First MOC: Troll Raptor Mount

[jFox]

After hearing a coworker speak highly of the new Dino sets, I took a closer look at them. Upon seeing the Raptor Chase set, a light bulb went on in my head and here's the result.

The robot arms (with claw/fang piece) wrap nice around the torso, but I wish I could get some more armor wrapped around him.

I like the way the axe blades in front look, though they are very wobbly. That axle piece they're attached to does not fit in the robot arm very snugly, so if I even look at it the wrong way it wiggles around. Still thinking of a good way to fix that.

I also tried putting an arm/fang combo on over the head, but I'm not quite sold on it yet. I'm not sure if it's the color (only have 2 of those arms in brown), or the shape.

I'm happy with it so far, but feel like I could certainly add something to it. Once I perfect this, I think I might pick up 2 or 3 more raptors and make an elite cavalry squad to terrorize my kingdom (once it's built at least)! Comments and criticisms are welcome!

[soccerkid6]

Great idea! The saddle/armor works nicely Keep us updated on any changes you make in the design

[Axis600]

Hahahaha, that's awesome. Your lightbulb works better than mine

[Combee]

Cool! I love the new dinosaurs and this is a great use for them

[Capt.JohnPaul]

That's awesome! You are very creative.

Too bad the green raptor doesn't match perfectly with the orc. (If only the dino was a different shade of green.)

[Palathadric]

Wow! That is one hellishly frightening fellow.

[HawkLord]

Reminds me of something out of Warhammer Fantasy Battles; especially that awesome banner. Very nicely done - looks great!

[Wardancer]

A great idea!

Maybe there could be a little less chains, it might be a bit overloaded.

[SuvieD]

Comments and criticisms are welcome!

Well, you welcomed this.

I love the idea you have going here. I don't love the execution of it. Raptors should be fast raiders or deadly scout type forces. More like LotR's wargriders or fantasy crotch rockets. Your design features a large clunky saddle, an armored orc with a heavy ended long weapon, and a standard that would wobble all over the place and catch the wind. All of which would destroy any speed or surprise you would want out of this type of predator. These could also get problematic in a fight against ranged opponents as you have created a larger target.

If this was the sturdy Triceratops having those extras sure I would say fine. Think of weapons or tools that support this type of role in an army. What if this was an advanced archery group. Ride in fast and hard, take a quick stop, unleash hate from your crossbow, and then make a hasty zigzagging retreat to reload. What is these were disruptive forces that carried only nets and knives. They would pin down enemy soldiers, especially armored foes that even your current design might have trouble with, and then move in for a strike or let another fighter finish the job. Lastly, what if these were elite knights of a sort and carried only a shield and lance (which could double as a standard) and were meant to ride down leaders or ranged units. A hammer could work well too but fine metal work or anything that could catch (like the current weapon) is a wasted value as it will more likely lead to the orc's death as likely as it would anyone else's.

Bottom line: the current design does feel very showy or "hollywood" if you will. If you took some of the flash away and focused more on what role it would play these could be better. Avoid parts or weapons that would imbalance the beast or rider, make it a smaller target, and give it a more specialized role.

Concept and colors all look great. Would love to see this be your test idea and see it expand into something better.

[Vindicare]

Well, you welcomed this.

I love the idea you have going here. I don't love the execution of it. Raptors should be fast raiders or deadly scout type forces. More like LotR's wargriders or fantasy crotch rockets. Your design features a large clunky saddle, an armored orc with a heavy ended long weapon, and a standard that would wobble all over the place and catch the wind. All of which would destroy any speed or surprise you would want out of this type of predator. These could also get problematic in a fight against ranged opponents as you have created a larger target.

If this was the sturdy Triceratops having those extras sure I would say fine. Think of weapons or tools that support this type of role in an army. What if this was an advanced archery group. Ride in fast and hard, take a quick stop, unleash hate from your crossbow, and then make a hasty zigzagging retreat to reload. What is these were disruptive forces that carried only nets and knives. They would pin down enemy soldiers, especially armored foes that even your current design might have trouble with, and then move in for a strike or let another fighter finish the job. Lastly, what if these were elite knights of a sort and carried only a shield and lance (which could double as a standard) and were meant to ride down leaders or ranged units. A hammer could work well too but fine metal work or anything that could catch (like the current weapon) is a wasted value as it will more likely lead to the orc's death as likely as it would anyone else's.

Bottom line: the current design does feel very showy or "hollywood" if you will. If you took some of the flash away and focused more on what role it would play these could be better. Avoid parts or weapons that would imbalance the beast or rider, make it a smaller target, and give it a more specialized role.

Concept and colors all look great. Would love to see this be your test idea and see it expand into something better.

1. Key word: should.

2. All these options you listed he could do. The very reason these aren't glued together, you can change things. This could be an ork carrying a lance and shield only, or an archer with just a bow and quivers.

I think you're over thinking the concept. For starters, I think it looks good. Reminds me of the Orc riders from Warhammer. Having just the saddle/light armor is perfect. As SuvieD said, raptors are small and fast, they don't need to be weighted down with bulky armor.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Legocrazy81

[legomonk]

I love the concept and application of this MOC. Creating a cool playable piece

[jFox]

@Hawkman - Thanks, but I can't take credit for the banner; I just plucked it off a nearby siege engine from the Tower Raid set.

@Wardancer - Yeah, the chain around his neck was a bit much. In my head I imagine a harness that goes around his neck, under his belly and back near his tail, but at this size it's hard to pull off. I took that off as you can see below.

@SuvieD - You make a couple of interesting points, and I'd like to offer a few counterpoints. First, love the idea about the nets! That would be a really cool addition to this guy's arsenal. As for the spear, the prongs/blades at the end don't necessarily mean it's heavy or a poor choice. There are a lot of weapons that you specifically DO want to catch on things. Mancatchers and similar weapons, for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasumata. I saw BrickTW has a spear they call the "Hell Halberd" that is a good LEGO(ish) example: http://shop.bricktw....ll-halberd.html If I see anything else of theirs that strikes my fancy I may pick up several.

As for the banner, samurai sometimes wore something on their backs to deflect arrows. It was big and visible, and would fill with air when moving quickly. http://en.wikipedia....ki/Horo_(cloak). I can see your point about wanting to keep a low, almost stealthy profile, but that's not my intent with this guy. It's like putting barding on horses. Is it slower than no armor at all? Sure, but the extra protection is worth it I think.

That being said, I do agree the armor was a bit bulky, and a little "Hollywood" as well. I tried experimenting with some bone pieces to create some armor "plates" to drape over the sides, but it just wasn't working out how I liked it. The results always seemed to thick. So I went a bit more minimal and here's the results:

The chains under the neck are removed, and the only armor on the sides is the troll shield. I like this approach because the shield is thin enough to not really stick out, and it gets the troll emblem on there (which I think is pretty cool).

I also tried adding a second shield on the side, but I think this might lean back in the too-bulky direction. What do you guys think?

Behind the rider you can see a few teeth pieces sticking up. This sort of acts as a backrest to keep him seated--and add some much-need lumbar support! Also, a few trophies on a chain to demoralize his enemies. It reminds me of that scene in Return of the King when the orc catapults "release the prisoners" to Minas Tirith.

I removed the banner because it seemed a bit too big, and covered up the rider too much. Some here liked it, so maybe I'll look into it again. Maybe a shorter pole? I like the old banners from the Ninja/Shogun sets, they didn't seem as obstructing. Also, I need to find a way to put more weapons in there. Hmm, maybe a sword holder on his back?

Poor Crownie... didn't have a chance!

[Vindicare]

That first one is good. Acts as armor for the raptor, and is removable in case the raptor goes down. The teeth and skulls are a nice touch for an Orc.

[BrickPicker]

Very cool idea.

[Lordofdragonss]

Giant lizards fit nicely to orcs/trolls.

I wanted to build something like this but only for my Warchief.

Your build is pretty basic, but it looks great- aspecialy the second MOC.

[Flipz]

I'd say add the banner in again, perhaps with a shorter pole if you don't like how the larger one turned out. I also liked the head armor from the very first version, with the arm in brown and with a normal tooth piece (like the back of the newest saddle) instead of the large one, I think it would look really nice with the current setup.

[Wardancer]

I think the amount of discussion around this shows what a good idea this is. I believe we will see orcs on raptors frequently from now on. (Reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon with raptors in F16 jets.)

I would love to see a regiment of 3 or 4 in a row. Maybe they would fight dwarves on bears?

The versions with less apparatus on top looks better IMHO. I also liked the banner, but maybe this should be restricted to the leader. It looks less swift, I could imagine a banner on a triceratops with a few orcs on it.

Also I like the trophies!

Edited June 13, 2012 by Wardancer

[Mitch Monsoon]

Very cool .. this idea could open up so much more :D

[Ferrik]

Great job!

[SuvieD]

@SuvieD - You make a couple of interesting points, and I'd like to offer a few counterpoints. As for the spear, the prongs/blades at the end don't necessarily mean it's heavy or a poor choice. There are a lot of weapons that you specifically DO want to catch on things.

As for the banner, samurai sometimes wore something on their backs to deflect arrows. It was big and visible, and would fill with air when moving quickly.

That being said, I do agree the armor was a bit bulky, and a little "Hollywood" as well. So I went a bit more minimal and here's the results:

The chains under the neck are removed, and the only armor on the sides is the troll shield. I like this approach because the shield is thin enough to not really stick out, and it gets the troll emblem on there (which I think is pretty cool).

Behind the rider you can see a few teeth pieces sticking up. This sort of acts as a backrest to keep him seated--and add some much-need lumbar support! Also, a few trophies on a chain to demoralize his enemies. It reminds me of that scene in Return of the King when the orc catapults "release the prisoners" to Minas Tirith.

I removed the banner because it seemed a bit too big, and covered up the rider too much. Some here liked it, so maybe I'll look into it again. Maybe a shorter pole? I like the old banners from the Ninja/Shogun sets, they didn't seem as obstructing. Also, I need to find a way to put more weapons in there. Hmm, maybe a sword holder on his back?

Poor Crownie... didn't have a chance!

Well, now here is an improvement.

The 5 bladed spear is a weapon you seem to like so use it. Having a weapon like that is fine. I mentioned before why I wouldn't use one and it basically comes down to the fact that it can be just as much a liability as a tool.

Samurai ran on foot with platform shoes. Raptors have bird like legs and would run faster than horses. I am not even sure a raptor could be ridden any better than an ostrich, but a floppy cloth at foot speeds is nothing compared to a drag chute of that size on this guy outrunning horses.

The new armor is stylish and useful in dismount. Even has one for a friend, how thoughtful.

The saddle and bone motif fits well and does have that "I'm a troll, and we eat fleshy meatsacks like you crownies" feel.

All in all, this feels like a better version. Your first showing was, like warhammer, quite showy and pushing the fantasy believability. This one looks and feels appropriate sized, has a setup I find more believable, and leaves the shock and awe for a later vignette or battle scene.

I still want to see how the troll gets on, that chain makes me assume the raptor is only tolerating being ridden. If you need a banner, I would use a standard spear as it doubles as an extra weapon.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Very original idea!

I like the chain used to ride the raptor!

[Cara]

That's fun it fits that orcs could be riding an oversized mean creature of some sort!