LEGO Castle 2013

[TeufelHund]

I hope they're not just re-releasing classic sets - I have some of them and generally they just don't compare to the new sets in terms of innovative build design and piece selection. Maybe if they were re-designing using modern techniques that might be slightly more interesting.

[just2good]

Interesting, I what

Interesting. I wonder what sets they will choose to re-release if they are doing this?

It's also under Exclusives, and Exclusives is basically the same thing as Legends on the site. So I don't think they're re-releases.

[Miles]

Interesting. I wonder what sets they will choose to re-release if they are doing this?

Please be Black Monarch's, please be Black Monarch's...

(Oh, and because I can never decide which I like better, how about 6086 Black Knight's Castle as well?)

UPDATE: just2good is crushing my dreams...

Edited November 9, 2012 by Miles

[Falconer]

Maybe a new Black Falcons castle.

[Faefrost]

Awesome! The title on the Website is "Legends", followed by a pic of some classic castle designs. I don't think anybody else has mentioned this yet, but it looks like they're re-issuing classic castle sets just like they did 11 years ago with the previous "Legends" release.

"Confirmed" (in so far as one can at this point) by Google Translate: "This category is intended for LEGO sets that have already been previously released. LEGO has decided a number of classics to return under the name LEGO Legends ..."

Dare I hope?

Didn't their previous "Legends" re-releases of classic sets do very badly in terms of sales? The true collectors hated them because they weren't the originals. The newer kids hated them because they were old school designs without the cool newer features and looks. It was one of those things that everyone said they wanted, but once getting it everyone complained about?

I'm thinking we may see some more classical European themes. More of a Renaissance Italy style of designs. Something more inspired by stuff from media such as the Assassins Creed games.

[frumpy]

It is going to be an expensive year with this and LOTR/ Hobbit.

My wife thinks every year is expensive for LEGO :)

[Ferrik]

If there really is a new Castle theme in 2013, I'm sure lots of Castle fans will be so joyous. I'll be looking forward to seeing what sets actually come out...

[The_Cook]

If they're going to re-release previous designs there's the question of what to do about grey vs bley? As a classic 80's castle fan the re-releases are interesting but if they're in bley then they won't match my old-grey.

Another interesting question (already posed by Deathleech) is which 5 designs from the castle range would you pick? One additional criteria is that you'd want the price spectrum, it can't be a list of the big castles it has to be a sensible mix.

For a spread of sizes and coverage of the classic castle factions my votes would be:

• 6012 Siege Cart
  
• 6060 Knight's Challenge
  
• 6070 Forestmen's Crossing
  
• 6086 Black Knight's Castle
  

Europa would be nice, but unlikely as I can't see it selling so well beyond the xFOL community. Put your own desires for the theme aside and ask yourself what would little Johnny's mum do? Ninjas and snakes or men in funny wigs? Same argument goes for the Greeco/Roman theme. In either case the best hope is that Disney release a family movie set in the 18th century or ancient Rome and that it gets chosen as that years Disney license.

[Hive]

I hope they're not just re-releasing classic sets - I have some of them and generally they just don't compare to the new sets in terms of innovative build design and piece selection. Maybe if they were re-designing using modern techniques that might be slightly more interesting.

This, right here. I wouldn't be much interesting in 1:1 conversions of the old classics. They were great, amazing even, for their time... but doesn't really fit in with today's standards. But new takes with new colours, minifigs and techniques... oh yes, I would love that so much!

1 Forestman set

1 Wolfpack set

1 Black Falcons set

1 Crusaders set

1 Black Knights set

BOOM!

Europa would be nice, but unlikely as I can't see it selling so well beyond the xFOL community. Put your own desires for the theme aside and ask yourself what would little Johnny's mum do? Ninjas and snakes or men in funny wigs?

I disagree. If Castle can sell well with kids and Pirates can sell well with kids, why wouldn't what is basically an amalgram of the two sell well with kids?

Edited November 9, 2012 by Hive

[Redhead1982]

As I'm gaining more interest in Castle/Kingdoms themes lately, a new Castle theme sounds great. However, i'm more into civilian scenes and buildings, so some nicely detailed castles and houses would be great.

[Kayne]

I hope hive is right in the choice of the 5 themes, and that they are new sets in those themes. I'd like to think that the Black Falcon in the Kingdom's Joust set was a teaser for this theme coming out!

[Kai NRG]

This, right here. I wouldn't be much interesting in 1:1 conversions of the old classics. They were great, amazing even, for their time... but doesn't really fit in with today's standards. But new takes with new colours, minifigs and techniques... oh yes, I would love that so much! ...

Me too. I would certainly not want the same sets, comparing them to the newer sets, they certainly wouldn't sell well and I don't think LEGO would even consider a 1:1 re-release. As someone pointed out in a different thread, sets that don't exist yet are certainly rarer and most likely more desireable than old sets would be. Re-releasing anything sounds unlikely. It sounded more to me like a castle theme but set in a different place/style than prevous ones.

[robuko]

Exciting. If it's a new take, and it's castle, I wonder if this could be Mythologies ? I have no evidence for this, but CMF and monster fighters did happen

[Instructions archiver]

I wish it was Roman theme

[Sered]

Maybe a new Black Falcons castle.

I hope so, the new black falcons army, appears in Kingdom's joust, is very cool.

[Walter]

Any of these possibilities sounds great! Can't wait to see it what it will become.

[Deathleech]

In either case the best hope is that Disney release a family movie set in the 18th century or ancient Rome and that it gets chosen as that years Disney license.

That reminds me.. so now we are going to have at least three Historic themed sets next year with the LotR/Hobbit, the Lone Ranger, and now these new (old?) castle sets? Should be an interesting year to say the least

Me too. I would certainly not want the same sets, comparing them to the newer sets, they certainly wouldn't sell well and I don't think LEGO would even consider a 1:1 re-release. As someone pointed out in a different thread, sets that don't exist yet are certainly rarer and most likely more desireable than old sets would be. Re-releasing anything sounds unlikely. It sounded more to me like a castle theme but set in a different place/style than prevous ones.

They may be rarer and more desirable, but they also cost more money to design and develop so it could even out in the end. Less sales, but less money to create, you know? And who knows, maybe they would only do them in limited availability runs? They could straight up use the same vintage boxes, pieces, etc. and not change ANYTHING, which would just require them to print the boxes, instructions, and any pieces no longer in production again. If they went the updated classics route, that changes everything as these would require quite a bit of new development. I dunno what they will do for sure, I am just pointing out how a classics theme could be profitable.

[Lyichir]

That reminds me.. so now we are going to have at least three Historic themed sets next year with the LotR/Hobbit, the Lone Ranger, and now these new (old?) castle sets? Should be an interesting year to say the least

They may be rarer and more desirable, but they also cost more money to design and develop so it could even out in the end. Less sales, but less money to create, you know? And who knows, maybe they would only do them in limited availability runs? They could straight up use the same vintage boxes, pieces, etc. and not change ANYTHING, which would just require them to print the boxes, instructions, and any pieces no longer in production again. If they went the updated classics route, that changes everything as these would require quite a bit of new development. I dunno what they will do for sure, I am just pointing out how a classics theme could be profitable.

In many cases, the molds to parts no longer in production may no longer be in Lego's possession (either lost or destroyed). Remolding a part costs considerably more than just shifting an existing molding machine to produce a part in a new color.

Anyway, I doubt this will be a rerelease theme, considering how badly the Lego Legends line failed. If the rumor about "a new take on a classic theme" is referring to this, it doesn't sound like rereleases; rather, it sounds like a reimagining of a classic theme, like Space Police III. Possibly a new Forestmen theme?

Edited November 9, 2012 by Lyichir

[Deathleech]

In many cases, the molds to parts no longer in production may no longer be in Lego's possession (either lost or destroyed). Remolding a part costs considerably more than just shifting an existing molding machine to produce a part in a new color.

Possibly, but keep in mind a lot of older sets have a pretty basic, common assortment of bricks they were made up of. It really just depends on which sets they choose.

[Haltiamieli]

Well, I see very little reason to believe this theme to be re-releases of old sets. As has been said the web shop category is not for the old Lego Legends line but for more or less all D2C sets and such, like Modular Buildings and Winter Village. Castle sets are probably there by error, based on their set numbers we'd expect them to be normal retail sets. "A new take" sounds the opposite of re-released sets, too.

Conversely, I see very little reason (based on these new rumours/leaks) to hope for a Rome or Mythology theme either, I don't think it would be called just a Castle theme or "a new take of a classic Lego theme" - those would be too distinct themes for that. Myself I'm not that interested in Rome, but Mythology would be veeery nice. Before this leak I even thought it quite likely, as a one-shot theme before Lego LotR is over.

[Elander]

I hope they would make a new theme...

Why allways Castle?

[Martin_B]

I've always liked the Castle theme, although I wasn't so keen on the 'Fright Knights' era...these days, LotR/Hobbit sets tick the fantasy box well enough so I doubt it'll be a return to those days. What I think is cool about the Castle theme generally - and why I think it's still a 'current theme - is the fact that it's historical, but not 'era-specific', for want of a better term. As in, I always thought of the classic Castle as being medieval Europe, but the general structure and design of the sets is a bit of a blank slate so can be made to look like any one of numerous times and places. Ancient Greek/Roman, Viking...heck, even Middle Eastern or Asian. This makes for some awesome MOCs of course, but it gives plenty of scope for TLG devising new ranges without having to start from scratch.

There are I think loads of options left for a new Castle-based historical theme, although I suspect that after three decades or so we've had enough great medieval Europe themes!

[Aanchir]

Interesting to receive this news... I had read here that ADVANCE is working on "A new take on one of the LEGO classics launching 2HY 2013"... sounds like this is it! ADVANCE, if you didn't know, is basically TLG's go-to ad agency, which is responsible for a lot of the creative work for TLG's play themes. They've been a creative force behind TLG's television and print ads for decades, and have been one of the main creative forces behind the storytelling side of many of TLG's themes like BIONICLE, Hero Factory, Power Miners, and Monster Fighters.

And I agree with some people that the chances of it being a reissue of classic sets are very slim. Though I also doubt that these are all D2C/exclusive sets-- rather, they're probably just a new theme that BRICKshop.nl completely miscategorized. In any event, after the rather lackluster showing of non-licensed evergreen themes in 2012, it's good to two of them (Space and Castle) returning so soon!

[JopieK]

Well brickset etc. have also picked up on those numbers...

[PsyKater]

I spoke to a LEGO store manager yesterday and he told me that there are coming very great castle themed set next year. He had already seen them on an internal exhibition and was very excited. I asked him if they were more classic but he hesitated to confirm that. But he told me that this would not be a fantasy theme like some years ago. So no orcs etc.