Review: 76411 Ravenclaw House Banner
Posted by CapnRex101,
Despite sharing an identical format, the House Banners recreate some distinguishing features of each common room. 76411 Ravenclaw House Banner accordingly includes the vibrant colours associated with this Hogwarts house, alongside a lenticular statue of its founder.
Furthermore, the three minifigures look superb, including some unique elements and a new character, with Michael Corner. However, the cost remains a cause for concern, having already detracted from 76409 Gryffindor House Banner.
Summary
76411 Ravenclaw House Banner, 305 pieces.
£29.99 / $34.99 / €34.99 | 9.8p/11.5c/11.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Between the four House Banners, the Ravenclaw design is my least favourite
- Attractive in either configuration
- Desirable minifigure selection
- Limited use of lenticular features
- Unfinished in places
- Expensive price
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Like the other House Banners, three minifigures are included, each wearing different versions of the classic Hogwarts uniform. Luna Lovegood features the full robes, which have appeared just once before with Ravenclaw colours, in 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets. Although the dark blue and light bluish grey highlights are less eye-catching than the robes worn by students from other houses, they are accurate to the films.
Michael Corner has never appeared in minifigure form before and introduces a new torso, with the same dark blue accents. Additionally, the double-sided head chosen for Michael returns from 10292 The Friends Apartments, so I am pleased to see this cheerful design again, while his long hairstyle corresponds with this character's infrequent appearances onscreen.
Luna's double-sided head was designed for 76405 Hogwarts Express - Collectors' Edition, while Cho Chang includes a brand new design, which expands the selection of warm tan options. Her blue Quidditch jumper is unique too, although matches the style of the jumpers available across the Hogwarts Banners range. The three students also include their wands, as normal.
Unlike the other House Banners, these minifigures are accompanied by a magical creature, as a Cornish Pixie has clearly invaded the Ravenclaw common room! Even though the part number is new, there are no obvious differences between this pixie and the example introduced in 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets. However, updates are unnecessary, as the mischievous grin and stunning trans-opalescent blue colour are perfect.
The Completed Model
Each House Banner shares an identical silhouette, although with different colours and patterns across the front. Ravenclaw's film colours are dark blue and silver, so the use of light bluish grey here is disappointing, especially because so many tiles are already produced in drum-lacquered silver. Nevertheless, this banner looks reasonable on display.
The tiled pattern looks nice and incorporates the new 2x2 curved tile with cutouts, found in each House Banner set. I was relieved to discover that the decorative raven in the centre is printed on a 6x8 rounded tile, rather than requiring a sticker. Several stickers are included, but those are all relatively small and therefore easy to apply.
Opening the banner reveals Ravenclaw common room inside. The transformation is quick and is consistent between the four sets, as the leaves open outwards and the triangular sections of the banner fold to create the floor. Whereas the exterior is dominated by dark blue, that becomes an accent colour inside and I find the interior colour scheme far more appealing.
Similar to the Hogwarts Moments sets produced previously, certain furnishings are stored inside and can be arranged as you wish. These wooden armchairs look great and make perfect use of 1x1 bows for the armrests, beside a pair of lamps. I like their round shape, including white 2x2x1 spherical elements, which were created for BB-8.
The backdrop is densely constructed, so differs from 76409 Gryffindor House Banner, which left larger gaps to show the lenticular panel behind the brick-built wall. However, several stickers are required for detailing, which include the spines of books taking inspiration from 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class and 76383 Hogwarts Moment: Potions Class.
I find the fireplace particularly appealing, with dark blue slopes forming the chimney breast, over two candles. The tiled blue and white crest above the fireplace also provides lovely colour, even though silver should have replaced the white quarters. Additionally, a stickered Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook is found on a high shelf, with Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem alongside.
Rowena Ravenclaw herself appears as a statue, on the lenticular panel. The three-dimensional effect works nicely and I love seeing the tops of neighbouring towers through the window behind this statue, but I was surprised that Ravenclaw's pose remains static. The empty window seems odd too, as though this section of the common room is unfinished.
The lenticular panel slides between four tap elements on the back of the banner, correctly lining up with the windows on the front. I wish more of this panel was actually visible, although relying more on brick-built features strengthens this model, contrasting with the fragile 76409 Gryffindor House Banner.
However, turning the lenticular panel around to reveal the hidden details is slightly disappointing because many of the best features are actually concealed! The carved wings over the fireplace are attractive, with various books stacked on top. Ideally, similar wings would have been built for the front of Ravenclaw common room.
The moving features are hidden too, remarkably. Changing your viewing angle reveals a couple of notices behind the blue curtain, including a list of Luna's 'lost' items. Moreover, the mist inside the crystal balls transforms into an abstract representation of the Grim, an omen of approaching death in the Wizarding World! Once again, I wish these features could be seen normally.
Overall
Approaching these sets, I assumed the lenticular panels would be simple gimmicks and that any brick-built furniture or details would be preferred. I am therefore surprised to suggest that 76411 Ravenclaw House Banner should have made better use of its lenticular backdrop, as several of its most interesting features are completely hidden behind stickered bookshelves.
Nonetheless, the model looks pleasant on display and I like the provided minifigures, particularly with the Cornish Pixie, which is only otherwise found in more expensive sets. Unfortunately, the cost of £29.99, $34.99 or €34.99 is more expensive than I hoped and the House Banner seems quite insubstantial for that price.
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33 comments on this article
I love the lamp design!
Lots of nice details and a nice display piece if you're a fan of Ravenclaw house. Too bad the outermost windows don't have something to hide the plates behind them, because they look unfinished as they are.
Hated the 71022-7 Cho Chang minifig as the skin tone was way too dark. This new one's an improvement.
Ravenclaw is best house.
Rather than keep the hidden sections bare, they probably decided to fill in the design so the lenticular panel could look good when used with alternative builds. It increases the flexibility and if you're paying for the panel they might as well fill it with cool stuff.
This set comes with Cornish Pixie and the Gryffindor set comes with the sword. Do the other two come with comparable unique pieces? I've been looking through pics for anything interesting.
@CCC said:
"It looks like they changed the build / design after getting the lenticular panel printed. Especially that bit in the bottom right. I thought it was fairly obvious that the crest would be printed and not a sticker. It was printed in the first one reviewed, so presumably they will all be done that way."
When the sets were announced, I also assumed the large 6x8 tiles would be printed. Then I remembered the sticker in 41718 Pet Day Care Centre and the enormous stickers from the Hogwarts Moments, so had some last-minute concerns.
Given that there’s apparently a cut scene where Luna takes some of the other characters back to this room, does that make the Hufflepuff Common Room the first room to get included in a Harry Potter set with absolutely zero basis in the films?
@Rimefang said:
"Ravenclaw is best house."
Hufflepuff forever.
I'm not inclined to get any of the banners, but if I were, this would be the one, as I agree with @Rimefang. I know Michael Corner doesn't have cheekbones, but I'm still reminded of 71031-6. I think it's the long hair and the tie-and-open-jacket outfit.
@CapnRex101:
You say the Rowena image doesn’t change? I’m looking at the box in a store right now, and, like all the House Banner sets, they used the House founder’s image as the example of the 3D image. After carefully examining it, it appears that you’re correct that _Rowena_ doesn’t move. She stays still as a statue. However, the background behind the window trellis does move, making this one the only one that presents a faux 3D image (all the others show movement instead). BTW, I can see that the tree silhouette over her right shoulder has shifted in your photos.
I didn’t know Loki was in Harry Potter
I suppose one could swap the bookshelf with the unfinished window (plus a few minor mods) thus freeing the lenticular with Luna's list; at least some scenery behind the window on the top right.
With 2 parts 7343760 (dark blueish grey wing) and 24 other regular parts (plates and bricks mostly) you can create a rather nice set of wings on the mantle of the fireplace (all parts available on pick-a-brick).
@Rimefang said:
"Ravenclaw is best house."
Ah, a Ravenclaw, splendid! I'm a Hufflepuff myself...
@Timmy1971 said:
"I didn’t know Loki was in Harry Potter"
He wasn't.
@PurpleDave said:
"Given that there’s apparently a cut scene where Luna takes some of the other characters back to this room, does that make the Hufflepuff Common Room the first room to get included in a Harry Potter set with absolutely zero basis in the films?"
It happens in the books...
I kind of like these sets, but they should be $20 max. It's a very small mostly 2D wall, 3 figures, and then of course Lego believes the "lenticular panels" are worth $15 when its a 50 cent sheet of plastic.
This set looks like it's priced with a 20% discount built in. This meh at $35 but decent at $28.
@lcfilipe:
I mean, a lot of things happened in the books, but I remember specifically reading about that scene in relation to the films, or possibly a game based on the films. Peeves was filmed, and cut, and still got a minifig because they submitted production materials that included the character. The point is twofold. If I'm remembering correctly, and there is material in the WB archives that shows the Ravenclaw Common Room, that would be the first time they've gone back to something that didn't make it into the film after the film was released, yes? And there is zero basis for the Hufflepuff Common Room within the scope of the license. I think it was included in the LEGO Harry Potter games, but even in the books, doesn't it just get a passing mention?
I agree with a lot of this review, if not everything. Like, omg the amount of stuff hidden by the build is annoying, and I can't really imagine a way out of that that would get rid of the gimmick of the set being foldable.
That sheet in the back counts as it's own piece in the inventory, so I wonder if/when we'll get it or one of the other 3 as RPotD.
The Ravenclaw crest looks like a hybrid between a eagle and a raven however I see some official merchandise use the same bird so I guess that is not Lego fault that the license holders do not know how a eagle looks ..
@TheIronBadger said:
" @Timmy1971 said:
"I didn’t know Loki was in Harry Potter"
He wasn't."
Pssst, it’s a joke based on how similar the Michael Corner fig looks to the TVA Loki fig
@PurpleDave said:
" @lcfilipe :
I mean, a lot of things happened in the books, but I remember specifically reading about that scene in relation to the films, or possibly a game based on the films. Peeves was filmed, and cut, and still got a minifig because they submitted production materials that included the character. The point is twofold. If I'm remembering correctly, and there is material in the WB archives that shows the Ravenclaw Common Room, that would be the first time they've gone back to something that didn't make it into the film after the film was released, yes? And there is zero basis for the Hufflepuff Common Room within the scope of the license. I think it was included in the LEGO Harry Potter games, but even in the books, doesn't it just get a passing mention?"
Yes, I believe you are correct. There are scenes in the books that take place in all of the common rooms- except Hufflepuff. No direct description of a scene there, to my recollection.
However, given the nature of the material, I'm sure this fits well within the license. There are plenty of mentions of the Hufflepuff common room in the films.
The worst of the banners.
Which is something because they are all quite lame.
@CCC said:
" @Roebuck said:
"The Ravenclaw crest looks like a hybrid between a eagle and a raven however I see some official merchandise use the same bird so I guess that is not Lego fault that the license holders do not know how a eagle looks .."
The crest is a raven in the movies. These sets are based on the movies, not the books. That is also why they are blue and silver (grey) as in the movies rather than blue and bronze as in the books."
I thought it looked like a raven as well and clearly @CapnRex101 thinks so. But, It seems it is always supposed to be an eagle for Ravenclaw.
From Wizarding World:
The eagle represents Ravenclaw and appears in many places throughout Hogwarts – including the bronze eagle knocker of the Ravenclaw common room! The eagle is a symbol of strength, immortality and closely linked to gods Zeus and Odin.
https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/the-symbolism-of-ravenclaw-house
@Ridgeheart:
Yeah, Odin is more of a devious god than Zeus, and the Creator Opera Viking Ship even has two ravens on the yardarms. Due to most C3n1 animals being brickbuilt, I’m unsure if they’re supposed to be live ravens, or carvings that are part of the vessel, though. And the Vikings series had an episode where someone was subjected to the blood-eagle. I had never even heard of that before, although it sounds like historians are uncertain if it was actually done in practice, or if it’s just something they claimed to have done.
$30 Cornish Pixie.
Cornish Pixie at a cheap price?
Satisfactory!
* Probably waiting for a bigger discount on Bricklink or EBay or something, though. As far as Harry goes, the Seapeople one is a higher priority.
@Trigger_:
Even the most delusionally-priced instance is under $25 at the moment, and you can buy small bulk lots for under $2 per. I’m guessing you hadn’t checked any more recently than I had.
@Ridgeheart said:
" @TheWizardingWorld said:
"...and closely linked to gods Zeus and Odin."
No. What? No. Odin is the Hrafnaguð, the RAVEN God. His spies and familiars are the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who scour the width and breadth of the world for information and corpses, each and every day. The only remotely 'eagle'-like thing that has anything to with Odin was a particularly gruesome execution-method known as the 'Blood Eagle', which was sometimes done in his honour. It's quite a sight, but not for the faint of heart.
Damnit, Rowling. I know this isn't even close to the worst thing you've ever written, but do your damned homework.
You can have Zeus. In fact, everyone can have Zeus, he's not particularly picky."
Good point. I don't ever recall anying about Odin (historical or fictional) being associated with an eagle.
I can't imagine that she has much to do with the site these days. I wonder what sort of clearance the merchandising verbage has to go through in order to be approved. Star Wars had their canon officer. I haven't heard anything like that with the Wizarding World. But, the Odin eagle reference is in need of citation- at the very least.
@TheWizardingWorld:
@Ridgeheart:
@StyleCounselor:
A cursory look does find a few eagles tied to Norse mythology. The world-tree, Yggdrasil, has a few resident animals. At the base lies Níðhöggr, a dragon that gnaws at the tree's roots. At the top sits an unnamed eagle, and between the eagle's eyes sits either a hawk named Veðrfölnir, or a rooster named Víðópnir (Ratatoskr the squirrel runs up and down carrying messages between the eagle and dragon).
Hræsvelgr is a jötunn who is shaped like an eagle, and creates the winds with his wings.
Eagles and dogs were supposedly the guardians of Valhalla.
I did find _one_ link between Odin and eagles, which is this:
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9806/odin-as-an-eagle-which-creates-mead/
...however, the drawing is so primitive that I'd be hard pressed to determine whether that's really supposed to be an eagle, or if it might instead be a raven.
https://norse-mythology.org/tales/the-mead-of-poetry/
And here's another piece depicting the same general concept.
I did find one other minor link, which is that an anonymous skaldic poem, titled "Óðins nofn", lists several different names for Odin. Among them is Arnhofði, which means "Eagle head".
But wait! I found a third link:
https://seekscandinavia.com/odin-horn/
In a story about how Odin drank three vats of mead that granted the gift of poetry, he turns into an eagle to escape retribution.
So, apparently Odin was associated with eagles after all. He just kept ravens as pets. They weren't his only pets, though. Besides ravens Huginn and Muninn, he had two wolves (Geri and Freki), and an 8-legged horse (Sleipnir).
@Ridgeheart:
Yeah, but…did you miss the two ancient drawings that show Odin creating mead as an eagle? Or that one name attributed to him translates to “eagle head”? Or that he changed into an eagle to escape after drinking all the mead that granted the gift of poetry? Seems like ravens just work for Odin, but Odin himself really did have a bit of an eagle fetish.
Compare that to Native American mythology, where the god who was closely associated with ravens was Raven. _Everything_ about Raven was ravens, where Odin had a lot of different things going on. The issue is more that Odin is constantly _seen_ with ravens, but Odin himself can’t turn into a raven. He can turn into an eagle.
@Ridgeheart:
If you look higher in the thread, I was right there with you when this first came up. I used to read as much mythology as I could find, when I was a kid. Greco-Roman was obviously easier to come by, but after that, Norse mythology was probably a distant second. Never once do I remember seeing Odin linked with eagles. But I’m also not a mythology scholar, so my experience was basically like a band that releases a Greatest Hits album every few years. I’d read collections, and everything would be new and fresh going in, but pretty quickly I’d hit a point where everything would be stories I’d already read, and _maybe_ one new story would be mixed in.
So when I did a quick check, the first few pages of returns supported the only-ravens stance, and I was frankly shocked to find, not one, but three different links between eagles and Odin, with two distinct pieces of historical evidence for one of them. In the same vein, I knew of the world-tree, the dragon gnawing at the roots, and the squirrel that runs up and down the trunk, but I’d never heard of the hawk/rooster that stands on the eagle that stands on the world-tree, the giant who looks like a giant eagle, or that dogs and eagles guard Valhalla. I’m not sure I’d ever even heard of Odin’s wolves before.
However, Odin has the eyepatch. Thor has the lightning bolt.
@CCC said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @CCC said:
" @Roebuck said:
"The Ravenclaw crest looks like a hybrid between a eagle and a raven however I see some official merchandise use the same bird so I guess that is not Lego fault that the license holders do not know how a eagle looks .."
The crest is a raven in the movies. These sets are based on the movies, not the books. That is also why they are blue and silver (grey) as in the movies rather than blue and bronze as in the books."
I thought it looked like a raven as well and clearly @CapnRex101 thinks so. But, It seems it is always supposed to be an eagle for Ravenclaw.
From Wizarding World:
The eagle represents Ravenclaw and appears in many places throughout Hogwarts – including the bronze eagle knocker of the Ravenclaw common room! The eagle is a symbol of strength, immortality and closely linked to gods Zeus and Odin.
https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/the-symbolism-of-ravenclaw-house "
Right but as I said, the sets are based on the movies, as they are made in partnership with Warner Bros. So they use the same crest as in the movies."
I haven't seen one from the movies which definitively shows a raven. It could easily exist, but I haven't seen it.