I’ve been digging through the bulk LEGO® lot I bought a while back again. Progress has been slow because I’m also disassembling and packing away all my LEGO® sets. I have a big move coming up in the next few months, and my whole collection has to go into storage until then. The need to move came up rather suddenly; when I bought the bulk lot, I had no idea I wouldn’t have time to process it properly. But here we are. In any case, I’ve parted out, cleaned, and built the set that prompted me to buy this collection in the first place: Dragon Mountain (70403). Today, we’ll take a deeper look at it before I disassemble it and list it in the True North Bricks shop.

Similar to the City of Atlantis review from a few weeks ago, I’m using a modified review scheme here. This set is simply too old for the usual True North Bricks metrics.

DRAGON MOUNTAIN SPECS

COST

Dragon Mountain originally retailed for $59.99 CAD back in 2013. The cost-per-brick was $0.16 CAD, which is a little high by today’s standards… but you do get an awesome dragon figurine. I look at that dragon and immediately don’t want to sell this set. However, I’m supposed to be downsizing for the move. Compared to modern Jurassic World sets that include similar large creatures, the original value here was actually quite good.

Of course, you won’t find Dragon Mountain for $59.99 CAD anymore. Used, complete sets start at around $150 CAD on Bricklink these days. You’ll easily pay over $200 CAD if the set is still in box. The dragon alone starts at $70 CAD. So, if you’ve owned this set since release, you’ve got a nice collectible on your hands.

BUILD

The design is simple — exactly what you’d expect from a playset. It’s almost modular, but not fully. The bridge and towers disconnect, and the lower tower features attachment points on both sides. However, the taller tower only has one. Maybe buying multiples of the set would give you more rearranging potential. Or maybe it connected to other sets in the theme… but the box and instructions give no indication of that.

This whole Castle wave had an interesting feel to it — part classic, part transitional. It wasn’t as ornate as modern fantasy themes, but it wasn’t as blocky or simplistic as the Castle sets from my childhood either. Dragon Mountain sits right in that middle space: sturdy, colourful, and straightforward, with just enough fantasy flair to make it memorable.

The castle spaces are small, and the stairs don’t reach the highest points. Still, you get some fun play areas, like a dungeon. Despite the simplicity, the set packs in a few features: a hinged staircase, a functional Lion Knights rolling catapult, and a smaller functioning catapult on the bridge. None of them are showstoppers, but they add motion and texture to the build. You can picture kids swooping the dragon in and out of the towers while a knight scrambles up those not-quite-high-enough stairs.

MINIFIGURES

The minifigures genuinely impressed me. They’re extremely detailed for an older set. I’ve never built a kit from this era of Castle before, but the knights definitely deserve a chef’s kiss. All the characters feature intricate printing. If I wasn’t downsizing, I would happily add these to my Lion Knights line-up.

And even though it’s not technically a minifigure, the dragon absolutely steals the show. When I was a kid, the original dragon mold had just debuted. I loved that dragon — but this one completely blows it out of the water. LEGO® dragons have come a long way. This later version is larger, more expressive, and far more poseable — the kind of creature you can build a whole childhood story around. It’s hard not to smile when you finally hold one in person.

ENTERTAINMENT

This set is a gem. While the build isn’t remarkable from an AFOL perspective, it’s exactly what you’d expect from the Castle theme at the time. As a kid, I would have adored this. There’s more than enough storytelling potential to spark the imagination, especially with that dragon and the standout minifigures.

CONCLUSION

Dragon Mountain isn’t a perfect set, but it’s a charming one. The build is simple, the play features are dated, and the layout won’t blow any AFOL minds. But the minifigures are exceptional, and the dragon remains one of the best creature molds LEGO® has ever produced. As a childhood fantasy playset, it absolutely shines.

As I’m boxing up my collection for storage, Dragon Mountain reminded me why I started True North Bricks in the first place — the joy of rediscovering old sets, the spark of nostalgia, and the little surprises you don’t expect when life gets busy. Even though this one is heading off to a new home soon, I’m glad I got the chance to experience it before letting go.

Until next time,

-Tom

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