I am really not one of those who like bad guy and good guy sides, but this one... I gotta say, that it looks just like one from the "bad side" (I like to call these just kingdoms, like in the 80's they were).

Minifigures:

Let's start off from the minifigs... Well I love Vladek's soldiers, but I am not huge fan of the knights. Also, there should be way more soldiers for Vladek's side. Every knight have different type of shield. There are so many great weapons in this set, though some of those are used in the castle as a decoration.

Pieces:

Too big... Way too big, I would say. I kinda thou understand it, because this set was made in 2005, just there could be more smaller pieces to make it harder. Some of the pieces are awesome, like wall pieces, those piles, banners and some others, but I have really nothing else to say about parts.

Castle overall:

I love it! It's huge and there is so much place to create your own things (inside the castle). I love how the front looks like, especially entrance. There are a lot of weapons used in the build, which looks just fantastic. It's just so huge castle considering the price of it! If you are a fan of Lego Castle (like me), you should totally get this one! I would say 9/10, because of the minifigures.

Parts

Great, tons of big parts, castle panels, very large plates, staircase, large doors, very big slopes, collumn, balconies, the assortment is impressive and will allow the building of huge models. Large amount of weapons as well. Besides the swords and axes carried by the minifigs, there are also many spears used in the models and a few extra crossbow.

Minifigures

the weak point of this set, minifigs have no prints at all, though the colour could be interesting. the bad guys all have the same head, even vladek... on the plus side, they all have an armour, which come with 6 different patterns including 5 printed ones. there are also 6 different types of helmets, 6 differents types of shields, and swords come in 5 different colors.

The build

Quite easy, some may say juniorized due to the amount of really large pieces. It's not quick to build due to the amount of pieces, but it grows in size quickly.

The completed model

This model is a beast. It is enormous. I mean, I began with one of the side sections, and it was already the size of the ninjago fire temple. It even dwarves a set like kingdom joust and is easily twice as big as other sets in the same price range. I recall measures being 64cm large, 38cm deep, 38 cm high.

Playability is high with many war machines, many way to enter the castle, including a swivelling wall and a sliding wall, a working drawbridge and possibility to drop boiling oil on attackers. It also has a lot on indoor space, and though not a ton of details inside, probably more than in many other castle which have little more than walls and towers. On the minus side, the bad guys are far too few for a castle that big, and a flag get in the way of one of the catapult on the castle. Also, pity that the ballista isn't spring loaded.

Overall opinion

Certainly great as a playset, and it almost feels like a 200€ set because it's so big. Make sure you have a lot of space available. Note that the plain minifigs should earn this set a rating of 4/5, but the impressive amount of content for a set in this price range compensates for this.

Overall 5 bricks : A great Castle to build and a must have for a Castle fan like me also because it is in my opinion really the first big "Bad Guys" castle. It looks real dangerous in the black/red colours with an impressive entrance although the big swords are a bit overdue.

Building 5 bricks : Building it is big fun and a lot of work since I bought it second hand with all pieces loose. Not an easy set to build for the youngest Lego fans.

Parts 4 bricks : Great parts such as the pillars both the big and the small red ones, grey stone walls and the heavy wooden doors and lots of banners. Like said before missing is a jail, but maybe Vladek does not take prisoners.

Playability 4 bricks : The set is very playable, even more if you combine with other sets of this serie. That can compensate the fact that are a bit too few of Vladek's soldiers. It would also be nicer if the Vladek soldiers had more weapons beside the axes.

Value 5 bricks : Value for money is 5 for me because I bought it used, combined with some other sets. The normal going price in Holland is about € 65,00 for this set, I paid less.

So overall a good buy and a great set to own !!

If you look for a really good dark side castle, then this is the one for you!

The cool thing about the minifigs are that there is a four vs four battle which is considered even with all those catapults on both sides!

The building experience is amazing! Love all those castle windows and foundations! They are great for making your own castles (which I like to do)!

The only thing is missing from this castle is a jail...

Vladek's dark fortress, simply put, is an awesome set for one to own. It's big, it's cheap, it looks impressive, it doesn't fall apart, it's flexible and most importantly, it includes all the important minifigures from the Knights Kingdom series. Lego don't often do all that in just one set, but this set somehow made that exception.

The playability of the set is not limited in any way, that is to say, it's perfect if you have got a castle for the 'good guys' so that wars can be waged in an appropriate manner. The Knights are noble and the Evil King's out to rule the world, so you've got to stop him in one way or another. By-passing the molten lava waterfall however, might be a bit of a problem...

There are a number of assets to this set simply in its features - the catapults, drawbridge and other accessories extend the playability while the Knights - since you get all of them - ensure that the set is worth its $150 price tag. (although I got it for only $98)

There really is nothing to complain about this set. It is undoubtedly the best villainous residence released by Lego, mainly due to the comprehensive inclusion of minifigs as well as the solid structure and its dark and eerie appearance. This set is well deserving of a perfect 5 largely due to the fact that it is flawless and a big step ahead on the 'bad guys' front in Lego Castle history.