Hello Everyone,

I'm new here. I'm working on a Castle theme as that has always been my favorite and was wondering if it's worth it to pick up the following sets even at a mark-up price?

10193 - Medieval Market Village

7189 - Mill Village Raid

Here's what I have so far...

(3x) 70400 - Forest Ambush

(1x) 70401 - Gold Getaway

(2x) 70402 - Gatehouse Raid

(1x) 70403 - Dragon Mountain

(2x) 70404 - King's Castle

Edited October 15, 201410 yr by knight_40k

MMV is one of the all time greats. MVR is also very nice and both look great together.

The 2013 stuff is pretty universally considered to be a disappointment. I don't personally understand having a bunch of boxed stuff unless you're looking to sell it once it's retired, but I don't think any of those sets will see the prices that the other two have.

Totally agree with SirBlake. In fact, I just ordered another copy of MVR on eBay for $100, and I think it's totally worth it. MMV is also fantastic and well worth it. Likewise, 10223 Kingdoms Joust is pretty good and a decent value (still available at MSRP online) at $119 for over 1500pcs. It's not quite as interesting as the other 2 and doesn't have the same exclusive/rare elements (goats!), but still a really nice build.

It's personal taste of course, but I don't have any of the 2013 stuff as I just don't think it's worth the money. Even as parts packs, they're pretty weak, other than the classic gold coins in 70403. :)

I guess it depends on what your aim is but, personally, I think for parts, building, or collecting/investing, the MMV and MVR are definitely worth focussing on over the general 2013 line.

Castle 2013 got a really bad wrap from some, mostly from people who wanted more of the later Kingdoms sets & insignia or highly detailed stuff like LOTR. I have similar to you from this line, but a few more of some sets. I didn't get MMV, but I did buy the mill set (along with all of the other Kingdoms sets). I don't really appreciate it much. Perhaps if I also had the MMV it wouldn't feel so out of place. But, I don't care for the civillian side of it, I almost fall asleep when I walk past the City sets in shops.

My advice is to ignore the mill unless you get the MMV. It's a nice set on its own, but in the context of Castle sets it really feels out of place without some company. It was $120 here, not worth it considering the new castle was $140.

I didn't get the MMV because it was so expensive and non conflict-based. It looks great though, but I don't know if it's worth the now even more inflated prices. You decide on that. If you want a town or village it's good, but if you're happy to stick with castles and armies then give it a miss.

I found the MVR to be a fairly big disappointment honestly, but I got it after having seen a lot of praise for it. It is a nice set, but the minifigs are nothing special and the part selection isn't great. The windmill has an odd base and the barn is nothing special. I already had MMV at that point, which was one of my first post Dark Ages sets. MMV is lovely and a cohesive set that can fit nicely in a more urban setting or as the center of a small town. MVR feels like it belongs in the country, which might mean it goes better in a field near a castle.

As for the current 2013 line, I didn't care much for the castle, but the other sets are reasonably nice. I think people get hung up on the brightly colored and somewhat cartoonish heraldry as a big letdown from the Kingdoms line (it was for me, too), but if you look past that, the parts and builds are pretty solid for what they are. Gatehouse Raid is a cheap way to get a decked out horse and plenty of parts for making castle walls. The Forest Ambush is a good army builder. Gold Getaway is plenty at 1 set. I like the Dragon Mountain set as the start of an idea for a Red Dragon lair, but needs to be built out.

Thank you everyone for your input.

My focus is to have a large Castle/Medieval theme and although those two sets intrigue me and I feel I should have some sort of village element, I'm just not totally sold on the idea.

I plan to merge the two Castles and at least one of the Gatehouses into one large Castle, so I will have a sizable courtyard.

MMV is one of the all time greats. MVR is also very nice and both look great together.

The 2013 stuff is pretty universally considered to be a disappointment. I don't personally understand having a bunch of boxed stuff unless you're looking to sell it once it's retired, but I don't think any of those sets will see the prices that the other two have.

I pretty much agree with this. Medieval Market Village is one of my all-time favorite LEGO sets, it's simply amazing. Get it if you can.

And try, if you can get them at reasonable prices, to get some Kingdoms sets. They're heaps better than the poor 2013 line.

I was in my dark age during Kingdoms, so maybe I just don't know any better, but I actually like Castle 2013. However it doesn't hurt that I've bought all the sets at a discount. The bright colors have a benefit in that they are extremely common, especially since most of my collection is old I find that convenient. All the printing is great, as is the Dragon. The emblems could be better but not a big deal to me.

Castle 2013 has a lot of fun faces, and while I'm not crazy about the blue & red I do enjoy the designs of (most of) the minifigure prints. The dragon's great, too, and there are some nice pieces... also, a fantastic army-builder set in the Forest Ambush! Another bonus is gloved hands galore.

MMV is beautiful. I loved MVR, too, but yeah it doesn't really belong 'in' the city... MMV may be called "village" but it's a pretty bustling, affluent one, probably the village nearest the castle, while MVR is on the outskirts of a country village, far from the seat of royal power, and that might be why it's being raided by the Green Dragons--easy pickings, or so they thought.

Also, goats!

Medieval Market Village is great set, get it if you can! It´s very beautiful set to display, and it has many useful parts for your MOCs.

Wow... a nice start. I would recommand buying both the MMV and the Mill. When you are ready for MOCing, join the GoH (especially Avalonia).

Welcome to Eurobricks

The MMV is a must. Buy as many as you can. It's just that great. I recommend the Joust too. That's another great set.

I like the MVR. Get at least pne if you can. Kingdoms RuLeZ.

Personally, I feel the 2013 Castle is a huge disappointment, especially after Kingdoms and LotR. I love the minifigs, but I hate the coat of arms.

You can always MOC your Castle, but there's just that much you can do about minifigs.

Edited October 15, 201410 yr by Artifex

I missed the mill raid, but the MMV is definitely one of my favorite official sets yet both for collecting and keeping together and for MOC parts. The Kingdoms joust is also my highly recommended set. It is an excellent build for TLG sets and has many nice pieces for MOCing. It is also still available at original prices, so I recommend grabbing it before it is discontinued.

I also recommend Guilds of Historica when you get to MOCing, but, of course, Mitgardia would be the best choice for a guild .