Weekly Set Review: Black Monarch's Castle

[RuthleSs__PaLadin]

This is a really cool castle. 4 knights 4 archers and 4 pikemen/axemen. It isn't better than 6086 though. This is a great set, I give it a 10/10

Dan

[Green Fox]

The 6086 gets my vote over this as it contains armour and my beloved side-plumes.

But this is a brilliant castle, probably(IHMO), the best of the era. I would comment that it has too many men, which would give LEGO execs a heart attack if they had to re-release it... but I hope they do.

8.5=compared to 6806.
10=by itself.
10plusonehigherthanalltheotherscores( )=today.

[Jojo]

Hello!


This is a great set. It's been the introduction of the third and last knights faction within the "golden Era" of Castle.

The castle is nice.. no: impressive and somewhat sinister looking with its black walls and grey battlements and so. The round towers at the rear and the front with its raised sidetowers are beautiful. I, though, don't like the inside too much. Other than 6080 the Black Knights' Castle doesn't have any roofed places at the rear, nor are there any steps to reach the battlements. I don't like the use of the Fabuland prison door too much, either. This was the start of a flooding with those parts. Though I liked particularly this prison door very much when I first got 6085 in 1988 :-) It was new and unique then.

Back then I used this black Castle for my Sheriff of Nottingham's castle. I still tend to consider the Dragon Knights the Norman barons in Britannia while the Lion knights from this era are the royal forces of King Richard. The Black Falcons are some Saxon freeholders. But I think I get slightly off topic now.

In summa, 6085 is a great Castle, but it's not my favourite.

Oh, and please, folks: The Weekly Set Review (WSR) is not the place for any Legends-votings. I know you wanna get every old set back as a Legend set, but please don't mix your impression of other sets that you would like to be rereleased with your review of the respective week's set. Don't compare the WSR-set with any imaginary Legend sets. That's simply not the point.


Bye
Jojo

[Pacificus]

Best...set...ever.

[Glencaer]

This was the start of a flooding with those parts. Though I liked particularly this prison door very much when I first got 6085 in 1988 It was new and unique then.

An excellent way of saying that. I remember getting this castle for Christmas, and loving it. I especially enjoyed the barding. I also got a toy with some dinosaurs, and the Black Monarch's knights had a glorious battle capturing the dinosaur and putting him in the dungeon. They promptly forgot about the dinosaur and left him there a few weeks.

In summa, 6085 is a great Castle, but it's not my favourite.

My personal favorite is the Black Falcon's Fortress - but this one is a close 2nd.

What I like about both is the slightly sinister look, and that each has a noticable aesthetic. It means someone could easily make their own Black Monarch castle in the same style. Hmm.. not that sounds like an idea for a MOC.

Oh, and please, folks: The Weekly Set Review (WSR) is not the place for any Legends-votings. I know you wanna get every old set back as a Legend set, but please don't mix your impression of other sets that you would like to be rereleased with your review of the respective week's set. Don't compare the WSR-set with any imaginary Legend sets. That's simply not the point.

Indeed, I agree. Personally, I'm not interested in Legends as much as I am about MOC Sets, other cool new lines. (Of course, I say that while I have four copies of the guarded inn and two of the BFF) But really, we all know that ALL of the Golden Age sets should be brought back - there's not need to repeat it endlessly.

-Lenny

[architect]

Black Monarch's Castle was one of my favorites as a kid. The front tower, colorful soldiers, new torsos, bardings, a barrel, and jail were nice. My only complaint is how the jail is poorly incorporated into the overall scheme. 6080 King's Castle works much better in this regard as does 6073 Knight's Castle.

The lack of modular shops for this castle was frustrating. It could have been even better. As it is, the set has wonderful pieces and design.

Ben E.

[tanzirian]

The set that I longed to have as a kid, and the one that caused me to rediscover lego early last year.

My favorite among the three good big castles (the othe two being 6080 and 6086). I think the articulation of the surfaces is more refined than 6080. The flat baseplate and hinged design are a plus over 6086.

This is not a perfect castle...the keep is a little on the stubby side (the other two castles are better in this respect), and the color scheme is a little too dark (a slight defect which lego remedied in 6086, adding more light grey and splashes of yellow).

Despite these minor imperfections, it gets a 10/10 from me. If I had to have one official castle set, this would be it.

[Aviah102]

I can remember traveling to my cousin's house and watching as they would line up all of their lego castle sets. Everytime that they had done this, Black monarchs castle caught my eye. During that time I was very young and didnt really have any way to buy any of those great lego sets (other then nagging my parents). Though, through all of the times that i had a chance to see these sets, I can remember being inspired by how creative they were. If there was any sure way to persuade TLC to bring this set back to life then I would certainly take the chance to snatch up a few for myself. In my opinion, this was one of the best sets, lots of pieces, lots of men, nice portcullis, plenty of room on the inside, and inspiring. 10/10.

[Silent Arrow]

... The design of this castle is perfect. The most defendable fortress among all lego castles.
... It is the most beautiful Lego set as well ( with 6285...).....

[Luís]

... The design of this castle is perfect. The most defendable fortress among all lego castles.
... It is the most beautiful Lego set as well ( with 6285...).....

Welcome to Classic-Castle.

[Neverroads]

My favourite castle... it has this powerfull look that as a kid made me imagine this castle in a valley of the Alps, placed high up on a kliff. Just dominating everything arround. Knights and soldiers sacking every unlucky passerby of that valley...

Casper

[Webrain]

In 1988 when this Castle produced, it was a new version (somewhat improved one) of castle set 6080. Like 6080 the entire castle was divided to 3, 2 nice rook in the back and one large in the front. the last of the castles that can be opened. Because of its unique colored you can add to it sets like 6059 and 6034. As for the Jail Fabuland part, yeah well now we have dazons of it, but when it was introduced in this castle, I just love it. Unlike 6080 it uses more advanced part that were unavailable in 1984 such as the corner walls. 2 great dragon Bardings. One of the very first barrels. Black walls were already availble before in sets like 6061/6055 but it's the first time they were in such large quntity. 2 brown horses which were very uncommon back then. One unique black wall with bricks drawings that was unavialable in any other set but this one. 12 minifigs (8 unique until 1990). Overall a very nice big set, one of the biggest castles ever made. However I'm not a big fan of that castle and comapring it to 6080 I much rather like the 2nd one better.

Overall score: 9/10

[David Girard]

This castle is one of the best TLC produced. I have no complain about this set, except that it's black. But in a sense that's not a problem. I just don't like it as much as a grey castle. Black make this castle darker, and it's a good idea too, to have a darker castle. So this is not a complain, this is only my color taste.

I think this set may be one of the set TLC work the most on it, because of the amount of details and decoration. It couldn't have been made another way. The inclusion of horse barding add a lot to the already great looking of this castle. So this made it a perfect set.

10/10

[Sir Garth]

Wasn't there another castle with four knights with dragon feathers at the front and a castle with I-don't-know-how-much soldiers in it?
That was the best set, but this is the 2nd best, really

[David Girard]

I guess you talk, Sir Garth, about 6086 Black Knight's Castle. http://www.classic-castle.com/sets/oop1992.html
There is 4 knights. (11 minifig + 1 ghost).