Fright Knights Brave Warrior: The Crossbow Flamer
Written: Aug 14 '02
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Pros: Very cool elements, tons of building capabilities, impressive Lego figure.
Cons: No longer in production, hard to find.
The Bottom Line: Fans of the Castle series have another reason to get happy! The Crossbow Flamer is well worth tracking down – no castle should be without one [or two] of these!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Fright Knights Crossbow Flamer #2538 |
As I mentioned in an earlier Lego review, I am in the process of building a huge castle exclusively from Lego elements. To the average person that has a passing fancy with Lego’s that might not sound like a very impressive task, but those who follow the Lego line know that a vast majority of the Lego Castle sets have been discontinued for a long time. This leaves me trolling the online auction sites, small toy stores and the last line of defense – the yard sales. Some of my most prized possessions have come from yard sales – for pennies I was able to pick up sets that currently go for $50.00 dollars and more at online sites. Lego’s aren’t cheap and when you are addicted to them your judgment often gets clouded.
This set is part of a promotional three pack offered at Shell gasoline stations – that alone with triple the base or suggested manufacturers price regardless of the condition of the box or set. Now, some of you might wonder why people are actively seeking these sets since they are no longer on the Lego list of active sets – that’s exactly why they are so popular. Now, just because Lego no longer makes these doesn’t mean that you can’t find them – you just have to work a little harder :] To the best of my knowledge these were never sold by Lego, but Lego manufacturer a preset number of sets to be given away with a gasoline purchase. How these sets keep popping up by the case-lot is beyond me, but as long as I can get my hands on them you won’t hear me complaining.
The Crossbow Flamer
Even though this is a small set, it still has a ton of great pieces. I will admit this only in the confines of the internet – sometimes these set make me physically ill. I can recall seeing small Castle sets on the shelves of toy stores with the cute little clearance stickers on them and laughing - those are just silly looking. I was a naive collector who assumed that these sets would always be around. Hence my compulsive shopping habits and need to buy multiples of almost every set that strikes my fancy.
Since this is a small set, it gets judged a little differently than the larger sets – at least by me it does. The elements are more important than the overall number of pieces – so a few nice tools or weapons in addition to the Lego figures appearance can make or break the set. Without a doubt the biggest attraction to this set has to be the plastic barrel complete with pop off top and the ultra cool bat. The basic premise of the set is this – it’s a small movable cart that can be morphed into any number of things depending on the scene you are going to use it in. The crossbow is another perk. While this item was included in a lot of sets from the medieval series, this one is gray instead of brown.
Contrary to what most people think when they see the photo on the front of the box, there is no gun included with this set. What you are seeing is part of the cart handle – which in all honesty – does look like the barrel of a gun. The only weapon included with this set is the crossbow so don’t be fooled by what other people say in online advertisements.
Cleatus
The Lego figure included with this set is nameless but I have taken it upon myself to give him a name. He is one of the few Lego figures that has a personality. His facial hair makes him appear gruff and a little rough around the edges but under all that fur is a cute little smile. The detail on the torso is basic but gives the figure a nice appearance – the stenciled armor is ‘just enough’ – anything more and it would have taken away from the charm of the rest of the elements. It’s really interesting to look at how far the Lego figures have come in the past four to five years – the detail that had been added to them – but at the same time – overall they’ve retained the same size, shape and form.
Cleatus is able to hold the crossbow, move the cart or carry the two red flames that are included with the set – all the while decked out in his cool uniform! The contrast between the gray torso [with black and white accents] and the red legs really makes a great visual impact but the crème de la crème has to be his helmet. Not just a regular helmet – but one that covers the base of his neck and protects him from flying objects or a sneak attack.
Instructions
The fold out page of instructions guides you through building the main model shown on the front of the box. The steps are simple, clear and to the point and include a small section for the assembly of the Lego figure. As I have mentioned before, these steps are added so that those just getting into Lego sets will be able to build all the aspects of the set without and issues or problems. Some sets had a small sheet of stickers included inside the folded instruction sheet, but the sets I have opened had none. The stickers were of the Lego logo, the Shell logo and a few small Lego Castle logos. These sheets – in good to mint condition – are worth a few dollars to collectors. The bad part is that mostly all of them are bent due to being tucked inside the boxes for so long.
Finding These….
Finding these new isn’t impossible, but it isn’t exactly easy. I have had some luck at online auction sites and some friends have found assorted sets in the series at dollar stores [Pic ‘N Save and Big Lots] but it really boils down to the luck of the draw. One thing to keep in mind is that you have to be careful when purchasing these over the internet, I’ve had pretty good luck picking these up in good to mint condition but there are always going to be people out there who will phrase things incorrectly or claim that the set is “mint” when in fact it’s an open set or missing a few pieces. I hate to say it, but sometimes you need to pass on the sets that seem ‘too good to be true’.
The Bottom Line
These little babies have been on my ‘want list’ for a long time and when I came across them [six boxes for $10.00 plus shipping] I almost fell over. If you are a fan of the Dark Knights, Frights Knights or Castle series, these would make a great addition to your collection. I’ve had to add Big Lots and Pic “N Save to my weekly list of places to hit to try and find older Lego sets. Funny, none of the boys complain about going to these places now that they know there’s a slim chance [but still a chance] of finding older sets tucked neatly away on the back shelves.
The Stats
Set Name: Crossbow Flamer
Family Set: Fright Knights
Lego Set: 2538
Number of Pieces: 19
Age Recommendation: 5 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 5 minutes
Cost: $ 1.49 when released
[Average cost at online auctions ranges from
$3.00 - $8.00 plus shipping fees.]
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): part of a se
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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