Nostalgia is a powerful thing, it’s one of the reasons the LEGO® brand has such a large adult fan base. This is why any nods to past LEGO moments are so popular. In 2022, the LEGO Group celebrated 90 years of Play and those celebrations saw a number of past sets from bygone themes, reimagined for a new generation. Some sets sought inspiration from the past to create entirely new builds, whilst others were almost carbon copies. The latest dip into the LEGO vault takes us back to the 1980s and the golden era of LEGO Pirates. But this time those sea-loving scallywags play second fiddle to an old foe. Take a trip back to your childhood or experience a classic set for the first time as I take a peek at the LEGO Icons Eldorado Fortress set.
Product Details
Rediscover the world of LEGO® Pirates with the LEGO Icons Eldorado Fortress (10320) building set for adults. This tribute to the iconic 1980s model (6276) comes with new features that will thrill fans of the LEGO Pirates range. The brick-built base houses detailed rooms, and new building pieces allow for greater architectural expression while retaining the classic feel of the original playset.
Enjoy a mindful building experience
Uncover hidden treasures as you craft the iconic fortress brick by brick, including the admiral’s office, a pirate prison and an array of secret spaces. Combine the modular room sections to create different configurations and stage epic battle scenes with working cannons, 8 minifigures and a cool pirate galleon with printed fabric sails.
- Set Name: Eldorado Fortress
- Set Number: 10320
- Theme: ICONS
- Pieces: 2509
- RRP: £189.99/$214.99/221.99€
- Number of Bags: Bags x 20 (10 steps) plus loose elements
- Stickers: N/A
- Minifigures: 6 x imperial soldiers & two pirates + a skeleton, monkey, parrot & crab figures
- Instructions: Booklet x 4
- Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online from July 4th (VIP Early Access) & July 7th (General)
In the early days of LEGO sets, many of them fell into four different categories – Space, Pirates, Castle and Town. As a kid, I mainly had Castle and Town sets so never experienced the Pirates. However, I’m aware of their importance as the sets were the first to introduce minifigures with different features. I also know that the theme holds fond memories for fans. So much so that the theme came back many years later to mark its 25th anniversary. But the pirates were absent from last year’s 90th celebrations. Waiting until this year to make a surprise come back. As with the other reimagined classic sets, the packaging design is inspired by the original ‘LEGOLAND’ boxes and the instructions have a look back at the original set which has inspired this new version.
The original Eldorado Fortress set was released in 1989 and was inspired by English forces employed by the East India Trading Company, who tried to put an end to pirates’ high sea hijinx. Instead of being a direct remake, this new variant is a reimagining of the 80’s set and the big difference is the base of the set. Gone is the unique moulded baseplate in favour of an entirely brick-built foundation.
Something which the 80s set didn’t have was a small ship for the Blue Coats to take their fight against the pirates to the high seas. This brick-built vessel is certainly an upgrade from one of the two small rowing boats found in the original set. The hull of the boat is completely brick-built with no special elements used to create which is often the case with LEGO boats. It’s not overly detailed but the little details it does have look great. The triangular bow is quite simple but very effective but the small ship is dominated by a trio of material sails. On the biggest of the sails
The navel fortress is built in sections which all feature various clip connection points. This allows them to be connected together in different ways. There are five sections in total including the main gates, a couple of battlements, a decked platform and a cargo crane. They can clip together to form a structure close to the original set or you can connect the pieces to create a wider set. It offers something different to the original set and gives you different display options.
Although the front of the set looks very similar to the original set, the rear of it basically adds a completely new area. This adds way more detail to the build and gives the set a more modern-day feel. Yet it still retains an air of retro vibes, this is mainly through the unique mix of yellow and white bricks. Other features of the original set have been included such as the firing cannons and the black crane for loading cargo onto ships. One of my favourite parts of the set is the large ramp which expands from the dock to the gates of the fortress. In the original set, this formed part of the unique moulded base, this time around it’s a built-built with various plate elements used to recreate the stone cobble effect.
The minifigures blend styles by using updated versions of the old Blue Coats uniforms and newer heads with classic accessories and hats. The same can be said for the pirate characters. The updated design of the Blue Coats perfectly sits between staying faithful to the original design, whilst feeling a little more modern. I like that some of the older accessories have made a return. The set feature 8 minifigures, with 6 members of the Imperial Army and two pirates (technically three pirates if you include the hidden skeleton). There are also a couple of animal figures including a parrot and a new-style monkey.
Overall
I never got to experience the original set, in fact, LEGO Pirates passed me by, although I had a tiny set with a monkey in it. So it’s been nice building the set and experiencing it for the first time. The key driver of this set is the allure of nostalgia, old LEGO sets still command a great deal of interest from LEGO fans. When old sets, like the one which has inspired this set, makes a return, it invokes memories of being a kid and getting to build something from your childhood. For others, it’s a chance to build a version of a set you may have missed out on as a kid. For many, it will be the latter and you’ll be building a really fun set. I like how it managed to capture the style and features of the 1989 set but also by expanding upon it by adding far more details and play features. This isn’t a remake of set 6276, it’s more a love letter to a bygone era of LEGO history and a theme which still continues to delight LEGO fans. I hope the LEGO Icons theme continues to dip into the LEGO Vault and give us a chance to experience past favourites. The set will be available through VIP Early Access from July 4th, before its general release on July 7th.
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