Weekly Set Review: Creator Castle

Post by **architect** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:49 am

Join the weekly Classic Castle set review discussion. Please post your opinions on the set play ability, piece selection, design, etc. Which sets stand up to our catapult of critique and which ones crumble in shame!

This week’s set is 6193 [Creator Castle].

Creator Castle was released in 2008 for the Creator line. The set features models of a knight, his steed, castle tower with a drawbridge, dragon, fortified bridge, and micro-scale castle gate. Various accessories such as a sword and flags are included.

This is the first set to feature a brick built horse since 383/6083 Knight's Tournament.

Admin note: This Weekly Set Review includes images of the main and alternate set models. Please see this thread for the original discussion: viewtopic.php?t=15702

Post by **Robin Hood** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:02 am

I really like the idea of this, and the design.

The concept behind this is really what Lego is all about. Building. This isn't some set with a pre-made design, well, not really. It doesn't do the imagining and designing for the kid. Not to say that every set does, and granted, every set can be rebuilt to however the kid wants, but without a specific set of intructions, its more likely that the kid'll do it. Sets along this line are something I'd like to see more of. If Lego came out with a castle bin, that would be awesome. A few figs, and a whole bucket of basic castle pieces. They'd be all grey and black and brown, with some green plates thrown in. Then a bunch of arches, weapons and such. It'd be great. Come on Lego, take this set one step further.

The design isn't bad, an okay mix of basic bricks, and bricks with a more castly tinge, the grey, the soldier, etc. A quite lovely set, and one I plan very much on getting.

Dan

metalandi · Post by **metalandi** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:25 pm

I thought this is a 2009 release?!

Post by **Bruce N H** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:16 pm

This is a nice set to help transition kids over into a fig theme. For us I'd much rather see a castle bucket - big set of gray bricks, slopes, arches, some doors and windows, plus some figs and accessories. However, the brighter colors are good for those coming out of the younger creator sets. Brick built horse and dragon are cute. Mixing of scales is also a nice feature.

Bruce

Post by **Formendacil** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:27 pm

metalandi wrote:I thought this is a 2009 release?!

A number of officially one year sets get actually released the fall before--not unlike cars.

I've mentioned on the other thread that I really like the direction is taking with the release of sets like this, and I am drooling over the thought of a getting a few of these. As a source of basic bricks, I can always use more Creator, and throwing in a generic soldier and some leafery only makes the set that much more tempting.

The yellow homage, if intended, also gets my commendation.

Parts: 9/10
Playability: 8.5/10
Figs/Accessories: 9.5/10 (best. Creator. ever)
Design (contemporary): 8/10
Design (universal): 8.5/10
Nostalgia: 8.5/10

Overall Grade: 8.67/10 A-

Username · Post by **Username** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:28 pm

Meh, I'll pass on this one. I do agree there needs to be a caslte bucket similar to the Castle Dacta set:

Minifigs for each current faction
Weapons & accessories
Animals (horses, dragons, owls, falcons, dogs, etc)
Castle wall pieces
BURPS/LURPS
Lots & lots of bricks and plates
Castle specialty pieces (catapult buckets, wagon wheels, etc)

Aliencat · Post by **Aliencat** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:45 pm

What you have to keep in mind when looking at this set is that it's targeted towards a very different (younger) audience than the Castle line. As said above I think it's a great nudge for young Lego enthousiasts that get the Creative Building series sets to start getting interested in Castle.

When I was a kid I had a lot of the series that was called Basic at the time, which were mostly tubs of brightly coloured bricks. I got a castle fig from my older cousin once and I'd build brightly coloured castles for that fig with the Basic bricks I had. This set really reminds me a lot of that, and I loved building towers and walls for my single castle fig when I was a little kid. You could say my interest in Lego Castle started right there and then, and I think this set is a great stimulant for that.

Of course it doesn't go well with the rest of the Castle line, but that's not what it's meant to do, it's targeted at a younger audience and a step into Castle, not as an addition to the current Castle line.

Username wrote:Meh, I'll pass on this one. I do agree there needs to be a caslte bucket similar to the Castle Dacta set:

[image]

Minifigs for each current faction
Weapons & accessories
Animals (horses, dragons, owls, falcons, dogs, etc)
Castle wall pieces
BURPS/LURPS
Lots & lots of bricks and plates
Castle specialty pieces (catapult buckets, wagon wheels, etc)

And how exactly is this a review of set 6193?

Username · Post by **Username** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:09 pm

Aliencat wrote:What you have to keep in mind when looking at this set is that it's targeted towards a very different (younger) audience than the Castle line. As said above I think it's a great nudge for young Lego enthousiasts that get the Creative Building series sets to start getting interested in Castle.

And I do not belong to that younger audience. I didn't say it was a horrible set or Lego is wasting their time, I just said I wasn't interested.

And how exactly is this a review of set 6193?

:

Aliencat · Post by **Aliencat** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:59 pm

Username wrote:
Aliencat wrote:What you have to keep in mind when looking at this set is that it's targeted towards a very different (younger) audience than the Castle line. As said above I think it's a great nudge for young Lego enthousiasts that get the Creative Building series sets to start getting interested in Castle.
And I do not belong to that younger audience. I didn't say it was a horrible set or Lego is wasting their time, I just said I wasn't interested.

That wasn't meant as a reply to your post, those are my thoughts on this set, for this set review, sorry if you got the impression that was directed to you.

Webrain · Post by **Webrain** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:32 am

Looks much decent then I imagine really
and the alternate better then the real thing
the white arches are great
of course it's not exactly castle related
so not sure if I need it

Mog · Post by **Mog** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:36 am

I like it, as I said in the original thread. They're making a pirate-y Creative Building set too.

EDIT: It's only $10! Impressive. Toysrus.com has it now. The pirate version is $10 too.

I'm hoping to see a larger castle tub, of course. But this is cool in its own (yellow) way.

Lord Brian · Post by **Lord Brian** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:01 pm

Obviously aimed at younger audience, but indeed an impulse buy. As said before, it is a good start for younger children to get into the whole minifigure genre.

Coatsy · Post by **Coatsy** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:20 pm

This looks like a sly nod to the old Yellow Castle. Also the pieces reminded me of the some of the El Dorado Fortress peices with the yellow and white mix.

To me this is a great intro for youngsters to get into castle sets. I actually would have benifitted from a set such as this. My first set was the Knight's Castle and it was a bit of a challenge for my young self to follow the directions.

I'll get this set because I am a bit of a completist. I'll get it for my younger nephews and neices as well. I have to hook them on Lego too.

Count Blacktron · Post by **Count Blacktron** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:20 pm

Username wrote:Meh, I'll pass on this one. I do agree there needs to be a caslte bucket similar to the Castle Dacta set:

That set was $80+ when it was available and it didn't really have all that much of use at the time. Heck, I still can't seem to find a construction I am happy with for the castle wall pieces in this set, likely where much of the $$$ came from it it. The minifigures in this set, well, they ain't my favorite.

I think a better solution is needed for Castle builders than a be-all-end-all bucket that would never satisfy our needs & wants and likely be too expensive. Perhaps $10 "boxes" with specialty parts could be an answer: you could have a Theme Parts Castle Brick box, a Theme Parts Castle Minifigure & Accessory box and a Theme Parts Castle Specialty Pieces box, much like this Creator Castle set. You could mix and match what you need for your own collection then with very little waste.

I like the direction I see LEGO going into with this small Creator set. It has a lot of useful parts and a really fantastic minifigure for troop or individual character purposes. At $10 it is a step in a positive direction if you are looking for some parts and small additions to your minifigure collection. The colors may not blend as well with the rest of the Castle collections, but they do go well with a vast number of the bulk bricks or Creator sets that kids likely have lots of. If I couldn't build a gray castle to my liking, these colors would certainly do fine.

More like this, and perhaps more specialized in the future! Please?

P.S. The Creator Pirate set from this same assortment has a nice selection too, and a good torso for Castle or Pirates.

Username · Post by **Username** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:29 pm

Count Blacktron wrote:
That set was $80+ when it was available and it didn't really have all that much of use at the time. Heck, I still can't seem to find a construction I am happy with for the castle wall pieces in this set, likely where much of the $$$ came from it it. The minifigures in this set, well, they ain't my favorite.

Notice I said similar, not exactly alike. I've seen plenty of Lego bucket sets for 15$ - 30$ that could work for what we want. Heck, they could have one for each side (one for good guys and one for bad guys). Just have a few minifigs, accessories and castle parts along with some bricks and plates.