Full Review – Viking Village 21343

Still worth raiding your wallet for?

by Lukas Mack

We love revisiting sets here at PerthLUG and reviewing them with the benefit of a little context and a dash of hindsight. About a year on, the LEGO Viking Village (21343) is the sort of set that made an initial splash but was quickly swept away by the constant flow of amazing set releases. So while it’s still on shelves, should you snap this one up or spend your $209.99 elsewhere? Let’s find out.

So, there’s a bit going on with this set and its 2103 pieces. The snow-speckled island outpost is occupied by a small band of four very industrious Viking inhabitants. The armourer is busy at the forge while one warrior guards a tower. The elder chief sits upon his throne in the central longhouse and an archer keeps vigil over the lookout’s perch. Gaze carefully and you’ll spot plenty of details from drying fish to barrels of mead and even a secret cave under the tower!

The build process is partitioned into three main parts which makes sharing the experience really simple if that’s your thing. I had hoped the clips would allow for some rearrangement of the segments but the Eldorado Fortress set (10302) may have spoilt me in that regard! The roofs of both the smithy and longhouse easily pop off which makes placing the minifigs much, much easier – a relief given the relatively small footprint of each building.

What struck me with this set while putting it together is the remarkable variety of techniques packed into the one build. Perhaps this is a result of LEGO incorporating the winning Ideas designer’s two prior entries plus adding their own spin. For example, the two small trees are unique constructions while the SNOT approach to much of the rockwork would be very familiar to the MOC builders out there. Meanwhile, the base is for the most part a pretty standard LEGO approach. The buildings’ architectural design is distinct in contrast. Every other piece it would seem has some sort of curve to it to reflect the wood and natural materials. Overall, I’m left with an appreciation for the variety on offer but little of the build hangs around long enough to truly satisfy the palette. It’s really quite an odd experience, perhaps I could relate the feeling to a meal consisting of only entrees. Your taste and mileage may differ.

The result however is hard to argue with. The composition of the set is downright classical in artistic terms and the sum of its parts (pardon the pun), is without question the most attractive Viking set we’ve had in years. And the minifigures? While only four in number, they come fully equipped with printed shields and a bunch of accesories. Only the one has a second expression which is a slight disapointment but what an expression it is though. That wincing with one eye closed – we’ve all been there with a brick right in the heel!

If you’re sensing some mixed feelings about this set you’d be spot on. For every two choices I love, I’m disappointed by another. Let’s use a comparison I reviewed late last year, The A-Frame Cabin. With roughly the same part-count and same number of minifigs, it asked an extra $70. That makes a very compelling case on price for the Viking Village and yet the Cabin felt far more unified and whole. The detachable side builds enhanced the set while here each constituent piece feels somewhat half-baked. Also, this is an island full of VIKINGS. It has a dock but no boat! Not even a little fishing dingy or outrigger a la Eldorado Fortress. Missed opportunity.

Final thoughts. Look, Vikings fans have not had a lot to tide them over for many years and for those folk, The Viking Village offers a solid playset at a really decent price point. Actually, I think LEGO nailed this one for price. I don’t say that often! But, I think the concept required a little more focus and just a bit more bulk. Perhaps too many cooks in the kitchen or maybe the pricepoint was too constraining. In any case, this set in hand falls short of my expectations – lofty as they may have been. All criticisms aside however, no one will be disappointed with this set, especially at this price. And until us Viking fans are gifted with a new Vikings theme proper (we can dream!), I do recommend picking it up before it disappears. It’s a Viking set c’mon!

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Words by Lukas Mack
Photos by Lukas Mack

Editors Note:
This post may contain affiliate links that generate income for the website.
This set was provided free of charge by The LEGO Group. Opinions expressed in the review are those of the reviewer.

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