Earlier this year, the LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 theme introduced two new sets inspired by classic LEGO themes. It’s something the long-running theme has been increasingly doing, making it the go-to place for a hit of LEGO nostalgia. The latest bygone theme to get the Creator 3-in-1 treatment is Castle. As one of the first play themes alongside Classic Space and Pirates, LEGO fans have a fondness for sets featuring castles. So any set which revisits them always causes a ripple of interest. Unlike those classic versions, this new castle-themed set offers the ability to be built in three different ways and also introduces two new castle factions. Here’s a closer look at LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Horse Knight Castle.
Product Details
Set Name: Medieval Horse Knights Castle | Set Number: 31168 | Pieces: 1376 | Theme: Creator 3-in-1
Number of Bags: Bags x 11 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Characters: Horse Knights King, Archer, Guard, Knight, Blacksmith and Serpent Knight
RRP: £109.99/119.99€/$129.99/199.99AUD/149.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers
As with all of the Creator 3-in-1 sets, they offer the choice of builds. Using the same elements, you can choose to build a medieval castle, a jousting tournament or a medieval town. The lead model is the Medieval Castle, which is the focus of this review. As the lead model, the castle uses all of the elements found in the set.
As LEGO castles go, this new version is fairly traditional. The largely grey structure includes all the things you’d expect, such as battlements, a turret and a drawbridge. What is a little more unusual is the shape of the surrounding courtyard wall. This is actually built separately from the rest of the castle building. The outer wall includes a working drawbridge, which can be raised and lowered by a handle found above the entryway. A simple Technic rod is used to ‘lock’ it in place. Similar mechanisms have been used in other Castle-themed sets. From either side of the section featuring the drawbridge are two wall sections. These are hinged so they can be angled in different ways. The whole section can be clipped together to create a smaller enclosed structure, but is made to be part of a larger castle, becoming its outer battlements.
The main Castle building is made up of two distinct sections. Not only are these built separately, but it’s extremely easy to see the differences. The larger, lower half of the Castle is the traditional mix of grey bricks, battlements and a turret tower. But it’s topped by a smaller section made to look like a wooden building. Despite being vastly different coloured sections, they look quite cool together. One great thing about this larger section of the set is the details found on the lower half of the Castle. There’s a stall for horses to shelter and a wooden doorway, but between them is a sort of canopy section. The way this has been built is simple but looks great, with a pair of brown rods neatly nestled beneath a small canopy.
Much of the castle’s details are found inside, where several rooms are filled with various medieval knick-knacks. The largest of the rooms is a banquet hall, where the King and his knights can enjoy a hearty meal beside a roaring fire. Rather cleverly, the same fire powers the neighbouring blacksmith’s forge. I assume this is mostly due to making great use of the limited interior space, but it’s still a genius idea. The upper areas of the castle are a little more sparse, offering up a bed and a small study.
The castle isn’t the only buildable aspect of the set. It also includes two horses, but these aren’t the usual figure-style creatures; they are brick-built. The white horse is draped in the colours of the Horse Knights, with the other themed towards the Serpent Knights. As colourful as the two horses are, they feel at odds with the minifigures. I fully understand why they are brick-built. The elements used to create them expand what is available for the set’s alternate builds. I guess they could also be considered a nod to some of the very first LEGO Castle sets, which also had brick-built horses. But I’m not a fan and much prefer the unique creature figures.
Minifigures have never really been a focus for the Creator 3-in-1 sets, acting more as accessories. But similar to the Haunted House set, those found in this set are genuinely interesting. They also introduce two new Castle factions. Joining the likes of the Lion Knights and Black Falcons are the Horse Knights and the Serpent Knights. The Horse Knights are kitted out in white and blue robes. The three infantry knights all use the same torso and legs, with their heads and accessories being the only things that differentiate them. They are joined by a blacksmith. In comparison to his regal chums, the smithy is quite plain, although I do like that he’s wearing gloves.
The other two minifigures are a little more exciting. They include the Horse Knights King. His robes are similar to his loyal subjects but include a little extra detail. The crown and hair element make a welcome return. This is a much better piece than the earlier chromed crowns. Along with a sword and a material cape, the King includes a Horse Knight’s shield. This is the classic flat-fronted version. The Serpent Knights are only represented by a single minifigure. The Serpent Knight is clad in black armour. Unlike his foe, this doesn’t include any faction branding. Instead, the Knight carries his colours on his shield. The one used is the newer curved shield, created for Link’s Hyrulian Shield. I hope we see more of both of these new factions in the future.
As mentioned, the set offers two alternate builds. These have their own instruction booklets and use most of the elements from the lead model featured here. Option one is a ‘Medieval Knight Games’, which offers a castle-like viewing stand and a jousting run, along with the same horses as those featured in the lead model. The third option is a ‘Medieval Town’ which encloses a watch tower, windmill and bakery stall in a castle wall, which can be displayed as a closed structure or opened out to give better access and views of the medieval buildings.
It’s a fun celebration of the LEGO Castle theme. Admittedly, not as impressive as the Lion Knights Castle, but certainly a lot cheaper. The alternate builds seem interesting, but pale in comparison to the lead model. I’m not a fan of the brick-built horses. But I do like the fact that the Creator 3-in-1 sets are continuing to seek inspiration from popular past themes. The Medieval Horse Knights Castle is available now.
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This set was provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
