The Build

The first thing I should say is the instructions, which were another competition to choose the design. They look awesome and are easily the best produced in recent years and far superior to get we normally get with the white backgrounds and makes me miss the old designs we used to get.

There are four instructions books that build four unique sections, so you could easily build this with three other people and then are all easily joined at the end. There are stickers but only nine in total which isn’t too bad for a set this size.

The first section built is the Inn which has a great name –“Inn Plain Sight”. The inside is cosy and reminds of the Medieval Town Square Inn. There is a bedroom upstairs that has a nasty surprise for any guests, with the bed and a chest having a couple of mimics inside that open up to have teeth cleverly hidden and creepy printed pieces for the eyes. The outside uses blue and purple bricks for the roof which look good.

After the Inn we move on to the landscape around it. This is where you place the Owlbear and there are Spiders and an Awakened Tree. The rear section had a hidden dungeon area where you place the Gelatinous Cube. Through this section there are various hidden bits that I am assuming would be discovered if you played the campaign.

The Tower is up next and there is a dungeon area where three skeletons are hanging out in various gear, including one wearing a rather nice shiny cape. There are also a few traps that the heroes must watch out for including a door rigged with an axe. The tower has a dilapidated look about it and as our heroes fight their way to the top, they’ll find the evil wizard up there.

In between building the different sections various monsters are built. I have to say that apart from the gelatinous cube, I had no idea what they were but the monsters are all unique are all look awesome. My favourite one is the Beholder which has one large eye and 10 smaller eyes that all printed pieces, which look awesome with the lavender colour. All of the monsters have various eye printing and no stickers need to be applied to them.

The final book is the dragon and there are eight bags that used to build it. The original submission had a green Dragon but I think the red works better here. The Dragon is the trickiest build of the set and uses a range of building techniques to bring it all together. Once finished it brings everything together and is placed on the bridge. Without the Dragon I feel like the set would look empty.

The Minifigures

All of the Minifigures are exclusive to this set. The four main minifigures are a Dwarf Cleric, Gnome Fighter, Orc Rogue and Elf Wizard. There are all excellent and can be adapted defending on the player as they have male/female heads that have reversible printing on them (except the Orc Rogue). On top of this there is an Evil Sorcerer and an Inn Keeper.

The printing on all Minifigures is fantastic with all apart from the Gnome Fighter having torso and leg printing to give them extra details.

There is also the Dungeons and Dragons CMF series which came out earlier on this month and can be used to add extra Minifigures to the set.

The Price

Given the way D2C sets have risen over the past few years, this will be another set that is out of the price range for a lot of people who would love to get this, particularly D&D fans who are not really into LEGO. But what that said £319.99 feels fair given the quality of Minifigures and that you’re getting both a display set and one you can use to play a campaign through if you redeem points on Insiders to get either the digital or printed campaign.

In the UK the set is currently exclusive to Argos and has been reduced to £250 so that is another option to people.

Display

All four sections come together nicely and set looks awesome on display. I love the various colours used for each section and they make section unique. I can see LEGO Castle fans buying this to combine with the Lion Knights Castle and Medieval Town Square, as well as the Bricklink sets.

Overall thoughts

This nudges out Barad-Dûr as my favourite 2024 set (so far) and looking ahead there aren’t too many sets left to be revealed so will probably end up being my favourite set. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the CMF series and adding a few of those to this set . I’ll also be looking to get the campaign instructions to try that out and seeing what the various hidden features are used for.

Overall this is one of those rare sets where I can find nothing to fault about.

• The Build – 10
• The Minifigures – 10
• The Display – 10
• The Price – 10
• The Score – 10

An alternative build to a LEGO set is when a fan uses the bricks from that set and makes something completely different. In this case I wanted to utilise the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Castle (31120) set that had been somewhat destroyed during our move last year. The idea of a Castle in my City is very appealing, although space is limited, I thought it would look great sat on a small island just off the coast. To find alternative builds on Rebrickable is simple, pop the set number into the search box, change the dropdown box to MOCs and away you go.

When searching for the Castle (31120) set I found a huge selection was at my fingertips. One name in particular kept popping up, MIJbricks. Their builds seem to concentrate mostly on the Castle (31120) set, which was great as that was what I was looking for. Having a quick flick through all of their alternative builds, I came across ‘the one’, it was perfect and ticked a lot of boxes for me personally. First off it looked amazing, second it was taller than it was wider which meant the City would look more natural. Thirdly, I could review it here on The Brick Post, not only as an alternative build but also a budget idea for creating something Dungeons & Dragons related.

The build itself comes in two parts, the Tavern and the Castle. After downloading the free instructions and getting the parts sorted, I was ready to get going. Starting off with the base for the Tavern, using four 8×8 plates and smaller blue ones, the base was complete. Iike this basic way of creating sand/earth and water, the edge is a little harsh but it works.

Using the yellow and navy coloured bricks, the building itself looks good and I can see the style they were going for. It’s bright but again it works. I like how the first floor sticks out slightly over the ground floor, giving it a little more detail. There is one gripe with this part of the alternative build, the angled roof section is very precarious and could fall off with the slightest of knocks. It does stay out when left which will have to suffice, it does look great though with the different angles and overhanging the entrance.

Inside the Tavern you’ll find a bar and a table in the ground floor with a single room upstairs. The builds are basic but with the parts on offer do the job well enough to know what they are supposed to represent. The bed is green with a white pillow and situated under a small window, a room with a view. Next to it is a chest filled with treatures from the dungeon next door.

Moving onto the adjacent castle and dungeon section of the build and you can instantly see some interesting techniques. To quickly buildup the hillside more 8×8 plates are used but on their sides, as part of a SNOT (studs not on top) style technique. The plates are attached to bricks that then stand up on the brick-built base, add slopes and other details and boom you have a large section of hillside built and ready to go, it really is genius!

Just like the LEGO Ideas Dungeons And Dragons (21348) set it is inspired by, there is an archway that leads to an open roof area, here you’ll find a small fire and some foliage. I really like this area as it seems hidden away and a nice place to setup camp.

The Castle itself and the tower that climbs up rather high, is built in a surprisingly sturdy way. When building up I half expected it to crumble in places but thankfully it didn’t. There are stairs outside and in, perfect for Minifigures to gain access to each floor, some a little dangerous and exposed to the elements. Similar build styles from the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Castle (31120) set are kept intact with the layering of both 1×1 bricks and 1×1 round bricks, it’s a great combo and looks very ‘castle’. The chains are my contribution to the set as I hated them just sitting there at the end.

Again the insides are fully furnished, this time with castle trinkets and other items. Inside the tower you’ll find a writing desk with candles and a magicians quarters with a pink crystal.

The dungeon section of the build is amazing and I’ve left it until last. To access to the cave you’ll need to head to the local tavern, where a mysterious door awaits, open it and prepare yourself for a new adventure. Inside you’ll find yet more treasures, including an enchanted book of sorts, I wonder what information it holds?

Amongst the many bones the dungeon looks to be a cool place to hangout, pun fully intended. It maybe dark and dingey but it’s hidden and out the way of passers-by. You could say it’s a great place to start a story.

Overall this alternative build is great and a much welcomed one. The official LEGO Ideas Dungeons And Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale (21348) set is awesome but it also costs and arm and a leg. Whilst the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Castle (31120) is retired it goes for a lot less than that on the secondary market, of you already have then even better, why not give this one or any of the other builds from MIJbricks a go? It’s free, breathes new life into an old set and it looks a so stunning, what more do you want!

Rebrickable: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-182710/MIJbricks/31120-dungeons-and-dragons/#details

The highly anticipated and teased set features a buildable tavern with a removable roof and an upper level for easy access, a dungeon and a tower, plus a posable Cinderhowl the Red Dragon figure that can be wrapped around the tower. The set also includes 6 LEGO Minifigures – 4 brave adventurers, an innkeeper and a dragonborn – plus lots of monster figures, including a beholder, an owlbear and a displacer beast. Each Minifigure, apart from Alax Jadescales, has an alternate head so you can choose your own look. 

This building set, aimed at adults, has been created in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast and includes a custom campaign written by the D&D game team! Download the campaign to begin your quest. There are magical items and iconic Easter eggs to be discovered everywhere… but beware of traps, monsters and that huge red dragon.

In terms of new parts and recolours, there are a handful that can be seen from the images below. Including the Dragons Wings, recolours of LEGO DreamZzz Dreamling/Grimspawn bodies, new door piece which was previously an exclusive part of the LEGO Medieval Town Square (10332) set, and so much more. Without having the set I front of me it’s hard to get a definitive list but it’s safe to say there are a handful of exclusive parts and recolours.

The 3,745 piece set will be available from 1st April 2024 accompanied by an exclusive GWP. It’ll retail for £314.99 ($359.99 / 359.99€ / 499.99AUD / 469.99CAD). Is it a day one purchase? Let us know your thoughts on the set via the comments section below.

Official details:

Be transported to the Forgotten Realms with this LEGO® Ideas Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set (21348) for play and display. A nostalgic D&D® fantasy gift for creative adults, it features a buildable tavern with a removable roof and an upper level for easy access, a dungeon and a tower, plus a posable Cinderhowl the Red Dragon figure that can be wrapped around the tower. The set also includes 6 LEGO minifigures – 4 brave adventurers, an innkeeper and a dragonborn – plus lots of monster figures, including a beholder, an owlbear and a displacer beast. Each minifigure, apart from Alax Jadescales, has an alternate head so you can choose your own look. This building set for adults has been created in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast and includes a custom campaign written by the D&D game team! Download the campaign to begin your quest. There are magical items and iconic Easter eggs to be discovered everywhere… but beware of traps, monsters and that huge red dragon.

• D&D® gift idea for adults – Create your own brick-built Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale fantasy adventure with the first-ever LEGO® model set in the Forgotten Realms

• Mythical creature figures – Includes an elf wizard, a dwarf cleric, a gnome fighter, an orc rogue and dragonborn Alax Jadescales LEGO® minifigures, plus monsters such as an owlbear and a beholder

• Campaign developed with Wizards of the Coast – Download and play your way through a campaign specially designed in collaboration with the world-renowned Wizards of the Coast

• A buildable D&D® adventure – Search for magic items, discover Easter eggs and beware of traps and the posable Cinderhowl the Red Dragon figure as you explore the tavern, tower and dungeon

• Nostalgic gift idea – Treat yourself or give this LEGO® Ideas set as a birthday gift to creative adults who share your passion for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® adventures

• Build together – Includes 4 booklets with building instructions for different parts of the set so you can build with your D&D® group, plus interviews with the set’s fan designer and more

• The LEGO® fans’ choice – This collectible LEGO set for adults is one of a diverse range of LEGO Ideas sets, each created by a fan designer, voted for by LEGO fans and produced by the LEGO Group

• Fun D&D® room decor for the home – The tower, tavern and dungeon build in this 3,745-piece building kit for adults measures over 19 in. (48 cm) high, 14.5 in. (37 cm) wide and 12 in. (30 cm) deep