Viking Helmet: The Cold Hard Truth

TwoTonic Knight · Post by **TwoTonic Knight** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:33 pm

For those that have gotten the new viking helmet that doesn't sit down particular far on the head, doesn't stay on well, gets easily knocked askew, comes in a new color, can't be placed too close to another fig with the same helmet, and has these really big ahistorical horns that you are kinda stuck putting on - or something even more ludicrous - because otherwise you have two really big holes in the thing....

(taking deep breath after that really long run-on sentence)

...what's your opinion of it? You can base it on whatever you like: accept it as fantasy, a great alternate helmet for the bulls, cool because of the color, despicable fiddly design, something nice simply because it is new and different, has modification possiblities, or whatever.

Edit in: For non-North Americans who might be confused by my idiomatic choices, "Two Thumbs Up (or down)" is a reference to a couple of movie reviewers out of Chicago. Think of those choices as enthusiasm either pro or con.

Maedhros · Post by **Maedhros** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:36 pm

I don´t like them too much but they are kinda ok. I´ll probably stick the old "Dragonplume wings" in them.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedh ... idkjal.jpg

Lord_Of_The_LEGO · Post by **Lord_Of_The_LEGO** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:38 pm

Two thumbs up!

For me, as noted before, the helmets stay on fine for me. I like the new metallic color, but I also hope this helmet will be released in bleys and black. I'm a self-described pseudo-historically-accurate-fantasy-builder, so I don't mind the horns, and the helmets look pretty good, but not great, without the horns.

Post by **architect** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:58 pm

The helmets are nice. I would prefer the old flared helm without the neck protector. A variation for next year without horns would be wonderful. Jorgen Vig said at fest that a LEGO testing child said that vikings didnt have horns. An option without holes/horns and without the back of the helmet curving down would be cool. Also making these helmets in grey or black without silver speckles would be nice. The Viking helmet is a good addition to the current set of castle helmets.

Ben

Jojo · Post by **Jojo** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:59 pm

Hello!

One thumb up.

I like the Viking helmets. I like the shape and the colour. I don't mind the horns. I know they are not historically correct. But then again Vikings fighting Nidhögg Dragons and Midgard Serpents ain't exactly historically correct, either. Plus LEGO minifigs are some sort of cartoonish characters considering their very proportions. Thus cartoonish LEGO Vikings should be wearing cartoonish horned viking helmets, for this is what everybody expects from cartoon vikings. Thanks to Hägar, but not exceptionally to Hägar.

I do not like, though, that the helmets can't be used without any entity stuck in the ugly holes. I also don't like that the horns are almost horizontally, they should be more sloped upwards.

Therefore just one thumb up instead of two.

Bye
Jojo

Dunechaser · Post by **Dunechaser** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:28 pm

Jojo put it perfectly. I like how they look with horns, but they look pretty bad without something in the holes (I've been playing around with different things in the helmet holes -- heh heh...).

"Okay but not great" for me.

TwoTonic Knight · Post by **TwoTonic Knight** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:15 pm

I gave them the Double-Thumbs of Downward Doom. They look goofy, fantasy or not, they don't attach firmly, they sit too high on the head causing them to look more like a hat than a helmet meant to protect the skull, you can't place the figs in a tight one-stud-apart shield wall and even two-studs-apart you have to be fussy about them. You are pretty much stuck putting something into those two big holes.

The bottom line is that I finally took them all off and replaced them. I'm much happier with the flared helmet, with and without mail. So there they sit on my desk, awaiting modification or possible exile to my Bulls. I like the axe, I love the shields, but the helmet just goes too cartoony for my tastes.

lil Jon · Post by **lil Jon** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:39 pm

I wish they came in a varity of colors, like plain black. It is kind of weird that all the vikings have the same speckly helmets.

They could fit a little tighter. I haven't had any trouble with them falling off though.

I like the horns. They're cool.

Post by **Bruce N H** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:45 pm

Hey,

I'm enthusiastic. I'm generally in favor of greater variety in helms and not too serious about historical accuracy (I build mostly fantasy, anyway), so the more the merrier. It is upsetting to hear that they don't stay on very well, so I guess I should be more like one thumb up, one thumb marginally up.

Bruce

Post by **SavaTheAggie** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:48 pm

I just want to add my voice to those saying their helmets stay out pretty well.

My viking helms stay on about as well as my Dragon Master's helms.

But hey, I won't complain as long as you can turn the fig upside down and the helmet stays on. Most of my hand-me-down figs I've gotten from garage sales, ebay or trades have such worn neck pins on the torsos that the fig's head stays only only because of gravity!

--Anthony

Norro · Post by **Norro** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:49 pm

I just don't like lego elements that don't connect firmly.... In the first set I thought it was a fluke, then I got another... I also wish you could use them without horns. On the same note the horns make it difficult to get a tightly packed viking horde...

Just me,'

God Bless,

Nathan

Tristram · Post by **Tristram** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:06 pm

I give it two thumbs up.

I like the Hagar the Horrible look. While the helms aren't a snug fit, they do fine. Other colors would be a good thing, as well. Overall, I'm pleased with them.

TwoTonic Knight · Post by **TwoTonic Knight** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:28 pm

Since I see different interpretations of what "firmly" means, let me give some examples of what does and doesn't happen.

Put the helmet on, turn the fig upside down, shake the fig up and down. Nothing. Smack my hand against my other hand in an attempt to bring a sharper jolt (still upside to get gravity to work for me). Still nothing. The helmet stays on.

Now, bump the horns lightly (easy to do). The helmet pivots turns easily and has been loosened enough to be knocked off easier.

They don't just fall off by looking on them, but they are a lot easier to knock around unintentionally than the other LEGO helmets. Its a flaw, but I don't think it is a fatal flaw. I performed the same tests on helmets I have modified to have horns so that I could get a similiar long-lever effect, and they took a lot more pressure before they would move.

E of Alshire · Post by **E of Alshire** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:44 pm

I don't mind the supposed 'looseness', just that you pretty much can't use them without the horns. Dragon side plumes was the firt thing I tried, but then what do do with your Dragon Masters?

Not to my Tastes.

Snap Dracone · Post by **Snap Dracone** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:53 pm

They stay on well for me... I like the colour, though seeing them in shades of grey and in black would be great, and I have all the horns out at the moment since I think they look better without them. I think they look somewha goofy in person with the horns since they're so big in relation to the helmets.

So, not the best they could have been (that's the horns' fault), but quite nice, in my oppinion.

Classic-Castle.com

Viking Helmet: The Cold Hard Truth

How do you feel about the new Viking horned helmet?

Viking Helmet: The Cold Hard Truth