[SoNE Ep V] Into the Wild

[LucasLaughing]

Edit: This is part 2 - the freebuild here helps to set-up the story.

Damn, damn damn. It was a bad situation, very bad, and then it got worse.

The troopers crashing through the brush flushed a bird from the trees.

One of the troopers raised his blaster, tracking the bird. If he fired....

...then the Sanyassan Marauder we'd been about to capture would probably open fire. If the Sanyassan aimed its weapon towards the troopers...

...then I was going to have to take it out. And, if I fired my weapon this close to the line of stormtroopers, they'd start blasting everything in sight, including my team, and probably each other. Damn. And the day had been going so well..

We'd been dropped off the night before, several klicks away, and by sunrise we were in position. We'd set up along the main path that ran between the edge of the forest and the grassy plains. "Bull's eye," "Crash" and I were in one group; "Romeo," "Tiger," and the Sergeant were set up a few hundred meters away.

Our objective was to capture a Sanyassan Marauder. We knew they were hostile - they'd captured and killed one of Pfilbee Jhorn's survey crew. We also knew their base of operations was a primitive rock fortress out on the plains. But, we didn't know how many Marauders there were, or what weapons capabilities they possessed.

The problem with stone castles is the rocks block scanning rays, so our probes can't tell us what's inside. Stone also tends to hold up surprisingly well against laser bombardment, so it wasn't as simple as just ordering a TIE Bomber fire mission. No, to get intell we'd have to take one alive.

Endor is a beautiful planet; it reminds me of home. As the sun came up, and the song of strange birds filled the air, I felt more peaceful than I had in a long time.

Although we'd seen Maraduers go by in pairs, trios and groups, we didn't spot a solo one until mid-day.

Romeo confirmed that there was nothing coming down the path near their position. I could see quite a ways from my vantage point and it was also clear.

My finger tightened on the trigger, ready to fire a stun beam...

...when suddenly the creature bolted off the path and hid behind a tree. We all prepared to fire in case it had spotted us and was about to attack. That's when Romeo radioed that we had stormtroopers on the path.

Damn. There's no way this is a coincidence. We'd had a run in with an officer the day before; sending troopers to try and blow our cover must have been his way to get even. So, now here we were: The trooper about to fire on the bird...

...the Sanyassan about to fire on the troopers...

...and us preparing to fire on the sanyassan.

That's when the trooper behind the would-be hunter kicked him in the aft and told him to keep moving. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Five minutes later, the Sanyassan walked slowly out from behind the tree, and I shot it in the head. Stun setting, of course.

While Sgt Brintt radioed the stormtrooper patrol to let them know there were friendlies on the ground, Crash shouted up to me.

"Hey Birdman, climb out of your nest and give us a hand!"

Finally, I had a unit nickname. I climbed down with a grin.

---

The third and final part of the story is here: War Stories

[MKJoshA]

Wow. This is beautiful. I love the bird, the foliage, the trees, and the characters. I'm a little fuzzy on whether the characters are Imperials or otherwise, but other than that I have no complaints! This is a marvelous example of Star Wars creativity!

edit: I just read your other story on your other build and I understand the characters now. However, I'm confused as to why the Stormtroopers weren't aware that there would be Imperial commandos out at the same time.

Edited June 19, 2014 by MKJoshA

[Nom Carver]

That is pretty amazing, you got a very good approach towards natural structures and plants, I especially like those trees and the white bird, they are simple solutions that work marvelously.

[VK-318]

... I'm confused as to why the Stormtroopers weren't aware that there would be Imperial commandos out at the same time.

They weren't aware because that Lieutenant whom Birdman and his friends got in trouble sent them out without that intel in the hopes of making the commandos bungle their ambush, as revenge for the trouble they got him into.

[MstrOfPppts]

Good work with the forrest and foliage. I agree that the simple trees look very well and that the one with the technic bricks and whips looks a bit odd especially with the green whip going through a hole in a branch. But it does bring some variety into build and it's OK. I also like the olive green and how you only combined it with dark brown, whilst normal green uses mainly reddish brown trunks. That adds a lot to the color yet it does not look too chaotic like mixing all the colors in one tree. Even in nature there's some order. Maybe the forrest could be a bit more dense but I believe this kind of creation really "eats" all the bricks fast.

As for the story, I'm not too convinced. I find it too dramaticall like in some U.S. army movies, where a jackass higher rank makes trouble and then he is punished and all get's done. I think such an idiot would have been strangled long ago ... Nevertheless another nice Imperial build!

P.S. I noticed mushrooms in this MOC as in some previous and they really add to the forest look. Now why did I forget to put those in my creation and I have so many ...

[Lord Tyrus]

I love the foliage, and the story is pretty fun too. I love the idea of stormtrooper commandos!

[Lobot]

Good work LucasLaughing, and another build for the Empire I'm not sure what's happened to the Rebels, but it looks like it could finally be an Imperial white-wash! The foliage is very good, and it has an Endor 'feel' with dense ferns and the trailing vines

[LucasLaughing]

Wow. This is beautiful. I love the bird, the foliage, the trees, and the characters. I'm a little fuzzy on whether the characters are Imperials or otherwise, but other than that I have no complaints! This is a marvelous example of Star Wars creativity!

edit: I just read your other story on your other build and I understand the characters now. However, I'm confused as to why the Stormtroopers weren't aware that there would be Imperial commandos out at the same time.

Thanks for the kind words!

As to the stormtroopers, the story I had in my head was that they normally wouldn't be patrolling this area, but the LT sent them out to try and blow the Commandos' cover. However, they didn't know exactly where the Commandos were, just the general area. I think sometimes I spend a lot of time planning the stories in my head, but they don't always translate as well onto the page :blush:

That is pretty amazing, you got a very good approach towards natural structures and plants, I especially like those trees and the white bird, they are simple solutions that work marvelously.

Thank you! I had a lot of fun with this one, and I'm proud of my first brick-built alien bird

They weren't aware because that Lieutenant whom Birdman and his friends got in trouble sent them out without that intel in the hopes of making the commandos bungle their ambush, as revenge for the trouble they got him into.

Lol, I didn't notice your response until I'd already typed out my response, but yes, that's exactly what I was going for!

Good work with the forrest and foliage. I agree that the simple trees look very well and that the one with the technic bricks and whips looks a bit odd especially with the green whip going through a hole in a branch. But it does bring some variety into build and it's OK. I also like the olive green and how you only combined it with dark brown, whilst normal green uses mainly reddish brown trunks. That adds a lot to the color yet it does not look too chaotic like mixing all the colors in one tree. Even in nature there's some order. Maybe the forrest could be a bit more dense but I believe this kind of creation really "eats" all the bricks fast.

Thanks! You're right, I was surprised at how fast I ended up going through my foliage bin.

As for the story, I'm not too convinced. I find it too dramaticall like in some U.S. army movies, where a jackass higher rank makes trouble and then he is punished and all get's done. I think such an idiot would have been strangled long ago ... Nevertheless another nice Imperial build!

You might be right, it is fairly dramatic, but in my experience there is no shortage of idiots walking around ... there must be a shortage of stranglers

I love the foliage, and the story is pretty fun too. I love the idea of stormtrooper commandos!

Thank you! I've been having a lot of fun researching the Stormtrooper commandos and the more elite Imperial Units.

Sample conversation from this month:

Girlfriend:

What are you reading?

Me:

A West End Games reference book, made for their tabletop Star Wars game, all about Imperial tactics and the organization of ranks!

Girlfriend:

I love you, but you are weird.

Good work LucasLaughing, and another build for the Empire I'm not sure what's happened to the Rebels, but it looks like it could finally be an Imperial white-wash! The foliage is very good, and it has an Endor 'feel' with dense ferns and the trailing vines

Thanks Lobot! I looked at quite a few pictures, both still frames from ROTJ and shots of the Redwood forests in California where they filmed it, so I'm glad the 'feel' came through!

[Lego Spy]

Wait - Birdman? Was Chris Andersen part of the Galactic Empire a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?

Anyway... ( ) Nice MOC! I really like the plant detailing, and the white bird's design is very well thought out!

Edited June 21, 2014 by Lego Spy

[LucasLaughing]

Wait - Birdman? Was Chris Andersen part of the Galactic Empire a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?

Anyway... ( ) Nice MOC! I really like the plant detailing, and the white bird's design is very well thought out!

LOL, nice! I've never been up to date with the "sportsball" so I hadn't heard of Chris Andersen, but those are some sweet tats.

[markus1984]

Hola,

Stunning Entry!

The vegetation looks really natural and the best think for me is how you made the root with the minifig arms .

AND the story is great too!

markus

[BEAVeR]

This build showcases probably some of the best vegetation and storytelling of this entire episode, maybe of all episodes!

Yes, I really like how dense that foliage is, and I think you're the first to really create that enclosed jungle feel! And it's not just about using a lot of pieces. More important here is the way you use them. The combination of those three-heart-leaves parts with the bamboo parts is really well succeeded. The heart shaped leaves always cover up a lot, but they look shallow from the side. And the top of a bamboo piece isn't quite natural. But by combining them the way you did, you created some marvelous ground vegetation. Splashes of color like the flowers and the mushrooms brighten it up a bit, and that really makes it more interesting for the eye with all that green and brown. Speaking of vegetation on the ground, the soil itself is quite good as well. The way you've created the pathway (with kinda the same technique as in your previous entry, but it's still beautiful) quite nicely, and you can really see it's a path. If I'm not mistaken, I think you used another shade of brown for the lower level in the path (I think old brown instead of reddish brown?). But even if it is just an effect from the shade, it adds depth to the scene. The ground holds quite some detail with the rounded plates and a couple of those root pieces. I really like the diversity in details you get everywhere. My only suggestion would be to add some extra diffuse (rectangular) plates and cheese slopes here and there to break things up even more. Especially in the area of the uprooted tree that would be a bonus. Because now the soil looks a bit too clean, with all those creatures walking about.

Each and every tree is quite stunning as well. There's everything from tall bushes to slender trees and more chunkier pieces of wood. Again, the amount of variety is quite unbelievable, and shows a lot of creativity and dedication from your part. I'm missing some bigger, more substantial trees though, that are so characteristic for Endor. The uprooted one is the only one around. Those kind of trees would make the climbing also more believable, since they would be stronger and would offer more cover. And then that one big uprooted tree would be in the companion of trees of the same species, what would make sense once more. Maybe this is stretching it a bit, but when you're building all kinds of different trees, why not one with needles? That would instantly offer a richer vegetation because of the distinct variation. Instead of just being trees, you could also more distinct features to them. That parrot is an example. I would also like to see a nest somewhere, or a small animal, so that you can see why the bird is there (okay, it could just be passing by, but what's the fun in that?). You could show the vibrant life that thrives in the forest, and that would allow for some further original brick-built creatures (or you could use some from the Friends line). There could be holes in the ground and holes in the trees, and that would allow you to show creatures running away from the noisy troopers, further increasing the tension on a subtle level, enhancing the thrilling story you're telling.

As for the story, I really, really like it. The tension is everywhere. Yes, it is a bit like those over-heroic US Army movies, but the suspense is still there, and the story really has a purpose and a meaning. Once again, you give us a very cinematic experience, with moments of silence, sudden events and a climax. I hereby repeat my request for a movie one day! I also like how a lot in the build is so related to the story, like the bird and the uprooted tree (on that matter, the surface where the tree seperated should get another color and texture than the rest of the tree, to make it clearer and more realistic to the viewer). The posing of the minifigs is also quite remarkable, the murderer hiding behind the tree being my favorite. Still, there are some minor issues (see what I did there? Well, i have to have a bit of fun in these long comments...). It kind of seems a strange place for an ambush to me. The forest isn't really very dense, so you're not completely hidden. I would like some denser foliage where they could hide better. There could be thermal visors to still allow for good vision. And having a piece of road with no way out (so once again, much denser vegetation) would also make more sense in case something would go wrong. Since you probably don't have the pieces to make something that big and that dense, going smaller could be a solution, but it would get really crowed with the other troopers... So you'll have to buy extra bricks I guess... Or you could play a nasty little trick and place you're foliage some plates higher, so that it looks way more impenetrable from the minifig's point of view: they really have to wade through a pool of green, so to speak. Of course, the sides should still be covered quite well. This raises another small issue: the troopers have no equipment whatsoever with them to make their way through the forest. they could go on good luck, but I think they would take some saws and other equipment just in case of a roadblock. And backpacks for provisions would accentuate the fact that you always have to be ready in that jungle, always ready to survive.

You see that are micro-issues there, I hope. Micro scaled, especially in the face of this MOC that deserves miniland scale appraisal at the least! The story, the building with marvelous vegetation, trees and animals... you deliver the total package once more, and don't give in in a single aspect. Bravo for that determination to give attention to everything.

[LucasLaughing]

Hola,

Stunning Entry!

The vegetation looks really natural and the best think for me is how you made the root with the minifig arms .

AND the story is great too!

markus

Thanks Markus! I tried a few different techniques for the tree roots, but ended up really liking how the minifig arms looked - I'm glad others liked them too!

This build showcases probably some of the best vegetation and storytelling of this entire episode, maybe of all episodes!

The combination of those three-heart-leaves parts with the bamboo parts is really well succeeded. The heart shaped leaves always cover up a lot, but they look shallow from the side. And the top of a bamboo piece isn't quite natural. But by combining them the way you did, you created some marvelous ground vegetation.

I've always had the same gripes about both the bamboo and the leaf elements, but I do really like how they look put together.

If I'm not mistaken, I think you used another shade of brown for the lower level in the path (I think old brown instead of reddish brown?).

You are not mistaken - good eye!

I'm missing some bigger, more substantial trees though, that are so characteristic for Endor.

Yeah, that's the one thing I wish I'd had time to add. I figured maybe they're at the edge of the forest, so the trees are less dense

That parrot is an example. I would also like to see a nest somewhere, or a small animal, so that you can see why the bird is there (okay, it could just be passing by, but what's the fun in that?). You could show the vibrant life that thrives in the forest, and that would allow for some further original brick-built creatures (or you could use some from the Friends line). There could be holes in the ground and holes in the trees, and that would allow you to show creatures running away from the noisy troopers, further increasing the tension on a subtle level, enhancing the thrilling story you're telling.

That's a good suggestion - I like the idea of making the forest feel more alive, although I'm not sure I could stoop to using the animals from the Friends line

I appreciate your other feedback as well; I just got my first smart phone, so if I can find a good stop motion app there just might be a movie one of these days!