This set is another small of the castle theme, black knights subtheme and was released in the year of 1990. Like some other of this subtheme, this have a nice color scheme, design but a so much simple building. Altough the buildingis not the better, this boat style is different from others and some pieces are useful. The two minifigures included are knights of an old lego style and includes some itens like the shield of the black falcons subtheme. The building is simple, but the result is good. The boat includes pieces like the small black, blue and red small plates. On the front of the boat there is a dragon head made with some red and yellow pieces, different of some other dragon heads in other small boats. The boat includes also a barrel that have above it a second floor that the second minifigure stays. Altough the second floor is included, the boat stays in a good weight and all works very well in the playability. The playability is basic like the building but this have some innovations and useful pieces,a good design and that things makes it a good option to increase some other sets.

First the bad.... probably should have been a little bigger, also a little unseaworthylooking (just made up a new word I think). Now, the good.... it's just so incredibly kool!! I ended up getting 3 of these. My cousin and I got our first models for the same christmas at our grandparents' house and we had tons of fun just exploring with them, then reinforcing our castles. Mos def a 10, would be a 9 if not for the extreme koolness factor.

This was my second and last castle set I bought, unless you want to consider the Castle Calvary from The Lego Movie a Third castle set, I love the cone parts that's used to hold the roof top, it really does give it a good looking shape, and the Dragon head on the front was also a very fun to make, and its nice to have a barrel in it, the down side was the flag always keeps on dropping and it needs some kind of a support.

It could use a couple more weapons.

Its a nice cozy set with small details and I also loved the alternate builds on the box, my favorite was the furnace, and no matter how much I try to reuse the pieces into something else I end up building the boat.

At long last my Castle Oarsman and Viking Raiders set had someone to go battle with out at sea.

But it doesn't look like it would be much of a battle with only one of the minifigures armed with a crossbow and at that, the lone armed minifigure looks as if he's got the oarsman of the set at point blank range to shoot if they don't row fast enough.

I do believe this is one of the last Classic Castle themes to feature the Black Falcons in it. And it's not a bad design for a little boat. The build of the dragon head looks like what you're supposed to be building and the platform the armed minifigure stands on has a barrel underneath with two round clear plastic or light pieces to act as gemstones.

It's a good contrast of colors, black and blue (for how the Falcons will look onces the Lion Knight sailors catch up with them) and red and yellow highlights that aren't obtrusive, though compliment it just right. And two of the new oars are featured where before spears and battle axes had been used to suggest oars.

That imitation of a dragon's head is perfect! It is very detailed and the best part of the boat. The rest is quite simple. You get two knights but only one is armed. For the guy who has to row the boat, there isn't a sword or another weapon. Seems that he must protect himself with the two rudders. Under the upper level you can put a barrel. It is filled with two yellow round plates 1x1. It's a gold treasure they protect. The rudders are also different compared to earlier sets. Spears aren't used as rudders anymore after the release of the Pirates sets.