This was one of my absolute favorite sets as a kid, and by far my largest set. I mostly had Space sets which all sort of lived together in my Lego boxes, but this set was always kept separate, in a small moving box I kept in my bookcase. Of course I kept it assembled, but would often relocate towers, or break down walls. To this day, it has survived me going to college, my parents moving several times, and now that I have a family it is sitting in that very same moving box where it always lived waiting in the crawl space for when my son is old enough to play with it. Sadly I lost the instructions, but luckily it is easy to find scans online so I will print up some new ones. It is still assembled, but looks quite a bit different from the picture that I see here. Hopefully I still have all the pieces, I think I do, I always took extra good care of this set!

My son has just recently become old enough to play with mini-figures, so he now owns a handful of the mini-figures and the horses, along with an assortment of astronauts and generic Lego people that I gave him. For his birthday he got his first Lego Juniors set, so now the knights fight alongside Batman, and Batman typically has to ride a horse as Mr Freeze always steels his Batboat!

After a few years of dabbling with medieval sets, including the historic 375 Yellow Castle and a number of smaller minifigure-heavy sets, 1984 saw Lego re-launch the theme as the monolexically titled ‘Castle’ - filtering the life, architecture and heraldry of the Middle Ages through a Lego brick prism. What set this new range apart from what had gone before was the establishment of a ‘castle wall standard’ which meant that buildings would feature a section of wall which was identical enough in construction that they could be joined via technic pins and your Castle or walled town could increase in size as your collection grew. This set was the flagship of this new range so needed to impress and showcase the best the theme could offer.

Instructions

The instructions are of their time – the whole build is completed briskly within the 44 steps contained within the slim A4 booklet. With so few colours involved there is no scope for any confusion between similar shades, though it makes the ‘spot the difference’ game that little bit harder as part callouts were still far in the future! The clarity breaks down a little towards the end (once string is involved) and there are a couple of steps where it’s not really clear what needs to be added where and you just have to assume that the interior is symmetrically constructed!

Parts

Grey. So much grey. Nearly 70% of the entire contents of the set are light grey – and if you include black in that figure as well, you end up with barely 100 elements out of the 674 total that are not either of these colours!

The wall panels were an exciting new element at the time and this set included 30 of them – there were even two different printed designs on five of those pieces in this set which added a bit more brick-like detail to the otherwise smooth and plain walls. Combined with the large number of basic bricks and plates also included (also in grey), this became a wonderfully flexible parts pack for castle builders or (as I tried) spacers who want to build a hanger to dock a long-planned starship that never actually got built…

The overwhelming greyness of the set is countered with quite a few splashes of colour – the green baseplates, the well-designed heraldry on the shields and minifigs, the red and yellow flags that make up the banner of the Lion Knights, and even the black brick highlights in the castle itself all serve to break up the vast sea of grey nicely.

Though Lego may have tried to pretend that the Space theme was all about exploring and definitely not conflict, there was no such charade here – a number of weapons were introduced with the theme including the spear, quiver, bow and arrow, and enclosed helmet, which already joining the already established lances and swords released in previous sets.

Minifigures

A generous 12 minifigures are included, divided into three sets of four. The first set of four bear a crossed axe motif on their torsos and a flared helmet. The second set are archers, sporting the Lion Knights coat of arms and possessed of quivers and bows. The final set of four appear to be the mounted brigade, with chain mail jackets and enclosed helmets with a grill at the front for them to smile menacingly through.

Though not strictly figures, there are also four horses included, two in black and two in white, which were well received and practically an entire mounted battalion in our young minds.

The Build

I think it’s fair to say that the build process is a challenge, with easily-made minor misplacements of the multiple pieces installed per step causing several frustrating rebuilds both at the time and now! The biggest issue is the primarily grey-on-grey build and some less-than-clear instructions towards the end. Aside from these difficulties, it is a standard construction for the most part and proceeds fairly rapidly as a result.

Completed Model & Overall Opinion

The end result is really quite stunning – a large and (relatively) imposing fortress, detailed enough to look good, but providing enough of a blank canvas for any number of stories to be played out within. The size is mostly down to the proliferation of the new wall pieces, which both speed up the build and make up the bulk of the castle walls. The detail included, such as the slight overhang of the ramparts around the top, provide visual interest and avoid it looking too monolithic in appearance.

The fact that the whole building is hinged not only allows it to connect with other buildings in the range, but also opens up the play area inside and creates a wider appearance (albeit open at the back) – ideal for a pitched battle on the living room floor.

The front gate is understatedly wonderful and features numerous subtle(ish) design choices. Incorporating round 1x1 bricks in the surrounding of the castle gate defines the opening nicely and the striping of grey and black bricks in the layer behind draws the eye to the opening and helps it stand out amongst the sea of grey, as well as echoing the layout of portcullis which it channels. The gatehouse itself is double height, allowing for some subtle brick-built detail to be included above the gate such as the protruding headlight bricks holding two shields topped off by crossed lances.

The vertical slot in which the portcullis slides is simply but cleverly incorporated into the larger structure of the gatehouse and the portcullis itself looks great. However, being constructed of smallish plates, it isn’t quite as sturdy as the real thing would be, with stability relying on a second layer of similarly small bracing plates. Not that it mattered too much as the regular destruction of this feature was a key part of most of the scenarios played out by my brother and I. The drawbridge is functional - the stepped design created by the two overlapping plates looks a bit odd, but it does the job.

There are of course always niggling little things which could be improved – most noticeably, despite the use of the new wall pieces the walls themselves aren’t very high when compared to an attacking knight on horseback. The width of the drawbridge is restricted to four useable studs wide by the use of 1x2 technic bricks as the hinge point, which then prevents access for most of the wheeled vehicle that the theme would offer both in that year (such as 6022) and in the future (6016). And finally, while the drawbridge has a well-hidden winch to wind it up and down it, the portcullis is controlled simply by a length of string tied to a 1x2 technic brick, which then just sort of . . . hangs around or is affixed to the stud of the ramparts to keep the lattice gate raised. It works well enough but just feels a little incomplete.

These minor gripes aside, this is striking and confident ‘debut’ castle set (the stand-alone 'Weetabix castle' and the rightfully well-regarded Yellow Castle of previous years non-withstanding!) and helped to set the design standard that the rest of the theme would follow for years afterwards. Highly playable, thanks to the moving features and number of minifigs included, as well as adaptable and expandable with additional sets from the range, this still stands as landmark in the Castle theme and is still a firm favourite of mine.

As mentioned in my review of #6972 Polaris-I Space Lab, this was the other set that had been left in built-up condition for far too long and thus was also hit very hard by yellowing. While the white base has cleaned up nicely, with the grey bricks it is more difficult to get a consistent result. Not only that, the minifigures themselves have been worn down completely: blank heads, faded torso prints and loose joints (or even cracked arms and torsos). As if that wasn't enough broken saddle clips, a broken 1 x 1 x 2 shutter holder brick and broken shields meant one castle in a very sorry state... So I just bit the bullet and bought another one in much better condition.

Box/Instructions

Another A4/letter size booklet, this time amounting to 44 steps on 24 pages (at 674 pieces this works out to an amazing average of 15 pieces each step). The front page shows the castle (as can be seen on the image of this set here), then another page for the minifigures and then just building, building, and more building. I absolutely loved all the alternative ideas presented on the box: the big keep, the great hall, the way a smaller castle and keep (even with opposing armies) could be built, the knight's procession... they all fuelled the imagination tremendously and made me wish for a second or even third copy (as such, I did not throw out my old, worn set and don't plan on doing so, I hope it can still be salvaged).

Parts

Well, it's a huge pile of grey with some black thrown in. If you want a colourful castle you've clearly come to check the wrong set, although with all the minifigures and flags in place it's not too bad. At the time, this castle had a huge parts count and they weren't all 1 x 1 plates: 30 2 x 5 x 6 wall panels (more then any other set I know of), 89 grey 1 x 2 bricks (fully a third of all our grey 1 x 2 bricks, in fact more grey bricks than you can shake a stick at), lots of slopes and plates, a black 1 x 4 x 6 (prison) door, a winch with handle and three green baseplates means you can build a lot of castle.

Minifigures

Twelve! Four with a cuirass print (knights, fixed grill helmet), four with the lion print (archers, helmet with chin protector) and four with the crossed axes print (guards, helmet with neck protector). Four horses too, this set alone makes a veritable army. And a well-equipped one, at that: four axes, four spears, four bows and quivers, six lances, seven swords, eight shields, and four plastic capes and a dozen (literally) plumes to top it off. True to the times, they all have the standard smiley face so are indistinguishable from one another except for the knights who at least have some individuality: another horse, saddle, plume, flag, arm or shield colour was about everything that was possible. Still, this makes it easy to get a uniformed army, maybe not so realistic but good-looking at least. I never minded the red or blue pants and just took them as part of the coloured tunic over their armour.

The build

Largely symmetrical, but since you're building both parts at the same time it's never boring (you're not repeating the same steps but rather doing all at once). For the children this was rather difficult (I remember I got this for my fifth birthday and my dad had to help me too) as with these old instructions you just have to look at the next step and spot the differences, in this case there can be a lot of bricks added in one step. The stairs in the back, the prison (the door can be locked with a bar), the plate-built portcullis, the gatehouse... Everything is fun to build and they became my de facto standards which were added to or varied upon in further castles. There is one issue with the drawbridge though (well, apart from sometimes being difficult to lower without giving it a nudge), due to the way it is constructed it is too narrow to let a cart drive through - while the gate itself is six studs wide the drawbridge is connected with two 2 x 1 bricks with hole, reducing the gate to be really only four studs wide. So those who, like me, had #6010 Supply Wagon too had to find other ways to get those supplies inside the castle.

The completed model

What it lacks in colour it certainly makes up for in playability: since it is built on three baseplates and is hinged it can be set up as a self-contained castle or just a part of a larger whole (as castle sets at the time had the technic brick with hole and pin so they could all be connected, if you found a way around the difference in baseplate and plate thickness). The portcullis and drawbridge can be raised or lowered (the eternal fight between my children: should they remain open or closed?), the prison can be locked (after being filled to the brim with whatever minifigure is lying around, although skeletons, ghosts and the mummies from #7326 Rise of the Sphinx are clear favourites). And as mentioned before, the box even gives inspiration to create two separate factions (each with its own castle) out of this set. This was very helpful, as there is no opposing force (although usually this force, if included, is hopelessly outclassed anyway) and for a while this was my only castle set. Later on there were enough knights of other factions in our collection to render the point moot but it is nice they thought about it.

Overall opinion

Of course, my recollection of this set is heavily coloured by memories so this could be the reason for the high scores I'm giving this set but it would be impossible for me to do otherwise. I don't have experience with castle sets newer then #6081 King's Mountain Fortress anyway so in my lego castle experience this is the castle standard. And so far my boys seem to agree... lower the gate - no, raise the gate - I said lower ah well, throw someone in the dungeon (at least there's agreement over that part)!

finally after many years and never having this set as a child I have bought an excellent boxed set from a collector. All I can say is that this is everything a lego set should be,a superb main model,scope for your own ideas,enough lego men for play and good use of standard bricks (not like some modern sets where it seems like you make the main model and struggle to make much else). The build is enjoyable because you have to study the instructions in each phase not like newer ones where they tell you what pieces you need. The finished castle is superb ,big ,grey and imposing like a castle should be. Twelve men four horses and plenty of weapons. I must also mention that mixed in with this set was the 6041 armour shop and 6012 seige crossbow,wich was a nice surprise, then i was looking at ebay and found another set with the same two extras, maybe an offer was on at the time these sets where in the shops. All in all a first class set.

*GOLD BRICK SET*

A present for my 9th birthday if I'm not mistaken. I can remember the excitement and realisation as I opened the wrapping...

Minifigures:

• 4 Men-at-arms/ Guards: Blue britches with black belts, brilliant brown and gold crossed axe tops, brown spears, black axes and grey skirted helmets.
• 4 Archers: Red britches with black belts, blue lion shield badge torsos, brown bow & arrow quiver, black helmet.
• 4 Knights: Two each of red britches with black belt and blue britches with black belt. Silver armour prints on two red torsos with black arms and two blue torsos with red arms. Blue cloaks, two red trousers and two blue trousers with black belts, grey swords, 2 grey lances and two brown lances. Plumes are red, white, blue and yellow.

Mediaeval Bricks

If you have, had or are planning a Castle layout you may wish to make a centrepiece or large feature where much of the action takes place. You may just want a display piece that looks great on a shelf or low counter/table. The old castle sets should provide such a model and here is a remarkable example.

'Castle Lion' as it was known in UK catalogues was large and full of knights, guards and archers. This stone printed, grey walled masterpiece was sat upon 'grassy' bases and featured the defences of one large front gate turret, two further turrets, a drawbridge and chunky portcullis. These were pulled up using a grey turning handle on an eight stud sized block with string attached. Its decorative shields and crossed lances only served to promote strength and warn off enemies.

Inside was a dungeon type cell, some steep steps on to the battlements and a few chambers to set up rooms in for a King etc. A windswept, open plan mediaeval castle, this place could generate some atmosphere if you got down to eye level and looked through windows, down battlements and over towers. Nice features were a grey treasure chest and the rounded one stud brick columned corners on the turrets, absolutely superb. A brilliant space remained within the courtyard for much of your Lion collection to inhabit, be they carts, peasants, traders, questing knights and most importantly of all, buildings...

Thats right, the tavern, blacksmiths shop and other sets were modular and with the peg and hole bricks in all these sets, they could connect on to the castle. all because the castle sides open wide to allow them to join! The only difficulty was completing the defensive wall with these smaller battlement featured sets.

Population wise, the men-at-arms style guards had the brilliant crossed axe tops and all the archers were also uniformed. Guards got spears and large axes and bows and arrows were obviously a weapon of choice for the turret based archers. Knights here were more individualistic. The various 'Sirs' had different coloured helmet feather plumes and saddles on their horses. The 'King was marked out with the reverse colour shield (perhaps unsuitably?) and a double flag on his lance. They all got blue cloaks and to a kid collector looked excellent and near unbeatable unless siblings could match with another castle set.

The build starts from the rear of the base and involves the modular connection and rear central steps, an evocative feature that looks great already. The instructions indicate which print design stone wall panel to place when the isometric graphics show the opposite side. A few stonework designs feature. The cell (you wish was a dungeon) forms next with a long tile across it as a strong bolt for the door, no ones getting out of that. Ornate designs start to evolve and mark future Lego detailed thinking. A pillar holds a sword, its rather random but is pretty cool.

Black upward slants appear including the corner type. On to the second level blocks and slants fill out edges over some plates. The corner columns and towers take off from here. Once their upward slants and plates roof them off with battlements, yet another green base plate is brought in to play. This model is big.

The stonework efforts with slanted bricks is almost a thing of beauty but lets not get carried away! Two more swords and two black axes get clipped in to the front gate walls and black bricks alternate which is helpful for the technical bits. Black tiles adorn the floor underneath the portcullis. The chunky build for the front just goes up and up with upward slants and mini arch brick three studs long at one point, all styling the formation of the model. Finally the high archway is made and a black thread can loop from a sizeable drawbridge up to the front tower with its own special winch block.

The main tower rises with panels, plates and battlement bricks above a portcullis, cleverly made strong to fit in a gap and be drawn on a string and one stud loop plate for clipping after raising or lowering. The lance and shield front decor and finishing pieces are easy after the fiddly string work.

Keep, Castle, Fortress

This review has not even gone in to enough detail to do the set justice. Its a very enjoyable build from stoney start to fortress finish and the potential action within is only limited by imagination. If you're not up for crusading for a new one, try the new castle themed fancy version or await similar in the future. Best feature? Perhaps the chunky portcullis. Drawbridge closed, now stay out!