9 replies to this topic

[kabel]

I've always liked both pirates and castle. So I decided to actually unite the two topics in one MOC and thus came up with this shipyard+cog wip.

Story:
Somewhere along the Northwestern Mitgardian coast carpenters are putting together a cog in order to start trading. The shipyard is hidden in a fjord and supervised by Steen Larsson (who finally grew a beard) high on a cliff. Let's hope we can finish this construction in peace and start trading in order to enhance the wealth of Mitgardia.







more pics on my brickshelf when public.

PS: It'd be great if someone could give me advice on how to improve my picture taking abilities

Edited by kabel, 12 January 2012 - 08:59 PM.

[Haltiamieli]

I really like this, partly because I myself have wanted to build a cog for a long time (someday, I hope, Lego will do a little more official medieval seafaring sets too) and the design looks very solid. I think the bow looks great, the rear-section is harder to judge at this stage. Are you planning to do some sort of raised/fortified forecastle or is the bow's shape more or less finished? When it comes to the landscape, I think it looks good and natural except (imo) a bit too straight and orderly striped pattern of dark and light bley in the rock face.

[kabel]

What I found is that cogs with battlement are b.s. I'm more or less trying to depict the cog of Bremen, one of the very view cogs they actually found.
articles: 1 (english) 2 (german, but better pics)
as for the cliff, well fjord walls are sometimes really straight, and sometimes layers of different kinds of rocks are folded upright, but I guess in the picture it may look a little odd

Edited by kabel, 12 January 2012 - 10:22 PM.

[Jakon]

But Cogs with Battlements do look good :)

[Haltiamieli]

kabel, on 12 January 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

What I found is that cogs with battlement are b.s.

At least for trading uses such structures would be mightily unpractical, anyway. Personally I think they look kind of awesome in some sort of a disproportionate fantasy sense, but then again I don't tend to be that concerned with realism. Not to say I wouldn't certainly be able appreciate your stance. Maybe if the ship looks awesome enough when finished I might be swayed your way - the model you are using really does look great and you seem to be catching the likeness nicely. Though I shouldn't take it to habit to just copycat your designs!

Quote

as for the cliff, well fjord walls are sometimes really straight, and sometimes layers of different kinds of rocks are folded upright, but I guess in the picture it may look a little odd

Yeah, the typical problem of fact being stranger than fiction: "It does not look real." "But it is a very faithful depiction..." "Does not change a thing." "Crap."

[Si-MOCs]

Very cool!

I like your deck and the rocks the best.
The little tan sand under the boat was also nicely done.

[kabel]

Thank you guys for commenting on this. I'm glad at least some people here like it. I'm sure war ships of that period looked totally different, but I guess they would be more likely to be found in the Mediterranean. Mitgardia in my imagination encompasses more of a northern, and therefore North German/Scandinavian/Baltic region. In other words: something really close to the Hanseatic league, which in our Guild time (ca.1450) was very strong. And that special Hanseatic feel (colorful half timber structures, red bricks, trade cogs, fjords etc.) is what I'm trying to get across in my mocs. Do you think that this approach towards a more realistic depiction doens't fit Historica?
It'd be cool if more people could share their ideas on that question with me.

PS: What do you think would look better, the prefab mast, or a costum one made of round 2x2s?

Edited by kabel, 14 January 2012 - 06:27 PM.

[de Gothia]

Great idea and well done to put the idea into Lego!  I like the tiled deck!

Maybe add some boards to the scene? A saw and some axes?

Regarding the mast, I think it would look better at this stage with the mast made out of bricks!


Great work!!

Edited by de Gothia, 14 January 2012 - 03:03 PM.

[Ecclesiastes]

Great job, our fleet will be mighty! And I also like the colours of the deck.

[kabel]

@dg: thanks man, I really apreciate your work as well. I thought about tools too, just ran out of sprace though. Too bad that you as a Swede are in the wrong Guild
@ecclesiastes: I was actually inspired by your Andeylien City moc and transferred it to a fjord landscape. BTW, it would be really cool if you finished your cog as well!!