It is time to talk about 70390:
consisting of the following parts:
I like this set a lot! If I ever were to stage a Rhinegold in Playmobil, this tower would be centre piece for Nibelheim, the underground realm where the enslaved Nibelung dwarves toil [Wagner's take on the price of industrialisation]: it is just wonderfully gritty, with a play function that works well – the bucket can be lowered into the basement that holds lava, and you get a bag of small chunks of the hot stuff for taking out and dispensing:
Let me give an overview of the tower on its base. The big barrel of 70539 fits this set much better than the bastion, and Sulphur, the blacksmith from 70221, clearly should join the action of this set (click to enlarge):
I am just not sure why the orange lava colour should spill over onto the baseplate. The very same base, or so it seems, features in many other sets (look
here for one example), so I thought of swapping bases, so that the grass can just be grass and not hot lava. Unfortunately, that is not possible, for the base of 70390 differs in one small detail from all the other, seemingly identical bases, meaning that the tower can only fit the baseplate with the orange "grass". So be it, then.
(Can you spot the difference?)
I dreamt about combining the tower with Steck, and it can be attached but doesn't fit easily because of its irregular size, so will not pursue this:
Absolutely brilliant are of course the two Burnham Raiders that come with the set, Magmathon and Wylie:
So many great features! The printing, the black hood, the black head, the black cape ... Magmathon is surely the best netherworld denizen that Playmobil has ever created! But what is his skin colour – black (face, hands), or red (legs)? Let me give another picture (Sulphur just doesn't want to leave):
I can assure you that Magmathon and Wylie will look better without their silly loincloths, but haven't yet dared to take them apart to remove the offending garments ... just don't want to damage Magmathon's unique head. Perhaps I shall use scissors, for once.
There is some useless stuff (for me) with the set as well, such as a small dragon and a shooting toy:
And then there are the two Novelmore assailants (for battle shall be!) Ramsey and Bertram, bringing some artillery of their own:
Did you notice the difference between the front and back of the box (first two images above)? At the front, both assailants are "Caucasian" but at the back one (Bertram) is dark skinned, as he is in reality:
Clearly something changed in the design process but wasn't fully implemented in the art work. Too bad Bertram is wearing a white undershirt (just imagine that body with brown skin underneath the shirt!), and suffers from a side pin. He and his colleague therefore have to go.
All in all a great set, I'm happy with it.
Best wishes
StJohn