[BDP9 WIP] Imperial Guards Star Fortress v.2

[HanSime]

So turns out with the new palette reducing many of the available bricks and generally having time to work out the issues I had with my BDP8 version, I'm working on a large revamp for BDP9.

Since I've also gotten myself a new laptop (the ten year old one was kinda in need of replacement), the rendering goes a bit faster, so I could do an early trial render. There have been quite a few changes since making this render though, but it gives a good general idea of the redesign.

Feedback requests:

1. What do you think of the display value of the set in the WIP state (render) below?
2. Should I go with my own cannon designs, or old school projectile firing cannons and save on parts to be used elsewhere?
3. Should I replace the sturdy 2x 2pin connections (top and bottom) with El Dorado click system so it can be attached to that?

The link below holds more images that give a general idea, but of course since these are even earlier, a lot of changes have been made since. Still, gives a reasonable idea of what can be expected.

Main critiques

Below I'll give a list of changes and reasonings. The main critiques I got from people online, was a lack of suitability as display piece(s). It was considered a little big too big, despite its attractive pentagonal form, unless if it were possible to place on a shelve and lacked beautification. So on the one hand I've been aiming to reduce the amount of parts required to the whole (merging parts where possible, using rocks, slightly reducing structure sizes etc.), while making each individual section more attractive to look at (as individual or combined display pieces), embellish the interiors and make them connect better as modules and standalone. I also tried to give a bit more room for organic material and natural outcroppings.

In the spoiler below you can find a non-exhaustive list of changes and reasonings for them.

General lay-out changes:

I wasn't quite happy with the amount of lay-out combinations that were available in the original as you couldn't put everything in any order you want. In the new setup, only two sections (for now) can't sit directly next to eachother (lighthouse and harbour), I'm pondering on making the sea side a bit more modular so this can be reconfigured entirely as desired. The main wall sections have each become 16x16 baseplates with some having additional large plates attached, while the bastions have been integrated with the corners and the connection tunnels have been mostly removed to free up parts for elsewhere. The bastions can now form their own mini Star Fortress, but can also be reconfigured to 24 stud wide 180° wall section! You can combine these sections to create either a star fortress, or (a) seawalled city street(s) of up to 1.6m long!

Below (an again already somewhat outdated) screenshot of what you can expect in terms of lay-out options for the set: a city wall and mini star fortress, a big star fortress or a combined sea wall. Note that in the below version I still had to make a small adaptation (elongated the neck to the star fort by 1 stud) to ensure it could easily fold out to a 180° connection. Unfortunately the 180° mode will have some small gaps in the walkway as is.

I fully expect more changes need to be made if the BDP9 palette changes further. However, I got a reasonable idea of render times now and don't expect as many last second surprises and stress as last time. ;)

Changes to the various sections:

Spoiler

Minifigures and boat:

The Imperial Soldier mini sail boat with full white/blue brick built sails has been replaced with a simple pirate themed rowboat to save on parts and provide a way for the lady pirate to get to the fortress. The minifigure part availability has been significantly reduced, so I've had to make due a lot. There's only one epaulette colour left for instance and for now, nearly no medeval and pirate themed torso's available to pick from. Especially with regards to female minifigure torso's there's really only one that suits the period. Quite annoying.

I've added some birds, a monkey, a dog, a puppy and more rats, but had to remove a lobster, goat and parrots.

Bastions:

As mentioned before, all five bastions have been integrated with the corner sections and given improved accessibility with "winged" hatches as outer wall segments. Due to the lack of available BDP9 baseplates in blue colours, there's no longer a blue water section surrounding it. On the upside, this meant the interiors have become larger and more detailed, while allowing better access. One bastion had a small target practice area added. Overall more sealife detail has been added to the outer wall too. The top of the corner sections is now also light bluish gray and doesn't stand out so much anymore. The ramparts have been simplified to save on parts and here and there cannon fire has damaged the walls in some cases leaving cannonballs stuck in the walls.

Gatehouse:
The gatehouse section has been significantly altered from BDP8. Starting at the ground/water level, the secret entrance has been made more obvious, but also given more of a rocky cave appearance, providing more room for a minifigure to pass through. This is in part because the animal pen (no pets or cattle available in BDP9) and the fountain theme has been moved to the outhouse section.

The gate has been brought to a lower level to save on parts, but also given more ornaments. As the gate is now a level below the walls, the ramp to the courtyard has been shortened and two hatches have been added that allow the cirumference of the wall to be continuous for when you need to move a cannon to a nearby  section of the wall, so you don't need to go all the way around. :)

I've also updated the drawbridge since the rotating render above with different hinges and chains, connecting them to and widened and changed the rotation direction of the draw bridge mechanism.

Outhouse:

The stables didn't really work as a theme for me, so they've been replaced with a cave that houses a fresh water spring (small cascading waterfall). While I removed the courtyard fountain from the gate section, I've added one here. Alternatively considered a blacksmith and medical post, but the water theme gave a few more options to use natural rock elements in larger quantities, saving a lot of parts. This made the external wall also look more organically shaped and attractive. Unfortunately the rooftop can't be removed anymore as before though, instead it got a hatch. This is something I'm considering changing to improve accessibility to the lower level.

Lighthouse section:

The base has been rationalized to save on parts and look better. The corners were integrated with the bastions. The sundial was moved to the tower and got an upgrade (it's now "working" and there's a print on the parts). The small statue wasn't available anymore, so I made a new one to resemble a merman (or mermaid, it's faceless, whatever you please). One critique I got was that the flagpost tended to be in the square, rather than on a tower like the lighthouse. So I've added that, but since the screenshots posted above, incorporated it and the compass mosaic and statue as part of a rock garden. The lighthouse section should now be much more attractive as a display piece on its own.

Jail section:

As there were no parrots in the BDP9 palette, the parrot cote has been replaced by a bell- and lookout tower. The bell can be made to swing back and forth with the axle cross (unfortunately they removed the black one which represented the coat of arms, so I may need to change the bar to one with a stud and use a black 3x3 cross plate instead). The roof of the jail has been made more stable, the internal space two studs smaller, to ensure that the beautification on the outside does not interfere with other structure when placed next to one another. The wall panels have been replaced by brick build bars. The rounded bunker appearance was dropped and the exterior given more architectoral elements that are shared with the lighthouse and governor's section, to make it more attractive looking, consistent and save on parts. There should now also not be problematic obstructions in case the prisoner tries to spoon-dig his way out through the bars. The jail also got a wanted poster for Captain Rogers, Bo'sun Will. As well as Lorre II. The sloped rooftop edge has been changed to a bit of a fence.

Governor's section:

Wall panels have been replaced with brick built walls and fenced windows. The floor has been upgraded with Imperial Guards themed tiles (this is also true for most other interiors), but more with a red carpet theme. The holes around the firing squad pole have been reduced in size to better represent the size of the damage it would do. The roof is now built on a single baseplate instead of two and beyond that there's been some rationalizing.

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:14 AM by HanSime

[Mister Phes]

Thank you for taking the time to share the latest version of your star fortress!

On 7/30/2025 at 8:13 PM, HanSime said:

What do you think of the display value of the set in the WIP state (render) below?

A lot of new details and colour have been added... not sure that brown, wooden outhouse structure suits the rest of the design.  It literally looks tacked on!

In its star configuration what is the dimensions of the fortress?