Random set of the day: Garmadon's Dark Fortress
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 2505 Garmadon's Dark Fortress, released during 2011. It's one of 43 Ninjago sets produced that year. It contains 518 pieces and 6 minifigs, and its retail price was US$69.99/£49.99.
It's owned by 2,473 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
95 likes
34 comments on this article
Vladek and Ogel had some nifty evil fortresses, back in the day. When they really try, Lego can come up with some fantastic evil bases.
Despite knowing Ninjago, I misread this as "Grandma's Dark Fortress." That was a fun half-second XD
Kind of defeats the purpose of a Fortress if you're outside its protection.
This thing is so metal. I regret not getting it.
@Zordboy:
I prefer Dr. Inferno’s, which is located inside a volcano, in the grand tradition of many evil organizations bent on world domination.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Zordboy:
I prefer Dr. Inferno’s, which is located inside a volcano, in the grand tradition of many evil organizations bent on world domination."
To be fair the nearest volcano was on the verge of eruption at the moment.
This was a fun one. The bone spider was great, and I remember thinking the diagonal wall construction was interesting. Who knew Ninjago would come such a long way!
ouch, right in the childhood...
I’ve been reading up on the pilot season recently so it’s interesting that this is RSOD. The pilot season is the only one that I got into and the only season I’ve seen all the way through aside from Rebooted. As a kid I overlooked nunchaku as a weapon because they just look so unpromising compared to Chinese stars and katanas but after learning that they were banned from sight in British media at one point (not just kids’ shows, ANYTHING) I’ve respected them ever since. I found a toy pair recently and played with it until the string came off of one of them so I’d say I’m pretty dedicated now— Samukai ain’t better than me at using them!
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die.
I'll keep lore quick 'cause I'm in the middle of something.
If people in the Ninjago world die in a way they cannot accept they are sent to the Underworld and become Skulkin.
For years the Skulkin were ruled by the four-armed King Samukai.
Garmadon and Wu were children of the First Spinjitzu Master, creator of the land of Ninjago. Sometime after the FSM's death Garmadon attempted to steal his sacred relics, the Four Golden Weapons, and was banished to the Underworld in Oni form.
After landing in the Underworld Garmadon challenged Samukai to combat and took the throne. He then used the Skulkin as puppets to hunt down the Golden Weapons.
At the end of the Ninjago Pilot the Ninja traveled to the Underworld to recover the Golden Weapons and save Master Wu (which is what this set depicts.) During the ensuing battle Samukai was destroyed by the weapons and Garmadon fled through a portal they created. Oh also the Ninja built a giant Ferris wheel outside the main fortress. Don't ask.
While I don't think it's been made canon yet, at one point the developers behind Ninjago suggested that Omega and his Oni used the Underworld as a staging ground for their grand assault during Season 10. While this might mean they overtook this fortress my understanding was they hid in the shadows beneath it's.. cliffs? Floating rock things? The darkness bellow let's go with that.
Also the Underworld was home to giant spiders called Spykors, which is what you see on the front of this building.
@R1_Drift:
That just shows you’re hardcore.
@Balthazar_Brannigan: I'm reminded of Granny Goodness from DC. She works for Darkseid.
@Trigger_ said:
"I’ve been reading up on the pilot season recently so it’s interesting that this is RSOD. The pilot season is the only one that I got into and the only season I’ve seen all the way through aside from Rebooted. As a kid I overlooked nunchaku as a weapon because they just look so unpromising compared to Chinese stars and katanas but after learning that they were banned from sight in British media at one point (not just kids’ shows, ANYTHING) I’ve respected them ever since. I found a toy pair recently and played with it until the string came off of one of them so I’d say I’m pretty dedicated now— Samukai ain’t better than me at using them!
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
who needs reading when you can see it?
https://sites.google.com/view/ninjago-masters-of-spinjitzu-/home
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Balthazar_Brannigan : I'm reminded of Granny Goodness from DC. She works for Darkseid."
Granny Goodness in LEGO DC Super-Villains is… something, to be sure. LEGO and TT really had fun with the grandma theme and the yarn minions, it was a pretty fun side level.
@PurpleDave said:
" @R1_Drift:
That just shows you’re hardcore."
what watching all of ninjago twice does to a man like me
@R1_Drift:
You have a volcano laid that’s about to erupt? Not sure how you get that from watching a TV show. Did you win some sort of contest?
Ah the weirdness of early Ninjago... I'm so glad that theme evolved SO MUCH with time. It is by far my favorite theme nowadays.
Gnarlie set.
@Trigger_ said:
"…
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
As a skeleton, how much more dead can he get?
Aside from that, Power Miners wheels as turret caps. Noice.
Not gonna lie, I miss the simplicity of early Ninjago. The first wave still very much feels like a classic 2000's original theme, and this set is a prime example of that. As others have pointed out, this set is basically a combination between Ogel and Vladek's fortresses... why don't we get anymore of those villain fortresses nowdays?
Also, Samukai is a terrific figure. One of the very few LEGO minifigures to have a molded head that can open its mouth...
Well no-one ever accused Garmadon of being subtle I suppose
@NotProfessorWhymzi said:
" @LegoDavid: you forgot about Jestro’s fortress in Nexo Knights. (Actually, i’m not sure it was technically his, considering how he was basically a talking book’s Butt-ler Monkey.)"
It used to be Monstrox' fortress and he stole it for him and the Book of Monsters to use. Who is secretly Monstrox.
@LegoDavid you're right it still had that simplicity. In 2012 we would get a revolution in parts with the 1x1 round tile in the winter and a new selection of SNOT brackets in the summer.
That said, I never really wanted this set for that reason. It doesn't look great and looks awful around the back. The interior is only a thing on the ground floor level and the throne is on the top floor on the roof for some reason. There have been way better evil castles before.
Spinjitsu Dojo was a much better set in that regard, as it's more open and doesn't pretend to have anything above ground level.
I did always like the pop-out grave. It doesn't really fit the Skullkin's lore, but it's always fun to have skeletons pop out of graves!
Although I have never had any interest in Ninjago, I do respect it as a Lego theme and I think the pilot (with skeletons), along with the snakes, were the best subthemes of Ninjago.
I really like the use of the Power Miners drill piece upside down to create castle turrets, that's really cool.
Sadly there's no way you'd see creativity like that in a set thesedays, it would just be some preformed juniors piece, or a very basic square with a ridiculous oversized launcher with a massive red or yellow button/dial to activate it...
@PurpleDave said:
" @R1_Drift:
You have a volcano laid that’s about to erupt? Not sure how you get that from watching a TV show. Did you win some sort of contest?"
No, but it's from season 1. The fire temple from 2011 was built into a volcano, and by 2012 it erupted. Sorry for confusion.
@MeisterDad said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"…
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
As a skeleton, how much more dead can he get?
Aside from that, Power Miners wheels as turret caps. Noice.
"
The Skulkin are only MOSTLY dead. There’s a difference between mostly dead and all dead.
@SearchlightRG:
Mostly dead is slightly alive. If he were all dead, there's only one thing you can do. Go through his pockets and look for loose change.
@SearchlightRG said:
" @MeisterDad said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"…
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
As a skeleton, how much more dead can he get?
Aside from that, Power Miners wheels as turret caps. Noice.
"
The Skulkin are only MOSTLY dead. There’s a difference between mostly dead and all dead."
As you wish!
@PurpleDave said:
" @SearchlightRG:
Mostly dead is slightly alive. If he were all dead, there's only one thing you can do. Go through his pockets and look for loose change."
Probably not many pockets in a loincloth...
I remember when they teased a future encounter with Garmadon in the very last playable LEGO Universe update. The actual Garmadon area was supposed to be added in the day they announced they had decided to cancel LU. :-(
This set was featured in that teaser, all those years ago. (Doesn't feel like 11 years since the closure of the game!)
@MeisterDad said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"…
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
As a skeleton, how much more dead can he get?"
He explodes
@560heliport said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @SearchlightRG:
Mostly dead is slightly alive. If he were all dead, there's only one thing you can do. Go through his pockets and look for loose change."
Probably not many pockets in a loincloth..."
I’m guessing you’re not catching the reference.
It’s kind of sad that this sort of build is all the Ninjago villains seem to get these days: a structure with or without a monster. The skeletons at least had some vehicles to park in this thing’s nonexistent garage.
@Balthazar_Brannigan said:
"Despite knowing Ninjago, I misread this as "Grandma's Dark Fortress." That was a fun half-second XD"
That’s O’Grandma’s Dark Fortress to you;).
@LegoDavid said:
"As others have pointed out, this set is basically a combination between Ogel and Vladek's fortresses... why don't we get anymore of those villain fortresses nowdays?"
71722 Skull Sorcerer's Dungeons and its accompanying sets from 2020 were/are pretty sweet!
@R1_Drift said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"I’ve been reading up on the pilot season recently so it’s interesting that this is RSOD. The pilot season is the only one that I got into and the only season I’ve seen all the way through aside from Rebooted. As a kid I overlooked nunchaku as a weapon because they just look so unpromising compared to Chinese stars and katanas but after learning that they were banned from sight in British media at one point (not just kids’ shows, ANYTHING) I’ve respected them ever since. I found a toy pair recently and played with it until the string came off of one of them so I’d say I’m pretty dedicated now— Samukai ain’t better than me at using them!
Oh yeah and he doesn’t have the Sword of Fire in that pic because if you hold all four of the golden weapons you die."
who needs reading when you can see it?
https://sites.google.com/view/ninjago-masters-of-spinjitzu-/home"
I’ve already seen it at least three times, it just became a subject of interest recently so I’ve been browsing through a few of the sets on here and read up on Wikipedia’s two sentence summaries of each episode. It’s more of an internal inspiration that I can’t quite explain.