Although the LEGO Vikings series was short-lived, it gained a pretty decent fan base.With only eight sets (including chess), the theme is full of exciting enough elements that they still stand out today.Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, you might immediately notice that the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31132 Viking Ship and Midgard Snake look familiar.You are right!The LEGO Vikings 7018 Viking Ship Challenges the Midgard Serpent has so many similarities that it can only be a tribute to the iconic 2005 collection.Join us for an in-depth look at this 1192-piece 3-in-1, which will be available from August 1, retailing for $119.99 | $149.99 | UK £104.99.
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of the set for review.Providing a review product to TBB neither guarantees coverage nor a positive review.
Like the original kit, the box has almost identical poses with the boat and snake on the front.The only difference is that the set is a 3-in-1 with alternate builds displayed next to the main model.As usual, the back of the box shows close-ups of all three models.Snakes aren’t the only Viking creatures getting the 2022 treatment.Fenris Wolves appeared as one of the substitutes.
In addition to the three instructions, there are seven numbered bags and one unnumbered bag in the box.
After building the minifigures and cows (which we’ll get back to later), the first pack starts with a board-dense base for the longboat.The dichroism helps distinguish the bow and stern.The sides are built with lots of 1×4 and 2x2x2/3 SNOT (studs not on top) elements.The former is black and has the second most in the series, while the latter is reddish-brown and has by far the most in the series.
The second bag sees us through the stern half and the base of the bow.It has taken on a classic longboat look.Additional SNOT elements on the stern provide numerous attachment points for keel connections.The keel also used several black 5×5 pasta trays, previously only seen at Creator Expert 10299 Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.The transom also uses some new element color variations, a pair of 1×2 inverted arches and a 2×2 centering bracket, both of which are bright orange.
In the third pack, we completed the rest of the stern and bow, which included the “gold” dragon figurehead.The original model has a custom stencil for this element, dark red.While this looks cool, this bricked version could be even better.It’s definitely thicker and stronger.
Next is the mast and rigging.Six 22L medium nougat hoses make up the rigging.(Plus, we got an extra!) When they’re attached to the tall mast with various rod elements and steering wheels, it’s pretty solid!This thing isn’t going anywhere unless you break something.Well, maybe the ball joint will come loose first, but you get the idea – no fragile structure here!
In addition to the rigging, at this point in the build we start to fill in the sides of the boat.A layer of yellow (more visible on the inside) plays peekaboo beneath the dark blue slopes and curved panels.The latter is a new offering in this color.
The fifth bag provides some decoration for the longboat, including a sheltered table, torches, dangling fish, and ballista.These elements are also in the original, although the cover is much larger and the ballista is much simpler.
The ballista itself is pretty basic – in a good way.No need for an overly complicated structure.The shooting ability is done with a rubber band, and it’s fair.It’s hard to capture in the GIF below, but the first shot hit the wall three feet away and rolled back to me, while the second shot was a dud, almost sideways.Granted, operator error may play a part.
The last addition is a set of 8 shields in different color combinations, very similar to the original kit.(Although the original shield was a printed single mold.) A giant brick sail was also built at this time.After all, without a longboat, what would it be?Finally, a pair of ravens was added, perhaps in homage to Norse folklore and the two ravens of the god Odin, Huginn and Muninn.But we’ll look at them later.
The heaviness of the brick sail is a good reason to have such a strong mast.A set of four modified boards with rods inserted into four mating pin holes (beams) in the yard to carry the weight.
Finally, we end the build with the Midgard snake itself.It consists of 11 segments of sky blue and teal (aka dark turquoise) with black and purple tones.The original shoal green snake was also segmented, but the upper part of its head was a single mold.I’m a fan of that mold and actually plan to use that element in an upcoming build, but having said that, I think this version is better.Minifigure fins as gill fins look great!Of course, the whole thing is highly movable.If I could add something, it might be a spike on the 2×2 jumper board that looks bare.Another version includes small fins, but again, this one would probably be just as good or better without them.
All in all, it’s an interesting display piece.Although, I can also imagine plenty of imaginative games.In terms of size, it’s big, but not particularly large.Sometimes you build a model like this and it feels much bigger than what’s on the box, but this model seems to work as expected.Of course, that’s not to say it’s small!
One thing this longboat is noticeably missing is oars, which makes escaping snakes much less likely.Another thing missing is all the typographic elements, but if you don’t know, you can’t miss them.
After building your longboat, you may have a hard time taking it apart and building other models.But for a complete review, I went ahead and grabbed one for the team.A word of wisdom: as the instructions suggest, it’s better to take the entire model apart and organize it rather than breaking it down into chunks as you build.The added time will ultimately save you time and frustration in the long run.
Now, let’s start with the wolf, which actually starts with building the tree submodel… which is easy and tedious.But what do you really want from a tree?The base it sits on has a weird gem hiding spot with a cyan element on top which I’m assuming represents ice/snow.
The Fenris wolf itself is sure to interest kids, although it may not be very exciting for adults.It also has loose hinge joints that cannot resist the weight of its limbs.When looking at the available parts for the first mockup, it seemed like the best a designer could do, but it felt skeletal.Interestingly, even more so with the original wolf.
Even if it feels loose, it’s not difficult to pose.Also, the legendary wolf is huge in mythology, and this version fits the bill.
To put it bluntly, after building the longboat, the wolf felt a little disappointed.But I’m glad to find the last alternative more interesting.It starts with a patterned base.
The elements used to make the keel of the boat are fixed to the walls of the house with the same SNOT elements.The product is a nice Nordic design.
The roof bracket looks funky, but it’s sturdy!It’s also covered in SNOT bricks (the weirdest phrase I know ever).There are so many, it’s almost overkill, but if you have them, use them, I guess!
A strange kid building juts out to the side.It appears to be a shrub and stream adjoining a porch with an anvil.It’s actually a great addition and is as sturdy as the rest.
One of the house’s best features is the ability to easily open and/or remove the roof – great for lots of playability.But it is best for small hands.Overall, the construction is pretty solid and a little heavy, in a good way.
The scene consists of burning haystacks, ox-pulled plows, and a small dragon.We’ll take a closer look at these in the next section.
In addition to the Midgard snake, the set features four of the aforementioned brick animals: a cow, two crows, and a baby dragon.The ox was built in two different ways between the longboat and the house, one of which was to house the medieval plow.For a brick cow of this size, this one is doing very well, as is the plow.
Next are crows, which use blaster pistols for their bodies and flippers for their wings and tails.Positioning the fins at different angles gives them character, which is especially cool for something made from just a few parts.
While cows and crows are great, dragons are not so great.It feels blocky and bulky compared to others, but oddly small.Most Viking sets come with a dragon, so adding a dragon to this one feels right, but it’s just a bit bland.Kind of surprising, considering how colorful it is.
Finally, let’s take a look at those minifigures!Unlike the original theme, which consisted almost entirely of overt male characters, the series has some variety!There were four figs, two males and two females.Let’s get to know them from left to right.
The first minifigure has dark orange legs, an olive tunic with armor on top, a helmet with horns, and a giant battle axe.The dark orange beard hides the scowl of the stubble.The torso and helmet are new.Well, the latter is a remake of the original helmet, but unfortunately it’s loose and comes off easily.Honestly, I don’t remember if this was the case in the past, but you’d think they’d fix it.
Next is a fig with olive green legs, a new black torso with grey armor, a tall smirk and a spear.Her new hair accessory is a blond braid with an epic winged crown.This is definitely the best minifigure element overall (at least in my opinion).
Her putative opponent has dark blue legs, a new sand blue torso with armor, fur collar, sword and horned helmet.He has grey lamb chops and a stoic expression on his head.
The final minifigure has dark red legs, the same torso as the first fig, an axe, and dark brown wavy hair.Her smile is almost identical to that of the second character, with a slightly lower brow.All of these factors combined may make her the least exciting of the bunch.Still, the torso is nice.Four different legs would be nice too.
Like most of the larger Creator 3-in-1s, it’s the main model that draws you in.For many, there is no desire to complete other models.You might stop on a longboat and be very happy.Having said that, it’s always nice to have more options and the ability to gain experience from building alternatives.Of course, from a kid’s perspective, any 3-in-1 has hours of playtime, especially a bigger one like this.
For adults who don’t like show suits, this might not be the best breakup suit unless there’s something you really want.Don’t get me wrong, it has good pieces!But the price per piece is pretty average, and aside from the new minifigure element, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy.You might like the technique used to create the keel shape, but there’s nothing fancy about the use of parts.At the end of the day, it really depends on whether you are a fan of the Vikings theme.If the answer is yes, you might like this great retro model.
This is the time of year when new releases keep coming out!While you’re here, stay tuned for our other new LEGO reviews!If nostalgia is your thing, check out our review of the 31120 Medieval Castle.
The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent, 1192 pieces, will be available from August 1, retailing for $119.99 | $149.99 | UK £104.99.It’s also available through third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay.
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of the set for review.Providing a review product to TBB neither guarantees coverage nor a positive review.
Dichotomy dī-kŏt′ə-məs Adjective divided or divided into two parts or categories.Characterized by dichotomy.Periodically divide in pairs from bottom to top.
Great review, Bray!As a big fan of the original Viking set, I was intrigued by this one, but didn’t know if it actually brought anything new to the table.Well, after reading your review, I found that it does bring some new technology and some new color parts, so it just made it into my shopping list.
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Post time: Jun-07-2022