Governor Mister Phes Posted August 25, 2023 Governor Posted August 25, 2023 Return of the Classic Pirates ContestVOTING NOW CLOSED: Click Here for Voting Tallies Return of the Classic Pirates ContestVote for the WINNERS! Voting will take place between August 28 and September 16. You may allocate 3-5 votes to entries in both the Main Building Category and Mini Set Building Category for a total of to 6 to 10 votes. All votes have equal weight (position/order is irrelevant) and you may only assign one vote per entry. How to Vote Read and understand the complete Voting Rules. Review all the contest entries Create a new post in this and in two separate lists, simply name the 3-5 entries from each category you'd like to assign your votes to. Include both the Entry's Name and the Builder's Name to avoid confusion as some entries have similar names. And ideally write a heading for each list with the name of the Building Category: For example: Quote Main Building Category "Entry Name" 1 by Builder's Name "Entry Name" 2 by Builder's Name "Entry Name" 3 by Builder's Name "Entry Name" 4 by Builder's Name "Entry Name" 5 by Builder's Name Mini Set Building Category "Entry Name 1" by Builder's Name "Entry Name 2" by Builder's Name "Entry Name 3" by Builder's Name "Entry Name 4" by Builder's Name "Entry Name 5" by Builder's Name There are only TWO categories The Main Building Category and the Mini Set Building Category. There is NO category distinction as to whether an entry is a new set concept or a remake of an existing set. That is a builder's creative choice, not a category. How many entries can I vote for? A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 in each category for a total of to 6 to 10 votes over both categories. Please only create one post in this topic When counting votes we want to ensure the process is efficient and transparent as possible. So if you: Have a question, feedback or a concern regarding the voting process, please post in the Voting Rules topic. Feel the need to discuss a particular creation, please do so in that creation's entry topic.
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 27, 2023 Author Governor Posted August 27, 2023 Contest Entries Index <- Can be Found HERE Follow the link above for lists with large thumbnails, entry names and builder names. Or if you prefer a quick visual overview... Main Building Category New Set Concepts Click the thumbnails below to view more images of the entry. Classic Set Remakes Click the thumbnails below to view more images of the entry. Mini Set Building Category New Set Concepts Click the thumbnails below to view more images of the entry. Classic Set Remakes Click the thumbnails below to view more images of the entry. Contest Entries Index <- Can be Found HERE
Yperio_Bricks Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 (edited) Thanks everyone for all the marvelous entries Main Building Category 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers' Tavern by Aanchir 6279 Skull-Island Remake by MyFirstMOC-Hun The Lizard By CaptainDarkNStormy Big Kahuna's Atoll by Yatkuu Forbidden Cove by TomSkippy Mini Set Building Category 1464 Pirate Lookout Reborn by Elephant Knight Captain's Cabin by MontyMatte King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch Failed Raid by SNobleJr Furtune Idol by Oky Edited August 27, 2023 by Yperio_Bricks formatting
Quotenotto Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 A lot of amazing creations! Main building Category Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy Cross Bone Clipper Remake by Elephant Knight 6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4 Short Pork Island by Yoggington 6244 Armada Sentry Remake by Brickshipyard Mini Set Building Category Treasure Surprise Remake: Rum Rock by Fraunces Shark Cart by TomSkippy King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat (Mini Set) by kritch Treasure Island by Oky Sloop Windy (Mini Set) by Marooned Marin
F1stzz Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 This contest has turned summer-2023 into a grand Pirates celebration These were not exactly the easiest of choices to make, given the striking amount of magnificent & competitive entries, but at last here are 10 of my personal favourites from both Categories: Main Building Category 1. Cutless Reach by LetsBrick 2. 6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate 3. 6260/6257 Pirates - Shipwreck Island/Castaway's Raft Remake by _R_R_ 4. Cross Bone Clipper Remake UPDATED! by Elephant Knight 5. Short Pork Island by Yoggington Mini Set Building Category 1. Hidden Cache by LetsBrick 2. 6235 Buried Treasure Remake by Janhansson 3. Fortune Idol by Oky 4. 1802 Tidy Treasure - Remake by Dr3w 5. Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin
bingowaldorf Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 There are too many good ones to pick only 5! Main Building Category 1. Cross Bone Clipper Remake UPDATED! by Elephant Knight 2. 6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4 3. 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern by Aanchir 4. Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy 5 .6271 Imperial Flagship Redux by Elephant Knight Mini Set Building Category 1. Shark Cart by TomSkippy 2. King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch 3, Treasure Island by Oky 4. Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin 5. 1795 Imperial Cannon Remake by CaptainDarkNStormy
Rogue Redcoat Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 Boy do I wish I could vote for some more but, to everyone who entered and a very special thanks to @Mister Phes for running the contest Great work :) Main Building Category "Skulls Eye Schooner remake " by Quotenotto "Saber Island 2023" by TomSkippy "6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern" by Aanchir "6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake " by Danny_Boy4 "Short Pork Island" by Yogginton Mini Set Building Category "Fortune Idol" by Oky "1464 Pirate Lookout Reborn " by Elephant Knight "6232 Skeleton Crew Remake " by Jack Sassy "Treasure Found " by JopieK "Sloop Windy" by Marooned Marin
NOD Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 That was a great contest! Many thanks to all participants for the good builds. Main Building Category: Caribbean Shipyard by Cincinnati Sin Island by Marooned Marin Skulls Eye Schooner remake by Quotenotto Imperial Trading Outpost by aex383 6262 King Kahuka’s Throne Remake by SevenDeadlyStreamers Mini Set Building Category: Rum Rock by Fraunces Captain's Cabin by MontyMatte Shark Cart by TomSkippy Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin 6232 Skeleton Crew Remake by Jack Sassy
thewatchman Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 Main building category: 1. 6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4 2. 6260/6257 Pirates - Shipwreck Island/ Castaway's Raft Remake by _R_R_ 3. Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy 4. 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern by Aanchir 5. Caribbean Clipper by TomSkippy Mini building category: 1. Treasure Island by Oky 2. Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin 3. Shark Cart by TomSkippy 4. Shipwreck of Avedo by Tayaya 5. Fortune Idol by Oky
Jack Sassy Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 (edited) Main Building category: 6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate Sin Island by Marooned Marin 6259 Broadsides Brig / 6234 Renegades Raft by TheWatchman 6273 Rock Island Refuge Remake by CollinsAnimationStudio 6281 Pirate's Perilous Pitfall Remake 2023 by Slegengr Mini Set Building category: Rum Rock by Fraunces Fortune Idol by Oky Shark Cart by TomSkippy Pirate's Dock by Elephant Knight 1795 Imperial Cannon Remake by CaptainDarkNStormy All lovely entries, so had to pick me votes carefully. Glad I could participate in this contest. Edited August 28, 2023 by Jack Sassy Accidently voted for 6 entries instead of 5 in the Main Building category
LetsBrick Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 My voting is based on the original contest post stating "The emphasis is building a creation that could pass as an official LEGO set". I was amazed at the quality of some of these but I couldn't see them as official Lego Pirates sets. The sets I'm voting for, I could all see on store shelves as actual sets. Main Building CategorySaber Island 2023 by TomSkippyBig Kahuna's Atoll by YatkuuCutless Reach by LetsBrickThe Hearty Cutlass by Thats No MoonLe Scorpion by Jansued Mini Set Building CategoryShark Cart by TomSkippyKing Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by KritchTreasure Island by OkyHidden Cache by LetsBrickTreasure Found by JopieK
SevenDeadlyStreamers Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 Main Building Category 1) The Brick Stop “The Lost Lagoon” 2) OMBY54 “Base Impériale” 3) Rouge Redcoat “6277 Imperial Trading Post Remake” 4)SevenDeadlyStreamers “6262 King Kahuka’s Throne Remake” 5) Tom Skippy “Sabre Island 2023” Mini Set Building Category 1) Janhansson “6235 Buried Treasure” 2) SevenDeadlyStreamers “Remake of 6234 Renegade’s Raft” 3) Dr3w “1802 Tidy Treasure Remake” 4) Oky “Treasure Island” 5) Kritch “King Kahuka’s Outrigger Boat”
Yoggington Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 (edited) This was very tough to whittle down to just five per category, and there are double-figured amounts of other entries deserving of votes, but here's what I ended up with: VOTESMain Set Building Category6274 Caribbean Clipper Remake by Alexu Forbidden Cove by TomSkippy 1871 Pirate Canon Battlepack by Jansued Imperial Trading Outpost by aex383 6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate Mini Set Building Category King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch Shark Cart by TomSkippy Fortune Idol by Oky 1872 Imperial Guard Camp by Thewatchman Treasure Island by Oky Critic Comments: Main: 6274 Caribbean Clipper Remake by Alexu With so many quality entries, there is unfortunately only room for one ship in my votes. Honourable mentions to the OTT UCS Jolly Roger, Le Scorpion & especially the Skull’s Eye Schooner (great snot stairs here, & the tan hull is surprisingly pleasing). But the one that gets my vote is Alexu’s Caribbean Clipper. The colours here are great, especially the choice of brown for the masts. There’s something very pleasing about the proportions of the ship outline that I can’t put my finger on, and I particularly like the work in the build to the rear of the cabin. A fine opponent for the new Barracuda. Forbidden Cove by TomSkippy There are some things I dislike in this build, but all is forgiven due to the excellent roof. That’s probably my favourite thing in any of the main set entries, and I couldn’t not vote for it when I fully intend to swipe the technique. The colours here work very well, although that may come from lifting a little too much from the Indy set. I’m not a huge fan of the fleshies, or the canoe being so modern, but these are counter-balanced by the excellent skull-spikes, the fencing technique & statue with.. ‘red stuff’. 1871 Pirate Cannon Battlepack by Jansued A much smaller entry compared to most in this category, but the cannon is really excellently done altogether. I’m not sure of the piece count but I wonder if you’d dropped the mini-figs and focused on just the cannon, would it have qualified for the mini-category? I imagine it won't hold up here compared to all the larger entries, but it would certainly be in contention there. I am not going to let the small size get in the way of my casting a vote for it, it’s really well done and I expect I may try to re-create it. Nice figbarf too, but it's the cannon that's won me over. Imperial Trading Outpost by aex383 If every entry in the contest was a genuine Lego set available for sale, I feel like this is the first one I’d try to buy. It is so very different from everything else here, and I like it a whole lot. I’m curious as to the piece count, and I think if Lego were designing it there are things they would do differently for sure – more modularity, less parts-intensive build style - but as it stands it’s crammed with great details and hints at a bustling world beyond the part we see here. 6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate You’re lucky the Islanders are my favourite corner of the Lego pirate lore, as I’ve squeezed in a second Islander vote here at the expense of many great entries :D Limiting your palette to bricks in colours available at the time added an extra level of difficulty, but granted the end-result a level of ‘genuine product’ that is very agreeable. You’re not the only one to do that in the competition, but I thinks it’s the entry like that where it works the best. I could really see 10-year-old me tinkering with this for hours. The presentation & poster are the icing on the cake. Mini:King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch The elegance in such a small build is striking. If this was a legitimate set, I would buy multiple copies. I’d still prefer red cross-braces though :P Shark Cart by TomSkippy Both the build & presentation could use a little polish, but the core concept here – a pirate who’s strapped his half-barrel to a shark for an engine? That’s hilarious & I love it. Even that pose of hoisting the cup (with his hook-hand, no less) as he swills his rum while belting along at a rate of knots – fantastic. Fortune Idol by Oky You had me at the mechanism, but the general statue construction is great. Astute minifig selection too. 1872 Imperial Guard Camp by Thewatchman I’ve not leaned into the updated sets much here, but this one stands out. Lots of clever updating happening - the conversion of the rockwork to an Islander statue especially, but also the fire & the drumstick are neatly done. Best of all is the bold choice of torso. I would probably change the hips to either plain red or plain white, the flushed-cheeks on one face are distracting – but that a personal preference, not a deal-breaker. Treasure Island by Oky Of all the mini-category entries, this feels like the most realistic one in terms of something that Lego would actually release as a GWP or polybag. The buried treasure is cleverly done. I might change out the trousers, but that’s a minor quibble in an otherwise great little set. Edit 8th Sep: Adding an extra vote in my Main category votes as my Alexu vote no longer counts through their disqualification. Skulls Eye Schooner remake by Quotenotto New Critic comment: I touched on this in my initial critic comments, but this was my second-favourite ship, and I feel a little obliged to give at least one of my main votes to a ship. I definitely have a rather untrained eye when it comes to sea-craft, but I know what I like, and what I like here is the distinctive colour-scheme. I know the tan hull was forced on you, but I like it a lot. The tan/red/LBG combo works for me. The hull shaping borders on sublime to have it built out like that but still achieve such a smooth shape. I spent a good while getting my head around how the steps must be built and that is far from the only clever technique hidden in the build (just look at the arch to the bullion store, or the way the clips in the sides are embedded). The rear of the ship looks great, as does the 'final posing' with the poor guy walking the plank. Top marks. Edited September 8, 2023 by Yoggington
Amedeo Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 Thanks to all for theese amazing creations!!! Main Building Category - Caribbean shipyard by Cincinnati - 6279 Skull Island - Remake 2023 by MyFirstMOC - Imperial Trading Outpost by aex383 - 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up Revisited by CaptainLocke - Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy Mini Set Building Category - Shipwrecked Survivor by nyugvo6 - Captain’s Cabin by MontyMatte - Cannibals by Valdeirus - Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin - 1795 Imperial Cannon Remake by CaptainDarkNStormy
Fraunces Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 Shoutout to the organizers of this amazing contest and thanks for all the effort put in by the builders! Voting was the hardest thing to do! Main Building Category Short Pork Island by Yogginton / 1 point Armada Fortress by Elephant Knight / 1 point Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy / 1 point 6273 Rock Island Refuge Remake by CollinsAnimationStudio / 1 point 6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4 / 1 point Mini Set Building Category 6232 Skeleton Crew Remake by Jack Sassy / 1 point Pirate's Dock by ElephantKnight / 1 point Pirate Gun Cart Revisited by Vdog / 1 point Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin / 1 point 1872 Imperial Guard Camp by Thewatchman / 1 point
Slegengr Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 (edited) Main Building Category6278/6292 Enchanted Island by Danny_Boy46267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern by Aanchir6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate6273 Rock Island Refuge by CollinsAnimationStudio6260/6257 Pirates - Shipwreck Island/ Castaway's Raft by _R_R_ Mini Set Building CategorySloop Windy by Marooned MarinCaptain's Cabin by MontyMatteBuried Treasure 6235 by omby54Treasure Island by Oky6232 Skeleton Crew by Jack Sassy Edited September 1, 2023 by Slegengr Formatting
_R_R_ Posted August 28, 2023 Posted August 28, 2023 Good luck to all participants and thank you for those who supported my entry! My votes cover all categories of the contest which was to build a new set and remake an original set. I've decided to pick sets I could see TLG producing over the really beautiful entries more akin to MOCs but voting was still very hard! Main Building Category6278/6292 Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4Sin Island by Marooned Marin6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern by AanchirThe Lost Lagoon by The Brick StopCaribbean Clipper by TomSkippy Mini Set Building CategoryTreasure Island by Oky1802 Tidy Treasure - Remake by Dr3wPirate's Dock by ElephantKnight6232 Skeleton Crew Remake by Jack SassyKing Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch
SpacePolice89 Posted August 29, 2023 Posted August 29, 2023 Main Building Category 1. Governor Broadside's Garrison by US_Army_Tom 2. Armada Fortress by Spacepolice89 3. 6269 Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate Mini Set Building Category 1. Failed Raid by SNobleJr 2. Ritual Sacrifice by SpacePolice89 3. Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin
iragm Posted August 29, 2023 Posted August 29, 2023 This was an excellent contest with many great builds. Creative critic final words in the spoiler tags. Main category Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern Remake by Aanchir Enchanted Island Remake by Danny_Boy4 Imperial Flagship Redux by Elephant Knight Rock Island Refuge by CaptainDarkNStormy SIN ISLAND: Keg & Cutlass Inn by Marooned Marin Spoiler I feel that a lot of folks aren't judging entries based on whether or not they could be an official set. Most of the ships, and some of the larger builds, I felt were good, but they were more like MOCs than an official set. Specifically, they were overly or inconsistently detailed, featured repetitive techniques, lacked good use of colors and/or the rule of thirds, or were simply too large to pass for an official set. If you can remove 1/3 of your build and keep the same look and feel, it's a MOC. The ships in this contest were good, but not jaw-dropping. Some of the Caribbean Clipper redesigns were nice, but either shared the weaknesses of the original set or borrowed too heavily from Barracuda Bay to really impress me. I think it simply takes longer than 2 months to design a proper ship. I'd be quite interested to see a longer contest focused on designing an original frigate. There are about a dozen entries that all feel like they could be an official set to me, and of those, the ones I've selected are those that offer something above and beyond what I see in most builds. That could be play features, novel build techniques or parts usage, a particularly clever concept or gimmick, or something else. Just make me say "oh wow": a good example is the Imperial Flagship Redux, which is included here exclusively for its figurehead. Of all the builds here, one is a clear winner IMHO, and that's Lagoon Lock-up by @Aanchir. This build perfectly capturing the spirit and charm of the original set, combined with some excellent parts usage, very modern build techniques, and some wonderful play features. Every brick has been carefully chosen, and it shows. I feel that this build is actually stronger than the official Eldorado fortress set; it's simply a joy to look at and so perfectly designed. Mini set category Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by kritch Fortune Idol by Oky Treasure Island by Oky Spoiler I found the mini set category much easier to judge; many of these sets were nothing more than an island with water and beach techniques borrowed from either Ray the Castaway or Barracuda Bay. Nice, but not particularly inspiring. Treasure Island is included in my list and gets a special shout-out because it's the only set to actually feature properly buried treasure in <50 bricks. Sloop Windy by @Marooned Marin is simply an excellent build; outstanding parts usage, and it was very fun to watch the revisions in design. It's also perhaps the best use of the boat hull that I've ever seen. It'll be a shame if it doesn't win.
kritch Posted August 29, 2023 Posted August 29, 2023 Main Building Category Caribbean Shipyard by Cincinnati Short Pork Island by Yogginton The Lost Lagoon by The Brick Stop Saber Island 2023 by TomSkippy 6279 Skull Island - Remake by MyFirstMOC-Hun Mini Set Building CategoryFortune Idol by Oky Treasure Island by Oky Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin Hidden Cache by LetsBrick 1872 Imperial Guard Camp by Thewatchman
victorycount Posted August 29, 2023 Posted August 29, 2023 Also from my side a big "Thank you" to the organizers (Mister Phes & co), the participants, and the reviewers! Great job all of you! Those were some busy weeks here in the pirates forum. And wow, very hard decisions to make here, I loved so many of those buildings. How could you guys do this in that short time? Impressive! Here is my final selection:Main Building Category Short Pork Island by Yogginton The Hearty Cutlass by Thats No Moon 1872 Imperial Guard Camp - Remake 2023 by MyFirstMOC-Hun Big Kahuna's Atoll by Yatkuu 1795 Imperial Cannon Battlepack by Jansued Mini Set Building CategoryFortune Idol by Oky King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch Captain's Cabin by MontyMatte Sloop Windy by Marooned Marin Caribbean River Soldiers by Rogue Redocat
Captain Braunsfeld Posted August 30, 2023 Posted August 30, 2023 Great stuff, makes it hard to choose: Main Building Category Imperial Trading Outpost by AEX383 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers’ Tavern Remake by Aanchir Sabre Island II by BrickComm... 6254+6258 "Remastered" - Atolls by Amedeo Base impériale by Omby54 Mini Set Building Category 6235 Buried Treasure remake by Janhansson 6300 Treasure Found by Jopiek 6500 A Promiscuous Sailor Captain (Mini Set) by Jopiek
Dreamweb Posted August 31, 2023 Posted August 31, 2023 My votes go to: MAIN: Imperial Trading Outpost by aex383 6254+6258 "Remastered" - Atolls by Amedeo Base impériale by omby54 SMALL: King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch Pirate's Dock by ElephantKnight Buried Treasure 6235 - Remake by Omby54
CDKiii Posted August 31, 2023 Posted August 31, 2023 my votes goes to: MAIN: 6262 King Kahuka’s Throne Remake by SevenDeadlyStreamers Base impériale by omby54 Big Kahuna's Atoll by Yatkuu 6277 Imperial Trading Post Remake by Rogue Redcoat MINI: Shipwrecked Survivor (Mini set) by nyugvo6 6300 Treasure Found by JopieK King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat (Mini Set) by kritch Captain's Cabin (Mini set) by MontyMatte
Mazin Posted August 31, 2023 Posted August 31, 2023 After dealing with entries battling over my dreams for days, and then carefully counting contents of all envelopes from Contestants, these are my final choices: MAIN BUILDING CATEGORY: 1. Le Scorpion by Jansued ...................................................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 2. Redbeard's Rocky Island Escape by Dilligan ..................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 3. Lost Lagoon by Brick Stop ................................................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 4. Islander Palace by BrynnOfCastlegate ............................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 5. Skull Island Remake by Glowboy .......................................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) MINI SET BUILDING CATEGORY: 1. Fortune Idol by Oky ................................................................ ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 2. Renegade's Raft by SevenDeadlyStreamers ....................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 3. King Kahuka's Outrigger Boat by Kritch ................................ ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 4. Great Pirate Treasure by Xoona .............................................. ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) 5. Carribean River Soldiers by Rogue Redcoat ......................... ( check my final thoughts and reasons behind this vote HERE ) And of course the Honorary Oscar goes to Mister Phes for running the whole show My reasons behind these selections below: Spoiler I chose entries that simply brought back my childhood, and which i'd swear were available back in the 90s, ones i'd immidiately pick at any shop right away if i was given a free shopping spree, and with which i'd also actually play sometimes as all of these are all very playable indyvidually, sets which could help create great scenarios when combined... but most imprtantly entries that also did manage to follow this Contest's basic rules, that is being designed to look like legit ready-to-produce classic sets. In the Main Category it all starts with Le Scorpion, great vessel which is completely new to the Lego Pirates world, unique in type, unlike most of other presented ships, and whose oars can take me on a quest to explore unmapped waters of the Carribean and jungles of the Spanish Main. I imagine it stumbling upon little pirate village by a swampy river, made out of the Rocky Island Escape and Skull Island, only to learn that there's a whole new world waiting further that water way, one that even seadogs are afraid to visit, with the mysterious Islander Palace and legendary Lost Lagoon. Lost Laggon is pretty much THE SET of this lineup, thing that none of use would be able to afford and we probably wouldn't ever get, but we would all have dreamed of back in the day and kept our eyes stuck into it's picture in the catalogue. If my budget would allow me to grab only sets from the Mini Set Category, on the other hand, those 5 entries guarantee a lot of fun scenarios anyway, as if Islanders would have problems feeding this hungry Fortune Idol, and so even King Kahuka himself would have to go fishing in his Outrigger Boar, not realizing that in reality it wasn't statue that was hungry, but pirates deep deep under it, stuck in a cave with their Great Treasure and forced to gain food by trading some of the coins, after they shipwrecked their vessel. But starving might be their last problem, since their renegade captain Blackbeard managed to obtain a new type of "vessel" and is now on their track... just like imperial River Soldiers under leutenant Trikornetti... Great Pirate Treasure might actually be the best mini set of all time, cause everyone loves money!, real or not, this one gives bragging right to anyone who will own it and no one has ever thought about making a supply pack like that. Just like there wasn't a pink parrot. Still, the best character out of the bunch is definitely Fortune Idol, as i don't see him just a goofy statue, but as a thing with it's own soul, that probably got some legs right under that earth and could talk every faction to do all sorts of favors for him :) My finals thoughts on the entire Contest: Spoiler I remember about 10+ years ago i asked in this Forum if anyone knows how to do digital backgrounds for fake packaging art and answers proved that it was an uknown field... and now almost every does those backgrounds, like if it was nothing complicated, could say that it became a standard in this contest. Wow. Times changed. However those 10+ years ago I learned that people in this Forum are obsessed with MOCs and hardly follow Contests' rules and this haven't changed at all, as most of the Entrants were overfocused with details good for MOCs, or sets that they did poorly for themselves and decidded to throw in anyway, forgetting that our goal here was to design a legit Lego product and that Lego is about simplicity and playability. I had great fun reviewing these Entries anyway and i must admit that we have an obscene amount of unbelievably talented creators in here. Briliant architects erecting buildings, gardeners mantaigning their plantwork, sculpters mastering their rockwork, wardens designing perfect prisons, magnificent trap builder, fantastic treasure hiders, engineering geniuses planning their mechanical features, fashion experts coming up with new clothing and so on... Most of the Entrants are kinda like Planeteers of the Lego world, with different powers. However they still need to find their Captain Planet to combine their powers and guide them, and to help them use their cappabilities properly as we didn't strike gold in this battle of ideas. I was simply expecting that this Contest will be a perfect occassion to try doing all those obvious sets that we never got, that everyone will take a hint from those great examples provided by Mister Phes or that they will look into different themes for inspiration as Castle, Paradiso or Town had a great amount of ideas to steal/borrow from and thus i hoped to see plenty of new stuff... new types of ships, new types of boats, pirate vessels disguised as merchant crafts, taverns, booths offering supplies, flooded towns, royal yachts, duels, shooting ranges, palanquins, beached shipwrecks or a large vessel for the Islanders. Instead we got 50 thousand replikas of Carribean Clipper and an unaccountable number of mini islands with hidden treasures. Still, it was an awesome experience and a lifesaver for me as it gave me chance to have great discussions. And i've learned to like Islanders more, even tho i never cared for them much, always considered them sorta subtheme, but looking at a great number of Entries with them i have to say as a faction they are absolute winners, because they got a lot of ready-to-produce sets, which was this Contest's main goal, and where other factions sorta failed. We got amazing remakes and interesing new concepts for Soldiers and Pirates, some even definitely better than those classic mediocres ones, but we still didn't get anything that could compare to Baracuda or Eldorado Fortress. And I would have to guess the absolute bestseller in the Main Category that would be the Imperial Flagship by Elephant Knight, but I deemed this set too similar to the original and i always thought that the original was a dull copy of the Carribean Clipper, so i didn't vote for him. A small galley turned out to be the best ship of all... Similarly i didn't vote for the Shark Cart by Tom Skippy, even tho i believe this would be an authentic besteller if it it was released, but it just doesn't fit with the classic Pirate Universe and i thought of of this entry as a refreshing joke, something that could be realeased as a goofy promotional pack or a part of Time Cruisers banner, Lego Movie, a cross-theme line, rather than a set that would deserve a place in the charts. It also doesn't change the fact that Mini Sets won the battle between Categories for me, as the limit of pieces forced Contestants to focus on their job and we got a large variety of sets that could be made legit right away.
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