6018 - Battle Dragon

Rating:
Pros: It's one of the few castle boats, construction is sound.
Cons: Only one weapon. A boat this tall (two tiers) and this short would probably capsize in a second.
Contents: 49 pieces including 2 mini-figs
Price: Discontinued
Reviewed: 27-May-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Rushing hoofbeats break the silence of early dawn on an isolated road as a single rider speeds down the dirt path then stillness quickly resumes. From the road, a short distance across a small bay, there is movement in a blind of reeds and cattails. An assassin waits.
Soon, the Count of Garldon will ride down the road at the head of a battle cohort. The waiting assassin winds his crossbow and gently places a barbed bolt in its cradle. Somewhere far away, the council has determined that the Duke's death will be bring the closest end to a nine-year war. And now, the plodding sound of many horses approaches as a bead of sweat appears on the archer's forehead. "For Antilles" the bowman mutters as the Count comes into view...

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Just a quick review on a nifty little castle boat, here. There aren't many boats to collect for castle fanatics but this one is comparable to (and don't get it mixed up with) the 1547-Black Knight's boat because both of these boats have dragon-like figureheads. Strangely, the 6057-Sea Serpent bears the name of a serpent and bears no semblance of a serpent (go figure).
The battle dragon is a cozy two-man boat with a lower level for storage/resting and an upper landing for lookout or more cargo. There are only 49 pieces here, but the design serves well as a blueprint for simple boats of your own design.
Set comes with two mini-figs with no insignia on their scale armor, but a single yellow shield with a falcon on it would indicate they are from that faction (whatever it's called). There is only one crossbow for the two to use (don't buy this set for the weapons). There is also a barrel for cargo (a couple of yellow round 1x1 plates serve as gold pieces) and a couple of oars. If it were a current set, I'd suggest you pick up a couple for your castle fleet, but since it is discontinued you'll probably pay a ridiculous price (at least for an unopened one). Keep an eye out. You still might find one in a dusty old hobby shop somewhere.