I wanted to get this tower to expand my "Medieval Fantasy" theme, despite reservations about the construction system. As suspected it uses the Clip system.
As designed it is completely non-customisable, and difficult to disassemble once constructed. This limits the number of these towers I want to
one, and makes me wonder what Playmobil think German children do with their toys when playtime is over. The major (i.e. only) benefit of the Clip system is that it makes for very rapid construction, with six pieces forming the bulk of the tower: three rock base pieces, the tower body, and two pieces forming the gun platform at the top.
The larger pieces were just rattling loose in the box, resulting in some surface abrasions.
There are some stickers to put on, ten for the five-sided top platform, the tower door, the gate dragon's eyes and a lava pool at the bottom of the tower.
The castle has four denizens. The leader is the Wizard
Benedict, who is not Evil, just misunderstood. A very nice figure, and unusual, with runes playing along his lapels, and a high-shouldered cloak and a two-piece hat.
His lieutenant
Gunner mans the dragon-defence cannon on the tower roof, and carries a big sword in a special scabbard across his back.
His second-lieutenant
Scout carries a specially-shaped shield and two swords across his back.
Most importantly, he is the rider of Wings, the tower's green dragon. The smallest of the Playmobil dragons to date, about the size of a horse. His wings are fixed but his legs swivel, and his head twists and mouth opens. The neck joint is NOT a ball and socket, thus limiting the head movement. It is not clear to me why they chose this sort of joint. At first I was disappointed at his size, as this is totally unclear from the box and catalogue artwork, but I now see it as
a good thing.
Scout lacks a lance or spear of any sort, so aerial battle is not his intention. He is intended to do reconaissance for Benedict, and report back unscathed and unnoticed. The unusual shield shape now makes sense, as it tucks neatly between the dragon's neck and wing.
If I were still a ten year old schoolboy
Scout and
Wings would be be travelling to school with me everyday in my bag or pocket, and reporting back to
Benedict on the evils perpetrated by the teachers.
The bottom of the tower hides a glowing blue crystal, the heart of the dragon, behind a dragon's mouth portal.
Overall the set is well designed, and does what it does very well. It just doesn't quite do what I'd like it to do. I'd like to be able to redesign the tower myself, and that just isn't possible. The current design and figures stimulate the imagination to an extent, and then they limit it.
Set 4835 forms the other major half of the Dragon World theme, and I will be reviewing that soon.
