Lego D&D?

Remember those D&D-themed Kre-O guys that I was nuts about a few years ago? The mini-figs were pretty awesome, but the bricks didn't hold together very well, making it difficult for the boys and I to stage epic battles without entire towers crumbling at the single jab of an orc's spear. Well, it seems that we may be a step closer to a true D&D-themed Lego experience. Click here for details!

Kre-O Orcs

As you may have noticed in my last Kre-O post, the human soldiers are rather vanilla. The orcs, however, have a lot of flavor! Check out the tough customers below.

The orcs also have a number of elite or "special" mini-figs, which I've grouped together in the next image.

I'm really digging the Kre-O D&D sets, but they're all a bit too reminiscent of the LEGO Lord of the Rings line. I'd like to see some more iconic D&D characters and monsters in the next wave.

Kre-O Humans

Here's what I have so far for my Kre-O human army. First up are the men-at-arms, who are wielding bows, crossbows, or spears.

Next we have a trio of barbarians. Note the dude in the middle with the totally rad war-hammer.

And here are three knights in plate-mail. Unfortunately, Kre-O has yet to release any horses, so these guys are stuck on foot with the grunts. I look forward to the day when I can set up a good old-fashioned chevauchee.

Are these lads ready to take on the orcs? Tune in next time to see the humans' competition!

Kre-O Drizzt

The new Kre-O D&D sets are not exactly plentiful out here in western Nevada, but I'm slowly building up my forces. So far the coolest mini-fig is the legendary drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden.

Pretty bad-ass, huh? Over the next couple of posts, I'll add some images of my human and orc troopers.

Kre-O at Toy Fair

Toy Fair is in full swing, and Hasbro is showing off lots of cool upcoming Kre-O products, including D&D sets. Click here for pics!

Kre-O Haul!

At last! D&D Kre-O building toys have arrived on the shelves of my semi-local Toys 'R Us. Check out the haul I picked up this evening!

And, as I explained to Amy afterwards, I exercised considerable restraint. There was so much more I could have bought...

LEGO Movie

While I'm waiting patiently (okay, not so patiently!) for the D&D Kre-O toys to find their way to rural Nevada, I can at least revel in the bricktacular awesomeness of The LEGO Movie. I took Matthew to see it this afternoon and we had a blast. Highly recommended!

Scale

With D&D Kre-O now on the scene, you may be wondering (actually, I'd be very surprised if you were wondering, but I'm going to tell you anyway!) what will become of my legions of World of Warcraft Mega Bloks. Because the WoW mini-figs and the Kre-O mini-figs are not in the same scale, I can't use them interchangeably.

I don't want to maintain two separate collections of fantasy building toys, so which line wins? The bricks are all compatible, so there's no issue with the basic pieces. The problem is solely with the mini-figs (and their associated gear). The WoW guys have the benefit of incumbency; I already have a large collection of them, so I'd need a compelling reason to switch. However, the WoW line for Mega Bloks seems to be petering out, whereas the D&D Kre-O line is just ramping up. The Kre-O guys also get bonus points because they're in the same scale as Lego mini-figs.

It's a tough call, but I'm going with the Kre-O guys. Much like that battle-tested +1 longsword that gets cascaded down to an NPC henchman when you find a +2 longsword, the WoW mini-figs will most likely be passed on to my two little boys, who don't (yet!) share their father's idiosyncratic (but, like, entirely justified!) insistence that all toys that get used together be in the same scale. Enjoy all those orcs and elves, boys...my sights are set on warriors of a slightly smaller stature!

D&D Toys Are Back!

Officially licensed mass-market D&D toys are back...for the first time in three decades! Not since the glory days of LJN have kids (and those of us who remain kids at heart) been able to buy actual D&D figures and playsets. D&D toys have returned in the form of Hasbro's Kre-O building sets. I have yet to see these toys in stores, but I managed to snag one set from Amazon.

Who's excited about the return of D&D toys? Just ask the three lads in this photograph!

The set I bought includes an orc crossbowman, a cannon, a human archer, and a segment of a defensive wall. The orc and his cannon are shown below.

When the front wheels turn, the spears slash up and down. The spring-loaded cannon can be raised or lowered for better aim. Against this fearsome war machine, the human archer would do well to hide behind his barricade.

The wall can connect to other sets, allowing you to build larger structures. Also included are rules for a simple game in which players attempt to knock down their opponent's soldiers. Below is a picture of the character cards for the figures included in this set, and game stats at the bottom suggest that a more complex D&D Kre-O game will be included with other (probably larger) products.

Overall, it's a great little set. I can't wait till these Kre-O toys are more widely available. I have armies to build!

Kre-O and Candy

If you're at all interested in the D&D Kre-O sets, check out this website for some information about the game component of these toys. It's cool to see character cards with game stats (it's not much of a game, but still...), although I'd much rather have cards with D&D Next stats.

As a side note, I'm just now reminded of the D&D candy boxes that included cards with rudimentary game info. I have a particularly vivid memory of buying a few boxes of that candy at the KB Toys store at the Arnot Mall when I was a young lad in the early 1980s.

Here Comes D&D Kre-O!

The first Dungeons & Dragons Kre-O building set now has a listing on Amazon! (And yes, I just ordered it.) Here's hoping we'll  one day see a Kre-O version of the Fortress of Fangs...

UPDATE: The Hasbro Kre-O website has been updated with product listings from all the D&D sets. Click here for all the glorious details.

Kre-No?

Okay, that was a lame title for the post. However, I stand by the sentiment. After perusing the D&D Kre-O images, I'm concerned by the distinct lack of both dungeons and dragons. Sure, they have Kre-O mini-figs for Drizzt and other prominent D&D characters, but overall the sets look more like knock-offs of the Lego Lord of the Rings line. Most of the sets are towers and siege engines. That stuff is cool, but where are the iconic D&D monsters? Where are the fiendish traps? I want to build my own Temple of Elemental Evil, not Helm's Deep.

Kre-O D&D

At last, some further news (and pictures!) of the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Kre-O building sets. Click here to see 'em!

Kre-O First Look

Head over to EN World and scroll down on the main page until you find some photos of the upcoming D&D Kre-O mini-figs.

D&D Kre-O

My world just got rocked.

You know I love D&D, and you probably also know that I love Lego and other building toys. A few months ago I posted about the great line of World of Warcraft Mega Bloks sets. Since then I've been building up quite the fantasy setting, with armies of orcs and elves, plenty of heroes, and a couple of bad-ass dragons. (Thank you, Target clearance aisle!) I've been very happy with the Mega Bloks WoW toys, especially with the Lego Castle series being so expensive and unimaginative these days.

Today, I learned that Hasbro is going to release official D&D building toys as part of their Kre-O line starting in January of 2014. I'm stunned.

More details as I get them...