Freak369's Full Review: Lego Knights Kingdom Karzon
If there is money to be made from a series, Lego will find a way to squeeze every cent out of it before they toss it by the wayside. They'll take the Knights' Kingdom theme and make different editions of the knights but they won't keep certain series afloat when they are still extremely popular with collectors. It all boils down to money. Because of the way that these were packaged [in tubes rather than boxes] they took up less shelf space and were more attractive to stores. They'll kill off the Fright Knights or Dragon Master themes then revamp them, give them different names and release them under another series. If you are a fan of Lego you know that's one of their oldest tricks. Even so, fools like me keep buying them.
Lego Knights' Kingdom II Karzon 8706
Karzon is the last knight in this series; there are other sets in the theme to collect from the 2006 line up but as far as the ten inch figures go, this is the one that rounds it out. Maybe they saved the best for last, maybe Karzon is just that scary that they were afraid to have him out earlier in the series. Whatever the case, he is one of the darkest of the Rogue Knights. What makes him the baddest of the bad? Its more than just his appearance or armor, it’s the storyline that goes along with the Knights' Kingdom II release of figures. Karzon was never an angel in any of the other series and that certainly hasn't changed with this one.
Visually Karzon is set up a lot like Drascus; that’s something that you sort of have to deal with when you are buying the larger figures. You'll notice that there are always a couple of figures that have similarities but the designers did give each of them some very unique qualities. Karzon comes with one mean looking mace / flail. The beauty of the design of the knights carries over to how they hold their weapons; instead of the usual Lego hand pegs that you would snap accessories in to, the knights have closed hands that the weapons slide into. They don't fall out or get knocked loose and they have a lot better appearance. Some of the building aspects of the knights are borrowed from the Technic and Bionicle styles so they stay together better, have more detail and overall look a lot nicer.
His armor has an old school feel to it like Drascus but the addition of metallic pieces and embellishments puts a definite spin on it. His animal counterpart is the snake and there's never been a better match up between human and animal. I was pretty happy that they went with a silverish blue color for his armor instead of a straight silver. That would have made him look a little too 'normal' and wouldn't gibe him the creepy tone he deserves. There are some gold accents on the shoulder pieces of his armor as well as the torso inlay, thigh connectors and helmet but the snake on his shield takes the cake. Like Drascus, there is a faux wooden background to the shield but you can't really see it until you are right up on it.
Because these are larger and more detailed than regular Lego figures there is a lot that you can do to customize them but in order to do that you have to have other knight figures from this series or others. You can also use Bionicle and Technic pieces to mod out your knight or make a completely new one. I won't say that the replay value is high with these because in order to make new knights you have to buy other ones. Some of Karzon's best points are the textured leg pieces, ominous gold tone helmet and of course the spiked ball on the chain.
Since the knights appeared in different formats and versions in other years, it's important know their set numbers in order to get the ten inch version that was featured in the 2006 edition. Lego offered the six figure set for a few dollars off but it was a catalog exclusive and may not still be available. This list is only for the 2006 line up of Knights' Kingdom II characters:
This figure sold for $9.99 in the Lego Magazine and at the Lego World Shop online; it was worth it to get the shield and weapon and the figure itself is one of the best looking. Because he is a Rogue Knight he has to look meaner than the others and the designers pegged that completely. The price on these knights hasn't gone up much but when they are retired to taken out of production you will probably see the prices inch up little by little. If you are a fan of the Rogue Knights in the battle for Morcia or Mistlands then Karzon is a must have. This is suggested for kids ages six and older because of the type of weapon that comes with it, yes, there are a few small pieces here and there but once the figure is built they are locked in place so the warning is more for weaponry than it is for a choking hazard.
Name: Karzon
Set Theme: Knights Kingdom II Figures
Set Number: 8706
Piece Count: 44
Age Recommendation: 6 and older
Difficulty Level: Easy
Build Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Price: $9.99
With his Rogue iron armor and swinging-action spiked flail, he's a match for any knight NEW Collectable Karzon metal can Swing the spiked flail, Recom...More at Amazon
With his Rogue iron armor and swinging-action spiked flail, he's a match for any knight NEW Collectable Karzon metal can Swing the spiked flail, Recom...More at Amazon Marketplace
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