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2013 LEGO Castle: classic sets coming back?

LEGO Castle fans have been feeling neglected lately as the last LEGO Castle theme released was back in 2010. Since then the only LEGO Castle set have been the #10223 LEGO Kingdoms Joust (a beautiful set by the way that I highly recommend!), kind of like an afterthought of the LEGO Kingdoms theme. So let’s see what 2013 will bring to LEGO Castle fans! 😛

I guess LEGO felt like they can get away without any Castle sets for a while with LEGO Lord of the Rings and LEGO The Hobbit, hoping that Castle fans would be satisfied. Lord of the Rings  and The Hobbit are certainly castle-ish, but they are nothing like a good old-fashioned LEGO Castle theme with good-knights, bad-knights, wizards and dragons. Besides, they are licensed, which means they cost more than LEGO’s own in-house product lines.

Rumors have been circulating for a while now about LEGO Castle coming back in 2013. LEGO forums and blogs were talking about 5 possible sets being released next summer, with at least one of them being a re-release of a Classic LEGO Castle set – a unique twist. Since then the validity of the 2013 LEGO Castle sets have been solidified a bit more with set numbers and names. Here is the list from the Brickset.com database:

  • #70400 LEGO Castle Forest Ambush
  • #70401 LEGO Castle Gold Gateway
  • #70402 LEGO Castle The Gatehouse Raid
  • #70403 LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain
  • #70404 LEGO Castle King Castle

It is still not clear if these are actually going to be re-releases of the 1980s and ’90s sets – like Forestmen and Wolfpack – some fans are really hoping for. Personally I doubt that any of the sets will be an exact replica of sets that old. Re-releasing classic minifigures as novelty collectibles is one thing, but re-making full sets from the past is an entirely different matter. The elements, minifigures and building-techniques in those sets were wonderful in their time, but seem quite crude compared to the possibilities today. It is likely that today’s generation would not be able to appreciate them nearly as much as older fans who grew up in the Classic Castle era. (If you want to check out what LEGO Castle looked like in the past, you can browse the Bricklink Catalog: LEGO Castle Sets 1978-2012)

Others say that the 2013 LEGO Castle sets are likely going to be new designs, but with some reference to LEGO Castle sets from the past; this way satisfying both older Castle fans who have sentimental feelings towards the classics, and young fans who prefer the newer LEGO Castle sets. Kind of like how the LEGO Alien Conquest theme’s color-scheme and other details were a nod towards LEGO Classic Space from the 1980s and adult fans in general, but also built with today’s generation in mind. If you were a Classic Space fan you were happy, and if you were a younger fan, you could still enjoy the sets even without knowing the reference to the past.

What do you think? Does the 2013 LEGO Castle set names give you any insights? Would you like Classic Castle sets to be re-released? Which past LEGO Castle set would you love to see again? Would you like it enhanced with newer features, or exactly as it was in the past? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! Would love to hear your thoughts! 😉

For currently available LEGO Castle sets (yeah, it is a measly selection, but with two of the best LEGO Castle sets ever made!) see here.

And if you are interested in other 2013 LEGO sets and themes check below:

{ 71 comments… add one }
  • I hope these are like the old sets, but a bit different.

  • gid617 December 11, 2012, 10:15 AM

    So… yellow castles aren’t entirely rediculous like I first thought when my brother built one…. (though this isn’t the first I’d heard of the old yellow castle). Personnally I though Kingdoms was nice (though I don’t think I got much from the line), some people have suggested that this will be a continuation of Kindoms, which I’d like as the theme had more civilian buildings than, for example, Castle. Plus it seemed to be doing fairly well, and I could see it being easilly expandable. And then again, a new theme, especially if it was set in a different area than the traditional European Castles (er, if yellow is traditional… 😆 ), would be nice!

    • admin December 11, 2012, 2:15 PM

      Yes, I read that too. But Kingdoms is not a Classic Castle line. Classic is back from the ’80s and ’90s. My guess is what I mentioned; that there will be some references to sets that are really classic so olders LEGO fans can get all sentimental and teary eyed, but will also be fresh and current. I actually read that Kingdoms didn’t do nearly as well as Fantasy Era. That’s why it didn’t last as long. Compared to Fantasy Era it was totally boring, although the sets looked nice. I liked the colors, but with no wizards, dragons, dwarves and other fantasy creatures it was just unexciting.

      • Billy December 11, 2012, 4:30 PM

        I feel they didn’t make up a real story for the Lion knights and the Dragon Knights, and that could have been a problem, because , like Bionicle, the story helps promote the sets. Creating names for some of the characters would also have helped.

        • admin December 11, 2012, 5:18 PM

          Billy, that’s actually a really good point. Creating a story fo rthe characters always makes them more desirable as fans can identify with them better. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  • YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!! BEST LEGO THEME EVER!!!!!!!!! 😀

    KIRBEY DANCE! (WHATEVER THAT MEANS!)
    <("<) (>”)> 😛

  • so is this actually goin g to happen?! 😀

    • admin December 11, 2012, 2:09 PM

      The short answer is yes, unless of course the world ends this month. Then we will have to wonder for the rest of eternity what the sets would have been like. 🙄

      • Billy December 11, 2012, 4:32 PM

        Unless, of course God/Satan, (wherever the majority of the people end up) allows the Lego company to build Lego in Heaven/Hell.

  • The Yellow Ninja December 11, 2012, 11:00 AM

    Well I will admit that I’m not the biggest castle fan,but hey I like it as much as the next guy (depending on who the next guy is). And that dragon mountain dose sound promising! 😀 So I think that I will give it a try.

  • Eric at a LEGO a Day December 11, 2012, 11:23 AM

    I am VERY excited by this news. I LOVE the Tolkien sets, but there is something to be said for more unique, original sets. And the titles are very intriguing…

  • Andy at www.smallplasticbricks.com December 11, 2012, 12:06 PM

    I love Castle, but it’s kind of run its course. What else can you do besides more castles, king’s carriages, and catapults? All have which been done many times over. It’s kind of like the City police and fire stations – do we really need the same thing, just a little different year after year. The modular sets, non-emergency City sets, and licensed sets give more room for creativity and growth. I think circus, zoo (not Duplo!), chains (Starbucks, McDonalds, Best Buy, etc) themes would be amazing, different, and appeal to adults, boys, and girls.

    • Yeah, after a while, you can kinda run out of ideas. I think it was a good move that early this year, LEGO made lots of non-emergency sets like a Garbage Truck and a Caravan with a convertible. 😛

    • admin December 11, 2012, 2:04 PM

      Andy, remember that there is a new generation of children every few years who reach the age when they are into police, fire and castle stuff. For those of us who have been around for a while it may be boring to see a new batch of police sets every few years, but for children who just reach that age it is new and fresh. LEGO needs to keep those themes available as those are all evergreen interests.

      Imagine if they would stop producing LEGO city or police sets! Parents would have to scramble and try to find something on the secondary market for insane prices. They would likely just switch over to some other toy.

      Although adult LEGO fans are a vocal bunch, our numbers are still small compared to LEGO’s target audience. But we have the money. So LEGO is trying to keep a good balance every year by giving us something and also provide themes and sets for the next generation of LEGO fans.

      When I was a kid my brother and I wanted castle, space-ships, cops and badguys. If the only thing available would have been sets that would be interesting for my parents who grew up with LEGO, but not for kids of my age, I would have never gotten into it myself. The Modulars or a zoo would have bored me to death. I wanted action! 🙄

      • Andy at www.smallplasticbricks.com December 15, 2012, 3:05 PM

        Yes, I suppose they are evergreen themes. I guess the best thing about being an AFOL is now I have the money and space to get whatever Lego sets I want – and we have BrickLink. 🙂 The sets are great to get news pieces, colors, minifigs, and stickers, but I suppose most of us AFOLs build our own stuff any way. I just love getting Lego sets in the shiny, new boxes though. 😉 The modulars are awesome for that! Can’t wait for the next one…heard it’s going to be a cinema.

        • admin December 15, 2012, 9:11 PM

          Andy, yeah, that’s what I have heard too; a cinema! Can’t wait to se it! I wonder if it is a corner building. 🙄

  • Amin, I’ve been trying to decide if I should wish for The Goblin King Battle, Bag End, Mirkwood or the Wine Celler, or Kingdoms Joust and MMV. What do you think?

    • admin December 11, 2012, 2:33 PM

      Noah, gosh, you like the same things I do! 😀

      I would say that if you are primarily a Castle fan, then I would buy the Joust set and MMV and maybe add one of the smaller Hobbit sets to add some interesting minifigures. I also read recently that the 2013 Castle sets may in fact work really well with those too! 🙂

      If you are more a Tolkien and fantasy fan, I would go with Bag End and the Wine Cellar. Those are my two favorites because they have nice features and the parts and minifigs also go well with Castle.

      I would say that in general you can’t go wrong as all the sets have excellent parts for any Castle/Fantasy/Tolkien fan, but still it is a tough choice. I would make sure though that I have those two Castle sets before I would buy anything else. One of them is retired already and the other probably won’t stick around for long either. The Hobbit sets are just starting out, so they will likely be available for quite a while. So that is also a consideration.

      Anyway, I don’t know if I helped or made it worse, but keep me posted on what you decide. 😉

      • gid617 December 11, 2012, 4:16 PM

        Yeah, on more or less the same lines, I really don’t have the money right now for the MMV, but I’m sure I could buy it and then pay it off to my savings by march (if not earlier), but that would cut into my Chima purchases (and anything else I wanted, Hobbit for example, though I’m determined to keep Ninjago on the list!), what I’d like to know is is it worth it? (I’m kind of feeling like I already know what you’ll say… It’s one of the best sets ever, get it!… but I want to know for sure anyways… 😀 😉 ).

        • admin December 11, 2012, 5:37 PM

          Geneva, budgeting for LEGO is always tough. Even for adults. On the one hand I also would love so many LEGO sets, but I just don’t have the money or the space. So I choose the ones I really want to play with, or I like them for the parts or minifigs.

          Personally I believe MMV is worth it. It is full of play features and would be an excellent addition to any LEGO village, town or castle display. It also has nice parts, so even if you decide not to keep it together, it provides a valuable mix of parts for castle/fantasy fans (all those gray, tan, brown, black and gold pieces!).

          I actually don’t buy that many full LEGO sets. At least not big ones. I mainly shop on BrickLink for parts as I mostly build MOCs. However I consider MMV, Kingdoms Joust, the Imperial Flagship, and the Volkswagen Camper the best LEGO sets. I also like the Modular buildings but I don’t own any of them. I just don’t have the space, and they are more diplay sets than for play, which doesn’t really appeal to me. And sometimes there are sets that are outside of my normal genre that I really fall in love with; like the Alien Conquest Eart Defense. I love that thing to death! 🙄

          So I would say stick with your original plan. Buy the sets that excites you and ignites your imagination. Not the sets that your head says you should buy, or I say, or anyone else. The fact of the matter is that if you really-really-really want a set later, you can pick it up on the secondary market. Yeah, it will cost more, but by that time you may decide it wasn’t for you anyway.

          Life is short, buy the LEGO sets you really want! 😀

          • gid617 December 11, 2012, 8:30 PM

            Thanks, yeah, I’ve kind of always wanted the set, I know myself well enough that I’ll never get arount to buying it on the secondary market 🙄 😛 , but (though I doubt it will), I might want to see if the price drops… after all, the Imperial Flagship did, I believe, right? I really don’t know…

            • Strider December 12, 2012, 10:13 AM

              MMV is definetly worth it. I bought it and it comes with loads of pieces and some really rare ones, not to mention the great minifigures. Part of the reason I like it so much is because I am a big fan of Medieval things but I believe anybody would like this set. The fact that it cuts into your Chima and stuff is a problem though. In the end it is a matter of opinion but I highly reccomend MMV. One final note: MMV is going out soon. Chima has not even come yet and The Hobbit just arrived. You still have a good amount of time to get those.

            • admin December 12, 2012, 11:09 AM

              That is also a possible strategy, although it comes with some risks as the set may never go on sale. Right now Amazon has it for $11 less than the normal price. That’s not bad, with free shipping. But I know for you that may not work as you are outside the USA. I can’t remember what kind of sale the Imperial Flagship had. I think there was something, but I also remember they weren’t giving it away with a killer deal like the Taj Mahal some years back. Otherwise I would have gotten it. I do remember I was on the fence about that set as I love it, but I also don’t have room to display. But a really good deal would have pushed me over to buy. It didn’t happen. 🙄

              • gid617 December 12, 2012, 11:57 AM

                Strider, yeah, I certainly have much more time to get Chima than I will for the MMV. On the Medieval note, I’m a big fan of that time period, so that’s great for me. As far as the sets goes, there’s just about 0 chance that it would last any longer than my next MOC. I keep almost nothing on display, generally, I just build to take pictures and most of my creations are gone before I even upload them to the internet! 😀
                Admin, I did check out amaxon, shipping is no problem for me as I can ship to my grandparents (since I’ll be in ths US next year they can hold it until then). I think I’m pretty much decided to get it and have them keep it until then when I can sell it if I want the money (I’m pretty sure that would pay off), or if not keep it.

                • admin December 12, 2012, 12:14 PM

                  Yes, that is something I remembered later as I was at martial arts class (instead of paying attention, lol!)that I wanted to mention; you can always sell the LEGO you decide you no longer want. LEGO is a very liquid asset! 😀

                  • gid617 December 12, 2012, 1:02 PM

                    If it’s going for double price, I’d likely end up selling it, it’s worth $100 (more or less) to me, but I’d rather have $200 than it… 😀
                    BTW, I’m not sure when I thought of that, but I think I was washing dishes… 😆

                    • gid617 December 12, 2012, 1:03 PM

                      On second thought, I forgot I didn’t wash dishes this morning… so I was probably sweeping.

  • Micho December 11, 2012, 2:41 PM

    Oh yeah… I would love old re-designed re-released sets, each with 2 different updated fractions to include Crusaders, Dragon Masters, Falcons, Wolf Pack, Forest Men, Vikings, Black Knights, and Royal Knights… EPIC!!!!

    • 2x4 Brick December 11, 2012, 6:21 PM

      If they re-do Castle and they include the Bat Lord, I’m sold on it! (I loved the Bat Lord outfit on LU. Especially the helmet!) :mrgreen:

  • Håkan, Sweden December 11, 2012, 5:57 PM

    Hmmm, “Dark Forest Fortress”, an odd choice. Wouldn’t most AFOL:s consider Dark Forest a 2nd rate rehash of Forestmen and Wolfpack?

    • Håkan, Sweden December 11, 2012, 6:11 PM

      The joust set contains a Black Falcon shield… Cool…

      • admin December 11, 2012, 8:03 PM

        That could actually been a hint to what is coming! 😀

    • admin December 11, 2012, 8:10 PM

      I’m not qualified to comment on that, but I hope some of the older and more knowledeable LEGO fans here will chime in. It would certainly be interesting to see what these castle sets will be like! 🙂

  • lego chronicler December 11, 2012, 6:29 PM

    have any photographs come out for the new castle sets?

    • admin December 11, 2012, 8:03 PM

      No, otherwise I would have included them. Probably sometime early next year we will get something leaked with all the security holes LEGO got. 😉

      • Håkan, Sweden December 12, 2012, 7:44 AM

        Security holes everywhere, it’s like a Technic beam…

  • One second I think “I should buy the castle sets” but then a few seconds later I think of The Hobbit and want it.
    WHAT DO I DO??????

    • SKOUTLAW FOR LIFE ( THAT MEANS I AM A FAN OF SKYLAR LAINE ) December 11, 2012, 8:02 PM

      Wait till the pictures come out. Maybe get a little from both hobbit and castle

      • admin December 11, 2012, 8:12 PM

        That’s actually a good point. There is also a second wave of Lord of the Rings coming next year so it might be worth to wait and see what those look like also. I heard some awesome stuff is coming! The Hobbits sets will still definitely be around at that time so you won’t be missing out. And by then we should also know more about the new Castle sets. 😉

        • SKOUTLAW FOR LIFE ( THAT MEANS I AM A FAN OF SKYLAR LAINE ) December 11, 2012, 8:27 PM

          I saw the list for the lotr sets and they were AWESOME!!

    • admin December 11, 2012, 8:02 PM

      Flip a coin? 🙄

  • llg52 December 11, 2012, 9:06 PM

    Hey, I know this is off topic but I kinda need some help with a story I’m trying to write. I’m trying to write a more detailed story about Knight’s Kingdom, so any resources that you have on it I would really like it if you could tell me. I want to make it as accurate as possible. And just to make sure that there’s no confusion, I’m talking about the four knights, Jayko, Rascus, Danju, and Santis.

    • admin December 12, 2012, 11:02 AM

      There is a good article about Knight’s Kingdom at the LEGO wiki: http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Knights'_Kingdom
      All I remember is that adults hated the sets and referred to the knights as “jellybeans” and “rainbow warriors” due to their colors. The theme didn’t last long. I do have four of the large buildable figures as I like their armor and weapons. 🙂

      • Håkan, Sweden December 13, 2012, 12:54 PM

        Actually, the correct link is:

        http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Knights%27_Kingdom_II

        I got a bunch of those buildable figures in a box of used Lego from my neighbor, but I’m not sure on what to do with them, I wonder if I can use the parts to build mechas…

  • Kaasome, Ninja Of Sky December 11, 2012, 9:36 PM

    Off Topic, but I just got two of the Lego Minifigures series 7, Daredevil and Bagpiper. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself 😛

    • admin December 12, 2012, 10:56 AM

      Yes, they are! I especially like the Bagpiper! I have two. Enjoy your minifigs! 😀

  • Skales, the Ssssnake King December 12, 2012, 7:36 AM

    Yes! More castle sets. 😀

  • legostuff71 December 12, 2012, 12:06 PM

    Hey, grid617. I would try to get the sets that have been out the longest , because the will be harder to come by later. Plus the MMV is a very cool set and can be combined with other sets(like lord of the rings and the Hobbit). What I sometimes I try and get a little of everything ( I guess thats why I am running out of space so fast). For insteads, get the MMV and then try and the smallest set from the hobbit( Bilbo and gollum) This way you have a little of both. My motto is ” eventually you get what you want if you plan things out carefully.”

    • gid617 December 12, 2012, 12:54 PM

      Yeah, I tend to go with the same, “a little from everything” plan, anyway I’ve pretty much decided to buy it and save it until march (even if I didn’t get it I wouldn’t be able to buy anything else until then), when I can sell it if I need money (most likely scenario, since if I can sell it for double the price I bought it… lets just say I probably wouldn’t end up keeping it!), or if not, use it!

  • legostuff71 December 12, 2012, 4:19 PM

    There was a castle set that I remember seeing .It looked like a hidden fortress that had a secret enters (it a roll away stone wall) I liked it so much that even though I didn’t have the set .I saw a picture of it in one of those LEGO books . So, I builit it from scratch( down to the roll away wall).

  • Nick Nox December 14, 2012, 12:41 PM

    Rereleasing old classic sets might turn out disappointing for all but die-hard collectors. Not only would they be relatively expensive (as bigger sets go), they would offer nothing new in terms of building techniques. Nor would the minifig torsos be very exciting compared to more recent ones. I never bought Black Kinghts Castle (it came out in my Dark Age) and it always held a mystique, but if I were to build it now, I would probably be very disappointed with it. We’ve moved on since then and I hope LEGO recognises this. I do also feel that LEGO fails to exploit the amazing possibilities that the medieval period has. Instead we keep being given the same accessories (visor, armor plate, horse bard) with just different printing on it. If you actually look at medieval knights and their regalia they had amazing helmets, armor and headpieces (eagles, dragons, lions – why cant LEGO make some of these to attach to existing helmets?). LEGO only needs to make some of these to spike people’s interests and not give us yet another standard visor with plume (the forthcoming Knight in the collectible minifigures series being a case in point). Also, medieval designs were highly colorful to distinguish them in the field. Why cant lego be more inventive about their knights?

    • admin December 14, 2012, 8:41 PM

      Yeah, more details and a greater variety for nights would be awesome! I was just at TRU the other day, looking at their knight and fantasy miniatures (I can’t remember what brand they were), and they were so awesome! It would be wonderful if LEGO made something like that! 😀

      Actually, LEGO has been adding significantly larger variety of minifigs, accessories, printings, and armor pieces and animals than in the past. I strongly believe this is the result of what they have seen customizers do, and also seeing how customizers are really succesful with their products. So hopefully with the next LEGO Castle sets we will see some greater variety. 😉

  • Håkan, Sweden December 17, 2012, 10:52 AM

    If they could keep the costs down for mass production, and keep things simple enough for the core audience, I can’t see why not.

  • htstar December 30, 2012, 12:08 AM

    I found my 1984 Knight’s Castle set.. Mostly intact.. missing swords, lances and few guys. my daughter to her little starwars guys and said they were protecting it

    • admin December 30, 2012, 9:56 AM

      That is a historic set! I’m sure the little SW guys will fix it up to its original glory. 😉

  • jpcpmp January 3, 2013, 10:27 PM

    Admin,I have found the 2013 castle sets,if you would like to see them go to http://www.kollectobil.com/2012/12/new-pictures-provide-a-glimpse-of-the-lego-2013-castle-lineup/

    • admin January 4, 2013, 9:44 AM

      Yes, we are awere of those pictures and have been discussing them. They first appeared on Christmas day. I can’t post them here as they have confidentiality watermarks, but I did link to them before so Castle fans can see them. 😉

  • M2398 June 3, 2014, 6:10 PM

    I also like the old castle sets because it was fun to spend a lot of time building them, like putting the 1 by 2 old light grey color bricks to make the tops of the battlements and building each section of the castle with lots of pieces. Now the sets have larger pieces and it’s like you put only one or two larger molded pieces and the towers are done! Or the tops of the battlements are done! And you finish the ole set in maybe 30 minutes to an hour! Where’s the fun in that!! But to be fair I think I know why Lego did that and it is because those smaller 1 by 2 bricks plus others are small and create a choaking hazard for children. Also, I think that those bigger molded pieces are not as detailed as using the 1 by 2 bricks and for me at least the castle just doesn’t look as good. I hope that if they re-release the older sets that they go back to the older way of assembling the sets with smaller pieces!

    • admin June 3, 2014, 9:11 PM

      Good points, and I think your wish have come true because in the most recent LEGO Castle sets and LEGO Castle related sets like Lord of the Rings, LEGO is definitely going back to using smaller elements to create details. As far as I know this is in direct response to people who were thinking the same way as you. 😉

  • Chris January 17, 2015, 4:16 AM

    I remember buying a yellow castle in the 70s for my nephew. I dont think there were any mini figures, and no special bricks. Might have been part of a deal with a breakfast cereal, perhaps an early Lego trial. There would have been no arches and upside down sloping bricks as in the 375 set. Any one else remember this?

    • admin January 17, 2015, 11:10 AM

      Chris, I think we would need more detailed description to find this. There is no Yellow Castle related set that doesn’t have minifigs – minifigs were just introduced and they were the rage. I have also looked through 70s promotional items and I didn’t find anything Yellow Castle related from that era that meets your description.

  • M2398 March 12, 2015, 4:29 PM

    Actually Lego did make a castle set that was made from all yellow bricks, it was the first castle set that lego made. If you search on google you can find pics of it and I have seen incomplete one’s for sale on ebay. BUT NOT VERY MANY OF THEM AFTER ALL IT WAS THE FIRST ONE!!

  • Hans December 19, 2020, 5:31 PM

    Still waiting for the real reboot of castle with all the different factions again!!!! It’s 7 years since this craptacular “reboot” and still nothing 🙁 The fantasy era and kingdoms sets and minifigures looked better than the 2013 castle sets, so in hindsight they should of just continued with more kingdom sets that year… but doesn’t matter anymore, where’s our REBOOT!!!

  • Hindsight December 17, 2023, 6:02 PM

    I havn’t seen much current praise for these sets, so seeing people get excited for them a decade ago is pretty fun. but with the recent lion knights caste, 3in1, and blacksmith, Lego castle has been doing better, and I did hear a rumor about a possible medieval Lego town in 2024? one can hope

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