When one thinks of structures to make with building blocks, castles, homes, and even police or fire stations may come to mind. However, one iconic structure that is only recently being produced for building sets is the lighthouse. JMBricklayer, a newcomer in the building set scene, has released a series of buildings, one of which is an impressive looking Medieval Lighthouse.
The Medieval Lighthouse building set comes with over 3200 plastic building pieces which can be assembled into a detailed structure. The set includes a light-up LED brick which flashes in several different colors. It is suggested for builders ages 14 years and up and made by JMBricklayer, a relatively new company that has a variety of different types of sets. The Medieval Lighthouse building set is currently available directly from JMBricklayer as well as the JMBricklayer store on Amazon for the suggested retail price of $159.99.
Upon opening the box, builders will find the pieces divided into many smaller bags numbered 1-11. The full color instruction manual, which is bound like a paperback graphic novel and nearly 300 page long, is also organized into eleven stages so builders only need to open the bags with the pieces that will be used for the current section they are building. Each step in the manual lists the parts needed for that step and then shows where those new pieces go with the pieces for the step outlined in red. This is very useful since some stages such as the base are quite large and the pieces are of similar colors.
The Medieval Lighthouse starts off with a rocky island surrounded by the ocean. There are even pieces in the water area that look like waves breaking against the rocks. Building the island base takes up four of the eleven stages and over half of the manual. Next comes the ground floor of the structure which also includes a living quarters for the lighthouse keeper. The quarters have roof tiles in two shades of blue that matches other structures in the line of medieval buildings. Once the ground floor is completed, builders begin constructing the tower of the lighthouse. The tower is designed and built modularly with each section of the tower connected to one another by only a few studs. This not only makes it easier to build each section and then add it to the larger model, but also makes it easier to move and store the lighthouse since you can take apart the sections easily and then put them back together in no time.
My family and I built this set together. So that we could all work on it at the same time, we pulled apart the instruction manual so we could each build different stages of the structure at the same time. We each had our own bags of pieces and we then took our separate builds and put them together for the final product. Those building the island base had the most work to do and these stages were some of the more difficult since you have to find exactly where some small pieces go on a larger structure. While it was challenging to build, the final product was worth the effort. I am impressed with the design and all of the little details that go into this model. This set is definitely not for younger children and the age range of 14 years and up is appropriate.
As we approached the end of the construction, we realized that the LED light brick was missing. After double checking that we had not missed it, I contacted JMBricklayer’s customer support via email. They responded quickly and even send a photo of the piece to ensure I knew what it looked like and that they were sending me the correct replacement part. By the next day they had shipped the part and even sent me a tracking number. I have had the opportunity to build several different models by JMBricklayer and have always been impressed with the quality of their products as well as their design and appearance. Now I can say that I am also impressed by their customer service.
The Medieval Lighthouse is part of a series by JMBricklayer which includes a stables, a treehouse, a windmill, a barn, a town market, and even an observation tower. For more information, check out the Medieval Lighthouse building set at the JMBricklayer website or on their Amazon store.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
