"Welcome to the Wild West!" Review of Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave – Call for the Cavalry!

As a kid growing up in the 70s, Westerns were the stable on television at the time with TV shows like "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun – Will Travel", "Kung Fu", "The Lone Ranger", "The Wild Wild West" and "Zorro". So it was no surprise that I had a thing for cowboys and indians and it formed a part of my childhood. The Western Fort was something I was always into because they were built like the medieval castles, as a stronghold with high walls to protect those within and keep out intruders.

I got a huge surprise the other day when my wonderful wife decided to get me the Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave set out of the blue, no occasion called for it. She knew I was into Playmobil because in some way, they were the mini-mes to the 1/6 scale figures I collect. One of the earliest Playmobil figures I got was the Playmobil 3949 Deep Sea Diver (reviewed HERE) which was a miniaturised version of the GI Joe 1/6 scale 12 inch Deep Sea Diver (posted HERE). Since then, I've always been on a look out for similar Playmobil figures and the collection has grown.

But I have never bought any play sets because they were huge and would need a large display area. Knowing my liking for this particular Playmobil Western Fort Brave set, my dear wife decided to splurge and got me this fortress which I was obviously not going to decline :) This is the biggest Playmobil set I've ever owned and will probably be the only fort set I'll ever have.

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PLAYMOBIL, Germany's largest toy manufacturer, is headquartered in Zirndorf, Germany and has been producing and distributing toys for more than 36 years. They were absent from Singapore for a while until recently when they "returned". The Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave box is big – it measures H 50 x W 60 x D 20 cm

Contents from the box. The Set includes: 6 figures, 3 horses, Cacti, Surrounding landscape and Supplies. This was the first time I ever had to assemble something from Playmobil. The box actually had "Instructions for parents: Time required for assembly – 60 minutes." No kidding ;p and it took that long LOL

Here's why assembly is required: everything comes in loose parts and you had to put them all together.

Here's the storage cabin for food, ammunition and weapons.

I just like the look and feel of Playmobil much more than Lego bricks. And Playmobil is much bigger too. And cheaper. And they don't come apart at all. And they have a more finished look. And they are FUN!

There are lots of trap-doors and openings, plus a firing cannon from the ramparts;

There's a lockable jail cell for keeping enemies / prisoners after capture. This cell is carved from the "rocks".

Construction of the raised look-out tower / post with a warning bell

Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave comes complete with a flagpole, a working cannon, a prison cell and more..., including cacti and shrubs, vegetation. The finished / assembled Playmobil Fort Brave measures 26 inches in Length x 22 inches Wide x 15.7 inches High

Supplies can be stored in the well protected Playmobil Western Fort. Supplies include: a crate of "munition" (ammunition / ammo), box and barrel of explosives, three bundles dynamite sticks, fire and coal for warming up in the cold night or heating up the branding iron for branding the horses...

Two sacks of rice, rifle rack and rocking chair.

Explore the frontier. Use the well-protected Western Fort as a base for expeditions into the wild frontier, where you’ll find outlaws, gold mines and plenty of cacti. Let your imagination flow.

The horses have reins, saddles and blankets. Hats are different for each rider with the General wearing what looks like a 10-gallon hat. He also comes with a sword belt and sword whereas the Corporal wears a gun belt with revolver gun.

A Fort is not complete without "enemies / intruders"! Check out the native American indians that are included with this Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave set in the NEXT post. It's getting interesting :)