LEGO Castle fans new and old have been hoping to have their medieval dreams come true since fans were asked to vote on what theme should get a special 90th anniversary set. So, gather thy valiant steed and prepare to travel back to the days of yore in 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle.
A homage to the beloved theme it is part of the LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary celebration and is filled with details and references to the original Castle theme. Come on a quest with Blocks, the LEGO magazine for fans, as we take up arms and venture into the keep…
Black Falcons
These are a less popular faction of the original Castle knights, only ever having seven sets, but what really made them unique was their helmets. As the name suggests, the Black Falcon knights work black helmets, finished either with blue or black feather plumes. The recent 31120 Medieval Castle had the faction wearing pearl grey helmets, but they return to their iconic look in 10305.
Mini Yellow Castle
When the Castle theme debuted in 1978 one of the first ever sets was 375 Castle, which was bright yellow. This was at a time when realism wasn’t a focus for the LEGO designers, and there weren’t many colour options available, but it is still a very nostalgic set for many fans. It gets a tiny brick-built rendition on the upper floor of 10305 as a young page minifigure plays with it.
Get ready for this set with the special LEGO 90th anniversary edition of Blocks magazine. It includes interviews with designers who worked on the original Castle sets from the 1980s and 1990s as well as special features focused on the company’s history. If you want to keep the 90th celebration going, get a great value subscription deal.
Lady of the castle
While brave knights and mighty kings make cool minifigures, 10305 has a woman at the helm, and it’s great to see this representation. She comes clad in a brand new fabric cape element sporting the lion crest, alongside a newly moulded helmet featuring a face-guard for the first time in pearl-gold. If all of that wasn’t cool enough, her noble steed is wearing a unique caparison (that’s the name for the cloth horses wore) in typical medieval colours and style.
Majisto hasn’t aged a day
Fans have often believed that the great wizard, Majisto, was immortal and it seems in LEGO terms he definitely is. He appeared in Castle sets from 1993-1998 and was the reason the wizard beard element was first produced. He’s not been changed much for 10305, though he now comes with a brick-built wizard’s staff using a green LEGO crystal.
More than a tree
10305 Lion Knights’ Castle is beautiful from every angle, staying quite true to medieval architecture. It has got plenty of exterior details from vines to window-boxes, but why do the trees have black trunks? Shouldn’t they be brown? Not if you’re a Forestman! A short lived sub-theme of Castle, the Forestmen made their homes in trees and black trunks differentiated the look of the models. It’s a fantastic retro touch and would look perfect next to 40567 Forest Hideout.
Is that a goat?
No, it’s still not a goat sadly, but 10305 is the first LEGO set to have a minifigure-scale lamb (that’s not in the Friends style). It’s a tiny yet cute addition to the set and helps to suggest that this truly is a working keep.
What parts of 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle are you excited about? Is there a courtly minifigure you really like? If you want to talk lances and dungeons, or maybe great feasts at banquet halls, then let us hear ye, hear ye on the Blocks social media channels.