6082 - Fire Breathing Fortress

Rating:
Pros: Where do I begin? A cool one-piece stairwell, the two separate trap doors, a dragon, and the overall concept of a wizard/dragon fortress.
Cons: Just having to wait so long to get the money together
Contents: 393 pieces, including 6 figures, 1 horse, and 1 dragon
Price: $58.99 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 20-Jun-1996
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

The thief lurks coldly in the extending shadows of the castle's east walls. Breathing slowly, he has waited a full hour since the wizard's protecting dragon left this fortress. Now with short sure steps, through the large wooden doors, and behind the mesmerized guards with silent stares to the upper terrace of the wizards great hold. While the unknowing sorcerer surveys the valley below, the thief creeps forward to his treasured goal - the wand of Gonzilla and all its terrible power! The wand is just within reach, a finger's touch away when the floor opens up beneath him and the thief falls flailing into darkness!

---

What can I say? If you just plunked down $50 or more for a Lego set, you better know you're getting into a 5 star operation! Lego can be expensive, but from my experience you always get your money's worth (see yourself grudgingly passing this stuff on to your grandkids while all other toys are rusted, busted, or just plain forgotten!).
The Fire Breathing Fortress is really a neat idea. The dragon has a nice cozy little nook to crash at night, the wizard keeps future meals in a small holding cell until "Puff" is good and ready, and of course, you have the few soldiers and one thief brave (stupid?) enough to try to break into this place.
Nothing of particular note on the figures here, but the horse mounted knight gets a neat cape, his horse gets a red "dragon hood" head piece, and of course, you get the wizard with a glow-in-the-dark wand and a scroll (I love those scrolls!).
Cool/unique pieces included in the set are a black 1x16 (count 'em, 16!) brick, the cool black arch piece with gold stenciled facing dragons which goes over the front doors, a similarly stenciled black wall section, and a really cool stair piece that joins the lower section of the castle to the upper terrace. This piece is really gonna be helpful with building your own sets. Personally, I hated building a two-story edifice and then pretending the people walked upstairs, or worse yet, building a lame stairway myself out of 2x4 bricks. This little one-piece stairwell is a life saver.
The dragon head buttress which sits over the front door is a cool idea, but having him drop blocks on intruders is kind of a dumb idea. I bet the wizard rather has him spewing out boiling oil or better yet a wide wall of flame.
Of course there is the dragon who is the star of the show. Right now I have only one dragon, but I'm seriously considering searching for that dragon cart (lock me up will ya?, I'll do a Dutch oven make over on you in that armor, knight dude!).
The set is definitely a five-star masterpiece. But hey, if you have been saving up for the past few months or making those layaway payments and breaking records for the year-long drool, you better not expect less!