As promised, S@H delivered the Hemlock Stronghold today.  So, as
promised, here is my quick and dirty review of it.

Facts:
213 pieces

5 minifigs
  1 Errol Flynn
  1 Forestman w/ brown mail shirt
  2 royal knights
  1 skeleton
   
Other pieces of note
  2 tiny gray cart wheels (a first in a castle set)
  6 brown 1x5x4 half arches
  6 large tree branches
  4 small tree branches
  8 brown 1x3 plates
  2 large burps
  1 small burp
  1 dark gray half turret
  4 gray macaroni pieces

For a complete parts list, please see 
  http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~dmk8r/inv6046.txt
  (I apologize in advance for the nomenclature -- I'm working on it!)

No decals, the usual extra 1x1 cylinder plates and feathers. no errors
that I noticed.


As a collection of parts:
In a nutshell, this is the set to buy if you can't afford the Dark
Forest Fortress.  It has the two cooler (IMHO) of the new forestmen.
Otherwise, there is nothing exciting to speak of here.  There are
a lot of tiny pieces, several BURPS, and virtually no bricks.  For a
set with 213 pieces, there isn't all that much here.  However, in
fairness, you can get gray and black bricks in parts packs and basic
sets.  The pieces that are here are all specialized and may well be
intended to supplement the more standard sets.  Still, it can't be
denied that a few dozen gray and black bricks, plates, and slopes
would be far more useful than the three burps provided.  Or that a
supplemental parts packs containing gray plate, slopes, and arches is
_way_ overdue.


As a Model:
As a standalone set, this has passable play value.  It has two
catapults -- one on the top of the structure, and the other at ground
level.  It has two forestmen and two royal knights -- thereby giving a
more level contest than is usually possible from a single set.  It has
a skeleton -- though what set doesn't nowadays...  And it has a slew
of weapons -- three swords, two lances, 2 bows and arrows, 1 crossbow.
It has gems in three colors as well as a gold coin (2 if you count the
extra) and three flame pieces.  It also has one of the burps on
turntables so that it swings outwards and provides a hidden exit from
the "stronghold".  In conjunction with the other Dark Forest sets,
this might provide a decent extra outpost, but it doesn't really
appear to be an unassailable "stronghold".  However I know that the
target demographics (i.e. Kids) have better imaginations than me, so
they can probably appreciate this set.

One other note -- the ground-level catapult features a very clever
design.  It doesn't toss bricks as far as the one in the DFF, but it
makes up for it in neatness.  Basically, it consists of two separate
hinged levers.  The first lever is pushed, and it in turn pushes the
lever holding the brick.  It then has to be "recocked" in order to
make it again ready for firing.  I love to see this sort of thing --
old pieces used in neat new ways.
 

Alternative Models:
Perhaps I am jaded, but the alternative designs pictured on the box
are really sad.  One, in particular, shows two ladders combined to
form a rope bridge between a structure built of two burps and one of
one burp.  Suffice it to say that this in _not_ the Forestman's
Crossing!  The other pictures simply highlight the lack of building
possibilities available when a set contains as many burps as basic
bricks (I'm exaggerating, but only slightly).


Summary:
This set has two neat new forestmen.  It has a fairly interesting
collection of parts specialized parts.  The featured model, with its 
catapults, two warring parties, and skeleton, contains a good amount
of play value.  But don't expect to be able to build anything else 
with this set alone.