Classic-Castle.com

You could throw the instructions away, and create your own castle from the parts. That would be better than having this one.
Judging by everyone's feedback, I'd say this set crumbles in shame.

I would go for this castle for figs and parts if it was very cheap, certainly not any good for design ideas ...
3/10.
SirBert.

It's a big LEGO Castle- always an enormous bonus. For me, however, this is the most disappointing one released thus far- excepting, of course, the Castle of Morcia. The hole in the back is just wrong, totally wrong. Even the Royal Knights Castle back and the King's Mountain Fortress courtyard have a low wall defending them. This has a mere tapestry.

Another big beef of mine is the lack of an army. 1 king, 1 queen, 1 princess/knight, and 2 soldiers is SERIOUSLY undermanning a Castle of this size. 2 more soldiers would round it out nicely.

Parts: 7/10
Playability: 4/10
Figs/Accessories: 7.5/10
Design (then): 5/10
Design (now): 5.5/10
Nostalgia: 7/10

Overall Score: 6/10

I have both the castle of morica amd king leo's castle... Well I admit it is lacking in pieces compared to castle of morica, but it more defensive compared to morica, at least kk1 had archers... Also it had old gray, rare pieces and even actual footsoilders that in some sets were cheap compared to these days. Even so just buy guarded treasury with this set you will need it to make a back for this castle. Note that the castle of morica doesn't a back but really stupid spining tops. Also this set didn't came from such a bad time, since troops were still realitively cheap, most sets were ok and they still used classic weapons even had quivers, which were relatively common. Note I admit this is biased but it is at least better then kk2. Not bias as much since I have both!

Juniorization.. A very good word.

The Batlord-set was the last one I collected, and I liked it far less then the previous set. When this castle came out I decided I've outgrown lego (at least, now I'm back to continue my collection, but only with older sets).

I've only seen this castle once or twice in real-life and it is indeed like most people her say it is.

wow thats kool i like the knight with the visor up charging the other guy and the green base

Pretty good, considering what it could have been. Very playable, (The only good guy castle that I can say I have played with!) so not bad there.

The good things are the figs (All awsome!), the bricks (Not a bad selection.) And the raised baisplate (If your into them).

The only real bad thing is the total lack of a back wall. Not bad front, but the back...

Final mark:

9/10

EKnight

Oh, my, god. i dont think you can say anything bad about this set, seeing the time period it came from. there was nothing out at the time, or going to come out for a while. its hella better than the power ranger knights.

An ugly castle... looks like something that a kid would build out of spare Lego parts. It isn't even uniform, and it looks like some random whirlwind picked the whole castle up and dropped it on that baseplate. And the portocullis? What the heck is it???

come on,

give this set a chance. I loved this set when I got it the figs the towers and the nifty sail. The kk1 knights are the best figs (besides the crown knights) is the best line of all time. the qween sadly I lost when I was yonger. the set is not the best in all the kk1 line, I must amit, but still good for the price/fig/brick. 8/10

I had to do a double-take when I clicked the stickied thread and it took me to posts from 2005. But anyway, the set.

Like Robin Hood, this was my first HQ castle as well. The various play "features" such as the falling axes, treasure-launching-thingy, and the rest were disassembled rather early on, and I tried several times to give the great hall a purpose other than the throne room.

It's great for play for younger kids (and in 2000, I was a younger kid), so I have little to complain about it outside of what's already been said. Of course I wouldn't get it today. I seem to be preferring Brinklink and PaB to actual LEGO sets these days.

I hate to rate sets on a numbered basis. I think opinions shouldn't be formed on a "so many out of ten" basis.

God bless.

Tom

I picked up a couple of these sets as I had not discovered Bricklink. The figures are some of my most favorite. The design of the castle was not too impressive but can be used for something else. The box design was nice.

It's because of the figure design that I bought these sets at all; I was laid off from work in 2000 and worked only half the year in 2001. Some times I dream of how many I would have bought had I been working. I make it up by buying 2007-2008 sets and hope for some new Lion Knights.
-Tower

Overall I think this set had t potential as a all-in-one-box fun set; as long as you have other LEGO to add to it. All the key characters are in it, many playability features are included, a nice selection of bricks and unique parts. But you really do need more basic bricks to build an adventure. I really did enjoy this set as an AFOL and to this day I still count myself as a loyal follower of the good King Leo.

This set was not my favorite castle however, and there was much to be desired. The figures of this theme are the best LEGO has produced to date IHMO. LEGO did manage to pack this series and many sets into nearly every store, so finding this set and others in the range was perhaps easier than any other Castle theme.

Interesting part use #1: I used the tapastry from this set as a sail upon the masts of my royal fleet.

If I were to hop into my Whirling Time Warper to go back in time and purchase Castles, this would rank a 4 out of 10 in order of importance today.

If I were to hop into my Whirling Time Warper to go back in time and purchase Castles, this would rank a 4 out of 10 in order of importance today.

I consider that the Knights Kingdom 1 theme as one of Legos best, one of the main strengths of this set/theme is the mini figures;

1. King Leo’s Court - King Leo, Queen Leonora, Princess Storm, Richard the Strong and John of Mayne.

2. The Attacking Bulls - The leader Sir Cedric and his expert siege engine builder Gilbert the Bad.

3. Skeleton –named Benjamin bone the protector of the castles treasure.

I think this set includes most of the elements of what a good main theme castle should include;

• Modular design to allow for quick adaptations.
• Inspirational alternate set design contained on box design and within instructions.
• Good playability.
• Good colour selection
• Main Gate, raised ramparts, portcullis, vertical tower elements with tiles and flags. ( A little bit to pyramidical the irregular massing in 10176 was superior)
• Different medieval technologies at play Catapult of defenders vs. bombard of attackers.
• Well considered and superior individual mini figure design including King & Queen, vassals, skeleton and potential aggressors. (the mini figure count in this set was to low I would have liked it to be 12 like some of the earlier major Lego castles and to have also included euro amour and capes)
• Range of weapon types, long/short swords, bows/cross bows & Halberds/spears.
• Mounted king with decorative barding to horse (should have been minimum of two horses with barding to allow for jousting)
• Decorative insignia cloth flags and banners. (Why was their not KK1 cog boat with this sail/cloth).

I think some of the earlier reviews of this set were a bit harsh, I would agree that there is a fair amount of juniorisation associated with some of the elements such as the castle panelled walls, portcullis and wall turrets. I personally don’t have a problem with them as an entirely brick built castle would have been a lot more expensive to the consumer.

I place a higher emphasis on mini figure design and accessories then juniorisation or the lack of a back wall etc; clearly this set was not designed in the round but as more of a stage to the mini figure characters.

I have two main disappointments with this set;

1. The low mini figure and horse count, I would have liked 12 mini figures with 4 horses with more barding - A wizard and some generic castle lion knights would have been good, it seems now an obligatory dragon may be part of castles future too. But two female mini figures in a castle set is a benchmark that I would hope is matched regularly.

2. The inherent comic book type storyline conflict component, the good knights vs. the bad/evil etc – I think that the 10176 redux was better handled so that the mini figures could be divided in play for conflict if desired without the need for depiction of violence on the box.


Regards Mario

only good is the cedric and helms
5/10