new sets

[TwoTonic Knight]

People have been saying that they look like they come with European style armor. Is this the kind of armor that comes with the Black Knight? Or that Gryfindor Knight? It is hard to tell from the pictures. If they do then I like them considerably better.

Yes, the five knights all appear to come with with "euro-armor", same as the Black Knight/Harry Potter statue. I'm not sure that I have any knights that are effeminate enough to go cap a pie with Barbie Blue armor, but I'm experimenting with Rub'n'Buff and silver leaf in anticipation of that. Anyway, if you don't have a stock of armor built up, this is a boon even if you have to have a few sissies.

[wlister]

The light blue and violet armor could also be used for knights in a joust setting. I don't think any knight would go into battle with these colors, they'd be an easy target, but I could see them using them in tournaments. Many knights wore flashy armor and carried more elaborate heraldry during tournaments. I could maybe use one or two for warrior princess types as well. I will use what I can and put the rest up on bricklink...

[JPinoy]

Violet or purple? What color is that guy? If he's not purple, Im gonna have a hard time putting his parts into any use.... although Mongolian Mangudai's have voilet capes.

Anyhow perhaps you could pretend that its Princess Storm's new armor, or have an Eowyn type character as a soldier in your Lego Kingdom. Of course... the female warriors in my Lego world wear attire that has the same color scheme as the faction that they belong to, most of the time.

[Jedipawn]

Anyhow perhaps you could pretend that its Princess Storm's new armor, or have an Eowyn type character as a soldier in your Lego Kingdom.

This is a very good idea JP. And brings up a very good point. Maybe if we "broaden" our thinking a little bit we can find new and exciting ways to use these pieces. I sencerly hope that we can make the best of it! besides, what more can we do? Bricklink can be very expensive. If I have to build a red or green army then...

Jedipawn

[Ye Olde Republic]

Minifigs aside, I'm sure we will all be pleasantly surprised at the parts selection in these sets. Even the jousting set, it looks like a nice little parts set. Besides, how many of us buy sets for the set? I rarely leave a set together and if I do I can't leave it stock. They have to be modified somehow.
What I find a bit disappointing about these sets is that they don't seem to have doors and windows in the buildings. Wha?? As someone who doesn't have a lot of these types of peices, I was hoping to be able to buy them in sets. Bricklink is fine but, man oh man, you just can't beat that impulse purchase. Especially when I come home and my wife says, "I bought you a present today."

[Sir_Marcellus]

I agree with the parts. If it's a real good set, I leave it together for a while, but still modify it. The only official sets I have put together now are the Black Seas Barracuda, the Black Falcon's Fortress, and the Xtreme Tower, and all of those are modified in one way or another! I plan to extremely modify my BFF with another one! But I agree with the parts, they are nice-looking parts sets, and the big castle has good construction!

[Dragon Master]

Good parts?! whaaaaaaaaaaaaat! There are no doors!

DM

[architect]

Good parts?! whaaaaaaaaaaaaat! There are no doors!

I disagree because there are a lot of useful pieces such as the grey roof peaks for crenelations. Doors are nice, but not necessary. (although I would love this door in brown: http://guide.lugnet.com/partsref/search.cgi?q=3644)

Ben E.

[Dragon Master]

disagree because there are a lot of useful pieces such as the grey roof peaks for crenelations. Doors are nice, but not necessary. (although I would love this door in brown: http://guide.lugnet.com/partsref/search.cgi?q=3644)

Well I counter that dissagreement. Doors are absolutly necessary for homes, shops, churches, castles, walls, etc. The only thing I can think of that doesn't need doors are open-air markets. We need door, and big ones too. Thankfully HP has given us some nice doors. I think most of my purchases in 2004 will be HP, and I'll just by the new Black Knight set for the barding and armor.

BTW, where can I get that nice door?

DM

[architect]

Well I counter that disagreement. Doors are absolutely necessary for homes, shops, churches, castles, walls, etc. The only thing I can think of that doesn't need doors are open-air markets. We need door, and big ones too. Thankfully HP has given us some nice doors. I think most of my purchases in 2004 will be HP, and I'll just by the new Black Knight set for the barding and armor.

Doors are necessary. You do have a valid argument because doors are very useful. However, the new sets aren't homes, shops, or churches - hence no doors (but this is another discussion). Blacksmith shop still remains a great source for castle pieces.

BTW, where can I get that nice door?

You can't in brown But you can get black ones in sets like Fort Legoredo or Kings Castle - if you have those.

Ben E.

[Kev]

When would a squarish shield like that have been used? My understanding is that from abot 1000-1200, a kite or oval shaped shield was common, and after that the more triangular shape was.

Also, is that new sword totally wrong? I know blades like that were used at different times, but is the inverted "V" shape hand guard at all accurate?

[Sir_Marcellus]

Kev, while the squarish shields may not be historically accurate, did you watch The Return of the King and The Two Towers? Knights from Gondor and Uruk-Hai from Isengard had that shape shield!

No, sadly, the sword is wrong.

[Jedipawn]

Hay.. who knows? maybe they are all in a Fantisy world
Ok but anyway... I certanly do like the black door. I own the Kings castle and have bricklinked a few. They don't look to bad in black, but in brown?? drooooollll Perhaps it is time to have a festivel in my town. My figs have been at war for quite some time now. A little R & R would be good for them, and give the knights a chance to break out the cerimonial armor!!!!

Jedipawn

[David Girard]

There isn't historical accuracy here. The shield doesn't correspond to shield between 1000 and 1200. Before 1000 they had round shield, they invented oval and triangular shield between 1000 and 1200.

The new KK shields are nothing more than fantasy, as Sir Marcellus said. The color of the armor is also fantasy and the presence of magician too. They are kind of inspiration of Lord of the Ring.

P.S. During roman era, there was rectangulars shields, but not like this. Look at Asterix and you'll see.

[Kev]

I guess I won't get too upset about the lousy symbols on the shields then. Yes, these do look good for fantasy stuff, but I frankly don't really see how that's going to make these sets winners with kids. If I was an 8 year old, I'd be all over those Dragon Castle sets. They are better fantasy sets than these, and they also have better looking structures. It seems as if Lego would have strived to keep some historical accuracy in the new sets - by say incorporating more gray armor pieces with colored accents for the knights, basing new weapons on actual ones, and sticking with accurate heraldry for the shields, they still could have come up with some cool looking sets for kids AND older collectors.