Review: 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent
Posted by benbacardi,
One of the more anticipated sets in the Creator line this year is 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent; like last year's 31120 Medieval Castle and 31109 Pirate Ship, it's a modern recreation of a classic LEGO theme. The original Vikings theme gave us just seven sets over two years back in 2005–2006, and LEGO building techniques have come a long way since then!
In fact, 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent seems to be an updated version of 7018 Viking Ship challenges the Midgard Serpent, even down to the name. At double the pieces, it includes a Viking longship, an enormous sea serpent, as well as two alternate models of a Viking house and Fenris, a large wolf from Norse mythology.
Summary
31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent, 1,192 pieces.
£104.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 | 8.8p/10.1c/10.1c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A fantastic revival of a beloved theme with a decent sized model great for display and play alike.
- A striking, iconic longship design
- Bigger than expected
- Great alternative models
- None!
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Four minifigures are included, two male and two female. Right off the bat I'm going to try and head off some of the inevitable comments: yes, Viking helmets most likely didn't actually sport horns, but this is a play set designed around the mythical idea of Vikings, rather than factual reality, so I think we can let this one slide! I am also sure there are other factual inaccuracies that I won't point out in this review.
The first female Viking warrior has long blonde hair in a plait draped over her shoulder, and is sporting a silver winged diadem, in an impressive new dual-moulded piece. Her torso is also a new part: she's wearing a detailed metal studded breastplate over long black sleeves, although her legs are a plain green. It's not new, but I do like the smirking face.
LEGO have reintroduced a horned helmet, of which you get two in the set, and I think it looks fantastic. Our ginger-bearded warrior is also wearing a new highly-detailed torso print; another breastplate, this time of a woven material, over a green tunic. His orange trousers are nicely colour-matched with his beard!
Both torsos are printed on the rear, with the brown belt and shoulder strap continuing round the back. Neither head is double-sided, although you can see the determined expression of the male warrior in the photo below, as it is usually hidden behind the beard and helmet.
The next female minifigure is wearing the same cloth breastplate as above, and you can see the necklace that was hidden by the beard. She is also smirking (do all Viking women smirk?) but has no new headpiece, just a brown hair part that has been in many sets before, and plain red legs.
The final minifigure appears to be a chieftain of some kind, with the same horned helmet as the man before, but this time a big fur neck collar in lieu of a beard. As with the rest of the figures, his torso is yet another new print, a fur-lined jacket pulled in at the waist with a belt. Again, the printing continues on the rear, and is very detailed, even down to some decorative stitching on the shoulder strap.
As befitting a quartet of Viking warriors aboard a longship, they're each equipped with vicious-looking weapons; a single- and double-headed axe, a spear, and a sword.
The Viking Ship and Midgard Serpent
There are three instruction booklets included; two smaller ones for each of the alternative models, and a large one for the main build. I was surprised by the choice of colour on the booklet; the use of the pale tan looks quite insipid and far less enticing than the box artwork.
On to the ship! No, wait, first we build a cow. And a barrel of jewels. What would a Viking longship be without livestock? Despite a rather pointy back, I think the cow is quite an effective build for so few parts.
The construction of the longship itself employs a lot of SNOT techniques to make the bow and stern of the keel, with the usual method of using bright colours internally to keep the build interesting and provide easier orientation of the model until they're eventually covered up. The figurehead at the prow of the boat is a fearsome dragon (believed by the Vikings to protect them against the evil spirits on the hostile land they were sailing to conquer), and mirrored nicely at the stern with a similarly elaborate carving.
The longship build comes together fairly quickly, and when complete it looks absolutely fantastic. It's also significantly larger than I was expecting, at over 42cm long. The tapering of the hull towards the stem- and sternposts uses clever layering of tiles and plates, similar to the recent Brick Sketches, and provides the necessary shaping while still feeling very "LEGO".
At the stern of the ship is a covered dining area, with enough room to seat the whole crew (at least, the four provided with the model!). There's also a burning fire above which hang a pair of fish.
The roof of the dining table comes off easily, for better access to the seats, and the sunken area to the fore of the table has a few bales of hay for the cow to munch on while the crew enjoy their fish.
Towards the aft of the ship is a large ballista (also reminiscent of 7018 Viking Ship challenges the Midgard Serpent ) that actually fires! It has a full range of movement, and the 6 light grey "missiles" stacked before it can be loaded into the front, and fired by drawing the bolt backwards. However, I wasn't able to ever get enough force from the little elastic band to fire the 1x1 round brick further than the ship's gunwales, which I doubt would prove very effective against an enormous sea serpent attack.
The striking red and white striped sail dominates the ship, and is a departure from the 2005 set by being brick built rather than fabric. I think this was the right choice: it looks impressive, is clearly LEGO, and won't get damaged or ruined in storage.
It hangs freely from a boom near the top of the mast, and has a small degree of lateral movement. On the ends of the boom perch two black ravens, which make clever use of the minifigure flipper accessory for their wings and tail.
The rear of the sail is somewhat more unsightly than the front, which is unfortunate. However, this is a Creator 3-in-1 set, so visible studs are to be expected, and the sail would be far too thick if SNOT techniques had been used to hide the underside of the plates.
The sail doesn't rest on the mast itself at the bottom, but rather on the ropes tethering the mast to the sides of the ship. Attaching the six tethering ropes (two to each side, one to the stern, one to the bow) to the mast was one of the most satisfying parts of the build; they are a perfect tension to hold the mast firmly in place with very little give, and the use of a steering wheel at the top of the mast to attach them to is some nice parts usage.
The way the Vikings stored their shields on the sides of their ships while travelling is an iconic image, and the set doesn't disappoint. There are four shields attached to either side, each with a different pattern, presumably unique to the Viking that wields it. They can easily be detached and held in the hand of one of the minifigures, although there are twice as many shields as figures included.
You can also see clearly in these side photos how the sail hangs from the mast boom and rests gently on the tension ropes.
With the ship complete, it's time to move onto the Viking's adversary: the Midgard Serpent! This involves the use of various different joints, from standard ball sockets and click hinges to more robust Technic rotation joints.
The resulting model is one of a fearsome serpent, head and tail rearing into the air, with an impressive amount of articulation. Every joint in the tail can move, providing a large number of poses. However, I was slightly disappointed to see that the foremost section of the serpents body, from the floor to the base of the head, is fixed in place.
The head itself can rotate, move up and down vertically, and the jaw can open and close. The orange eyes, large white fangs, and long red tongue are particularly effective, and I think the colour choice was a good one.
The serpent poses a formidable foe to the crew of the longship, and towers over the poor minifigures!
The serpent towers over the longship and its dragon figurehead, although it doesn't reach the heights of the sail. It seems very well sized next to the ship, and I think the whole set together looks fabulous.
The Blacksmith
Both of the remaining builds use far fewer parts, as is common with the 3-in-1 sets. The first creates a Viking house or blacksmith. The cow makes a reappearance, with a slightly different design; attached to a yoke and pulling a plough made from two axe blades. We also build a small fire, and a rather rigid dragon (the only posable feature is its neck).
I quite like the house itself. The curved parts that made up the layered look of the longships bow are put to good use to imitate wattle and daub, and a shield hangs above the entrance on either side. One of the sides of the house is open to the elements where there's a small anvil next to a stream.
The pitched roof hinges open, inside which are four other shields attached in the rafters of the building. This part of the build is somewhat busy and a little bit of a mess, however.
The whole roof detaches to provide access to the ground floor, although I've also removed most of the walls below to show you the inside. An armchair sits with a mug in front of a fire on a decorative floor.
It's a nice little build, but pales in comparison to the main longship.
Fenris
The final instruction booklet contains directions for the third model, a small tree and a large wolf; presumably Fenris (or Fenrir) of Norse mythology. It's the smallest of the three builds.
The tree is a tall, thin, pine tree, mostly made from the mast of the longship and the roof of the dining area (I am forever in awe of the designer's ability to create three usable—if not downright good—models from one set of parts). There's a small area for a campfire beneath, although it is somewhat of a mismash of colours.
The strange blue rock to the right of the tree can be pressed to lever open a hidden compartment with jewels inside.
Finally, Fenris himself is constructed, making liberal use of the various joints from the serpent combined with parts of the hull. His tail, head, and all four legs can be individually posed, as well as his jaw.
The range of articulation may seem a lot, but if you want the model to still be able to stand up, you are limited to just a couple of poses. In fact, this is the only other pose I was able to get to stand unaided, which is clearly not very realistic for a large wolf!
However, I think the designer has done a pretty decent job of capturing the essence of the beast, and its size is clearly evident next to the minifigures (only one shield is provided for the four of them, this time!)
Conclusion
LEGO's recent revival of various older themes seems to have mostly been a hit (although I know many of us would like more than just a single set for each) and I think they've kept the quality bar just as high here with the Viking longship.
The alternative models are quite nice, but it's the main build that really stands out with its attention-grabbing design, multitude of play features, and the general feeling of nostalgia it evokes for the earlier short-lived Vikings line.
Vikings are a perennial subject in education (at least here in the UK), with every primary school aged child learning about their iconic ships, and I can see this set having a large amount of appeal to both adults and children alike.
It will be available from LEGO.com on the 1st of June for £104.99 / €119.99 / $119.99, which isn't a bad deal for well over 1,000 parts and a fantastic model.
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47 comments on this article
Before or anyone complains about historical accuracy, real Viking longships were also much bigger and made of wood
Gosh, it's gorgeous.
@benbacardi, Thank you for a great review and set of pictures!
Can you please show a picture of this longship alongside 76208 Goat Boat?
@NatureBricks said:
" @AddictedToStyrene said:
"Before or anyone complains about historical accuracy, real Viking longships were also much bigger and made of wood"
Also very few Vikings were yellow, except those with jaundice."
Pretty sure vikings had noses and ears too, last I checked!
@Ayliffe said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @AddictedToStyrene said:
"Before or anyone complains about historical accuracy, real Viking longships were also much bigger and made of wood"
Also very few Vikings were yellow, except those with jaundice."
Pretty sure vikings had noses and ears too, last I checked!"
And they didn’t actually fight a lot of monsters in real life. They were mostly just folk stories (albeit great ones).
Yellow dragon’s head/tail on the front and the back of the ship reminds me of yellow plates imitating the same effect on 6049 Viking Voyager. Perhaps the choice of the yellow colour was intentional to reference the old set?
Also, if possible, would be great to see a photo of 31132, 6049, and 7018 together :-)
Creator is just so great, and remains a real core for the hobby.
At almost 9p a piece, discounts are always appreciated but that Optimus Prime set cleverly makes most other releases look better value.
Great set, and I like how LEGO chose some the not so bright colors for the figures, not just the prints but the legs that go with them as well.
I'm quite impressed the brick built sail is still mostly striped at the rear.
Alternate builds look well thought out into the design of the set and not just tossed in after model A.
I did have 6049 : Viking Voyager long ago and with rumours of the Crusader/Lion Knight faction coming back in a 90th anniversary Castle , so to me it'd still fit in a Castle collection.
Also Valheim's longships were fun to sail in the digital world as well, and sea serpents were actually quite scary in that game the first time.
Looks even better than expected. I think the brick built sails makes this ship really stand out from a display point of view, it will look fantastic beside my other ships.
I wonder what sort of experiment they're doing with the instructions for this and 75325.
I'm torn because I really like the set but $20 more than the Creator castle is a tough new reality.
Sizewise how does the ship compare to Thor's Goat Boat?
Great review! I'm with Ben though, what's with the smirking Viking women? I'm pretty sure they have more expressions than a smirk.
"His orange trousers are nicely colour-matched with his beard!"
No, his legs are just very hairy!
The dragon looks really nice, but the boat feels a bit empty for me. Not sure what can be done to give it more life. "Vikings" theme was during my "dark ages", so I don't have the nostalgic factor kicking in, like it was with the pirate ship and castle. I think it'll look dull sitting next to 31109. B model Blacksmith is nice, but Fenris looks like a rejected Ninjago set.
Technically speaking, this has the least value compared to the other two, with the least number of pieces, yet the highest price.
31109 Pirate Ship Set - $140 CAD (before tax) for 1264 pieces
31120 Castle Set - $140 CAD (before tax) for 1426 pieces
31132 Viking Set - $150 CAD (before tax) for 1192 pieces
Great toy? Yes, absolutely.
Educational model? Nah, sorry.
Creator has given us Space, Pirates, Castle, Vikinigs and then Lego Classic has a taste of Bionicle, Adventurers and Fabuland. It's clear using Creator/Classic to put out nostalgic sets is a winning combination.
@Pongo said:
"Great toy? Yes, absolutely.
Educational model? Nah, sorry. "
Yeah, you're right, they really let themselves down on the historical accuracy front with that apocryphal GIANT SNAKE.
i think this is awesome. If this Creator 3-in-1 versions of beloved old themes trend continues I'm going to cross my fingers for a certain brown-yellow-teal space mining theme.
feel like the snake could use some polishing because as is it looks a little mid; regardless, solid alt builds continuing creator's winning streak
@xboxtravis7992 said:
"Creator has given us Space, Pirates, Castle, Vikinigs and then Lego Classic has a taste of Bionicle, Adventurers and Fabuland. It's clear using Creator/Classic to put out nostalgic sets is a winning combination. "
Classic has also referenced Classic Space and Castle in previous sets before 90 Years of Play, such as a spaceship in 10404 and a yellow castle in 11008 and 10717/11717.
@Pongo said:
"Great toy? Yes, absolutely.
Educational model? Nah, sorry. "
Good thing it’s a toy and not an educational model, then
Who cares if it’s accurate, so long as we get a revival of an old series
LOL.
Before I read the review my thought was "there's is nothing wrong with it. I don't care what the review says."
I totally agree with "nothing" as the cons.
I see White Technic bushes...!
A bit pricey and I don't care much for the third build, but otherwise an perfect review of an excellent set!
If only it included a figure of Askeladd, the greatest bastard ever....
Brick-built sail looks lovely from the front but fugly from the back.
@Eggyslav said:
"I'm only wondering how our Vikings will make the boat move without any oars..."
The wind.
But I admit, even in Valheim game, viking ships being paddled by the rudder by 1 person was a bit funny, fantasy game, not real world where ship would need multiple rowers.
Beautiful set! I really love the brick built sail and new/returning helmets! I do wish there was a second hair/helmet combo(recognizing they would do blonde for both) since the other female hairpiece is very common. I just have to wait until it goes on a sale. It will probably only drop to $100, but I would immediately buy it at $80(wishful thinking).
This set looks pretty awesome! Everything is an impressive improvement over the original. Well done, LEGO!
As much as I know we all want dedicated Castle/Pirates/Vikings etc. themes, I'm perfectly content with this recent range of stellar quality Creator visits to those themes.
Now, if they do more sets to match in the future, similar to how they've made the matching Space sets in 31107, 31115, and 31117, I'd be definitely happy for LEGO to continue these classic themes under the Creator banner.
The Viking Longship build is very decent!
If I get this set, I will repurpose the Serpent into Wojira from Ninjago.
@Starik20X7 said:
"As much as I know we all want dedicated Castle/Pirates/Vikings etc. themes, I'm perfectly content with this recent range of stellar quality Creator visits to those themes.
Now, if they do more sets to match in the future, similar to how they've made the matching Space sets in 31107 , 31115 , and 31117 , I'd be definitely happy for LEGO to continue these classic themes under the Creator banner."
I agree, some smallish to medium Classic/Viking/Pirate set would be welcome, 31111 : Cyber Drone showed that a small set can have a cool figure and build too. Torso isn't unique but the face print was new for 2021, and was only recently re-used in 80036 City of Lanterns
Especially smaller Castle set could work as castle expansion kit with the alternate builds, 2 figures in a medium set is reasonable to ask.
Of course a Pirate set would work as well, especially if they touch some other aspects of the theme, maybe some redcoat/bluecoat or islander style builds/figures in a medium set.
@guachi said:
"LOL.
Before I read the review my thought was "there's is nothing wrong with it. I don't care what the review says."
I totally agree with "nothing" as the cons."
I'm not sold on the serpent. Looks way too blocky- even worse than the original and too much the basilisk from 75954. I would like a better effort to sculpt a body (or even add some detail to those empty jumper plates). The sculptural pieces would've been useful to make the wolf better as well.
Overall, I like the set and the alternate builds. It is unfortunate that it doesn’t share the great value of the previous 3-in-1 reboots. This will definitely require a sale (and then I'll likely get multiples).
I love how Lego is tipping the cap to well loved classic themes via Creator 3-in-1.
Adventurers next?
The shields on one side are absolutely the Hogwarts house colors, as an easter egg
Fabulous review, thank-you! However, I disagree on the price. This excellent set will cost $180 in Australia and that's expensive for a Creator set as there is no license to pay. AT the very least the price should be on par with the recent Pirate and Castle Creator sets IMHO.
The blades of the double ax need to both be flipped around. That's why they're not even with each other.
I really hate these new plain instruction covers, the paper feels also of inferior quality and thinner. Must be another cost saving thing same as this year's plain white backed Ninjago boxes.
@twodoors said:
"Fabulous review, thank-you! However, I disagree on the price. This excellent set will cost $180 in Australia and that's expensive for a Creator set as there is no license to pay. AT the very least the price should be on par with the recent Pirate and Castle Creator sets IMHO."
Absolutely, I don't usually whinge about Lego prices but this is a joke - Castle and Pirate were 1426 and 1264 pieces for $159 each, and they're sneaking it up $20 for less pieces? MAYBE on a good sale, but you'd be crazy to go RRP on that one.
Much like the Pirate Ship and Castle, I'm very excited for this one. It's so refreshing to see older themes revisited through Creator. Hope we can get some Classic Space or Agents or anything, really!
I mean, the set looks cool. New figures, new design/take on an older theme. Much wanted for sure! I agree price is questionable, but pretty much all of LEGO offerings are too expensive these days (including everything else). Good thing their profits won't suffer. We can't have that...
I will wait for a good sale, or I will keep waiting I guess. MSRP is too hard to swallow these days.
Any pictures of it next to 7018? Would be interested to see how both longboat and serpent compare face to face
I wonder if the two ravens on the mast are a subtle reference to Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn?
I love the ship but don't like the side builds to the point that I don't think I'd take the time to try them out. That negates the 3 in 1 so I'd rather just have a dedicated ship that is done very well with more build specific parts. I might be more forgiving if it weren't for the price, that wolf ain't no $120 and for $30 more you can have the Medieval Blacksmith, one of the best sets LEGO has ever done. It deserves all the praise it gets but that's my thoughts on value.
Those shields seem to be the same color combinations from the minifig-sized stickered shields from the original theme. So cool!
I really love sets like these!
And for any fans of Ninjago the serpent is the best Great Devourer we've ever gotten in a set, including the original set depicting it.
No Cons?! Seriously, it’s creator and not a specific theme. Secondly that sail is horrendous. These creator models will not hold their value. Hard pass.
At 120 USD, I would like it more if it had a cloth sail.