Weekly Set Review: [Black Knight's Guardshack]

[architect]

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 1888 Black Knight's Guardshack.

Black Knight's Guardshack was released in 1992 as part of Variety Pack 1891. This guard shack includes a Black Knight soldier, a ghost, and various accessories. The variety pack was only sold in North America.

[Sir Kohran]

A neat little vig for the ghost and soldier. I like it.

8/10

[kajo163]

Hmmm... maybe for the figs and that nice flag... But in all other respects, this is just another one of these small sets...

Joel

[HenrytheV]

Looks like an okay set. I wish it had a skeleton instead of a ghost though.
6/10

[Norro]

Always wanted this to make up for a lost mast-joiner... Still on the hunt. Can't rate it cause I don't own it : (

God Bless You all,

Nathan

[Jojo]

Hello!


This has two spears, two swords, one halberd and ..uhm.. one useful fig. And a ghost. And it doesn't have any catapult on it, yeah! Another couple of green plates is always welcome. All in all it's not the worst model.

...unfortunatelly you have to accept a useless buggy (#1890) and an even more useless Blacktron Two thingie (#1887) along with a sweet Pirate islet (#1889), because this set wasn't sold in a polybag but in a box together with the models mentioned above. They even share one instruction booklet, which is, actually, the reason why I needed to get the whole combined set. Grrr. The number of the complete box is #1891. And even if it was a cheap set back in 1992 it definitely wasn't cheap at all to get my hands on it about a year ago or so when I finally got it.


Bye
Jojo

[TheOrk]

Nice little set, I would have prefered a skeleton to a ghost as well. 8/10

[ottoatm]

I wish it had a skeleton instead of a ghost though.

I agree with this... for a while it seemed like lego wanted to pack a ghost with almost every set they had.

As a collector of sets, I've been putting off getting this set for all the reasons that jojo laid out (and I couldn't put it any better jojo). Collecting castle sets can be a killer to the wallet not because of the big castles but because of all these pesky little now overpriced sets that really don't offer much more than parts.

[Formendacil]

A great complement of weapons: two swords, two spears, an axe. Nice flag and all-around useful pieces- if you except the ghost.

A pity the soldier doesn't come with a shield, but it's still a very useful and good-looking (and generic!) fig.

Parts: 6.5/10
Playability: 8/10
Figs/Accessories: 8/10
Design (then): 7/10
Design (now): 8/10
Nostalgia: 6/10

Overall Score: 7.25/10

[ezehogan]

I don't really understand what this structure is supposed to be. As a guard tower or scout outpost, it seems a bit too low. The "interior" of the structure seems to have no purpose besides housing the ghost.

However, on the whole the pieces are pretty useful. A lot of weapons a nice minifig, the flag, and some useful building elements.

I also think one must consider that this set was part of a variety pack. This set was not the complete focus of the pack, and thus the expectations cannot be too high. That being said, if this were released on its own, it would be better than several other stand alone sets that were released (such as the Royal King set).

I give this a 7 of 10. Its not ground breaking, but it is above par.

[Azaghal]

I like this set a lot. The complete turret top, the numerous accessories, what more could you ask for?

There are really only two problems I have with it. First, as Formendacil said, a shield would be nice. Second, I lost the axe. Also, about the flag, does it come in any sets other than this and the Sea Serpent? Any faction flag is rare, but this is one of the more common ones.

[ezehogan]

It comes with the 6086 castle (as does a large size flag).

[Norro]

...unfortunatelly you have to accept a useless buggy (#1890) and an even more useless Blacktron Two thingie (#1887) along with a sweet Pirate islet (#1889), because this set wasn't sold in a polybag but in a box together with the models mentioned above.

Jojo

Not such a problem if you like some of the other themes : ) I buil pirate after castle, like aquazone, and even attempt wild west ( I seem to remember Bruce being in to these as well in bygone Lugnet days) from time to time. Space is still a little beyond the pale.

God Bless,

Nathan

[quiksand]

I don't think this set is half bad. If only half good. I'd take it if I found one for cheap. This is one set I never remember seeing for sale at the stores, and those years were my prime.

6/10

[TwoTonic Knight]

Lessee, I have 50-60 skellie, and four ghosts - no, I don't think I'd prefer Yet Another Skeleton.

Aside from the ghost and the always welcome scale torso soldier, this is Just Another Small Set. 6/10, almost entirely for the figs.