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Comments
http://shop.lego.com/en-US/LEGO-Kingdoms-Chess-Set-853373
Doesn't seem to be on the UK [email protected] yet.
I hope the figs are regular and not outsourced plastic.
If I could only convince my wife that we need to go by the Lego store tonight...
Feels like a missed opportunity for a dragon knight King and Queen, or even a green jester, especially with TLG unlikely to pick up this style of Kingdoms sets in the LOTR stop gaps. They would have made this highly desirable, as it stands it's still a nice way to bulk out one's armies.
It looks like the price is consistent with the crownie and Viking chess sets so that is good.
I guess LEGO is very serious about the "no religious imagery" part!
I am a very keen chess player and have been toying with the idea of MOCing a decent Lego SW chess-set. The one that's out at the moment just doesn't cut it, mainly because of the microfigs (I think?).
What I find really interesting is that on Amazon, MMV is outselling Joust, even with MMV being sold out and sold by 3rd party sellers at 35% over RRP, while Joust is sold by Amazon at RRP.
Not really about this chess set, and I wouldn't have posted here otherwise, but Kingdoms/Castle is so limited right now, it makes me wonder how well this set will sell.
Will I buy one? I don't know... Tempting, because of all the minifigs. Shame about the base, it is screaming for a brick-built base, but perhaps that would have doubled the cost, and Lego knows that many of us will just build an army with these guys and never use the chess board?
This makes me want a good Star Wars Chess set. I wonder how well a proper UCS Chess set would do, with a proper brick-built base and all the right figs. Say a $99 price-point for a 700 part set, with 32 minifigs, I suspect it would sell... well. :)
Romans vs Barbarians
Spartans vs Persians
And maybe ...
Zombies vs Shaun of the Dead
They could also do a good LOTR one, with hobbits and orcs as pawns.
The model's super cool, though. Kingdom's isn't my favorite, but this is lookin' (mostly) good.
Somebody put it on CUUSOO!
Wish it was heroes vs the Orcs, but oh well...
For 28 minifigs + a green baseplate (the chess board under the white/black plates this is an awesome deal at USD $50!
Yeah, the minifigs may be chinese, but they are proper minifigs (not glued at all - assembly is 95% putting minifigs together).
So you figure take off ~$10 for the baseplate (leaving you with $40-) and you're getting 28 minifigs for under $2- a minifig. Wow.
John
That ugly grey plastic outer moulding is a mayor bummer in my opinion. Not only is it hideous, it is completely unLegolike! Why ooo Why did the people at TLG not design a chess board which is completely made out of Lego bricks/plates and a proper base plate?!? This is really beyond me.
Nevertheless I might still sucker myself into buying this Kingdoms set as well, as I have collected all Kingdoms sets (except for one poly-bag with a Lion Kingdom archer [:(] which I unfortunately have never been able to obtain, and that 'Bricks & More' 5929 castle building set which I chose not to buy).
I actually don't really need it since I have already have quite a large collection of Kingdoms minifig's: 53 Dragon Knight chaps (the wizard included), and 52 Lion Kingdom minifig's which includes several princesses, queens, a prince, and a blue wizard, and 2 harlequins (not counting all my other civilians/peasant medieval minifig's).
Oooh and now that I think of it I also still have 2 extra King's castle sets in unopened mint condition sitting in a closet (have not decided what to do with these 2 sets yet, I am not a hoarder that usually keeps sets unopened). Mmmmh tough cookie! I do suffer somewhat from completionist syndrome.
brickset.com/detail/?set=853373-1
The Dragon wizard (black king chess piece) is a little different; he does not have the dragon print on his hat and a white instead of a black beard. The black queen does not look regal at all, why did they not make a unique green and gold dress for her? If they can do it this for the CMF series why not for Kingdoms? A proper Dragon queen would have been much nicer! I also think it is a pity they never made a court-jester/harlequin in green and orange for the Dragon knights. This chess set would have provided the perfect opportunity to make up for that hiatus.
In my opinion the ultimate Lego Chess set ever made is the fantasy castle chess board. Unfortunately this masterpiece has been released in my Lego dark ages. A chess set truly a gem to treasure and cherish, if you have it (which I don't unfortunately). Maybe TLG will come up with a LOTR chess set of similar splendour?!
About the quality of those Chinese manufactured Kingdoms battle packs, I personally don't care either that they were made in China, but the printing (with regard to those battle packs) is inferior to the minifig's that come with other Kingdoms sets. E.g.: non the the Dragon knights have the actual metallic shiny gold paint on their legs and torso but a regular tawny copper-like non metallic colour. The lion knights have silver paint underneath the white on the red ABS in the sets so the white does not look pinkish, which is not the case with the battle pack fig's from China.
Indeed, the Chinese plastic has a more mate finish not a very shiny glossy finish. Their hands are softer i.d.: their hands make less or no clicking sound when you put a spear (or other minifig prop) in their hand/clutch, and their grip is less firm.
On the plus side non of my Chinese manufactured minifig's have cracks in their arms or torso's, unfortunately this problem is rampant among many of my minifig's from the sets. So in that regard the Chinese manufactured minifig's aren't bad at all.
One more thing about the Kingdoms Chess set, I believe you do get a 32 by 32 stud green base plate (hope it is not glued to that outer rim grey plastic moulding?!), and 64 4x4 plates (32 white & 32 black) which is really great form the brick piece assortment point of view, if you decide to buy it. 28 minifig's is also really great (unless they are glued, which I hope they are not). However as a chess set the board should have had smooth plates, and the chess pieces (the minifig's) placed on a little plate/pedestal/support-base so handling them is easier and more convenient when playing chess, as executed here on the ultimate Lego chess set ever (so far):
brickset.com/detail/?set=852293-1
The link does not work properly!!!!!
I was referring to: 852293-1: Castle Giant Chess Set from 2008, with the Trolls vs. the Crown knights and dwarfs!
Yep! That is THE ONE! thanks!
I wish Lego would take that set back in production, but unfortunately they won't, I think. I love those trolls, ogres, dwarfs, skeletons, and Crown knights.
Too bad here in The Netherlands we probably have to wait for LOTR and this chess set too until July or August to be released.
If Lego made a similar set, similar part count, detail, etc... for Star Wars, and priced it at the same level, $199, how many would they sell? ;)
The set is on a regular sized green baseplate that fits within the molded outer area.