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Lego Maniacs' Guide: Reviews: Castle : Fright Knights : Witch's Magic Manor

[Purchase Lego at Amazon.com] 6087 - Witch's Magic Manor

Rating: 3 Stars
Pros: Some cool new bricks including the witch mini-fig and rotating door unit
Cons: Don't expect a well-formed castle structure, this is kind of a jumble of big rocks. Who ever heard of a witch moving about in a flying/helicopter machine?
Contents: 255 pieces including 5 mini-figs, 1 skeleton, 1 horse, and 1 green dragon
Price: $39.99 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 02-Jan-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

6087 A thunder clap resounds in canyon walls, sending a slight shock wave down the slender stone corridor, but this will not stop the three knights from their prize. Madam Crowley is now only a few yards ahead and the young knights have been gaining for the last half mile despite the canyon floor which continues to grow muddier with the pounding rain. Somewhere behind them, the knights' fallen horse has paid the price of vengeance on the hag, but she too has paid the price of her thief/apprentice's life.
A final desperate spell is cast by the tired sorceress as the ground seemingly erupts before the knights and a rotting corpse rises up with arms flailing. Igor falls before the undead minion with its bony hands clutching his neck, but Vanov dispels any further threat with a swipe of his mighty sword which sends the bony carcass into a thousand flying pieces. The odds are now two to one, and the knights know that they must catch the old woman before she reaches the threshold of her magic manor, now looming ahead. A well-aimed arrow catches the witch in the lower back, dropping her to the ground. "Let's finish this," Vanov nods to Pietro, but a menacing winged shadow now passes overhead...


The Witch's Magic Manor is a two-level structure that looks more like a small mountain or group of rocks rather than a manmade castle. There is a large boulder that hangs from a chain and serves as the front door of the rocky fortress. There are no ladders to reach second levels of the fortress, but hey, she's a witch (not necessarily a reflection of her character) so she can levitate to the upper levels. Actually, considering it is a formation of large rocks, there are probably foot and hand holds that would allow someone to crawl up to a higher level. The fortress also features a small holding cell for prisoners and a secret revolving door through which to sneak in and out of the fortress. There is an additional assembly with the set which is a flying helicopter-type vehicle that sits on top of the fortress.
Figures included with the set are three knights, a thief/forestman, a witch and a skeleton. The three knights have new body prints/armor and one of them has a new face I haven't seen yet, this face has frowning eyebrows and a small goatee (no mustache or stubble). The witch of course is a new face for minifigs. Her body print is also new, and you are probably aware that she doesn't have legs, but rather has a 2x2x2 slanted brick with a printed skirt on one vertical side. I really don't mind having this sloped brick for legs, but it doesn't stay as well attached to the torso as leg elements do because the studs on top of the brick are not as high as leg-element studs, this is kind of a problem because with play, the witch keeps falling apart (don't worry, I've already set up some appointments with a good psychanalyst). There is also a green dragon and a black horse included with the set.
There are a few new bricks here (as to be expected), including the mini-fig pieces mentioned, two broom sticks, two crystal balls, a chain (for raising and lowering the boulder/door), a clear red wand, black dragon wings, the revolving door and frame, and the bat/gargoyle element.
Personal likes and dislikes include the following: once I got used to the idea that the fortress was a bunch of rocks thrown together rather than a man made structure, I was able to get over the fact that the fortress seemed awfully opened, so that isn't a complaint. I guess one concern is in regard to the use of the flying machine that kind of seems out of place for a set of this genre (unless the witch stole some blueprints from Leonardo da Vinci's drawing board). I also didn't care much for the noticeable lack of weapons: there is a total of one large silver sword, one spear, one bow and arrow, and a quiver. If this is your only set, you are going to need to pick up a piece or figure pack to equip your soldiers a little better in case they go up against witchy-poo.
I did like the company's addition of a few 1x1 clear pegs and a cone which sit on the witch's table and kind of make it look like a laboratory (nice touch). I also like the novel idea of having a large boulder that is raised and lowered rather than a conventional door. One more positive point would be the inclusion of the revolving door piece (door is four studs wide and about four bricks high and it pivots/swings on a center pin at the top and bottom of the door), I think these pieces are going to be favorites of mine in my own constructions.
Overall, the price on this set is not too bad. I think it is safe to say that if you are a castle fanatic, this set is worth picking up for a few of the new bricks/elements alone.

31 readers have rated this set as 2.8 out of 5 stars.
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