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Hello Lotus, James Bond and Speed Champions fans, The Lotus Esprit S1 is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 1978 at their Hethel, England factory. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and it was featured in the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, where a car famously converted into a submarine after a road chase. The car used in the underwater scenes is nick-named "Wet Nellie". Building instructions are available on the following link: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-178962/_TLG_/lotus-esprit-s1-007-james-bond-submarine-conversion It is a studless build in the new, 8 studs wide Speed Champions style. I wanted to create a clean model which is as accurate as possible in this small scale. I prefer the brick built solutions to keep the flexibility of the used parts in further builds, and therefore only two vehicle registration plate stickers are used. My intent was to keep the width-length-height ratio of the real car and this size makes it possible. The model contains lots of details: for example the black stripes on the sides, door handles, detailed tail lights etc.. Maybe the most challenging one was the front and the front bumper with brick built headlights. I tried to fill every unnecessary gaps and therefore some tricky build techniques are used. The car can be converted to submarine. The model has space for two minifigures with helmets or small hairs. Thanks for visiting, _TLG_ Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 01 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 02 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 03 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 04 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 05 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 06 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 07 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 08 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 09 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 10 by László Torma, on Flickr Lotus Esprit S1 - James Bond - Instructions 11 by László Torma, on Flickr
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Hi, guys! I know that, there is February yet and we're before March release, but let's start new topic! So, at first I want to say that 2023 wave is amazing. New brand, new mudguards, new windscreens! Whoah! And there are my speculation/cars I want to see in Speed Champions 2024: ~ Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 ~ Porsche Taycan ~ Audi e-tron GT ~ BMW M6 ~ BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M3 1991 ~ Ferrari 499p LMH ~ Ford Focus RS 2021 ~ Honda Civic Type R ~ Cadillac LMDH What do you think about my cars? What cars would you like to see? Show your speculation/wishlist.
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Hello everyone! Maybe it's too early, but let it happen. What do you think of the Speed Champions series in 2022? Do you think it will disappear or continue, or will it be under a different name? Anyway, personally, I think they will stay with us for a long time (after all, they have made specially new wheels for 2021). It seems to me that there is a good chance to see in 2022 in the SC series such cars: - BMW M8 (maybe GTE) - Pagani Zonda or Huayra - Ferrari - some F1 car - due to Toyota license can Toyota gr010 (hypercar) - maybe some cars from the DTM or VASC series Post comments about what you think.
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This year, LEGO has added British car manufacturer Lotus to its roster of car brand licenses! The first car we get from this brand is the Evija, Lotus' first electric sports car. It's good to see TLG highlighting more eco-friendly vehicles such as this considering the state of the environment right now. It's quite ironic that they are doing so in a plastic toy, but the sentiment is still appreciated. Is this newcomer a worthy addition to the theme or will it be left in the dust by the other car brands? Buckle up and let's find out! Set Number: 76907 Name: Lotus Evija Theme: Speed Champions Year of Release: 2022 Ages: 8+ Pieces: 247 Price: £17.99 / $19.99 / 19.99€ Online Shop description: The Box The box art on the front of the box shows the Evija driving away from the Goodwood House, an estate in England that serves as the venue for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I can't think of a more fitting scene for a British Speed Champions car, so kudos to the box designer for this neat detail! The back shows a lovely rear view of the car driving down a country road during fall (or should I say autumn?). There is also a close-up of one of the headlights and some concept art of the Evija that this set is based on. The top, the bottom, and the sides of the box are similar to those on the Ferrari 512's box, so there is not much more to say about it. I'm not gonna deeplink all the pictures every time to avoid repetition and save time. These sets are all about speed after all! Contents Inside the box there are two numbered bags, a small bag with wheel covers, a loose car base, a sticker sheet, and one instruction booklet. Instructions Despite all the dark colored parts, the instructions are fairly easy to read. Like all instructions this year, they have the gray progress bar at the bottom and an explosion of stars at the end of the build of the minifig and the car. I'm beginning to wonder if LEGO hired Michael Bay to direct the instructions for this year. Notable Parts You may have wondered why they showed a close-up of a headlight on the back of the box. The reason for that is likely because not only are the headlights printed, but they are on a brand new mold! This wave of Speed Champions introduces 2x3x1 wedges which in this set come in dark green. The fact that the headlights are printed is both good and bad since it means that you don't have to apply more stickers, but it also means that it makes these cool new parts less versatile. The windscreens are also printed and the hexagonal windscreen that serves as the rear window comes in trans-black for only the second time. We get several parts in dark green for the first time here such as a snowboard, tall fenders, 3x4 wedges, 1x2 brackets, triangle tiles, as well as 1x2 tiles which haven't been seen in dark green since the Clone Turbo Tank in 2005/2006 and a Creator crocodile in 2010! There are other parts in rare colors like a 1x3 jumper plate and Mixel joint sockets in dark gray. The latter has appeared in several sets before, but compared to the hundreds of sets where it comes light gray, it's relatively uncommon. I really don't understand why they don't make these joints in more colors. The wheels and hubcaps in this set are also rare as they are the new style that was introduced last year with the tire molded onto the wheel and 9 spokes on the hubcaps. Both are pearl dark gray which is a color they only appeared in two other sets in. Minifigs As usual, there is one driver minifig included in the set. I like to call him Bob since he remind me of fellow EB reviewer @Bob De Quatre. Bob sports an excellent new Lotus-branded racing suit. It is very nicely detailed with a Lotus logo on the chest and a silver spiderweb pattern going down all the way to his legs and onto his back. I did a Google search, but I couldn't find a suit that looks quite like it, so I'm not sure if it is based on any real suit. If you know if it is, let me know in the comments. It's a bit of a shame the helmet isn't dark green as well, but the black still fits with the Lotus color scheme. The head and hair are as generic as all Speed Champions heads, but that's more excusable here than in the Ferrari since this set isn't based on one particular car driven by a specific person. He comes with a wrench to help him change out the hubcaps if so desired. The Build The build of the Evija is a bit more standard than that of the Ferrari as it uses the usual Speed Champions car base, but that doesn't mean it's boring. In the contrary, the tail section especially has a lot of sideways and even upside down building techniques. The use of the snowboard as the spoiler is pretty clever, although Bob seems to prefer using it as an actual snowboard. Spare Parts At the end of the build, you are left with the usual small bits, plus the extra set of 5-spoke hubcaps. The Complete Set The finished hypercar looks great with its dark green and yellow color scheme and expertly shaped body. I couldn't find the concept art with the green and yellow paint job that the designers were using as reference, so here is a yellow Evija for comparison. The car has a lot of curves and organic shapes and the designers did a reasonably good job of recreating them with bricks. The new headlight wedges look great on the front of the car. The upside down bumper with the little 1x2 gap is also pretty cool. The Lotus Evija has very unique taillights which are basically two giant holes in the back of the car with glowing outlines. Here is a reference image of the rear of the car with the spoiler retracted. Huge props to the designers for taking on the ambitious task of trying to recreate such an organic shape using bricks instead of just using stickers. The result doesn't look quite accurate as the lights have a much more angular shape and don't go all the way around the holes which are represented by a dark gap, but I think it's about as good as they could make it and it exhibits some excellent shaping techniques. I love me a well-shaped rear. A car rear, I mean. Get your head out of the gutter! The large air intakes on the doors of the Evija are recreated nicely using a variety of wedges and tiles. While the use of the snowboard as the spoiler is NPU, having it upside down exposes the rough underside of the snowboard which doesn't look very good in my opinion. The exposed studs above the mudguards also ruin the the smooth look of the car a bit. Also, the dark green 1x2 tiles are a slightly darker shade of green than the other parts which is disappointing. Maybe that's why they haven't made that piece in this color in over a decade. On a brighter note, while the stickers were a pain to apply, the dynamic lines that they add to the top of the car look undeniably great. You can seat the minifig inside by removing the windscreen. Bob can fit comfortably into the car and a sticker on the center console adds some nicely detailed button designs. Ratings Design: 8/10 A cool-looking and reasonably close recreation of an ambitious vehicle design with some great shaping. Only the spoiler and exposed studs make it look a bit rough. Build: 8/10 The build starts out basic, but ends up having lots of interesting techniques. Playability: 5/10 You can roll the car around and seat the minifig inside. Figures: 8/10 A great new Lotus racing suit, but with the usual generic head. Parts: 8/10 New wedge molds and several new and rare recolors, plus plenty of dark green! The color inconsistency on the latter is disappointing though. Price: 9/10 Not as good of a value as the Ferrari, but 247 parts for 20 bucks is still a good deal! Overall: 8/10 It is quickly becoming clear to me that the Speed Champions sets are not to be underestimated when it comes to the build. I never would have thought that an official set of a complexly shaped car such as the Evija would turn out looking this good at such a small scale! If you want to experience the advanced building techniques of the large 18+ sets in an affordable $20 set, this is one to pick up. Thanks for reading and thanks to TLG for sending me this set for review. What do you think of the set? Let me know in the comments and in the poll above. The set will release on March 1, 2022: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lotus-evija-76907 In my next Speed Champions review, we're going back to the groovy 70's again!
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Previously: Jack hatches a plan With Jack's plan finalized, he and Kate passed the word to other prisoners. The Lotii guards had become complacent watching over their Halosian prisoners for so long, and the number used to guard them and their diligence in their duty had waned. When an opportunity finally presented itself, the prisoners overwhelmed their guards, secured the keys to release their incarcerated brethren, and acquired whatever makeshift weapons they could. Some were able to get their hands on swords and knives, but others had to settle for pick axes and hand axes from their work site, and even a meat cleaver from a Lotii cook. Once free of their shackles and armed, the prisoners made their way through the jungle toward the harbor. Jack and Kate had assembled a group of enough able-bodied seamen to commandeer at least five ships, and there were no guards to speak of around them. Jack had his eye on a man-o-war, and there were several brigantines or similar ships docked adjacent to it. And the ships didn’t appear to have been stripped of essential materiel. Could he be so lucky? --- I would have liked to have time to MOC the overpowering of the guards, but real life interceded. This build at least gave me a chance to experiment with some different foliage than my usual builds. And this serves as a sistership build, replacing the Wolf (and subsequent sisterships Wolf II and Fenris Ranger) with its newest sistership El Lobo. All C&C welcome.
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Seawatch, El Oleonda, February 622 After days of heavy tropical rain, the sun was finally high in the sky. With the warm weather, the luxuriant vegetation, and the parrots singing, the day seemed perfect for a picnic outside the town, apart from a little detail... the Lotii army besieging Seawatch! The enemies were less than a mile far, but everything was weirdly calm. The attack, however, could begin at any moment... in an hour or in a week, the enemy troops could have been right there, trying to storm the outer defenses of Seawatch. The defenders of Seawatch were ready to face them, musket in hand. They would have held that advanced position as long as they could, then they would have retreated to the second defensive line: those positions outside the city were precarious, but still allowed to keep the enemy cannons far enough from the city. Carnite soldiers and civilian volunteers were fortifying a small abandoned farm outside Seawatch: placing a few wooden spikes in a choke point required minutes, but could stop the charge of a whole cavalry company. Reinforcing the small garrison with conscripted civilians, however, had some downsides: some were undisciplined but brave, while others had clearly never held a musket before. A small group of Oleonese "merchants", coming from Fort Arltrees, had reached Seawatch right before the siege and was coordinating the defenders in the outer positions. Curiously, their leader seemed strangely expert about urban fights and irregular warfare. When asked, he always mumbled something about having fought in Charlatan Bay and quickly changed the topic. This was likely false, but the Carnite officers didn't actually care, since his suggestions were helping to keep the Lotii out of Seawatch. At that very moment, the "leader of the merchants" was discussing with a Carnite officer where to bury some gunpowder barrels to create a fougasse, using those very barrels as an improvised tactical table. His real name was Emmanuel Perrault, and he was an officer of the Oleonese military intelligence... but, there in Seawatch, he was Luc Delacroix, an Oleonese merchant trapped with his partners by the Lotii siege. He had had worse aliases, but it was still strange thinking that he would have received a medal -or he would have been buried- with a false name. He rolled the map and walked to another position, yelling orders to the militiamen... there was no time for sentimentalisms, as Emmanuel Perrault or as Luc Delacroix, he still had a siege to win! Overall view I hope you like my build! As a side note, I'm using it to introduce a secondary character, Emmanuel Perrault... I don't know when I'll use him again, but I wanted to have someone (more sacrificable than my main characters) in the besieged Carnite city. PS: After taking the photos and dismantling the build I realized that one of the muskets was chewed by one of my cats... nice!
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Since July of 620, Jack and Kate have been the prisoners of the Lotii on the island of El Oleonda, initially forced to work in a textile mill in Oryant. They briefly escaped in April of 621 and stole a small junk, but were quickly recaptured. Since then they have been put to hard labor in Luyang. But nearly 20 months of captivity have not dimmed Jack’s hopes. “I swear they gave us this view of the harbour to torture us,” lamented Jack. “I don’t think they’ve giv’n us that much thought, Luv,” replied Kate. Jack was strangely silent in response. Something had caught his eye. “What is it, luv?” queried Kate. “I can see the Nightwing!” “Our ship? Maybe they are trying to torture us!” exclaimed Kate. “Yes, our Nightwing. They’ve captured a fair number of Halosian ships. We know that from all our fellow prisoners.” The wheels were turning in Jack’s head. “And they don’t appear to have merged many of the Halosian ships with their own patrols. They must not like working with what they consider to be strange rigging. But I can see several brigs, and even a man-o-war down there, that they never sail out.” “What of it?” sighed Kate. “We have the men to sail them!” declared Jack. “If we can pass the word among the prisoners and effect an escape, instead of trying to sail away on a small junk, we could sail out of here with a war fleet under our command. We’d have more than a fighting chance to get out of here for good!” Kate perked up. “Just get me a blade and I’ll cut us a path through the guards to those ships.” The wheels in Jack's head continued to turn. “Hmmm, yes dear, I’m working on that…” To be continued. --- Making another attempt this MRCA to get Jack and Kate out of captivity, and using this as the required build to sistership the Nightwing. All C&C welcome.
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The Battle for El Oleonda - Era II, Challenge III - RESULTS POSTED
Capt Wolf posted a topic in Brethren of the Brick Seas
The history of the colonisation of Terra Nova has so far been dominated by nations of the Madrice Peninsular who sail southeast from their homelands into the resource rich archipelagos of the new world. As the Mardician nations push ever eastward into the New Haven Sea, however; it has become clear that they are not the only the only nations to be exploring and colonising the new world. The nation of Carno was a latecomer to colonisation and Carnite planners felt they missed the prime locations in both the Sea of Thieves and Prio Sea. Thus Carno has pioneered Mardician exploration of the New Haven Sea area. From the first Carnite settlement of Neustadt on the island known to colonial planners as number eleven, Carnite presence has expanded onto the large island known as El Oleonda on which it is rumoured huge riches can be found. It wasn't long before Carnite pioneers realised they weren't the only ones with their eyes on El Oleondas wealth. Skirmishes broke out in the jungles between Carnite settlers and a strange people who appeared to be southern Halosian in appearance. Large ocean-going junks began to raid Carnite shipping and settlements. It was soon revealed these newcomers were from the Kingdom of the Lotus. Not much is known about the large southern Halosian empire and it is thought that Lotii explorers discovered the New Haven sea area by travelling northeast of their homelands. Soon El Oleonda and its surrounds were in a state of all out war. Even the nearby Corlander settlement of Spudkirk was raided by the Lotii! The hard pressed Carnites have called for their Madrician neighbours to assist them in their struggle driving the southerners out of the New Haven Sea. Will you answer their call? Political Map of the New Haven Sea: It is rumoured that Carno has at least two settlements on the western side of El Oleonda and the Lotii have at least three; one quite large, on the Eastern side of the island. This challenge consists of 5 categories: A. The Kingdom of the Lotus B. The Mysteries of El Oleonda C. First Encounter with the Tyree’De D. Action on the High Seas E. Mercenaries Needed Note that category D has an optional t-MRCA component, resulting in twice as many prizes. See below for category descriptions and deadlines. All entries must be linked in this thread. Clearly identify what category an entry is for. Scoring Criteria: Judges will score each entry on the following criteria: Build (score out of 10) - emphasis on quality. Doesn't necessary have to be complex, but higher scoring builds will show obvious effort. Story (score out of 5) - does the build fit the challenge story requirements? High scoring builds will have a well written and interesting story. Presentation (score out of 5) - Considerations include: photography, colour palette, base/borders Individual prizes awarded for each category as follows: - 1st Place individual: x1 free large property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 5 ship license (micro build required for activation) - 2nd Place individual: x1 free medium property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 4 ship license (micro build required for activation) - 3rd Place individual: x1 free small property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 3 ship license (micro build required for activation) Faction prizes will be based on a calculation that includes participation and quality of builds from each category and individual category wins: - 1st Place faction: First choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. (at the end of the challenge, a choice of islands will be set by the court). The settlement will start with the following properties: x3 small residences, x3 small artisans, x3 small commerce and x3 small factories (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 2nd Place faction: Second choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with the following properties: x2 small residences, x2 small artisans, x2 small commerce and x2 small factories (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 3rd Place faction: Third choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with the following properties: x1 small residence, x1 small artisan, x1 small commerce and x1 small factory (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 4th Place faction: Fourth choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with 1 small property (microbuild needed to activate). FINAL RESULTS HERE Category A: The Kingdom of the Lotus Not much is known in Northern Halos of the Kingdom of the Lotus, but they are one of the major empires of Southern Halos. By land, one must pass through the Mokolei Empire and the Forbidden Kingdoms. By sea, not only does the great expanse of the Drolitic Ocean separate the nations of Northern Halos from the southern part of the continent, but one must travel around the horn to the great Southern Ocean before encountering their kingdom. So what is the Kingdom of the Lotus like? Builders should show a scene depicting some aspect of Lotii culture (architecture, dress, customs, social interaction, etc.). Builds should be located within the Kingdom of the Lotus and may be based on rumours your characters in the Brick Seas have heard. The Kingdom of the Lotus is roughly based on real-word East Asian cultures and previous depictions have taken inspiration from both China and Japan. Size: 32 x 32 max Due Date: Sunday 22nd March 2020 Cat A Results Category B: The Mysteries of El Oleonda The New Haven Sea has not revealed many of her secrets yet. With four large islands and 17 smaller ones, there is much to explore. But what have Carno and Lotus found on El Oleonda that is worth fighting for? The fountain of youth? Gold or other mineral wealth? Gardens resplendent with fruit and other foodstuffs? Perhaps knowledge left behind by a lost civilization? Myths of a once great native civilization ruling over multiple islands are common amongst natives in the Brick Seas, and indeed ruins have been found in many locations hinting at some truth to these legends. Or is El Oleonda’s value in something else entirely? Builders should show a feature of the island worth fighting for by the combatants. Size: 32x32 max Due Date: Sunday 12th April Tuesday 14th April Friday 17 April 2020 Index of Cat B Builds Category C: First Encounter with the Tyree’De Ever since the Halosian nations began to explore the seas, they have encountered many indigenous peoples, and similar encounters have occurred in the New Haven Sea. Reports from both Carno and The Kingdom of the Lotus describe visitors in large canoes and even ships of curious design arriving at El Oleonda to trade with the Carnovians and the Lotii. These native traders are not Halosian of origin and, although they share similarities with some of the native peoples known so far, their culture appears very different. They trade in many exotic goods and wares, seemingly flush with silver and unwilling to part with their wares for mere trinkets. Instead, they are showing interest in manufactured goods, including milling equipment, metalworking and production tooling, and weapons. While they seem keen to learn Halosian ways and customs, they are much more circumspect when speaking about themselves. They refer to themselves as the Tyree’De and, when pushed about where they come from, they reply with vague answers “to the south.” Builders should show their faction’s peaceful first encounter with the Tyree’De, either in the form of Tyree’De people visiting a settlement on El Oleonda or another island in the New Haven Sea, or as an encounter with a Tyree’De vessel on the water in the New Haven Sea. Size: 24x24 max Due Date: Sunday 26th April 2020 Index of Cat C Builds Category D: Action on the High Seas With open warfare between Carno and the Kingdom of the Lotus, there is plenty of opportunity for normally law-abiding sailors to turn to privateering as a means of legal piracy to earn a handsome payday. Carno is practically giving away Letters of Marque to anyone who will help them combat the Kingdom of the Lotus in the New Haven Sea and protect their supply lines. Rumor has it the Lotii are also willing, if you can make contact with them, to authorize privateers to harass Carno shipping. Builders should show some aspect of a naval encounter in the New Haven Sea. There are two different types of entries for this category: Cat D(1) MOC only, and Cat D(2) t-MRCA result builds. 'MOC Only' entries should depict a naval encounter between Carnite and Lotii forces or their allies. 'tMRCA' entries. A tMRCA will be run in which players may accept a letter of Marque from Carno to hunt Lotii vessels. So that players may get their ships into the action quickly, ships will be allowed to be moved from their most recent destination to a new starting point in the New Haven Sea for free. Players wishing to enter in the category should submit a PM to the MRCA officials declaring their intention of entering this category and nominating their starting point. A tMRCA (potentially two) will then be run and players should MOC their tMRCA results as their entry. Rewards will be handed out for both types of entries and players may enter both sub-categories Size: unlimited (mirco builds also allowed) Due Date: Sunday 31st May 2020 28 June 2020 Note: Individual 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes awarded in both the “MOC only” and “t-MRCA result” classes. Category E: Mercenaries Needed Carno isn't just calling for help on the high seas; they also need troops on the ground on El Oleonda. Thus Carno is hiring Madrician mercenary units to help them on El Oleonda. The battlegrounds on El Oleonda cover a vast array of environments from thick verdant jungle to rolling plains and mountain highlands. Builders should depict a land battle/skirmish on the island or El Oleonda between Carno and/or their mercenary units and Lotii forces. Due Date: Sunday 31st May 2020 Size: 32x32 max -
[ESL - Ch3 - Cat D2] Not the end of the story I had imagined
Capt Wolf posted a topic in Brethren of the Brick Seas
Jack spied the three junks on the horizon. "Enemy ships south-southeast!" he yelled. "Make sail and bear directly for them! And signal the Colonial Storm!" The crew of the brig Nightwing sprang to life. The helmsman turned the ship to the ordered bearing. The mainsails were unfurled and filled with wind almost immediately. "Kate, my dear, we have them," remarked Jack to his longtime companion. "They outnumber us 3 to 2, but we have advantages in tonnage and I'm most certain we can put more shot into them then they can handle." Jack paused to take in the moment. "This will be our shining moment, a story that will be told throughout Eslandola, our conquest in the battle with the Lotus..." "Er, Jack," Kate interrupted, "I think those odds aren't what you think." "What do you mean?" he asked. Then he noticed Kate pointing at the man-o-war Colonial Storm, their squadron mate on this patrol. It had not turned to the Nightwing's new course. "What is the matter with Captain Bloenhardt? Can't he see the enemy is ours for the taking?!" "I think he's hung you out to dry, luv," replied Kate. "It's possible he caught wind of your plans to take the Colonial Storm from him when we were up north." "Nonesense, my dear. Those plans were known to only a trusted few. And had we not been ordered away from that island for this patrol, his ship would already be ours." As Jack tried furiously to signal the Colonial Storm, it tacked away to the north, leaving the Nightwing all alone. "As much as I despise Bloenhardt, I can't believe he's a coward." "I don't think he is, Jack," replied Kate. "But I think he stuck the knife in yer back before you could do the same to him." Jack slumped against the rail and took in the scene. The Lotus junks, seeing the brig separated from the man-o-war, closed in line of battle and let loose a hail of gunfire. The Lotus ships continued to pound away, encircling the Nightwing and prepared to board her. "We have lost before it even started," said Jack. "So, what are you goin' to do, luv?" asked Kate. "I must think of the men," Jack replied. "We could fight to the death, but discretion is the better part of valor. Better to strike our colors, save the crew, and live to fight another day." "If we survive captivity," muttered Kate. "This was not the end of the story I had imagined..." sighed Jack. --- A much abbreviated build due to real life constraints. I think it still illustrates the story, but I had hoped to do more. And here's a shot that has the junks in focus so you can see them a bit clearer: And here's a micro of the Nightwing that I didn't work into the official build: All C&C welcome. -
Not far from Fort Arltrees, May 620, El Oleonda Tlaloc, the native scout, was right as usual. A few broken branches, a bush cut by with a machete, some light footprints in the mud... that was enough for him: he understood that a band of Lotii was following a small Carnite patrol, and that they both were dangerously near to Fort Arltrees. After several hours of march, almost following a straight line towards the coast, the Oleander soldiers finally reached their target. Quite unsurprisingly, Tlaloc sighted them first. Tristan, by gestures, ordered his men to crouch in the tight undergrowth, and slowly crawled towards the small clearing. He already knew what he would have found... The Carnites weren't used at all to the brutal, disloyal fightings in the jungle, that was clear. Exactly as all the Madrician Nations during the first wave of colonization, they arrived in the archipelago with flamboyant uniforms and shiny armors... they expected pitched battles and glorious victories, but they found themselves trapped in a green, suffocating hell. Exactly as the other Madricians during their first battles in the New World, they were completely unprepared. They marched slowly in the undergrowth, plodding in the mud and stumbling on roots, but they couldn't find a single track of the enemies... until the enemies were all around, fast and lethal. How the Lotii had learned to fight so well in the jungle was a mystery... maybe they had found themselves in a similar situation against one of their neighbors, or simply they followed more flexible tactics, but for sure they had the upper hand in the war. Only half of their soldiers had firearms, mainly antiquate matchlocks, but they almost always prevailed in the jungle skirmishes. That day, things had gone in the usual way. The Madricians had made their camp in a dry river bed, an exposed position surrounded by thick vegetation... not a great choice, since they were taken by complete surprise during the lunch and forced to surrender. Only the officer, who was on guard, had a chance to grab his sword, but he was wounded and captured with his men. Unfortunately for them, however, the Lotii had no intention of dragging prisoners with them in their operations, and had chosen a radical solution. One of the soldiers started begging for mercy: "Wait, wait... Please don't kill me! We have found them, we have found the shipwrecks! I'll tell you everything, but don't kill me!". The Lotii laughed. Probably they didn't even understand a word, or they didn't believe him. "Shut up and die like a man!" Yelled the Carnite officer. The Lotii soldiers laughed again. Meanwhile, completely ignoring the brutal spectacle, the Lotii commander was pointing something on a map. Probably, he was planning the itinerary, looking for the next prey. Tristan had definitely seen enough. At first he wasn't so sure about attacking the Lotii band, but he couldn't just sit there and watch unharmed prisoners being slaughtered in front of his eyes. Moreover, those Lotii were dangerously near to Fort Arltrees, and he probably wouldn't have had a second chance before they noticed the settlement. With only five soldiers and a native scout, his forces were largely inferior in numbers, but Tristan had learned an important lesson during his previous campaigns, from the woods of the Varcosian border to the alleys of Charlatan Bay: if you appear out of nowhere, screaming as madmen and shooting on sight, the enemy will hardly have a chance to react, regardless the real force balance. Not exactly what instructors teach in the Royal Military Academy, but simple and quite effective. Or, at least, this was the plan... if things went wrong, Tristan wouldn't have had time to regret his mistake! Well, there was no more time to think now... Tristan gave the signal, a low whistle, and jumped forward, followed by his men. Soon, the Lotii would have learnt that some Madricians knew irregular warfare too! As they had already done in similar circumstances, the Raiders attacked the musketeers first, before they could become a real treat... ...while other soldiers ran towards the guards, blocking the execution and setting the prisoners free. The Carnites were taken by surprise too: most of the prisoners simmply ran for their lives... ...while others remained motionless, paralyzed by terror. The officer alone, probably the only veteran, attempted a reaction, trying to disarm one of the enemies. A Lotii warrior... ...and the last thing he sees! The battle was fierce but short. The Lotii fought well, but were surrounded and disorganized, and soon everything was over. Tristan Rimbaud would have had something quite interesting to write in his relation, including the exact position of the Lotii settlement and of some mysterious shipwrecks, probably the remains of the lost Lotii fleet. Moreover, he had just saved a Carnite patrol from annihilation, probably gaining some useful allies... not bad, for a tiny skirmish in the jungle! Overall view
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Tea is an important part of the Lotus culture, and many different kinds of tea are believed to have certain properties. Some are soothing, some are healing, and some are uplifting, and they are each used in different applications, often enjoyed in special tea houses. For a long time, special tea houses known derogatorily as "Tea dens" serve lightly addictive, soothing teas and allows people to relax and possibly forget their problems and concerns. The effects have always been fairly light, and tea addicts have only been a limited problem. However, as explorers returned from El Oleonda with dried leaves of a closely related bush, the Great Trading houses eyed an opportunity... Initially only found in the wild, the new species of tea bearing bush (Camellia Oleoensis) is already now being cultivated on the Eastern end of El Oleonda around the Lotus encampments, and large quantities are being shipped back to the Lotus Empire. Unfortunately, it will only grow on El Oleonda, and all attempts to cultivate it in the old world has so far failed. The resulting tea has proven to be both much more addictive and much more soothing than the Lotii variants. Users will find themselves drifting into a nothingness of forgetfulness and inner silence, as well as an extreme passivity and carelessness. In many an alleyway around the Lotus Empire and its neighbouring states, the socalled "Tea Dens" have changed dramatically. Rather than places of light entertainment and relaxation, they have now turned into refuges of oblivion and debauchery. Rumour has it the Great Trading houses are using the new substance to control the masses, and apart from racking in great quantities of silver from its users, rivaling states and factions are finding their soldiers and workers pacified by addiction, and many speculate whether control of Camellia Oleoensis will be the new power broker for the Lotus. ___________________________________________________
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While there are surely many things that are different between the peoples of northern Halos and the peoples of the Kingdom of the Lotus in southern Halos, there are also things that are the same. In a public garden in the Kingdom of the Lotus we can see these similarities between us and them. Although their language is different from ours, the architecture of the gazebo and the archway may be different than ours, and the garden's wild nature may differ from our planted gardens, the appreciation of the beauty of nature is universal, and their relationships are just like ours. We see two couples in the garden today, one young and one old. The young couple strolls hand in hand along the cobblestone path and the bridge that will take them across the babbling brook. Across the garden, they see an older couple. The older couple is in conversation ... ... and so the young couple steers clear to give the old couple some privacy, and soon they continue their walk. The young girl sits on the stone wall, and the boy offers her a bouquet of wildflowers he has picked ... ... as an offering of his devotion to her. Moving to the gazebo, the boy reveals what is on his mind today. His military unit has been called to active service, and he will soon sail to a far-away land to fight in the service of his king. But he does not want to go before he knows that his girl will be waiting for him when he returns, and so he gets down on one knee and asks her to be his wife. Surely this is a scene that plays out all across Terra in every culture. One more view of the garden: This is my entry for Category A of the challenge. I particularly enjoyed building something far more contoured than I have built before. I was afraid of the scene becoming too crowded with so many elements, but I think it worked out ok. All C&C welcome.
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[OL - Ch.III - Cat.A] Pagoda by the Lake
Kolonialbeamter posted a topic in Brethren of the Brick Seas
Pagoda by the Lake Previously: All in good Order - Prelude Next: -- Dramatis Personae: To Halosians, the Kingdom of the Lotus was still largely an enigma. That far to the South, few travellers had ever made it there - and fewer even managed their way back to tell the tale. Rumour had it Lotii tended to sudden extreme outbursts of violence when offended. Others claimed there was a quota of foreigners that were eaten alive. He was relaxed though, bathing in the peaceful atmosphere here around the capital city's lake district, knowing that in fact His own agents were responsible for the spread of misleading information about the Lotii back home. And looking at the tall structure in front of Him the faint idea of a smile appeared on His face - as in Oleon decisions of importance were taken in temples. Common ground was established, everything was going as planned... My entry for category A; finished way to close to the deadline - some things just never change About: As usual, all can be built. Besides that... not that much to say here, except fortunately, there were no height restrictions. Not sure though what the Lotii seem to compensate for ---------- Thanks for watching, C&C welcome. Vive le Roi! -
[COR ChIIICatA] Great trading houses of the Lotus
Bregir posted a topic in Brethren of the Brick Seas
The Lotus Empire is characterized by complex social structures in a feudal society, where allegiances and precedence can change frequently. Political intrigue, violent rivalry, and economic ventures can change the landscape of power in an instant. However, one form of power broker is constant: The great trading houses. These powerful houses control trade, typically jealously guarding their monopolies - with arms if neccesary - and command vast silver fortunes to rival or surpass any prince or feudal lord. It would be folly for anyone to challenge the position of a great trading house, but on the other hand, they can be powerful allies to anyone with ambitions of power. Everything has a price, though... The trading houses are commanded by an almost impenetrable inner circle, the doings of which are guarded secrets. In most cases, only family or the closest trustees are invited into the sanctum of power. Around mercantile hubs, one will often see elaborate pagoda houses to rival or surpass the nobility, in which the dealings of the trading house is conducted. Rumour has it that the recent expedition to El Oleonda was instigated by direct command of the great trading houses, the exact purpose still unknown... ________________________________________________________ My entry for cat A - I am quite happy with it. The roofs where fun to build and are inspired by the Chinese new year sets. They are a bit structurally weak, and the ornaments in the corners are... rather unstable - they were the biggest challenge of the design. -
I saw this while I was looking at Vintage F1 cars to try to make. Lego Ideas Lotus 79 by Kozy . I did a model of this in Stud.io picture below. Took me ages to figure out how the front was fixed on. I like the model but I had a go at my own loosely based on his model design. Mine is 1 brick shorter and I got the side pods and rear wing 1 plate lower, which I like more as it fits better with my other vintage F1 models. I was surprised that when I finally finished my Stud.io model that I has all the bits to make it. Although not in the right colour yet. Google search for this car type. The 24307 Part the 1st plate on the side pod. As I have seen the 2018 Speed champions sets. I was thinking that the new triangle tile like on the ford fiesta rally car might be better. But they may not make it in black and I don't know it's ID number. 1st pic is the Stud.io render of the model by Kozy. 2nd n 3rd my real life as is and the finished Stud.io render. Dave
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A Lotus/Caterham 7, inspired by MOCs seen elsewhere. I think a minifig can be squeezed into the cockpit but I haven't built it yet. LDD file at my Bricksafe page.
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hey just finished a moc of the lotus esprit S1, any feedback would be great i submitted both versions to lego ideas but they turned down the Bond version i guess due to the licence there more images and angles on the ideas page, not sure if i can post it https://ideas.lego.com/projects/6c22a01d-d7fe-44a3-bf8c-fc7b4050b513
