Magic in Lego Kingdoms; what role does it play?

[Sirens-of-Titan]

I finally got to buying a few of the new Kingdoms sets and truth be told they look beautiful, especially knights in bulk; the new metallic gray is gorgeous and the shields and plumes make for a great color scheme.

What is really intriguing about this theme however, is that it is a return to the classic non-fantasy castle of the 80's and 90's, and the fantasy factions such as trolls, skeletons, and dwarfs seem to be out of the question and out of this theme. There is, however, still magic and fantasy in the world of Kingdoms;

We have wizards, and they have 'magic wands' and of course baby dragons;

So that makes one wonder; what kind of role does magic play in the world of Kingdoms?

And how much fantasy elements will be introduced in the new theme? I personally cannot wait to see the next wave of sets; they are a crowning achievement and a great mix between contemporary Lego design, and classic castle architecture, add to that the realm of fantasy that while it isn't as wild as that of the 'Castle" line, is very much present and you get a line bursting with possibilities at the seams.

How far can the fantasy ideas be bushed into this theme? I mean can you realistically see other figures such as forest nymphs, walking trees for a forest men faction etc. ??? (since most of the fantasy is based on folklore)

[BobaFett2]

Probably a small role.

Examples of magic/paranormal:

* Unicorns

* A wizard

* Baby Dragon

So far, no where near as much as Castle (2007) or Knights' Kingdom II, but certainly more than previous themes.

[metalandi]

I don't think there will be more fantasy in the new theme, than it already is. I see the kingdoms theme as to take place in the same "castle world" as the previous castle line, but, like in another part of the world, where are no dragons and such. And i think that was TLG's idea too, maybe..making theme, that fits perfectly with the previous one, but concentrating more on humans in this theme. Because well, magicians are kinda fantasy, but these characters possibly really esisted in the medieval age. Also, the mini dragon does not have neccessarily got to be a "real" baby dragon, but some magician accesoire that has been "built" by the wizard himself. I could imagine that the next wave of sets could even include some civilian medieval sets. (or maybe it's just wishful thinking )

[Paradosis]

For me it doesn't play any role... but then I'm a naturalist, so that'd figure

Edited May 24, 2010 by Paradosis

[josykay]

I think, there is only one fantasy-part in this new Kingdoms serie: The Wizard

In my opinion those "Unicorns" are nothing else, than normal steeds with a horn at their barding and the "Babydragon" seems to be used as an jade crafted statuette (because they are used at the dragon knights towers gate).

Edited May 24, 2010 by josykay

[UsernameMDM]

I'm ok with a little bit of classic fantasy for this line. What I would love to see is a set of a dragon's cave with a new large molded dragon or a brick built one with molded parts ala Crystal King with a brave Lion knight saving a maiden in distress. I'm ok taking a break from orcs, trolls, skeletons and dwarves for right now.

[BobaFett2]

Oh, I just remembered: LEGO released Kingdoms as subtheme intentionally returning to a similar style as old Castle with little in the way of Magic and unrealism.

[The Eye]

Oh, I just remembered: LEGO released Kingdoms as subtheme intentionally returning to a similar style as old Castle with little in the way of Magic and unrealism.

Yes, and one could view the wizard as being more of a mystic- like a real "witch". Minus being burned at the stake. So correct you are, it would seem that TLC is releasing Kingdoms to invoke a new direction of "knights".

Edited May 25, 2010 by The Eye

[Sirens-of-Titan]

I think, there is only one fantasy-part in this new Kingdoms serie: The Wizard

In my opinion those "Unicorns" are nothing else, than normal steeds with a horn at their barding and the "Babydragon" seems to be used as an jade crafted statuette (because they are used at the dragon knights towers gate).

I agree with you on the point of unicorns, I never assumed that was the idea, to me it's just neat armor plus the helmet allows you to put tons of items as decoration at the head of the horse. As far as the baby dragons being statuettes, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that:

Yes, they appear to be used as ornaments on Prison Tower, but the Wizard set clearly contains a dragon that can't be taken as anything else but a dragon, plus the scroll has a picture of a dragon on it; very rarely will such symbols and figures be thrown in as a symbolic item, and if they were jade, why not make them a transparent color? So I believe we will see a mature dragon in the next wave of sets.

As far as the wizard, I do think his role will be mostly like a shaman figure, and not really one of all-powerful magic. Recall that there were ghosts and dragons and wizards in the 90's though, so don't rule them out just yet, I think if you look at classic tales like King Arthur, you'll get all kinds of mystic creatures and people without straying too far from the "knights" aspect of it. In fact we seen to have an 'Excalibur' of sorts in the calendar!

Keeping that in mind I am still hopefiul for a few woodland creatures from the mystic realm; we haven't seen that yet, and I will fit perfectly in the background of a forest men/peasant/wolf-pack type faction which is what most people seem to want out of the future of this theme.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Sirens-Of-Titan

[WesternOutlaw]

This is really an interesting topic SoT. I've been meaning to take a few minutes to read the thread before responding. I have every set in the theme now (except for the large castle and the army packs (which I'm planning to get next week)). I think the Kingdoms theme is a nice attempt by LEGO to return to the more traditional human Castle factions and while there is only the single wizard set, magic is certainly not an aspect at this time. While this may be the case, I predict we'll be seeing some mythical creatures in future sets. From the marketing perspective, kids like dragons and monsters. By all indication, this theme is not exactly geared toward the AFOL, and thus I believe we'll be seeing more magical and mythical components in the future.

With that said, the thought of Elves and woodland creatures would really add to the theme and make it more unique then that of past Castle sub-themes. In addition, I would certainly love to see Forestmen, but with the Green/Dragon Knight faction, standard green figs seem to clash with the dark green elements/figs. That's not to say that a green dragon or other Dark Forest type set won't find it's way into the theme.

I think the Green Wizard provides the most hope for a magical forest cottage and some beasts that he can summon to perform his bidding (as the Dragon Knights are outnumbered by their red counterparts). I just hope that if we see some forest hideouts, they are along the line of Classic Castle Forestmen or the Wolfpack collection.

I look forward to seeing the next collection of Kingdoms sets, and I hope LEGO doesn't turn the theme into a large collection of vehicles/siege weapons.

Again, great topic!

[posades]

You know I could see the Ghost making a return, and besides what other people have mentioned I don't see the "fantasy" aspect being a focus of Kingdoms. Seeing a mature dragon in the next wave seems a bit of a stretch, though I won't rule it out. I was ok with the orcs and whatnot in the last Castle line so I'll be fine with whatever fantastical element they throw at me this go-around as well.

[alex12]

I think its a bit early to see where Lego is going with this incarnation of Castle. When we start to see pics of next years sets we'll have a better idea.

It certainly looks more classic but a wizard tells me fantasy may make an appearance again. Like others have said dragons may yet turn up and ghosts would be a welcome nod to the past. I have no issues with magic and fantasy in castle . Its like the strange flick fire missiles , you no like you can take it out quite easily.

As long as Lego makes sure it appeals to kids so the line continues i say magic us up if it means i can have my Castle fix.

[metalandi]

Speaking of flick fire missiles..there are none in any of the new sets i noticed. I don't hate them, but it's also a welcome change that they seem to be gone.

[lightningtiger]

In back in time, there really wasn't wizards but alchemist's trying to make gold and silver from anything, hence people saw them to be wizard-like.

I'm a conformist! !

[blueandwhite]

Honestly, I think this line is intended to be a throwback to the classic lines of the 1980s and 90s so I would expect the fantsy elements to be comprable (A wizard, possibly a few dragons and ghosts). I don't expect elves, zombies or birdmen. Personally, I prefer this sort of line. I don't have a lot of interest in elves so I'm really hoping LEGO goes the forestmen route instead. I understand that a lot of folks really have a love of fantasy, however I've truly missed the old themes.

[Legorski]

Speaking of flick fire missiles..there are none in any of the new sets i noticed. I don't hate them, but it's also a welcome change that they seem to be gone.

Awesome, no flick-fire missiles, I never really noticed this.

Then again the new 'mini' catapult piece is appearing everywhere, so I'm guessing that this is the single, or only cause of them disappearing in the Kingdoms line.

Back to topic,

Like stated many times before, Magic probably has little effect on the theme. I guess Lego only added the wizard to theme because it had nothing else to put for the impulses to equally counteract the Jester.

Legorski,

[WesternOutlaw]

I guess Lego only added the wizard to theme because it had nothing else to put for the impulses to equally counteract the Jester.

Not necessarily. They could have just as well included a single knight, an Evil Queen, Dungeonmaster, or other fig.

The Green Wizard does make up for not getting the Grey Wizard Crownie fig here in the U.S.

[Sirens-of-Titan]

Thank you Brickster

I too want to see new and improved forest-men figures. (I think that because the dragon knights got a green color, it's unlikely we'll see classic robin-hood green, but perhaps something in Brown and dark blue or deep purple will suffice.)

Here's something I've been thinking about; I don't see trolls and orcs from Castle as magic, simply as fantasy.

I think there's a clear distinction between them; fantasy is a world of multiple fantastic races coexisting and inter-fighting, and while they can have magical abilities, each is simply a race in that world (the way Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings books)

The classic Lego magic means humans being the only race, wizards commanding this ability to call on magic in the earth, and any fantasy creatures that appear exist in that context.

I think it's very possible we'll see a 'scary' faction that is a bit more magic based, and while it won't be another undead faction, they could have barbaric ruffian humans augmented by ghosts and maybe a few mythical beasts. Oh dreams...

[Randal]

I would like to see the concept of the forest man sets combined with the more advanced designs that todays sets seem to showcase. And, that said, while I know that the majority of sets are designed with ease of construction for kids... I'd like to see each theme have a set for AFOL types which are above and beyond in design and complexity. I'd love to see them make a castle that AFOLs just look at and drool. Same with the other themes.

As far as what level magic and fantasy play... I love both history and fantasy. yesterday I built a riding saddle for a dragon that I used in today's comic... but when it comes to sets, I prefer the more historic ones to the ones that come with trolls and such. (But I'd totally buy a dragon riders set, if it was as cool or cooler than what I made for the comic.)

[Xiaan]

I could see forestmen making a comeback in some form or another. I think these latest sets can be progressed upon in a type of "story." Perhaps, over the next year or so, the red "good" knights, slowly defeat the green "bad" knights, and the green knights retreat into the forest and are forced to rely on guerrilla tactics to combat their oppressors, and thus become the forestmen. Or maybe I'm thinking to much into this. But after seeing the various Easter eggs and tidbits from other space themes in the recent Space Police, I can't help but wonder were these themes can go and how they can evolve.

[gogobig]

I finally got to buying a few of the new Kingdoms sets and truth be told they look beautiful, especially knights in bulk; the new metallic gray is gorgeous and the shields and plumes make for a great color scheme.

What is really intriguing about this theme however, is that it is a return to the classic non-fantasy castle of the 80's and 90's, and the fantasy factions such as trolls, skeletons, and dwarfs seem to be out of the question and out of this theme. There is, however, still magic and fantasy in the world of Kingdoms;

We have wizards, and they have 'magic wands' and of course baby dragons;

So that makes one wonder; what kind of role does magic play in the world of Kingdoms?

And how much fantasy elements will be introduced in the new theme? I personally cannot wait to see the next wave of sets; they are a crowning achievement and a great mix between contemporary Lego design, and classic castle architecture, add to that the realm of fantasy that while it isn't as wild as that of the 'Castle" line, is very much present and you get a line bursting with possibilities at the seams.

How far can the fantasy ideas be bushed into this theme? I mean can you realistically see other figures such as forest nymphs, walking trees for a forest men faction etc. ??? (since most of the fantasy is based on folklore)

What a great question. In my lego world magic plays a pretty decent role, even though old fashioned medieval battles will be more reliable and constant. My wizards can use magic but the more they use it the weaker they get, so you wont see one mage blasting 50 warrioirs and then 50 again and so on. Their powers will strongly depend on the magician itself, their background and knowledge. Also, my dragon knights are dragon radiers, as well as some wizards. Besides that I have polar bear fighter, 3 headed dog rider, centaur warriors, and dont forget them elves. Elves also have mages that help their warrioirs to fight better. Finally, I am looking into making another faction; flying people. Something like birdmen tribe :)

[WesternOutlaw]

Perhaps dragons will make their way into the theme. Here's an image from LEGO SAH:

Personally, I like the dragons from the Crownie collection. I think they were nicely designed and probably added appeal for the kiddies.

[Lordofdragonss]

Personally, I like the dragons from the Crownie collection. I think they were nicely designed and probably added appeal for the kiddies.

I think the design of the new castle dragons is really cute and itimidiating. But the old ones have own charm too! The only thing I don't like in new dragons is that the flame piece looks stupid if puts in dragon mouth. It should be bigger. It's shame that bigger flame piece is not compatibile...

I hope we will get a dark green- plack dragon with armor fitting to Dragons army!

Edited June 3, 2010 by Lordofdragonss

[Piterio]

Have you seen the serial "Adventures of Merlin"? It was aired in Poland not so long ago. It's quite new one and not so bad. And personally I thinmk Kingdoms line is just like that: You have knights, ladies in distress. Also there is magic, but not so much as expected. When it is being used, you can feel the power - magical spells, some weird summonings, magical potions. Dragons appear too, and when it happens, they're overpowered.

Now, Fantasy Era Castle had lots of dragons, which were fighting alongside the Crownies or Skellies. Dark Wizard was so strong, that even Merlin would... pardon my french "pee his pants". FEC Dragons became part of regular troops.

Now http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=1746-1 remember this one, right? In upcomming Calendar there is kind of remake of blue wizard. Small dragons (or dragon statuses) are included in Kingdoms sett, so Dragon Knights may worship these creatures... or breed them? Who knows...

In conclusion: Magic seems to be in foreground of whole plot. But at the same time is more mystical, than Fantasy Era. Dragons seem to be stronger than the previous ones (where every knight could ride them - see Troll Warship) and may be controled only by those, who know how to talk with them or something (Meaning, that only wizard can do this).

Turning back to the 80-90s indeed :) I will be looking forward to it.

I hope you understood me. I'm trying my best, writing in English :/

[Sirens-of-Titan]

Turning back to the 80-90s indeed :) I will be looking forward to it.

Me too, as good as these sets were, I can't wait for the next wave (assuming there will be a next wave) Let's hope this theme doesn't end up like Pirates in 09