Page 1 of 4

Weekly Set Review: Vladek Encounter

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:13 pm
by architect
Join the weekly Classic Castle set review discussion. Please post your opinions on the set play ability, piece selection, design, etc. Which sets stand up to our catapult of critique and which ones crumble in shame!

This week’s set is 8777 Vladek Encounter.

Vladek Encounter was released in 2004 for Knight's Kingdom II. Danju protects the kingdom with a small catapult from a mounted Vladek. Various accessories and three game cards are included.

Image

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:03 pm
by The Hordesman
Pros:
-AWESOME barding!
-The only two good-looking knights in KK2:1 (SK's not counted)
-The horse helm rocks!

Cons:
-One shield
-Ugly catapult
-Catapult!
-Price!

Finale:
Its a cheap set for a barding, but for many years ago you would get three figs and a wagon too for the same price.
Its so-so.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:29 pm
by Dopefish
If it weren't for the horse cover, I'd hate this set to death. Every other aspect of it is ugly. Especially those awful KK2 swords, and Danju's armor there.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:31 pm
by jens
It's a quiet simple set. It was this week on sale at our WalMart so I only have to pay 5 EUR (ca. 6 $) each, instead of 8,99 EUR.

The missing shield for Vladek don't make me happy, but where you gets nowadays a black horse? I mean without wheels and slammer...

regards,
jens

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:33 pm
by VikingLord
Pros:
-Vladek Looks Good
-Danjus Helm Is Good
-Shadow Knight Barding
-Catapult Is Not On Horses Back And Actually Looks Good

Cons:
-Purple Armor? WTF!
-Red Sword? WTF!
-Ugly Swords
-Ugly Shields

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 4:01 pm
by Athos
Yay! Another catapult!

Steve

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 4:23 pm
by SavaTheAggie
For a cheap little set, it's not bad. It's got a decent array of parts, two figures with accessories and a horse with accessories. The two knights happen to also be my two favorite KK2 knights, and I love the wolf shield. The two pieces of armor also have the original KK2 geometric patterns, which I prefer to the heraldry design on the armor.

The only real downsides to the set, for me, are the swords and the lack of a scorpion shield for Vladek.

I'm not sure what a knight intends to do with a catapult with a mounted knight charging at him, but at least he's got a shield. Maybe he's got some of those new-fangled projectiles with horse-seaking warheads.

--Anthony

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:06 pm
by Moroder
Seriously, the KK2 design team must love little catapults. This set could have a slightly better price, but let's talk about the design.

Vladek is always a good character to have on a set. He is easily my favorite knight from the theme. Danju is cool, too. He can be improved if you add black legs/arms. The barding is one of the best, second only to the batlord's one. And a (normal) horse is always a good addition to any set. In the minifig aspect, the only bad thing is the missing scorpion shield.

The catapult: weird design. Too little! And doesn't works well. A few useful pieces there, though.

These aspects deserve a rate of 6,5/10 to me.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:43 pm
by Norro
My rating of this set will always be tarnishhed by it being my first encounter with bley... that bias aside the set is overpriced, with figs I don't particularly care for, and only a shield to fight with (you can't count those swords), and a cheap barding ruined by a scorpion stamp... all in all not a great set, though I will admit to likeiing the newer horse armour.

God Bless,

Nathan

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:56 pm
by Azaghal
Vladek: Basically the main attraction in this set. The only real downsides are the lack of shield and the sword - it's way too bright.

Danju: Purple is . . . well, lets just note that there have been a number of minifigs that have come out recently with purple color schemes and leave it at that. At least his sword is a half-decent color.

Catapult: The one thing I can say about it is that it's built of (fairly) basic bricks, meaning once the thing is disassembled (if you bothered to assemble it in the first place :roll: ) you can builld something besides another catapult.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:25 pm
by MaxiVisVires
A Barding and a Black Horse...

Is enough to make me wish I picked up more of this set when it was 50% off.

5/10

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:59 pm
by Jameson
I got this set and a bunch of other KK2 sets for christmas 2004(man,I wish I didn't get them)and this was the bigest dissapointment of them all :x Okay its got horse barding and Vladek but its still not that great.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:25 pm
by Tanotrooper
My first KK2 set. I was happy to buy this set, but I never really used the swords... Its a real shame that there is no vladek shield, but I do love vladeks armor.

TT

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:22 pm
by TwoTonic Knight
It's a reasonably cheap set that filled a need because it included two armor pieces, and a barded horse. The catapult seems superfluous to me, but I'm sure a lot of kids will like it. I'd would have liked to see a pennant for the lance and a shield for Vladek and something besides those goofy swords, but I was sure to snap these up when they went on sale. 8/10.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:54 pm
by Graynar
I should know a lot about this set - I have three. :wink:

It should have came with a shield for Vladek, but those big square shields don't fit with the fig and the horse to good. The scorpian bardings are great for you shadow knight hordes, and the catapult has some usefull pieces.

Not bad, wayyyy to expensive though... :?