Subject:
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1381 Vampire's Crypt
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lugnet.reviews
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Date:
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Mon, 5 Aug 2002 01:10:23 GMT
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1381 Vampire Crypt
http://guide.lugnet.com/set/1381
Ages: (sorry, I've thrown the box away... maybe 7+?)
Pieces: 170
Released: 2002
Several page instructions, which include a comic at the end.
Price Range: $A34.99
RATINGS (Scale: Must-Have Excellent Very-Good Good Fair Poor)
Set: Excellent / Model: Very Good / Playability: Excellent
DECALS? Yes. Handles for the coffin.
SET DESCRIPTION
This set is a Studios set, but you shouldn't hold that against it.
Fortunately the studio nature of the set is downplayed. The only studio
specific parts are the sound guy with boom mike minifig.
The 'crypt' is in three parts. There is a double sided backdrop (inside and
outside castle pictures), an elevated platform for the coffin with a
garlic-protected gem underneath, and a very clever coffin lift device.
The set also comes with a 2 wheeled cart for moving the coffin around and
four minifigs.
The four minifigs are the sound guy (boring, although he does have dark grey
hands), the Igor (an excellent torso for castle, along with a peasant hood
and one of those backpack/flowerpot things), the victim (nice tan suit),
and, best of all, the vampire.
SPECIAL ELEMENTS
The highlight of this set for me is the vampire. A new (double sided) face,
new torso (formal attire, with a monographed gothic 'D'.... definite scope
for pirates), new two colour, two direction cape (with upturned collar and
red lining), and new hairpiece (looks like it would be good for a Wolverine
type superhero or similar). The Vampire's head and hands are white.
Both the vampire and the victim have double sided faces, the vampire having
'smirk' and 'blood-lust' options, the victim is left with 'quietly
confident' and 'uh-oh, I'd rather be somewhere else'.
The set uses four of the Jack Stone column elements (2x2x5 with slots on
four sides, and extra stable stud connections). These are a great and
underused element, but not used to there full extent here. (2 are used for
slots to hold up the backdrop, the other two are just used as columns.
Still, it's good to have four (and in dark grey too).
There are a few sand-blue elements in the set. This is a colour I haven't
encountered before, and much as I dislike non-traditional colours (and blue
for that matter), I am quite taken by this subtle shade. More please!
And you get two 8x8 plates in black.
And a 2x2 garlic printed tile.
IMPRESSION
For $A35 you get a decent set. Actually, this is the first set (other than
S@H purchases) I've bought at full retail since February 2001 (when I bought
an AT-ST).
It's a Target exclusive in Australia, and hasn't yet been discounted. At
under 21c/piece it's pretty good value compared to other 2002 release LEGO.
For it's size, it's very playable (except for the sound guy, he really
doesn't fit in... but I guess you could use the boom mike as a stake....).
Three great characters, and functionaility in the parts.
The coffin lift has an automatic eject lever which slides the coffin onto
the waiting cart (if Igor has remembered to bring the cart around...). It's
great to see in operation and is very 'Thunderbirdsy' (Think of Virgil on
his way to TB 2).
SET RATING
Model Rating
This is an very good model. But it just doesn't have the pieces to be a
great one.
Playability Rating
Between the characters included, and the coffin moving functionality, this
set rates as excellent for playability.
LIKES/DISLIKES
Likes:
-The minifigs, obviously.
-The coffin movement functionality, obviously
-Parts selection. Including 8x8 plates, 4 Jack Stone columnes, 1 gantry
column (the one they used for the tie fighter stand), a straight staircase,
a garlic tile and sand-blue bricks (though not enough),
- A particularly novel use for 5x4 car mudguard parts and 2x2 with towball
socket on the coffin moving device.
-Lots of cross theme-able parts (Castle, Town, Pirate).
Dislikes:
-Did I mention the sound guy?
-The backdrop is okay, but is probably not going to get much (any?) use
beyond my initial building of the set
-The double printed faces are a gimmick. Fun to use once, but then annoying
(and possibly wearing on the torso peg...)
-The comic at the end of the instruction.... why do they bother? They're
hardly a work of literary genius.
-Decals.
I know I've listed five dislikes but they're pretty minor and easily ignored.
ERRORS
Not that I spotted, except that the vampire isn't repelled by the garlic
tile like I hoped (why doesn't LEGO see the obvious uses of their magnet
bricks?)
EXTRA ELEMENTS
An extra 1x1 grey tile. I stuck this on the stud on the front of the coffin
lid as a plaque. Because coffin's don't generally need breathing holes.
I'm always happy to have an extra 1x1 tile. Particularly in grey.
CONCLUSION
If you have sufficient funds and like vampires, castles, towns, pirates or
Thunderbirds, you would do well to purchase this set.
Except for the sound guy.
REVIEWER INFORMATION
Review Written: 5 August 2002
By: Richie Dulin
Age: 34
Favorite Lines/Themes: Mostly maritime, particularly pirate.
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