Lego Fright Knights Catapult - When You Feel The Need To Go Medieval On Someone
Written: Aug 17 '02 (Updated Aug 17 '02)
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Pros: Bat mask helmet, working catapult, cool warrior figure.
Cons: Hard to find, no longer in production.
The Bottom Line: Fright Knights fan - this is the coolest little set! If you don't have it you need to get it !
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Fright Knights Catapult #2540 |
The Castle series from Lego is one of my all time favorite and the Fright Knights mini series is without a doubt one of the most impressive collections in the medieval compilation from the Lego designers. The accessories, weapons, attention to detail and of course the dragons are what attracted me to the series – but what kept me coming back again and again were the multitude of things that you could do with all the cool elements. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I’m in the process of building a huge castle and in order to do this I need to pick up as many of these small sets as possible. While most of them will be disassembled and used for other purposes – a few of them will remain intact within the scene.
The Fright Knights Catapult is a very cool little set that I have really grown to respect over the past few years. Along with the Batwing Flyer [2539] and the Crossbow Flamer [2538], the Catapult rounds out the small promotional set offered to Shell patrons back in 1998. These were briefly re-released in 2000 as part of a nine pack set [one each week] and people went crazy over them. Since I missed out on the original promotion, I’ve been left to my own devices to collect these – trading for other retired sets, purchasing them through internet auction sites and looking in .99 cent stores are just a few of the avenues I walk on a regular basis to get my fix.
The Catapult
A very impressive little weapon if I do say so myself. When it is built according to the enclosed instructions and held by the warrior it is a fully functional little item, however if you decide not to have the warrior hold up the cart it will rest in a downward position since there are only two wheels on the cart. This isn’t really a big issue but it just looks better when it’s upright.
The catapult on the front of the cart is user initiated – meaning that there aren’t any true working parts. If you want to launch something you have to flick the end of the lever to get it to work. Seeing as how this was a small promotional set – I didn’t really expect it to have a ton of power behind it but it does get the job done. It might take a few tries to get it to work the right way – but it does work.
The two brown wheels that attach to the underbody of the cart are standard. They have a minimal amount of detail to them and are pretty sturdy. The cart itself is basic and a little on the cheesy side – but it does feature four small yellow Lego elements that rest on top of the red side pieces. These are great little pieces to remove and launch but be careful, they do get lost easily.
Armed Warrior
The very cool little warrior included with this set is one of my favorites. He has traditional Fright Knights bat mask that covers most of his face [except the eyes] and a nicely stenciled albeit basic face. The torso features a nicely stenciled design on a bold red body. The design is that of the Bat Lord mini series and is extremely impressive. The legs of the Lego figure are the standard gray that is shown on most of the figures within the series – but it helps to keep the focus on the body and bat helmet.
The warrior can easily hold on to the handles of the catapult cart or launch the catapult itself. One thing to keep in mind is that the catapult is hand operated – there’s no spring or rubber hand to propel the objects at the enemy. It’s much easier to get it to work by hitting it rather than trying to have the Lego figure do it.
Instructions
The instruction sheet for this set is minimal but covers all the steps needed to build it correctly. The illustrations are clear and to the point and are great for those just getting into the whole Lego construction thing. The only part that might seem a little confusing is the way the assembled catapult is attached to the cart. There is a small ‘mini section’ for the construction of the catapult but it doesn’t clearly show you how it attached to the cart itself. You may need to play around with it to get the proper placement.
There is also as small section on how to build the warrior. As I have mentioned in other reviews – some people might look at this as wasted space but to those that are new to the sets or series, these are necessary steps. There are a total of twelve steps to complete the cart, catapult and warrior and it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes total to complete all three sections.
Who Would Love This
Fans of the Castle series would love this! Since this was a limited time promotional offer it might be a little hard to track down but they aren’t extinct yet. Fright Knights and Dark Lord fans will already have most of the elements in this set but I doubt any of them will turn down this set if they are presented with it.
Where To Find Them
Since these were originally promotional items given out at Shell gasoline stations with the purchase of a product, finding them at the usual retail outlets just isn’t a possibility. Check online auction sites, Lego web rings or brick vendors but be careful. Since these are known ‘hot items’ there is always the chance that people will try to rip you off or post misleading descriptions of the sets. Stick with people that have good track records or try trading with other Lego enthusiasts. Keep an eye out when you hit dollar stores or places like Pic ‘N Save or Big Lots – they’ve been known to surface at these establishments from time to time.
The Bottom Line
Being the Lego junkie that I am, I am absolutely in love with these sets. They are cool, cute and have a high replay value even though there is a low piece count. If you want to see a Lego addict freak out – tell them you saw these sets on sale at a local store – chances are they’ll be in their car before you can finish your sentence. I will admit this – I’ve had to hide these away from the brood – if they knew I’d picked up several of these at an auction they’d be tapping their feet with their arms crossed expecting me to share them.
The Stats
Set Name: Catapult
Family Set: Fright Knights
Lego Set: 2540
Number of Pieces: 25
Age Recommendation: 5 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 5- 10 minutes
Cost: $1.49 when released
[Average cost at online auctions ranges from
$3.00 - $8.00 plus shipping fees.]
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): see above
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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