Lego Knights' Kingdom Dungeon - Wait - Isn't That Calista Flockheart?
Written: Aug 29 '02 (Updated Aug 30 '02)
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Pros: The skeleton, treasure chest, Lionheart guard, silver armor.
Cons: Could have used a few more gems and jewels for the treasure chest.
The Bottom Line: Not exactly a ?must have? set for the average collector but if you have a castle you need a dungeon!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Knights' Kingdom Dungeon 4817 |
Continuing on through the sets that make up the Knights' Kingdom portion of the Castle series, we come across The Dungeon. A small set, this is a nice set to have in multiples. The jewels and gems are always a nice perk to any set as well as the cool brown treasure chest. When I had the opportunity to purchase these sets I picked up as many as I could because I knew it was only a matter of time before the supply would dry up.
Each collector has his or her own reason for their attraction to this set, some like it for the skeleton and others for the treasure and treasure chest. Considering that this is a small set, some people may overlook it thinking that it isn’t a necessity – so I ask you – what castle can be complete without a dungeon? Even if you choose not to create a dungeon, there are some very nice elements within the set that can be used in other areas of a castle or adapted for use with other sets and series. After all, that’s what makes Lego’s so great, if you don’t like the final product after you’ve built it you can always use the pieces for something else.
The Dungeon
One of the nicest things about the whole Knight’s Kingdom series is the multitude of thick base plates. These are great for adding depth and height to pieces and structures. Rather than having to waste thin base plates, the chunky styled ones can easily take the place of four to five of the thin ones. The 4x12 thick plate that is used for the base of the dungeon provides a sturdy anchor to which the building is affixed – this allows it to be moved or further elevated and converted into a jail or iron maiden with the addition of a few outside pieces.
There really isn’t much to the actual dungeon structure so don’t get too excited thinking that there will be medieval torture devices or tons of extras. There is however a very nice back wall unit that can easily be incorporated into any castle building if you wish to hack this set to pieces. The black ladder serves as the front of the dungeon – sort of like a jail wall. This is on a hinged Lego element and has the ability to open or close. The two fire elements can be placed on top of the dungeon or – by moving the pieces with the holders – to any other section that you find to your liking.
Skeleton
Can you ever have too many skeletons? Never! These little guys are very cool and instead of being creepy, they are rather cute. The skeleton is comprised of six pieces; two arms, two legs, torso and head. The arms are a little loose and tend to flop around but the leg joints are nice and tight. This skeleton doesn’t have much in the way of accessories, in fact his only perk is the black helmet that drapes down to the base of his neck – well – at least where his neck was when he was alive. The helmet also features a small nose protector that extended down and covers part of his face. You have to play around with the positioning of the head peg a little to make sure it is centered – if not you’ll end up covering one of the eyes with the helmet.
If you have never seen a skeleton up close, they are very detailed and show the rib cage, arms, legs and webbed toes. Most of the time they have a funky smile but a few of them have grins, frowns or scary faces. You can mix and match the faces with the bodies until you find a combination that you like.
Lionheart Guard
Comprised of five pieces, the Lionheart guard is a visual delight. The metallic chest plate / body armor is what makes this figure well worth collecting. If you choose to have the guard wear the metallic armor you will be covering up the stenciled armor design on the torso. The legs of the guard are also nicely detailed but the real clincher is the small design on the connector pieces between the legs and torso. I’ve said this before but finding Lego figures with detail on the legs is few and far between – and rarer so is the small design found on the small non-removable pieces that join the legs to the torso.
The helmet is an added bonus; it has a fair amount of detail to it –most notably the crisscross pattern and accompanying rivets. The helmet covers the back part of the head and the front potion of the neck but the eyes are still visible. Overall this figure would be great for any castle scene and with the armor in place could be used for any of the different clans.
Instructions
The single sheet of instructions shows you how to build the dungeon, how the skeleton fits inside the dungeon and the proper assembly of the two enclosed figures. There are seven simple steps needed to build the dungeon as well as a small section on the treasure chest. The bottom portion of the back page shows the different metallic pieces from sets that can be combined to create the Black Bulls Master Warrior. To build this you will need to purchase four individual sets, not exactly impossible but it might take a while to locate them all. The instruction sheet is easy to follow for the most part
The Bottom Line
Being a Lego junkie isn’t always an inexpensive habit. The price of base plates, larger sets and other unexpected “necessities” are a little overwhelming at times. However, when you look at the quality, craftsmanship and replay value – it all works out in the end. My castle scene is slowly but surely coming along and since I made my second bulk purchase of this set I’ve started a small Army of The Dead [a rip off of Army of Darkness] that will be hiding out in the haunted forest part of the castle scene.
For those that collected any of the Castle sets, this isn’t exactly a “must have” but it will allow you to have extra pieces – especially the castle corner – on hand if it’s needed. The allure of getting another reassure chest and jewels was the icing on the cake for me. These things have so many different uses that you honestly can’t have enough of them. The same goes for the jewels and gems, they are elements that have unlimited uses.
Since these are getting harder to find check out the discount stores, Big Lots and the ever popular .99 cent stores in your area to see if they ever get any Lego sets in stock. You can try your luck at online auctions or through established brick vendors but always make sure you have the necessary information about a set before you agree to purchase it. If it is a used set you should make sure the pieces are all accounted for as well as in good to excellent condition.
The Stats
Set Name: Dungeon
Family Set: Knights’ Kingdom
Lego Set: 4817
Number of Pieces: 38
Age Recommendation: 6 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 10 minutes
Cost: $ 4.99
As always, thanks for the visit ...
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $4.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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