Favorite Adventure Boat

[WesternOutlaw]

Johny Thunder and fellow adventurers travel through the dangerous rivers and waters of the jungles, deserts, islands, and Orient. To do so, they must rely on sturdy ships, swift boats, and makeshift rafts, and may event encounter an enemy aboard another vessel. Of these adventure boats, what is your favorite?

[Sting]

Great subject by the way! You'll have to do a plane one in a few weeks! Holy hard choice! I am stuck between 3 of them...

My initial choice would be 5976 The River Expedition. Its big and has a cool deck.

But I love the idea of a huge Cargo Ship, something like in King Kong, like in 5975 T-Rex Transport... although it could have been made better in my opinion. Definately should have been more like 6542 Launch & Load Seaport's cargo ship... it needed a better bridge.

But 7410 is VERY well done for the tiny size. I would have liked it to be a little bigger actually... a small little steam boat with a little more room for Johnny to Move around.

My vote will go to the River Expedition. I also really like the mast on it.

The Emperors ship is also very cool, but I am voting for my favourite ADVENTURER vote... and the Emperors ship definately feels more Castle/Pirate too me!.

[Mister Phes]

I must say Adventurer's strong point was not aquatic transportatopm... I think the majority of them look quite dismal and lack any substance. The larger ones aren't very inspiring either, they seem to be a hull piece with a strange ajoining structure which doesn't really resemble a ship.

However, the exception would have to be 7416 Emperor's Ship as some thought has been put into its creation. The hull has been built up with carefully selected slopes to give the vessel a nice sleek appearance and the red works well with the black and tan elements. A sail has even been designed for the ship giving it a greater sense of completion wheras its counterparts in other sets look like a mere after thought of what can be done with a few pieces.

So 7416 Emperor's Ship gets my vote by far.

[WesternOutlaw]

I'm really between two vessels, the boat in River Expedition and the Emperor's Ship. Of the two ships, I vote for River Expedition because it is more an Adventure boat. I like the overall look of the boat, esp. the mast and both below and above deck (steering) areas. I like the way the top easily removes from the lower deck for "playability". The chains, port and starboard lights, steam stack, and gauges add some nice detail to the ship.

The Emperor's ship is a very nice model as well (this was close for me). I esp. like the colors, secret cargo compartment, and the Emperor's guard figs.

The little boat in 7410, Jungle River is a great little boat, nicely designed with a lot of detail for a small little set (plus it came with a croc). And for a very small set, Mike's Swamp Boat is among my favorites for just a few pieces (and Mike's a neat fig with his slingshot torso).

I liked the concept behind 5975 T-Rex Transport, the ship is long, but not very detailed. The Dino Island sets just weren't very good.

Maybe I'll do a pic review sometime of River Expedition and the Emperor's Ship as a "Blast from the Past".

[xwingyoda]

He he, another tough poll by Brickster ;-)

I have difficulties choosing from the two I have.

First there is the small Jungle River boat. I love this small set ! The design is really neat with his chimney and old fashion cokpit and the place for the front crate.

But it faces the wonderfull Emperor's ship (I just love the Chinese sets !!). I love its sail, and colour pattern. Plus you have fantastic MFs !!

I will vote for the Jungle River for the same reason as Brickster (I will just quote him hehe): "because it is more an Adventure boat" !!

Also it has great playability for a small price *sweet*

*yoda*

[Akkhraziel]

I went with the Emporer's ship. i always loved the design, and the fact it has jingasa/rice hats for the mf's.

Hmmm...this means I'm agreeing with Phes.

I think I just heard the 477th seal of the apocalypse open.

Akkh

[WesternOutlaw]

Lock him in the Stockade with the rest of them scurvy pirates!

I agree with him as well regarding the +s of the Emperor's Ship but disagree in regard to his comment about most of the other ships looking dismal. They just don't have sails like those rat-infested pirate ships he use to.

[Brick Miner]

the river expedition is quite a good set with great minifigs, and lots of conflict and adventures to playout, the boat included is no exception.

the emperers ship doesn't seam like an adventures set to me... it just dosen't fit with the theme. i always felt that the orient expedition should have been more like the desert theme... where the adventurers go and research old forgotten civilitations... even the jungle theme played on this well, as johnny went and discovered the ancient mayans.

emperors ship and dragoon fortress seem more like they fit in the ninja theme somewhere. even the dragon fortress seems more like a castle set than an adventures set, therefore fitting into the ninja theme (a castle subtheme).

let me explain...

the orient expedition (and most definitely the emperors ship) are more like the civilization is still alive, and some how johnny went back into time to confront this ancient culture. they didn't really play up the discovering ancient ruins like in the desert and jungle themes.

here is a good way to breat it down...

their are three forces in the adventures themes... one is the good guys (johnny thunder, dr. lightning, gail storm, harry cane... so forth). then there is the bad guys (sam sinister, max villano, ect.). then there is the natural element force (hotep, achu, dinosaurs, or the emperor).

the good guys vs. the bad guys play out very well in the desert, jungle, and even the dino themes... the good archeologiest discover the ancient culture and its riches by battling the natural forces that protect them (hotep, achu, snakes, scorpions, the very terrain itself), while the bad archeologiest try to capture the riches from the good guys, and try to work against their efforts. all the while getting plundered by the natural forces.

well, in the orient expedition, the natural forces kinda out rule the bad archeologies. its kinda like the bad guys aren't even needed, cause the natural forces are so much more prominate (the yeti, tygurah, jun-chi, emperor, etc...)

well anyway, i never like the dragon fortress, or the emperors ship for that reason... i felt they strayed to far from the original concept of the adventures... and i really like the indiana jones rip off theme !!! it had so many facets (the three forces, good, bad, and natural), with so much conflict, and lots of adventure to play out.

i honestly thought the villians in the jungle theme were the best of all the adventures themes. that is the reason i voted for river expedition 5976 - brick miner

[WesternOutlaw]

Interesting points Brick Miner. I can't say that I disagree with you regarding the Chinese sets fitting in well with the Ninja theme, esp. the Fortress and the Ship. In fact, when I first bought the Emperor's Ship, I pulled out 3050 Shanghai Surprise to create a battle. The Emperor's Ship is one of my personal favorites of the Orient Expedition sets. It's a great ship.

But I think both sets were great additions to the Orient Expedition Adventurers theme and the Dragon Fortress an awesome set as well!

[Sting]

I liked the concept behind 5975 T-Rex Transport, the ship is long, but not very detailed. The Dino Island sets just weren't very good.

The T-Rex Transport Ship would be amazing if it had more detail and was like the big Nautical Town Sea Port sets... except retrofitted to the 1930s style and with a huge dinosaur. This idea made me think a KING KONG Lego Theme would be INCREDIBLY cool - think about it, we would have dinosaurs, 1930's vehicles, perhaps the bi-planes and if lego found a way to pull it off - an Empire State Building to minifig scale (lol, impossible, but even if they did just the top portion of it - now that would be cool!).

I disagree about the Dino Island sets. Some were crap (the glider, the big base), but I thought the 5935 Island Hopper(I have 2!), 5920 Island Racer(great 30's style racecar), 5934 Trackmaster (cool looking tank-kind of thing, at least from pictures... i don't own it :(), and 5975 T-Rex Transport(the boat at least) were all pretty cool sets! You also mentioned you liked Mike's Swamp boat. It had alot of potential and could have been better, but it still isn't bad! The Dino Research Compound and the All-Terrain Trapper sets were garbage, but 2 bad sets out of 15 sets(2 for 7 if you don't count promotional sets) is actually a good number!

Maybe I'll do a pic review sometime of River Expedition and the Emperor's Ship as a "Blast from the Past".

yes Brickster! You definately should. I would love to see these reviewed... as I long for both of them...

[WesternOutlaw]

yes Brickster! You definately should. I would love to see these reviewed... as I long for both of them...

Just posted a pic review of the Emperor's Ship

[Sir Dillon]

I voted for the Emperor's Ship, because it's a neat ship, for decenly cheap. Plus it can be used for either castle or pirates too. X-D

[WesternOutlaw]

Here's a pic review of the Emperor's Ship. It is a great set!

[Mister Phes]

Yes, and its won the poll at 5 votes! Unless someone else should vote for something else and then things could be looking bad for the Emperor. That evil Sith Lord. No wait! Wrong theme!