Review: 75958 Beauxbatons' Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts
Posted by CapnRex101,
Nearly one hundred different Harry Potter sets have been released but LEGO continues to find fresh topics for this range. 75958 Beauxbatons' Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts is an outstanding example, depicting the elegant Abraxan-drawn coach that appeared during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Beauxbatons Academy of Magic has received comparatively little attention within the Harry Potter theme so this carriage seems fairly enticing. Furthermore, four exclusive minifigures are provided. The price of £44.99 or $49.99 feels somewhat expensive when compared with other Harry Potter sets though, based upon official images.
Minifigures
An exclusive Rubeus Hagrid minifigure is included, taking inspiration from his formal Yule Ball attire. The reddish brown coat features moulded pockets and the fur texture around the lapels looks superb, corresponding precisely with his onscreen appearance. Moreover, I like this polka-spotted tie and the narrow orange stripes between these spots demonstrate exceptional attention to detail.
Small legs are connected beneath the enormous coat and Hagrid's arms are attached using Technic pins. These arms provide standard articulation and the hair element looks marvellous, concealing an endearing facial expression underneath. The minifigure carries two light bluish grey paddles to direct the carriage and a trans-clear bottle, perhaps making reference to the Abraxans' diet of malt whisky.
Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is supervised by Madame Olympe Maxime. The same character is available in 75948 Hogwarts Clock Tower and this double-sided head remains unchanged. Both expressions seem quite suitable for the headmistress but an angry alternative would have been welcome, reflecting her frustration with Hagrid.
However, this minifigure wears a dark red dress which differs from the previous version. The intricate pattern appears authentic and corresponds with Maxime's clothing upon arriving at Hogwarts, as one may anticipate for this set. Unfortunately, the pronounced collar is only represented by printing rather than a separate component, although that would have interfered with the hair piece.
Fleur Delacour also appears in earlier Harry Potter sets but this minifigure is exclusively found here, wearing an elegant Beauxbatons school uniform. The bright light blue colour looks fantastic and I am pleased with these dual-moulded legs which introduce dark blue highlights. This torso seems equally detailed, including realistic creases across both sides.
Despite occupying a limited role in both the books and the movies, Gabrielle Delacour accompanies her sister here. These minifigures share the same torso but the younger character includes short legs without dual-moulding. Furthermore, their combined hat and hair elements are completely identical so compare favourably with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, featuring lovely texture.
Gabrielle's head, on the other hand, is unique and includes two different expressions. One side looks cheerful while the other exhibits a sleeping face which is suitable for the second Triwizard Task when Gabrielle is imprisoned by the merpeople. Both sisters wield dark tan wands and this figure carries a printed envelope too, only otherwise appearing in 75964 Harry Potter Advent Calendar.
The Completed Model
Various carriages have appeared in LEGO sets, although this example seems extraordinarily ornate. The bright light blue colour scheme looks perfect, conforming to both the description in the book and the miniature Beauxbatons carriage which is displayed at the Warner Bros' Studio Tour. Its attractive shape seems similarly accurate, featuring dramatic curved bodywork above each wheel.
Two winged Abraxans are connected to the carriage. Seven animals appear onscreen and the book describes twelve but two seems adequate in this situation, visually balancing the carriage itself. This majestic creature looks fairly similar to a horse so that component returns here. The bridle printing is unique but could prove versatile and I appreciate the articulation of the neck and hind legs.
Furthermore, the enormous wings can flap and they include feathered texture which looks wonderful. The yoke assembly seems somewhat bland by comparison, although its reddish brown, dark tan and pearl gold colours are appropriate. This whole structure rotates with the forward axle and can also be angled. Of course, the Abraxans are removable and a white 1x2 plate is provided to replace the hitch piece.
The wheels differ in size and appear attractive, complementing pearl gold highlights which adorn this carriage. The decorative lanterns are particularly elegant and have not appeared in this colour before. There is adequate space to place a minifigure near the front of the model, although I think this area is designed for storage because a medium nougat chest is kept behind the enclosed section.
Bright light blue elements dominate this model, many of which have not been produced in this shade previously. These include 1x1 bricks, 1x4 bricks, 1x2 slopes and 1x3x3 arches. The latter pieces look particularly effective in my view and are connected at an angle above the wheels. Moreover, I like the pearl gold steps on either side of the carriage, although they seem too high for minifigures.
Five stickers are placed on each side, creating resplendent decoration that matches the neighbouring pearl gold elements. The exposed rear axle looks splendid too, employing two suspension pieces that present the illusion of a floating axle. In addition, space is available for a chest above this axle, storing three white teacups inside.
The windows appear reasonably faithful to the original vehicle, although these should extend further along each side. The segmented windows on the doors therefore look slightly awkward, although no suitable alternative part is currently available. Both doors can open but that situated on the right side does not provide access to the interior, instead concealing an unusual reddish brown wall.
Beauxbatons' carriage transports numerous students and staff members from the European school, hence its interior is enlarged using an Extension Charm. That is cleverly reflected here as the model opens upwards to form two separate levels within! Neither floor includes extensive furnishing but the function works perfectly and avoids compromising the robust structure of this vehicle.
Adequate room is provided for minifigures, even on the lower level. A small table is situated here and looks nice, although that is not connected to the floor so it frequently rattles around during flight. I love the internal dark blue colour scheme which contrasts against the bright light blue walls and the reddish brown vaulting appears suitably stately as well.
Before opening the carriage, part of its roof must be detached. This pyramidal section may then be replaced on top, as demonstrated below. The resultant structure looks somewhat odd but I certainly appreciate the option. Once again, the interior detail seems reasonably sparse, although this upside down chest of drawers is superb and reveals the role of the aforementioned reddish brown wall.
Overall
LEGO has generally focused upon consistent subjects when designing Harry Potter sets and 75958 Beauxbatons' Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts therefore stands out. This model seems suitably elegant and its bright light blue colour scheme looks magnificent, accurately replicating the onscreen vehicle. The broad selection of pieces which have not appeared in this colour before is appealing too.
However, including so many unique elements has increased the price to £44.99 or $49.99. That feels quite expensive within the Harry Potter range, although the four exclusive minifigures go some way to justifying this cost. Nevertheless, I would recommend waiting for a discount before purchasing this set, despite its outstanding design and play value.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your opinion of the set in the comments below.
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18 comments on this article
As nice as the set is, it is clearly overpriced and only adds to the perception about LEGO overcharging and becoming greedy.
I buy all the HP sets but will sit on this until it is reduced.
It's a wonderful companion piece to the older Durmstrang's Ship 4768.
I would really like to get this, but I absolutely do not get why we have to pay a premium on carriages. It was the same for the Lone Ranger's one. We are paying for the exclusive minifigs - that is what this is about. A shame that feels like a scam.
This set appears to be the exception to the rule that current Harry Potter sets offer good value.
Still hate the size of Maxime’s arms. Didn’t know about the transformation process. Transformation reminds me of Professor Trelawney’s classroom for Divination.
It’s not bad, but it seems a little bland inside. I think I’ll hold off on this one until I find out if they’re making a Durmstrang ship to accompany it.
Excellent figures, ingenious build, priced for discount. Thanks for the review.
I like it and thought could be a good modification for a train carriage
One thing I just noticed is how overpowering that huge carriage looks for those poor horses, a measly two of them. I mean I wouldn't dream if getting twelve as in the book or even seven as in the film, but four would certainly have looked better, especially at that price point!
A couple details:
1. Maxime's hair/wig in this set is in black not as it should be —dark brown— as it comes in the Clock Tower set.
2. A brick yellow fur collar (26066) like which comes with Boggart Snape (2018) and Newt's Case of Creatures (2018) fits just fine on Maxime along with the wig piece, especially if you twist the face slightly left or right from straight forward. (My Potter display diorama uses this piece on Maxime at this moment.)
Now all we need is an Abraxan “battle pack” in order to properly outfit this coach.
@Mickitat: Don't forget about one of the other factors in the cost of carriage sets—horses. Horses, like minifigures, are made of preassembled components with printing, only larger. That's not to say that other factors like the licensing don't carry a premium as well, but there's a reason why carriages that have to be drawn by at least a pair of horses can be expensive even compared to other sets in the same theme.
I think the only mainstream shade of blue that door hasn't been produced in is dark azure; correct me if I'm wrong. Blue hasn't been in production for a few years but does exist; so do dark blue, medium blue, medium azure, and now bright light blue, which is now on my wanted list.
JK Rowling needs to stop flapping her limbs making snow angels in her big pile of money and get writing more books to support this franchise.
This is interesting. Would have been MORE interesting 10 years ago.
I'm waiting for a much better discount on this set than the current measley 10%. I've already paid full price for 2 of the bigger sets & only 15% off the Voldemort one. There's just too many sets I want right now that I'm trying to be patient & get decent deals or an awesome GWP.
Great review and now I really want to get this set.
@CCC: The body of 79108-1 is about 19 studs long by 7 studs wide 8 bricks tall The Beauxbatons carriage is about 22 studs long by 8 studs wide by 10 bricks tall. So yeah, slightly bigger in that respect.
But perhaps just as importantly, the Beauxbatons carriage has a much more densely packed interior due to having to squeeze in two stories' worth of furnishings.
The yoke also needs to be a lot wider due to the wingspan of the Abraxans, and the overall design of the carriage is more ornate/less utilitarian than the stagecoach.
The best way to really fairly compare the amount of substance you get in each set is to compare the weight (minus the weight of the packaging and instructions). Unfortunately, BrickLink doesn't yet list weights for the instructions and box of this set, so we can't yet make that comparison, but I think it's plausible that it's considerably heavier overall.
Overall, I'm a bit jaded to the Harry Potter brand overall, which is a shame because I loved the books, movies, and LEGO theme as a kid, and it's clear the designers have done a great job stepping up their game from the standard of quality we came to expect in either the original 2001-2007 releases or the 2010-2011 revival.
Ah well! More fun for those who are still passionate about the brand, or for the kiddos who are only discovering it for the first time!
Can’t talk for other territories, but in the UK, I suspect that like Grindelwald’s Escape (https://brickset.com/sets/75951-1/Grindelwald-s-Escape), this set will be discounted or offered as a 3-for-2 soon enough.
@zander Already down to £36 in Argos and at Amazon