Community Opinion: 6093 Flying Ninja Fortress

[Count Blacktron]

Often as a topic we go back into the past and mine our interest in older LEGO sets offered from TLC's wide range of Castle products.
I'd like to get some community opinion and feedback on the set 6093 Flying Ninja Fortress.


http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=6093-1

At 694 pieces (many of them very unique) and 9 minifigures (including the wobbley-armed skeleton), this set was quite large.
Being modular in design it was one of the easiest official sets to re-arrange or add additional copies of this set (or others) to expand.
Released in 1998 and part of a new direction from LEGO, the Ninja series was part of the Castle theme group, but explored other historical parts of the world in Asia.
The world of the Samurai, ninja assassins and lawless robbers may not seem very "Castle" to some, but the fortress was indeed a Castle.
This theme expansion brought gunpowder and katana swords together in some pretty epic sets.
What did you love/hate about it? Do you have one or are you hunting it down?
Share your memories, treasure hunt and experience with this set please.

[Athos]

I thought there was a review thread for this. I guess not.

I like the set. I did find it weird that it is built on the large brick-plate things and not simple plates. The glider was kind of silly.

I got mine cheap off ebay several years ago and would not mind another one to make it completely enclosed.

Steve

[Bruce N H]

I'm a big fan of this sub-theme but never had the big set. The smaller sets, at least, had a good mix of figs, accessories and basic bricks and the buildings were nicely designed.

Bruce

[DerBum]

My older brother was into the Ninja stuff, but I was not. I had already gone into my darkages and this subtheme was not interesting enough to draw me out. To me the structure is the facade style that many of us decry in a large "castle" and it looks cheasy to me. This theme used too many large pieces for me.

[Count Blacktron]

There are so many parts developed for this theme, and used in this set, but there is one that is often used by TLC as a shortcut.

I think that most of the complaint I would have for the design is in the use of the 1x2x5 white bricks and the openness of each tower. While it really enhanced the whole ninja conflict thing for the minifigures and made build-time to play-time shorter, it was not the best of construction methods. The Harry Potter Hogwarts Castles continue the same style and tradition in build style but it has never been embraced either. If they could have done more brick/arch/window designs with perhaps hinged walls then they'd be more appealing... but the cost would have increased remarkably. As they are these towers in 6093 are a great open springboard for designing your own functional fortress. It's almost like the designers knew we were going to look at this set and drool over how to add or reconstruct to MOC it.

Parts reference:
http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/6093-1

[quaraga]

the guns are bad. add in naginatas or other close quarters weapons. the katana attacher (for lack of better term) on the ninja hats are backwards unless all ninjas are lefties.(minifigs cant reach across their bodies like people can and humans are statistically usually right handed.)I agree with athos that the glider os silly but at least the glider has two spears and lances.
other than that, this rocks.

-T.R.
p.s. I finally figured out where people get so much of that armor. I knew it wasn't only orient expedition!

[Mörs]

After seeing this thread, I went to brickfactory.info to see what this fortress looked like in detail. I have to say I was positively surprised! I never really liked the use of large pre-molded pieces or those empty-looking towers there... but I had NOT known -- until now -- that this thing was modularly built! Nor did I have an idea of how big it was! I also like the trap where 4 halberds fall at a person entering the main door.

I wonder if you could combine 2 of those into an enclosed castle...

[Count Blacktron]

I wonder if you could combine 2 of those into an enclosed castle...

Quite easily actually. This was my first attempt at purchasing multiple Castle sets when I built first on 6093 and re-arranged it every way possible and came away feeling that this set begged for another set addition. I ended up getting four copies just to extend and play with the full possibility of "official" arrangements.

This Brickshelf gallery (not mine) shows how modular and interchangeable each section was per instruction:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=382524

I don't have any actual shots of my combos of this set, but it is virtually a mirror effect. To complete the desired enclosure, I suggest finishing the towers into closed designs, filling the wall/room sections with various living & working quarters and finally add in a warrior training court and marketplace to the inside and you are set. Now you will just need the companion 6089 Stone Tower Bridge and a bunch of 4805 Ninja Knights and you are set.

[Sir Kohran]

A friend of mine got this in 1998, and when I saw it at his house I was so jealous, and I begged my mum to get me the red guys' base to somehow even things up

Well, as a set I guess it looks impressive enough, and despite being a bit cliched, it does capture that sense of Asian mystique. Its design definitely follows that of the mid 90s Castle sets with the half a dozen figs from one faction and one or two enemies, though I still wouldn't count it as Castle because it's stylistically too removed. There are a few flaws. The right hand tower - it's far too tall and is a bit boring. The glider also looks too big and chunky to ever take off. Also, considering the grey ninja is on the blue side and this is the blue base, why would he need a glider to get in/out at all? Lastly, whilst the figs are excellent, a civilian or ruler would've been nice. But it is a great set overall.

The Ninja line was itself great, but like most Lego themes in the 90s, it was sadly too brief to gain any prominence in the long run. A pity, because this theme's potential was only touched on.

[CastleLord]

Well to me i find it quite good.
I only got it this year with some extra figs for 75$ and that is really cheap considering the fact that it was in almost perfect condition.
And i fell in love with it in 0,2 seconds It's just that good.

CastleLord.

[Funnyham]

If only I was born in time for ninja...

[Teh Stud]

So many great pieces in this set, but not the greatest set by itself if that makes sense. I love the samarai armour, and the sloped rock pieces work great for large walls.

[ClassicJester11]

So many great pieces in this set, but not the greatest set by itself if that makes sense. I love the samarai armour, and the sloped rock pieces work great for large walls.

i agree! there is great pieces! but lacks as an individual..

[Karzon989]

I really love this set, even if I don´t have it. It has everything that you need for a good Ninja fight.

[Sir Prog]

This series was released while I was in high school, so I was definitely off the "purchasing grid" while the series existed. In hindsight, I regret the time periods not matching up b/c I really did/do admire the "outside the box" effort by LEGO, the exciting new pieces and character designs, etc. If they came out with a similar design series today, I might have to give in and collect. Wish I had this set!