Weekly Set Review: Armor Shop

Post by **Formendacil** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:34 am

Well, it's been a little while since I dredged up one of these Set Reviews of yore, but forgotten them I have not.

The famous "black sword" set. The legendary "Lion flag"...

Even forgetting about these awesome and unique pieces, this is a great set just because of it's design and function. Not a great set for old (or new

) grey, but a good, colourful design, with a nice selection of weapons and helms, and a squire!

That's exactly how I picture a LEGO squire, so good job there!

Parts: 7.5/10
Playability: 7.5/10
Figs/Accessories: 9/10
Design (then): 7.5/10
Design (now): 8.5/10
Nostalgia: 7/10

Overall Score: 7.83/10

swordfish · Post by **swordfish** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:30 pm

i got this set a while ago, not knowing it includes a black sword. I thought "Oh, cool a black sword, never seen any of them before" and only later found out it was rare.
I really like this set. It has so many great peices and weapons.

ezehogan · Post by **ezehogan** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:54 pm

It is the rare pieces that make this set memorable. It is still a great source of weapons and helms, though I don't care for the older style helms. Still, you get a pretty nice mini fig, quite a few useful pieces, and 2 rare pieces. The black sword doesn't interest me, but that Lion Knight's flag is a very useful piece that is unfortunately all too limited. I think Lego learned the lesson when it comes to faction flags, as they continued to become more common after the Lion Knight's and Black Falcon's.

7 of 10. Nothing spectacular, but the squire and the Lion Knight flag bring this set above par.

jamtf · Post by **jamtf** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:22 pm

Very nice set with 2 parts unique to this set, the black sword and the red flag with the printed Crusader faction lion emblem.

It combines well with the classic style castles, especially 6080 since this is considered a classic Crusader set. The female weapons dealer is one of my favorite figs as is the mounted blue and red Crusader knight. This is a real classic and one of the best made in the early to mid 1980s castle range together with the legendary 6067 Guarded Inn and 6074 Black Falcon's Fortress.

Got 2 of these in untouched condition still sealed in their original boxes. One was hideously expensive... the 2nd was quite affordable. I do not own a copy of this set in used condition except for parts such as black swords and red flags that obviously once belonged to sets like this.

Overall rating = 8+.

Post by **architect** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:25 pm

jamtf wrote: It combines well with the classic style castles, especially 6080 since this is considered a classic Crusader set. The female weapons dealer is one of my favorite figs as is the mounted blue and red Crusader knight. This is a real classic and one of the best made in the early to mid 1980s castle range together with the legendary 6067 Guarded Inn and 6074 Black Falcon's Fortress.

Got 2 of these in untouched condition still sealed in their original boxes. One was hideously expensive... the 2nd was quite affordable. I do not own a copy of this set in used condition except for parts such as black swords and red flags that obviously once belonged to sets like this.

Overall rating = 8+.

I also have a sealed copy

But I must correct you on the weapons dealer. He is a squire with long hair and not a lady. This was confirmed to me by designers at LEGO who worked on the set so it is quite official. Of course with LEGO we can make the smiley people whatever we want.

Ben

jamtf · Post by **jamtf** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:42 pm

architect wrote:
jamtf wrote: It combines well with the classic style castles, especially 6080 since this is considered a classic Crusader set. The female weapons dealer is one of my favorite figs as is the mounted blue and red Crusader knight. This is a real classic and one of the best made in the early to mid 1980s castle range together with the legendary 6067 Guarded Inn and 6074 Black Falcon's Fortress.

Got 2 of these in untouched condition still sealed in their original boxes. One was hideously expensive... the 2nd was quite affordable. I do not own a copy of this set in used condition except for parts such as black swords and red flags that obviously once belonged to sets like this.

Overall rating = 8+.
I also have a sealed copy But I must correct you on the weapons dealer. He is a squire with long hair and not a lady. This was confirmed to me by designers at LEGO who worked on the set so it is quite official. Of course with LEGO we can make the smiley people whatever we want.

Ben

Thanks for the correction Ben. I think you can see it both ways although the intentions from Lego are clear. This mix-up could not happen if the fig had a newer head with moustache or beard pattern. I guess the fig with the tie shirt with purse (grey peasant / forestman type) in 6060 is a long haired male person / squire as well? (S)he could easily be taken for a female beer servant though.

Post by **architect** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:54 pm

jamtf wrote:Thanks for the correction Ben. I think you can see it both ways although the intentions from Lego are clear. This mix-up could not happen if the fig had a newer head with moustache or beard pattern. I guess the fig with the tie shirt with purse (grey peasant / forestman type) in 6060 is a long haired male person / squire as well? (S)he could easily be taken for a female beer servant though.

I would think so although I did not ask about that set. Non-military medieval headgear has always been in short supply for Castle sets. Using a town hairpiece for a medieval haircut is a good idea. The great thing about both sets is that there are civilians and children play with the figures in several ways.
Ben

wunztwice · Post by **wunztwice** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:11 pm

I absolutley LOVE this set, along with 6040...

I came into castle just a touch too late to find these sets, but how I oogled over the old catalogues. i wished the Dragon masters had more civilian sets (although majisto's house was neat).

The whole idea of non-military portraits of mideavel life still capture alot of my building, and I wish LEGO could see that kids these days still want that too!

Now here is a story for you. I actually had never seen this set before I recieved a lot of castle legos from ebay. This set came with mint instructions was in the black knight's castle box, with most parts of the small forest treehouse, the crusaders dual catapult, 6060 and more, cincluding many boxes and instructions! What a smart buy that was!!! I doubt I will ever get so lucky again, but that was a great day.

ragnarok · Post by **ragnarok** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:23 pm

One of the sets that illustrate the idea for Classic Castle:
1. Fits in the medieval reality
2. It s a "civilian" set
3. Unique pieces (a message from me WILL TRADE A PEOPLES REPUBLIC FOR THE RED LION FLAG)
4. Attaches well to other sets.

Set value: priceless
Design: 10/10

Fry_slayer · Post by **Fry_slayer** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:44 am

One of the finest set of classic castle. For its size it is overwhelming in awesome and rare pieces all bundle up in a color fiesta. I dont own one but it made me download the instruction and built my own.

kelderic · Post by **kelderic** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:04 am

I love this set, simply because it demontrates what Lego used to be, and what it is not now. It has a civilian, unheard of in today's castle sets, and a plain soldier, who is not some special character. It doesn't need pages of storyline to make it great; it is great by itself. I'd give it a 10 out of 10.

Kelderic

zac_schmitt · Post by **zac_schmitt** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:48 am

It has a civilian, unheard of in today's castle sets, and a plain soldier, who is not some special character.

you could always pretend a skeleton is some long dead civilian...joking, of course.

never had it, it would be very cool to have had it (or to have it currently, i should say, since i lost all my legos from when i was a kid through an unfortunate event) but i'm not sure it'd be worth selling the farm for. the red lion flag is pretty darn cool, and i'd love to have a black sword, but altogether neither of those are very important. the set is otherwise easily replicated through pieces pretty readily available on bricklink.

on the topic of "civilians", was i the only kid who just took a the helmets off guys and pretended they were normal guys? i know the fact that they're wearing armor would put a lot of you realists off, but it never bothered me as a child. i would just assume they were normal guys who liked to wear armor, it being the middle ages and all. in fact, purely for nostalgia's sake, there's a character i'm using in a steampunk setting who is a professor/scientist/genius type wearing armor, just because that was who i made him when i was young and now i can't help but think of him as such.

the set would easily get 9/10 if i could go back in time and pick it up for the price it was then, but i would never spend much over that to pick it up now.

Ristridin · Post by **Ristridin** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:21 am

This is a nice set

, the helmets are cool. I wish I had tons of it

Michiel

Slobey · Post by **Slobey** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:48 pm

Ah the golden age ( they might as well be made out of gold looking at prices

) Oh well you pay for quality I guess. That's what this set is: Quality

It had the knight and squire/lady (depending on your need). It could attach to other lego structures which is something I'm really liking. Extra weapons and sheilds. That's not even mentioning the flag and the black sword (there I went and did it

)

What castle lego was all about when I was a kid and what it still should be about 10/10

dJOLe_sk8 · Post by **dJOLe_sk8** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:32 pm

Oh,another re-review...

But I just like it when it's about sets like this one is...

I usually don't like that much colors,but it is a beautiful thing in this set.
It has a pretty good assortment of accesories,the classic figs are absolutely beautiful (especially the civilian shop keeper,I wish there are more of them),and it's unique sword is the real treasure of this set... I can't understand why they didn't put more of them in the whole cc line...
And that flag is good,but I'm not a fan of flat flags,I prefer windy ones...
As this set and I were released in the same year,great respect to it from me

And if you ask me,this set should be in a tiny concurection for the next legend...

Greetings from Serbia