The Stad

You’re getting a great form from that technique, my only qualm is with how thin the wall is. I know everyone has their stylistic differences, and you tend towards classic castle dimensions, and you’re probably working with CCC size limits, but it just looks painfully thin to me. Maybe some buttressing would help it look sturdier, especially given its height. Just my two cents.

I think the only critique I can offer would be that the bars seem pretty flimsy as horizontal elements for your scaffolding, 1x1 bricks would work better in my opinion. And the power elements you used for the fountain should be fastened from below, rather than clipped from above, to add to the idea of the water coming from the lion’s mouth. Otherwise this is an absolute marvel.

Your lighting is spectacular, especially the glowing fireplace. I love the way you did the rafters for the ceiling, and all of the artifacts and clutter on the shelves really bring the scene to life. But of all the many details, my favorite might have to be the Grent named Fangort (a comical tribute to two series that have been very influential on much of our storytelling around here).

Quick question: if freebuilds have yet to be officially posted to this thread, is there a sunset period for how long they are eligible for scoring, or can I post something here, regardless of how old it is, so long as it has not yet been scored?

Awesome tower, very appealing combination of colors for the ground and plants, and I really dig that ladder design. The only things I'd change would be to add 1x1 tiles at the corners of the squares to clean up the edge where the plates meet the round vertical elements, and maybe add some internal structure to your 1x1 stacks to keep them from curving. Otherwise, good story and great build.

The mini-horses are hilarious, and I like the overall look of the build. I'll echo HQ on the spilling-out area being too squared-off, but have to compliment your representation of wagon ruts in the road. They really add a good touch of interest to the road.

Military:

A little WIP shot of my own DoM progress. It's been kind of slow going (*sigh*, life), but hopefully I'll have it done before I spend the latter half of this month travelling.

I love how stout this build is, and you've done some clever work with slopes in there. The corners and angles everywhere really tie the build together. I know it would have been very difficult to pull off (maybe even impossible with current in-production pieces), but I would have liked to see the chimney flue in your cross section when the house is open. Also, I hope the sword on that wall is purely decorative and not used for home-defense, because it seems a bit out of reach for a dwarf!

While out riding one day, Makny's horse spooked and veered off the road, galloping through a field of tall grass. Makny was irritated, but not worried; he had ridden fast before. He tugged on the reins and chided the horse, trying fruitlessly to steer her back to the road, not watching the ground in front of him, until suddenly the horse was rising beneath him. He lost hold of the reins. His legs flew clear of the saddle. He flailed and grasped at the air. Now he was worried. He coughed and sputtered on the ground, struggling to regain his breath after a thick tuft of grass had knocked the wind from his lungs. After a few moments his father was over him, still in his own saddle, with Makny's horse at his side. "You're lucky," he said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You just missed that rock." Makny grimaced and rolled over onto his hands and knees, coming face-to-face with the stone that could have killed him had his head fallen a few inches to the left. He stumbled to his feet, limped defiantly over to grab the reins from his father's hand, and clambered back atop his unruly mare. As they picked their way back through the field an old saying played at the back of his mind. "A man is not beaten until he stops getting up."

I've been wondering when this was going to make its way over to these forums... I love how tall this is, while still feeling sturdy. The use of microscale really allows a sense of grandeur, as you noted the other day, and it's great to see a large castle and its town in their entirety. I'm a fan of your unusual color combination for the ground and your use of tan in a non-Kaliphlin build, and the amount of detail you've packed in is very impressive. My only detractions would be that your buttresses on the keep could go up a bit higher and the tree cover seems a little sparse for Avalonia. Also, I would have expected to see one or two of those towers with a flat "landing pad" roof for the eagles.

Not to gang up, but I think this is an important point to the whole conversation, and one which mccoyed has touched upon. Without a deep backstory to the symbol within the fictional faith group, it is very difficult for the standard viewer to understand why a Latin cross, crescent moon, six-pointed star, eight-spoked wheel, etc. would show up repeatedly in a build (especially when paired with architectural forms inspired by real-world regions where that particular symbol is common). What is it doing there if it's not analogous to a real-world faith? Why is it a part of this fictional religion? What does it symbolize here? I don't think anyone's saying that certain symbols can't be used, but they need to be given a deep and logical context within this shared fiction, partly for us to distance them from real-world ideologies, but even more for the sake of good storytelling in a rich fantasy world.

Does the size limit include borders, or are those allowed to be added around the 64x64?

The journey had felt long to Makny, though it was only a few days slow ride from Førstlys. He and his father had been through several towns and villages along the way, though they had kept to themselves rather than announce their presence. As his father said, it was far easier for them to learn the minds of the people if the people did not know who they were. So they had traveled alone, unannounced, and humble, observing what they could from horseback and making note of what directions they ought give along their return trip. They overtook an older fellow leading a cart laden with bags of grain just before entering the village of Sorgheim. As they passed through the gate, Makny saw what appeared to be a large lantern set in the center of a circle of eight carved stone columns. The glass inside it was broken, and its columns were worn and crumbling, with moss slowly climbing their bases. Makny watched the townsfolk pass the lantern indifferently, but he could not ignore it. “Father, what is that?” he gestured as he asked. His father answered slowly, seeming to concentrate on weaving his horse through the traffic around them. “A remnant,” came the reply, “of a people long gone from these shores. All but forgotten, I think... though we might see for ourselves soon enough.” There was a concealing air and a strange distance to his voice, though Makny barely registered it, caught up as he now was in the activity that swirled around them. Everywhere the village folk were hard at work, hustling to and fro, shouting greetings back and forth, while above it all the Jarl's soldiers stoically paced the barricade. They followed the sandy, well-worn path up the hill, past the flour mill and the low-slung storehouse, and deeper into the village proper. Overhead, the early summer sun was bright in a clear blue sky. As it shone warmly on his shoulders, Makny began to feel the drowsy weight of several nights spent in the dew on ground, and he hoped against hope that tonight might find him in a soft bed with a roof above him.

Can builds for this be counted towards AoM scores as well?

This, like all your others, is another beautifully realized installment in your exciting story. Really looking forward to the next chapter! Just remember, couch-sleeping is temporary, trans clear round 1x1s are forever...

A fine little house! Since everyone seems to be weighing in on the roof, I think it would have been good to add more of the tooth pieces along the eaves and also to have layered them on the face of the roof, so the surface kind of stepped up the further up it went. Then a gain, that might have been a bit texture-heavy.

Thank you @Mythical! Thank you @Garmadon, I had a lot of fun with the landscape and birch, I just wish the roof photographed better. It looks way better in person! Thanks @KevinyWu, that was the toughest part of the whole build to get to work like I wanted. Thank you @zoth33! Thank you @soccerkid6, I took more than a few cues from your own builds on the interior. Thanks @de Gothia! Thank you @Gideon, "sturdy" was my intent. As for the noise on the pictures, part of that is from the fact that I am standing back and zooming in with my camera, I just have an old, not very great camera (iphone from several generations past). I don't really have the best photography setup in general, since a light box is currently out of the question and I live in an area with nothing but intense sunshine right now. Unless I want very heavy shadows, I have to take pictures in the morning or the shade, which means not enough light, and it all comes out kind of blue. I could do a little post-editing, but I'm never very satisfied with the result, and it still doesn't make the photos any clearer.

Makny Annensen Profession: Commander of the Stromvakt Bio: Born to the second son of the Lord of Førstlys on the Burial Isle, Makny Annensen was never likely to inherit the rule of his grandfather’s holdings. Instead, he passed his youth learning the ways in which he could best serve his family and people. After his customary year in the clan lands when he came of age, which was just before the Elemental Crisis, he had many adventures and faced many trials, eventually coming into his own as a warrior and strategist. Following the wars against Ravaage, his puppet states, and his allies, Makny surrendered any claim he would ever have to the lordship and took his father’s place commanding the Stromvakt, the elite household guard of Førstlys. Hometown: Førstlys Parts: Hair, Head, Torso, Arms, Hands, Legs, Scabbard, Cape

A few more entries for your consideration: Defenses: Town: Agriculture:

Many buildings in Sorgheim were dug into the hills that rose at the feet of the inland mountains, but the storehouse was dug down even further than most, protecting its contents from the bitter cold of the long northern winters. Much of the building was made of timber, as this was easy to harvest and work into building material, but the foundations and columns were stone. The stone on the ground kept rainwater from soaking into the wood and causing it to rot, and the columns held up the significant weight of the slate roof and snow that often laid on it for months at a time. Inside, food was kept as dry as possible, and inventories were frequent to make sure nothing spoilt before it could be used to feed the village. The fourth and final section of a long project, I'll have pictures of the whole thing up later (they need a little polish before they're presentable). C&C welcome as always.

Thanks! I bricklinked those collars before having any in hand and realized afterwards that they don’t allow most hair styles and only a few hats/helmets. Most dwarf helmets fit fine, but those Ultron helmets are a little loose on the heads right now...

Makny Annensen, the Shadow of the Tårkyst, stands with the Jarl through what trials may come.

You've got a cool setup there, but I wonder how easy it would be to adjust the mechanism so that Harry is the one who moves sideways first. Right now the horntail moves one direction, then harry immediately gets in front of it. If he's trying to evade the dragon, shouldn't it be the other way around?

Great work on this, you've really progressed since the first castle you shared here! I love that you squeezed so many interiors into this, they really breath a lot of life into an already impressive build. As others have said, I think your chapel roof could use a little more refinement, particularly on the tower. Also regarding the tower, is that supposed to house a bell? I think some of the stained glass in there would have been better suited to go where the lion heads are on the front and rear facades of the chapel itself, so that the images and the stories they tell can be viewed by the people inside the chapel. All in all, very well done, and congrats on the feature on the Brothers Brick!