Khorne

Nice assortment of flowers and neat little scene!

Lovely to see a "normal, behind the scenes" MOC without bloodshed or warfare. It shows the process of building a road very clearly and the sappers all look interesting with their different tasks. I once tried my hand at building a similar scene aaaaaages ago, but your version is way better .

Haha yes, you are right. I might've gone overboard with the name and its explanation . Also true, even though the skull imagery in military use goes back way before that. Linking to that time frame and those guys was definitely not my intention. Thanks for the feedback and for adding Essen to Carno's entry in the Guide! I might write up a short summary to go along with it. I will DM it to you. 'Coehoorn' is indeed inspired by the Nilfgaardian Field Marshal. I was thinking of a fitting surname and then Nilfgaard crossed my mind. I like the old school Dutch/Afrikaans spelling of the name and it just looks and sounds cool. It also fits Carno's shared Altonian and Garveyan cultural background. Thanks for your input on the name and the word 'popular', I will keep it in mind for future reference . Thanks! That's exactly what I wanted to convey. Old and way past its prime, but not forgotten by those who still live around the building. Thanks guys!

Thanks, @Fraunces! I hope I get to finish the map sometime, but there's still loads of work to be done. Yeah, there's definitely all-around inspiration from various [communist] revolutionary factions. The basis is obviously the French Revolution, but I mixed it with all kinds of other revolutionaries. The Red Brigade as a name wasn't my first choice, though. I actually didn't want to call it like that, to make the inspiration less direct. I still want it to be a BoBS thing and not just real life events, groups or persons copy-pasted 1:1 into the universe. I was going originally going to call the organization the "People's Association for Traveling", because I find a euphemism like that 1) funny, 2) they actually do travel for their mercenary work, which 3) helps hide the true purpose of the organization. That or Popular Brigade. However, when you translate words with 'people's X' to French, it becomes 'X Populaire'. I feel you lose the strength of the word "people" and it becomes more like its something popular, more in the sense of "everybody's doing it" instead of "of the people". That was my gripe with "Popular Brigade", too. It's sounds and reads like a group of influencers with lots of social media clout . In Dutch and German, we have the word 'volk' which also denotes 'people' and you can build words with it, like "volksfront". Literally, it means "people front", but in English or French it would also become "Popular Front" or "Front Populaire" which loses its meaning to me. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not a native speaker that the word "popular" doesn't feel like it means "of the people", as much as it links to clout and popularity for me . In Dutch we have the word as well, but we exclusively use it to say something is drawing lots of people, something is cool, everybody's doing it, etc. It has no connection to 'people' (which is 'volk', like I've said). So, maybe I'd just throw it out there to native French or English speakers: would the names "Popular Front/Brigade", "Front/Brigade Populaire" sound grassroot/working class/revolutionary enough? Is it just me not "feeling" the meaning of the popular? Sorry for the long reply (which is semi off-topic; but I find that really interesting)

What a nice little MOC! I like seeing a young Kilroy as a researcher during the British Empire! Great piece of background story! The MOC itself is simple, but it gets the job done and the story told. Great use of the old broken arm on the statue. Might as well use a broken piece, instead of just throwing it away!

Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the landscaping. It's the bit I struggled with the most! You are right about the flora pieces, they are indeed mightily expensive! Especially the three-leaf tropic plant pieces. I only have 3 of those I once bought during a Bricklink clearance sale, but haven't bought any new ones since then. A minimum price of about €0,60 - €0,70/piece is a bit much to amass those pieces. Thanks for the extensive feedback, I'm glad you like everything! I don't really have a big problem with the chef's torso for the Carnite soldiers, I actually really like @merc's Carnite soldiers on Flickr, but I wanted to try something different. Especially since the background stated that Carno is a relatively loose confederation of merchant cities and states, I just guessed that the states themselves had a relative autonomy over certain matters such as uniform choice. I liked how the black fireman torso matched the chef's vest torso in terms of design (double row of buttons) and thought "hey, this could be a black version of the uniform". It all kind of started rolling from there: Q - "Why would the uniform be black?" -> A - "It looks cool, OR it might be symbol of loss and death" -> Q - "What did they lose or who died?", etc etc. . I chose the long coated legs because I felt it fit the time period more. One of the inspirations was the Swedish Army of the Great Northern War. The guy leading the Brigade Rouge is actually a character that appeared in a previous MOC of mine already (the first Société d'Héracles MOC): Nicolas Pierrot. There, I already alluded that's he's more in favor of physical action, instead of just handing out bread and philosophical debates to address the struggles of the common folk. I also dropped a mention in the doss house MOC about Emilien Dorée being interested in Magnus' military Foreign Legion background and "having further plans for people like that". Obviously it is the symbol for the spilt blood of the working class in their struggles! I think I also addressed the issue in the first Héraclist MOC: they chose red specifically to annoy the established order in Oléon. Red is the color of Corrington, so it angers the Oléon conservative (political) deep blues: the conservatives and nationalists; but since it is also the color of Hades, the religious order is annoyed as well. Two birds in one stone: DOWN WITH THE ANCIEN REGIME! EQUALITY FOR ALL!

You've made optimal use of the 32x32 size limit! The scene looks grand, even though it's just the "basic" size. The backdrop with the 2 houses helps sell that this is about a larger city. They look properly Eastern. The breach and the action are well-made and posed. Very nice MOC! The Lotii soldiers look great as well! The Corrington flag you've been using in your MOCs looks high quality too. Is it printed on photo paper, or is it actually a real plastic flag?

Nice! The integration of your shop is done perfectly. The entire scene brims with life, which makes the MOC very enjoyable to watch. The "lack" of tiles doesn't bother me that much. While it would certainly give a "cleaner" look if you tiled the pier and the walkway, the non-tiled look also works. It gives the build a classic look, which really works well here, coupled with classic pirates figs such as Iron Hook. Great vibes all around! You've said it before in another thread, but the Black Wolf looks very organized indeed for Sea Rats! They even have uniforms for their sailors, as well . An organization to keep an eye out for!

Great MOC! The posing of the Lotii troops with the swords is perfect! I really like the house as well. The simplicity of it is really befitting of the Lotus Kingdom. It reminds somewhat of the houses in Age of Empires I and II (Yamato and Japanese) or the houses in Pokémon Crystal (). Not specifically, just the overall atmosphere of it. Awesome build!

Thanks! Glad you caught the reference! Thanks! The Red Brigade will surely make another appearance in the future and I'd really like to expand upon Essen too via (small) MOCs. We'll see!

My Category E entry is up:

When the Crown of Carno went to war in Oleonda, its subjected city-states could not linger behind. Answering the call to war, so too did the sons of Essen cross the oceans into the New World. What they saw was unlike anything many of them had ever seen before. Verdant jungles and exotic animals in a myriad of colors. Strange peoples that spoke unheard tongues. But even in the strangest and most unknown of situations, people tend to find things they deem recognizable. Such was also the case for some Essener soldiers, or Totenköpfe - Death's Heads, a reference to the skull on their bicorne hats. The city state of Essen has a long history, which its inhabitants are extremely proud of. Originally descended of the same stock of people as the Garveyans, the Esseners share some aspects of culture, albeit merged and warped over time with Carnite influences. Like many people in Garvey and a lot of other northerners - even in Corrington -, the Esseners do not follow the pantheon of the faith, headed by Zeus and the likes. Instead they follow similar gods such as the Garveyans. Chief amongst these is Wotan, the All-Father. The Essener religion is very unstructured and unlike the church in Oléon, there is very little hierarchy or organization. Some even see it more as a Way of Life, instead of an actual religion. Esseners belief the current world to be corrupted and strive for a pure land, through a pure life with respect for nature and all surroundings. They follow the example of the All-Father who was granted all the wisdom in the known world through meditation under the World Tree. Imagine the surprise of the Essener soldiers when their local guide led them to an ancient temple on the island of Oleonda. While those who had built the temple left ages ago, it was still looked after by other inhabitants of the Oleonda. It was a temple dedicated to Nirvan Emmet, who became enlightened as well, in a similar manner to Wotan. The Esseners didn't fully comprehend the story their guide told them, but it was enough to be awed and enthralled by the complex. While the black guards of Essen admired the temple and inspected it further, some of their companion Carnites held guard outside. These Royal Troops served the Crown directly, unlike the State Troops from Essen, that served their city first and then the Crown. As such, these men had little affinity for the story of the local, most likely having different religious backgrounds than the soldiers from Essen. While Maximilian Coehorn, leader of the Coehoorn Battlegroup, further inspects the temple with his men, the other Carnite soldiers keep guard. Suddenly, out of nowhere, shots were fired. The remaining Carnite soldiers outside were taken by surprise and couldn't see their attackers through the thick jungle surrounding the temple. Before they could take up proper defensive positions, bullets were whizzing past them and ricocheting off the temple's stone walls. Soldiers were falling to the ground and panic grasped some of the men, which left them vulnerable for the next phase of the attack. After firing their muskets, the Lotii attackers filtered out of the jungle, swords and spears in hands to finish off the remaining soldiers. Aided by their mercenary allies, the Lotii quickly overwhelmed the guards. Their advance halted when the attackers were confronted with the rest of the Carnites. Alarmed by the gunshots, screams and clanging of swords, the Esseners filtered out of the temple and hastily formed a battle line. The pikemen pushed away any Lotus soldier that came too close, while the line infantry tried to shoot as many as they possibly could. The Essener Death's Heads hastily tried to muster some sort of defense. The Carnites were surprised to see other northerners among the enemies. They couldn't quite place the uniform - if one could even call it that - and had no idea where they came from. It was the least of their worries however and the men staunchly fought for the preservation of their lives. In the end, the Lotii and their allies vanished as fast as they had shown up. Not wanting to lose too much men, the Lotii decided to cut their losses and strategically retreated. The combat doctrine of this Lotti battle group had changed under the guidance of their mercenary allies. While many Lotii were used to fight according to the honorable Way of the Dragon, they had now shifted tactics to the more devious Way of the Serpent. Open warfare would not bring victory and they knew it. The Black Line of Essen held and the combined Carnite forces won the day, but the cost was heavy, with many dead and wounded. A cynical person would pose the question "why?", since what they found on the island was close to what they already had at home. EXTRA Some shots of all combatants. For more information, you can click on the photos and read the descriptions o Flickr. I have a whole history for Essen, but it was too expansive to add everything here. Same for the mercenaries, who are linked to the Society of Heracles. It would stray too much from the overall story, if I included every detail here. They are mainly aligned with the Lotii for the money and combat experience, with "fighting northern imperialist swine" as an added bonus. Free City of Essen - Die Essener Totenköpfe by +Khorne, on Flickr Light of the Lotus - Fleet of Foot by +Khorne, on Flickr La Société d'Héracles - La Brigade Rouge by +Khorne, on Flickr I also started working on a map a while back, to show the location of Essen and add some "body" to Carno, but I didn't get around to finishing it. You can see the WIP in the spoiler below. I tried to include lots of raven and (oak) tree iconography, whilst also keeping the entire feeling grim and dark, which is kind of the mindset of these guys. The figure in the top left is Wilhelm von Helborg, the duke that started the rebellion. The figure in the top right is his son, Karl von Helborg - the Eternal Duke. BUILDER'S NOTES I've had the temple (at least the main building) setting on my desk for a long time. It was supposed to be my entry for the Tyree'dee Challenge, but then COVID-19 happened, Bricklink shipments were delayed etc. I really liked the building and still wanted to use it, so I repurposed it for this MOC and then added the rest of the scene. It could use more trees and greenery, but all the green you see here is pretty much my entire collection . I think that, in terms of surface, this is one of the largest MOCs I've made and the landscaping was a lot more difficult that I had anticipated. Much respect to all those builders that make crazy landscapes, irregular bases and off-canter building placement. You guys are the GOATs. I was already sweating for this! As always, I had great difficulty taking decent pictures, mainly because I don't have proper lighting to light it. I then have to brighten everything in Photoshop, which adds a ton of grain. All in all, I'm relatively satisfied with this build. The battle scenes could've been better, like Keymonus' excellent entry, but I didn't have the time to make a lot of different scenens. This is it, I hope you guys like it!

The landscaping looks great! The winding river especially is well-made. Not just the shape of it, but also the transition from blue to brown to green. I love the posing of the minifigs, the Lotii in particular. They're about to spring the perfect ambush! The intro text helps set the tone and mood, but the "good guys are nearly invincible" is a bit much for my taste. Still, it is very well written and a bit of background is always nice to read. Solid entry!

Unit name: Troupes de Marine - Marine Troops (oft referred to as Marsouins or Marsouins Coloniales - Colonial Marines) Type: Highly adaptable marine infantry, often deployed in light infantry roles Standard desert dress (l.) and general dress (r.) Uniform description: Simple dark blue tunic, with single row of buttons. Red sash around waist and white trousers. Headgear is usually a white pith helmet, but can be switched for a red felt chechia cap when deployed in non-desert theatres. Equipment description: Standard issue musket. Recruitment center: While theoretically a Marsouin can be trained anywhere, their home turf is usually considered to be the port cities and naval centers of New Oléon. Unit history and description: The Troupes de Marines of Oléon go a long way back. Originally founded as a unit to help spearhead the annexation of Guelph through sea-to-land action, they later became an established branch of the Oléonese army. The history and habits of the Marsouins are thus closely related to the culture of the Guelph Peninsula. This is most obvious in the unit's battle dress, which consists of a simple blouse and sash, inspired by the dress of native Guelphians. This is topped off with a pith helmet, a recent piece of headwear that helps protect the soldier from the unforgiving sun. When not deployed in traditional Guelphian theatres of war, but rather in the colonies or in northern territories, the Marsouins often switch out their traditional pith helmet for a chechia, a common piece of headwear in Guelph. It's a floppy felt version of the traditional fez and is usually mocked by critics as "the marines' night cap". The Marsouins themselves however, take great pride in the wearing of the chechia and see it as a symbol of their long and heroic history and exemplary of the unique New Oléonese culture, which is a hybrid of traditional Oléonese items and native Guelphian elements and customs. Unlike regular line infantry, Marsouins emphasize dynamic warfare and operate more as fast light infantry; a tradition that is also very common on the Guelphian battle fields - and can be seen as the bridge between army and navy. While their official designation is Troupes de Marine, many outsiders refer to them as Colonial Marines, or Marsouins Coloniales in Oléonese, due to their close link with Guelph - the first colony of Oléon. Marines are usually recruited amongst the port cities of New Oléon and share an affinity for sea and adventure. Despite their somewhat legendary reputation, many of the traditionally conservative "proper" Oléonese look down upon them and see them as "too Guelphian" and loathe their "unorthodox and plebeian" combat doctrines. Campaigns: War of the Guelphian Succession, Pacification of Guelph Motto: More about the unit: Marsouins disembarking at Tarzout

That's a beatiful and well thought-out MOC! All the buildings look great and definitely feel "Fabuland". I loved reading your thoughts and input on the various designs decisions. Very insightful and well-made! Even though I don't play the game, but from what I've seen from video's and images: it kind of feels like Animal Crossing .

A simple but effective build. Those bayonets are really nice!

At first I didn't understand why the officer was flesh-toned and the others were yellow, but then I understood that he's Legonaut's character. Still, he kind of looks out of place; like he's ill or something . Maybe you could've used a yellow variant for the face? Anyway, that's just a really minor gripe. You did a good job on the jungle, which feels lively with all the animals. Building good terrain is more difficult than I thought, as I've also found recently. I like how you used the "clover" pieces upright. A great way of making bushes and creating an jungle-y setting. I'll have to remember that! Edit: I'm also very keen to seen where all of these troop movements lead to. Can't wait to see the finale!

The Lotii should've brought more than swords to a gunfight . I guess they didn't have any military experts on their side either. Nice selection of troops and solid work on the environment. I love the floating lilypads. Overall, I get more of a river feeling than a swamp, but that doesn't detract from the story or scene in any way. Some Lotii troops getting stuck in the swamp might've been a cool addition as well.

Unit name: La Légion Etrangère - Foreign Legion Type: Elite and highly adaptable line infantry Officer (l.) and private (r.) Uniform description: Dark blue coat with red facings and red epaulettes. Red trousers and shako with red plume and brass unit markings. Variations exist and some regiments wear a red-plumed tricorne instead. Red trousers and accents are the main identifiers of Légionnaires. Equipment description: Standard issue musket. Recruitment center: Recruitment stations can be found all over the Empire, but all volunteers or recruits are always sent to training camps in Guelph to complete their training and as such, Guelph can be seen as a home. Unit history and description: Many flock to the banner of mighty Oleon, including those of foreign nations. Ready to prove their worth to the Oleon cause - or flee from trouble in their own country, they can enlist in the Oleon Foreign Legion, no questions asked. Their loyalty and service is eventually rewarded with Oleander citizenship and land, but the road leading there is arduous and many fall before they make it to the end. The Légion Etrangère as it is known in Oleonese is an elite unit, hardened by a brutal training regimen and iron discipline. They fulfill the most dangerous missions and attacks, so that 'true' Oleander blood doesn't have to be spilled. These soldiers are marked by the various red trims on their uniforms and shako. Popular opinion has it that the red color was chosen to highten their visibility on the battlefield and so draw attention to themselves, away from the actual Oleon line infantry. Campaigns: War of the Guelphian Succession, Pacification of Guelph Motto: Honneur et Fidélité (Honor and Fidelity) Noteworthy companies: Mad MacSpud's Highlang Legion (by @Ross Fisher) Fourth Company 'the Rogues' (by @merc) More about the unit:

The emblem looks great! Nice piece usage and construction there. This looks promising and I can't wait to see more of the building.

Unit name: Dragoons Type: (Medium) Cavalry / Mounted Infantry Uniform description: Dark blue double breasted jacket with gold plastron at the front, white gloves and sabre belt. White trousers and black riding boots. Black helmet with the unit's arms. Equipment description: Carbine and saber. Recruitment center: Can be found all over Oléon's domains. Unit history and description: The Oleonder Dragoons are an infamous cavalry force, known for their deeds both on and next to the battlefield. They are for most part made up from the youngest sons of the lower nobility or otherwise wealthy mercantile families. These youngsters have little claim to the sometimes vast riches of their families and as such, they search their fame and fortune elsewhere. Whereas members of the higher classes often enlist in the regular heavy cavalry or infantry officer corps, these men find they lust for adventure satiated in the ranks of the Dragoons. Somewhere in between cavalry and infantry, Dragoons are a versatile unit, righteously feared on the battlefield. Due to their versatile nature, Dragoons are also oft employed as a police force or occupation troop. Many a savage tale besmudging the reputation of the Dragoons stems from their sometimes abysmal and tyranical behaviour towards the subjected populace. Campaigns: Motto: More about the unit: Might of Oléon - [REDACTED] Might of Oléon - La Force Publique

Unit name: Chevau-légers Lanciers - Light Cavalry Lancers, or the "Uhlans" Type: Light Cavalry Uniform description: Dark blue double breasted jacket with gold plastron at the front, completed with white epaulettes, matching gloves and sabre belt. Dark blue trousers and octagonal peaked cap emblazoned with the unit's arms. Equipment description: Long-shafted cavalry lance with penants. Flintlock pistol and saber for close-quarter combat after the initial charge. Recruitment center: None, particular: Oléon proper, mostly centered in cities with a strong Ghaskinite or Southern migrants' influence. Some colonies have followed suit, but these are few and most depend on units shipped from the motherland. New Oléon relies more on locally recruited desert cavalry. Unit history and description: While the Northern Empires have revolutionized infantry warfare over the past decades with more powerful weaponry and new ingenious tactics and drills, the cavalry branch of their armies mostly adheres to the doctrines of feudal times past when heavy knights dominated the battlefield: barge into enemy lines. Over time, knights evolved into heavy cavalry such as cuirassiers to fulfill this role. The cost to outfit a cuirassier is however quite considerable and the heydays of heavy cavalry charges have gone by, due to the ever-increasing strength of the line infantry on the battlefield. Their armor wears them down in some cases, making them too slow and the dominance of noblemen in such units makes them too valuable to "throw away" on the battlefield. Increasing contact between Oléon and some of the southern nations, be it through trade, diplomacy or immigration, offered some new insights and angles on how cavalry can be used. Whereas the northern nations were more dependent on their heavy cavalry, most southern armies get their strength from various swift light cavalry units; often tribal levies serving the crown. They harass supply lines, screen the movements of the main army from the enemy and can cover lots of terrain for scouting. On the battlefield their light nature makes them excel at crossing the distance to the enemy line at great speeds and crash into them with deadly efficiency. Hit-and-run tactics are their true strength. The army of Oléon was impressed by the capabilities of such units and hired Cossacks and other tribesmen to train Oléonese cavalrymen in such ways. As such, the units came to be known colloquially as uhlans or 'warriors', copying the ethymology of the South. Apart from their name, the uniform as well was directly inspired by the dress of some Cossack tribes or Ghaskinites in general. The flat visored cap is a staple head piece amongst many Ghaskinites and exists in many different forms. The well-know and ubiquitous shako is a similar derivation of the Ghaskinite cap. The ranks of the Uhlans are usually filled with commoners, with a great sense for adventure and skillful horsemanship. People with Ghaskinite or Mokolei migrant backgrounds are also drawn to these units by a sense of pride and natural affinity. Campaigns: Motto: No general motto exists, but some units have regimental mottos. "Ride for Ruin and the World's Ending!" is a phrase often yelled before the charge to get the adrenaline flowing. The chant is then answered by the men, screaming "DEATH!" More about the unit:

The background story is a nice read and the MOC is a great one to start with. The transition from green to brown and ending in grey is well done. Like Bodi said: supplies will not be a problem .

One word: gorgeous! Truly a beautiful build. The architecture is well-done and colors work really well together. It looks genuinely tropical/colonial. A very welcome extra is the interior, which is also well-crafted. Simply perfect.

Neat little build. The bird is beautifully made. Great use of pieces there!