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Set Review: 70357 Knighton Castle
 Friday, November 17th, 2017 at 1:02am by Benjamin, BZPower ReporterFor the Nexo Knights, it's go big or go home...unless your home is big! The Knighton Castle is one of the biggest Nexo Knights sets out, and it has to be if it is to inspire an entire kingdom. Filled with several rooms, fearless knights, and a few attacking baddies, the castle wants to make a statement across the land. But is that statement favorable? Read, and watch, the review by reporter ChocolateFrogs to find out.
A big thank you goes to LEGO for supplying BZPower with this set so I can share my opinions on it. I loved the look since pictures surfaced from Toy Fair, but I do not usually buy big sets. The Knighton Castle retails for $130 and has 1426 pieces, so it's under the 10 cents per piece ratio, which is especially great after eying all the minifigs included. Presentation
A box the size fit for a king. The front throws us into the middle of the action, with a siege being underway. Luckily it looks like the castle has plenty of defenses, as we can see all the minifigs included on the top of the box. The back shows more play features, like the castle rocket ship, bed chambers, dining room, armory, vehicles, and more. Building
The builds start small: A rolling tower jail and Merlok 2.0's robot body. The tower is a clever idea, and Merlock is built kind of like the battle suits the Knights had at the beginning of the year.
Then we start to build the base. We have some bunks and some cool transparent bits. We also get a tri-shield with some shields on it. Next up is the second level, with the throne, armory, and dining rooms. It is all mostly studs-up building so far, but the details put in are impressive.
Next we go topside, with some turrets for the topmost level. More cool parts being used here, especially the transparent orange flags and swords.
But what is a castle without its walls to protect its people? The walls come together almost symmetrically, but with a few quirks of their own. The upper ledge is perfect for knights to defend from a distance, while several windows give them a view on the ground.
As the castle gets finished up, the rocket ship is built and placed above the throne as a towering citadel. The castle walls are open, but that means both the noble and sinister characters have access. Keep reading to find out how our heroes prevent that. Set Design
There are some great new and neat parts in this set. I love the orange and trans orange parts, as well as the several 2x2 wedges and corners that have been popping up this year. There are some cool printed parts and, as an appreciation for classic castle, we get two stone lion heads.
The castle looks great from all sides. From the front and sides it is defended, and in the back we see several play features: Robin can suit up in the armory, Fancy Pants can serve a meal in the dining room, and the knights can get some rest in their bunks.
With a quick flip of a lock, the castle can literally open up walls. I think this is a more natural look for the castle, as it not only takes up more space to look imposing, but feels more liveable. People can walk about inside its walls, and from the back the rooms look more like two walls to four-sided rooms.
And let us not forget that the tower can take off for a quick escape or a different view of the battle. Probably the most exciting play feature of the castle. It fits the five knights given in this set.
The little attack buggy is compact yet formative. There is even a little trunk for cargo in the back.
Merlok 2.0 is a nice upgrade from being just a computer screen. Now he's a computer screen with legs, arms, a wizard staff and a pointy hat! He is also built with some trans orange Nexo Power Shields. He will need all the help he can get against the rolling siege tower. Look at that face and those teeth!
Our heroes Aaron and Lance, respectively, have some cool shields and fancy armor. Their torso prints a slightly varied from last year. They have two face prints for different attitudes. Their visors are transparent orange instead of silver.
Topping off the castle populace are King Halbert, a statue that looks like a petrified Queen Halbert, robot butler Fancy Pants, a King's Guard, and young Robin. They all have their own unique printings suited for their roles. Robin even has some armor for when he gets to battle.
The baddies include two �Bricksters� inspired by bricks and columns, and two Stone Stompers as the element-based enemies. They all have their own unique shapes and printings, which look very cool. The arms for the Bricksters are Technic pins with minifig hands on limbs, which should prove interesting for MOCs. Playability
The castle has many cool details inside its walls. One of the best is the attack buggy. It is compact, yet has room for cargo in the back. And it flies out from being parked against the wall with a flick of a lever. Opposite that is a computer for strategy and prepping the team. King Halbert can direct the battle overlooking from the throne (and presumably take advantage of the tri-shield as needed). Knights can stand watch on the corners to utilize crossbows and whatever else they need.
From top to bottom, we have: topmost ledge with turrets, then the armory, throne room, and dining room, and finally the bunks. The bunks are my favorite detail, because they take into account all the knights, including Robin and Ava, instead of focusing solely on the figs included with this set. Each bed is colored for their knight (Axl's being extra wide), and their pet pig is included too. Ava has a cool gaming console, among other things next to her bed, and Lance has a cell phone for plenty of selfies to his fanbase.
The rolling turret tower is also cool. It has an Forbidden power on its forehead and is quite menacing with its lightning hands, catapult ears, and toothy jail mouth. Final Thoughts
The Knighton Castle is an impressive set with a fun build, where each little detail is realized as it is assembled. Excitement for the finished product grows as parts of the castle come together. Many small things make the whole, giving plenty of play features for an experience fully immersed in the castle. Between the numerous minifigs given and the great price point for parts, what's not to love? Especially the rocket ship tower.
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