Franco Clarke

What a fantastic trio of models, I like how they all fit together to show the extent of the whole vineyard. The chateau is very impressive, and I especially like how it isn't built on flat ground, but feels like it is perched atop a hill to give commanding views. The vineyard and carriage build has many interesting and unexpected uses of parts, I also like the carriage too. finally, I love the way the wine cellar is embedded into the hill, so to not waste space for more vines.

In one of the many packed taverns of Bastion, a pirate and an officer of Oleon sat deep in conversation. Erwin recalled of his recent successes at the terrabanks, whilst Nightheart talked of how he had been hunted, so far unsuccessfully, by a selection of Corries. 'Now Nightheart, as much as I enjoy talking to someone who shares my view on Corrington, I doubt you arranged to meet me in this grotty establishment for just a conversation' Erwin said. Nightheart's scared face contorted into mock insult 'How dare you call this bar grotty, it be the crew's favourite tavern!' Erwin rolled his eyes 'Contrary to popular belief, Officers of Oleon do actually have jobs to do, I currently have a shipment of cannon in Stingray's hold which are expected, so if we could be as swift as possible' 'Argh ok then' Nightheart conceded, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a tatty piece of parchment, 'I hear that you imperials like adding islands to your collection' Intrigued, Erwin replied 'Indeed the empire could always use more islands to build bases on' Nightheart unrolled the parchment, to reveal it was in fact a map, marking a previously undiscovered island far too the south of the sea of storms. 'We found the place once when we got a little over enthusiastic chasing a merchantman,' Nightheart commented, 'It's a bit too far out of the way to much use as a hide-away.' Erwin examined the map, noting the exact position of the new island, 'It could make a perfect base for exploring the surrounding areas for more islands. As far as I know no other nations have islands anyway near there, so it would be a great asset' 'Well as I said, it is no use to me, feel free to take it, the reputation you gain for discovering it might help you gain more support against Corrington' Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a heavy cutlass blade on the table. Erwin looked up the blade to see it was being held by a Corrington officer. 'I officially claim that Island for the Empire of Corrington,' he barked out in a harsh voice. Erwin considered drawing his sword and fighting it out, but then noticed the squad of Corries standing behind the officer. The man turned to Nightheart, 'I hereby arrest you Pirate, for your crimes against Corrington. I hope you like ropes, for you will be soon hanging from one!' Erwin noticed that the other inhabitants of the bar had fallen silent and were beginning to look rather angry. However the Corrington Officer obviously hadn't noticed as he rambled, 'Well Pirate you have indeed avoided the law for long enough, but Corrington has finally caught you. Now that I have captured the elusive Nightheart, I shall surely be promoted, probably to admiral, or perhaps even further.' At this point he was interrupted by the gruff voice of one of the sea rats in the bar 'We put up with you imperial types visiting, but if you think you can still exercise your wretched laws here you've got another thing coming.' The Officer turned to face the rat, irritated by the interruption 'How dare you! For your action you will arrested too, don't you know who I am?' Before he could finish his rant, the entire population of the bar set upon the Corries using bottles, swords, their fists or whatever else they could lay their hands on. Erwin drew his sword, but the map had been snatched by the officer before he could react. The Corrington marines overturned tables and chairs and set up a perimeter which they began defending against the mob of Sea Rats. This was working quite well until a smuggler grabbed one of the marine's rifles and shot through the chandelier on the ceiling. It plummeted to the floor, scattering the Corrish perimeter. Nightheart drew his battered sabre and turned to Erwin. 'It'd probably be best if you left, the boys might get a little over enthusiastic and think you're a Corrie!' Erwin agreed and left by the back door as Nightheart leapt at the officer, sword in hand. As he walked back to the Stingray one of the windows of the tavern burst open and a Corrington Marine was thrown through. Looks like they weren't doing very well. As the dawn broke the Commodore watched his squadron through his one good eye. Although Nightheart had eluded them once again, they had gained a useful map and they weren't far behind Nightheart anyway. He signalled with his figures too his captains who were standing to attention on the deck of his command ship. 'We will deploy two Merchant Raiders and one cutter to secure the southern Island. You may take the map, be sure to leave as soon as is possible' The respected officers saluted and left for their ships. 'Another Raider will be dispatched to shadow Nightheart, return before the end of the month and report his movements. Avoid engagement by any means.' Another one of the captains saluted and walked toward the prow of the ship. The commodore turned to the remaining officers. 'The rest of us will return to the main fleet, I need to talk to the Admiral' This latest story was inspired by a scene in a certain pirate film, and allowed me to do some more night photography. I think these ones came out ok, and hopefully you can tell what is going on. The build enabled me to experiment with one of those fancy tiled roofs I have seen being made, and also play around with floor planking. Finally it was great fun arranging all the figure for the fight picture, and I've added some daylight photos so you can see the details a little better. Hopefully you liked my little build, and I will hopefully be continuing the story tomorrow.

These do seem to be a very advanced group of natives, I like how you have made the bar distinctly islander!

Thanks for the help, I'm currently searching for a suitable cloth to make more durable sails from, once I have got them, I will revamp the rigging and sails to make her look more authentic.

Nice little fort, or perhaps just an emplacement. This should keep any would be raiders at bay, and would be quick a simple to construct, I like it!

This is a pretty large island to make in bricks, I look forward to seeing it develop. At the moment it appears to be home to many wild beasts- take care settlers!

Don't worry, the slug has been scrapped after severe flaws were found in her construction

I Hereby sign up to construct a 3rd rate ship of the line, name to be confirmed (I could turn it to 4th rate if that would be preferred)

Thank you, I'm happy you think she feels classic, as that is what I aiming for! I'm glad you liked the stern, it was my favourite yet so thanks for the the encouragement. To glory indeed, I'm sure she will be enough to send our foes packing! Thank you I am honoured by your compliments! Hopefully by keeping the colour scheme the same on my ships, they will fit together quite well. I am aware that the sails and masts aren't perfect, but I'm not quite sure what is wrong? do you have any suggestions?

Oh my gosh, I think this is the largest assembly of pirate lego I've ever seen! There are so many nice details here, I can't comment on them all, so I will just congratulate all who were involved. Well done!

Would virtual (LDD) ships be eligible for this? I would like too help out, but I don't have the resources to build such a large ship in reality quite yet.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/142862-ol-fb1-disturbance-in-the-night/ I Franco Clarke I Oleon http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/142960-ol-fb2-investigation/ I Franco Clarke I Oleon http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/143110-ol-fb3-fight-for-the-stolen-plans/ I Franco Clarke I Oleon http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/143461-ol-fb4-the-pharaoh/ I Franco Clarke I Oleon

Thank you, glad you liked it, and if you want to see more of my models, I have uploaded most of them to this forum, especially on the Bretheran of the Brick Seas section. The rules were developed between me and my friend, and are kinda still in development. I will certainly take some more photographs next time I play, and video might work too, but most certainly just highlights as this game is very long winded in its current form (we played over 3 days). Sorry I tried to attach the rules but they are currently too large to be attached here. I'll see if I can find an alternative.

Erwin stood on the decking outside Eldorado Fortress, next to the Governor, looking out across the waters of Breshaun harbour. Having successfully returned the secret plans, he had been invited to watch the latest warship from the naval shipyards leave on its first patrol. The new ship slipped swiftly through the waves, its vast expanse of sails eagerly catching what little breeze disturbed the still morning air. The flags of Oleon fluttered at the mast heads, as the ship moved out of the bay, flanked on either side by other smaller warships. However, its newer more efficient sail plan propelled it through the water much faster than the other more elderly ships, and it soon left them far behind as it disappeared into the distance. Erwin thanked the Governor for the invitation, and then walked to one of the fleet of dinghies which were waiting to convey the Governor's guests back to the mainland. He felt in his pocket, and held the letter he had just received from Nightheart. He wondered why he had asked to me him, and stepped down into the boat. It is with great excitement that I present The Pharaoh, my newest ship. This ship has been running around my head for at least 5 years now, and I have failed to build it many times now. However, here she is, finally completed. She is a 30 gun frigate for Oleon's navy, hopefully making her a potent force in the sea of storms. She takes a lot of her inspiration from other ships on this forum and I would like to thank those who helped me during the building process. This ship was originally inspired by the wish to build a ship that could level the playing field with the redcoat Imperial Flagship, which I think this does quite nicely, being taller, longer and more heavily armed Seen here from the side, you can see appreciate the firepower of this vessel. I know that the gunports are rather too close together, but I'm cheap so I always like cramming my ships with guns. As always, the stern is one of the most enjoyable parts of the build, and this was no exception. It is a nice break from the smaller ships I usually build, which have much less room to work with. A view from the other side, which is pretty much identical to the other. Down under the prow for a better view of the figurehead, from which the ship got her name. The head-rails didn't come out great so I might rework them later. Some of the details of the deck, marines drilling at the front, and the boats in the centre. Just forward of the boats is the bell and a pair of guns. Further astern, the wheel and compass, with four more guns. Finally at the back a couple of stern guns and a deck hatch. The deck is removable, but it is very awkward, since you have to remove the main mast first, so most of the time it stays attached. Although the gun-deck is cramped it is at least a little better than it's predecessors due to being a bit wider. Finally here she is compared to my other 'big' ships, the Black Barbarian and my Redcoat/Corrington heavy brig. She is undoubtedly the biggest, which is good enough for me I know she isn't perfect, and there are quite a few things that I would do differently, but for my first complete frigate, she'll do, and I can hopefully learn more for future vessels.

A nice build, the highlight is surely the disable cart and its spilled load. I also like the man with that backpack/carrying contraption, I'm sure it could be altered for a multitude of purposes!

Thank you, it is a relief that people aren't bored by my tales! Thank you, I guess my stories might might make up for my rather un-imaginative models. As for colours, lime green is an interesting idea, one I hadn't though of and could play well against the duller colours. I shall have to experiment. Thanks, I might add some texture to the paving, although it does look a little better in person. I do normally try to add some interior to buildings, but my current parts shortage leaves this one empty, I might add something if I can find more parts.

Thank you, I am pleased that you liked that shot too. From what I have found, it is easier to light smaller scenes than larger ones, perhaps because the walls reflect light inwards again?

Ah, this could well be the root of the problem, since I always work via computer, so I will only be seeing it from that perspective. Thank you, I hadn't noticed the flatness of the roof, but now you have mentioned it I'll have to do something! I found it difficult to find the balance between bright light, and the dull light I was aiming for. These ended up on the dark side, especially the second one.

Erwin awoke with a pounding headache. What had he done to deserve such pain? Then he opened his eyes, and yes now he did know where the headache had appeared from. He was top floor of a building, in a small room beneath the roof. Two men stood talking over by the door, in low voices so he couldn't discern what they were saying. Next to them was a table littered with objects, a cup, a blunderbuss, and a pile of papers. Erwin raised an eyebrow, perhaps these papers were the secret plans he was after. Erwin glanced down at his body, unsurprisingly it had been tied tightly to the chair upon which he sat. Looks like his captors weren't taking any chances. Then the door opened and a figure in dark cloths entered the room, their head and face concealed in the shadows of a hood. Erwin's two captors turned to meet the new arrival. 'Who the hell are you?' one of them shouted, 'You've made a mistake coming in here!' Erwin smiled. There was something about the hooded figure which lead him to believe his captors were about to have a really bad day. 'Son I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you,' the figure said in their usual bland voice. A pale hand shot out from beneath the robe and grasped the broom which was standing in the corner of the room. 'Well you asked for it!' one of the men shouted drawing his cutlass, whilst the other grabbed the blunderbuss off the table. Before he could raise the weapon to his shoulder and aim, he was hit by the narrow end of the broom and knocked to the floor. The other man swung his sword, but it was caught by the other end of the broom and went flying towards Erwin. Erwin let out a yell, but the blade passed mere inches away from his left arm, slicing through the ropes and freeing him. Erwin stood up and saw the man who had been knocked over lunge at the hooded figure with a serrated knife, only to be hit with the blunt end of the broom. The man collapsed onto the floor, and lay still. Erwin grabbed his sword from the chair it had been left on, and stepped toward his other captor. But before he could reach him, the man was hit with a twirling broomstick, and was knocked out cold. Erwin sheathed his sword and picked up his hat. 'Thank you very much' he said replacing the hat upon his head 'I can't think these people had pleasant plans for me' The hooded figure carefully replaced the broom in the corner of the room. 'Don't mention it,' the person replied 'I'm sure you'll return the favour sooner or later' With that they slipped through the window and disappeared up onto the roof. Erwin watched the carriage pull away from the building with the two sailors safely locked away in the back. He gripped the secret plans tightly, and set off at a brisk walk to the governor's office. The sooner they were returned and put away safely, the better. This is another building I've finished for my section of Breshaun. It was built mostly using one of my least favourite colours, dark grey, and it came out reasonably well all things considered. With this building completed, I think I have now filled my first two base plates of Breshaun, and can now begin extending inland. And here is where it sits with my other Breshaun buildings. I would like your opinions on what sort of colours you think would look good on future buildings I might add to this collection.

Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it. Also thanks for moving it to the correct forum, I wasn't quite sure where it fitted!

Thanks for the reply, I'm sorry that the pictures are so murky, despite spending a couple of hours on them I couldn't get anything better really.

Nice swamp, the wooden walkway captures the feel very well. It seems you have a plague of frogs though!

Not sure if this is quite the correct place for this, as it isn't exactly a moc? Anyway, this topic is about a game I play with a friend which is based around the use of lego pirate ships. The basic premise of the game is that you play as a pirate captain and sail around the 'sea' digging up treasure and plundering merchant ships in the aim of becoming top pirate. You begin the game with a small rowing dinghy and you can use the gold you acquire to buy better ships or hire crew etc. Also sailing the seas are a whole host of imperial warships and merchant vessels. Since we use full sized lego pirate ships, the game takes up an awful lot of space, and takes quite a long time to play. To start with a rough map from one of our previous games, which should help you to understand the basic layout of the area of play. The first shot is about an hour into the game, showing the main harbour of Port Royal. In the foreground is a merchant ship my friend converted from the ninjago zeppelin, with my pirate ship behind it. At this point we had both only got a simple rowing dinghy, although I had bought a small mast for mine. Here a pair of merchants sail round the Channel Fort. The fort is my friend's, while the merchant ships are the aforementioned Ninjago ship, and my HMS flea. Further round are another two merchant ships. The closest is my friend's vessel designed for the new Bluecoats, whilst the further one is one of mine. A little later, here both me and my opponent dig for treasure on small islands. In the foreground is my opponent, having commandeered the Ninjago ship. In the background is my ship, the Black Assassin, which I bought having sold the Dinghy. A shot across the main island, with a few carriages in the front and a pair of merchant ships at the back. The carriages are my version of a couple of classic Castle sets. Further round to the top, an island inhabited by non-player pirates in-front of Tortuga. Tortuga was made up of my friend's market village and my boatshed. Oh dear! One of the merchants sailed a little to close to a sea monster and pays the price! A trio of merchant ships that shared a similar colour scheme, and such ended up sailing around together for most of the game. My Black Assassin and the Imperial Flagship cross paths. A view through the roofs of Port Royal. The blury green ship in the background is my friend's equivalent of the Black Assassin. A logjam of merchant ships and imperial patrol vessels clogs up Port Royal. The ship in the middle is my Stingray. There weren't just small merchant ships. This large Indiaman called HMS Warspite was built by my friend. The Imperial flagship is passed by the fastest merchantman, the Colombe. Here is a shot of some of my pirates who had been digging on this little island for quite some time, and had acquired a large amount of treasure! Then I forgot to take any pictures for a very long time, and it cuts to when we had both built up quite a large pirate fleet. Here my ships try to keep out of the way of the imperials. Here my friend decided to attack one of the imperial flagships. He successfully killed its crew, but was then set upon the larger 18 gun brig. This ship swiftly sunk his smallest ship, and killed most of the crew who had boarded the Imperial flagship. It then continued to severely damage his biggest ship, the Brickbeard's bounty. By boarding the 18 gunner, my oponnent managed to wipe out the crew, but not without great loss of life. But the time taken had allowed the rest of the imperial fleet to arrive at the site, consisting of an Imperial flagship, Stingray and a 30 gun frigate. Rather than face such odds, my opponent surrendered, and the game ended. I hope you enjoyed this, I am sorry that I didn't take more pictures but I got engrossed in the game. We normally play this game once a year, so hopefully next year I will have another game to report on! Edit: Pirate game(budget) Rules on Google Docs

The night had returned to silence, the rumbling drums had been abandoned and the port had returned to sleep. However, the blackness of the sea was now stippled with the glowing specks of a ring of Oleon warships, closing the harbour to any unwanted travellers. Erwin made his way back to Stingray, in between a pair of boat-sheds. Despite his best efforts he couldn't find anything which would lead him to the people who had stolen the plans. If he didn't find something soon, the plans would be gone, and who knows who would end up with them. The he grimaced, he knew exactly who would end up with them, and that must be avoided at all costs. Suddenly he felt a cool blade against his neck, short and stubby, like a kitchen knife. Oh great, he thought, at least I guess things couldn't be getting much worse now then. 'Commander, I advise you to stay perfectly still, otherwise I will be forced to kill you' said a dull unremarkable voice. Erwin heeded the person's advise and stayed motionless. 'Despite what the Governor said, I am in fact currently in Breshaun' continued the person 'I have some information which might help with your investigation' Erwin had relaxed slightly; he was in no danger, for it was simply the King's agent who he had worked with at Londa. If last time was anything to go by, the plans were as good as recovered. 'I would advise you check the deck of the ship you captured recently, the Wyvern, you might find something that will help you' Then the knife was gone. Erwin stood still for another minute, just to be certain, then changed course heading down to the docks where the Wyvern had been tied up. He walked down the jetty and then hid behind the prow of a great Terraman that was berthed further up from the Wyvern. Peering through the lightening night, he saw that something was indeed happening on the Wyvern, as light from a lantern threw weird shadows into rigging. Erwin crept closer to where a gangplank reached up to the deck. A pair of voices were deep in conversation, although Erwin couldn't be certain what they were talking about. Well apart from the agent's information, he hadn't any proof they were anything to do with the missing plans. But, civilians weren't supposed to be in the naval sector of the port after sundown... Erwin stood up and marched up the gangplank, and two men sat at a rickety table turned round, obviously surprised to see him. 'In case you didn't know, this area is of-bounds to you at this time of day' said Erwin in what he hoped was a clear authoritative voice. The two men looked at each other, and then kicked over the table. The lantern on it smashed on the deck, plunging the ship into darkness. Erwin cursed and fumbled for his sword. However before he could reach it something heavy connected with his head and he lost consciousness. A nice short story this time, continuing on from last time. The new build here was the boat shed seen in the first picture. It's a basic build, but hopefully it fits the available area quite well. There isn't any interior really, but it can fit a dinghy quite comfortably. Finally a shot of it in its intended location.

The presentation is really good here, both with the mine crossection/cutouts and the irregular flooring in the first section.