Mazin

So i see that our contest is either headig till the end or has already ended, not sure what kind of clock do we use actually, guess we shuld have asked earlier, cause it;s already 27th in my time zone, but an hourglass shows there's still 9 hours left... :) So anyway... whatever the time is, can we leave ( unclassified ) feedback for those entries that we didn;t have time to comment on, but which we'd like to discuss anyway? Or should we just drop our pencils and go home? ;) And about voting. I don't know what's been decided yet, but if i may still have a say i think 5 votes would be better than 3 votes, at least in Main Category, as so many entries started to jump out of the woodwork at the last hour and since poeple had to invest a lot more time into them, it would be great if we could give more points to show out appreciation for their work. Seems it would be more fair in my oppinion, tho plenty would still obiously not get our votes. And it would be simpler to vote this way. Tho, obviously i can always pick 3 if that would be decided. Little bit different in the Mini Category section tho, as here we had more display builds and repetitive "dig the treasure"/"secret stash" ideas, so it would be harder to pick top 5... At least in my case. And about those posts where we will have to leave our votes. You said we can do a little afterworld for those entries? Should we write little afterword for the whole category, to reflect on the whole show?

Now that's some army pack! :) Awesome characters, they may seem a bit unorthodox for the Lego Pirate world by their designs by i think they look great. And a siege cannon is an interesting addition too. Not sure if these two elements could work together do, i think it would be more usefull with soldiers, if they would be trying to besiege some pirate rocky fortress. Tho, anything could happen in the Lego world, and in the pirates world for that matter, as pirates did take fortified cities some times. I think it could be a great entry in the minibuild category tho. Maybe not with that cannon, as it got many parts, but those characters could get some other mini build to reach the piece count. As i said in an other entry, a little palanquin would be a nice addition, and this lady seems like someone who could be carried by those folks...

Wow! What a great last shot! This could be reviewers' favourite if You could only upload it earlier, as it's finally a type of boat we've been waiting for :) I've seen more variety of water crafts in Lego Castle sets than we've seen here, and Knights are not exactly associated with ships, but finally we got this. Awesome :) Very nice design. Interesting choice of colors, carefully planned, i love those sailors and guns, and those sails, awesome, and that stern with so many flags, even tho some might say there are way too many flags ;) There might be way too many people included on the other hand, definitely Lego wouldn't go with that many minifigs, some of them would probably have to go, after all, it;s not a big ship... tho i like the way it is and would take them with all still sitting in there. At least those rowing boys, they do look great in those top hats. And the officers at the bow. Damn, how cutr that bow is. Not sure about those guys at the back tho, but i can;t see them too well on those photos. Anyway... straight to my favourites it goes. I wonder if there;s anything below that stern? It seems there's a bit of space and there are some bags stored? Maybe there could be few muskets and swords in there too, cause i haven't realy seen them anywhere, and Your crew would have to fight with something eventually. Tho i love it so much i don't mind it not being there :) I only wish there could be some mechanical feature to operate those oars only by pulling one of them, cause obviously no one is gonna do the hard work for all these galley slaves ;) At least i always tried to row my lego boats, from time to time, as it would be weird if it wasn;t done, and with so many oars here it would be hard ;) Hope You will do some mocs with this color scheme and types of uniforms in the feature. I'd realy like to see more sets like this, a boat, a yacht, whatever, a bomb vessel, retrieval vessel, whalers' ship etc. :)

Lovely simple entry. It would probably need a quite big box only to fit that mast, but throwing a set with it is a rather interesting choice :) How come it wasn't done before :) And i absolutely love those characters in wigs, especialy the governor, he seems like a little funny sorta cartoonish fellow. Not sure about these soldiers tho. It seems that the army didn't provide them with uniforms that could match all those honourable guests here. Then again maybe that's done for purpose so that the Governor and his daughet could stand out. But seriously now, i'd drop those army guys and use those wigged characers for a mini build. Could give a nice place to sit and drink tea and be fanned by their servants or their tribal help. Or You could just throw them into a palanquin or an open carriage, something that could be seen in West Indies, but we haven't seen done yet. Simple build, limited amount of parts, cool visuals... if You'd only have more time... :/

I think You did a fine job with lots of elements here, it lacks good presentation tho. I mean, as You've probably seen in other entries, many builds are enchanced by great photography and/or backgrounds, fake packaing etc, Yours is a quite impressive design, but those photos are not inviting. And it;s not about using a good camera or bad camera it's just that it could use better angles. But anyway, let's get to the Outpost. I absolutely love that white finish over the balcony, i think it;s great, it's simple, but decorative, and very distinctive, clear sign of who runs this place, great tribute to colonial era and the spanish main :) Goind down, i can;t find anything wrong with it. Other than all that water, which i think is not realy needed it's an outstanding remake, nice door, very interesting way to do those bars, good jetty with smart idea to show it's deteriotation with different bricks and lots of others... Secret stash full of riches - checked, balcony with a view - checked, vegetation on the building - checked, rocky landsape - checked, interesting characters - checked, Jack Sparrow's stunt man - checked, boat with a lantern - checked. Boat with a lantern! How cool is that? So i think it does look good for a remake, not sure if it;s the kind of remake people want tho as many opt for modernizing all of them, making bigger, bringing more playfeatures, more female minifigs, more more and more modern parts. And i like it how it is. Even to the point where i don;t that removable floor is neccesary. You already have a good acces to all those areas so there's realy no need for it. And You must have invested a lot of work to build all that. If the only excuse is to hide some stuff in there, then it's not realy worth it. You've got plenty of rocks right there, so that's the place for stashes, and there even is a golden idol ( or maybe it's an Oscar for best production design? ), so You already kinda now that. And You've hiden something else under the palm tree, so You definitely know about other way. I'm not sure about cutting the whole tree to get to a hidden stash tho. It would work if it was some secluded place, or if the outpost was abandoned, but getting under that palm right under soldiers' noses? Naaah, too dangerous. Tho i see that there's plenty of barrels on Your boat. So perhaps they are brought specifically to make the entire garrison drunk ;) They must have been drunk when they layed down that chequerboard floor in Governor's quarters tho, look, it's broken. Pretty nice detail. Just like that drop of rum dripping from an empty bottle. Cool. I don't like how the position for the gun is done tho. I think it;s rotating, not sute, but it definitely could use a nicer base. And those shiny bricks there are not my type, if You could add some "wooden" elements like You did in the jetty, it would create a much better effect. But battlements are fine. Any other ways to upgrade it? Can't think of anything. It is a proper remake. A bit of new stuff, few more elements, but it still looks the same. Only prettier. Perhaps that bearded sailor could use an upgrade tho, him being so lonely i'd give him a seagul as a companion for his trips. Seagulls seem to be popular right now with Pirate sets, and that lantern looks just like a place such bird could sit :)

Glad You arent upsed by my words :) As said, i dont have anything against bringing new colors into the series, i think that they just don;t look good here. Maybe if they would see a bit more decorative work, like that white rim on Governor's/Admiral's hat. This little difference would make them more appealing. Especialy that You've chosen bikorn hats for Your experimentantion, and as You probably now, they aren't that popular in the series. And they are only black or decorative, at least i'm not familiar with other versions. Unlike trikorns which came in different shades, and to be honest the one that is completely black isn;t anything as nice as a decorated one, it can't compare to trikorns or even shakos. So i'd try to bring that color with trikorns if i was so determined as You are :) Actually those striking colors were quite popular among merchants, aristrocrats, all the rich boys, and of course, the ladies. So why not force civilians to wear them first ;) So it;s not the purple that's the problem here, it's the way You've decided to introduce it into the series :) Also i think that a purple soldier with a classic look, where purple would be only used to replace red or blue uniforms, and the rest would stay the same, would be quite attractive. So that would mean only doing custom torsos. I don't mind seeing orange troopers as well. I remember that few years ago there was this huge project here, official or not, where all of us tried to come up with ideas for new Pirate sets and new faction and they tried to pursue these merchants/dutch soldiers i think. Someone already made orange versions of soldiers/imperial flags, as well as orange uniforms. I don't know how did that project end, i think it died, but if You'll dig a bit on the Forum You should find that thead and might get inspired by some ideas used there and take from where they left :) Take a look, found it for You :) Wasn't hard. Enjoy :)

I like the idea of semi ruined abandoned fortification, but i'm not sure what going on behind that door :) i mean, it seems that they open up to the jetty, but there's realy not enough space to open them :) So i guess this could be worked out nicer with those 92 years he's got left to uprade this design ;) And with abandoned semi ruined outposts, i guess perhaps wooden elements should be the easier to deteriorate? Cause that jetty seems to look nicer than the bastion itself :) But the simplest uprade would be to add a minifig, there's a broken cannon, so why not a broken cannoneer to go with it. Like a skeleton of a guy in shako, with a linstock who tried to fire that gun till the very end. And no wonder he failed and the bastion become forgotten since he was provided with some realy oversized ammunition! ;) Also a flag ripped by balls or time would be nice... if there is such thing as a rundown flag in the Lego world ;)

Thanx for responding :) I'm very happy You liked my thoughts :) BTW, what did You replace that coin with then? Or did You just loose that piece, and nothing new came instead? :)

It does look like a cliff indeed, nice landscaping. Maybe if it could be smaller it could go to Mini Builds category. Not sure if rules allow POTC skin on minifigs tho? Anyway, if You'd like to bring more life into it, enchance it with for more action, i's suggest to hide something in that cliff, like maybe there's a golden sword sticking out of the side? Or some other artifact/valuable stuff, or an important a clue that he would habe to investigate, if he's looking for something or someone. It could be right under that tree, and it could be an excuse to force that fellow into climbing down, with shark being a treat. A rope could be helpful in such case, as it could be attached to that little tree. Heh, and now this thought a similar scene from Cutthroat Island to my mind, where Geena Davies and Matthew Modine had to climb down on a rope down the cliff to get to a cave full of treasure. Tho obiously they had a much bigger set in there ;) But they also had enemies waiting for them at the top of the cliff, and Your fellow is alone, safe from the land side... with an enemy lurking in the sea instead ;)

Finally a unique idea for a ship that is entirely different from other vessel oriented entries :) Of course it needs a lot of work and focus, but it;s a start. It could be either one of those spanish treasure ships full of gold who's trip to the motherland ended when a volcano had erupted and covered it in ashes, and the head melted all it's valueavle contents merging richess with it's porter forewer :) Or it could be some madman's work, a deranger governor or an ultrarich pirate ordered to use all of his possesions to build a golden statue of a ship that brought him to the West Indies. Or maybe it was some shipwrecked crew, who's galeon ended stuck in the jungle and local tribesmen started believing that they are god, thus bringing them so much gold they used it to turn their former ship into a sort of a chapel, a holy craft. Anyway... You give me a golden ship and ideas easily pop out. But I'd throw even more gold here, perhaps throw some jungle around, as the ship could be grounded, add little vegetation if it's been taken over by nature, and ditch all of those batteries, as i don;t think that they work here. Or make them golden or destroyed if they are supposed to stay on this wreck/statue. Then again even those cannon could stay if this vessel could be finished and turned into some kind of a representational craft! Monarchs and rich boys used them in Europe and Asia, so why not in the Carribean? And they were indeed often made out of gold! Like the venetian Bucentaur. These were not used for battling or merchant trips of course, but purely to show off in front of crowds, just like presidents like to ride their cool limousines and kings sometimes still use golden carriages. So... i guess that would excuse the use of golden chains on a sailing ship :)

I actually love it. Charming funny little build, with nice rock and plant work, interesting stash, even if that hatch is not exactly concealed and i guess everyone would easily fing did. Tho perhaps those leaves can be used to cover it? I can;t see if there a play feature like this on the photo You've provided. So consider this idea to be used in future mocs, if You'd like to :) And i have same thoughts about vegetation. One of those plants on the wall looks like something pullable, that could trigger some effect? Or do i see too much again? ;) But anyway, it is a hiding place that could appeal to anyone in my oppinion. Doesn;t matter what;s inside it. And as You said, original one seemed unfinised. And this one looks as one cool set usable for many plays. And the character is even more intruguing. This might be the best Armada soldier done in all of the Entries. Something about his face, and even that plume. Very nice. Even that bottle he;s holding, the color chosen, the fact that it's a seetrough item is a plus. Even such simple things make it quite attractive. Not sure if the contencts of that secret treasury would be appealing to many, and Lego might have something to say against promotion of drinking ( it;s actualy prohibited in some countries now ), but it;s still something different from all those hidden coins, diamonds, golden bars etc. To me, after seeing so many similar entries, this little difference is quite refreshing. I think it would be even cooler if that cave could made bigger, so that he would be able to hide inside to undergo a booze treatment. And i don't think that since You went with liquor that single coin is needed in there. After all, he doesn;t need it to buy contents of this treasure, nor is this a vending machine... or is it? ;) And that little coin is still a piece that could be switched for something more valuable. Like a snake, which could symbolize dangers of drinking ;) Or a warning sign, that could make it even funnier, "keep out", "restricted area", "shark zone", "radioactive", "mine field" or somesuch :) After all, this set is for pure fun, not to be taken seriously, so why not go all the way ;)

Yet another ship for the Blues ;) I like Your sail, that stern and the bow, but I'm not too fond of the middle section, you said it's lenghtened, but it's sadly looks bulky, especially because of those blue-white elements added by the gun ports. It's very puffy this way, sort of reminds me of those floatable toys for kids, swim rings etc. But the overall way Your ship is designed is quite nice, it's not a bad build, and i mean all those difficult elements that every ship, Lego or real, needs to have. And i like all those lanterns. But Your obsession with white realy takes away all the attention from those nicer parts. It;s too much, it;s not something i'd want to see in Pirate theme, and it;s not that the cat would poop on or that gunsmoke would make it dirty and so it would be hard to wash. Its just that it so much reminds of all those repetitive modern boatds, river ferries, fishing boats, yachts, etc... and honesly, if You;d replace that deck from snow to brown, it would look so much better! Plus, You're constantly using those shiny pieces, one that can;t hold a figure... and are shiny ;) And with Lego sets the fun is not made by just constantly moving minifigues, but in placing them in different areas as well. With most of the classic playsets and vehicles, not only Lego, it's always recalled how many figures could be fit into them, how many action figures could be sticked into a platform behind a gun etc. As it always made them cooler. A vehicle that could provide space for two figures was always "better" than a vehicle with space for only one. And with Your ship being so spacious there;s hardly place we could position those figures in. Sure, bricks could be replaced, but that's not the idea people want to think about. Everyone wants the finished product ;) Not something that they would have to rearange ;) Same goes for the mast! It could be such a nice place to place someone. A sharpsooter or a boarding party... if there only was a line they could grab onto. But unfortunately, it can;t be done here too, cause it's those damn shiny pieces ;) But i see that not only those elements are so polished and stuck in here. Maps are too. Or at least it looks that way. Or maybe that map on the table can slide? But i think maps are such important accesory in the Lego Pirate world that everyone would prefer to run freely with them. Sure, it could be unattached from that place, but again, first impression is important. I'll admit i like that lower deck much more, even tho i'm not a fan of those removable parts... But once i took a trip there, i can see that somewhat uniqe, different from what i've seen on other ships. It's very crowded with all sorts of equipment, guns and supplies... and lots of white again ;) But i can spot some very interesting ideas i've never thought about. Like those shelves for muskets over beds, beds made as chequerboards ( that remind me of my summercamps days ) and boxex full of letters :) Can only wonder which of those crewmember can write so well. Or maybe those are love letters to all those wives left behind in every port of the world? ;) OR maybe it;s a postal ship, carrying royal mail and private correspondonce to the colonies from the motherland? See? With these letters You gave me something that allows so many storytelling ideas. And that;s what counts, as to me Lego is all about storytelling :) Hope those letters can be easily taken out of these boxes tho! :) They look kinda stuck ;) But at least now we have an idea for a new ship in the series, one with own specialization. A postal ship. They did exist after all, carrying mail was very important. Is it usable for a Lego theme? I don;t know. But at least this way it's somewhat different from dozens of those vessels who's only job is to carry cannons ;) But i'm a bit worried i might be one of the few who will see that impressie gallery of photos, nice waltrough the entire build, cause it took me a while to realize that there's more than just one picture in there :) So i'd suggest You to add a clear note in Your first post that everyone should click on that photo to slide trough the gallery. Or You could add few more pics directly to this thread ;)

Excellent remake! You've turned one of the weirdest pirate sets into something realy attractive with an INCREDIBLE amount of ideas, that add so much value, playfeatures especially. Wow. Just wow. If this contest would offer prizes for them, You'd be one of the leaders. I'm absolutely stunned by Your carefull planning, and execution, as well as for Your very comprehensive explanations of how does all of this stuff work. Awesome. I can't even decide what;s the best thing here, so many things to play with. And i'm not even the biggest fan of the boulder, it;s all of these drawbridges, pikes, traps, that drive me into it. And interconnections between different elements of it. And the build itself. Beautiful walkway on the that rockside. Awesome handrail. Briliant landscaping in a way that it's all work so well together now. Even the way You used ladders is very appealign. And towers are incredible. That smaller tower is a piece that i'd like to have in real life, to just sit there and read, relax... or write reviews of Lego sets ;) And there's even a black pirate crest on that mountain. How cool is that! And the fact that You've raised the wreckage a bit above the water is a good upgrade, as the way it was build originaly gave it very little playvalue and i pointed that in a previous entry of the same title. I think it could use a bit more thinking tho, to make it even more attractive, as it still just a wreckage. It;s good that these compartments can be used now for some plays, secret meetings, hiding, fights... but for example, i wish that it could be more accesible for that croc, so that it could use it a his lair. Or that there could be a playfeature that could allow those compartments to be sort of "dried", or used as enclosed compartments, even prison cells, or that some part of it could be cut of from the water. BUT... all of this is nothing since You came up with that mast feature, genious! It add so many points to it;s overall value... that is IF folks reviewing it will learn about the way Your mast works. Cause it not that obvious from the top part of the presentation, and i guess plenty of people read only first words, and look at first few photos, unlikely to carefully go trough the entire story provided by builders. Initial photo may give some bad thought about the use of plastic sails, but i don't mind that, and those holes in material sort of make it excusable, very nice touch. And if they will see what this mast can do, they will fall in love with it. I wonder if that tiller can do anything tho? You wrote it can turn, but does it equals triggering some other hidden effect? Still, with so much briliant stuff here, who cares for the tiller? ;) Then again You must remember that You've chosen one of the weirdest classic sets, it was nothing like Baracuda, or Eldorado, and some other popular sets that everyone loved and wanted and would love to see know. This one was forgetable, sort of like if the designers had to launch a certain number of sets into the market, but had very little time or budget or parts to properly focus on this one. And You sort of retained it;s unatractiveness. You broufgt plenty of upgrades, but i'm not sure if it will help to make it more appealing, they will find how great it is, if they will only be willing to go trough Your entire presentation. But the ugly truth is, the first impression is the most important and first impression here may tell people that it's still the same as it was, so there's no point to bother. And so, in this way, You've definitely sucedeed as You did manage to bring this set back, adding so much playvalue into it. And some folks might have loved it back in the "good old days", every set has it;s haters and it;s commited fans, so You've provided it for them again, in a much nicer form. And that's Your victory. So, in order to make this set more appealing i guess it should be remodeled a bit, no idea how, but i think that this MASSIVE ROCK RANGE on the left could be the thing that should be developed in the first place. It looks nice now, but it;s sort of, a peaceful park. Between that tall tower and the smaller tower nothing realy happens. So perhaps a lot could be happening at least under that path, as it seems there could be plenty of room inside. With more hidden stashes. Perhaps a room full of stocked alkohol, that captain wants to hide from his subordinates? Maybe there should be an extra tunnel leading under it? One that could fit a simple boat. Or maybe, maybe, this rock range's tranquility is just a trick? Maybe it's a bogus area as it's in fact a concealed batter of cannons, that can pop out of the throwing iron right onto faces of shocked soldiers? Or maybe there could be a secret trench running between both towers? With those concealed cannons or not. Just throwing ideas that could be used or nut. Then again, maybe if that wouldn;t be enough and this rocky parth could see some work on top of it. Like some small huts, booths providing supplies needed by every pirate or offering smuggled goos - rum, food, weapons, clothes, women, animal pets... And again, as with many sets, minifigs are very important these days. Back during the classic run, they were sort of the same, now every line seems to force new exciting characters in, and people often seek them and buy sets based on the fact that they include specific figure/s not available any other way. And... well... Your minifigs aren;t anything special honestly. I like that You've used Armada soldiers, but out of five figures included, none are attractive to the point where someone would consider aquiring this set just to get them, altough i like that pirate with a parrot, and the one with bandana.

Excellent turnabout! And great presentation! I was a bit worried that You will demote Yourself to some lower parts of charts, because of Your overambitious approach to Your original design, but it's absolutely awesome and one of my favourites. I won't repeat all the good things i've said before about this project, in short, mechanical features are brilliants and minifigures and crafts are damn cool, but it actually stands ground so well as a finished set, the way it is, ieven if it's slightly smaller version than what we thought we will see. Actually, the fact that i's not a remake of Enchanted Island may be very beneficial in the voting, as it's something very unique now. So in short, it's one of those toys were it's even hard to tell what it is if i one needs it, but it looks so colorful and so weird at the same time, it offer such a big variety of cool build and playfeatures and is so eyecatchy at the same time, that it's a definite "mom i want it now!" set :) Even those little pets, how cute, and they are a great bonus, definitely adding great value to this already entertaining pack. One question and request tho... Could You please upload this packaging in a simplified version, that is with only the background and no additional elements, yellow lines etc? :P If possible of course. I'd just love to steal this art and use it as a wallpaper :)

I love Your design and a box it's in, but it's a little dark in there! ;) Dark packaging, too many dark bricks, too many black elements of clothing and too many black tricorn hats ;) So i guess these elements could do a bit of reworking, i mean, it's easy to change the headwear to prive more colors, and since You like to create own minifigs, maybe it's an inivite to shake the classics little bit and bring different colors of hats for Soldiers too? A brown hat for an officer. Would that work? But anyway, enough with outfits. Those bricks are what worries me as it's very monotonous. I mean, it does look good, but i guess it could use some others colors too. Like yellow, orange, whatever, just to make it more diverse, cause Lego buildings are not real life buildings, they are not supposed to be built by architects and for architects, but they should be build by kids for kids ;) If not different bricks then maybe You could use varied colors by adding few decorations, like a pirate crest or figurheads from captured ships build into that sctructure, etc. And should You opt to keep the wall the way it is, then maybe that handrail on the roof could get different colors. Or it could be made out of the loot, decorative elements taken from enemies. BTW those black lanterns on the wall are a bit blured, maybe they come in different colors, like grey? I think it would be better that way. BUT, i'd add that i'm only pointing to the front wall here. And maybe the back. But backsides in Lego sets were always somewhat neglected, kids didn;t care for them, did't play with them, so i guess designers focused on more importent areas. It's like with a christmas tree where no one puts ornaments on the back side ;) And sides are more appealing because You've used some vegetation on them and they work better with those surroundings. Simple element that makes a big difference. But then the whole build is very impressive, i absolutely love those stairs, doors, jetty, i love that circular cannon position by the rock and the rock work, palm trees, secret tunnel, and the skull is very manacing, very modern too, something they would use it for the cartoon series, right away. But my favorite elements are those concealed muskets and that crane. Brilliant. I always wanted to see more of those hidden gun positions, as Pirates were masters of trickery and deceit, and i don't recall seeing anything like german auxiliary cruisers in the series, You know, ships that could pose as merchant vessels only to drop it's disguise and show their real face, and i think there should be more of that in the series. Like cannons jumping out of the rock, bushes, sand, and stuff like that. So i'm very happy seeing those muskets in Your set. And it;s very well done, from both outside and inside. Not sure if Your captain's office is not too empty, but we have't realy seen much of the inside. AND... i'm not sure if it's that interior is reachable enough? There;s only door and that window leading into it? Doesn't look like there are any openagle walls, and i'd advise on adding such element, preferably on the side with muskets, as it would be probably easiest way of doing it, cause there's already a lot of action on other sides. And maybe the roof could work better if it wasn;t used for storage, but could receive some sitting set for the captain instead? It just seems that this area could use a lot more life. Maybe there could be a big telescope ( tho i see this a a set by the river, so a telecsope woudln;t work there ) or a hammock so that Your main guy could relax. Or perhaps he would prefer to sit on a golden throne he took from an ancient temple? There's plenty of option and i would opt on them having other things to do than just to stand in place ;) So, anyway, it's definitely one of my favourites now, would be even higher in charts if characters were more interesing and if that main bulding wasn;t so dark and monotonous.

Interesting idea. I think that the roof maybe a bit overplanned for such a little and simple structure, perhaps an island could be bit bigger too since You've decided to abandon original version's simplicity for more carefully designed set. Using fireplace to cover a secret stash is excelent, it's been done here and there, but it's always somewhat unique way to hide things, and i don't recall it being part of Lego sets before ;) I also like the idea with fish being hanging there, to either dry or as a sort of decoration ( maybe both ), but i wodner if it couldn't be done better. I mean, sticking them like that by their mouth might be a bit too simple. Maybe there could be away to install some hooks. And to be honest, because they hang on this side, the other side seems a little empty, so i'd suggest adding some other quipment to the opposite section of the hut, like a musket and an axe for example. And the parrot on the top screams to me that it could be an idea for some roof decoration. Wooden parrots or somesuch. Not sure if it could be done, and where would he take all the needed materials from, but we can always dream ;) Besides, he did build this hideout somehow. And got wood for fire from somewhere, maybe from that guy with a boat ;) Also the best way to enchance this sets attractiveness would be to replace that fellow with epoulettes with someone more interesting. I don't mind the bearded guy, but the guy in the boat looks just dull. Anyway... I'm realy looking forward to see the version You'll do for Your nephew tho :) At least, i hope You will share that box art and finished present with us :)

Very interesting moc, with some extraordinary build, but i think You might have overdone it a bit, even more than with Your bastion ;) I mean, the number of cannons in Bastion set was somewhat escused, even tho there was still probably too many of them, still, they all seemed to provide a great playvalue. And here, although i'm a big fan of galleons, ships of the line, etc, and i absolutely love two-decker, doubledecker, tripledeckers etc, i don't think that they make good toys, cause they come with very repetitive accesories - cannons, that look great, but there's no way anyone is gonna use them all in play. And double decks are even tougher for a toyset, as they force to do a lot of planning on their accesibility. And to be honest, i'm not sure if the accesibility is good ine here. Removable decks were used in few entries already and they never seemed to be a good choice, always a forced decision, rather than something actually cool. I would prefer to see either openable sides, or a ship that could be OPENABLE IN HALF, so that we could play inside, like a longitudinal cross section, so that we could operate those cannons from the interior, and with ease... It would be cool, wouldn't it? I'd like to see this option in some set some day. If it's doable of course ;) Still, the ship itself doesn;t look bad. It's actually very nice. It's one of the moast appealing vessels in these entries in my humble opinion. That netting below the figurehead is an interesting idea, and miniflags on the bow, quite thoughtfull. And colors that Tou've chosen are also very good, not that they are original or anything, but look very well, all sections are were planned, in short, they make it look like a proper classic Lego ship, unlike many other entries that tried to be maybe a little too unorthodox in tones ;) I like the stern too, those flags, that's a historicaly quite accurate element so i guess You did some research. Tho it might be a bit too crowded in there with them. And i won't even mention the number of people onboard. But these cannon on the stern might be too much. I like the idea, but there's very little space because of them being there, and it's not the biggest quarterdeck already. I wonder if captain's cabin is easily accesible too. You wrote about those openable sides, and i can see them on photos, but it looks like those are very narrow? Still, who on Earth even bother to play with captain's quarters? ;) I remember that we rarely ever used it in Baracuda, as it had plenty of more attractive playfeatures and storytelling possibilities :)

Thanx :) Glad that did like my thoughts :) And yeah, to me Lego is about storytelling just about at it is about brickbuilding, with storytelling being probably even more important ;)

Hm... sorry, i like You other entries, but this one doesn't realy work for me. I don't mind purple or red tones in the series, but it's the way it's delivered it makes all this stuff look out of place, as if these were bootlegs from India's Funskool or if these were prototypes still waiting for a good paint job. I like the idea of a barechest pirate with an epoulette and captain's hat tho. This is something You could go with, as it realy this barbaric, sort of postoapo type character, one that clearly stands out of the crowd, as he doesn't follow any dress code, cause he's either a villain powerfull enough to do whatever he wants or he's just one of many drunk goons of the carribean ;)

Your design looks nice and both the skeleton and pirate look fine, but i thinkn You'e spent too many pieces on the baseplace and there's very little action here and fun here. I'd go with a smaller or single baseplate, that would only help position the rocky element and use recovered number of elements for more fun. Some more equipment for the skeleton would a good idea, like maybe he was carying a flag, or maybe he was a courier with an important letter, maybe there is a snake nearby that bit him, or maybe the skeleton could be behind some bars in this version and so was trapped and couldn't escape. Or the cave itself could be bigger with a torch provided to light the way in...

Nice little set. Simple but good looking build, with interesting character and nice work on those rocks and vegetation. And i like that stash, nothing fancy this time, no fake rocks, no complicated engineering, but it does it;s job :) If You'd have any pieces left out of the limit, maybe You could add a colorful parrot, lizard or a snake in there. Simple addition that would make this set even more attractive...

I like Your landcaping and this raft is sorta nice too, but i think there;s not much action there. Tho i see there is indeed a secret compartment. It would be cooler if You could provide some insight on what's in, close up photos would be great, same for Your characters. As for characters, i think the easiest way to enchance the attractivness of the whole set would be to bring more vatiety in minigis, there are 3 pirates now, non of them realy interesting, so i would replace at least one with a soldier, or an islanders. Maybe it could be soldiers figting soldiers actually? That would be sort of original. Two factions shipwrecked onto that little island. Maybe they will kill each other, maybe they will become friends, or maybe the treasure is possesed and will drive them mad. Anyway. As much as i like the raft i think it lacks any life, considering it;s size. There;s so much space on it. Do something about it. Maybe there could be more occupants. Maybe there could be rescued animals. Maybe there could be a lady or two, maybe it could be a pastor or a priest with them, and not a pirate. Maybe it;s got crates and barrels with supplies. It;s design isn;t bad, it;s that Your raft seems to be more lonely than it;s only crewman ;) Also that flag could be changed to either a proper big soldier/pirate banner or something colorful. Flags are always an easy way to bring charm :) And raft's front is a bit confusing. Did You plan on installing someting else into that piece right in front of the hooked fellow? It looks like if someone is missing there?

BTW, i just crashed into this thread about this ship, and i see it's creator used crabs for decorative elements, so i wanted to share it with You as it might be a nice inspiration for Your own vessel :)

Very impressive moc, it's quite attractive for me as a historian, but i'm not sure if it isn't too militaristic for a Lego set, as Lego Pirates is full arms, but also forts a bit into this romantic fairytale category, and this is pure military. So, tho i definitely like it and adore what You've managed to do here to enchance that classic baseplate, i think that it would probably have to sacrifice few of those cannons to be more legit, plus the colors You've chosen are very cold, black and grey blend nicely, but i think it could use a bit of others shades to enchance the carribean spirit. And the way it's constructed it's kinda low and squerish, and people prefer more architectual diversity in Lego designs. Tho i absolutely like Your rockwork, it's very impressive and all those additions to the baseplate are A+ in my opinion, lovely towers, lovely arch, lovely tunel, nice bridge. Then again there's hardly space and time to do any upgrades, and i'm not realy sure what could i suggest. I think that it would get more points if there one a higher tower, possibly a lighhouse could be added. I know that it might be against Yout idea of a redoubt, but it would visually help this build very much. And when i point to towers i think about the one without any cannons, where the main flag is located. Or it could be placed in the middle of Your structure, like where that admiral is located. There's nothing realy there except of that ( nice looking hut ), so i guess it could be more developed. But it might be an idea for the future - lighhouse tower, clock tower, whaterver, somethin that would make it stand out even more, and where You could add more color or vegetation, cause plants are also almost nonexistent in here, and they are usually added to bring more "life". Then again, maybe it doesn't even need to be a tower. Maybe it could be just a nice roof made out of palm tree leaves, or sails, that could provide sun shade or protection from the rain for Your admiral/governor fellow. I just thing even simple upgrades to that area could make the whole set more appealing, and bring a bit of color. Some nice sitting/dinner set could be a good addition too... or You know what?... a simple rotating chair/throne to observe what's going in all direction could be great. If it woudl be colorful too :) Something that captain Kirk or Jean Luce Picard would sit in on Star Trek ;) But the way it is now, i'm curious what in that hut and what's in that depression in the baseplate, cause photos don't help me to take a trip there ;) And i've tho i'm sceptical to so many guns, i do like the way You positioned them, and different techniques You used for towers, while all of them work nicely together. Circular cannon position is fantastic, great design! Tower next to it got some awesome elements too. And those black battlements. I wonder if lowers parts of all those towers could be used for some hidden staches tho? Unless of course they are built around those corners in a way that provides very little to no space inside ;) And i've always like the idea of "militia" soldiers, frequently used bandanas for uniform for my troopers as well :) So i'll ive You point for that. Not sure if folks here will like the lack of modern torsos and heads. I don't mind, but im more attached to classic Lego figs and i don't see a need to push for modern revolution among every possible character ;) I'm also curious about that area where that sail and the jetty is, as it seems there's a lot of action there, because of all the supplies. It mignt be my favourite location in here, as it realy creates this vibe of architecure associated with french or english wharfs. It's sort of the place where in movies or novels usualy someone tries to either escape from a chase, or a spy arrives, or a murder is commited and the victim is foung :) I would do a bit more thinking about that bridge that leads to Your ship tho. Although i very much like the idea behind it, as it completely changes the overal shape of the classic baseplate and its wonderfully designed in it's lower parts ( love those arches again! ) i think it could be donne better on the top. Those black finishes are nice, but is it realy finished? I like the handrail and i like the crane, but at least that closing element on it's edge is a bit confusing. So i would suggest just adding more handrail for the whole lenght of the bridge and then let it be open at the end... or perhaps a little ganway or small drawbridge could be added in there to connect Your bastion with a vessel and to create a visual finish for this part of the set... Not to mention that it would be a great play feature too ;) To be honest, at first i even thought that Your bridge is there to offer a connection to Eldorado or other sets... and i gues it could still serve this purpose if kids playing with it would be willing to do so ;)

Something wrong with Your link, or at least i cant see anything in there.