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Slithering Into The Collection
Say what you will about the different Hogwarts Houses, but I’m a proud Slytherin, even regardless of whatever Malfoy decides to do. When the geniuses at Lego announced a new range of House Banners for fans to show off their allegiance, I knew I had to get one. Of course, the Slytherin Banner!
I absolutely adore the Lego Harry Potter range because regardless of the size of the model, they always find a way of adding some magic to the kit. And I think that’s one thing that keeps both kids and adults engrossed in these models.
In this review I’m going to delve into every aspect of the kit; from the building to the accessories that are included inside. Not only that, but I’m even going to show you how you can take this kit one step further to make your modular collections really pop.
It’s A Kind Of Magic
When unboxing this kit, there’s a surprising amount of bags and baseplates for what is a smaller kit. The first thing that catches your eye is the distinctive green colour that accompanies anything Slytherin related for the Slytherin Banner. And I’m certain that if you were to buy the other house banners, the various house colours would be just as vibrant.
As I’ll come to it, this kit is quite a challenging one, and if you’re buying it for a younger audience you may want to lend a helping hand. Some parts became incredibly frustrating and I’m glad I had an extra pair of hands at home to help.
Unfortunately, the Slytherin Banner is a very fiddly kit. Some of the columns that hold the baseplates are quite flimsy and make a poor job of holding the kit together. That being said, once the kit is completely built, it holds together well. Just be careful when folding and unfolding the side flaps, as applying too much strength will pop out the joints.
That being said, I absolutely love the detailed props and mini figures that are included in this set. The kit itself is very simplistic and without these extra details, the finished display would be very lackluster. Thankfully, small attentive details are what the Harry Potter Lego range seems to specialize in.
Bling My Banner
As always, one of the most exciting features of a Harry Potter Lego set is the mini figures and accessories that come with the kit. Unsurprisingly this kit comes packed full of them, so I thought I’d delve into exactly what you get.
Minifigures
Despite being a smaller kit, you get three additional minifigures to add to your collection. The first of which is Draco Malfoy, the one and only. Dressed in the smartest house colours and equipped with a wand, he definitely means business. Secondly we have Pansy Parkinson, a friend of Draco’s and a fifth year prefect. Her outfit is a more casual take on the Slytherin uniform and she isn’t without her trusty wand either. And finally we have Blaise Zabini, a companion of our other two minifigure characters wearing light cream trousers and a catching Slytherin cardigan.
Furniture
A common room wouldn’t be complete without a range of furniture to suit every student. Luckily this kit comes with a wide range of accessories to build and use to decorate the inside of your banner. Inside the kit you’ll find a table, sofa, lamps, steps and a large cupboard with a hidden secret.
Lenticular Backboard
And finally we have one of the coolest features of this kit, the lenticular backboard. At first glance this portrait depicts the one and only Salazar Slytherin, but turn the model ever so slightly and the portrait changes entirely to reveal something different. Definitely one of the most unique parts of a kit I’ve seen in a while; and it makes me wonder what the backboards are like in the other banner boxes.
Making It Modular
I thought it might be worth adding the main reason I purchased this kit, and one reason why I didn’t mind that the model dismantled itself at a moment's notice. The bricks, mini figures and accessories are absolutely perfect for remodeling into a room that fits into your Hogwarts Modular Collection.
The easiest way I found of doing this is to pick up another box of the Polyjuice Mistake kit if you haven’t already got one, as this is arguably the cheapest kit out there. The room is fairly large and has a lot of room for customisation options.
From there, simply install the shelves, stairs and windows into your new room and customize as you see fit with any accessories you have left over. Also, as it’s a modular sized room, you can easily pop the new room into an open space in your collection or start a new common room wing on the east side. However you build it, you’ll have a new and unique room for your modular set that few others can match.
Final Thoughts
For what looks to be a unique idea and charming kit on the surface, it turned out to be quite disappointing by the end of the build. Fiddly parts and frustrating flaws in design quickly took the charm away from the kit. That’s not to say that it doesn’t look amazing hung on my wall; it could have just been more enjoyable to build.
But that’s not to say it isn’t worth buying. These smaller Harry potter kits are designed as an entry point for slightly younger builders, and the variety of pieces lends itself to this purpose well. You can find one of these kits of each of the Hogwarts houses, so you could fill out a House quiz with your kids and buy their house banner once you find out the result.
If you’re looking for a slightly easier entrypoint into Harry Potter LEGO, the ‘moments’ or animal character kits are really good fun to build, and look amazing once finished.
