CC Set Review: 6066 Camouflaged Outpost

[architect]

Join the 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 6066 Camouflaged Outpost.

Camouflaged Outpost, released in 1987, was the first Forestmen set. This tree and rock outpost opens in three ways including a secret door. The set has six men, treasure, and accessories.

[Redav]

For me this was a favourite set. I scored one for my 12th birthday and loved it as I love the Robin Hood story and therefore love the Forestmen sub-theme. I probably couldn't fault it and even tried updating it with some alternate colours.

It has playability and minifigs in spades.

[albero78]

I had this set and I loved it. Playability 100% with the secret passage, the tower on the tree and the openable cave.
The minifigs are more or less all the same, but my favourite one has always been the one riding the horse.
Great set.

[Athos]

A true gem of the classic-castles.

The play value is huge, but it is also a great looking model; the aesthetics are spot on. A huge departure from the standard castles, but it still fits perfectly into the castle theme. I loved the little rolling black rock hidden door as a kid. And the large opening door.

I think this is one of the best sets Lego has ever produced. Its virtually impossible to say anything bad about it. And, at the same time, its such a tight little perfect set, you can't really explain why. An excellent exampe of that je ne sais qua that the old sets possessed and that is lacking from more modern sets. Plus, it is a fully enclosed stand alone structure, which is a rarety anymore.

I'm going to have to dig out my copy and put it together now...

Steve

[Count Blacktron]

That is a simple thing of beauty.

[Elephant Knight]

As i look at this, I count 6 minifigs. who all have a small plume. Which meant 12 EXTRA plumes!



As for the model itself, having never seen it in the brick, I can only go off of pictures, and it looks like a very well designed set, typical of that era, I guess. Tons of playability, though still a bit limited without having any obvious bad guys (The guy with the black looks like a prime candidate for a baddie)

I give it a 8.5/10.

EKnight

[Bruce N H]

Hey,

This is one of the best. Of course you've got all of the awesome figs, with accessories. All of the leaves and the small trees are great for making other settings for your forestmen. Key, though, is the playability that others have mentioned. Fortified tree and secret entrances FTW. The only thing that would have improved this, imo, would have been to swap out one of the forestmen for a peasant.

Two thumbs up.

[Athos]

As for the model itself, having never seen it in the brick, I can only go off of pictures

You are missing out. Though I imagine its pretty easy to reconstruct with spare parts and a bricklink order or two.

Steve

[Thomas Arrowford]

I must admit I'd never even heard of this set before. hangs head in shame and reaches for coat.

From the pictures it looks really good and with three entrances including a secret door, it must have so much playability. I think I may have to hunt down some more detailed pictures, or instructions and have a go at recreating it.

[Justin M]

That's very nice!

[peggyjdb]

I loved this set, a true classic. It was also my first brown horse.

[Athos]

I loved this set, a true classic. It was also my first brown horse.

I think this was the first brown horse, at least in a castle set. I hadn't remembered that until you posted. Another point in its favor.

Steve

[Sir Prog]

Flawless.

For 1987, immaculate. For modern collectors, unflappable considering high number of men, non-traditional horse color, and innovative components/compartments. I received this set for my 5th birthday, and it remains one of the great "reveals" of all-time for me and LEGO gifts. It also represents LEGO's first real "wha-lah!" moment of a sub-theme that resembled something we all identified with (Robin Hood) without actually claiming to be that thing. This became the pinnacle moment where LEGO defined itself through parody-type sub-themes, a rare treat that they continued success with (pre-POTC Pirates, Western theme, pre-LOTR Fantasy Castle theme) before the dreaded crossover to majority merchandising tie-ins. The set was a relative bargain with max playability, new pieces, and world-expanding potential. As simple as it is complex, an ideal LEGO set rarely matched in affordability, flexibility, and iconicity.

10/10

[L_space]

This is one of the most iconic and wanted sets for me. I never bought it but kept looking in the catalogue for it since it wouldn't fit in my city.
By now I wish I did buy it. It deserves a place in the hall of favorites.
Somehow the whole design and backstory comes together in this set. It even looks great from all angles, no sudden holes in your cave here and certainly no flick-fire missiles yet.
The only thing missing is something to do for our Forestmen; will they protect a farmer from the vel knights or attack the tax man on his way to our hated ruler?
But then add one extra minifig from your collection and you have it.
If you love forestmen and have this set; cherrish it (or give it to me ) if not get it!

[rogue27]

My brother had this, and it was enough to make me a Forestmen fan for life.

An amazing set that does a lot in a very small space without feeling open and empty like many of the newer hideouts. Brown horse, treasure chest, secret opening, six figures, awesome new foliage pieces, great accessories, and a bunch of black and gray elements. Getting all that stuff in one set is still exciting today, and it was indescribably amazing back then when people were seeing many of these things for the first time.

Even the packaging was outstanding. Camouflaged Outpost was presented in one of the wonderful, but sadly discontinued, window-flap boxes that allowed you to look at many of the new elements in the store. The window-flap boxes worked up that "new element" excitement more than the internet ever will. Furthermore, there were many alternate model ideas pictured on the back of the box.

Camouflaged Outpost comes from a time when TLG didn't feed consumers with obvious conflict on the cover of each box, but instead provided children with plenty of nourishment for their imaginations. TLG is at their best when producing themes that are original, yet instantly recognizable, and Camouflaged Outpost perfectly demonstrates these ideals while also being the most well-designed forest/bandit/hideout set ever made.