I always wondered about the other pic for this set that appears to show the guy on the top tier pointing the crossbow at the rower, like he is threatening the guy to row faster.

Stroke!

@MeisterDad said:
"Hmm, a loaded crossbow pointed right at the guy rowing...is that to keep him loyal or is this evidence of the dark underbelly of the Black Knights in how they treat their prisoners?

Smile and row...or else!"

Motivation.

@Ridgeheart said:
"Back in the day, we called this 'crossbowfit-training'.

Ah, but look at that lovely curved brick on the aft, holding the banner up. It really didn't fit particularly well anywhere else in the system, but I surely do miss it."

Yeah usually used for Fabuland vintage car engines. I wish it was still around.

Ah yes, the mighty BATTLE DRAGON, fierce warship which struck terror into the hearts of enemies... propelled by a single rower.

I know that naval warfare was a bit hit-and-miss in the Middle Ages, but they didn't have to lean into it so hard. I've always felt there was a deep-seated desire to do Vikings in lego at this time, but the budget for a proper longboat wasn't there while they had to pump out the big castle sets every year.

Whatever floats your dragon boat.

Lot of discussion of bows today, between this and the RPotD,

@MeisterDad: Or maybe just in indication that the Black Knights had no concept of workplace safety?

@Bobsy: Yeah, yeah, there were a lot of attempts at Vikings in this era. Heck, 6049 even had the word "Viking" in the name! I have to wonder how many of the designers from this era were still working at Lego when the actual Vikings sets came out and were like, "You kids with your greatly expanded parts palette... Get offa my lawn!"

These knights don't look too Black Knight-ish. I mean, one is red, the other is blue. Their pants are black though, so maybe they should be called Black Pants Knights?

Hurry up Mr Black Falcon, looks like you’re about to miss the boat! He must have slept in, looks like he hasn’t even had time to put the right trousers on!

Kind of cute, but cuteness doesn't go that far when battling dragons.

Castle was one of the main themes once. Now, lives only in some special and hardly obtainable sets. I don't understand, there are still loads of Castle fans, I see their amazing creations in MOC pages and such. I can't remember the last time we got a proper Castle theme.

This is a greatly nostalgic set and all but that image quality though! It looks like a HD image straight from a freshly produced box or something! Was this image taken straight from the vault in Billund or something!?

@Lego_lord the last time was 2013 with sets like 70403. Now 10 years ago. Come to think of it, Space (Galaxy Squad) and Castle (Castle 2013) both ended at almost exactly the same time... at least Pirates died a bit later in 2015. Otherwise it might look like a conspiracy...

What a great way to start the week

Give it to me baby!

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @LordDunsany said:
"The two minifigs included are definitely Black Knights, not Black Falcons despite the shield. I also wish there was an additional weapon for the rower."

This always confused the heck out of me as a kid. Everything about them screams Black Knights, but what about that Black Falcons shield? What's the story there? Did they steal it from a Black Falcon soldier in battle? Did one of them originally belong to the Black Falcons faction and did they crossover because of the bigger and better castle? Was he recently recruited but didn't yet receive the proper equipment? Was there an alliance between the two kingdoms, even though another 1990 set pitted the two factions against each other? Or was LEGO simply cleaning out inventory by adding Black Falcon shields to two 1990 sets, in an effort to phase out the Black Falcons? Also, why were their helmets mismatched compared to other Black Knights sets, in which all helmets were black?

So many questions just because of the shield! The stove alternate build on the back of the box was cool as well, by the way. "

Although all indications from Lego and otherwise describe both figures as black knights, I was also very confused as a kid with that black falcon shield (and the fact the fig wearing it is blue torso and black arms like the black falcons). It seems it is a black falcon threatening a black knight with a crossbow to row. There have been similar mistakes (such as the black knight shield clearly one a dragon master in 6079 ), but now I'd like to think these were intentionally put into the castle sets to show they are all connected. Although the black falcons never had scale mail armor, they almost all had blue torso with black arms (such as this crossbow fig), and they shared the same breastplate design with black knights and crusaders (although not having a red torso breastplate version for the black falcons). I want to piece together a complete story from all the main set pictures.

Anyway, very cool set. I really liked this along with the similar 1547 Black knights boat (where the figs are both black knights!), the crusader's 6049 Viking Voyager, and of course 6057 ! Sea Serpent! Unfortunately, classic castle boating is far unbalanced in the black knights favor... Three ships, including the most formidable, against 2 for the Crusaders (6049 and the more dinky 6017). None for Dragon Masters, Black Falcons, Forestmen (aside from a dinky raft in 6077), nor the Wolfpack (even with the later 2 each having bases upon water...). And none in the future until another dinky raft and boat for the Royal knights...

I loved the figurehead in this set- so simple yet effective. I guess the technique of using plates to build up detail was quickly banished during TLGs own dark age of the late 90s.

@BlackFalconBirdman said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @LordDunsany said:
"The two minifigs included are definitely Black Knights, not Black Falcons despite the shield. I also wish there was an additional weapon for the rower."

This always confused the heck out of me as a kid. Everything about them screams Black Knights, but what about that Black Falcons shield? What's the story there? Did they steal it from a Black Falcon soldier in battle? Did one of them originally belong to the Black Falcons faction and did they crossover because of the bigger and better castle? Was he recently recruited but didn't yet receive the proper equipment? Was there an alliance between the two kingdoms, even though another 1990 set pitted the two factions against each other? Or was LEGO simply cleaning out inventory by adding Black Falcon shields to two 1990 sets, in an effort to phase out the Black Falcons? Also, why were their helmets mismatched compared to other Black Knights sets, in which all helmets were black?

So many questions just because of the shield! The stove alternate build on the back of the box was cool as well, by the way. "

Although all indications from Lego and otherwise describe both figures as black knights, I was also very confused as a kid with that black falcon shield (and the fact the fig wearing it is blue torso and black arms like the black falcons). It seems it is a black falcon threatening a black knight with a crossbow to row. There have been similar mistakes (such as the black knight shield clearly one a dragon master in 6079 ), but now I'd like to think these were intentionally put into the castle sets to show they are all connected. Although the black falcons never had scale mail armor, they almost all had blue torso with black arms (such as this crossbow fig), and they shared the same breastplate design with black knights and crusaders (although not having a red torso breastplate version for the black falcons). I want to piece together a complete story from all the main set pictures."

The Black Knights shield in 6079 was put in there because they didn't want to create a new decal for a set not meant to be released 'in mainline' especially for an actually discontinued faction. However that doesn't explain the other Black Knights shield in 6078...
Also there is that very weird Aquazone 'hybrid' set 6100.

As far as today's set goes, the knights are most likely from the Black Knights faction, given how only one set of that time using the scale mail torsos was not Black Knights (ok that leaves still some speculation...). In fact there were Black Knights with dark grey helmets in their debut set 6085, so I would not call that a point. Since the Black Knights never had any specific torso featuring a crest, it's always a bit hard to tell. The only specific Black Knights are from the 'Black Knights II' era (1992-1993): CAS149 and CAS166 (the ACTUAL Black Knight) including their variations.

The boat's colors somewhat gives more a hint a Black Knight's origin, since it matches up closer with 6057 (clearly Black Knights) than 6049. However colors were never that specific in old Castle anyways...

So is there a connection between Black Knights and Black Falcons? Both faction's leader was identified as 'The Black Knight' (although not in every language, Falcons had 'Jan Blackghost' in Dutch and Black Knights had 'Sir Finnegan' and 'Cagan Blakemoor' in Danish). Thematically the are also similar to each other, as the opponents to the Lion Knights (which seem to have more of a royal connection). But if the are truly identical, why are there 2 sets displaying them as enemies (6059 and 6057)?

Also note that a real world 'Black Knight' is a character who does not display his heraldry (so somewhat correct on Lego's behalf, at least minifig-wise) in the intent of hiding his identity and that of his liege (often to do not so nice things...).

@BlackFalconBirdman:
I think it’s pretty clear that, in terms of Castle-era naval warfare, Dragon Masters win, because boats are made of wood.

@Randomness said:
"HBO's Game of Thrones prequel prequel; House of the Battle Dragon, was such a disappointment. They didn't make it clear that the dragons were just boats, and it really just let down the series. I didn't watch it myself, but I read reviews of it on the internet, and now I'm an expert."

Don't be silly. You're not an expert until you watch a YouTube video by someone who also hasn't watched it but *has* told you fifteen other shows, all of them highly anticipated entries in popular franchises so they get a lot of clicks, are also terrible.

@Ridgeheart said:
"Back in the day, we called this 'crossbowfit-training'.

Ah, but look at that lovely curved brick on the aft, holding the banner up. It really didn't fit particularly well anywhere else in the system, but I surely do miss it."

Pretty certain that this is the only set that had it in black. I remember looking it up and knowing what to build every time I came across one in a haul.

@Andrusi said:
" @Randomness said:
"HBO's Game of Thrones prequel prequel; House of the Battle Dragon, was such a disappointment. They didn't make it clear that the dragons were just boats, and it really just let down the series. I didn't watch it myself, but I read reviews of it on the internet, and now I'm an expert."

Don't be silly. You're not an expert until you watch a YouTube video by someone who also hasn't watched it but *has* told you fifteen other shows, all of them highly anticipated entries in popular franchises so they get a lot of clicks, are also terrible."

Worst. Episode. Ever. - Comic Book Guy

@BlackFalconBirdman said:

There are three other scale mail-wearing minifigs with a blue torso and black arms (CAS141, CAS142, CAS287) that all appear in Black Knights sets (1584/6060, 1491, and 6085). The first two examples even wear the blue legs with black hips also found on a breast plate-wearing Black Falcon minifig (CAS187) in set 6059. I think the general lack of uniformity found among the Black Knights figures is a bit more realistic for the often motley character of medieval armies.

I built this set for my Falconer last week!

Looking at an inflation calculator, this would cost $10.30 today. I'd still pick it up in multiples for that price to get two more army builders.

I miss the 90s when I was a kid and didn't have to worry about money and would get the occasional small toy in a store.

I remember finding some of those Kingdoms sets of two figures on clearance at Target and was loving it. But I'd rather have my youth revisited.

It almost looks like the guy with red legs (who does appear to be of the Black Knights faction) is loading the shield onto the boat along with the barrel and crossbow. The shield may be captured materiel.

A great set I enjoyed as a kid.
I share the questions of other comments. That Black Falcon shield always supposed a problem for me. One was a Black Knight and the other a Black Falcon! Always doubts when playing!!

I am happy to see that I was not the only one with problems in mind!

To me, it's a Black Falcon disguised as the Black Knight boat's owner forcing a Crusader Lion to do the rowing.

Dragons are cool

It would be so cool to have castle / medieval back as a regular theme. I’d kill for a set like these :D