Castle Sets Year in Review: 2006

[architect]

This week I would like to take a break from the usual weekly set review and look at an entire years’ worth of sets. If this proves popular, I will follow this article with other years in review in the future.

2006 was an important Castle year because it introduced large-scale new castle exclusives, giant siege weapons, and the continuation of chess sets, the high point of Knight’s Kingdom II, and the end of Vikings and KK2.

Check out the article and post your comments here.

[Jansen]

It was the end of KK2! That's good! The sets were pretty crappy, IMO.

[dragonblade24]

I thought it was alright but it could have been alot better . I did get the chess set that was good for the minifigs.

[Avranor]

while the majority of the kk2 sets were not very good, I was just happy that Lego came out with something decent (loosely termed) after a 3 year break from castle. There wasnt anything in between kk1 and kk2 right? the high point of this year was totally the vikings, though I am not a fan of the technic dragons.

[castlebuilder100]

KK2 was not my favorite castle line. In fact it is my least favorite. However, I did get the Royal Kings Castle which was not a bad set. Not to mention I got it on clearance.

[Athos]

Interesting read.

Steve

[architect]

Interesting read.

Steve

Thanks. Do you care to elaborate as why it was interesting or add your thoughts about the castle 2006 sets?

Ben

[Heir of Black Falcon]

2006 was the first year I began to really get back into Lego, though I never completely stopped, I had not actively bought any Lego till 2006 and until 2007 I really only was borderline about the castle series.

I actually think that of all the KKII years 2006 was pretty good. Not the best TLC has done for Castle series but much better than the two years before it. The return of some of the classic castle pieces like the helmet and plain euro armour as well as many of the weapons was very welcome. The shift from the silly bright colours was also a good move taking it into a more grown-up and less 2 year old colour scheme and feel. I really wish I could have gotten the battle at the pass and the rogue ship but the ones I did get from this period were pretty nice. I really, really, wish I'd have picked up the rerelease of the King's castle as well but I still was not really collecting castle. All in all if I had been collecting I would have gotten a few of those sets as they were decent, more so than 2004 and 2005.

Now 2005 and 2006 for Vikings were different. In many ways the Viking series is now my favourite theme TLC has ever done. IN fact I wish they'd release some new ones very much.... more ships. Not all monster like the nice longship but in between the smaller one and the bigger one. The Viking had a good look, had some nice sets, the war machines, boats and fortress were great and I really loved the monsters. The playability of them must be great as they are totally able to pose and detailed. The Viking line is what got me really back into collecting. My wife bought the longboat for me Christmas of 2005 and since that point we liked them so much we went looking for all the Viking sets. This got me back into Lego and the new 2007/2008 castle series kept me in.

R

[Bandit]

Look at KK2. The sets were awful, right? DUH. But, instead look at all of the different weaponry that you could get! There were shields and swords of all different colors! The shadow knights made great army builders, too!

Remember, folks, no LEGO series is completely bad.

[LordZode]

2006 was during my vast Dark Age that began with the end of the Dragon Masters and the beginning of the Fright Knights and lasted until I discovered the 2007 castle sets.

Great overview very interesting article, I do think the 2006 KK2 had some nice sets especially in terms of minifigs and equipment more than set design.

The vikings are interesting and nice however I haven't gotten any of them, I would like a Viking Fortress as a basis for an orc fortress.

It is worth nothing that I made an effort to get the 10176 Royal King's Castle and enjoyed putting together such a huge set at a deep discount.

As a child, I started collecting LEGO Castle as the Black Falcon's had just ended, and my golden age was colleting a great deal of Forestmen, Black Monarch, and Dragon Master sets.

I feel the 2007/2008 castle lines are the spiritual successors of these early sets with their evocative and imaginative factions.

[Voran_the_Scholar]

Between my brother and me, we have nearly every single Viking set. Minus the two most recent ones. I was kind of sad to see this line end without some better enemies introduced. As far as KK2 goes, I'm surprised it was considered popular enough to warrant more than one "sequel" line. I think they did do somewhat better the last time around though.

God bless.

Tom

[architect]

Between my brother and me, we have nearly every single Viking set. Minus the two most recent ones. I was kind of sad to see this line end without some better enemies introduced. As far as KK2 goes, I'm surprised it was considered popular enough to warrant more than one "sequel" line. I think they did do somewhat better the last time around though.

God bless.

Tom

Lines often sell well in the beginning because they are new. A true test of a line is will it sell well in six months, a year, or longer. I think the fact that castle sets had not been sold in most stores since 2000 or 2001 helped KK2. Kids wanted knights, even if most of the early set and figure designs were very weak.

Ben

[bikicsmilan]

KK2 was actually one of the things which jerked me back from my Dark Age. Even though I felt the sets not very well designed, I was glad LEGO had finally returned to producing knights. I only got one small set of the whole line for my 25th birthday and it was then I said to myself that apparently it was by no means a great design, but hopefully it was the beginning of a new start. And now I adore the Crownies!

[Athos]

Interesting read.

Steve

Thanks. Do you care to elaborate as why it was interesting or add your thoughts about the castle 2006 sets?

Not really... but I'll do it for you.

It was interesting to consider all the castle lines together. Usually, I consider Vikings, KK2 and the special edition castle as separate entities. Seeing them all together was a different way to think of them.

My thoughts on the year: it was a weaker year. The special edition castle was disappointing to me.

The viking sets lacked the magic of the initial releases and the army builder sets (viking wagon and chess set) didn't do it for me.

KK2 did improve, but it was still not that good. Battle at the Pass was a good army/armor builder. But I didn't like all the gold and yellow.

I think you should go chronologically, starting with the first year of castle. Why did you start with '06 anyway?

Steve

[Aliencat]

The 2006 series were without a doubt the best sets of the Knight's Kingdom 2 line, but that doesn't say a whole lot really.
I'm sure the 2006 castle sets also include the Vikings line, which I really loved, though they lacked a consistent enemy, their sets were well designed and had a lot of useful parts for any castle builder.