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Weekly Set Review: Border Ambush

Discussion of official LEGO Castle Theme sets and products

Postby Formendacil » Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:17 pm

wizardnoob28 wrote:I have gotten about 4 or 5 of these. The playability is okay, but it gets old after about 10 minutes. I mostly got them for the pieces.


Graynar wrote:10 minutes is aslong as you can play with this thing. I don't know why but it is not that fun to play with. That's why I took mine apart and built a bigger castle.


Maybe I'm just more a little kid than you guys, or maybe my imagination is over-stimulated, but I think this set could last a lot more than 10 minutes...

At least, comparing with any of my old Castle sets, this set has all the necessary playability features to last out an hour or two: good guy, bad guy, location with some dangerous features, and something to fight over.

Like I said, maybe I'm more juvenile than you, but I think this set's playability is just fine. Design/theme choices I might disagree with, but playability is fine.
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Postby Graynar » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:14 pm

Hi guys!

Maybe I was a bit harsh to this set. :oops:

I own 2 of them and I guess I really didn't try to play with it longer than 10 minutes.

Formendacil wrote:
Maybe I'm just more a little kid than you guys, or maybe my imagination is over-stimulated, but I think this set could last a lot more than 10 minutes...


I don't think you're more of a kid then us. Maybe it was this one set we just didn't enjoy as much as we could have. I guess the catapault thing was kinda fun.

I apologize for upseting you Formendacil.
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Postby Formendacil » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:18 pm

Graynar wrote:I don't think you're more of a kid then us. Maybe it was this one set we just didn't enjoy as much as we could have. I guess the catapault thing was kinda fun.

I apologize for upseting you Formendacil.


Upsetting? No. Dumbfounding, yes.

Actually, I don't own the set myself, although my younger brother does. As a result, I tend to forget the rock-flinger. Actually, I would remove it- being an eyesore- and play without it. I never could (and still can't) get catapults to shoot where I want, so I prefer to just move the stone with my fingers, and in this case that means that the flinger is totally useless, since it is meant to simulate Santis' strength.

Anyway, I'm not necessarily crazy for this set- although I do think it a good one. Simply, I have a tendency to take the underdog side, especially when the point of view is equally valid as the heavyweight.

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Postby wizardnoob28 » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:15 pm

Formendacil wrote: As a result, I tend to forget the rock-flinger. Actually, I would remove it- being an eyesore- and play without it. I never could (and still can't) get catapults to shoot where I want, so I prefer to just move the stone with my fingers, and in this case that means that the flinger is totally useless, since it is meant to simulate Santis' strength.



the rock flinger is the reason I don't play with them to long.
"Quick santis, up the stairs. OH NO! There is some sort of weird seatless chair! what devilry!"
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Postby bannear » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:04 pm

I think this set has a great idea behind it but is lacking great execution. I find it a bit sparce in the pieces I would want to own. That being said, the brown burp, and the green vines would be OK pieces. I recently aquired 8 of Santis, with no heads - so don't know what he looks like whole :lol: and 14 scorpion knights with no heads as well ...
I wish I knew what all those heads went to feed ...
I would give this set 5/10.
By the way amazon.com has these sets on for 8.98 currently.
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Postby Lord_Of_The_LEGO » Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:42 pm

Lord_Of_The_LEGO wrote:At $20, I'd leave it on the shelf. But if I found it for $10 or less, I'd get it, just for the brick fodder, the figs (which I both like, minus Santis' helm), the vine pieces and the brown whip.


Well, whaddaya know, I discovered Border Ambushes are now going for $6 each on Amazon, so I got two!

I'm pleased with the set. I like the bridge a lot, and the Shadow Knight ruin is cool. The trap-door gimmick is tiring, through, and the rock-throwing thing is lame, and didn't work well for me. However, this set is an excellent parts pack. Another Shadow Knight is sweet, and all the new gray bricks help swell my collection of bley. Items of particular interest to me: silver keys, brown whip, two green vines, lots of burnt orange plates, and green plates. One thing I was dissapointed in was the lack of REAL treasure. I mean, Santis is throwing bolders left and right to get a key? I would have liked to see some coins, or a least some jewels in a chest. But that is a minor nitpick.

Over all I like this set. The idea is good, but it could have been executed better. I think placing it on a real baseplate and added 50+ more bricks would have improved this greatly.


Parts: 9/10
Playability: 6/10
Figs/Accessories: 7/10
Design (then): 7/10
Design (now): 7/10
Nostalgia: 3/10
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Re: good

Postby Nick » Wed Aug 24, 2005 4:20 am

The Hordesman wrote:
Nick wrote: One of the main ninja sets, I'd say.


I see one Shadow Knight and a Santis, no Ninjas, no Ashigarus, no old Senseis, no Samurais, no Geishas... :shock:


sorry, :oops: I forgot. The person in red looked like a ninja, and since I am not familiar with the new themes, I assumed it was one of the ninja sets.
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Postby Patron of the lego » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:42 am

A odd set I have... half of it is of poor design and the other is okay, the trap works and there is a soccer stand for santis 5/10 for the shadow knight

I am leniet to all lego sets :) gooday to all
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