From June 15 – 22, 2022, the LEGO® Group offered a unique gift-with-purchase (GWP). The set celebrated the 90th anniversary of the company in a special way. By spending over $190 CAD, you earned the recreation of a classic Castle set from 1988, Forestmen’s Hideout (6054). The original set consisted of 201 bricks and included two Minifigures. The remake, Forest Hideout (40567) upped the brick count a little, but also included two minifigs. While I never had the original set, I certainly remember it for the LEGO® catalogs of my childhood. Consequently, I was thrilled to get one in my June 2022 haul. Today, as part of our 2022 Castles Week, we’ll take a closer look at the set.
FOREST HIDEOUT SUMMARY
- NAME: Forest Hideout
- SET #: 40567
- THEME: Castle
- COST: GWP ($29.99 CAD value)
- BRICK COUNT: 258
- MINIFIGURES: 2
- RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2022
FOREST HIDEOUT QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 100% (As a GWP, this is an amazing value.)
- BUILD: 90% (Nice but straightforward build that doesn’t offer any novelties.)
- MINIFIGURES: 91% (Nice throwback characters with a good accessory assortment.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (Great nostalgic value.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 93% (Great set, especially for a GWP.)
FOREST HIDEOUT (40567) REVIEW
VALUE: 100%
Forest Hideout was not available for retail. The LEGO® Group only offered the set as a GWP after spending $190 CAD in store or online. Consequently, if you had planned purchases anyway, it was a great add on. For me, the kit was a must have, but I also had items on my wish list to acquire. You can’t beat free bricks, especially Castle related sets. Additionally, GWPs provide free build time. So, I rate the value at 100%.
With that said, the LEGO® Group indicated on my bill that Forest Hideout has a $29.99 CAD value. At that price, each brick costs $0.116. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is a good value. The average cost-per-brick at True North Bricks is currently $0.138. I also got 39 minutes of build time out of this set. At full price, each minute of build time would cost $0.77. That is an excellent value compared to LEGO® sets in general. Comparatively, our average is currently around $0.85/minute. Therefore, had I bought this set, I would rate the value at 94%.
BUILD: 90%
Again, I did not have the original Forestmen’s Hideout. However, based on the pictures, I think this is a faithful recreation. Granted, the recreation uses different bricks. Some of these elements were not available in the 1980s. However, the new elements do make the tree look more organic and less blocky. Similar to the original, this newer model also hinges open in the middle. Consequently, you gain play access to the interior of the tree. It features two levels connected by a ladder. This is really more of a lookout outpost than living quarters though. There isn’t much space inside, which is fine for what it is.
Forest Hideout is a good lesson in redesigning an old set with modern elements. I like the canopy build technique; it is a reminiscent of the Ideas Winnie the Pooh set. However, you will not acquire any new bricks or actual new techniques. The assembly process is very straightforward. I rate the build at 90%.
MINIFIGURES: 91%
Forest Hideout includes two Minifigures. Neither one has a double-sided face nor leg printing. However, both feature front and back torso printing. Additionally, the torso printing resembles one of the characters from the original Forestmen’s Hideout set. That character also had a green tunic with red printing and red arms. In terms of accessories, you get a bow and quiver of arrows, two swords, a barrel, a spear, and two Forestmen shields. Interestingly, these shields feature the printed deer logo. The other recent set including Forestmen, Castle in the Forest, used stickers. I rate the design and accessories at 93%. A little more printing would make these characters better.
Two Minifigures in a 258-piece kit equates to one minifig for every 129 bricks. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, you get a good number of characters for a set of this size. The True North Bricks average currently sits around 170 bricks/fig. I rate the fig count at 88%. Averaging this with the minifig design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 91%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
As with other Castle sets, I am quite biased in my assessment of the entertainment value. I realize castles sets are not for everyone. However, I remember these Forestmen sets from when I was a kid. I had one, but always wished I had more. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was big around that time, and I loved everything about that movie. Having LEGO® Forestmen and castles to play with was great fun. Am I happy to have this set now? Absolutely. Will I keep it built? Probably not. I have limited display space and I do not currently have a medieval set up. However, if I ever dismantle my current city and build a medieval display, this set will inspire a custom build therein. The main draw for this set is the nostalgia for older builders. I rate the entertainment value at 90%.
OVERALL SCORE: 93%
You can’t get Forest Hideout anymore at the LEGO® Store. But, who knows, maybe it will come back in the future. Or perhaps it will appear in the VIP Rewards Center like other GWPs gone by. Until then, you might have to resort to the secondary market if you want one. Just remember, Forest Hideout has a $29.99 CAD value. I have seen some crazy prices for this set already. Otherwise, it’s a fun, nostalgic set. I rather enjoyed building it. Forest Hideout (40567) is certainly one of the better GWPs of 2022 so far. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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