Best Gift Idea Toys - Lego Castle - Trolls' Mountain Fortress (7097)

The call for help is sent far and wide - Our King is held prisoner, in a giant castle on the highest mountain peaks at the roof of the world. Huge trolls block the way. Secret traps guard the passes, and an evil Troll Sorceress will stop at nothing to prevent a rescue. The Troll King will never let his prisoner go. Can you be the hero? Will you free our King? Only the strongest and bravest will succeed. Gather your wits, make your plans, take command of your army, and… Save the King!

I've been involved in Legos a lot recently, though mostly Harry Potter Lego Sets (and Harry Potter Lego video games). But when Monique spotted an opportunity to pick up some brand new Lego Castle Troll's Mountain Fortress sets (# 7097) at a really good price, I couldn't resist. The bad news is, we bought these to re-sell, so I can't play with them… The good news, since we bought some, I had to research the set and find out what the big deal is in order to understand how best to market them.

Since I had to do the research anyway, it seemed appropriate to share the results here. Seemed a shame to do all the work and not have a hub to show for it! ;^)

To begin with, it's a Lego set.  Obvious, I know.  But that's a major part of it's popularity.  Look-alikes just don't cut it.  The Lego brand is a huge deal.  Since it's Lego, you also know there's a certain level of quality in the set.  Lego has a reputation for top work, and they've worked hard to earn that reputation. 

That's the groundwork.  But there's got to be more.  Why would this one set be so popular?  Lego has many sets, what makes Lego Castle Trolls' Mountain Fortress stand out?  Two main things.  It's a castle… and it's really big! 

If you're looking for a fabulous Lego castle for a fantasy-inspired setting, this is the set! This huge fortress is 14 inches long, 10 inches wide, and nearly a foot tall. Surrounded by traps, you'll need to beware of spikes, spears, and flames. Weapons include shields, clubs, swords, even catapults.

Figures include a horse, the Good King, 3 knights, 2 giant trolls, the Troll King and Sorceress, and 2 troll warriors, enough to stage some pretty cool fights for both the good guys and the bad. The characters cover a nice range for each army. Watch the video on the side for some great pictures of the parts and minifigs. For the overall set, you get a total of 844 pieces, and Trolls' Mountain Fortress is recommended for ages 7 and up.

There's a lot of playability here, and with a bit of imagination, the possibilities are endless.  The minifigs are varied and interesting.  The sizes range from normal figures to giant trolls.  There's a good-guy leader, and a bad-guy leader.  The forces of good versus the minions of evil.  And while I really like themed Lego sets, (especially the Harry Potter ones) it's refreshing to have a castle and two opposing kingdoms that can be used for many other storylines.  Children will have a lot of free reign to exercise their minds while having fun with the Trolls Castle Lego set. 

With Trolls' Mountain Fortress being on the 'hot' list this season, it's hard to find. When she was verifying it's value, Monique tried to locate the set at several local (and sort-of-local) stores. The closest we could find with it in stock was over an hour's drive away, and they said it available on a "limited" basis. As usual, I recommend shopping online. Avoid the hassle, the rush, and order in confidence that you'll get what you want.

Also as usual, I do recommend Amazon.  They usually have their own inventory, plus other re-sellers.  With multiple businesses selling through Amazon, it stabilizes the price a bit and you can easily check the average cost.  At this point in time, Amazon shows 68 new available. I don't know how long they'll last, or how soon they'll be restocked, but if you plan to get one, I wouldn't wait too long.

All things considered, there are some good reasons this set is so popular, and in such high demand.  Lego sets in general always encourage thought, creativity, and imagination.  The Castle Troll's Mountain Fortress (7097) Lego set does exactly this.  While the children just think they're having fun, we parents understand they're learning how to use their minds.  It's a win-win situation all the way around!