Brickset Bouts quarter final, match four
Posted by Huw,
The last quarter-final bout in our quest to find the set you think is the best one released since 2020 pits 10305 Lion Knights' Castle against 10350 Tudor Corner.
CommandrCody212 advocates for the mediaeval stronghold, and spiritedmatt for the London pub.
Read what they have to say after the break, then cast your vote. We'll reveal the results of all quarter-final bouts on Thursday.
10305 Lion Knights' Castle
Between two stellar sets, why should you choose 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle?
Certainly this set banks upon nostalgia for sets of yesteryear with raised baseplates, towering walls, and functional portcullises. However, this set finds a way to improve on every imposing LEGO castle of your childhood and manages to do so without requiring a single sticker!
The 21 included figures go a long way with fleshing out this set and the range of printed parts and fabrics including shields of various styles, beautifully printed cape elements, and decorated caparisons is truly incredible. There are frogs of multiple colours, a lamb, two horses, a cow, bats, and even a hidden skeleton located down in the dungeons. There are multiple classic Castle factions represented including the Lion Knights themselves, the Black Falcon Knights, and the Forestmen. These things, coupled with plentiful accessories including extra weapon elements of almost each type, allow for creativity to flourish and for endless storytelling opportunities.
Then onto the architecture of the build itself. While 10350 Tudor Corner features brilliant wattle and daub construction, this set features that and more between its detailed crenellations, well-designed arrow slits and some incredible building techniques for the set’s various functions. Perhaps the most amazing part of the castle is that it features the ability to display this either as an enclosed and folded up castle or a massive spread out fortress, no disassembly required and no need to separate individual floors to access their contents. Perhaps my favourite part is the functioning drawbridge that easily raises and even manages to drop in such a way that the gatehouse is blocked for entry.
In the words of CapnRex101 himself, “This exceptional model represents the absolute best of the Castle range, balancing creative tributes to past products with innovative design features.” This set truly is an ode to one of the most enduring LEGO themes ever produced and will be a set long remembered for its stellar build and amazing displayability. If you haven’t managed to get this set yet, this is certainly one worth saving for and should easily be worthy of your vote!
10350 Tudor Corner
#10350 Tudor Corner, LEGO's 2025 addition to the evergreen Modular Buildings lineup, is a worthy contender in the quarter-finals of the competition—and, I certainly hope, beyond. This set is a (fish and) chip(s) off the old block brick when it comes to what works in one of LEGO's most beloved product lines.
The set ticks all the boxes when it comes to the hallmarks of the Modulars line: cultural charm, ingenious NPU, and a delightful building experience. Despite featuring a surprising variety of colours in its facade, the building retains visual harmony, thanks to the talent of lead designer François Zapf and the design team helping to bring his vision to life. The set is as detailed within as it is without, utilising some of the newest additions to LEGO's parts library to evoke an instantly recognisable atmosphere. Moreover, with such a deep and rich parts inventory, it appeals to fans of almost every stripe--whether wanting to display the model in its fully-assembled glory, enact lively play with the various locations and minifigures, or sort out the hefty "parts pack" to use in MOC's.
Certainly, Tudor Corner is up against stiff competition (one must admit that #10305 Lion Knights' Castle is an outstanding build that elevates nostalgia to LEGO art!), but the nose that nudges Tudor Corner over the finish line first is the innovation of the design. While Lion Knight's Castle demonstrates undeniable ingenuity in its design and build experience, its subject matter remains rooted in a past that is as much fantasy as it is history. On the contrary, Tudor Corner tips its hat to English history while also building upon those historical foundations (literally and figuratively). The architectural style demonstrates a revival of the traditional past, while the community flourishing in and around the building embraces a more progressive future: one characterised by inspiration and inclusion.
I don't think I'll ever tire of eagerly anticipating the newest addition to the Modular Buildings line, but the 2026 model is going to have to pull out all the stops to top Tudor Corner. Our own Brickset community has ranked this set (with a 4.6-star rating) as the best Modular Building released in the 2020's and the best since #10243 Parisian Restaurant (released more than ten years ago!). Although certainly not "cheap" by any metric, the RRP of Tudor Corner--just over half the RRP of Lion Knight's Castle--is within closer reach of most LEGO enthusiasts.
LEGO is a classic toy that continues to assert its place of relevance in our popular culture, and it's thanks to models like #10350 Tudor Corner that our community and its beloved hobby continue to grow. There's no doubt that Tudor Corner deserves its place as the best set of 2021-2025!
Cast your vote!
Having read the above, which of these two sets do you think should go through to the semi-final for a chance to be crowned "best set of the last five years" ?
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84 comments on this article
10305 is overrated
I think there will be again accusations about some Castle mafia… :-) Yes, I voted for the castle!
Such a good match-up. Arguably the best Castle set ever versus the best Modular set ever (possibly). This could have easily been the final bout!
If you use the brickset ratings of 4.6 to prove Tudor Corner is the best Modular of the past five years, then the Brickset rating of 4.7 being higher than this proves that Lion Knights' Castle is better.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Yet you call yourself The Great.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
I agree. I was excited to get it, but didn't find the build particularly interesting. And when complete, there is something off about the scale. Yes, it's a big set, but it is not big enough to be a "proper" castle in the Lego scale. Next to a modular, the treehouse set, or even a big Friends set it just doesn't look big enough. For the price, I expected a lot more.
I'm not the only one who thought that it was appropriate of @CommandrCody212 to quote @CapnRex101. right? Anyway, even if Tudor Corner knocked Eldorado Fortress out in the very first bout, I still voted for it. This is another bout where I'd like to have both and the space for them, if I only had space for one, I know which one it would be.
@CCC said:
"If you use the brickset ratings of 4.6 to prove Tudor Corner is the best Modular of the past five years, then the Brickset rating of 4.7 being higher than this proves that Lion Knights' Castle is better.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Yet you call yourself The Great."
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his shelf-space, he wept, for there were no more Modulars to build."
Actually, the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle. It's not that I don't like Modulars - I fear I would like them _too much_. With this castle, I can stop at one. Or maybe I can buy a second and expand? Or maybe I can just expand by buying a tub of grey blocks, that's up to me. If I get the Tudor Corner, I've suddenly allowed myself to become a collector! Well, that's... that's fine, I can just... buy all the remaining modulars for a reasonable price, right? Right? Hey, does anybody else suddenly hear keening from the rooftops? Is that 71010-14, lamenting the death of my wallet?!
I'm actually very torn here. I'm confident that LKC is going to win here, and probably win the entire tournament, but at the same time, I personally almost lean more towards the Tudor Corner for being something so unique, but I'm afraid that my assumptions about the castle winning is tainting my judgment. I'll think about it for a little while.
Hmmm.... Let me think.... The best ever modular or a pile of grey bricks almost boring enough to be Star Wars.
Good write ups!
I did say LKC was what I was probably going to vote, but I also said that I could switch to Tudor Corner after reading some good arguments. I'm doubting now, so maybe I need to re-watch some reviews again.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
I think it is a great example of its kind and worth the hype, but Tudor Corner is exceptional and a great return to form after the bland Natural History Museum
I like modulars.
I have no strong feelings about Castle sets.
I voted for the Tudor Corner.
@Crux said:
"the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle."
As if Castle line isn't a money-printing device. Look at how much fan service Lego has put out in recent years
@8lackmagic said:
"Such a good match-up. Arguably the best Castle set ever versus the best Modular set ever (possibly). This could have easily been the final bout!"
I'd say 10182, 10185, and 10197 are my favourite. I don't know, maybe I'm old ;)
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
I agree. I sold it after a few months. It made me feel nothing at all. It did have some nice features and techniques, however. I don't have the Tudor Corner however as I'm not into modular buildings at all, so I don't know what set I'm voting for or if I'll vote at all.
Ik got 10305 three times, so this one is easy.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
Yes it is. But so is Tudor corner.
Maybe the castle will win, but it will be a close fight. My vote goes to the Tudor Corner, one of the better Modulars of recent years.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" @Crux said:
"the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle."
As if Castle line isn't a money-printing device. Look at how much fan service Lego has put out in recent years"
I think I made my point quite succinctly. But let's hear it again, for the peanut-gallery: buying one castle doesn't make me want to catch 'em all.
@Crux said:
" @AlexanderTheGreat said:
" @Crux said:
"the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle."
As if Castle line isn't a money-printing device. Look at how much fan service Lego has put out in recent years"
I think I made my point quite succinctly. But let's hear it again, for the peanut-gallery: buying one castle doesn't make me want to catch 'em all."
I'm afraid you are not the only person who buys lego
@iknow_kung_fu said:
" @AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
I agree. I was excited to get it, but didn't find the build particularly interesting. And when complete, there is something off about the scale. Yes, it's a big set, but it is not big enough to be a "proper" castle in the Lego scale. Next to a modular, the treehouse set, or even a big Friends set it just doesn't look big enough. For the price, I expected a lot more."
I don't think Lion Knights' Castle is meant to be displayed next to a Modular, the tree house or Friends sets. There are different scales used in LEGO to keep them cost effective. Any of the Modulars that are businesses would go broke if so few people can enter them at once, as would the City train system with so few passengers in carriages.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" @Crux said:
" @AlexanderTheGreat said:
" @Crux said:
"the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle."
As if Castle line isn't a money-printing device. Look at how much fan service Lego has put out in recent years"
I think I made my point quite succinctly. But let's hear it again, for the peanut-gallery: buying one castle doesn't make me want to catch 'em all."
I'm afraid you are not the only person who buys lego"
Don't be afraid. I only made my point about my own reasons and reasoning. I don't care what anyone else buys, or indeed, what they vote - and I'm not here to influence that either.
You do you, I'll do me.
This is the closest one so far for me. I still haven't decided. Going to have to think a bit harder about this one before voting.
This one is difficult cause I have both.
In terms of Castle Vs Modular buildings, I also have a bunch of previous Castle theme sets and almost all the modulars buildings except the first two.
I want the knights and peasants of 10305 to storm 10350 in a boisterous fashion, as they heard there might still be some beer and wine.
Funny to see people casting aspersions at "castle-mania" whilst arguing for a set with obvious nods to the castle theme.
I like both, this was a tough choice. Ultimately, I find much more value in the castle so it got my vote.
So far this bout has been the most difficult for me to decide which set to support. Both are strong candidates to win. In the end I voted for Tudor Corner, I think the fact that is more colorful and packs so many details in a smaller size set made the difference for me. Plus, if it wins maybe it will encourage Lego to keep improving and innovating in the modulars line which is one of my favorite themes.
Yes, Tudor Corner looks nice on first glance but I'm not a fan of shrinkflation. They reduced the already smaller footprint of a corner building even more by adding the outside stairs and garbage space.
@Spike730 said:
"Yes, Tudor Corner looks nice on first glance but I'm not a fan of shrinkflation. They reduced the already smaller footprint of a corner building even more by adding the outside stairs and garbage space."
Is that irony? I don’t know any more after the spoon thing.
I voted for the Tudor Corner. I was absolutely smitten with it from the first time I saw it.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
I don’t mean this as a comment to stir up an argument. I wrote it respectfully and tried to stay objective, and I don’t want anyone to take it the wrong way. But my take is the complete opposite of the comment I’m replying to: I honestly think the Tudor Corner set is way overrated.
What’s cool about the Tudor Corner is that it uses some really clever building techniques, especially in the timber-frame floor (which really is special, I’ll give it that) and in the little angled section of the pub that uses 1x1 cylinders and triangular slopes. Second, it has very effective surface finishes and lots of small interior details, but these are all just decorative touches or filler for rooms that have nothing to do with the actual building structure. Beyond that, the main construction is basically just a big box. The stairs are nothing special, the first two floors are plain, and the roof where the chimneys sit is completely empty. Even that angled pub corner has issues: a visible gap on one side, exposed hinges on the terrace and a studded entry floor that clashes with the tiled interior floor that’s one plate lower.
The castle, on the other hand, has angled builds everywhere and an internal network of caves, corridors, stairs and fully connected rooms that are on a whole different level. The only downside is that people who haven’t actually built it won’t fully appreciate it: from the outside it looks like a fairly simple castle, and even from the back it can look like a basic dollhouse. You really need to build it and link its modules together to see how good it is. It also packs in mechanical features: you can open it up to see the inside, separate the sections, raise the drawbridge, drop the portcullis, open the rear gate to the dock and the secret cave that connects the exterior via a movable rock to the trapdoor leading inside. My personal favorite bit of the build is the balcony that transforms into a bridge. There are also smaller but clever touches like functional machicolations and even a toilet that dumps to the outside. Sure, it’s a gray set. we would love to see another color, but that’s clearly intentional to match the look of those 1980s LEGO Castle sets.
As for the minifigs and the animals, I’m saving that for last because I value LEGO more for its building system than for its figures. But if you compare prices, the castle still wins, both in unique prints and in sheer numbers: 21 minifigs plus a skeleton and 10 animals (two barded horses, two bats, a cow, a lamb, a bird and three frogs) in a $400 set with 4514 parts vs. 7 minifigs plus a mannequin and just 2 cats in a $230 set with 3234 parts.
I love all the classic LEGO themes and a lot of the non-licensed ones too, but this isn’t about personal preferences or nostalgia. The set 10305 is just clearly superior.
@Oso said:
" @AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Beyond that, the main construction is basically just a big box. "
You just described all LEGO buildings.
@CCC said:
" @iknow_kung_fu said:
" @AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
I agree. I was excited to get it, but didn't find the build particularly interesting. And when complete, there is something off about the scale. Yes, it's a big set, but it is not big enough to be a "proper" castle in the Lego scale. Next to a modular, the treehouse set, or even a big Friends set it just doesn't look big enough. For the price, I expected a lot more."
I don't think Lion Knights' Castle is meant to be displayed next to a Modular, the tree house or Friends sets. There are different scales used in LEGO to keep them cost effective. Any of the Modulars that are businesses would go broke if so few people can enter them at once, as would the City train system with so few passengers in carriages."
Yeah, if you're going to complain about scale, maybe LEGO isn't your thing. :'-) And exactly how much bigger does a castle sold at retail need to be to impress?
Both sets are amazing in their respective categories, I'd argue even some of the best ever, and it's a tough comparison. One's charming in its varied build and colours, while the other's an impressive, if more muted, monument of a build. Tudor House impressed me from the get-go with its design and little details, while I didn't immediately love Lion Knights' Castle, to be honest. But the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me. Yes, it's a grey castle, but it's a great marriage between nostalgia-driven affection for a classic LEGO theme and interesting new building techniques, even if it's not as inventive as certain other 18+ sets in that regard. Each has a really great selection of minifigs too. But really, both of these deserve to be named the best LEGO set of the past 5 years.
Yeah you know everything the LKC write up says about recreating the castles of yesterday but with modern improvements to play on your nostalgia?
Hello, it me.
Consider my nostalgia played like a harp.
I loved building it, I like it on display and I love all the little tricks and features that remind me of the play functions of the castles I had as a kid
The Castle will win because of the Brickset Community's makeup, but Tutor corner deserves some high praise for it's tremendous design and charm, something recent modulars have lacked since the mid-late 2010s.
Difficult! But… that Castle just had played all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. E.g the siege fire hazard tree and cottages would do better inside, the elaborate but brilliant layout still feels a little off for the enlarged scope.
Tudor corner is odd for its historic upper section but works better with its adorable combination or interiors, build and aesthetic. It works better within the limits of its scope.
My nostalgia for LKC is high, but not high enough. Even if I had the money and display space I'd go for the Tudor Corner. That's TC 2 and Nostalgia 0...
I was going to vote for the castle but I took one last look at both and I liked the Tudor Corner better. More colorful and lively.
10305 vs 10350, what are the odds...
Tough call for these two, I own them both but we don't often get a castle so large you have to expand your home to display it so I voted for 10305.
@LegoMKB said:
"...Tutor corner deserves some high praise for it's tremendous design and charm, something recent modulars have lacked since the mid-late 2010s."
We can definitely learn something from this modular.
This is the most difficult choice of the quarterfinals.
@Crux said:
" @CCC said:
"If you use the brickset ratings of 4.6 to prove Tudor Corner is the best Modular of the past five years, then the Brickset rating of 4.7 being higher than this proves that Lion Knights' Castle is better.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Yet you call yourself The Great."
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his shelf-space, he wept, for there were no more Modulars to build."
Actually, the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle. It's not that I don't like Modulars - I fear I would like them _too much_. With this castle, I can stop at one. Or maybe I can buy a second and expand? Or maybe I can just expand by buying a tub of grey blocks, that's up to me. If I get the Tudor Corner, I've suddenly allowed myself to become a collector! Well, that's... that's fine, I can just... buy all the remaining modulars for a reasonable price, right? Right? Hey, does anybody else suddenly hear keening from the rooftops? Is that 71010-14, lamenting the death of my wallet?!"
Well, I have one Modular, and I don’t really want more. I might buy one or two if I really love them, but I’m fine with my 1.75 Modular buildings. I’ll let you decide what the .75 means :D
This one's easy - 10350 Tudor Corner all the way for me.
Not a fan of big grey castle, but defo a fan of the best modular in a decade.
Lion Knights’ Castle for me.
I’ve said it over and over, but The Lion Knights Castle is a beautiful set. My love for Castle may have come from the Medieval Blacksmith, but it exploded after this set. It has to be one of my all time favorites, and it really does not lack much at all. I’m surprised at the support for Tudor Corner so far from the Comments, but I still know who’ll win.
Really old building vs. even older building.
Nostalgia hit vs Modulair beauty
This is a hard one. I have both of these and really like them.
Tudor Corner is the only Modular so far that was so boring to look at in the press release I didn't bother looking at the extra images, which I do for almost every big set. Maybe it's because this past year has been so hectic for me, or because the Modular line has become more boring overall, but I just didn't care. Sure, it's very well-designed, but thanks to the deluge of well-designed Icons, Ideas, and BDP sets, it just doesn't really stand out anymore. Lion Knights' Castle beat this oversaturation by a few years.
That said, what really swings the vote for me: Tudor Corner has a few minifigs and is confined to a baseplate in size and shape. LKC has many minifigs and is reconfigurable. To me, the latter seems more fun to play with, which is my primary voting criterion at this stage. So LKC for me.
@Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
" @Crux said:
" @CCC said:
"If you use the brickset ratings of 4.6 to prove Tudor Corner is the best Modular of the past five years, then the Brickset rating of 4.7 being higher than this proves that Lion Knights' Castle is better.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Yet you call yourself The Great."
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his shelf-space, he wept, for there were no more Modulars to build."
Actually, the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle. It's not that I don't like Modulars - I fear I would like them _too much_. With this castle, I can stop at one. Or maybe I can buy a second and expand? Or maybe I can just expand by buying a tub of grey blocks, that's up to me. If I get the Tudor Corner, I've suddenly allowed myself to become a collector! Well, that's... that's fine, I can just... buy all the remaining modulars for a reasonable price, right? Right? Hey, does anybody else suddenly hear keening from the rooftops? Is that 71010-14, lamenting the death of my wallet?!"
Well, I have one Modular, and I don’t really want more. I might buy one or two if I really love them, but I’m fine with my 1.75 Modular buildings. I’ll let you decide what the .75 means :D"
Fire Brigade and that market street mess? :o)
I love classic castle and I'm not into modular buildings, but 10350 has some undeniable charm. I like 10305 for the most part but it looks awkward when closed, which is a no-go for me when I compare it with an absolute classic like 6080.
I can't bring myself to vote for one over the other, which should be a compliment to Tudor's Corner.
I have enough grey to make a bigger castle. Tudor Corner for the win. Haha
I just don't get it with lion knights castle. Overall the shaping is really nice, but when you zoom in, it just lack detail. There's no extra detail to the bridge other than two vines, most of the castle is built just by stacking bricks like regular, and there are a lot of creative ways to create a thatched roof but stacking tooth pieces isn't one of them. Again, none of these techniques look bad, the whole thing has a very clean look to it. But I also can't say that it impresses me much either
I voted for Tudor Corner.. I like both, but the castle doesn't have a big grip on me. For sure it's large, and impressive due to its size, but I'm not incredibly interested in it. I would think I would given my love for medieval times, but it doesn't translate to Lego, certainly not this set at least. Tudor corner is one of my favorite modulars though. I love the color blocking, the unique walls, and overall fun.
The finals are going to be HARD choices.
@yellowcastle said:
" @Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
" @Crux said:
" @CCC said:
"If you use the brickset ratings of 4.6 to prove Tudor Corner is the best Modular of the past five years, then the Brickset rating of 4.7 being higher than this proves that Lion Knights' Castle is better.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
" 10305 is overrated"
Yet you call yourself The Great."
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his shelf-space, he wept, for there were no more Modulars to build."
Actually, the fact that the Modulars-line is such an effective money-printing device is why I cast a vote for the castle. It's not that I don't like Modulars - I fear I would like them _too much_. With this castle, I can stop at one. Or maybe I can buy a second and expand? Or maybe I can just expand by buying a tub of grey blocks, that's up to me. If I get the Tudor Corner, I've suddenly allowed myself to become a collector! Well, that's... that's fine, I can just... buy all the remaining modulars for a reasonable price, right? Right? Hey, does anybody else suddenly hear keening from the rooftops? Is that 71010-14, lamenting the death of my wallet?!"
Well, I have one Modular, and I don’t really want more. I might buy one or two if I really love them, but I’m fine with my 1.75 Modular buildings. I’ll let you decide what the .75 means :D"
Fire Brigade and that market street mess? :o)"
Good guess! No, it’s actually the Art of Chocolate. Which I consider to be .75, but it could also be less.
Darn I accidentally voted for lion knights, I like Tudor corner more though
@Emmafofemma said:
"Darn I accidentally voted for lion knights, I like Tudor corner more though"
How awesome would it be if it came down to 1 vote?!
Don't fret, Donna Moss made the same mistake. :o)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyYk57hCcaU
Tudor corner is a nice modular for sure, maybe even the best in recent years. But it's still a rather generic city building with standard figures. What makes it distinct is an angle and a bit of timber framing. Lion Knights Castle on the other hand just screams LEGO!!! when you look at it. It's pure fun and joy and fantasy, and escapism, and yes, nostalgia. What's wrong with that? We're all adults here.
This to me was the only tough choice so far.
But in the end I just had to give my vote to Tudor Corner.
@AlexanderTheGreat said:
"10305 is overrated"
You'll sleep whith a horses head tonight!
-- Castle Mafia
10350 was a return to form for modulars, clinched it for me.
10305 is definitely NOT overrated though.
I don't own either of these sets, so going by which I would be more excited to have appear at my doorstep. I think I would be slightly more excited to see the castle, although both would elicit a "woohoo!".
We own both sets and both amazing and in our top sets of all time. Castle gets it for us with its playability.
Folks missing some of the ingenious design features of 10305, especially the balcony that turns it a battlement when you expand the set and the pioneering thatched roof.
Tudor Corner is a lovely modular, but is it that much better than its predecessors? Parisian Restaurant did it better 11 years ago with more aesthetically pleasing colors.
Lion Knights Castle built on (pardon the pun) the legacy of predecessors and was the summit of a theme that people had previously only dreamed about in an official set.
Also, LKC accomplishes both display and play. It has a ton of play features while Tudor Corner has a cute interior that no one will ever see once they put it on a shelf. LKC has the drawbridge, the portcullis, the dungeon escape and the water wheel. The 21 minifigures invite you to create a story. Meanwhile, Tudor Corner will join your other Modulars on the shelf and collect dust, admired but unloved.
Here is how I look at this one: modulars come every years; some are great, some okey-ish, some vintage. Castles (and Space and Pirates btw) come every decade; if that. I'm not particularly a Castle fan (I will vote for 10283 a thousand times before I pick a castle set) but I truly enjoy when Lego send a love-letter in the form of a tribute to the previous themes which made most of us a devoted Lego fan - even in adulthood. Even the box art is a nice nod to the time when it all began. (I'm not a pirates fan either but still got 21322 and 10320).
So far, I have 9 modulars. Come next Jan. I will probably have 10 - unless it is a complete disaster. I do not buy Bricklink sets, so this is my only way to get an offical 'Castle' set outside of GWPs (which I got) and Creator 3-for-1(which I will also get). Despite Tudor Corner being very nice with fantastic geometry on the roof, scarcity did it for me for this round. I voted 10305.
I find it interesting that against D&D the Castle could do no wrong; and here suddenly all its shortcomings are widely exposed. I wonder what would be the poll between 21348 and 10350?
I love the castle. Looking forward to building it again this year and adding that giant 3-in-1 dragon.
In the interests of domestic harmony and avoiding having a look of bewildered and betrayed horror bestowed upon me, I voted castle, but between the comments and me I do think the Tudor Corner is excellent (definitely in my top three Modulars, maybe even my favourite depending on mood) and while the castle is obviously great and very likely the ultimate in Lego castle achievement, it is very… large.
I am not especially fond of large.
Modulars are my thing, it’s the main reason of my Lego existence! And I really like Tudor Corner.
But I voted for Lion Castle! I really enjoyed all aspects of the build, it looks great in both its display modes!
buona sera.
The Castle Maffia has arrived.
Lion Knights' Castle for the win!
I like both sets a lot, but there can only be one winner: LKC!
Regardless of how Tudor Corner ends up doing here (and in further bouts if it wins this one), I bet it'll do well in the Best Set of 2025 poll?
I like both but if you just look at each, the tudor is clearly the most aesthetically pleasing. However, I think the whole competition will be won by either knights, LOTR, or SW fanboys.
@megafig said:
"I like both but if you just look at each, the tudor is clearly the most aesthetically pleasing. However, I think the whole competition will be won by either knights, LOTR, or SW fanboys. "
So - knights, fantasy-knights, or space-knights?
Tudor Corner is my favourite modular except for Parisian Restaurant. But Lion Knights Castle is objectively (in my subjective opinion) the best castle ever made by LEGO.
@megafig said:
"I like both but if you just look at each, the tudor is clearly the most aesthetically pleasing. "
Nope. When I look at each of them, the Tudor Corner is not the most aesthetically pleasing. So your statement should be "I like both but if I just look at each, the tudor is clearly the most aesthetically pleasing. "
@megafig said:
"I like both but if you just look at each, the tudor is clearly the most aesthetically pleasing. However, I think the whole competition will be won by either knights, LOTR, or SW fanboys. "
Ignoring the spacemen? The Space Mafia's coming for you...
Castle FTW!
Castle fans VS Modulars fans? We are gonna have riots on the streets, folks.
I think this is the first bout where I can actually say that I have both sets. I had a few castle sets as a child, so LKC did lure out some nostalgic memories, but the modulars definitely play part in taking me out of my dark ages and getting LKC in the first place. As an adult, I appreciate the modulars more than castle nostalgia.
Tudor Corner is one of the better modulars, packed with detail in and out. But personally I don't think it's the best, not even from the last 5 years. There's something weird about the build, it just didn't feel as satisfying as other ones. I think they tried to put too much into it, so it feels overly incoherent. Especially when you consider the interior. The angled wall is great, but I can't get over the feeling that it's a bit of a cop-out that it's only at the ground floor. Not to mention the fact that it's definitely a bar, but it definitely isn't a bar. Three businesses and an apartment in one modular sounds great, but it unfortunately means none of them are what they could have been. The entire point of the modulars is that they combine into something greater, it's in their nature to not be especially strong on their own.
Lion Knights Castle is strong on its own. Very. So if I judge these two separately, as sets, it turned out to be an easy choice this time after all.
@TS013 said:"I think this is the first bout where I can actually say that I have both sets."
That hasn't happened for me, and won't happen either, as of all the sets in this whole thing, I only have Eldorado Fortress and Galaxy Explorer. And Eldorado Fortress was the very first set to be eliminated.
@RTS013 said:
"The angled wall is great, but I can't get over the feeling that it's a bit of a cop-out that it's only at the ground floor."
Why is it a cop-out? Lots of buildings have cantilevered sections. My townhouse extends about one foot over the first floor on both sides, though not every unit in my complex (or even my building) does. I’ve seen corner buildings where the entire corner is facetted, and I’ve seen others where only the entrance is. The point of doing the entrance like that is more about making the door accessible to patrons approaching from either cross street, rather than just cutting the entire corner off as a stylistic choice (though that’s certainly a valid reason). While building out the floor may be more of a challenge, once you’ve done so, framing the corner with 90° angles everywhere is a lot easier to build.
@PurpleDave said:
" @RTS013 said:
"The angled wall is great, but I can't get over the feeling that it's a bit of a cop-out that it's only at the ground floor."
Why is it a cop-out? Lots of buildings have cantilevered sections. My townhouse extends about one foot over the first floor on both sides, though not every unit in my complex (or even my building) does. I’ve seen corner buildings where the entire corner is facetted, and I’ve seen others where only the entrance is. The point of doing the entrance like that is more about making the door accessible to patrons approaching from either cross street, rather than just cutting the entire corner off as a stylistic choice (though that’s certainly a valid reason). While building out the floor may be more of a challenge, once you’ve done so, framing the corner with 90° angles everywhere is a lot easier to build."
Well, I did begin by saying it's one of the better modulars, so everything I said was intended to be relative to that. It's no doubt a lot easier to design it with 90-degree walls on the upper levels. But as I was trying to explain, I can't quite put my finger on it. It just felt wrong putting it together, and Lion Knights Castle didn't.
I know loads of buildings have different facets on different levels, that's fine, and probably fair that they tried it here. But I think it felt more like a part of the building is cut away on the upper floors, rather than the ground floor having been extended, if you know what I mean? The shape makes the building smaller, not larger.
I usually like when there's more outside space on the ground, like with Assembly Square for example, but I also think that the walls must still line up with adjacent buildings on the sides that are intended to butt up against other sets. The modular system usually have 6 studs of sidewalk on the edge of the baseplate, but the wall on the 2nd level of Tudor Corner is 11 studs in. I think that's part of it for me.
But then again, it's not bad, it just feels off somehow. Further enhancing that feeling, in a lot of places they use a bunch of small pieces to do the job that one larger piece could have done. Even when that larger piece is used in other places of the build, otherwise I could understand that they wanted to keep the number of unique parts down. I don't care (much) about the "inflated parts count" per se, but more that it feels unsatisfying to build like that. They do some of that in LKC too, mainly by using 1x4 bricks for the walls. But in LKC that brings a subtle texture to the walls, whereas I can't say that it made a visual difference to TC at all.
@RTS013:
Whoops, I just realized we were talking about different things. Or rather, I misunderstood what you were saying. I dont build the Modulars (and won’t until they make a GCPD set), so I maybe should have looked at a picture first, but it sounded like you meant the walls were in the same plane, but that a corner of the first floor had been cut off to make an angled entrance. It doesn’t necessarily invalidate what I said, but I should have used different examples. Yeah, retail space can get weird, apparently especially in some parts of Europe where real estate is taxed on street-level frontage so the first floor gets messy as residents try to duck their tax bills and retailers pick up the slack in exchange for more display windows.
I was referring specifically to buildings where the upper story is bigger than the lower, and this is the opposite. That’s not cantilevered at all between the first two stories (though the third is cantilevered one stud over the second on the small end of the pub building, which is what I expect to see with Tudor-style timber frames). I don’t know exactly what it would be, though, since it’s not generally a good idea to stagger load-bearing walls inward by such small increments. You’d be carrying the weight of the second and third floors just inside of the wall on the first, and while it’s not impossible, it would require a beefy set of crossbeams to prevent sagging or outright failure.
But there are other issues, now that I look at it. On the same corner, I believe, there’s what looks like a black drainpipe on the second story only. I don’t see where it would originate above the third story, and I see even less about where it goes once it passes through the first, so is that a legitimate drainpipe? And the timber framing doesn’t make any sense (wow, did I not look at this when it got reviewed?). There’s a lower set of timber framing, and an upper set as well, but the only thing connecting them is two windows on the long side. The rest is two plates thickness of whatever goes in the gaps between the timbers, and I doubt that stuff is suitable for carrying the load by itself or they wouldn’t put so much effort into building that complicated timber frame! I mean, I get that official sets need to be more sturdy than the average AFOL MOC, but that’s probably why all the old Tudor style sets used prints for the timber frames instead of SNOT construction.