Minecraft

The Skeleton Attack

A cozy little shelter under siege, and the piece count actually earns its keep.

Brick Rated Score

3.8/5

Set 21146 · 2018

Pieces457

Minifigs4

Year2018

Set number21146

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

I opened this expecting a quick, forgettable Minecraft cash-in, and instead got a genuinely fun little diorama with a crafting table, a bed, a furnace, and a trapdoor that actually opens like it should.

Steve fending off a skeleton horseman and two bow-wielding skeletons is a real Minecraft moment, not just a box of random bricks with a game logo slapped on. It's simple enough that I wouldn't call it a satisfying build for anyone past their early teens, but for the price and the piece count it delivers more play value than it has any right to. If you or your kid actually plays Minecraft, this one earns its shelf space.

Best for: Minecraft-playing kids around 8 to 12, and any Minecraft minifig collector chasing the skeleton horseman

The full review

What it is

I opened this expecting a quick, forgettable Minecraft cash-in, and instead I got a genuinely fun little diorama. Steve is holed up in a three-level shelter with a crafting table, a bed, a furnace, a chest, and a trapdoor that actually swings open, while a skeleton horseman and two bow-carrying skeletons close in outside. It's a small scene but it tells a real story, which is more than I can say for a lot of licensed sets that just pile parts into a box and hope the logo does the selling.

The catch

I'll be straight with you on the build itself: it's simple. This is a fast, breezy assembly, and if you're buying for a kid who's already past the beginner stage, don't expect much of a challenge here. The Minecraft studs-out aesthetic also just isn't going to click with builders who want smooth, detailed System-style models, so if that's you, skip it. And because this set only sat on shelves for about four months before LEGO pulled it, sealed and complete copies have crept up in price since 2018.

Who it's for

Where it wins is value and play appeal. Four minifigs, a genuinely useful little base, and a skeleton horseman that was brand new to this set make it a smart pickup for anyone who actually plays the game or collects the minifig lineup. Skip it if you want a serious building challenge or you're not invested in Minecraft at all, but for the right kid, this is a great little scene.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is a quick, satisfying afternoon project rather than a long weekend commitment. The shelter goes together in layers, crafting table on the ground floor, bed and furnace tucked into the middle level, with the trapdoor and ladders giving it a sense of verticality that a lot of small Minecraft sets skip entirely. It's not a technical build, but the way the interior details stack up gives it more presence than the piece count suggests.

The real draw here is the minifig lineup. Steve is a given, but the skeleton horseman made its first appearance in this set before turning up again later in The Horse Stable, which makes this the one collectors point to when they want the original release. Add in two skeleton archers and a red sheep, and you've got a complete little Minecraft night scene packed into 457 pieces. For a licensed set at this size, that's a strong piece-to-minifig ratio, and it's part of why the set has held its value so well since retiring.

Fun facts

01The Skeleton Attack launched in August 2018 and was retired by LEGO just four months later in December 2018, making it one of the shortest-lived sets in the Minecraft theme.
02This set marked the debut of the skeleton horseman minifigure, which later returned in 21171 The Horse Stable.
03Original retail price was $39.99, and sealed copies have climbed well past that since retirement thanks to the short shelf life.
04The shelter packs in a crafting table, bed, furnace, chest, fence, crops, two ladders, and a working trapdoor, all inside a footprint smaller than a shoebox.