Dunedain

I want to re-iterate that the sets are constantly getting wiped out at Walmart's and Target's by me. AND, I just have finally spotted the BB at both Walmart and Target. Not in every one yet, but they are showing up, outside of TRU and Lego stores. I think that's a good sign, I hope.

Basiliscus, THANK YOU, that introductory explanation was perfect, and I think what a lot of us here were wondering about. I feel some of us were afraid to ask, understandably because of not wanting to look foolish. I however, really want to be involved in this, and I want to know "whats up". I think now knowing some fundamental rules will allow MANY of us to proceed further, and get involved. I now know what type of character I want to try to create, especially now knowing how IMPORTANT he will be. Knowing the BASIC mechanics to something like this cannot be more stressed. It makes new and undecided players more apt to get involved and want to join. I would like to ask for you guys in the "know" to PLEASE continue to give us info. Remember, nothing is too trivial, that small bit of info may just answer someones question who will now join. Also maybe every so often re-post, or re-say, those introductory rules, I guarantee it will get newer members here, and involved. You did BotB's a great service by just that general info, thanks.

I agree, this is all sounding great, and I am very excited to join this. There are many great ideas and "storylines" being mentioned and tossed around. I love the idea of using our imaginations and how, as in real life, the rules are sometimes "blurred", and not everything is so black and white. I do have some questions concerning BoB in general. What is the main goal/purpose of all this? In other words, is this all about "challenges" to create Moc's? Is this a game of sorts? When we are asked to create a character, is this for the purpose of putting that character/mini-figure ALWAYS in our Moc's? Or is there a specific role for our characters? I hear awesome ideas for backstories, but I still don't get/know what we all will actually be "DOING"? Please forgive my ignorance, but could someone who knows, or plays/does the Historica one, please describe to us, who don't, what we will be doing? In other words, I don't get what the "nuts and bolts" of BoB is going to be. Please understand too, I am not in any way being sarcastic, I truly just don't know yet what the main goal/purpose is yet. If its about making moc's, then awesome, I get it. Is it about a point system or game? When some say "challenges", what does this mean? Why am I creating a "character"? what is he going to do? What is his purpose, in other words? Is this more about the characters, the map getting colored, the factions, the MOC's? These are some of the things I just don't understand yet, and I would, and I think others too, be more gung ho and ready to jump in, if the "fundamentals" were explained, or touched on, for some of us newbs, PLEASE, thanks.

Very nice job on this. I am a fan of any buildings that can fit in, and help create a Super heroes "city". I have a city of my own, with a bunch of modded buildings, from the Detective office, to banks, hideouts, and stores, and they are all villain or Super hero themed too. I like how you have created a downtown area that the villains can live in. You are definitely a modder after my own heart. Great job.

Here in America, or at least where I am in the NYC/NJ area, the Pirate sets appear to be selling very well. I have about 10 different Toys R us's within driving distance from my house, and they all have had to re-stock quite a few times due to selling out. The Toys R us have had all the sets too, including the BB, and they are all selling. The Walmarts and Targets have also been selling pretty well of these sets too. I have many Targets and Walmarts by me as well, and the shelves are empty and re-stocked of the Pirates stuff a few times over. That being said though, it appears that both Walmart and Target did not get in the BB. I don't like this for the strength of the line, but maybe they will stock them as sales increase. So, yes, it does appear the sets are selling decent by me, and again I am in a very "important" part of the world, atleast according to Lego sales, New York city area. I truly hope sales continue, and we get a 2nd wave and at least an awesome UCS. I don't know why Lego isn't pushing this line more to our friends in Europe, but I hope they do, and we can get more sets.

Like Sigolf above said, the Hobbit/Lotr torsos can make great civilian merchants. I also use the Shakespeare CMF figure, torso and legs, as a wealthy merchant. There is also the CMF Actor figure, which is similar to the Shakespeare figure, but in a dark green color. You can check out my Thread, its on page 1 of the Pirate Moc forum, the one titled " Bluecoat fort,trading port, and coastal battery". There are a bunch of pics with possibly a few ideas you could use for merchants.

I still am undecided as to what faction I would ultimately like to join, but that being said, the more I read about Eslandola, the more I like them. What I like is that there is a ton of flexibility in that faction. If its militia based, then the uniforms can be very imaginative. Some militia uniforms could even be Red or Bluecoats that defected or just fight for the highest price. Usually in history and life, money means power. If the Eslandola faction is full of wealthy and powerful merchants and leaders, they could realistically build huge war ships and grand armies and militias. They could have a "strangle" hold on certain trading routes or even rare specific goods. This would put them at odds, perhaps, with the other factions, including Pirates, with whom they may even at sometimes align with too. A "greencoat" army or militia, may not have any actual green colored uniforms, but instead could be a mix of Pirate, bluecoat, redcoat, and random uniforms. A hodge podge of mercenaries, in many colors, all fighting for gold. Perhaps just the flags and officers would be in green, or an elite faction of the militia.

I cannot decide right now, honestly. I have TONS of Pirates, and recently acquired about 10 of the new Greencoats, plus another 15 classic Greencoat torsos. Yet the real problem, is that I have over 100 of EACH of the Bluecoats, new and classic, and Redcoats newer and classic. I could easily choose every faction, including Islanders and fantasy, and have scores of soldiers/figures for them all. Maybe I'll be a whore and bounce around to every faction, idk.

I always get extra cannons, so much so that I cant even count how many I must have now. I also picked up a TON of the Lone Ranger cavalry army packs from a year or 2 ago. They were good little sets for the cannons, brown bases and wheels, all for a cheap price, plus a white horse and 4 mini-figures too. You couldn't go wrong with that set. I probably got like 20 of them. So, on top of all the cannons I had already, I got a giant ziplock bag full of the cannons with their bases and wheels.

Very nice, looks cool, nice and solid. It is almost too "perfect" looking on the outside, at least for a Pirate hideout. Its almost like it was an Imperial Fort that was taken over by Pirates. Was this your idea when making this, that it was an Imperial fort taken by Pirates?

Thanks Captain Guga, for the kind words.

Um I think the dwarves are flooding the economy, just like the American government, with over doing it on the currency. If they make too much, its just gonna be worthless, lol. Seriously though, very nice build and cool concept.

Very nice, I own 4 of those torsos already, and got about 6 more on the way. We should create a back story about the fact that each greencoat soldier has that tiny coin bag at their belt. Like they are required to keep a months wage on their person at all times, to pay for burial costs incase of death. Or, its a superstition of some sort, like the money can "pay" for them to get into the next afterlife upon death, like the ancient Greeks. Or its part of the Greencoat uniform due to a requirement of the King or Queen of Esplandola wanting all the soldiers to remember to whoms service they are paid to fight for. Or maybe the average Greencoat soldier is a degenerate gambler, and would never be caught without his gambling money. You guys get the picture,there could be tons of cool reasons for why all Greencoat soldiers wear that coin purse.

As was stated already above, we still have to see if TLG releases any more sets for the 2015 line. If they don't, then no matter how much better these 2015 sets are than the 2009, 2009 will have to win just on more sets alone. For now though, one to one the 2015 sets seem to be better in most cases, except the odd set like the chess set for example. Although I find the 2015 sets, SO FAR, to be a bit better, I absolutely HATE that these new sets have NO GOLD COINS, I HATE IT!!

Thanks for the kind words, believe it or not, that is actually not all the treasure/gold, that I own. In fact if you look at the pics with the transaction containing the whale/sea creature bones, teeth, and tusks, the "jail" cells behind the transaction is full of even more chrome gold ingots stacked up behind the bars. If you look closely you can see the shine of the gold, lol.

Why do I have a feeling that the next scene is only going to show 1 minifigure, a ton of red bricks, and a bunch of smashed bagpipes, lol. Good job, this was actually funny.

I really wish TLG would make sets like El dorados or the Imperial trading post, but of course with the newer parts, colors, and building techniques the are available now. Really it comes down to hoping that these newest Pirate sets sell incredibly well, and honestly they do seem to be, for what its worth. I think if they do then maybe there is a slim chance we could see an UCS, or exclusive style set of Pirate/Imperial buildings/forts, that are huge and incredibly detailed. Although I do like the newest Imperial fort and outposts, it does seem like they are puny skeletons of what "could" be, with nothing to them. Heres to hoping for huge, detailed Pirate sets.

Out of the 2 options, I went with the tricorne officer. That being said, I personally do NOT use tricornes for my Bluecoat officers. I strictly use tricornes for my huge Redcoat armies officers only. For my bluecoat officers its gold epaulettes and bicornes(admiral hats) or the POTC brown or gray ponytails.

Thanks for editing that for me Bonaparte, sorry bout that. I won't lie when I say that I am a fan of the show "Black Sails", really any Pirate fan should love it. While I didn't design this layout based specifically on that show, it was indeed responsible for the "feel" of it, and that's pretty cool that you noticed that.

Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate it. The baseplate is one I had sitting around, but I believe its from a town/city coast guard line from a few years back. To those who want to see more detail, and take it all in, I recommend clicking on my Flickr link, you wont be disappointed. The area with the baseplate is supposed to be the "entrance" to the interior of the island. The harbor master is sitting at his desk with his slave boy at his side. All transactions go thru him, and he keeps his "stash" hidden under the loose boards to the left. behind his desk. The area all the way to the right, depicts another transaction where merchants are selling whale bones, teeth, and horns from rare sea creatures. Behind the merchants desk, the "prison" cell actually holds stacks of gold for the days transactions. The picture with all the treasure depicts a weeks worth of sales from the port. The fisherman swinging the oar is trying to fend off the octopus, lol. Fishing life back then would have been a bit macabre.

Here we have a project I've been working on over the past few weeks. Its a MOC/MOD of about 10 of the new 2015 Imperial soldiers outpost sets, 4 of the Soldiers Forts, and even a set or 2 from the 2009 Pirate line. In the background is one of my 2 Imperial Flagships, and all the sets have been combined, MOC'ed, and MOD'ed, into whats supposed to be a giant Imperial Port and trading center. This MOC is supposed to create the feeling of a very busy, hustle and bustling fishing port that's controlled by the Imperials. This is my first time showing a MOC here. I hope you all enjoy it, and there is a link to my flickr with over 100 pics to enjoy. https://www.flickr.c.../131395669@N06/ 20150325_012210 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_220557-1 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_004156 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_235526 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_235802 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_225348 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_223111 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_000654 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_015751 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_002855 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_004830 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_225745-1 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150325_000155 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_235802 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr 20150324_222455 by homeinvestors777, on Flickr

Interesting theory, and funny that the 2 countries involved with this fort were the Danish and Americans. Lego is made and originated in Denmark, and the number one consumer of Lego is America.

Nice review and video. I always loved this ship, I have 2 complete ones fully built right now in my collection. I think this ship was one of my favorites because the Imperials always needed to have a ship, and the sails having the Imperial logo really made it stand out, giving the soldiers a chance against the Pirates on the seas. On top of the 2 complete ones I have, I think I also have 2 full sets of extra sails too, maybe I will make a custom Imperial ship with those extra sails.

I actually have been working on exactly this within the past few weeks, in fact, I am pretty much finished. I have all the original Pirate/Imperial sets and every set made since then for Pirates and Imperials, except the islander sets. So I had/have a ton of inspiration and bricks to work with. I bought 4 of the latest 2015 Soldiers forts, and 10 of the 2015 soldier outposts, and a few off the other sets as well as 1 Brick bounty. Anyway, I have combined all the latest Bluecoat sets, plus a few imperial sets from the 2009 line, into a GIANT Bluecoat coastal battery, forts, outposts, and trading center. I mostly modded the many sets, in some cases combining 2 or 3 into 1 big Fort/outpost, and continuing from there. I really want to get some pictures up of the finished MOC, and I know it will give you some great ideas/inspiration, but I've never posted or uploaded pictures before. Sadly, I do not have flickr, or anything like that, and I admit that I simply just don't know what to do. I have a friend that I can ask, and should be seeing soon. I promise that if I figure how to get pics up, I will.

I just bought all the sails for the IF, and they were brand new still in the plastic, for only $20.00 bucks shipped. That being said, as stated above, if you are patient and keep looking, sometimes an affordable one can be found on ebay. I can vouch for this personally. I currently own 2, complete, and practically new ones, and tons of extra parts like sails. One I bought years ago just slightly above retail price. However, the other one I purchased in a BUY IT NOW lot off ebay, a little over a year ago. This is a 100 percent true story. The lot was $100 bucks, including shipping. It contained a used but COMPLETE Imperial Flagship, PLUS a complete Brick beards bounty, AND the 2009 castaway island set, AND the 2009 shipwreck hideout set. I kid you not, it was ridiculous! It was on a Sunday and I clicked on the listing probably only a few minutes after it was just listed, and bought it instantly. The impression I got was that it was a Mother or a wife who had no clue what it was ALL worth, and just threw it up on Ebay just to get a kwick$100 bucks and be done with it. The Brickbeards bounty was well worth the $100 dollars, but imagine getting an Imperial Flagship, and 2 other small and medium sets included too. It was one of the best deals on ebay I ever got.