Will you love the astonishing Lego Minecraft Crafting Table?

Some things just go together!

Fish and chips, bacon and eggs, cereal and milk – some things just go perfectly together. So, we were first in line when we saw that Lego and Minecraft were joining forces.

The set we had our eye on was set 21265, The Crafting Table.

Unboxing the box

We started by opening up the box and taking stock of the ten polybags within – a total of 1195 pieces to deal with (plus a few spares).

The instructions are good as always, and before we started the 176 steps, we read a bit about Minecraft, its history, and Isaac Snyder, the designer of the set.

Before too long though we started the build.

Building up to it

As with all good builds, you need a good foundation. With this set that means building the base of the crafting table. If we’re honest, this was a little boring, as it is essentially a flat platform.

When the bulk of the base is made, you then start on the walls around two sides, and even that’s a little boring too, we just want to see some Minecraft stuff!

Things got a bit more interesting when we started to lay out the biome map of the world on the base.

This is where the brick count is slightly misleading, as the map is made up of about 50 tiny 1×1 plates, which are quite fiddly, but no trouble for our 10-year-old.

We’re not entirely sure why this set reckons it’s for 18+, both our 10-year-old and 5-year-old loved putting this together. Especially the micro figures you get to build upon opening each bag.

In terms of micro figures, you get miniature versions of the following Minecraft classics:

• Steve
• Alex
• Cow
• Pig
• Villager
• Skeleton
• Creeper
• Witch

Even though they are made of only two or three pieces, you can easily tell what they are, and the printing on them is very detailed. They are also nice and blocky, just like the game!

These micro figures sit on a few interchangeable plinths, each with a banner across the front and a label to apply. These labels have various sayings from the game, such as “Create New World” and “Now in 3D!“.

We liked this nice touch, and being able to store the micro figures is useful for putting them on display.

Building the Biomes

Now we’re on to the really exciting part; building the 5 separate biomes that make up the interior. These are all the same size, and two of them stack to add height.

There’s so much detail in such a small space, it really invokes the feel of a Minecraft world.

There are little easter eggs throughout the set. For example, the cave biomes have ores in them, either Iron, Coal, or Lapis lazuli.

The biomes on offer are as follows:

Grassland village

The colours are exactly as you see in the game, and there’s even a little farm.

The entire set has a river and waterfalls running through it, in see-through blue pieces, that looks really nice and ties it all together. That river ends in this biome.

Dripstone caves

This biome has the familiar pointed dripstone stalagmites and stalactites protruding from the floor and hanging from the roof respectively.

On top, we have a spruce forest, complete with the familiar red mushrooms.

Deep dark/lush cave

This cave has plenty to see, even though it’s tucked away at the back of the set. We love the tiny little skulk sensors, and you can easily recognise the vines you can find in a lush cave.

Snowy plains

The tall ice towers stand proudly at the top of the set, in the classic ice biome blue and white.

They’ve even managed to squeeze in a tiny igloo. A polar bear would be right at home here.

Cherry grove

Another of the newer biomes is represented here. The cherry trees look somewhat lop-sided, but perhaps this represents the falling blossom you get in this biome in minecraft.

Under the cherry trees is a mineshaft that goes to the cave, and even a little minecart.

Summary

We loved building this, after the initial “framework” steps – when we got into the recognizable Minecraft sections.

The detail in the set is great, with little things to find here and there.

The roof is removable, and it really is a great display piece. Perhaps that’s why it’s for 18+, as once built, it is more of an ornament than a toy. It looks great on the shelf though!

At the time of writing, The Crafting Table can be purchased for £63.99 ($80.53). The build took 3-4 hours over a couple of nights, so we think that price is okay, compared to the much higher launch price.

Verdict

Our Jeff the Pigeon rating for the Lego Minecraft Crafting Table is: 9 coos out of 10