2010 LEGO Kingdoms Official Pictures

[Teherean]

Looking great! Great parts selection, great new minifigs. Do I see black pot-helmets?

[Athalus]

The sets are nice, I like the fact that it's no longer the 'Good Guys vs. Evil Monsters' idea. The pictures are bad

[DaleDVM]

I have already discussed the ins and outs of the new line when we got the pics from the New York Toy fair so I will not elaborate on these photos as I really can't see anything new. These pictures and thread bring to mind something that has been on my mind for some time now.

This website is very dear to me. When I came out of my dark ages this is the place where I found the best castle builders and fans in the world. I can't even express how many hours of enjoyment I get from looking at photos and discussing all that is LEGO castle here. I am a true collector of the castle series and I do really enjoy discussing the official LEGO castle sets very much. As of late I have found I am spending more and more time discussing upcoming castle lines over at Eurobricks. I don't think I am the only one. It seems that the threads here barely get any attention when discussing the new line. I remember the discussions on these forums about the ultimate chess set and MMV a couple of years ago. That was so much fun!

Why does it seem so quiet around here lately? I imagine the reason for this is that Classic Castle is much more responsible with the leaking of LEGO information prematurely. This respect for TLG is to be commended by all that run this site. However, I don't really see any repercussions over at Eurobricks for their somewhat lax rules concerning these matters. In fact their moderators seem to get their hands on sets before they are even released and do reviews on them. Meanwhile Classic Castle gets sent photos that are small when better photos have been available since February.

Don't get me wrong Steve and Ben. I do appreciate these photos and all that you guys do for us fans. I just think TLG gives a bit of preferential treatment to the folks over at Eurobricks even when they don't always have TLG's best interest at heart. I think perhaps that is because they are in Europe and have greater access to TLG staff and products. I know our members are global but we don't seem to have those European connections to the company. I am hoping that TLG realizes Classic Castle is working in their best interests and playing by the rules TLC has set. I just hope they throw this site a bone once in a while. I hope the discussion picks up here again I do enjoy it very much!

I want to thank Steve Witt, Ben and all of the moderators for the work they do for us castle fans! I look forward to seeing many of you at Brickworld!

[Bluesecrets]

My two cents on this is, I'm glad we have been given these photos. I wish they were more clear, but be grateful for what you have been given is the best practice, for the more you complain, the less likely anything more will be given. So I am thankful and grateful that we have been given them.

This website is very dear to me. When I came out of my dark ages this is the place where I found the best castle builders and fans in the world. I can't even express how many hours of enjoyment I get from looking at photos and discussing all that is LEGO castle here. I am a true collector of the castle series and I do really enjoy discussing the official LEGO castle sets very much. As of late I have found I am spending more and more time discussing upcoming castle lines over at Eurobricks. I don't think I am the only one. It seems that the threads here barely get any attention when discussing the new line. I remember the discussions on these forums about the ultimate chess set and MMV a couple of years ago. That was so much fun!

In all honesty, I can only speak for myself. While this line is exciting for many. I haven't made up my mind yet. So I've stayed away from the threads about it. My instant opinion is that it looks "juniorized" to me which I do not want to go that instant opinion. I am not one for looking at leaks, or even preliminary photos. In fact both annoy me to no end. I am patient and rather wait to see the finished product than having to be the first to the see something and spread the rumors all over. People who are leak crazy need to learn to respect those of us who really like to wait to see the ACTUAL set that will come to be. But that is a discussion for another place and time.

Right now, being as I build desert castles and always have, I am more excited about the PoP line and getting my hands on as many of the new headgear and the new half arch from these sets as I can. Yes, these figs look great. Yes, I am EVER so glad that the fantasy line is gone. (It was nice, but it isn't what I build, time to move on.) But there is not tan in these sets to further my next epic castle, just bley (which I do not either hate or like..I just trade it away).

We had amazing pictures of the MMV from Brickcon to talk about forever and ever. And the MMV was a set designed for the AFOL, so sure, we'd have a ton to say about it. We could still probably be discussing it and probably will for a long time to come. Until I can actually see these sets in my own hands, I don't have much to say about them. I know a few others that feel the same about them.

[Bruce N H]

Hey,

Just a word on the little kerfuffle, and then the sets themselves. Note that in every CCC, LEGO has donated sets as prizes. Not just little sets, either, but things like the MMV, the Dwarves' Mine, the Blacksmith Shop, the BFF, a couple of chess sets, the Castle Advent Calendar and others, not to mention one year a very rare book that we used as the Master Builder prize. We've also gotten a few exclusive interviews etc. I'm not sure if EB has gotten some of the same consideration we have. Yes, I would love more. And I agree that the corporate types sometimes miss the boat in connecting more with the community which would be to their ultimate benefit.

As to the sets themselves, I like that these seem to hearken back to more classic designs than we've seen of late. It's great that the two factions aren't explicitly seen as 'good' and 'bad' (though I think we're to assume the red are the 'good guys'). The heraldry is great for both. IMO there is an over-reliance on panel walls, but that is also true of classic set designs. Aside from the new helm and the new heraldry (torsos, flags, shields and barding), I'm really interested in this new portcullis piece. It looks like it has lots of different ways to connect to other elements (I see studs, presumably standard diameter bars, and holes that will presumably fit standard diameter bars), so in addition to its intended use I'll bet spacers, for instance, will find creative ways to use it as the core to interesting SNOT constructions.

Bruce

[Blego7]

Steve is a great guy and one of the best over at TLG. (I personally think he is part ambassador for how much he does for us.) Oh and some news. Recent research show that the helmets might be pearl dark grey. Yes I am serious. Not sure if this is good news for most of you but this is news none the less. sources.- Bricklink - Brickshelf
(I just recently put an order into a store close by that has some of the helmets in pearl dk grey so we'll see how that goes.
Thanks for the pictures Steve(and the post Archie!)

[Count Blacktron]

I think I will be most happy with the bottom three sets in this assortment, but likely if you know me I will build/own all of them. The figures are very welcome and I think that the Red Lions will become a favorite faction for me. The Green Dragons are not so fantastic IMHO, but they have great heraldry and colorations. I think the problem in the Green Dragons for me lies in their not-quite-so-good chained torsos, I mean who wears a chain? You have any idea how uncomfortable that would be? And the prison tower? The front angle shown just looks like a pile of LEGO blocks, rather than a structure built out of LEGO.All that aside the parts and people look good for a foundation.

However, if it were not for the Prince Of Persia line and the already on the market Medieval Market Village, I'd be very disappointed in LEGO thematic development. I think this line looks like your standard LEGO Knight's/Castle line with too many catapults and towers. Those elements are far too frequently the focus of TLC's idea of what medieval life must have been like. More shops, taverns, windmills, tradesmen, or even those royal courts and courtiers in their vast mead halls would have been more welcome to me.

But to return to the topic, thanks for the official images that the entire community might discuss these sets equally now. I am so very grateful to LEGO for finally minting their own version of the great helm, and the dark pearly weapons and armor is purely wonderful. To have metallic and armor elements in multiple colors is grand. And a black horse in a set under $15 USD is a great thing as well.

Thank you!

[NoXoN]

Oh they look realy well !
Do you know if minifigs will have news face ?

[DaleDVM]

I guess I am probably just jealous of Eurobricks. Sometimes my love of Classic Castle gets the best of me...

I hope I didn't offend anyone. Atleast not to the level of a kerfuffle. (does anyone else think a kerfuffle sounds delicious?)

Oh they look realy well !
Do you know if minifigs will have news face ?

In the two sets that have been obtained and reviewed so far there are 3 faces not used in castle before. Of the 5 heads in the prisoners carriage and knights showdown. 4 are of the new variety and 1 is the screaming reversible type we had with the fantasy lineup. So overall we are getting a great new bunch of faces for us castle fans.

[Tedward]

Best. Castle. Ever.

Let there be no ill-informed talk of "juniorization" or over-nostalgia around the Black Falcons. I think (from the available pictures) this is the best-looking castle LEGO has ever produced.

After years of no castles or the very "juniorized" Knight's Kingdom jellybean crap this is like a breath of fresh air. I have not been this excited about a LEGO castle since I opened Knight's Castle for Christmas when I was 14.

Finally a castle that I point to and say "Suck it Playmobil!"

[SunStorm]

Neat! But what happened to the wizard set we saw in the pre-release pictures?

[Forestboy]

Neat! But what happened to the wizard set we saw in the pre-release pictures?

That's what I was thinking! I wonder why they didn't show 7953 Jester , and 7955 Wizard? I'm actually looking forward to these little sets more than I am others.

[RichardAM]

I'm not too enthused about them. I think all the "yay for a true return" talk is hilarious though, thanks guys.

[wobnam]

That's what I was thinking! I wonder why they didn't show 7953 Jester , and 7955 Wizard? I'm actually looking forward to these little sets more than I am others.

I seem to remember three impulse sets?

Anyway, I'm not looking forward to the impulse sets. Many (most?) of us already own at least one wizard and jester already, and impulses are primarily good for armybuilding - how many wizards and jesters do you need?

I like Kingdoms so far, but hate the fact that there's no soldier impulse like 5615 The Knight from the Fantasy line. A Kingdoms Knight would've rocked.

[Azaghal]

I seem to remember three impulse sets?

I think there were two different versions of the wizard one (which I might be tempted by, if the black beard stays in).