folks,
Does anyone know if the Viking Sets are gone for good (or going) or if they are on Hiatus? I thought the minifigs were cool, and got as many as I could, but thought the greatures were a bit cheesy. Especiall Lego already had the old green and black dragons or the Harry Potter dragon, not to mention the later released knights' and skeletons' dragons. I would buy a ton of set if they were releasing new ones with the new dragon instead of the technic ones. I have seen a few tan and black viking helmets on bricklink and this is what first made me wonder if they are going to release new ones. Nothing goes better with Orcs and the undead than vikings pillaging your castle.

Post by **Athos** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:50 pm

I imagine gone for good. It seems to be a trend to release such lines for only a year or two (i.e. divers, dino attack, etc.).

Steve

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:57 pm

Apparently, for all its merits, the Viking line didn't sell too well so I think it is gone forever

But take comfort in the fact that the Dwarves in the new Castle line are very similar and clearly pick up from the Vikings in terms of design.

Heir of Black Falcon · Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:14 pm

Kohran,

That has been said before but someone brought up some sales info on the Viking line and it did rather well. I could not find the past post but I am sure its still on this forum.

What seems to really have happened is that TLC had it planned for one year and decided to do a second to run a bit more for the fans then ended it.

R

Sibley · Post by **Sibley** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:29 pm

legokilt wrote:I have seen a few tan and black viking helmets on bricklink and this is what first made me wonder if they are going to release new ones.

Those are non-production parts that were produced to test molds. There are a lot of such parts, like red Darth Vader helmets and clear skeleton horses, which never appear in sets but somehow end up sold on Bricklink.

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:32 pm

Didnt the designers mention hitting a wall with vikings, not knowing wht to make after doing a ship, fortress, and catapult?

Post by **architect** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:54 pm

Vikings was intended originally as a 1-2 year release in Europe only (and Dino Attack in NA only). Fans made it known that we wanted both themes on both Continents.

The concept of the line was somewhat limited by only fighting mythical creatures. Most creature heavy system lines only last 1-2 years (Dino, Vikings, Aquazone, Aquaraiders). Being Danes, they likely would not want to show Vikings invading other European settlements. (One could argue that peaceful exploration, trading, and farming life could have been made if the main concept had been different.)

Another major limiting factor was only releasing these sets to one retailer in North America. This prevented a new line from reaching many potential customers.

The tan and black helmets are the color of helmets before the speckled finish is added. These were likely surplus and sold at PAB or theme park locations.

Viking features (such as the beards) were incorporated into the new line. It does not make sense for TLG to compete with itself by having Vikings and Castle at the same time. Any line could come back in the future except Galidor

Ben

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:04 pm

*gasp* Ben you mock the divinely inspired gem that was Galidor?

We are all scandalized!

Anyway I must say it is too bad vikings ended before we got a black dragonical creature.

Thorgrim Olafson · Post by **Thorgrim Olafson** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:07 pm

I wish the Vikings weren't gone, but am pretty sure that they are. I really think the designers were simply being too narrow-minded. I mean, sure they already made a ship, but that ship was a longboat, they could've made merchant vessels, a realistic longhouse, viking houses. Heck, they could've even expanded on the mythology. You think because they are Danes, LEGO would want to make a succesful Viking line.

Count Blacktron · Post by **Count Blacktron** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:47 pm

I am glad the Vikings were with us, but I am more grateful that LEGO chose to move forward and on to Castle instead of keeping it going as it had for two years. The elements we have now compliment a Viking world just fine, and all those Viking torsos and shields were fine for intermingling of characters; still available if you Bricklink too. The Vikings are dead, Long live the Vikings!

Voran_the_Scholar · Post by **Voran_the_Scholar** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:48 am

Count Blacktron wrote: The Vikings are dead, Long live the Vikings!

The irony of that statement just kills me.

On topicness: I'm very glad that the Vikings line came about. Buying the Viking Fortress (my first real impulsive purchase) and receiving the Longboat for Christmas was what really began to pull me back into lego. But with the sheer amount of zwords the line produced (among other things), I'm glad they moved on to the new castle line. The Vikings were a good jumping off point that might have alerted LEGO to the fact that medieval stuff would sell well. And we also have some real non-piratey boats for the first time in a while.

God bless.

Tom

Sibley · Post by **Sibley** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:51 am

Voran_the_Scholar wrote:
Count Blacktron wrote: The Vikings are dead, Long live the Vikings!
The irony of that statement just kills me.

Not a fan of The Who, I take it?

Voran_the_Scholar · Post by **Voran_the_Scholar** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:54 am

Sibley wrote:
Voran_the_Scholar wrote:
Count Blacktron wrote: The Vikings are dead, Long live the Vikings!
The irony of that statement just kills me.
Not a fan of The Who, I take it?

The Who who? *goes and googles* Uh...no...never heard of them. I googled vikings with their name too. Nothing came up. What do they have to do with Vikings?

God bless.

Tom

Sibley · Post by **Sibley** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:03 am

Voran_the_Scholar wrote:
Sibley wrote:
Voran_the_Scholar wrote: The irony of that statement just kills me.
Not a fan of The Who, I take it?
The Who who? *goes and googles* Uh...no...never heard of them. I googled vikings with their name too. Nothing came up. What do they have to do with Vikings?

Ha, "Vikings" was the only word in that phrase not related to The Who. At the risk of going dangerously off-topic: Long Live Rock

Chrislad77 · Post by **Chrislad77** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:38 am

The Vikings were a nice line for the time. I have to admit, I agree with Lego in cutting them, given they weren't going to change the focus of the man vs beast concept, there really wasn't anything left in to do.

Classic-Castle.com

Vikings gone for good or on hiatus?

Vikings gone for good or on hiatus?

Re: Vikings gone for good or on hiatus?