Is a fan-designed set so clearly marketed as an unofficial companion to Lion Knights' Castle worth the high price its limited edition run is commanding?

Parts

As a Bricklink Designer Program set, no new elements or recolours are allowed to be included. Designers need to utilise elements that are already in production by LEGO at a given time. That does not mean there are no elements worth mentioning!

First up we have animals, which recent LEGO castle themed sets seem to be providing more than any other group of sets! No fewer than three bluebirds, one rat, one reddish brown owl with print, and one reddish brown horse are included in the set.

Regarding standard bricks, one that was new to me was Roof Tile 2x2x2 in transparent blue. You get one in the set which represents a frozen pillar under the drawbridge. It's not an incredibly rare part, but has only been included in Disney sets, as well as one Super Mario set.

Elements that have appeared in just one other set include the Barraki tentacle piece in light aqua. This came in an Avatar set in 2022 and 16 were included. You get three in this set to represent icy vegetation quite effectively.

Technically, an unprinted dark tan minifigure head also makes this one-previous-set list having only appeared in 2024's Natural History Museum. However, a nearly identical part with a different mould ID appeared in two Ninjago sets once in 2015 and once in 2020. The current used Bricklink price does not appear to indicate any type of rarity for this part.

Finally on rare-ish parts, the horse saddle in dark brown has only appeared in two other sets. Both are City sets aimed at a younger demographic, so this great colour for this part might not be in many castle fans' collections yet.

While BDP sets are allowed to include a sticker sheet with stickers that never make it into other LEGO sets, there are no stickers in this set. Instead you get six printed Black Falcons' shields, one particularly rare Lion Knights' shield, one 1x4 wood print tile in medium nougat and one 1x3 wood print tile in dark tan.

Buildilding Experience

As a whole, the build of the Mountain Fortress feels grand. You begin building the expansive base. Quickly, the icy stream is tiled over and the ramp to the drawbridge is built up. The exterior wall supporting this ramp has the first of many great building techniques: 1x6x2 arches are placed over 2x4 tiles in dark bluish grey such that the tiles slot into the cavity under the arch. The result is an eye catching bit of texture that appropriately gives the sense the castle was built on a mountain.

The base level of the castle also displays nice use of gradients, particularly around the gated initial entrance to the castle. Dark bluish grey gives way to dark tan with bits of olive green and sand green mixed in. This effect transitions to light bluish grey only a few bricks up the build, but it gives a realistic sense of the interface of the mountain and castle where snow, dirt, animals, vegetation and man have affected the foundation. The gradient also helps ground the scattering of dark tan, sand green and dark bluish grey throughout the rest of the castle's surface as appropriate erosion or perhaps the hue of stone used to construct the castle.

Surrounding this base, you build snow banks - represented by a variety of white curved parts on top of white plates. The appearance of deep snow is convincing, although the white plates give the appearance of being in a deep snowy prairie rather than at the top of a rocky mountain - as the fortress name would imply. However, the castle is tall enough on its own and a little bit of base, although lacking depth, does a nice job of framing the model.

The snowy flourishes throughout the model added a unique twist to the building experience. Rarely are walls capped with the same exact construction of snow. Sub-assemblies are built differently for snow and non-snow covered structures. There is very little repetition in the build thanks to these differences. While not everyone loves the snowy setting of the castle and what that means for fitting it into your display, the model commits to this effect and pulls it off wonderfully.

Moving on from the base, the build is similar to other large LEGO castles where 1xn light bluish grey bricks are stacked to form walls. However, the experience of placing these bricks is dissimilar to other large LEGO castles in very positive ways. The entire castle is beautifully architected with persistent variation. While building, you are consistently creating small towers, capping reliefs with arches, adding details and in general building rich character into the model.

The walls are interrupted with windows, which are a fascinating part of the build. No fewer than ten unique brick-built designs are present which fit the space perfectly and add visual interest when on display.

Two highlights of the build for me were the brick-built banners on the central tower and the brick-built coat of arms above the first entrance. Not only are both unique features we have not seen in official LEGO castles, they are also executed perfectly with no odd coloured or misplaced bricks on the inside of the walls.

Finally, the instructions are digital only. Regardless of folks' preferences, the instructions were clear, easy to read, and well laid out. 99% of the set feels completely solid - worthy of the strictest of LEGO quality tests.

Minifigures

Nine minifigures are included: five Black Falcon knights, one imprisoned Lion Knight, one pesant child, one pesant woman, and the Black Falcon queen.

The knights are all equipped with different gear, and there are weapons racks and clips scattered around the castle to swap out accessories.

At the time, the BDP guidelines were no more than one minifigure per 325 pieces. That would have been 12 minigures for the set. More figures would have been appreciated to fill out the castle. That being said, I'm sure the designer and team included as many figures as they could as there may have been other contributing factors (cost, production of the specific figures, etc.). Black Falcons are certainly in a resurgence these days, so it is not too hard to find a few extra figures to fill out the spartan crew.

Model/Playability

The fortress is displayed in official pictures in its open configuration, but closes to form a complete, self-contained structure.

In its closed state, the fortress is a central tall tower surrounded by four smaller towers. The "front" two towers are angled 60 degrees from the main tower and two rear towers. A walkway, wide enough for the horse included in the set, wraps around these two towers, also at an angle. After crossing a stream, the walkway transitions to a drawbridge that is controlled from the gatehouse, which is one of the two front towers.

While only about a third of the pieces in the set are in this angled portion, half of the footprint of the castle is in this angled section which gives the entire model a convincing off-grid feel.

From the "rear", the main gate is at the bottom of one tower. The gate is headed by the wonderfully brick-built coat of arms. The pop of yellow behind the decoration may not be everyone's cup of tea, but helps give some much needed colour to the model.

Looking down the hallway from the main gate, under the castle, to the wraparound walkway shows another touch of visual interest: the entire tunnel shifts four studs along it's length giving an appropriately hand-crafted feel. Watch out for the puddle of ice (represented by a "splat" piece in transparent light blue) perfectly positioned under a snow covered overhang above.

First Floor

After heading through the main gate but before reaching the wraparound walkway, a small gate on the right-hand side leads to the first interior section of the model. This section is the entire ground floor: stables, prison, war room, and stockroom. While the main drawback to this set is the lack of detail in the interior, this ground floor is the best interior in the set and would be on par with the interior of other top notch castle sets.

The stable has three stalls and can comfortably fit the horse included in the set. This is where you will find the rat hanging out, as well as a bucket, broom, pitchfork, bales of hay and clips and hooks for accessories.

Immediately across from the stables is the war room with a shelf of scrolls, a miniature siege waggon, and an impeccably accurate miniature Lion Knights' Castle. Seeing this room in the early renders of this castle during voting for Series 1 is what sold me on the set and it does not disappoint! I cannot wait to place the stickered blueprints from the Siege Encampment Series 4 set on this scroll shelf when that set arrives!

Behind the war room is a well appointed stockroom with the usual LEGO mediaeval fare: chicken legs, fish, carrots, barrels, sacks and an empty chest. The stockroom is part of the angled portion of the castle and uses the space nicely. Being so deep in the bottom of the castle, one of the angled towers from before can lift off easily to provide access to the store room.

Finally, there is a good sized jail room with a poor Lion Knight prisoner inside. They are attached to a ball and chain, but have a seat and a bucket. Thankfully for the figure, the boulder on the outside wall can be pivoted to provide an escape route! And thankfully for us builders, the roof of the prison can be lifted off to see inside.

The basement is completed with a key for the jail hanging on the wall. No torches for light and no means of warmth via fire are provided in the basement, which might be good for the storeroom, but might make siege planning a little more uncomfortable.

Second Floor

Moving along the walkway, across the drawbridge, under the second gatehouse, and into the first interior courtyard, figures find themselves with the option to take some stairs on the left or enter a door on the right. The stairs to the left lead to defence positions, armouries and elevated rank sleeping quarters, while the door on the right leads to the barracks, kitchen, and dining area.

The room on the right is the only truly enclosed section of this wintry castle. A door on the left leads to a small balcony between the back two towers. In the back of the room is a bunk bed with two cots. The choice of dark bluish grey and light bluish grey for the sheets adds to the dreary colour palette of the interior. Perhaps the designer was limited on colours and parts. Nevertheless, the pillows are two different builds which looks great. The bunk bed is up against the area where the main gate raises and lowers, so hopefully the soldiers keep their helmets on at night!

The kitchen has a simple food prep counter and a large wood burning oven very similar to the one in the Lion Knights' Castle. The oven is located on the same wall but on a lower level than the grand fireplace in the queen's quarters. The chimney at the top of the build lines up with both of these fireplaces, which is a nice touch.

The dining area is above the stockroom - in the deep and angled part of the castle. Thankfully, the tower that lifts off to reveal the stockroom contains the dining room, so access to the table and brick-built chairs is easy. The table looks great and is large. It is probably close to too tall, but feels sturdy, wooden and hand made. I do wish the table was on jumpers to make it easily removable. Putting the table in the war room with some chairs could make a nice scene as the Black Falcons are scheming.

Third Floor

Exiting the enclosed room and moving up the stairs on the left of the courtyard, one finds a restroom of sorts protruding from the exterior wall of the stairwell. With no door, this seems like a very exposed and cold place to do your business. But, it appears to get used judging by a brown piece on the ground and some large icicles below this exterior protrusion.

The stairs lead to a third floor which consists of a partially enclosed armoury. It is this floor most that is lacking in sufficient detail. The armoury is a two weapon rack with a spot for a helmet. The remainder of the room is empty save for wooden steps leading to the next level and a torch on the wall.

The partially enclosed armoury leads outside to the top of a rear tower which is also the primary gatehouse. A door on the opposite wall leads through a door to the top of the angled tower section that can be removed. Now that we are outside again, the detail improves dramatically. Up here is another armour rack (three weapons) and a training dummy dressed to look like a Lion Knight. The dummy can rotate freely for play and display. There is also a short ladder to access the top of the second gatehouse.

Fourth Floor

Back inside and up the wooden stairs leads to an oddly combined room: a throne room with grand fireplace connected to the head knight's sleeping quarters. The throne room has a nicely detailed brick-built chair with a crossbow displayed on the wall. There are logs to supply the fire and one log is burning in the fireplace which is a nice touch. Another set of wooden stairs complete the room.

In the head knight's quarters there is a larger platform bed and an empty trunk with a candle on top for personal affects. This room is the tan and reddish brown building prominently placed on the right of the castle in its open position. While I am unsure how accurate it is, the pattern continues on the inside and looks great. The head knight has a personal balcony which is at the top of the tallest rear tower. There is no door between the balcony and the room, so it must be a breezy sleep for the knight, even with the roaring fireplace nearby.

Fifth Floor

The Black Falcon Queen has the top floor with its grand, soaring ceilings all to herself. Inside there is a fluffy bed, vial of liquid, helmet with crown, torch for light, and brick-built dresser. This sits within the space created by the floor to ceiling grand bay window which is the focal point of the central tower.

Access to the queen's chambers is unusual: one removes a section of wall that is built entirely with studs not on top. The fit is a little finicky, but looks great. The roof is tapered, coming to two points with the Black Falcon's colours flying high.

Overall, the model looks great. Every section has different intricate details which means you can look at it for hours and always find something new. It is one of the few sets that I cannot wait to take apart and build again to remember how all the details and sections come together. The closed configuration feels like an impenetrable fortress and the open configuration feels like a hulking blockade.

The interiors could use some improvement. More torches, more colour, more details, and tiling on the floors would go a long way to improve this castle. However, I'm sure compromises had to be made in the design process and I'm glad so much focus was put on the exterior.

The layout of the castle is very logical. The queen, armoury and soldiers are protected by two gates and a drawbridge. The jail is in the dank depths of the castle. The queen is at the highest point in the tower, protected by her head knight. A few more doors to keep the wintry chill out would have been welcome, along with an easier way for the cook to get from the kitchen to the stockroom (think of the trapdoor down to the cellar in Lowenstein Castle).

Playability is high with the opening and closing gates, drawbridge, horse, stables, miniature battle prep, training dummy, extra weapons, secret escape tunnel, and more. It goes without saying that this is an excellent companion to the recent official LEGO castle sets, as well as the BDP sets soon to be available.

Value for Money

As a limited release set, this section will be different for different folks reading it. If you managed to get one when it was available for a few hours on Bricklink, the price of $380 USD for the sheer weight of bricks you get is good value. That said, $380 is not a small amount of money, and the castle is no longer selling for that amount. The current new Bricklink value for the set is $475 USD.

At $475 USD, the castle is completely worth the money for the build experience, presence on display and as a companion to Lion Knights' Castle or other BDP castle sets. However, if you are looking to only have one castle, I would recommend Lion Knights' Castle over Mountain Fortress. That set has far more figures, a better colour palette, pairs well with Medieval Town Square and is $75 USD less before shipping.

Coming back to the folks who managed to pick up a copy during the initial sale on Bricklink: if the Mountain Fortress is still in the box, go ahead and build it if you have the space. You will enjoy having and interacting with the set so much more than it sitting sealed in perfect condition. As a plus, if sealed prices remain high, used prices will remain high - as it goes with limited production runs of these sets.

Final Thoughts

Comparisons between Mountain Fortress and Lion Knights' Castle are inevitable. The latter created the mould for this new era of LEGO castle - huge, multiple-thousand-piece official and unofficial sets that are highly detailed, playable, and fantastic to own. Mountain Fortress stands apart from other BDP sets by taking the idea an additional evolution. Instead of using the same dark green base, dark azure water, and window construction methods, Mountain Fortress innovates with a new design aesthetic, new scenery, and new details to truly feel like a stand-alone faction within the LEGO castle world. It is a worthy addition to any castle collection and it is a shame it is not a widely available official LEGO release.

We really are living in a revival of LEGO castle - perhaps even the golden age if history looks back on us favourably.

Is 60430 the 918 of its time?

Parts:

As a 2024 set, we can expect a few new parts! A black inverted roof tile is loose in the box. This is a new mould and connects perfectly with a few other new pieces in this "family". One family member is the new inverted roof tile with bow, also in the box. This part has the same footprint as the older inverted roof tile with bow, but now has Technic pin holes to connect more securely to the aforementioned family of elements.

Space 2024 is powered by mysterious battery packs. These are represented by a recolour of the 1 x 1 cylinder brick in "transparent violet opal" in all sets but 60433: Modular Space Station where one battery pack is inexplicably "transparent medium violet opal". Perhaps it is a special mega battery built from the crystal in 60432! The injection points and moulding lines are very obvious on these pieces, more so than the non-opalescent versions of the 1 x 1 cylinder.

I'd also be remiss to not point out the new reddish-orange colour for 2024! It is used tastefully sparingly on the ship and identifies minifigure hand holds. The colour immediately feels at home in the LEGO pallet. I also did not notice any colour variation with the new colour in my admittedly small sample size of this set's parts.

To confirm: there are no stickers in this set. All decorated elements are prints, increasing the value for money in my opinion. All printed elements are also available without printing in other sets, which some MOC-ers will be happy with.

Two quick additions on the part front. First, there is one teal 1 x 2 x 2/3rd rounded brick piece. This is a recolour for 2024, appearing in three January releases. Second, I was delighted to find two sand blue 2 x 4 bricks building up the centre of the ship. This colour has appeared sparingly since 2003, with only 10 appearances over the last twenty years.

Figures:

This set comes with one pilot figure. While many figures in the Space 2024 line share colours, this figure is unique with dark blue helmet and arms. The helmet has only ever appeared in white in the past, and the colour is currently exclusive to this set. It is dual moulded with white ribbing on the bottom back.

The backpack is sadly not recoloured in dark blue, but is the same dark azure colour as other blue Space 2024 figures. The backpack is another new for 2024 part. It has one stud which has great clutch power for accessories.

Building Experience:

The set comes together quickly. The previously mentioned sand blue 2 x 4 bricks were a nice surprise, as are the smattering of trans-orange 1 x 2 plates. These are used for the engine afterglow, but also for interior structure. It gave me the feeling of futuristic energy flowing through the model.

The main engine opening feature is accomplished with 1 x 2 rail plates moving through 1 x 4 bricks with slots. Both parts have been around a long time and combine with hinge plates to achieve the movement. No rubber bands or springs are used and the engines need to be manually collapsed to reset the opening function.

As a final comment, my copy (picked up at the very end of 2023) had parts packaged in the usual plastic bags. I wonder if later production runs of the set will include paper bags, or if City will get the Creator 2024 paper bag treatment for a different subtheme.

Model/Playability:

From the top, the completed model is the "arrowhead" shape of LEGO space sets like 10497. This roughly matches the arrowhead/ship in the updated space logo for 2024.

The model is slightly bigger than expected and does not feel too light. The trans-black windscreen from 75346 is striking. It complements the black, white, sand blue, and reddish-orange colour scheme nicely. The cockpit is on the larger side though, and the pilot is nowhere near the controls. One more plate of depth and some extended controls would have increased the believability of the pilot's environs.

The engine opening mechanism is fun to build and operate. A battery pack with a printed status console can slot in to "activate" the engine opening. This is a fun feature and battery packs of different sizes are placed in important compartments throughout the 2024 Space theme. In person, the battery pack looks a little silly sticking up so far above the rest of the spaceship, but looks more reasonable when engaged with the engines open.

The set comes with a winged drone, also powered by a battery pack. This drone can attach to the figure's backpack, or can be piloted by the printed display HUD screen as advertised in the marketing images.

While this printed trans-light blue book cover is an excellent piece, an additional accessory for the figure would have increased playability as well. Perhaps the classic wrench in silver to repair a broken battery pack? Or a walkie-talkie to radio to base? I suspect tools are saved for the orange 2024 Space figures.

I do love the use of the 2 x 4 bricks in sand blue on the inside, but I think that space would have been better suited for internal storage similar to 60429 from the Space subtheme. As it is, there is no spot to store the drone. Storing such a large assembly in the ship would prove challenging at this scale and target building difficulty. Perhaps an attachment point on the wings or below the fuselage would have sufficed.

Value for Money:

240 pieces, several large, several printed and one exclusive figure for $20 looks like great value on paper. The figure is excellent and the drone-as-backpack makes you want to pilot the pilot all around the house. While the ship itself does not connect directly to other City Space 2024 sets, the colour scheme and batteries link it to the wave sufficiently. It would look great landing next to 60434, or providing air support on a mission alongside 60431. If you are reasonably excited about what you see, you will not regret purchasing this set.

Final Thoughts:

60430 would be a skippable entry in the 2024 City Space range if not for the exclusive figure and great price point. Given those features, 60430 is a great appetiser for the 2024 City Space subtheme that fits the rest of the theme well.

So, is 60430 the 918 of its day? It's a bold claim. Only time will tell which LEGO space revival ships will achieve such iconic statuses. Let's hope there is the 2024 equivalent of a 497 that complements 60430 in a similar way. Perhaps the early retirement of the incredibly popular 10497 and the suspicious lack of the 2024 Space subtheme stretching to the Icons theme (yet) indicates such a model to come!

In the meantime, you will not be disappointed in this pocket-money-sized set while you save up for the larger entries in the subtheme.

10314 Dried Flower Centerpiece holds up as an excellent addition to the blossoming Botanical theme.

Parts:

This set is a cornucopia of interesting pieces in muted colors. As of the writing of this review eight months after release, nine element-color combinations are still exclusive to this set, while a further 11 are found in five or fewer sets. The number of each of these elements is decent, making this an excellent parts pack if nothing else.

Of particular note are the four Spruce Tree, Small and PLANT, W/ 3.2 SHAFT, NO. 1 in olive green which could be particularly useful for MOCs. You get four and 15 of these elements, respectively.

Continuing the olive green train, FINGER LEAF in olive green has only been found in three sets. Most recently in the 2022 Ray the Castaway GWP and previously not seen since 2017's Battle on Scarif before that.

Additionally, this set is a great way to get PLANT, W/ PLATE 1X1, NO. 1 in olive green if you do not want to cannibalize your A-Frame Cabin and Rivendell to use this piece in quantity. 31 are included here.

Breaking away from olive green, the dark tan CROWN, NO. 1, dark red PADDLE, NO. 1 and orange EPAULETS (sic) are excellent and useful recolors.

Building Experience:

I built this set with my wife. The bags and instructions were perfectly divided for two builders. Until the final third of the build we were frequently assembling the same sub-assembly due to the symmetry of the piece. This was a fun dynamic that facilitated conversation about the piece.

The build begins with the base. This was my first experience with the PLATE 2X6, W/ FUNCTION, NO. 1 part in any color and I was impressed to see how it was locked in place. The first few bits of foliage added were underwhelming in their coverage of the base. This abruptly changes on step 73 when the second to last foliage sub-assembly is attached. When looking at the final product, my wife and I marvelled at how all of the elements appear organically arranged and no mounting mechanisms are visible.

My favorite step of the build was 51 when the aforementioned FINGER LEAF piece was perfectly placed over some of the unsightly ball and socket connectors on the extremity of the base.

Playability/Displayability:

This set has no playability unless you count manoeuvring the flowers. On that note, motion is limited, but I noticed the individual flower assemblies are much stronger than, say, the lavender from 10280 Flower Bouquet.

Removing the two black PLATE 1X5 from the sides allows you to separate the model into two halves from the 1 x 8 connection module in the middle. This is useful because parts are also included to combine this set to mount three copies of this set in a hexagonal arrangement. This is a fantastic inclusion which is expected of a premium product like LEGO.

I do not have two additional copies of the set so I can't comment on the combination arrangement, but I feel the exposed black connectors to make the larger centerpiece would be distracting. Perhaps placing a candle or another fall display MOC in the center would remedy this issue.

As a display piece, this set is impeccable. Both my mother and sister-in-law commented the final piece looks better than the images on the box. The orange daisies built by epaulettes and clusters of cool yellow flowers on dark green stems are scattered tastefully around the focal flowers. The symmetry of the stacked dark tan crowns, light tan gears and large dark red flaps are a beautiful backdrop for the floral amalgam.

I've caught a few family members, and admittedly myself, lingering by the mantle where the piece is displayed admiring the intricate composition. The piece looks fantastic on display where it can be appreciated via multiple angles.

The only downside to this set is its size. The size is reasonable for the pieces and detail, but the set is dwarfed when placed on a wall or, per it's name, as a centrepiece on a dining table. Propped on our mantle ended up being a good temporary location for this piece, but I will need to search for a more suitable home during the fall season.

Value for Money:

812 pieces for $50 USD seems like excellent value on paper. However, many of these pieces are 1 x 1s or small clip elements. On the other hand, many of the parts remain exclusive to this set, or are still fairly rare.

Admiring the final product I can easily see $50 of value for the set. High quality centrepieces can run the gamut in prices, and this set exudes quality with the best of them. The composition is excellent and the building experience went from strength to strength.

Right now, you can find the set for sale on Amazon for 20% off retail. $40 is a steal for this set, which would make an excellent house-warming gift this season. It is a great fall themed date night activity, or solo activity for these cold rainy days in the north.

Final Thoughts:

This set is not one to miss. Consider it as an add-on to hit a GWP threshold, a use for some of those stockpiled Insider points, or an impulse purchase from a secondary retailer. My family and I will enjoy building this set each year going forward, as I'm sure you will too.

The second entry into the LEGO castle expanded universe through the Bricklink Designer Program (BDP) is a love letter to Forestmen, but is an unplayable, overly large, and identity-confused display set.

Parts

Being a BDP set, no new moulds or recolours are allowed to be included. However, there are a few things worth mentioning!

The vast majority of the 3,395 parts in this set are light- and dark-bluish grey bricks and plates. This means you get some pieces in quantity including 138 light bluish grey 1x1 bricks, 106 light bluish grey 1x1x2/3 bows, and 97 light bluish grey 1x2 "brick" bricks.

The next most common piece is the light bluish grey 1x4 "brick" brick with a whopping 75 of them included - a record quantity for this piece in a set. The next largest quantity of this brick in a set is in 76252 Batcase - Shadow Box which has 31.

Having the most of a part is common for this set! At the time of review, here are some (not all) other parts in this set compared to the set with the next highest quantity:

• 70 Light bluish grey 1x1 tooth pieces compared to 12 in 75252
• 51 green small leaf pieces compared to 37 in 10305
• 46 dark green RIGHT PLATE 1X2, W/ BOW, 45 DEG. CUT compared to 8 in 76907
• 43 black small macaroni tubes compared to 16 in 42155
• 39 dark bluish grey 1x2x3 slopes compared to 25 in 19005 (Isle of Peril from the AFOL Design Program hosted by Bricklink - precursor to the modern day BDP)
• 39 white flower with bar compared to 36 in 10345
• 32 dark green LEFT PLATE 1X2, W/ BOW, 45 DEG. CUT compared to 8 in 76907
• 30 red flower with bar compared to 9 in 10359
• 29 dark bluish grey 1x2x2 slopes compared to 28 in Isle of Peril from above - 25 in 71043 (next highest general release set)
• Finally,15 light bluish grey "elven arches" compared to 10 in 910042 - another Series 2 BDP set

One notable piece this set could have use more of is the reddish brown shield with Forestman print. Only two are included and they are used as decoration on the outside walls. 9 of the 13 minifigures are on the Forestmen side and while many of them wield bows, some have swords so shields would be a plus.

Finally, returning from Lion Knights' Castle, we get a dark orange horse and, new to me, a medium nougat rabbit. This rabbit has only appeared in three 2022/2023 City sets, and came in transparent glittery blue in a Harry Potter set.

Packaging

The box of the Forest Stronghold is the same plain white-backed design as other BDP sets. Unlike LEGO sets that will show different minifigure interactions with the model, the BDP sets this round have the minifigures in the same positions on the front and back of the box. It is an interesting design choice that sucks a little bit of life out of the model.

The box contains 42 numbered bags, three unumbered bags of larger parts, one dark bluish grey 16x16 plate, and the exclusive "building instructions insert card". As with all BDP sets, no paper instructions are included. Digital building instructions are provided (more on that later)

Minorly interesting: one bag (15) is the old style of bag number print - black numbers with no white highlighting around the numbers.

Building Experience

With 42 bags but only 3,395 pieces, each bag contains far fewer parts than a typical LEGO set. There are exceptions where official LEGO sets have a bag with under a hundred parts, but this happens on every other bag for the Forest Stronghold. As for the reason why, I can only speculate it may be related to capacity in manufacturing specifically dedicated to BDP sets. The effect is that the build is tackled in manageable parts, but you are left with a huge amount of plastic bag waste at the end.

This also feels like a good time to mention that spare parts are abundant in these BDP sets. Typically in LEGO sets if a 1x1 part is used multiple times across different bags, you will only get one or two spares. However, for the Forest Stronghold and other BDP sets, you get a spare each time the part appears within each bag. Couple that with 42 bags, and you get quite the left over stock of 1x1 dark bluish grey circular tiles, for instance.

Build

The actual build is split between the right- and left-hand side of the fortress. Directly in the middle after completing the right hand side, the Black Falcon cart is built. Finally, the halves are joined by the bridge - the final part of the build.

The figures are spread throughout the build as is typical of LEGO sets these days, but I was surprised that we did not get our first figure until bag 12! I'm sure this is also related to the special production approach to BDP sets, but it felt lonely to build a large part of the fortress base with no one to interact with it!

The first level is a basement on both sides. The rockwork on the outside was reminiscent of El Dorado Fortress in colour (dark bluish grey) and style. There is a clear delineation between the variegated rockwork on the outside and the walls on the inside thanks to some beautiful brick built detailing that could teach the basements of the 2024/2025 LEGO Hogwarts line a thing or two!

Dark bluish grey gives way to light bluish grey with a smattering of dark tan and dark bluish grey to indicate wear. The building past this point was reminiscent of other LEGO castles - stacking 1x n light bluish grey bricks, leaving gaps later filled in for windows, and then capping off the walls with crenellations made of 1 x 1 x 2/3 bows and matching elements.

With other LEGO castles, this monochromatic drive is punctuated by building detailed interiors. However, after building the basement area, most interior details are uninspired: placing a few decorations directly on the floor, building a desk, a shelf, and a bed.

Although it comes as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it pace, building the two sections of wattle and daub houses with lovely dark blue roofs was a nice change from the grey. The attachment of the highest roof in particular was satisfying to put together.

The last section of each side of the stronghold is building the trees. This is by nature repetitive, but the complexity of the branch assemblies was very engaging. The organic structure of the branches translated to 2D instructions and rotated many times made concentration crucial.

Instructions

One quirk of the BDP sets is the digital-only instructions mentioned above. I personally don't mind following along from the PDF, but I noticed throughout the build there were many errors in the instructions. Here are a few I noticed towards the end when I was documenting the issues for this review:

• Step 712 - The wrong piece is in the part call out
• Step 739 - The support assembly is shown in a sub step, but leaves off the 1 x 1 tile with rounded half circle.
• Step 803 and 804 - It's difficult to spot, but there is an extra leaf piece pictured in 803 that is not in the part call out window. In step 804, that leaf is added along with some flowers, but the leaf assembly added in 803 is missing from the image in 804!

These types of errors are common throughout the instructions and is a reminder of how these sets lack the same level of polish we expect from official LEGO sets.

Minifigures

The Forest Stronghold includes an incredibly generous thirteen minifigures! We get nine Forestmen to cause chaos around Lion Knight's Castle and Mideval Town Square, and we get three Black Falcons to populate that woefully understaffed Mountain Fortress. The skeleton shows in Brickset as missing a leg, but the leg is attached to the ground nearby to complete the figure!

I couldn't ask for a better selection of figures. Using the Wayback Machine to check the original approved design, only 9 minifigures were included. It is interesting that one of the changes made to the design was a substantial increase in the number of figures, and I am thankful for it.

Model/Playability

Overall, the model is trying to do too much. It's big - but it's too big. It has areas for play, but it is impossible to get your figures posed. It has details, but they don't tie together.

Basement

In the basement we have a storage room with access to a stream, a planning table around the corner, and a treasure room in the other hill. Both of the stronghold's basements are nicely tiled off and have a few studs to pose figures. The weapons rack with two bows and two axes are well put together and flank a ladder leading up to the next level. The planning table is rather ornate and looks like a spoil of a Forestmen raid on a wealthy dwelling!

The treasure room is not only the highlight of the set, but is my favourite castle room in all of the official and unofficial LEGO castle sets thus far! The piles of gold bars, coins, candelabra, gems and chest heaped in front of the beautiful candle lit alcoves is just perfect. The treasure room is viewed through a cave entrance with stalactites which only adds to the ambiance.

Official images don't quite communicate how hard the Forestmen have been working! This room is the spark of many scenarios - how will the Forestmen transport their spoils to the poor? Will a Black Falcons spy infiltrate and convince the Lion Knights to join forces to bankrupt the Forestmen? Are the Forestmen actually in league with the Lion Knights and act as their mercenaries and bankers...?

The basement area of the stronghold is the most detailed and inviting for play. However, it is not just difficult - it is impossible to use this area for play or display. The entrance is so low (just shy of five bricks tall) an adult cannot hold a figure in one hand and pose them in the storage room. I need to use two hands and hold the figure between a few fingers to get them standing up. Couple that with there only being two studs in the storage room (none around the table) and there is no reason to struggle to stand up figures that are going to be knocked down as soon as the model is bumped.

The beautiful treasure room is better - with just under six bricks height access at the entrance - but the room is so deep it is easy to lose figures. Reaching in, I almost always knock off the very fragile stalactites which are difficult to extract from the piles of gold. It also has the same issue as above - only two studs to pose the figures which limits the display potential. Compare this with Lion Knights' Castle where the access is just over six bricks, the depth is fairly shallow, and there are plenty of studs on which to pose figures.

It's not just poseability that is limited with these low accesses. From normal viewing angles, the fantastic basement details are impossible to see! The only way to truly appreciate the basement is to get down on eye level which is not a natural angle unless the stronghold is high up on a shelf.

One additional quibble is a large amount of the basement on the right hand side of the set is wasted space. If you look at step 73, there is a large space underneath the bridge that would have been perfect for a home for the bunny or dog, a place to stash away more treasure, or a trap to spring an ambush on the Black Falcons. But instead, the cave is immediately sealed off in step 84. In fact, most of the area under the towers, entrance, stairs and rock work is just filler bricks. If play was the goal of this model, these sections could lift off to reveal additional catacombs within. Or split into sections like Lion Knights' Castle.

First Floor

On the next level, we have a food storage area on the right-hand side, and a small bedroom on the left-hand side. The food storage area is probably intended to be a kitchen judging by the bottles, cherries in glass, carrots, pan, cleaver, chicken legs, cups and chef's hat. However, although there are logs in a crate, there is no included place to cook the food. The table to prepare food is tucked behind support pillars and placing figures around three sides of the table is tough. Reaching in here often results in bottles getting dislodged or the hanging food breaking off.

On the left hand side, there is a bed, desk, window shelf, and a stand for a Forestman's hat. This area looks good, but posing figures past the desk is difficult because of the ceiling above. One particularly confusing design choice was to make the doorway into the bedroom from the bridge too short for a minifigure to stand up in. The entryway is just under five bricks high again. This could have been easily resolved by removing the window above and shifting a few bricks around. This could have also made a section of the bedroom slightly more playable and it is baffling why this was not done.

Second Level

The right hand structure has two prominent towers flanking the bridge, one tower above the river on the far right, and one central tower. All four of these towers are basically unusable for various reasons. Starting with the central tower, it has the best access to the interior of the entire model, but the details feel like an afterthought - a skeleton, rat, spider, and web around a ladder to the next level.

The tower above the water has a step for access from the food storage area on the first level, but it is incredibly difficult once again to get a figure in that space or secured on the studs. The tower flanking the bridge closest to the front of the model has open space inside on the first floor, but is completely inaccessible because of the depth in the model and the two stud wide entrance to the dark space. Instead, it just blocks the door from opening inward all the way.

Finally, the remaining tower flanking the bridge has another step and a place for figures to stand on the first floor, but the arched decoration limits a figure standing inside with their headgear. Again, it's easier than in other places, but it is difficult to pose figures in this cramped space. The figures just look like they are playing a game of hide and seek in a spare closet.

The crenellations on the top of these bridge towers are only one and two thirds bricks high. A figure standing up here has almost no protection and looks out of scale with the rest of the model.

It's not just the right side. The left side has two towers in the front and a tower in the centre. The left-most tower is also inaccessible from the interior. The large centre tower has a doorway. This door inexplicably opens towards the back of the model, so placing figures coming through the door has to be done from the side, through the doorway and around the massive tree branch. Coupled with the fact the outside balcony is very narrow, this makes this area feel useless as well. Unless you want to play figures getting knocked off the second floor into the basement and accidentally finding treasure.

Roof Area

The top of the right side of the model has another detail missing context - an anvil with no forge or fire. A few crates are stacked next to the anvil and I like the use of the wand box, plus the opalescent gem inside the package below.

One curiosity of the roof is the 6 x 8 plate the crates and anvil rest on is only secured from below on three corners. The corner closest to the front wall is floating. With no supports near this corner, it is free to deflect down. Look at steps 272 and 273 to confirm. While you likely won't be posing a figure here since the area is so cramped, this, coupled with the lack of the ability to interact with the model, the mistakes in the instructions, and the inexplicably short doorways, make this model feel very unpolished. Less than what I was hoping for from a huge Forestman BDP set.

The rest of the roofs across the model are unremarkable. The theme of lack of poseability continues here. Although full access can be had, most walkways are only two studs wide so it is impossible to pose a figure walking along the walkway.

The top two towers are connected by a zip line. Regardless of the historicity, it is a fun inclusion. However, it should be pointed out again that it is not actually playable because the angle is not great enough and there is a lot of friction in the string. This is OK with me, because it is easy to pose a figure mid-slide between the towers, which looks great.

Cart

Last but not least is the Black Falcon's cart. This was my second favourite part of the build after the treasure room. The cart is simply and elegantly constructed. It has all the essentials - a place to store a weapon, a flag, and an easily removed treasure chest. The harness on the horse is built up with bricks and looks better than a simpler assembly.

The cart to me strikes the perfect balance between play and display. Getting the object of the Forestmen's attack mid-build necessitated me stopping and acting out a few scenes! If I had to find something to criticise, I'd say the ball and socket connection between the harness and the cart is too stiff. It makes "realistic" side to side movement impossible. However, LEGO horse carts look pretty unrealistic when moving to begin with, so I am thankful the stiffness allows the cart to stay in a position for display.

Overall

Before we get to value, let's take stock.

The critical downside of this model, other than being bigger than it needed to be, is the sheer inability to interact with the model as intended. The cramped entrances to the interior, the lack of logical companion details (kitchen - stove, anvil - forge & tools), the narrow walkways and entrances, the number of fragile details that get knocked askew are a few examples.

It's not just play experience that is lacking, it's also display experience. Two sides of the model are completely exposed which forces viewing from straight on, or at a bit of an angle. Seeing the basement details is incredibly difficult. Sections of the model feel out of scale with themselves, and with other companion pieces like Lion Knights' Castle.

So what is this set trying to be? Are the inaccessible areas and lack of play functions because it is a display piece? If it is a display piece, why are two sides of the model completely exposed, leaving only two good viewing angles? If two sides of the model are exposed, why was more thought not put into how to detail those exposed rooms and interact with those details?

There is a version of this set somewhere in the bricks that is as good as Lion Knights' Castle and Mountain Fortress. A display set with two sections that split apart and then tesselate for display. A modular version, where you can take off the levels to get into the details top-down. The aforementioned sets had more parts and bigger budgets, so this mystery version would be smaller than what we got in Forest Stronghold. However, this stronghold is bigger than it needs to be to begin with! Why would there be an abandoned castle just as big as Lion Knight's castle? Wouldn't a smaller castle be more likely to stay abandoned? Wouldn't a huge abandoned castle draw significant attention if occupied by a large troupe of folks with questionable ethics?

With that being said, the model is visually striking from its one favourable viewing angle. The large trees do a fantastic job of emulating a deep forest setting. While I personally think the light bluish grey masonry bricks are overused in the walls of the stronghold, there is a nice crumbling effect across the facade with gaps in the bricks at certain points and dark tan masonry bricks.

The basement treasure room is a delight and 13 figures is better than we could have hoped to get! The bricks in this set are incredibly useful and are the perfect starting point for a thousand variations of Forestmen entrenchments.

The model creator is not a full-time LEGO designer, yet put some bricks together, designed a set intended to be a love letter to the Forestmen, and got the support they needed to see this set become a reality. This is incredibly admirable and I, for one, am thankful they did so that LEGO fans can experience this set. Fans all across the LEGO world are excited about this set, and there is a lot to like here, despite some drawbacks.

Value

There is a huge amount of value in this set: 13 figures - your own army of Forestmen - 3,395 very useful pieces, animals, and the exclusivity of a BDP set.

At $300 when this set was released, this set is worth the price if only for the figures and parts. At the current aftermarket prices of $380 USD new, I can't recommend the set for the reasons stated above. Lion Knights' Castle is still the better buy for only $20 USD more and contains playable Forestmen hideouts. If you already have the official LEGO products, love the Forestmen, and want a cheaper alternative than the Mountain Fortress BDP set, the Forest Stronghold is a decent used buy for the current price of $310 USD.

However, it is worth pointing out that the BDP program has put out other medieval sets since the Forest Stronghold's release, and seems to be promising more in the future. From my perspective, additions to the expanded Castle theme through the BDP will continue to arrive and provide alternatives to those building a display.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for making it this far. The Forest Stronghold does not check the boxes for me, but may be right for you! The figures and parts are incredible and I'm excited to see what the community can do to give the Forestmen another respectable hideout!