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2013 LEGO Castle: classic sets coming back?

by Thita (admin) on December 11, 2012

in LEGO Castle

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:

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2013 LEGO Lone Ranger website now open!

by Thita (admin) on December 10, 2012

in Other LEGO Sets & Themes

LEGO fans have been asking for a new LEGO Western theme for over 10 years now, and LEGO finally decided to respond. Unfortunately this is going to be a licensed theme, tied in with the upcoming Lone Ranger movie directed by Gore Verbinski and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film based on the American Old West character serials of the same name. The film stars Armie Hammer in the lead role and Johnny Depp as Tonto.

In general I prefer LEGO’s own themes as they can be much more creative with the story and design, and of course cheaper prices are also appreciated. Also, the LEGO sets’ fate is tied with the fate of the movie. (Think of Prince of Persia; the LEGO sets were beautiful, but because the film was not received well, the LEGO sets were pretty much doomed also.)

Lone Ranger has been trouble from the very beginning; delays (the film’s release was already pushed back at least four times), budget concerns, and the poor performance of other recent Western films have made Disney even shelf the project for a while. Anyway, it is resurrected now and is scheduled for release in the summer of 2013. Maybe it will happen, maybe not. You can read more about the movie here: Lone Ranger 2013 Film, and here is the movie-trailer:

Something that is positive for the 2013 LEGO Lone Ranger sets is that the Western theme in general has lots of fans. If LEGO can keep the sets and characters generic enough to fit well with any LEGO Western theme, they could have a winner even if the film flops.

As the title says, the LEGO Lone Ranger microsite is now up. You can reach it directly here: TheLoneRanger.LEGO.com. There is only one picture uploaded right now (the one at the beginning of this post), so there is not much to see, but still we get a picture of the two main characters as well as some nice new accessories; there is Tonto’s new axe, a longhorn skull, and a new revolver. Also, although it is not completely new (came out with the CMF Santa) I love the bag! 😛

The LEGO Lone Ranger sets scheduled to be released in April of 2013 are listed below. No pictures yet, but you get a good idea of what the sets are going to include; there is a stagecoach, a train, a mine, and what looks like army-builder sets. Sounds good to me! 🙄

#79106 LEGO Lone Ranger Cavalry Builder
#79107 LEGO Lone Ranger Comanche Camp
#79108 LEGO Lone Ranger Stagecoach Escape
#79109 LEGO Lone Ranger Colby City Showdown
#79110 LEGO Lone Ranger Silver Mine Shootout
#79111 LEGO Lone Ranger Constitution Train Chase

What do you think so far of the 2013 LEGO Lone Ranger theme and sets? And what about the movie? I would love to hear your opinion, so feel free to discuss in the comment section below. 🙂

You may also like to check out other 2013 LEGO sets below:

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2013 LEGO Castle: classic sets coming back?

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