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  1. While Jurassic Park rightly deserves a lot of credit for re-introducing audiences to the pleasures of mankind encountering living, breathing dinosaurs (before said dinosaurs eat man, leaving women to inherit the earth), let's not forget some of the earlier versions of this, including the 1925 silent movie The Lost World, based on the 1912 Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name. I bring this up mostly because the Adventurers' Dino Island subtheme, first released in 2000, has more in common with Doyle's work than Crichton's more contemporary version. And as an avid fan of both dinosaurs and turn-of-the-20th Century adventurers, this was a pretty solid third wave for one of my favorite LEGO themes. So hold onto your butts, as we explore: Info Set # - 5955 Name - All Terrain Trapper Theme/Subtheme - Adventurers/Dino Island Year - 2000 Piece Count - 185 Minifigures - 3 Price - MSRP $30 US Links Brickset, Peeron, Bricklink, Bricksafe Box 65 million years ago, I did have a box for this set in my collection. But alas, it has since been lost to the ravages of time, (otherwise known as the parents recycling it) so we'll just have to push on without it. Although for those curious, it looks like Bricklink has a listing for the box. Instructions Aside from the usual wear-and-tear, along with some postmortem contractions of the posterior neck ligaments, this is probably one of the better Adventurers instruction manuals in my collection (especially compared to my River Expedition one, yikes). The world map graphics bordering the actual set image is a great change of pace from the previous imagery around the two earlier Adventurers subthemes, suggesting Johnny Thunder and friends (along with his nemeses) are well off the beaten path here. While the background is very clearly computer-generated, I don't mind the swooshing lines for the trapper or the stationary net, which help to highlight the play features. Moving closer, we can also see a revision to the old Adventurers logo, which I'm personally not too crazy about. What was great about the first two was that it gave you everything you needed in one concise package. You had the brand-new hero for this brand-new theme in the center, along with the new wildlife molds in the border. Add in palm leaves in the background of the Jungle subtheme logo, and pyramids (plus that all-important biplane) in the Egyptian one and you've got a pretty great logo. The fact that it looked like an old-school stamp you might see on a steamer trunk or a passport didn't hurt things either. But this logo's a touch too sprawling for my tastes, even though it still gives you everything you need to know about this subtheme (namely that it has dinosaurs and Johnny Thunder). So while I'm nitpicking, it still gets the job done. Much like in previous manuals, this one also offers alternative builds, and given how this subtheme featured more blocky, less specialized pieces, it could make for a bit of a mixed bag. Fortunately there's mostly good stuff here you can create, from a nice little jeep and storage depot in the bottom-most image (even if that plane is severely lacking in controls), and a pretty good barge in the smaller image. Also, there's a fun little comic here, which helps to explain the different alternative builds, even if it's clear the two lead characters are dreaming a little bigger than what's actually possible with the pieces in the set. And for anyone who always wished they could actually build the alternative models, LEGO kindly incorporated abbreviated steps for a few of the designs, which is pretty nice. I can't remember how often I'd try replicating one of the cooler alternative builds with the earliest Star Wars sets, only to run into a wall during the attempt. As an added bonus, you also have fun infographics near the end, offering interesting facts on each Dino Island dinosaur, such as their weight, size, what they eat, and most importantly of all, which sets they came in, so, like Pokemon, you can collect them all. Moving on to the interior of the instruction manual, you can see it's a pretty basic layout, with the background vaguely continuing the atlas-like motif, with some latitude and longitude lines. The color distinction is perfect, while sub-models get call-out boxes and steps. But for those of you used to having individual piece call-outs for each step, get used to carefully looking over each image for new pieces that are added on, before doing the same with your pile of parts. Pieces As you can see, we spared no expense sorting all 185 pieces of this set. Aside from the bright yellow and red, which will mostly be covered up by the rest of the vehicle, the brightest color will be blue, which is the dominant color scheme for the villain's vehicles on Dino Island (minus one glaring exception). Plenty of green and light gray will make up foliage, while black will help round out the shaping of the Trapper. Much like how frog DNA easily slots into prehistoric dino DNA to fill the gaps, LEGO opted to use mostly generic bricks for the Dino Island subtheme, which can fit in everywhere. Similarly, the unique pieces aren't too out there, largely being quite common, although that only makes the set more attractive if you're not looking to keep it built. Take for instance the ubiquitous string net, 10x10 square. which appears in 55 sets in black, used in everything from Pirates to Ninjago. Or the plate, modified 2x2 with bar frame square, appearing in 35 sets total. The same goes for all the other pieces pictured here, which are interesting compared to the rest of the pieces in this set, but aren't too unique when you look at the bigger picture. The biggest exception to this rule might be the slope, curved 2x2x1 double with two studs and the vehicle, base 6x5x2 with two seats, both of which were introduced in the Adventurers line, but have since been incorporated in a number of other sets. Again, owing to this theme's relative simplicity in parts usage, there are no printed parts here. Fortunately, LEGO spared no expense in providing plenty of accessories for this motley crew, which is always nice. Here we have two different kinds of firearms, along with a hammer and wrench for making quick fixes to the Trapper, a crate to carry it all around, and some cooking supplies. Let's just hope they don't mind sharing utensils. Minifigures While we don't have Dodgson here, what we do get is the entire villain's team in one set, which is rather nice. From left to right we have Baron Von Barron, er, I mean Sam Sinister, his sister Alexis Sinister, and their intrepid big game hunter/guide, Mr. Cunningham, which, while not as much fun to say as Rudo Villaino, still gives you a good enough idea of his character. He's cunning! And judging by that shirt of his, he's a big fan of ham. As for the other two, Alexis Sinister is a nice way of shaking things up in the villain department, since I don't think the Adventurers theme ever had another female villain (who's apparently rather interested in getting Johnny Thunder to work with the bad guys, if the September/October 2000 issue of Mania Magazine is any indicator), and Von Barron, or rather, Sam Sinister is the quintessentially perfect pulp adventure villain. I can't really blame LEGO for re-using his character so many times (though I can blame them for changing his name), since he's got everything you need in a villain, from the snooty-looking monocle, to the nasty scar and the hook for a hand! He's honestly perfect. I decided to skip photographing the backs of the minifigures' torsos, since there's no printing there anyway, so we can move onto the real reason you'd buy this set in the year 2000: Dinosaurs! While they've made more detailed ones in the Jurassic World sets, with better articulation, these ones are still fun to have around and get the job done. Aside from the baby T-Rex which I forgot to include here, there are no predators in this set (aside from the human ones, that is), with a Stegosaurus and Triceratops making up the quarry for our nefarious trio. The Build We kick things off by building the titular Trapper, which is nicely symmetrical, and actually rather intricate. We start off with some white plates and vehicle axles... ...followed by some tiling and a few 1x1 blue round bricks. The tiles will become part of the main play feature. Add in a covering for the back, along with a propeller, and it's starting to take shape. But first, a sub-model. Here's one of the two sub-models. This piece fits over the blue tiles, which will make contact with... ...this axle brick. While the yellow and red stick out a bit, they'll mostly be covered up in the final model. So installing these two and covering them with another plate, we'll have... ...a fairly complete model! But first, after some tires are added, and... ...we get to move onto the actual trap part of this All Terrain Trapper. Using these 7 pieces, we create... ...a weighted net, which still looks the part with those 1x1 round bricks in blue. Add that to the end of Trapper, along with a chain and the cab, and... ...Behold! If you want something that'll let you get around Dino Island easily while catching said dinos, this is the vehicle you'd want. Some additional perspectives of the All Terrain Trapper. One thing you don't get from the image on the instruction manual and box is how the vehicle seems designed for amphibious use, able to drive right into a river or lake and get to the other side without getting the minifigures wet (though I wouldn't try this in real life). The propeller in the rear, along with the wedge-shaped plates help contribute to that look, while the cab, typically situated closer to the ground, is near the top of the vehicle. And those tires look like they're made for the type of rugged environment I'd imagine Dino Island to be, making this a vehicle that can traverse through a variety of different terrains, including long grass. An added bonus of this vehicle is how, unlike the jeep in Spider's Secret, there's more than enough room to place a headlight or two on here if you want, since, unless I'm mistaken, Dino Island doesn't have electricity or running water that isn't a river. Of course this group couldn't call themselves effective poachers if they only had a single trap, so we get a stationary one as well, for all the clever girls who avoid the Trapper. We start by taking the big 8x16 green brick and attaching it to two more 2x3 green bricks. The two 1x8 light gray tiles will be part of a play feature, which comes next. We start by building the mechanism that will support the net, with one 2x10 blue plate and two 1x10 light gray plates to start. Two 1x1 round bricks in blue will get added later. Speaking of, this particular brick did not hold up. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but it's a good lesson kids. Always treat your bricks gently. Fortunately I had a spare, and the part of the trap that supports the net is done. Now we move onto the platform that'll trigger the trap. Add some bricks onto the grille plate, and boom, we have a trap! Just attach it to the plate, and... ...we have trap number two! While not as striking as other booby traps in the Adventurers theme, the low profile works well for Sinister and Company's prey, especially with the camouflage on either side. Some more angles of the stationary trap. While with current parts (or even parts back then, if I'm being honest), you could probably add more camouflage to the grille plate and net, resetting it would be a pain after springing the trap, so it's fine. Last but not least, we have the actual campground for Sinister's base of operations. A 4x8 blue plate makes for a nice river, and provides some welcome change to the set's environment. So after building up a solid connection between the two baseplates with bricks and plates... ...we can get started on the campsite proper, with a barrel complete with a tap on top and a 2x2 round brick in brown, which will become a stove of sorts. So after adding a few more pieces, along with the Trapper's super-simple repair kit, and we have... A campsite, complete with Alexis Sinister and that pesky baby T-Rex I missed up above (though you tell me whether he's supposed to be an accessory or wildlife. Guess it depends on if you're in Sinister's camp or Johnny's). Some more views of the campground from different angles. Dino Research Compound this is not (for one thing, this model has a completely different name), but it's still a great addition to this set, giving our villains room to scheme and plan their next trap while enjoying fresh fish or whatever else they have on hand to eat. And there's plenty of room, which ensures all three minifigures can fit on here easily when the Trapper's engine is on the fritz. Let's just hope that they set up camp away from a game trail. And now you have the whole set, with all characters and vehicles included. As you can see, there's plenty to do here, so let's move on to the play features. Play Features Once you've built your top-of-the-line, custom vehicle designed for capturing dinos, it's only natural if the next thing you wish to do is give it a little field test. In the case of the Trapper, which capably traversed the rough terrain of my white tablecloth, we see it's encountered a rather docile Stegosaurus, caught unawares. Let's see how it does. Well, Mr. Cunningham must be a religious man, since it seems as if he got an assist from the Hand of God. Aside from outside help, you can see how the arm propped up launches the net. Once the Trapper hits a dinosaur (or a hand, wall, or pet), the front plate will be pushed in, sliding along the tiles to push the arm carrying the net up. It's pretty clever, and works wonderfully every time (although you do need to hit it like you mean it to get any kind of trajectory. Otherwise it just lands on top of the engine). Moving onto the stationary trap, we see Alexis Sinister has kindly offered to demonstrate how it works for us. By placing something on the black grille plate and pushing down... ...the net gets lifted up and falls over the quarry, leaving them a little tied up. Between the two traps, this might be the better one, since it doesn't require any finessing. Just stick something on the plate and let 'er rip. Finally, there's the campsite, which again, isn't anything noteworthy in terms of play features. But given how we get two really good ones with the other two models, having a bit of scenery where your minifigures can just hang out is nice. Although that flame under the frying pan might be a little strong if it's holding it aloft. Might want to turn that thing down, unless you like your food burned to oblivion. Final Thoughts Following my new tradition of trying to use numbers in my set reviews, let's see if I can sum this set up fairly. Pricing and Value - According to Brick Insights' statistics, which will probably be skewed a bit once this review is added to their index, the price-per-part for this set today is $0.24, an improvement over the initial price-per-part in 2000, which stood at $0.26. Overall, I'd say the value of this set is a 7/10, since you get a fair number of pieces for the price (and if Brickset is any indicator, the prices on this set used haven't gone up too much). Pieces - Sadly, this is where the set takes a hit for me (along with the other Dino Island sets), since so many of the actual parts aren't that unique. Unlike the Egyptian or Amazon subthemes, which offered a wealth of printed parts, here the only printed piece which is unique to this subtheme is a film strip tile, which is nice but a far cry from what we received in previous Adventurers subthemes. And the foliage isn't even that interesting, with all of it variations on this piece. On the other hand, you get two dinosaurs and two nets, along with some other useful, cool pieces, so it's a 7/10 for me. Design/Build - Here's a set which shows that, despite a lack of interesting or unique parts, you can still accomplish a lot with basic bricks, slopes, and plates. The design of the Trapper is fantastic, and the stationary trap is good too, while the campground has enough diversity in appearance to make it fit in with the other two models without completely disappearing. So it's a 9/10 for me, due in large part to the dedicated campsite and unique amphibious design of the Trapper. Playability - No preoccupations about whether or not I should try and trap a dinosaur with the Trapper or with the stationary trap, only that I can do so and should honestly do it more often. This set is very playable, and offers just enough accessories to give each minifigure something to hold or do. While the Trapper only seats two, you can still give the odd man out (or woman, if it's Alexis) something to do at the campsite or the stationary trap, which is great. While the net-launching feature on the Trapper doesn't always work if you aren't actively ramming the target, the rest is fine, so 8/10 for me. Verdict: All told, I'm glad life found a way to bring this set to me. While it was sacrificed at the altar of Star Wars, and later, Indiana Jones, it was a real treat to put it back together and play around with it some more. While some of the Dino Island sets are a little wonky now, especially in the surrounding environmental design, this set is a perfect balance between cool vehicles and playable terrain. Plus, if you're trying to avoid overdoing it with your LEGO purchases (preposterous, I say), this is a great set to get since it has all the villains. But again, the blocky design is a little primitive and lackluster compared to the designs of the previous two Adventurers subthemes, so the total score is a 77.5% from me. So while this isn't, say, a UNIX system, it's still a set I'd absolutely recommend picking up. Welcome...to collecting LEGO sets. Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave questions or comments below.
  2. Deep in the Sahara Desert, the villainous Sam Sinister has decided to lug a large, bulky crate in his too-small car to a mysterious lost tomb! Will he find the Pharaoh's magical Re-Gou ruby? Is the mummy's curse real? Will I be able to fit in more jokes for this review? Let's find out! Info Set # - 2996 Name - The Lost Tomb/Adventurer's Tomb Theme/Subtheme - Adventurers/Desert Year - 1998 Piece Count - 81 Minifigures - 2 Price - MSRP $8 US Links Brickset, Peeron, Bricklink, Bricksafe Box So...about that. Since I got this set used off Bricklink, no box came with it, but we'll chalk that up to digging in the wrong place. A fun footnote here is that LEGO basically chose to use the same name for an Indiana Jones set. Guess there's quite a few lost tombs in LEGO Egypt. Instructions It's just a book. No harm ever came from reading a book. Unless you're used to new instruction manuals, of course, with their neat, numbered bags and piece call-outs. Then you're in trouble. But first, the front of the manual, with the lovely background made up of reds and oranges. I always enjoyed the atmosphere of these manuals, where all the action seems to take place either at sunrise or sunset (for Sinister, let's hope it's the former, seeing how he has no flashlight or torch). While lacking in mirages that distinguish some of the larger sets' instructions, you still get some pyramids in the distance, which is nice, along with a fun little scene of Sam Sinister fleeing to his crate to get some heavier firepower to deal with the Pharaoh's Mummy and local wildlife. The back of the instruction manual continues with the gorgeous sky and harsh desert sand motif, plus a fun little box cut-out with hieroglyphic borders and two alternative models you can build with all 81 pieces. Admittedly, that's not a lot of parts to work with, so the alternative models aren't too interesting to me. Though the building facade for the larger image does have a nice look to it, and you get to see Sinister's crazy parkour skills. Inside the manual, we have more design decisions I love, including the old, cracked numbers and the papyrus-like background. Not to mention the mirage-like designs for specific call-outs, such as when you attach the door part to the hinge brick. And bordering it all are those lovely obelisk designs which, if you're willing to squint at them long enough, seem to have some Egyptian hieroglyphics etched on each one. Now that's attention to detail. And in the interest of being thorough, color distinction between parts is perfect. Pieces Maybe it wasn't Plagues of Egypt bad, but man was it annoying getting every single part lined up and organized, including the plates that will make up the base of the tomb and the car. So please take some time before you scroll past to marvel at my incredible organizational skill. Pretty impressive, eh? Now that you're done marveling, back to business. As far as interesting parts go, most of these are relatively common, but at the time, quite a few of these were a big deal. Sure, the 3x4x1 and 2/3 crate may appear in 221 sets now, but this was the first theme to introduce it. Similarly, the Vehicle Grille 1x2x2 Round Top with Lights may have appeared in 24 sets now (almost all of which were Adventurers sets), but again, for the time, it was pretty interesting to have such a unique part that would let you build an older car so quickly. Same for the two sarcophagus pieces. While the blue half has popped up in countless sets, the top half remains pretty unique, having only recently reappeared in pearl gold for three new-ish sets. The two black doors are more unique than I thought, only appearing in four sets total, compared to the 13 or so sets where they appeared in brown. While the Slope 45 2x2 Double is fairly common in black (though not compared to red), the Modified Brick 1x2x1 and 1/3 with curved top is somewhat rare in Dark Gray, unless you're one of the lucky few to own the original Chamber of Secrets set. And finally, the Mummy Headress remains very rare and unique in this form, having only appeared in 10 sets total, while the ruby is now far more common and appears in far more colors. But we'll get to that later. True to the theme, no stickers need apply here, because they're all printed. Obviously there are at least two sets that have stickers, but this is not one of them. Instead, we get a nice small grab-bag of hieroglyphic parts, with the two columns possibly spelling something funny if anyone knows how to decode these, while the center features an ominous warning for anyone opening black doors. Hmmm... Finally, we have the accessories, which are rather extensive despite it being such a small set, but useful for any tomb raiding you may want to do. While the ruby already appeared in the interesting parts photo, I decided to include it here because it's just too cool to be limited to one shot. Again, while these gem parts may pop up anywhere and everywhere to bump up the value of treasure, this was a pretty unique item to have back in 1998. Sure, the original Ninja sets used it everywhere, and Adventurers certainly wasn't stingy with it, but no wonder it popped up all over the place! I have several sets featuring non-chrome treasure before this part debuted, and what a difference it made when this came around, letting you drop the regular transparent studs which were supposed to be jewels in favor of these parts. Minifigures We go from worse to bad here in terms of characters, with the Pharaoh's Mummy/Hotep and Sam Sinister, with excellent detailing on Hotep's legs and both torsos, which can have extensive usage across a wide range of themes. I appreciate how for Adventurers, LEGO was willing to give us a number of sets without Johnny Thunder. The dude looked great, of course, and fit the bill as a dashing archaeological hero, but I appreciate how deep the bench of characters seemed where you could purchase several sets and not just get a duplicate of Johnny all the time, but duplicates of Baron Von Barron, Sam Sinister or Dr. Charles Lightning/Kilroy. The same, of course, can't always be said for more recent themes (sorry Hidden Side!). The backs of each of the minifigures have no printing, of course, which was the norm at the time, but doesn't matter too much. Sinister's fancy black suit doesn't need any detailing (even if it's not the wisest thing to wear in the desert), and Hotep's headress will cover up most of his back anyway. There we go! Now Sinister's ready for a night out on the town (or for a night out excavating a sarcophagus. Whichever comes first), while the Pharaoh's Mummy is ready to unleash a curse! And what good is a curse if you don't have any dangerous, poisonous creatures to do your bidding? Why, it's no curse at all! Hence the inclusion of a scorpion and snake, which make up all the animals in this set, with both capable of working quite nicely with more modern sets and parts. The Build Given the size of this set, it's fairly straightforward and not really complex, unless you're not paying attention to the instructions, which require a bit more concentration with no part call-outs. We start with the tomb itself, building the base using the 4x12 tan plate and the 2x10 light gray plate. Add the mysterious, foreboding black doors and some columns... ...An archway... ...Some of the printed parts, and... ...We have a not-so-Lost Tomb! Some additional angles of the tomb itself, which is rather shallow, as you can tell. That said, I like the recessed doors at the entrance. Next up is Sam Sinister's small car. We start with the vehicle base... ...Throw on some dark gray panels so he doesn't fall off as it meanders around some sand dunes... ...Add a steering wheel and a few more bricks, including some fairly convincing mudflaps for the front tires using those modified bricks... ...And we have a car! Sure it may be small, but look at the size of that front grille! Some more angles of this vehicle show you just how small it is. Realistic it is not, of course, but it does seem very fitting for the character driving it. If Baron Von Barron gets a heavily-armed, loud biplane, why shouldn't the sneaky Sam Sinister get a tiny little car to drive around in? To me it's the perfect vehicle to use when you're nabbing treasure from right underneath Johnny Thunder's nose. That is, if he had one printed on his head. Now all that's left are a few small builds. So after magically transforming these parts... ...Into a pretty convincing campsite (with a special shout-out to that extra 2x3 plate in case you want the crate closed up completely)... ...in addition to sealing the Pharaoh's Mummy into his sarcophagus with the magical ruby... ...The set is complete! Again, while small, the overall impression is pretty spot-on as a minor excavation project, complete with the vehicle, tomb entrance, campsite-as-crate, and sarcophagus. Play Features Admittedly, once you build it, there's not much to do here, short of zooming Sinister's car around the tomb. You can open the doors, but as you can see below, it's hard to pull it off if you're trying to cram the sarcophagus back there. There we go, much better (once you've taken the sarcophagus off the plate). Obviously the downside here is that the set is already not very portable, seeing how you've got to carry a crate, a car and a tomb. Add in the sarcophagus and you're going to have some full hands, since there's no convenient spot to place the sarcophagus. So how to get around it? Simple! By using these nine parts... ...You've got a brand-new (but still lost) tomb! Some additional angles of my...let's just call it The Lost Tomb of MOC-MOD. Benefits of building the set this way is that you can actually fit the sarcophagus comfortably in the structure (with the original printed columns on either side), and the doors open outward, much like the warning hieroglyphic on the front foretold. Plus using a 2x10 tan plate blends better with the 4x12 plate, if you're into that sort of thing. Final Thoughts Going to try to use some numbers on this one (even though I'm not a fan), so bear with me. Pricing and Value - According to Brick Insights, the price-per-part for this set today is $0.16, which is better than it was back in 1998, when it was only at $0.02. That said, I think I would have to give it a 6/10, as it's slightly above average, and isn't as valuable as similar small sets from this theme, like, say, Oasis Ambush. Pieces - Here's where this set shines, in my opinion. You get printed hieroglyphic parts, fancy early-20th Century car parts, digging equipment, guns, and a sarcophagus as well. Not to mention the black doors, which are nice to have if you want to build a larger tomb entrance with that hieroglyphic above. As a parts pack, it's pretty good, so let's try a 8/10. Design/Build - Not too much to say here, other than what you get with the instructions is pretty decent as far as tombs go, although lacking in some of the more innovative booby traps/play features that make up the rest of the sets from the desert subtheme. But I do like the car, and the recessed doors are pretty neat, so 7/10. Playability - Open the doors, close the doors. Say 'Open Sesame' or don't, but there's not much else to do with just this set. Sam Sinister's car is fun to drive around, and having him 'excavate' (even if he's missing the most crucial tool in any self-respecting LEGO archaeologist's arsenal) can be fun, although this set works best with more Adventurers sets and characters. So it'll get a 6/10 from me on that front. Verdict: The Lost Tomb (or Adventurer's Tomb, depending on how Sam Sinister fares) is a perfectly decent set. It obviously won't surpass Pharaoh's Forbidden Ruins, Sphinx's Secret Surprise, or even Oasis Ambush. What it can do, however, is complement those sets if you own them, giving you one more sarcophagus to play with and a neat little vehicle (if you choose to keep it built) for Sinister to tool around in. So that would be (if I didn't completely botch the math) a 67.5%. Thanks for reading! Comments and questions always welcome! Don't look Sam! Keep your eyes shut! (Or at least read the sign)
  3. Adventurers Resupply Depot This building was mostly built from my own imagination and a slight inspiration from Toy story 3 set number 7596. (Trash Compactor Escape) I also used a old 3D base-plate that my brother gave me to give the building a bit of height. The dock is just a little taller than my tramp steamer, but it works great with the rotating crane to load / unload the ship. Also, the second floor and roof top (with the dual skylights) come off for access to the inside details. There is a sliding freight door to get cargo in from outside, and I'm contemplating putting a ramp pieces outside where the large rock piece is to get things down to ground level. Downstairs is the cargo drop-off area. Thing are strewn about the place, with barrels, buckets, chests, and an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus just laying about. (Don't worry, it's empty!) Also on this floor is the armory, with weapons and gadgets of all kinds safely stored on the walls, with the accompanying ammunition in a securely locked safe located upstairs. Upstairs is the nerve center of the Adventurer's exploits around the globe. money for buying supplies is stacked near the radio, while the ammunition safe sits nearest the camera. Opposite from the stairs is the research desk and lounge area. (even globe-trotting explorers need some downtime!) Steam tramp freighter EASTERN STAR I built this 103-stud long 1920's Adventurers tramp steam ship from two Adventurers sets: I used the boat from set 5975 (T-Rex Transport) and modified slightly to resemble set 5976 (River Expedition). The ship features a lifeboat, steering wheel, and a smoke-stack plus I have the bridge with removable roof for the top deck of the ship, and captain's quarters for the lower floor. I also have signs on the front of the ship spelling out the name of the vessel: the Eastern Star. The ladders hanging on the side of the lower deck lead the way to the ship's bridge on the upper level. The life boat is also back here. Here you can see inside the ship's bridge (upper deck) and captain's quarters. (lower level) Some of the recent cargo of the Eastern Star includes: - a gyro-copter - silver ingots and coins - silver and gold nuggets - Dynamite (the accompanying plunger is in the Captain's Quarters / map room) - Ancient spears - the real Maltese Falcon - the Burma Chicken (long-lost cousin to the Falcon) - two halves of a long-lost pirate's treasure map - Money - large rough-cut ruby - poison bottles - antidote bottles - and many other items! Bi-wing pontoon plane THUNDER BLAZER Fly farther and higher than ever before with the Adventurers and their Pontoon bi-plane! This vintage style airplane features two re-purposed kayaks for floats, and dual shotguns for forward-facing protection from the forces of Lord Sam Sinister, while the rear of the vehicle has a gunner's seat with rotating machine-gun turret. (Just be sure to not shoot off the tail of the plane while flying!) In reality, this model was heavily inspired by 2018 set 31076 (Daredevil Stunt Plane) with a gunner seat from set 7186 (Fighter Plane Attack) from 2009. The pontoon floats from kayaks were my own idea, and I think are used in a new and unique way. This model comes with rotating prop, seats for the pilot and gunner and swiveling machine gun turret. Seaplane ISLAND HOPPER What do you get when you combine an Adventurers seaplane, a Indiana Jones DC-3, and a Creator rip-off of the Seaduck from the TV show Tailspin? This model of course! The seaplane seen here is based off the 2008 Indiana Jones set 7628 (Peril In Peru), the 2017 Creator set 31064 (Island Adventures), along with inspiration from 2000 Adventurers set 5935 (Island Hopper) thrown in for good measure. The idea behind this model is to depict a updated version of one of my favorite classic LEGO themes: "Adventurers", but with modern techniques and parts using two of my favorites plane designs smashed together. The rear of the plane makes use of a Toy Story 3 printed 2 x 4 tile for a registration number. The plane has a interior that seats six people: 1 pilot and five passengers. The seats are accessible thought the removable roof / wings. Auto-Gyro LIGHTNING ROD In reality, this model was modified from set 70913 (Scarecrow Fearful Face-off) from the LEGO Batman Movie line. I added the classic two seat Adventurers cockpit piece which is usually used on land vehicles, plus a new set of vintage 2003 landing skids. This model also comes with red and green navigation lights and two independent propeller blades. The good guys: Adventurers (good guys) figures from left to right: -Madame Blue This Alaskan husky is the unofficial mascot for the Adventurers team. -Captain Karloff Owner and operator of the "Eastern Star" tramp steam ship, this captain has an eye for spotting the historical value in something that looks worthless. He always has a bag of cool items he's collected on beaches, sea-side markets, and ports around the globe on his person or nearby on his ship. -Jake Raines This young lad is a American student of Dr. Charles Kilroy's and expert at 5 spoken languages and 3 more written. Also has a knack for defeating ancient booby traps and disarming modern explosives. -Johnny Thunder Australian adventurer extraordinaire and friend to all those in need. Thunder first met Sam Sinister in 1917 when Sinister was in a field hospital for his hand amputation and Johnny was recovering from slight case of shell shock. They have been against each other ever since then. -Dr. Charles Kilroy Eccentric and slightly absent-minded English professor of history, archaeology, ancient languages, and about five other things including medicine. Kilroy is known as "Lightning" to his friends, as he enlightens the team in his own way and serves as a friend indeed. -Miss Pippin Reed This former lead reporter for Adventurer Times was reporting on a Dr. Kilroy's 1920 discovery of a copy of the Book of the Dead when she met Johnny Thunder at a dig site near Cairo, Egypt. They have all been good friends ever since. Also, Ms. Reed happens to be an better aviator than Johnny, a fact which she takes great pride in. She also operates the Island Hopper seaplane on most expeditions. -Mac McCloud Mac may be slightly clumsy, but is a genius when it comes to things of a mechanical nature. He keeps things working for the Adventurers team, such as lowering the steam pressure in the old and worn boilers on the tramp steamer "Eastern Star" and knocking loose engine parts back into place on the sea plane "Island Hopper". -Major Quentin Steele Former British Army officer (and Sinister's former commander, whom Sinister still hates today) This Monster Fighter lost his eye in 1912 due to a fight with a certain Werewolf, whom he later tracked down and defeated. He has signed on to Johnny Thunder's team as of 1925. Not Shown: -Clutch Powers As a former resident of the neighboring realm of Ninjago, Powers is a stranger in a strange land... no, better yet, a strange time. Used to the modern ways of Ninjago City, this waylaid movie star got himself stuck in the bridge-realm of the Monster Realm in the Earth year 1912. When he got seperated from his filming group and the portal back home closed, he was stuck in the perpetual darkness for about a week until the Monster Fighters group (led by Dr Rodney Rathbone) found him. They led the culture-shocked Clutch back to Earth once they defeated the Lord Vampyre clan. He has been making black and white silent movies of his life on the "World of the Ninja" ever since. A good friend of Jake Raines, as Jake is a fan of his "Temple of the Snake People" adventure film series. The forces of evil Characters from right to left: - Lord Sam Sinister Brother of Alexis Sinister, and Lord of Sinister Manor and owner of his own steam train. Sam lost his left hand in World War I while in the British Army. He later replaced it with a polished steel hook which is as cold as his heart. - Alexis Sinister The sister of Lord Sam Sinister is completely evil and slightly unhinged while being crack shot with any weapon. She hates Johnny Thunder to an extreme extent after he refused to join Sinister in his diabolical schemes. Last seen on Dino Island escaping to places unknown while the island was sinking. - Senor Palomar This South American crime lord is an associate of the Sinister family. He helped Sinister try and get the Sun Disk from the Amazon jungle, before losing it to Achoo, the ancient guardian of the disk. After that adventure, Palomar has fallen out of favor with Lord Sam Sinister, but he hopes to be in his good graces again soon. -Mister Graves A mysterious man of whom little is known. He sometimes is a ally of Lord Sinister and company, although are also enemies at times too. He is always seen with a gold lapel pin in the shape of a badge and a little black book of which he is almost constantly writing in. What is he writing? None have dared ask. EDIT 8/4/20: Everything updated! Comments, Questions & Complaints are always welcome!
  4. Greetings, adventurers! As you have probably seen, the next Creator Expert set, 10273 Haunted House, was announced this morning and it features many references to Adventurers and other themes as it is designed to be a fairground ride that is modeled after the manor of the notorious villain Samuel Von Barron. There is a large haunted portrait of the baron, a sign saying "Manor Von Barron" and several stolen artifacts from the Egypt and Orient Expedition subthemes. So my question is: is this canon to the Adventurers theme? If so, that opens up a lot of questions. We don't know how accurately the fairground operators recreated Sam's manor, but assuming it is accurate, we can gleam a lot of information from it. First, let's talk about the name. Baron Von Barron's infamous name change to Sam Sinister has been confusing Lego fans to this day, and TLG is muddying the waters even more here by calling him Samuel Von Barron which seems to be a combination of the two. Is this his real full name and was "Sinister" just a nickname? The portrait has a play feature that causes Pharaoh Hotep to appear behind the baron. This suggests that the baron was cursed by the pharaoh, possibly for stealing all of these treasures. Did the baron die from this curse? On the other side of the manor, there is "strange altar" with skull candles, a chalice, and a vassal with some dark red contents. There is also a skeleton with a top hat just like the one that both Sam and Slyboots (a.k.a. the other Sam Sinister) used to wear hanging from chains from the ceiling. This has some surprisingly dark implications. Did Sam used to practice some kind of blood rituals up here? Is the skeleton meant to be him or Slyboots or someone else? Were the rituals meant to free him of the curse? There is also a red snake hiding under the table which according to a German Adventurers audio drama is venomous and killed the first people who raided Pharaoh Hotep's tomb as part of his curse, so it would make sense that Baron von Barron would suffer the same fate. There is a coat of arms over the manor that references Fright Knights, specifically set 6007 Bat Lord. Does this mean that Sam is a descendant of Basil the Bat Lord?! As a fan of both Adventurers and Fright Knights, I am absolutely fine with accepting that as canon! There is also one of Ogel's orb bombs from Alpha Team in the attic along with a rusting Junkbot. Does the baron have some kind of connection to Ogel? There might be even more interesting references that I missed, but this gives us a lot to think about. So what do you think? Do all these things mean what I think they mean? Or am I just overthinking some fun easter eggs in a silly haunted house set? It's probably the latter, but either way, discuss!
  5. Sorry, that was a long and odd title, I couldn't think of anything really catchy. Also, I put this in town forum because it involves land-based town vehicles with some sci-fi features thrown in for good measure. (I hope this is okay, but you mods can move it if you want!) Also, I will update this thread when need be to prove these have been built in real life and are not just digital models. Classic Space car (Benny the Blue astronaut) This is Benny the 1980-something space guy's car while on Earth. It was used to travel to the movie studio when making the LEGO Movie, and is now normally parked at Benny's summer home in Bricksburg. The model features a row of space-ship styled seats and "double" tail lights. (I used a trans-red grille to create a nice effect.) the white tile above the rear bumper is supposed to be Benny's license plate. This part goes on the sloped rear of the car: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=30363pb021 Here is the car in real life. LDD file: http://www.mocpages....1434990478m.lxf Neo-Nexus Force automobile (Bob from LEGO Universe) Here we see Bob's car for use on Earth. Bob uses the car to travel from his Military Surplus shop in Ironwood to a classified location where he then moves on to his base, Ice Station Destiny, which is located in Polaris star system. This car can seat one figure and is supposed to have this print on the 2x2 slope situated on the trunk: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=15068pb004 Bob's car can also fly using the same basic STARK hover technology as Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. car does. (Bob is a good friend of Tony Stark and is also on good terms with Bruce Wayne, as he tests out their new tech for both of them) (real world picture goes here when I build this model) LDD file for the car: http://www.mocpages....1437422963m.lxf Treasure Raider (Johnny Thunder) This is Johnny Thunder's car, and has been used from the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the Great Wall of China, to the depths of the Amazon jungles of Peru and even to places not listed on any map where dinosaurs still roam the Earth. The car features seating for two an full-size spare tire (perfect for those times when you jump over a cliff and cause a dented wheel hub while trying to make your getaway from the approaching enemy forces) Here is the real model of the car. LDD file: http://www.mocpages....1404178315m.lxf Evil Intentions (Lord Sam Sinister) Here we see the car of Lord Sam Sinister which may or may not have been involved in stealing artifacts and treasures the world over, and was definitely not involved in the botched attempt to ransom the Great Sphinx of Giza's nose. It also was never anywhere close to being hauled onto a battle-cruiser named the HMS Vladeck, which by the way, is not from the country of Ogel. It most certainly was never photographed headed to Antarctica, where it won't locate the lost City of the Ancients. (also known as Atlantis) The car can seat two people, and is supposed to have this license plate where the white 1x2 tile is: http://www.bricklink....asp?P=3069bpa1 Here is the photograph I wasn't talking about before. The LDD file is available here: http://www.mocpages....1436387276m.lxf This concludes the post for now... more vehicles may come eventually.
  6. This classic 90's LEGO-styled model was originally built in 2007 by a Brickshelf user named "Widdi". That user uploaded the instructions (seen here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=249223 ) which I stumbled upon and built / modified in Lego Digital Designer. I put another story on top for the tower, set furniture inside, added a back half, and worked a garage into the structure. The Sinister Mansion: Where you will never want to leave! Fictional Background for the house: Built in 1910, Sinister Manor is one of the last surviving houses in the Edwardian Style of architecture in Ironwood county. It was built by Lord Gregory Sinister for his family, and features one addition not usually seen on Edwardian houses: a automobile garage. The house was left to Gregory's family, (his son Sam Sinister & his sister Alexis Sinister) upon the elder Sinister's death of a stroke in 1913. Sam Sinister went on to serve in the British army in World War I, losing his left hand in the conflict and replacing it with a iron hook. When he returned from the conflict Sam set about continuing his fathers tradition: collecting treasure precious artifacts, through legal and illegal means. The collection was stored in the Attic of the sinister Mansion until it became too large and was moved to a more secure (and secret) location. The inside features the furniture from my Haunted House (10228) MOD, including (but not limited to): a Queen size bed, stove, table, phonograph, sidetable with lamp plus the couch. The first floor I has the living / dining rooms, as the couch, stove and table and other associated items are there. The second floor features the master bedroom with a small balcony on the right side. The third floor is the attic, which is empty. The tower / roof (fourth floor) is also empty. The Rear of the house. This model is significantly cheaper / less parts intensive than my other Victorian Mansion (the one based off the Monster Fighter's "Haunted House") This car, the Ogel Mark III, goes in the garage. Here are the cars statistics: Model Name: Ogel MK III Configuration: two seat Engine Class: V8 Designer: Lord Ogel Build Date: 1925 Builder: Ogel Motor Car Works Current Owner: Lord Sam Sinister Length: 21 studs Width: 6 studs Height: 5 bricks Top Speed: 88 MPH Fictional background for the car: After the Orient Expedition of 1924, Lord Sam Sinister's Island Racer was seized by Soviet (Russian) forces when Sinister tried bribing his way onto the Trans-Siberian express without the proper papers. Sinister was put on the next train out of Russia without the car. In early 1925 he boarded the Simplon-Orient Express bound for Paris from Istanbul. While in Paris he telephoned the Ogel Motor Car Corporation asking for a newer, faster and more expensive car to be sent to his home at Sinister Manor in three weeks. Sinister arrived at his Edwardian-style manor to find this car waiting for him. It features two seats, a spare tire, a much longer wheelbase and goes 13 miles per hour faster than his old car. LDD file for the house & car: http://www.mocpages....1416516743m.lxf Comments, questions and complaints welcome!