Review: 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle
Posted by benbacardi,
One of the new additions to the Creator 3-in-1 range, 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle, returns to a much-loved theme amongst adult LEGO fans, tapping into the nostalgia of classic sets from decades long past.
As usual, builders get the choice of three models—a castle, a jousting tournament, and a windmill—with a wide selection of minifigures and a pair of well-dressed horses. I was a big fan of 31120 Medieval Castle, a previous 3-in-1 castle of a similar size, so let's see how this new version stands up.
Summary
31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle, 1,371 pieces.
£109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99 | 8.0p / 9.5c / 8.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A fantastic castle with excellent minifigures, and lots of detail and opportunity for play.
- Interesting castle design
- Excellent minifigures
- Decent alternative builds
- On the expensive side
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
The set introduces us to two new factions from LEGO medieval times—the Horse Knights (hence the somewhat unwieldy set name) and the Serpents. The Horse Knight King is wonderfully detailed, wearing a white tabard over gleaming silver armour, decorated with blue and gold detailing and adorned with the crest of the Horse Knights, a horse's head in white on a blue shield, edged with gold.
From the opposing faction, the Serpent Knight is wearing black and purple armour, fringed with scales and spotted with white diamonds. Once again, the printing is excellent and the design very detailed, and slick black hair completes the look.
The King's expression, beneath his crown, shows a stern glare on one side, half hidden behind bushy eyebrows and a moustache and beard. The other shows a wide smile, presumably of victory over the Serpent Knight! His expression, on the other hand, is not so gleeful—somewhat expressionless on one side, and fearful on the other, with stubble and a small goatee.
Both King and Knight come equipped with a large sword with a nicely detailed hilt, and a cape—blue for the Horse Knight King and black for the Serpent Knight. They both also hold shields, the King's a copy of his faction's crest, whilst his opponent has opted for a different shape, showing a large black snake writhing on a yellow background. They are in stark contrast to each other, even down to the Serpent Knight's large black helmet with yellow plume vs the King's gleaming crown.
The Serpent Knight is the lone representative from his faction—the rest of the minifigures all belong to the Horse Knights. Three knights wear identical white tabards over their silver armour, similar to the King's but less detailed—the Horse Knight crest still large on their chest. The Horse Knight Champion wears a helmet with a large visor that can be lifted out the way, and the Horse Knight Spearman a more simple, pointed, one.
Both the Champion and the Spearman have just one expression, a slightly lopsided smile. The Champion is female, and the Spearman shows some signs of combat with a slight graze on his cheek. The Champion's visor is topped with a red plume, and there is minimal printing on the rear to show the fabric of their tabards and the chain mail round their necks.
The third knight, wearing the same clothes as the two above, is an Archer. Her face shows a similar confident lopsided smile to her other knightly comrades, cheeks dotted with freckles. She's provided with a hairpiece instead of a helmet, with her long brown hair tied up in braids.
The last remaining minifigure is the castle's blacksmith, a gentleman with a grey moustache and sideburns, and floppy light brown hair. As befitting his position, he's wearing a simple leather vest over a white shirt, and brown leather gloves. The shirt is simple, but nicely detailed with ties around the neck, and a belt for adjusting the vest at the rear.
The archer has an excellent alternative expression, with one eye closed as she lines up her next arrow.
As you may have guessed from their names, the three knights do each come equipped with weapons. The archer can replace her hairpiece for a blue shroud, quiver on her back and bow in her hand. The champion holds a Horse Knight shield and wields a longsword—though not one as ornately detailed on the hilt as the King's. The Spearman carries—you guessed it!—a spear.
Horses
What kind of knight would you be without a trusty steed? Two excellent horses are provided in the set—brick built in a fascinating way, both identical but in vastly different colours. The Horse Knight's horse is white, and the creature's caparison is striped in blue and white, the colours of the Horse Knight's crest. The Serpent Knight's horse is black, and wears a yellow and black caparison.
Both horses have slightly poseable heads, and I love the use of 1x1 half round tiles for blinkers and the creative way of representing their tails. The legs, however, show some excellent parts usage to mimic the shape of the real animal's hooves and ankles!
The way the horses are constructed leaves a gap in the centre the perfect size for a minifigure to stand in, with their legs hidden behind the horses' coverings. With the King and the Serpent Knight astride their stallions, they both look very ready for a joust!
Medieval Castle
As a Creator 3-in-1 set, you're given three options to construct, but there is always one primary build. In this case, it's the Horse Knight's castle itself. Similar to the previous 31120 Medieval Castle, small sections of the castle are built with bars and clips that can click together to form an enclosed courtyard, or remain spread out to present a more imposing-looking build.
A small corner of the castle is built first, showing a tiny amount of moat at the bottom of mossy walls. Each wall houses an arrow slit, built with sideways slopes to realistically replicate the way medieval arrow slits were wider on the inside of the wall than the outside, to better facilitate firing a bow through them. Above, narrow battlements lead to a small room inside a thin tower, atop of which a flag flies.
The main entrance to the castle is a large opening flanked by small square towers, proudly flying the Horse Knights' crest above the gateway. A drawbridge sits across a narrow section of moat, connected by chains through small holes in the wall to the inside.
The chains are clipped to an axle that can be rotated by the spindles, winding the chain around the axle and raising the drawbridge.
Once raised, the gear prevents the drawbridge from lowering again by catching on the bush on the tan lever—lifting the lever frees the axle to spin and the drawbridge will drop to the ground. It can be raised to vertical, although as you can see in the photo below, even when lowered there's still a strip of moat you must jump!
On the other side of the entrance is another corner of the castle, this time with no tower, but a small room built into the wall at ground level, and a tree growing on the mossy ground between the castle walls and the moat. This external detailing is nice, and I would have liked more of it included—the sections of moat and moss are very small.
The three sections built so far clip together as shown below, with one side using a 1x2 round brick with bars to connect to the clip on the entrance way, and the other using a telescope as the connection point. The hinges, part of the centre build, allow the walls to be angled away slightly, or portrayed in line.
Folding the hinges all the way in allows us to create a tiny enclosed courtyard, but the bulk of the castle is still to be built.
The final section of the castle is more substantial than the previous walls, with the ground floor consisting of two rooms full of details. There are three entrances through from the courtyard—one a stable door, one a proper door, and the middle one an archway with a small covered porch.
Inside, the largest room is the King's banquet hall. A throne, flanked by royal red curtains, sits at the head of a long table laden with food. I particularly like the way the chandelier is constructed, hanging from the ceiling above, along with two banners.
The other side of a large fireplace is a blacksmith's forge, with a small anvil and hammer, a pot hanging over the flames, and some stone steps up to the next floor. It looks like the passageway beneath the steps could do with a bit of a clean!
A small hidden entrance (sometimes known as a sally port) leads through under the steps, concealed from the outside by some foliage.
The upper level of this section of the castle is built in two parts. Above the banquet hall is a small bed chamber, built not of stone but wattle and daub, with a sloping dark blue roof and a narrow watchtower above. A tiny fireplace sits in the very corner of the room, and I love the detail of the smoke from the chimney.
The stone steps by the forge lead up to an octagonal tower, topped with crenellations and flying a flag. It's open to the rear, revealing a small writing desk with quill positioned beneath the larger window that overlooks the courtyard.
These two buildings connect above by a couple of studs each, and complete the main castle building. I particularly like the contrast between the wattle-and-daub bed chamber and the stone tower.
Inside, each room is accessible via the stone stairs and other steps, albeit in a roundabout way, with the exception of the top tower room.
With the clip on one side and the bar on the other, this final section connects to the rest of the walls, completing the castle build. The open sides of the rooms look out from the courtyard surrounded by the walls; presumably this is intended as just a part of a larger castle, with further walls enclosing the rear of the main building—otherwise, the King's banquet hall and bed chamber are rather unprotected from intruders!
Jousting Tournament
As a 3-in-1 set, there's still two more models to go before we've explored all the set has to offer! Staying with the medieval theme, this second model is a jousting tournament. Held regularly throughout the middle ages and beyond, this sport was popular amongst the nobility, where tournaments would take place in front of the King to showcase the bravery and skill of each knight.
The main build for this second model comprises two tall stone towers joined by a covered wooden balcony, from which the King can preside over the tournament. His throne sits in the centre of the balcony, with a table of food and drink to one side and another seat to the other. The Horse Knights shield, flanked by crossed swords, adorns the front of the balcony, which is covered by a blue and white striped awning.
The towers on either side are constructed in a similar way to those in the primary build, and house small rooms within. On one side, we have a small smithy, bed chamber, and practice dummy, and the other, a stable door leading to a trough, a writing desk, and a chest of jewels. Small sections of castle walls are attached at an angle to each tower, one with a covered table with a large keg and table of food, and the other a small armoury.
It wouldn't be a jousting tournament without the knights and their steeds, and these are built identically to those in the main castle model, although both horses now sport more detailed head gear—the black one looks somewhat like a unicorn! The white horse's colours have changed from blue and white to blue and red, and the shape of its caparison is slightly different.
Traditionally, a pair of knights would face each other in a tiltyard, riding towards their opponent on either side of a wooden barrier designed to keep the horses from colliding. This model is completed with the construction of such a barrier, a very simple build using few parts, but one that is rather effective when the model is viewed as a whole.
Windmill
Finally, we can also choose to build a windmill. Constructed in a similar way to the castle, smaller sections of walls are build and then clipped together. The first is a large archway topped with a bell, connected to a small two-storey building with a thatched roof. An elaborate section of stonework hides a door that allows entrance into the lower part of the building from outside the walls.
A more obvious door opens into the courtyard, beneath elaborate curved windows and more wattle-and-daub style walls.
The roof is constructed independently to the rest of the build and doesn't attach to any studs; gravity and friction holds it in place, and it can easily be lifted off to see the single bed chamber beneath.
The next section of wall is smaller, finishing with a short watch tower. I like the use of the greens and foliage to add interest to the wall beside the arrow slit.
Inside, a candle burns in the corner of the tower's single room, and a knight's helmet rests on a stand. Against the castle wall, a small awning covers a seat beside some food and drink on a table built into the stone.
Finally, the windmill itself is constructed, with four large blocky sails that look fairly realistic despite their basic construction. They're attached to a spindle that can be turned from the rear of the windmill's tower to make the sails rotate. Beneath the windmill, blue and yellow pennants fly above a bakery, with an oven built into the rear castle wall and a table showcasing a few wares.
Once again, the roof merely rests in place, and can be easily lifted off for access to the bakery.
When all the sections are clipped together, they make a very dense courtyard if fully enclosed.
When opened out—and they can't be unfolded to stand in a single line—they give the impression of a busy part of the castle grounds, with the tower tucked away behind the small guardshouse, and the bakery selling its goods beneath the slowly turning sails of the windmill.
Two small but cute accessories for the scene are also provided—a handcart carrying a chest and a couple of barrels, and a rather indistinct sheep!
Verdict
Castles hold a special place in the heart of many LEGO enthusiasts, and it's great to see LEGO producing new and interesting models of the iconic buildings. This is a truly excellent 3-in-1 set, with all three models providing a unique build, but none more so than the main castle. When connected together as a whole, it looks excellent and detailed, and I appreciate that it doesn't join into a square but instead forms a more interesting footprint.
The horses are very well designed, and fascinatingly built, and the new minifigures are just fantastic—both the Horse Knights and the Serpent Knight, and I hope we see more of both factions in future!
It would be remiss of me to not compare this castle to the previous 3-in-1 version, 31120 Medieval Castle. This newer model has fewer pieces, and is more expensive, but I think portrays a more realistic castle (no dragon for a start!) with more stonework and better minifigures. I liked the water wheel feature of the previous model, but the horses and better castle design more than make up for the lack of a second moving feature beyond the drawbridge.
It would be interesting to see what kinds of castles could be built if multiple sets were purchased and the alternative models combined into one larger fortification!
31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle is available at LEGO.com for £109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99.
177 likes
90 comments on this article
I love it, even the horses.
Those minifigs are magnificent.
I really, really like this set, will be definitely grabbing it somehow, even if the base price is a little much for me. I never ended up getting 31120, and while I do still hope to pick it up (like 31132!), I think this has it's own merits, and both castles have different strengths and points of interest. I am curious to see all of the builds combined at some stage, the modular system seems like it would allow for some interesting combinations, and of course the inevitable multi-set rebuild like we have seen with 31120. Very good review!
Looks better than the last! Definitely picking this one up. Maybe two (or three)!
A refreshing surprise to see an actual positive set...we've definitely had several stinkers lately. The price isn't high for what you get and the fact that this is a 3 in 1 add even more value to the set. I'm dreading the review of 75419...if the rumors are true.
I suspect I’m in the minority for never having been a big fan of the molded horses - so I’m thrilled by these brick-built ones! They’re ingenious and the functionality is fantastic at this scale too!
@tmtomh said:
"I suspect I’m in the minority for never having been a big fan of the molded horses"
Absolutely. Not proper Lego! Moulded horses, dinosaurs, etc have their place... and it's with Playmobil!
In the main model, does the raised drawbridge leave a big half circle gap at the top of the entrance? LEGO makes 4X8 half circle plates, so it's a shame they didn't use one there.
I've heard a lot of negative views on the built horses from back when this set was announced, but I think they're great. It appears that the king's blue cape is the thicker material, which I like too.
A bit small and lacking details, but the dining hall and figures are awesome. They naturally fit in with 71047-4 Dragonborn Paladin.
It looks like an excellent model, priced reasonably, that should sate the appetite of Castle fans this year.
@Huw said:
"It looks like an excellent model, priced reasonably, that should sate the appetite of Castle fans this year."
One cannot have too many Castle sets, especially since the horses are just brickbuilt, the saddle was discontinued and the barding hasn't been used in any other color/pattern since the LKK. Instead we see one licensed mediocrity released after the other and dozens of fake plants to waste the production capacities on.
LEGO should go back to being a kids toy and leave the adult market to brick companies that actually care about quality and display value, without costing an arm and a leg.
You don't fire a bow, you shoot a bow.
I saw Robert Hardy tell off a reporter many years ago for making that mistake, so it's always stuck with me.
Those horses look like pantomime animals
Really don't like them.
Why did they not use the regular horses?
@Toc13 said:
"Those horses look like pantomime animals
Really don't like them.
Why did they not use the regular horses?"
There seems to be a rule that all the animals in the 3-in-1 Creator sets must be made out of bricks.
When I first saw images of this set, I was excited for another castle but underwhelmed a bit after 31120. Having read this great review, I like it more and will probably pick up a couple of copies when a GWP, it goes on sale, or some other incentive is in play. The minifigures look great and the new factions look wonderful. Even so, it is hard for me to see yet why it is 30% more expensive in the U.S. than 31120. Hopefully, seeing it in person will change that perspective.
@FARLANDER said:
"I love it, even the horses. "
I love it, especially the horses.
@crazylegoman said:
"In the main model, does the raised drawbridge leave a big half circle gap at the top of the entrance? LEGO makes 4X8 half circle plates, so it's a shame they didn't use one there."
It does leave a gap, unfortunately. As I built it, I did intend to mention that in the review, but clearly forgot when writing it!
This was an easy/hard pass for me until this review. Darn you, Brickset. Darn you!
@SimonMClabby said:
"You don't fire a bow, you shoot a bow."
In a similar vein (though not really relevant to this review), you don't drive a motorcycle, you ride a motorcycle.
I have 31120, and am a huge fan of it. I really like this one, too, and could see it being a great companion set. Definitely gonna be on the watch for this one to go on sale.
The one horse looks like it’s wearing slippers and now I can’t unsee that, lol.
Great review! When I was a kid, as much as I enjoyed building castles, I often felt frustrated by the interior furnishings in official Castle sets of the time — especially the lack of less "martial" features like a royal bedchamber, kitchen, or banquet hall. So it makes me very happy that so many recent medieval sets like this one excel in those areas!
Of course, there is naturally a bit of give-and-take when deciding which details to include — unlike many Castle sets from my childhood, none of these builds include a dungeon or catapult, nor any surprise traps for intruders. And unlike the previous 3-in-1 medieval castle or the Lion Knights' Castle, there is no well/cistern or garderobe (toilet). But I think these trade-offs feel very fair overall, and as a 3-in-1 set it encourages the sort of rebuilding you might need to add such features if you were so inclined!
I looked over the manuals of this set yesterday while adding tags to its page in the Brickset database, and I definitely appreciated some little details I'd missed in the official product photos. For example, the cheese slope piece on the anvil in the main build, identical to the ones used for the horses' hooves, suggests that the tradesman in that build is not just a blacksmith, but a farrier (shoer of horses)! This is also reinforced by his smithy sharing a space with the stable.
It's also clever how the fireplace is open on both sides, serving as both a cooking hearth for the banquet hall and a forge for the smithy. Details like these, especially when built from generic multipurpose elements in a 3-in-1 set, really showcase how even small and simple details can give us a glimpse into the lives of a building's occupants and begin to tell their stories!
Something not mentioned in the review (presumably due to having to fit the "minifigs-first" format used for Brickset reviews more generally) is how the minifig parts are combined differently in some of the builds to better suit their surroundings — for example, in the marketplace build, there is a baker built from a female head piece with the blacksmith's vest, trousers, and hair, while the blacksmith's bearded face and the king's blue cape are used on a cloaked spearman/town guard. Likewise in the joust, the horse knight wears the blue cape so that she (like her horse) has a more showy and ceremonial appearance.
As with 31120 before it, I am a big fan of how the modular construction shared for all this set's builds allows you to re-arrange the wall sections, use multiple copies of the set to combine wall sections from the different builds, or even create your own compatible modules to expand the castle even further! It's definitely the sort of thing that provides a great jumping-off point for creative building and customization. I suspect it won't be long at all until we start seeing MOCs built from the set's pieces that find even more clever uses for the generic parts provided here.
The 3-in-1 team has really been on a roll lately, and it's good to see that this set is no exception! Thanks again for the review!
@Feroz said:
" @Toc13 said:
"Those horses look like pantomime animals
Really don't like them.
Why did they not use the regular horses?"
There seems to be a rule that all the animals in the 3-in-1 Creator sets must be made out of bricks."
It doesn't seem to be an inviolable rule — a number of 3-in-1 sets include small simple animal molds like frogs and fish, and 31175 includes two small winged horses and a unicorn which take the place of minifigures as the set's "main characters". But larger animals definitely tend to be brick-built, since that way their pieces can be put to different uses in the alternate builds (for example, how the muzzle of the black horse in the castle and joust scenes is used as the muzzle of the sheep in the market scene).
The same thing applies to some other details that might normally use specialized parts, like how the book in the castle's study is built with a 1x2 plate, cheese slope, and 1x1 curved element instead of dedicated hinged book pieces.
What did the king throw that is so important that it sits with him on the balcony?
He probably would be better off sitting on a throne ;-)
I'm holding off for now since money is tight, but I absolutely want to get this soon. I might actually redecorate it into a castle for the Lion Knights, since they have a way more prominent role in my Castle lore than the Horse Knights
The Serpent Knight looks like the Kingfather just made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
@FARLANDER said:
"I love it, even the horses. "
They’ve certainly come a long way since the Yellow Castle horses, but would they work without the barding?
@benbacardi:
Did you mean “blinders” instead of “blinkers”?
It looks like many of the suggestions I made in this article (https://brickset.com/article/59997/makeover-31120-medieval-castle) regarding 31120 were incorporated into this new castle. I'd like to think that someone at LEGO saw what I said and my pictures and was inspired, but it could just as well be that the design team was thinking along the same lines independently.
I'll be picking up this new castle when the price comes down 20% to 30%; it's overpriced as is. I've already planned some improvements and look forwards to putting them into effect.
An excellent looking set! The builds are simply good castle fare, but I really love the brickbuilt horses. I also appreciate the inclusion of two new factions, it's about time.
@PurpleDave said:
"Did you mean “blinders” instead of “blinkers”?"
They're interchangeable, and blinkers is more common in the UK, where I am from.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkers_(horse_tack)
I'm definitely planning to get multiple copies of this set. Hoping Costco gets it so I can purchase a few at a lower price. I'm trying to resist buying one right away.
This is fine, I guess. I quite like the windmill, even if some people go a bit weird when you mention them these days. What's the name of that one famous pop-culture nutjob who inexplicably hates windmills? Donald J. Quixote? I confess, it's been a while since I read my Cervantes.
The minifigures are pretty good as well, except for that blacksmith. Come on, guy. You look like Lenny Kilmister in a cheap Luke Skywalker-costume. Lose the wig, you're not fooling anybody.
So just as I was expecting. Very solid set. Will get it for pieces for sure
@benbacardi said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Did you mean “blinders” instead of “blinkers”?"
They're interchangeable, and blinkers is more common in the UK, where I am from.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkers_(horse_tack)"
Ah, smoke deflectors. Excellent.
@benbacardi said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Did you mean “blinders” instead of “blinkers”?"
They're interchangeable, and blinkers is more common in the UK, where I am from.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkers_(horse_tack)"
I _may_ have run across this term once before in my life. In the US, blinkers are the turn signals on cars.
This is a great set. The only problem I had with it when I bought it was that the Blackadder knight didn't have Rowan Atkinsons head. I sonn fixed that
@LegoFan39 said:
"This is a great set. The only problem I had with it when I bought it was that the Blackadder knight didn't have Rowan Atkinsons head. I sonn fixed that"
Blackadder, Blackadder,
A bit like Robin Hood.
Blackadder, Blackadder,
But nothing like as good.
:-D
as a hughe castle fun I am greatly dissapointed (again).
Pesonally I find the design ugly (looks too much like the ugly LEGO castles from the mid '20
Also the prices is insane...but that's not a surprise anymore...
@Feroz said:
" @LegoFan39 said:
"This is a great set. The only problem I had with it when I bought it was that the Blackadder knight didn't have Rowan Atkinsons head. I sonn fixed that"
Blackadder, Blackadder,
A bit like Robin Hood.
Blackadder, Blackadder,
But nothing like as good.
:-D"
Queenie would probably approve
Brick-built horses have sure coma a long way since 375-2/6075-2 and 383-2/6083, haven't they. Although even those were better than 1592.
@SimonMClabby said:
"You don't fire a bow, you shoot a bow.
I saw Robert Hardy tell off a reporter many years ago for making that mistake, so it's always stuck with me."
Isn't "release" also acceptable? I'm almost positive I remember Aragorn yelling that (in Elvish) in The Two Towers. I'm thinking I may have also seen "loose."
@TheOtherMike said:
"Brick-built horses have sure coma a long way since 375-2/6075-2 and 383-2/6083, haven't they. Although even those were better than 1592.
@SimonMClabby said:
"You don't fire a bow, you shoot a bow.
I saw Robert Hardy tell off a reporter many years ago for making that mistake, so it's always stuck with me."
Isn't "release" also acceptable? I'm almost positive I remember Aragorn yelling that (in Elvish) in The Two Towers. I'm thinking I may have also seen "loose.""
Honestly, my understanding is you draw the bow and loose/shoot the arrow. I’ve never heard anyone say you shoot the bow, but you certainly don’t fire it with no gunpowder involved. And if you want the arrow to be on fire, you still don’t fire it. You light it. Unless it was a substandard arrow and you’re handing it a pink slip.
The horses are terrible. Bleh
Thank you @benbacardi for mentioning that this castle has a big hole in the back side. It is shown on 360 deg animation on official site but I somehow missed it. It's not obvious from pictures.
Unfortunately that means that the set contrary to the name isn't a castle, or at least isn't a complete castle. For me it's absolutely disqualifying flaw, especially when the price is high.
Another point - the arrowslits on ground level was something the earlier castles had, probably to avoid long, flat, grey sections of walls, here they return although 31120 showed it was possible to build a good looking castle without such gaps in defence.
Third flaw - parapets are too low by at least one brick and merlons are too narrow to hide behind, which means that probably the designer didn't know what they are for.
I like a general look of the main build, I like that there was an effort to achieve something other that square or rectangle. I really like the minifigures. Some mixed feelings I reserve for brick built horses - I understand the idea 'creator set - created creatures' and I like the final effect but personally I'd prefer moulded ones. Just for matching styles with my other castles, so a matter of taste. But with a whole back of the castle not existing at all and the defensive value of fortification left to be 'powered by imagination' this set in my eyes is very, very disappointing. Sadly the 31168 isn't a good successor of 31120 .
Edit: all of that is very surprising because in the set description I've just read that both that creator castles share the designer.
Built this the other day. It’s fine. 31120 is better. This has a weird shape to it. A great castle parts pack though when you can get it cheap. Good minifigures and the brick built horses are brilliant.
The forefathers of Lancer from Nexo Knights.
Excellent. Love it.
Blackadder faction ^ it has now been named and must now remain.
Is his shield a new piece?
I like BB animals and enjoy the building techniques to accomplish such a feat, but of all the pieces ...... a pin-holder/axel plate for a horses bum! ..... strange.
Also strange is a fortified windmill, but who cares. Castle is back (at least a little bit), and at an affordable price especially when compared to the BDP behemoths.
So for army building..... Paladin Dragonborn guy from CMF 71047 D&D - outstanding fig with great printing underneath the armour as well as side printing on the legs and arms. Swop the head and bingo. Unfortunately pricey to get, but maybe the shield alone is better. And as also mentioned - some of Lance from Nexo Knights might be acceptable (but not really IMO).
Blackadder faction - for snake shields yer talking Harry Potter 4730, or Knights Kingdom II 8822 or 8823.
Or be patient and get lucky on PAB or BAM.
@benbacardi said:
" @crazylegoman said:
"In the main model, does the raised drawbridge leave a big half circle gap at the top of the entrance? LEGO makes 4X8 half circle plates, so it's a shame they didn't use one there."
It does leave a gap, unfortunately. As I built it, I did intend to mention that in the review, but clearly forgot when writing it!"
Update the review?
It is really cool, and the figures are overall better (even though I’m a huge Black Falcon fan, have more of those than any other faction), but the build doesn’t look quite as good as the last. I’ll get one, maybe two if it’s on a good sale, but the previous one I got five copies of, and this one isn’t quite as good looking imo. Am happy to finally get that crown piece I’ve been looking for for years, though
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Brick-built horses have sure coma a long way since 375-2/6075-2 and 383-2/6083, haven't they. Although even those were better than 1592.
@SimonMClabby said:
"You don't fire a bow, you shoot a bow.
I saw Robert Hardy tell off a reporter many years ago for making that mistake, so it's always stuck with me."
Isn't "release" also acceptable? I'm almost positive I remember Aragorn yelling that (in Elvish) in The Two Towers. I'm thinking I may have also seen "loose.""
Honestly, my understanding is you draw the bow and loose/shoot the arrow. I’ve never heard anyone say you shoot the bow, but you certainly don’t fire it with no gunpowder involved. And if you want the arrow to be on fire, you still don’t fire it. You light it. Unless it was a substandard arrow and you’re handing it a pink slip."
You can say you shoot the bow, but when saying that you are generally referring to the whole action of drawing the string and loosing the arrow (or releasing the string)
@beatnik said:
"Excellent. Love it.
Blackadder faction ^ it has now been named and must now remain.
Is his shield a new piece?"
It’s Link’s shield from Legend of Zelda, but this is only the second use, I believe.
@PurpleDave said:
" @beatnik said:
"Excellent. Love it.
Blackadder faction ^ it has now been named and must now remain.
Is his shield a new piece?"
It’s Link’s shield from Legend of Zelda, but this is only the second use, I believe."
Fourth? The mould also appears in 42674 and 21358.
@PurpleDave said:
" @benbacardi said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Did you mean “blinders” instead of “blinkers”?"
They're interchangeable, and blinkers is more common in the UK, where I am from.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkers_(horse_tack)"
I _may_ have run across this term once before in my life. In the US, blinkers are the turn signals on cars."
Exactly. I'm picturing flashing lights on their eye coverings which indicate what direction the horses will be turning. Silly as they can't see one another in this configuration!
Am I the only one who thinks the B model is a direct reference to 10223 ? I love that set, glad to see it get some recognition.
I was never much into Castle (actually my only set of that kind is the awesome 10223).
But this looks very enticing, and at the usual discounts this is going to be a no brainer imho.
31120 has much more character.
I don’t think the castle is particularly good but I also didn't think much of the last Creator castle. I prefer the Castle sets from a decade ago.
It is also disappointing that they didn't do a serpent soldier. In fact, I would have preferred it if they did a Serpent Castle, even if it meant them reusing the blue and white crown knight and soldier as opposition if they wanted to limit the number of new prints. While new factions are nice, it is not so good if they don't come with some variations in torsos and a few different shields or other heraldic pieces. I don't like the horse king that much, there are too many horseshoes on his torso and legs.
It’s a neat castle and reminds me a lot of the old castles from the 80’s and 90’s; just with actual interior furnishing. It’s also nice to see a bit of equine appreciation incorporated into imagery for minifig sets rather than just being restricted to the mini-doll lines.
The brick-built horses are quite good; with a bit of finagling of angles and hoof pieces they can approximate a fairly dynamic looking trot as well as a square halt. A bit more interesting than the walk stance of the moulded horse. I’m interested in seeing what other gaits I can come up with, though may need to sub in a few pieces to get the correct leg articulation
The main castle and jousting work well, the windmill an after-thought, but can see lots of other potential builds when combined with 31120.
Personally, I like the llamas...
The wattle and daub protruding from the wood irks me a little but other than that it's good. Not a license, no overwrote background story, just a nice castle. For me the Creator sets are for play, not just display.
Love this set. The horses are kind of amazing, and such a nice throwback to the very earliest Castle sets that had brickbuilt horses.
Honestly tempted to buy 2 of these just to be able to have the castle and the joust arena both built on display.
Some parts of the build horses look nice, but overall, I'd rather have had real horses. I assume this was a cost issue. We are seeing more and more "micro-builds" in sets, which increases the piece count but gives a bit less realism, IMO.
However, the biggest issue I have with this otherwise really nice set is the fact that once you turn it around to the "back" it looks like half the castle is missing. Unlike 31120, which made a complete, enclosed castle, this looks like a cannon battle blew off the back half! Something's not right here, and it will be very interesting to see if the two alternate builds will make a more complete, enclosed castle when all three are connected together.
Could have been horse..
As a history/fantasy fan I'm glad this set exists, but to me it looks like an inferior build and a worse value than 31120. It sadly seems to be the overall trend with LEGO these days.
I will likely still buy it, however only if: 1) I'll see it at least 25% off 2) there will be good alt MOCs on Rebrickable
@KeithB said:
"Some parts of the build horses look nice, but overall, I'd rather have had real horses. I assume this was a cost issue."
No, it's so that the horses can be rebuilt into new designs with different barding.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @KeithB said:
"Some parts of the build horses look nice, but overall, I'd rather have had real horses. I assume this was a cost issue."
No, it's so that the horses can be rebuilt into new designs with different barding."
Yeah, the molded horses are a bit of a one-trick pony, in that regard.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @KeithB said:
"Some parts of the build horses look nice, but overall, I'd rather have had real horses. I assume this was a cost issue."
No, it's so that the horses can be rebuilt into new designs with different barding."
Yeah, the molded horses are a bit of a one-trick pony, in that regard."
You're not wrong, you're just getting your animals mixed up.
@PurpleDave said:
" @beatnik said:
"Excellent. Love it.
Blackadder faction ^ it has now been named and must now remain.
Is his shield a new piece?"
It’s Link’s shield from Legend of Zelda, but this is only the second use, I believe."
Aha.....thanks. Knew I'd seen it somewhere before and it wasn't in the CMFs.
It's a nice set, but it's really overpriced compared to 31120.
@CCC said:
"I don’t think the castle is particularly good but I also didn't think much of the last Creator castle. I prefer the Castle sets from a decade ago.
It is also disappointing that they didn't do a serpent soldier. In fact, I would have preferred it if they did a Serpent Castle, even if it meant them reusing the blue and white crown knight and soldier as opposition if they wanted to limit the number of new prints. While new factions are nice, it is not so good if they don't come with some variations in torsos and a few different shields or other heraldic pieces. I don't like the horse king that much, there are too many horseshoes on his torso and legs."
We are getting bad guys castle next year it seems. It is teased on the Castle boxart. (Castle was teased on Dragon)
I like it overall. I don't love the price, and in reality if I can get the figures off of PAB, I'd be set. But otherwise I will likely pick it up if I find it on sale. I like some aspects of the build.
@lordofdragonss said:
" @CCC said:
"I don’t think the castle is particularly good but I also didn't think much of the last Creator castle. I prefer the Castle sets from a decade ago.
It is also disappointing that they didn't do a serpent soldier. In fact, I would have preferred it if they did a Serpent Castle, even if it meant them reusing the blue and white crown knight and soldier as opposition if they wanted to limit the number of new prints. While new factions are nice, it is not so good if they don't come with some variations in torsos and a few different shields or other heraldic pieces. I don't like the horse king that much, there are too many horseshoes on his torso and legs."
We are getting bad guys castle next year it seems. It is teased on the Castle boxart. (Castle was teased on Dragon)"
I caught that too. I sincerely hope this turns out to be true...
As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me.
@HeriSanmi said:
"As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me."
I'm kind of baffled by how positive this review is -- and how positive most of the commenters are. Most other reviews are far more critical, and rightfully so, since this set is such a step down from 31120 Medieval Castle. The only thing where this new castle reigns supreme is in the minifigure selection, which is truly astounding. The dining room is nice too, but the whole thing just looks awkward and unfinished as a whole, not to mention really unstable when closed up, so I'm surprised that isn't even addressed in the review.
Sure, it's an 8+ Creator 3-in-1 castle, so it's not aimed at adult builders per se, but this doesn't look like a LEGO set released in 2025 to me. It has some strong 80s and 90s castle vibes going on in terms of building techniques, even including those tower panels, which I didn't realise LEGO even made anymore. Those don't seem to fit within the 3-in-1 philosophy, do they?
I don't even mind the brick-build horses. Sure, I prefer moulded horses with those classic horse barding pieces, but with this being a 3-in-1 set, that's to be expected. Easy enough to switch those out with moulded horses if you want to. This is also one of the few 3-in-1 sets where I strongly prefer one of the alternate builds. The jousting set is superior to the main build, in my opinion, even if it is a tribute to a 15-year old set that is way better than this one is.
However, this is a castle set, with amazing new figures, so I will be getting it, eventually. Maybe even two, if the folks over at Rebrickable come up with neat alternate builds, which I'm sure will be better than the official one. If not, I'm going to build the jousting tournament. Would look nice next to some other castles.
I simply don't understand how kneee-jerk my reaction to castle sets is. I would have nominated 31120 for best 2020s set if I hadn't missed the vote. Simply love that set, even though I've no interest in the dragon. It's rich, varied, and looks like a complete entity. This, by contrast, looks like the dreadful 80s castle wall sets, grey and simplistic. I love the horses, though.
I was hoping this might give me a reason not to have to tie myself in knots over 10305 before it's retired. No such luck.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @HeriSanmi said:
"As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me."
I'm kind of baffled by how positive this review is -- and how positive most of the commenters are. Most other reviews are far more critical, and rightfully so, since this set is such a step down from 31120 Medieval Castle..."
One was given a bribe from the LEGO group, the others speaks freely.
@followsclosely said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @HeriSanmi said:
"As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me."
I'm kind of baffled by how positive this review is -- and how positive most of the commenters are. Most other reviews are far more critical, and rightfully so, since this set is such a step down from 31120 Medieval Castle..."
One was given a bribe from the LEGO group, the others speaks freely.
"
I'm sure no bribery was involved, but some Brickset reviewers are considerably less critical than others. That's not a necessarily bad thing, considering this is a toy for kids and not an adult collectible, but saying this set is 'truly excellent' is an exaggeration on the reviewer's part. Yes, the minifigs are truly excellent, and the main build is fine for kids, but for adult fans it's okay at best.
Also, stating this new Creator 3-in-1 castle is more 'realistic' than the previous one (because it lacks a dragon?) and claiming it has a 'better castle design' doesn't properly reflect the actual product, and sort of dismisses the previous castle as a lesser set -- despite the same reviewer being overwhelmingly positive about that set as well. I'm starting to think that, perhaps, this reviewer has listened to 'Everything Is Awesome' a little bit too often, and applies that same happy-go-lucky motto to all of his writings... ;-)
@lordofdragonss said:
" @CCC said:
"I don’t think the castle is particularly good but I also didn't think much of the last Creator castle. I prefer the Castle sets from a decade ago.
It is also disappointing that they didn't do a serpent soldier. In fact, I would have preferred it if they did a Serpent Castle, even if it meant them reusing the blue and white crown knight and soldier as opposition if they wanted to limit the number of new prints. While new factions are nice, it is not so good if they don't come with some variations in torsos and a few different shields or other heraldic pieces. I don't like the horse king that much, there are too many horseshoes on his torso and legs."
We are getting bad guys castle next year it seems. It is teased on the Castle boxart. (Castle was teased on Dragon)"
Other than seeing a distant 31161 on the box front for this set, I’m not seeing anything on either this box front/back, or 31120 box front/back that seems to reference any other sets. What exactly are you guys seeing?
@PurpleDave said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
" @CCC said:
"I don’t think the castle is particularly good but I also didn't think much of the last Creator castle. I prefer the Castle sets from a decade ago.
It is also disappointing that they didn't do a serpent soldier. In fact, I would have preferred it if they did a Serpent Castle, even if it meant them reusing the blue and white crown knight and soldier as opposition if they wanted to limit the number of new prints. While new factions are nice, it is not so good if they don't come with some variations in torsos and a few different shields or other heraldic pieces. I don't like the horse king that much, there are too many horseshoes on his torso and legs."
We are getting bad guys castle next year it seems. It is teased on the Castle boxart. (Castle was teased on Dragon)"
Other than seeing a distant 31161 on the box front for this set, I’m not seeing anything on either this box front/back, or 31120 box front/back that seems to reference any other sets. What exactly are you guys seeing?"
Look on the left on 31168 Boxart
@lordofdragonss said:
"Look on the left on 31168 Boxart "
…
I don’t know how I managed to miss that, especially with how close it is to the Dragon. And I didn’t even look at the Dragon’s box that closely, but was instead looking at the Lion Knight’s Castle. And now that I have looked at that box…man, I may have to buy that to build a better/submerged sea serpent for the Viking ship. I’ve never been a fan of that one, but I haven’t had the time nor energy to invest in the massive overhaul it would require to fix. The unfortunate part is that one does pack better than I expect the green one will, even after I lop off the “bottom” half.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @HeriSanmi said:
"As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me."
I'm kind of baffled by how positive this review is -- and how positive most of the commenters are. Most other reviews are far more critical, and rightfully so, since this set is such a step down from 31120 Medieval Castle. The only thing where this new castle reigns supreme is in the minifigure selection, which is truly astounding. The dining room is nice too, but the whole thing just looks awkward and unfinished as a whole, not to mention really unstable when closed up, so I'm surprised that isn't even addressed in the review.
Sure, it's an 8+ Creator 3-in-1 castle, so it's not aimed at adult builders per se, but this doesn't look like a LEGO set released in 2025 to me. It has some strong 80s and 90s castle vibes going on in terms of building techniques, even including those tower panels, which I didn't realise LEGO even made anymore. Those don't seem to fit within the 3-in-1 philosophy, do they?
I don't even mind the brick-build horses. Sure, I prefer moulded horses with those classic horse barding pieces, but with this being a 3-in-1 set, that's to be expected. Easy enough to switch those out with moulded horses if you want to. This is also one of the few 3-in-1 sets where I strongly prefer one of the alternate builds. The jousting set is superior to the main build, in my opinion, even if it is a tribute to a 15-year old set that is way better than this one is.
However, this is a castle set, with amazing new figures, so I will be getting it, eventually. Maybe even two, if the folks over at Rebrickable come up with neat alternate builds, which I'm sure will be better than the official one. If not, I'm going to build the jousting tournament. Would look nice next to some other castles."
I plan on making an alt for it, so I may buy two. They will I’m sure. Trying to decide if I should just alt that exclusively, or if I should combine a few. It’ll take a bit though, that’s for sure.
@Sethro3
How so? Adjusted for inflation, it’s just $10 more. Sure it has fewer pieces, but the all new printed minifigures make up for it in my view.
I guess the obvious answer that sometimes people simply like things more - or less - than you do isn’t so obvious. A review is inherently a subjective, personal opinion, and those will vary. Total consensus is rare.
@Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @HeriSanmi said:
"As lover of LEGO Castle, I must say that I do not like it. Horses must be as usual, not brick built. Two new factions but only one from the Serpents. I think I will try to get the minifigures in the Pick a Build and that's all.
The previous one was a real excitement for me."
I'm kind of baffled by how positive this review is -- and how positive most of the commenters are. Most other reviews are far more critical, and rightfully so, since this set is such a step down from 31120 Medieval Castle. The only thing where this new castle reigns supreme is in the minifigure selection, which is truly astounding. The dining room is nice too, but the whole thing just looks awkward and unfinished as a whole, not to mention really unstable when closed up, so I'm surprised that isn't even addressed in the review.
Sure, it's an 8+ Creator 3-in-1 castle, so it's not aimed at adult builders per se, but this doesn't look like a LEGO set released in 2025 to me. It has some strong 80s and 90s castle vibes going on in terms of building techniques, even including those tower panels, which I didn't realise LEGO even made anymore. Those don't seem to fit within the 3-in-1 philosophy, do they?
I don't even mind the brick-build horses. Sure, I prefer moulded horses with those classic horse barding pieces, but with this being a 3-in-1 set, that's to be expected. Easy enough to switch those out with moulded horses if you want to. This is also one of the few 3-in-1 sets where I strongly prefer one of the alternate builds. The jousting set is superior to the main build, in my opinion, even if it is a tribute to a 15-year old set that is way better than this one is.
However, this is a castle set, with amazing new figures, so I will be getting it, eventually. Maybe even two, if the folks over at Rebrickable come up with neat alternate builds, which I'm sure will be better than the official one. If not, I'm going to build the jousting tournament. Would look nice next to some other castles."
I plan on making an alt for it, so I may buy two. They will I’m sure. Trying to decide if I should just alt that exclusively, or if I should combine a few. It’ll take a bit though, that’s for sure."
Curious what you come up with!
Wow, another plain grey castle set... But it still looks great
But I'm starting to see a bad trend with Creator sets... Why not use normal animals instead of making them with pieces? That looks weird. Many dogs in Creator sets were made like that...
@Krutak said:
"Wow, another plain grey castle set... But it still looks great
But I'm starting to see a bad trend with Creator sets... Why not use normal animals instead of making them with pieces? That looks weird. Many dogs in Creator sets were made like that..."
It’s because pre-made animals don’t have pieces that can be repurposed to make something different for the B and C builds, whereas brick-built animals do. They don’t stick to it 100% but 3-in-1 kits very rarely have moulded animals for that reason, which is a bit divisive but probably makes sense at least some of the time.
@Hiratha said:
" @Krutak said:
"Wow, another plain grey castle set... But it still looks great
But I'm starting to see a bad trend with Creator sets... Why not use normal animals instead of making them with pieces? That looks weird. Many dogs in Creator sets were made like that..."
It’s because pre-made animals don’t have pieces that can be repurposed to make something different for the B and C builds, whereas brick-built animals do. They don’t stick to it 100% but 3-in-1 kits very rarely have moulded animals for that reason, which is a bit divisive but probably makes sense at least some of the time. "
Yeah, makes sense
I for one hate brick-built animals so much that their inclusion here is a dealbreaker for this entire set for me, lol.
I got really excited too at first glance. Besides the horses it's almost the perfect Castle set. But they had to go and ruin it. Makes me sad.
They could have easily included 2 horses with new barding prints here too, they just didn't want to for cost saving. If they can put 3 new molded pony's and a bird in a Creator 3-in-1 set, they can use regular horses here too.
Wish I would get 20% more salary every 4 years too, like LEGO does it's price increases.
I am in the middle of building this set and I am really enjoying it. A couple of things to add to the comments so far.
This set seems to pay homage to several past iconic sets. The main build gives a strong nod to 6074 Black Falcon's Fortress. The wattle and daub room in the back right corner of the castle is a close match in style and location to a similar structure in the Black Falcon's Fortress. The B set is the closest match and strongly resembles 10223 Kingdoms Joust. The C set is the most distinct of the three, but still has similarities with the classic 7189 Mill Village Raid. Had there been a brickbuilt goat, the allusion would have been certain.
Castle era sets are always going to have similar features - it is the nature of having a theme like this. But I hate to miss what appears to be some good work by the designer, giving a tip of the hat to past greats.
@R0Sch said:
"They could have easily included 2 horses with new barding prints here too, they just didn't want to for cost saving. If they can put 3 new molded pony's and a bird in a Creator 3-in-1 set, they can use regular horses here too.
Wish I would get 20% more salary every 4 years too, like LEGO does it's price increases."
It's not about cost savings, it's about being able to build the horses and their barding differently for different models.
@R0Sch said:
"They could have easily included 2 horses with new barding prints here too, they just didn't want to for cost saving. If they can put 3 new molded pony's and a bird in a Creator 3-in-1 set, they can use regular horses here too.
Wish I would get 20% more salary every 4 years too, like LEGO does it's price increases."
I do suppose there are toy stores in Romania… And I suppose that like in most countries, after christmas/new year, toys there go on sale. At the moment of the set’s release in Belgium it was already available for 20% under Lego’s retail price. I doubt that during the next two years (or maybe even longer) there will be a single day that you cannot buy this set at a lower price than if you buy it from Lego directly. The best deals will probably be in January/February where a 30% discount on Lego’s price should be very feasible as shops (oth online and off) need to get rid of excess stock.
This is my first modern castle set and I absolutely love it. My 5 year old son also loves playing with it. It is a fantastic playset. I loved the build process and the brick built horses are just superb. Don't know how anyone can hate on them! I had an itch to try and pick up the previous castle 3in1 on the aftermarket but now I've got this I'm not really that fussed/have any urgency to get it. Well done Lego a great set!