[ENTRY] Cutless Reach

[LetsBrick]

Welcome to Cutlass Reach. An Imperial outpost built on an island so named because it is shaped like a cutlass. The cannon is rotatable, to shoot foes from all directions. Also, the cannon build is detachable, allowing easy access to the prison beneath.

My favourite sets growing up were 6259 Broadside's Brig and 6266 Cannon Cove. For my entry I've tried to make something in a similar style with contempory design and pieces. In fact, except for the minifigs and imperial flag, all the elements are currently being produced and are fairly cheap to come by on bricklink. I'll probably post on rebrickable when I get time.

Updated: I've updated the design slightly, below are the updated pictures. Changes at the bottom of this post.

One of the things I really wanted to try with this build was making the island first and then building the outpost on top of it. It was a little harder than I thought it would be to make it integrate with the finished build but I think it'll pay off when I actually build it with physical lego.

The island is supposed to be loosly cutlass shaped. It's not as clear as I originally intended but I'm happy with it.

Please let me know your thoughts. 

UPDATES:

• Main change is updaing the windows on the first floor to now stick out with facted bricks, this allows some more space so I squeezed in a chair and table
• Minifigs now have some accessories to hold
• Added a parrot, pirate sets obviously require one
• Made a hidden treasure map, buried under sand - see pics
• Boat has a mini-cannon for some play to vs the fort cannon, also changed seat/plate colours
• Possibly some other minor colour changes
• Took a pic so you can see the prisoner pirate - don't think anybody knew he was in there

Minifigs: 4
Total Pieces (-minifigs): 452
Cost on bricklink (-minifigs): ~$92 AUD
Dimensions (width, length, height): 17 x 34 x 22cm (6.5 x 13.2 x 8.6inches)

Edited July 10, 2023 by LetsBrick
Updated - see notes

[F1stzz]

6 minutes ago, LetsBrick said:

I'll probably post on rebrickable when I get time.

Plz do, sir  This build will go INSANELY well as an expansion for 10320, it's brilliant!  The influence of the OG sets you've mentioned is clearly visible here, and considering this cool build of a kinda cutlass-shaped island (in my eyes it works better to slightly imitate the cutlass silhouette as a whole instead of building a literal sandy cutlass model, if that makes sense, lol) is named "Cutlass Reach" & has a familiar looking tower — I'd even say it's worthy to be called a "Sabre Island successor" really  If TLG revealed this model as a GWP Sabre Island reimagination or a completely new Imperial Soldiers set — I'd be sold in an instant, I kid you not  Marvellous work, m8, I'd seriously love to get the instructions for it one day 

[thewatchman]

19 hours ago, LetsBrick said:

Welcome to Cutlass Reach. An Imperial outpost built on an island so named because it is shaped like a cutlass. The cannon is rotatable, to shoot foes from all directions. Also, the cannon build is detachable, allowing easy access to the prison beneath.

My favourite sets growing up were 6259 Broadside's Brig and 6266 Cannon Cove. For my entry I've tried to make something in a similar style with contempory design and pieces. In fact, except for the minifigs and imperial flag, all the elements are currently being produced and are fairly cheap to come by on bricklink. I'll probably post on rebrickable when I get time.

One of the things I really wanted to try with this build was making the island first and then building the outpost on top of it. It was a little harder than I thought it would be to make it integrate with the finished build but I think it'll pay off when I actually build it with physical lego.

The island is supposed to be loosly cutlass shaped. It's not as clear as I originally intended but I'm happy with it.

Please let me know your thoughts. 

Well this is going to be embarrassing when I post my entry because we have built pretty much the exact same thing minus a tiny few “gimmicks” on mine. 
 So I guess my review is that it’s the best so far… could just use a few gimmicks :p

 no seriously though, you’ve really understood the scope of the competition brilliantly

Edited July 5, 2023 by thewatchman

[GeoBrick]

Love how you covered up the studs on the angled pieces on the cannon part of the rampart.
The only drawback I can think of is that's a very angular build, and then you have those two rounded windows in the tower. My gut feeling is that they clash with the overall view of the build, at least with the bottom ones.

[Horation]

A perfect mix of old and new!

Theme (story)

This is a nice little outpost (and named after a feature of its island!, with a chest (for treasure and storage), a rotating gun (always annoying when the gun is locked in position by a limited space), a jail cell minus an escape feature, a pirate for conflict (initially mistook him for a soldier, maybe use a different torso, but this is really cherry-picking, since the build is the most important feature), overall the set does the job well.

Build

The colour scheme is brilliant, with enough yellow for my taste, and a few nice touches of dark red. The fact that you actually made the bottom rocks dark grey adds to the accuracy of the set. The BURP is so well hidden that I wouldn't have known it was there if you hadn't shown it yourself.

Now the windows do look awkward (please make the bottom straight, since they currently look like enlarged eggs), the crenelations are too low, which is a common problem with official crenelations, too, and the island base should maybe be built with plates, with the bottom ones in dark tan to keep the theme of the rocks(though this is the best island I've seen to date). You could also spread out the masonry bricks a little more to make it seem random. But these are all minor details which are compensated for by the fact you use ladders (for once, someone does it).

This whole build looks like the result of someone who read other's critics... well done if that's the case!

Edited July 5, 2023 by Horation
Needlessly repetitive

[Eggyslav]

This one looks very good! I love how clean and simple it is, just like a TLG set, but still with clever building techniques. The shape of the island is top-notch, and the litttle Imperial Outpost is also nicely done. I have no words of critique for this one, it's flawless, and I'd love to have it if it was a real set!

[LetsBrick]

19 hours ago, thewatchman said:

Well this is going to be embarrassing when I post my entry because we have built pretty much the exact same thing minus a tiny few “gimmicks” on mine. 
 So I guess my review is that it’s the best so far… could just use a few gimmicks :p

Haha, you've got me curious now. I want to see now yours when its done.

What do you mean by gimmicks?
Like play features? The removable cannon is kind the only one I have, maybe the fact that the cannon can rotate on horizontal plane too? I love technic but thought it would be a bit hard to squeeze any in.
If you meant minifig accessories and minibuilds, well I could try squeeze a few more in maybe, might look a bit busy though.

Quote

 no seriously though, you’ve really understood the scope of the competition brilliantly

Thanks, I really appreciate it. Look forward to seeing yours soon!

19 hours ago, F1stzz said:

Plz do, sir  This build will go INSANELY well as an expansion for 10320, it's brilliant!  The influence of the OG sets you've mentioned is clearly visible here, and considering this cool build of a kinda cutlass-shaped island (in my eyes it works better to slightly imitate the cutlass silhouette as a whole instead of building a literal sandy cutlass model, if that makes sense, lol) is named "Cutlass Reach" & has a familiar looking tower — I'd even say it's worthy to be called a "Sabre Island successor" really  If TLG revealed this model as a GWP Sabre Island reimagination or a completely new Imperial Soldiers set — I'd be sold in an instant, I kid you not  Marvellous work, m8, I'd seriously love to get the instructions for it one day 

Thanks. On retrospect this is a bit more Sabre Islandy than I planned. Never owned that set myself but know its very popular.
Here is a render without the sand (tan slopes), looks a tad more like a cutlass.

[LetsBrick]

15 hours ago, GeoBrick said:

Love how you covered up the studs on the angled pieces on the cannon part of the rampart.
The only drawback I can think of is that's a very angular build, and then you have those two rounded windows in the tower. My gut feeling is that they clash with the overall view of the build, at least with the bottom ones.

Hmm, now I look at it I agree. Here are some alternatives:

Original - How it currently is

Angled - Angled windows makes it slightly more aggressive with minimal changes

Faceted - Using facted bricks it fits the same asthetic as the cannon area. Plus a tiny bit of extra space, managed to fit in a barrel.
Not sure if its too much doing the topmost tower area as well.

12 hours ago, Horation said:

A perfect mix of old and new!

Theme (story)

This is a nice little outpost (and named after a feature of its island!, with a chest (for treasure and storage), a rotating gun (always annoying when the gun is locked in position by a limited space), a jail cell minus an escape feature, a pirate for conflict (initially mistook him for a soldier, maybe use a different torso, but this is really cherry-picking, since the build is the most important feature), overall the set does the job well.

Build

The colour scheme is brilliant, with enough yellow for my taste, and a few nice touches of dark red. The fact that you actually made the bottom rocks dark grey adds to the accuracy of the set. The BURP is so well hidden that I wouldn't have known it was there if you hadn't shown it yourself.

Now the windows do look awkward (please make the bottom straight, since they currently look like enlarged eggs), the crenelations are too low, which is a common problem with official crenelations, too, and the island base should maybe be built with plates, with the bottom ones in dark tan to keep the theme of the rocks(though this is the best island I've seen to date). You could also spread out the masonry bricks a little more to make it seem random. But these are all minor details which are compensated for by the fact you use ladders (for once, someone does it).

This whole build looks like the result of someone who read other's critics... well done if that's the case!

Thank you, I appreciate you noticing  the effort I put in.

I'll take your comment for the pirate torso on board and will change it for any future renders.

See my other comment regarding the windows. I agree the curved pieces don't match the rest of the asthetic. Let me know which of the other two looks better.

I'm probably not going to change the crenelations. I know they're too low, but I feel lego (especially offical sets) take some liberties with realism for the sake of art/beauty.

My favourite island building technique is dark tan plates (or tiles) and then tan plates on multiple layers. I think it looks most realistic. However I don't think TLG would ever do that for an official set. The technique I used of sloped tan pieces is straight from the new Eldorado Fortress (10320)/Beach Amusement Park (41737), which I felt was fitting.

Thanks again for all the feedback, it's really appreciated.

[LetsBrick]

3 hours ago, Eggyslav said:

This one looks very good! I love how clean and simple it is, just like a TLG set, but still with clever building techniques. The shape of the island is top-notch, and the litttle Imperial Outpost is also nicely done. I have no words of critique for this one, it's flawless, and I'd love to have it if it was a real set!

Thank so much, I really appreciate it.

[F1stzz]

1 hour ago, LetsBrick said:

Thanks. On retrospect this is a bit more Sabre Islandy than I planned.

It's kind of a perfect blend between the fundamental ideas of the Broadside's Brig, Cannon Cove & Sabre Island   For real, Cutlass Reach is essentially a cool playset to have many bits of all the features previously included in the aforementioned classics mixed in ideal proportions 

2 hours ago, LetsBrick said:

Here is a render without the sand (tan slopes), looks a tad more like a cutlass.

Oh, lovely  Awesome stuff indeed 

[Horation]

1 hour ago, LetsBrick said:

I'm probably not going to change the crenelations. I know they're too low, but I feel lego (especially offical sets) take some liberties with realism for the sake of art/beauty.

My favourite island building technique is dark tan plates (or tiles) and then tan plates on multiple layers. I think it looks most realistic. However I don't think TLG would ever do that for an official set. The technique I used of sloped tan pieces is straight from the new Eldorado Fortress (10320)/Beach Amusement Park (41737), which I felt was fitting.

Thanks again for all the feedback, it's really appreciated.

I understand for the crenelations, and again the sand looks great. Personally I'd prefer the angled window, since it still has some red on it. 

 

[iragm]

Those windows are amazing!  Your use of color (dark on the bottom, light on the top, as well as balancing the overall color palette) is the best I've seen in this contest.

I would go the other direction with this: rather than making the windows square (which is way worse that the curved ones you originally had), make the area under the cannon rounded.  It would contrast very nicely with the rough/square rocks.

Also, very nice work matching the design language of the new Eldorado.  Excellent job overall!

[F1stzz]

2 hours ago, iragm said:

I would go the other direction with this: rather than making the windows square (which is way worse that the curved ones you originally had)...

Why not opt for both, actually? Let's give it a thought: if we keep the upper arch in combination with the °45 2x1 slopes on the bottom — we're actually getting the signature Eldorado Fortress teardrop-shaped windows  That would've been a pretty cool little homage to the 6276, what do you think?

[iragm]

5 minutes ago, F1stzz said:

That would've been a pretty cool little homage to the 6276, what do you think?

Yeah, it would be neat (and it's kind of a shame that the remake tosses that pattern out the, uh, window) but that technique would remove the excellent use of the inverted curves forming the bottom of an oval window.  It's not something I've seen before, and I *really* like the look of it.

[F1stzz]

1 minute ago, iragm said:

That technique would remove the excellent use of the inverted curves forming the bottom of an oval window.  It's not something I've seen before, and I *really* like the look of it.

So do I, and I don't quite understand why there's necessarily a need to make the windows as squarish as some of the other parts of this build, but considering the convo has already went this way — I see keeping a little of both suggestions actually being a nice consensus 

[_R_R_]

I think you already won the contest my friend, I love how you combined your two favorite classic sets as well into an awesome build with great features, well done! 

[LetsBrick]

15 hours ago, Horation said:

Personally I'd prefer the angled window, since it still has some red on it. 

 

Check out the updated windows below and let me know what you think.

14 hours ago, iragm said:

I would go the other direction with this: rather than making the windows square (which is way worse that the curved ones you originally had), make the area under the cannon rounded.  It would contrast very nicely with the rough/square rocks.

I kind if like the angles on the cannon, feels very 90s lego pirates to me. Check out new pics below for a compromise.

11 hours ago, F1stzz said:

Why not opt for both, actually? Let's give it a thought: if we keep the upper arch in combination with the °45 2x1 slopes on the bottom — we're actually getting the signature Eldorado Fortress teardrop-shaped windows  That would've been a pretty cool little homage to the 6276, what do you think?

I feel this is one if those things where you can't please everyone. Let me know what you think of the updated design below.

NEW WINDOW DESIGN:

 

[F1stzz]

5 hours ago, LetsBrick said:

NEW WINDOW DESIGN

Perfect in terms of space utilisation & just goes really well overall with the rest of the build  

[iragm]

This latest update is fantastic and quite consistent with the rest of the style of the build.  I'm saddened to lose those amazing oval windows, but yes, it really does feel like an official set, and a great homage to an 80s pirate set now.  Great work!

[Horation]

A much improved variant, I quite like the modification and the better use of masonry bricks. I'll admit it would have been nice to get the traditional windows, but updates require such sacrifices for the sake of looks (and considering how much F1stzz doesn't like the new Eldorado because it is too similar to the original, I don't think he'll mind all that much).

[F1stzz]

4 minutes ago, Horation said:

(and considering how much F1stzz doesn't like the new Eldorado because it is too similar to the original, I don't think he'll mind all that much)

I'd like to ask the guy how does he like me living rent-free in his head, but he said I'm ignored

Anyway, the initial build was merely perfection — and the latest update landed on the same spot  Seriously rooting for this one to take it all 

[GeoBrick]

Definitely dig your new window design, LetsBrick. The build now feels like one part transits harmonically into the other.

[LucSoleBricks]

I'm a big fan of this! Really cool to see some rocks combined with the main structure

[Rogue Redcoat]

My first thoughts are that the island shape is very clever, the colors are nice and they build a solid set. The only things I will suggest are updating the minifigs, and adding just a little less yellow on the bottom. Anyway, Happy building :)

[LetsBrick]

14 hours ago, Rogue Redcoat said:

My first thoughts are that the island shape is very clever, the colors are nice and they build a solid set. The only things I will suggest are updating the minifigs, and adding just a little less yellow on the bottom. Anyway, Happy building :)

Thanks on the island shape, spent ages moving pieces back and forth trying to get it right. When I build in real life I'll use better minifigs but options are limited in digital (from what I can see).