REVIEW: 5004419 - Classic Knights Minifigure

[Adeel Zubair]

A Faithful Tribute

This is a follow up to the very successful 5002812 – Classic Spaceman Minifigure from 2014 and 5003082 – Classic Pirate Minifigure from 2015. It was no surprised that LEGO was going to continue this rather special trend of celebrating classic themes through these exclusive promos.

This set is a direct homage and tribute to 6012 - Siege Cart; a small impulse LEGO Castle set released exactly 30 years ago. Unintentionally this promo becomes even more special as it’s released a few weeks after the passing of Daniel August Krentz, a retired LEGO designer who worked at LEGO between mid-1970s until 2000. Daniel is known to many us as the designer of 375 – Castle.

Packaging

The primary aspect of the box design is very reminiscent of most of the boxes between 1960 – 1965; the white studs covering the entire box and the LEGO logo in the top left. The box doesn’t scream attention to the contents much like the current products do, instead they show a small and simple vignette of the set with an extract of the booklet included and the 2016 stamp. Other nice details of the packaging include the LEGO System logo from 1950s on three sides. To open the box, you have to slide open the drawer on the right hand side which contains the pieces and booklet.

Not only does the contents of the product reflect the classic sets, it’s also presented through the packaging and experience as you open the box which is one of the many reasons why this series is clearly a success. These easily have the best packaging of any LEGO product alongside Architecture, LEGO Ideas and the two exclusive Technic sets (41999 & 42056.)

Booklet

The booklet starts off with the simple instructions to build the Minifigure and model. It follows up by documenting the classic LEGO Castle sets through a timeline starting with the origins leading up to 2016’s Nexo Knights. Which follows a similar pattern with the previous two promos in this series. With the future instalments I can only guess it will be a similar scenario by promoting a new theme / sub-theme that links back to a classic LEGO theme.

Surprisingly this also comes with a sticker sheet / postcard; the stickers are images of Minifigures represented throughout the Castle themes as well as the two LEGO logos. On the reverse side it’s a typical postcard design with a ‘castle / knights’ twist! I wish it was just a postcard with an awesome print showcasing this set instead of the stickers which slightly decreases the exclusivity of this promo.

Minifigure

The Minifigure is a near replica of the official castle sets, the difference being the weapon of choice; the long axe is a rather odd choice, perhaps an alternative weapon such as a bow and quiver could have been included instead. The printing is fantastic, both on the torso and the shield. I really appreciate that the torso or printing wasn’t over done or didn’t represent the ‘classic’ torso. That’s was one aspect that took away from previous promo (5003082 - Classic Pirate Minifigure.)

Model

The only noticeable difference between this model and the one included with 6012 - Siege Cart is the use of brown slopes over plates for the front bow shape, my guess is they weren’t available in the 80s. Besides that, pretty much every detail and feature from the original model has been replicated into this model, including the shield attachment at the front! Much like the printing they’ve stayed faithful and not over done the details to bring the design into modern day.

Final Analysis / Conclusion

Comparing this promo to the previous two; it’s easily the superior of the three! Not only does it reflect and celebrate the classic castle theme it also gives a faithful reproduction to a classic set: 6012 - Siege Cart; rather than including a random assembly of parts as did ‘5003082 - Classic Pirate Minifigure from 2015. It’s a perfect example of what a faithful homage and promotional product should be!

9.5 / 10

In the memory of Daniel August Krentz (1937 – 2016.)

Edited July 1, 2016 by Adeel Zubair

[Lordofdragonss]

Nice and all but... NEXO KNIGHTS IS A CASTLE THEME CONFIRMED :D

I would love to get this promo!

[VintageLegoEra]

Nice and all but... NEXO KNIGHTS IS A CASTLE THEME CONFIRMED :D

I would love to get this promo!

I really dont know how this Nexo Knight's became Castle these??!!....very strange.

[RetroInferno]

Mine is on the way! I feel both very happy and sad about this promo... One day Castle will return, one day...

[VintageLegoEra]

i am sorry to say that, but truth is truth.....many sellers are using this promo sets and sell it for 5 times its price which i see it is bad!....Lego indeed mentioned that, this promo are valued at approx. of 4.99 usd so why the crazy price...

many of us are not having the chance to get these promos, so other choice is to buy it at insane price...

with all respect!

[josykay]

I am still undecided. Opening or let it closed?

On the one hand, crusaders are one of my favorite castle factions, although their details don't fit today standards. I absolutely adore those guys, and I am kind of sad, that I am to young, to enjoy their era.

On the other hand, it is a god damn promotionset in a nice box... What to do?

I hope, the medival knights will return with all their clory... and I believe they will. Some day. I honestly don't believe, that Nexo is a long running theme like Ninjago.

Edited July 2, 2016 by josykay

[AmperZand]

Thanks for the review, Adeel. Most useful.

Mine is on the way!

I'm hoping to pick one up later today if my nearest LEGO store has them and the qualifying sets I'm after.

I'll add the minifigure to my display collection, but probably not the ballista. I'm not keen on siege engines. I'm usually ambivalent about LEGO boxes and instructions but will definitely be keeping this one.

I feel both very happy and sad about this promo... One day Castle will return, one day...

I hope so too.

NK's longevity will depend on sales. The reason that Ninjago has lasted as long as it has is its popularity with kids. I don't know if NK's sales have been any good. I hate to say this because I generally wish TLG the best, but I really hope NK's sales have tanked. I like NK's villains but that's about it. The rest of this theme is too sci-fi and not sufficiently medieval/fantasy for my liking.

[BrickJagger]

Nice review. I'll be picking this one up for sure.

Nice and all but... NEXO KNIGHTS IS A CASTLE THEME CONFIRMED :D

Of course it is, why wouldn't it be?

[thetang22]

Of course it is, why wouldn't it be?

For the same reason Ninjago is not, but Ninja is.

[Isundir]

Mine is on the way! I feel both very happy and sad about this promo... One day Castle will return, one day...

Castle, Ninja, Western, and other new Historical sets/themes. I really would like a continous stream of historical sets in general. It's the only thing I care for and it's only catered through CMF at the moment.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Isundir

[BrickCurve]

Thanks for the review. Its nice to finally have a new crusader mini figure.

[Lyichir]

For the same reason Ninjago is not, but Ninja is.

Does Lego officially consider Ninja a Castle theme? I'm pretty sure that it was never really branded as such, unlike earlier "faction-based" Castle sets like Dragon Masters, Wolfpack, etc. (then again, the idea of "themes" and "subthemes" is somewhat outdated considering the shift toward independent themes with multiple factions versus every faction getting its own subtheme while crossing over regularly, and Ninja is one of the earliest examples of that shift).

But I think Nexo Knights is a different sort of situation than Ninjago, in any case. Many of the sets in Nexo Knights fill the same sorts of roles as classic Castle sets—castles, ballistas, catapults, siege engines, horses, monsters—even the larger mechs can be considered an extreme extrapolation on traditional armor, while many of the more futuristic vehicles are styled after large-scale versions of the knights' chosen weapons. The setting of Nexo Knights also feels like a classic medieval setting that has had its technology accelerated, with peasant villages that have Tron lines weaving through their thatched-roof cotttages and a very traditional feudal government in place. While also eclectic, Ninjago is not trying to imitate feudal Japan. The Ninja have more in common with Tokusatsu superheroes (from shows like Kamen Rider and Super Sentai) than anything else, in a Japan-inspired setting that is functionally modern day—more traditional dojos, temples, and villages exist but do so alongside urban cities, and while the ninja sometimes ride ancient dragons they also frequently use vehicles like motorbikes, jet planes, mechs, and muscle cars. The Ninja's foes vary even more wildly, from the cyberpunk-esque Nindroids to last year's much more traditional Ghost Ninjas. Essentially, Nexo Knights has taken all the elements of a traditional medieval setting and theme and dressed them in a sci-fi skin, while Ninjago's setting and story take the opposite tack, infusing a setting and theme akin to other modern-day "Action Themes" like Agents with heavy Japanese influences, ranging from the country's history and legends to its modern technology and visions of the future.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Lyichir

[Aanchir]

Debates about whether Nexo Knights qualifies as a "castle theme" aside, the set is named "Classic Knight Minifigure", not "Classic Castle Minifigure". In fact, all three of these packs have been named for the occupation of the minifigure, not for the theme they originate from. And similarly, the other booklets' timelines have included figs fitting that occupation without regard to theme — the "Classic Spaceman Minifigure" set's booklet included a minifigure from 10213 Shuttle Adventure, which, if it were to be retroactively branded with any specific theme name, would almost certainly be branded as City or Creator Expert, not Space.

Besides allowing LEGO to include minifigures from themes that aren't a part of the same brand or category, this occupation-based naming also means that in the future LEGO could potentially revisit classic figures that originated in the same themes — like a "Classic Wizard Minifigure" based on LEGO Castle, "Classic Robot Minifigure" based on LEGO Space, or "Classic Soldier Minifigure" based on LEGO Pirates. As another bonus, this means that LEGO won't have to pick just one archetype to represent the most ubiquitous classic theme of all, Town. And it could potentially make it easier for LEGO to make sets covering themes like Western ("Classic Cowboy Minifigure"), Ninja ("Classic Ninja Minifigure"), or Adventurers ("Classic Adventurer Minifigure") that have been re-imagined but not fully revived in over a decade.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Aanchir

[thetang22]

Does Lego officially consider Ninja a Castle theme?

I can't say with 100% certainty, but virtually all Lego fan sites would seem to indicate it was a "Castle" theme. Don't mistake "theme" with "faction". The more traditional European fantasy Castle sets were replaced with Ninja....they didn't really co-exist. Then when Ninja was discontinued, they went back to more traditional European fantasy.

You are trying to provide REALLY specific arguments for why they aren't comparable....but this is Lego, it's much simpler than that. And at a glance, I'd say my comparison is likely still valid for a lot of the fans of traditional Castle.

Edited July 3, 2016 by thetang22

[TeufelHund]

I'm not very keen on this set - it's just nostalgia for its own sake. I preferred the Pirates set from last year as it least there was a new torso print and some interesting and useful parts to be had. It would have been nice to see a modern interpretation of a classic knight rather than what seems to be pretty much a straight copy IMO.

[Krazykel]

Although simple, it's a nice set and you can't complain seeing as it's included on orders over £25.

[VintageLegoEra]

For us ( from That Era ), the set is just a surprise and Awesome!!....:)

Just Lovely!

[Littleworlds]

Who knows: maybe its a little heads-up to the proper castle fans telling them they haven't forgotten us yet

[bnesty]

Tnx for this detailed review

[TeriXeri]

Does Lego officially consider Ninja a Castle theme?

I got this retro set now, and Ninja is NOT mentioned in the booklet timeline, it goes from 1997 (fright knights) straight to 2000 in the set timeline, and for minifigures it shows at 1998 the crazy king (2586) set

Ninja was a 1998/1999/2000(minifig packs) theme, brickset considers it as Castle however.

Edited July 6, 2016 by TeriXeri

[Lyichir]

I got this retro set now, and Ninja is NOT mentioned in the booklet timeline, it goes from 1997 (fright knights) straight to 2000 in the set timeline, and for minifigures it shows at 1998 the crazy king (2586) set

Ninja was a 1998/1999/2000(minifig packs) theme, brickset considers it as Castle however.

Well, yes, but a theme's absence on the timeline in this set isn't necessarily proof of anything... plenty of decidedly Castle themes are missing from that timeline, including Fantasy Castle, 2013 Castle, and Knights' Kingdom I, among others.

In any case, the absence of Ninja on this list probably has less to do with its status as a Castle theme and more to do with the fact that the theme lacked both "Knights" (like all of the figs in the interior timeline) and "Kings" (like all the figs on the exterior timeline/in the booklet).

Edited July 6, 2016 by Lyichir

[Aanchir]

I got this retro set now, and Ninja is NOT mentioned in the booklet timeline, it goes from 1997 (fright knights) straight to 2000 in the set timeline, and for minifigures it shows at 1998 the crazy king (2586) set

The booklets in themes like this aren't really an authoritative source on what is or isn't a part of a given theme, considering that the Classic Spaceman Set's booklet included a fig from Shuttle Adventure (which would probably not qualify as a Space set) but did NOT include figs from Ice Planet 2002, Spyrius, Unitron, Exploriens, RoboForce, U.F.O, Mars Mission, Alien Conquest, or any version of Space Police or Blacktron.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Aanchir