Freak369's Full Review: Lego Constraction Knights Kingdom Gargoyle Bridge ...
If you collected any of the older castles in the Lego series you know that there is a lot of variety to them. Fright Knights had a darker appeal to it, Dragon Masters had the really cool red and black dragons included with some sets and the smaller sets like the Wizard's Cart and Axe Cart were set specific in name and theme but could easily be added to any of the castle series for some extra eye candy. I've been building a castle scene for years now and just when I think I am close to completing it I find something that that I <i>have</i> to add to it and that's exactly where this set came into the picture.
Lego Knights' Kingdom II: Gargoyle Bridge 8822
When I bought the set I assumed that there were gargoyles in the set; I didn't expect them to have a lot of detail to them and half heartedly assumed that they would look like Dobby from the Harry Potter sets. Well, there are gargoyles but they aren't in the form of figures; there are two of the guarding the entrance to the bridge but they are mounted headstone gargoyles, not figures. Even so, they are something that add a nice little extra kick to the set but I would have much preferred something that was an actual figure than something that was a 'fixed' item with limited use within the scene.
Visually the bridge and its pieces are impressive for being an add on set. That's basically all it is, you can have some fun modifying it but as a stand alone set, well, there isn't a lot that you can do with it because there are only three figures and it lacks a large base plate to build on. There are some smaller pieces that the arched pieces are connected to but if you are adding this on to a larger section of castle, you will need to get some of the larger base plates for it. The arched pieces that make up the underside of the bridge are stenciled and that is always a huge plus to adding color and depth to a scene. The walkway from the bridge to the tower gate is lined with six faux gold pyramids, that's an exceptionally nice detail and perk to the set.
There are two bridge sections on opposite sides of the tower; both are hinged so you can raise and lower them when you want. The set also comes with a semi functional battering ram that you can use if you attach this to other castle structures. I have to assume that the battering ram was built so that it could slide under the largest arch section of the bridge but ours doesn't clear it. Honestly, the battering ram isn't worth the pieces its made of so if you want to make better use of them, add them to something else in another set or take the base design of it add make it more functional. On the top of the tower there is a larger battle axe set up that can be released by lifting the chain off the hook. This is supposed to crash through the tower gate but it works about half the time, the other half it just bounces back and doesn’t crack through the doorway.
Gargoyle Bridge comes with three knight minifigures and they should not be confused with the full sized Technic / Bionicle styled figures that are sold separately. The set includes Adric and Karzon and one generic, non-specified knight. All three of them have assorted weapons tat they can use and they are all interchangeable; there's a total of three weapons and three shields, each of them with a different design. If you are new to the battle between good and evil in the Knights Kingdom you may want to check out the storyline at the Lego website so you will know about places like Mistlands, the knights and warriors and some of the other sets in the series and how they fit into the plot.
How easy is it to build? If you follow the instructions it isn't hard at all and experienced builders can do it in under fifteen minutes. There aren't any extremely tricky sections but you do have to make sure that you get the arches placed properly on the small base plates or the rest of the bridge pieces wont line up correctly. The battering ram is worth building and trying out but chances are you will find better uses for the pieces elsewhere. Given the gray color of the bulk of the bridge, you can add it to other castle set ups or use it to replace smaller bridges. If you have spare pieces you can use chains and tower sections to raise and lower the bridge elements so they don't have to be operated 'by hand'. You get step by step instructions for the main build as well as images on the box of variations that you can try out.
The Knights' Kingdom II series includes the following sets: 8813 Battle At The Pass, 8821 Rogue Knight Battleship, 8822 Gargoyle Bridge, 8823 Mistlands Tower, 8702 King Jayko, 9702 Lord Vladek, 8703 Sir Kentis, 8704 Sir Adric, 9705 Dracus, 8706 Karzon. There are other sets in the Knights Kingdom series but these are the ones that are designated as part of the second series. Please note, in regards to the figures [Jayko, Vladek, Kentis, Adric, Dracus and Karzon] there are more than a few variations of these in the Lego line up of products so please remember to use the Lego product number when ordering online.
Name: Gargoyle Bridge Set Theme: Castle / Knights Kingdom II Set Number: 8822 Piece Count: 250 Age Recommendation: 6 and older Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate Build Time: 10 - 30 minutes Price: 28.99
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2008 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): see review Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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