Weekly Set Review: Crossbow Cart

[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 1712 (1732) Crossbow Cart.

Crossbow Cart, one of the smallest Dragon Master’s sets, was released in 1993. It features a Dragon Master soldier pushing a cart armed with two crossbows, a spear, a sword, and a shield.

[the_great_one]

This is an awesome little set, for weapons.
The minifig is awesom as well,
4 weapons!!
This is a great set

Nikos

[Mani]

Nice set. Always good with weapons. 6, 5/10.

[kaloo]

It would get a 9/10 if it was any pre DM faction. As it is, 8/10, great for the weapons, and, if you like the Dragon Masters, good for the fig.

[Webrain]

Small, 22 bricks set. Really I don't know what to write about those small sets.

We buy them? sure, cause they cheap and by collecting those small sets we create an army of minifigs - but other then the minifig itself (and maybe the shield) it's really just another useless set.
I don't see how it's fair to rate it comparing to 200 and more bricks set, so I won't.

[Linus]

This is a great set. I really like it. I really like the quantity of weapons.
I give it a 8.5/10

[architect]

Small, 22 bricks set. Really I don't know what to write about those small sets.

We buy them? sure, cause they cheap and by collecting those small sets we create an army of minifigs - but other then the minifig itself (and maybe the shield) it's really just another useless set.
I don't see how it's fair to rate it comparing to 200 and more bricks set, so I won't.

I agree that it is not fair to rate them compared to larger sets. That being said, I think it is valuable to add feedback on how it compares to small sets of the same scale.

I think that Crossbow Cart is a very nice small seige set. It has useful pieces and accessories that can be used for making other carts and creating an army. It also looks a bit more realistic than later sets that have halberds sticking out in multiple directions (or attached to a flying dragon contraption ) Plus, this set is affordable and has a lot of playability for the average kid.

Ben

[Webrain]

Hi Ben,

I agree that it is not fair to rate them compared to larger sets. That being said, I think it is valuable to add feedback on how it compares to small sets of the same scale.

OK then. for 1993 I guess it was a great small set cause it included DM minifig and shield and most importent 2 crossbows which were relatively weren't widely spread (the first crossbows were out in 1990) so I guess for a small set 2 crossbows were neat.
This set contained a black spear which is again not uncommon part nowadays but then there was only one other Pirate set (6277 - which was a big set) that included it.
The wheels and the black plates are great for bases of carts. The Plate 1 x 2 with Handles http://guide.lugnet.com/partsref/search.cgi?q=3839b is very usefull if you want to build a sedan chair (it's not an uncommon part tough it's not a very common part in castle).

TLC made again in 1997 almost the same set (6004) with a Fright Knight minifig, this time 2 shields, 2 spears, quiver and 3 crossbow so I guess the new set for weapon inventory is a bit better.

If it was available in cheap cost nowadays I guess I'd buy at least 10 just to enlarge my DM force.

Final grade (as a small set) I guess 7/10.

P.S. Ben, I guess I found what to say about that set after all

[Croaker]

I think all the mini bags are great . It gives even the people without a lot of money to spend a chance to be a collector. I have an extensive colection of unopened minibags. This one has a good cart and weapon selection. I am not fond of the Dragon Masters figures so that is what keeps me from giving it a higher score (8).

[wlister]

I have to agree with everyone here, this is a great little tiny set. The weapons and the useful cart pieces made it a worthwhile purchase. Too bad its that DM fig, but on the whole a decent little set. 6/10 back then, 8/10 now. I make the comparison because back then sets were better made and had waaaay better pricing .Today the new castle sets are terrible both in design and price.

Will

[David Girard]

It's a nice small set. Not very accurate, but with with alot of playability. I don't own it. It's a good source of arbalete as webrain said. I'm not a fan of dragons at all, but that is a great set from this period.

8.5/10

[coyote]

My first black spaer. Always wondered how the soldier should re-arm the crossbows in a battle

Compared to later sets of that size, it's better than the Fright Knights or KK1, but I still rate it at 5/10.

[Mr. D]

A nice small set for a nice small price, from what's been said so far. Nice for the good, all purpose fig, and very good for the weapons. Oh, also, the wheels would be a plus for me if I were to buy it now. If only.....

8.5/10

mD

[Jojo]

Hello!


This set doesn't excite me much. It's OK for the parts and the weapons but nothing more. Well, that DM figure is the most useful of the three types of DM figures.

Those Polybag/cube-box sets never were in the catalogue in Germany, so I wasn't aware those sets existed back then.


Bye
Jojo

[coyote]

Those Polybag/cube-box sets never were in the catalogue in Germany, so I wasn't aware those sets existed back then.

Ok, just forgot it ... bought my set in England in 1993. Crazy standing in front of a Woolworth shelf and finding a set noone knows about at home ... and you thought marketing is bad in our days