Diamondback

So, I've been looking at my BBB and my IF side-by-side, and it occurs to me that each is missing a few things the other has. I'm posting this to throw out some ideas and see what everybody thinks... Bounty: ->Coffee-stirrer yardarms suck, so I'm gonna see about getting parts from Bricklink to build up real IF-style yardarms for the sails (reducing the yards by one axle-joiner on each side.) ->Forward gun positions are impossible to fire from with no deck behind, so I've built up a whole new foredeck from surplus Cannon Battle parts. (Pics later... I wanna see if I can build up both Original and Modded bow-sections in MLCAD to show the difference side-by-side first.) ->Towing that little boat is awkward, so the plank has been reinforced to pull double-duty as a launch rail. Flagship: ->Needs a way to unload heavy cargo like field artillery without shore-based cranes. Solution: Add loading hoists like on BB. ->That other unused hawser begs for a second anchor to starboard. ->Needs MUCH more ammo available for the cannons. This is a freakin' WARSHIP, not a pleasure-cruiser or a merchie, fer cryin' out loud! ->Needs some small main-deck guns. Solution: build several like the cannon in the Brickmaster Pirate book. QUESTION 1: How Many? QUESTION 2: Add to Bounty also, and if so how many? ->Boat storage. Man-powered rowboats have short range, especially the "Harbor Sentry reboot"--they need either towing or on-deck. I'd assume leave one back at the dock as a "yard hack", or the Darwinian (fire that, and you'll experience "natural selection" firsthand) gunboat for port defense. ->(Considering) Reverse galley and brig, and install a pair of bow chasers after reinforcing the forecastle? ->(Considering) Soldier's Arsenal gear-racks in the spce between cannons? Both: ->Swivel cannons for close-in work, mounted on the quarters. Solution: Advent Calendar-design mini-cannons. QUESTION: Just 4 each, or more on IF? ->Additional main-battery guns on both. Men-o'-war were by nature well-armed, after all... and thus pirates tried to be as well, even though their primary weapon was the combo of stealth on approach and aggression upon strike-decision. So, how many small-bores do y'all think I should add to IF, and how many of each type of gun on each ship across-the-board? ---------------- Now playing: John Williams - Raiders March via FoxyTunes

Why? The tank was British-made, owned by a third-party kingdom, on loan to Donovan's expedition. The only thing "Nazi" about it was Vogel and his crew, they didn't even change the flags. There was more than that with the Iron Crosses on the Red Baron Fokker and on 7198 Fighter Plane Attack (which is actually a closer match to WWII Luftwaffe fighters than the fictional "Pilatus" aircraft shown in the movie)... Really, all they'd need to do to tone Vogel down would be make him a black civilian suit. Must be the same kinda logic that said "No 6299 Pirate Advent calendar for USA!"... *rolls eyes* Besides, LEGO has already done a much greater and far more offensive evil IMO with the Crystal Skull sets... (Don't get me wrong, I hate Nazis as much as anybody, but with Soviets--note I'm separating the former regime and those who ordered its atrocities from the geography and those who inhabit the land, I have friends who are Russian--the grudge-match is personal, and it is major.) ---------------- Now playing: John Williams - Raiders March via FoxyTunes

I've been doing some juggling on things, trying to figure out exactly how many distinct "characters" we're looking at across the complete line, and who might be candidates for "identity swapping" to reduce the duplication. Notes on sets: I'm including 10210 Imperial Flagship, 6299 Advent Calendar and the Brickmaster book, but not the Battle Pack as I can't find any unique figs in it. Overall Stats In 11 different sets, we get a total of 44 figures, in 29 distinct versions. Pirates 1. Captain Brickbeard (5): did this guy hijack Doc's DeLorean, go to the future and have himself cloned or something?LOL 2. Female Pirate (2 identical): Advent Calendar and Shipwreck Hideout, dead-identical in both. 3. Gold Tooth (unique): Shirtless dude in black pants on BBB. 4. Sideburns, Mustache & Soulpatch (4 variants): Seen barechested in Kraken Attackin' and Pirate Survival (tan pants/blue bandana and dk-green pants & bandana respectively), and blue vest in Loot Island and BBB (dk-green pants & bandana and tricorn/tan pants respectively. 5. Sideburns, 'Stache & Patch w/Pegleg: Unique to the DK Brickmaster book. 6. Solo-esque Smirk: another (dk-green bandana and pants, green striped shirt--at least he knows how to color-coordinate!LOL) unique-to-BBB. 7. Stubble with Teeth: Shipwreck Hideout unique. (Dk-green bandana, green pants, blue vest.) 8. Stubble & Smirk (3 variants): In Kraken Attackin' we see this face in blue bandana/green stripes/black pants, Cannon Battle he's still in green stripes but now has dk-green bandana and brown pants, and AC has dk-green bandana with blue vest and green pants. (9?) "Junior Pirate Captain" from the Creator set--but does he really count? In total, Brickbeard looks like he can muster a merry band of somewhere between 8 and 13 maritime marauders, 14 if we add "Captain Kiddo". Potential Identity Swaps: Due to different outfits, the only true "clones" are Brickbeard and the gal. If you've got multiples, the guys from Cannon Battle & Pirate Survival might be good for body-swaps with a couple of Black Goatee soldiers (I suggest one enlisted, one officer). Soldiers 1. Admiral/Captain (2 variants): Gray muttonchops, shows up in Soldier's Fort and Imperial Flagship with red and gold epaulets respectively. (Possibly indicative of different ranks and thus different individuals?) 2. Officer w/Black Goatee (3): Unless somehow there are twins in the officer corps, Goatboy shows up in the AC, aboard BBB and storming the SWH. 3. Officer w/Red Goatee: Lt. Redgoat is only seen taking a Darwin Award-candidate rowboat out to Loot Island. 4. Officer Scruffy (same face as Pirates 4 and 5 above): Junior officer aboard the Flagship. Unique. (Swapping pirate and soldier heads sure is a cheap-shot to bring reinforcements, isn't it?) 5. Enlisted w/Black Goatee: 3 cases, B/M book, Soldier's Arsenal (parts-pack!) and Cannon Battle (ditto!)--are black goatees real popular in the Caribbean? I can't imagine the Crown being gungho about facial hair on soldiers, as in field conditions it can easily hide lice... 6. Enlisted w/Red Goatee: Pvt. Redgoat is only seen taking a Darwin Award-candidate rowboat out to Loot Island. 7. "Private Dovchenko" (3): So named for his possible relation to Indy's Soviet antagonist... Seen defending the SF, storming the BBB and manning a post on IF. 8. Enlisted, Cleanshaven and Frowning (4): Did the Kaminoans land and give the Redcoats a bulk-discount on this guy? AC, SF, SWH and IF. 9. Enlisted, Graybeard: Only found aboard IF. Seniority has its privileges! Total: His Majesty's Finest can muster 9-10 officers and men--and with a 5-5 split, it looks like they need more enlisted recruits bad! Along with some NCO's and distinct sailors and chiefs... If you're willing to allow for the fact that a lot of the time folks in the same uniform tend to look alike, that might buy you a little more, but when your army's main faces are Devchenko, Goatboy and Malcontent, you can only get away with so much. Possible Identity Swaps: Dovchenko, Goatboy (both Officer and Enlisted) and Malcontent. (The latter looks like he might be open to switching sides under the right conditions anyway... malcontents can usually be bought cheap, just ask Benedict Arnold, Kim Philby, Aldrich Ames or Robert Hanssen.) Noncombatants Castaway (2 variants): This weary old sort can be found in Loot Island and the AC, the latter sees him trade his bandana for a semi-stylish haircut. (Where'd he find a barber on that deserted island?) & Ladies: 2 distinct faces, 2 distinct identities. The fair maiden rescued from BBB has black hair and is in white, while the gal aboard IF has a beautymark near the corner of her mouth and is in blue with brown hair. Siblings or mother/daughter or unrelated and both in wrong places at wrong times, who knows? Ship's Cook: This is the sawed-off dude on the Stubbies down in IF's galley. Technically a stretch to call him an NC, though... ever seen what a hacked-off cook can do? (Google "Casey Ryback"...) Total: 4 or 5. Bottom-line: Given that disgruntled soldiers are pretty common, "Private Malcontent" should be the staple of an army. Lt. Goatboy, Pvt. Goatboy and Dovchenko are your best candidates for Pirate-ization, and if you bought 'em as parts-packs, the pirates from PS, KA and CB are good candidates to trade places with 'em. Not counted: the Mermaid from AC and BBB's figurehead. Just throwing some random thoughts around for discussion... of course, if you look at other lines or BrickLink your options open up even more.

You'll also need the narrow axle-plates, not the ones in Cannon Battle with a simulated leaf-spring suspension. Best thing that could be done for this ship's bow: partial redesign, just as with Brickbeard's Bounty (pix someday, I promise!). I'm planning to reverse the galley and brig positions, then knock out some of the SNOT curve-slopes to make room for a pair of bow chasers with a new partial-deck around the new guns. (Wouldn't do to have cannons near the prisoners, now would it? LOL) Along with an assortment of Advent Calendar and Brickmaster Book-inspired small deck-guns, which BB's getting too...

I've actually thought about scanning the stickers, printing them on decal-film (note: won't work with white colors) and applying the waterslide decals with a clearcoat sealer--then digitally altering the scan to create a "template" for masking the white areas and spraying white paint where necessary, again with a clearcoat. I haven't done this yet, but since I now have a decent scanner I might...

Where you from? Here in the States, RFT was Target and DG Walmart exclusives in '08. ---------------- Now playing: Basil Poledouris - Kaboom!!! via FoxyTunes

Not to mention that Cannon Battle's parts are great for putting an actual deck behind BB's swivel-guns up by the forecastle... takes about 2-3 sets, and you have to be willing to tolerate various shades in your decking-wood... I rationalize it as Brickbeard and his new Chief Engineer (who is, on mine, the dude out of the Creator set) used whatever wood was available and strong enough. Future plans: new swivel-mounts (surplus Battle Droid arms are great for this!) moving the muskets up to the railings, and swivel-cannons (non-firing) based on the ones in the Brickmaster book and the Advent Calendar. (If, that is, I can ever find one of the darn things for sale by someone who'll ship it to the USA...) Also, a reinforced plank that also serves as a launch-rail for the rowboat. Just giving some ideas for CB surplus part uses... new post coming later. ---------------- Now playing: John Williams - Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor via FoxyTunes

Here's hoping they have enough of 'em that I'll be able to get mine on payday in a week...

I was wondering if any of our European members who can't get BrickMaster stuff but have a spare Pirate Advent calendar might consider a deal. Basically, I would act as "mail drop" to receive BrickMaster packages from LEGO US, which I would then forward to your address still sealed in original shipping box. This means you don't know what you're getting in any given box, but you get it right as it comes off the delivery-truck to an American customer. By my math, the BrickMaster cost, plus shipping on the six packages (yes, that's right, I'm paying shipping!), is actually worth more than the advent calendar's MSRP. I don't do business on eBay, but I can point you to a couple of miniatures sites where I have earned a place on Good Trade Lists. Sound like something anybody would be interested in doing?

Guns (happiness is a warm Thompson SMG "Chicago Typewriter"!), model railroad equipment (specifically, accurate models of equipment owned by the New York Central System), Axis & Allies Miniatures, plastic models and cookbooks.

Pirates: all except the games and Advent Calendar (any East of the Pond EB'ers got a hookup on helping a North American out?) Indy: ALL SW: Most of Classic Trilogy, I quit the Clone Wars stuff aside from things that also appeared in Episodes II/III Until Trains comes back, this is all I do for LEGO--I have too many memories of Classic Town and Classic Space to tarnish 'em with the new stuff, not to mention other projects competing for my hard-earned and meager budget...

Little shameless self-promotion there, Phes? Don't go breakin' your arm pattin' yerself on the back... :P As an ex-journalist and occasional position-paper author myself, I know all about being proud of your part of something and needing to show it off; BTDT.

I'm not sure who now owns the former St. Louis - San Francisco (the "Frisco" whose logo appears on the knockoff SC F7's nose), but both they and Union Pacific have some serious Intellectual Property Infringement suit potential here. And since UP is known to have a very aggressive Legal Dept., I'm surprised the Cease & Desist order hasn't already been filed.

The gunslinger's an adventure/Indy-knockoff, not a cowboy--there's a big difference between a '20s-'40s fedora and a cowboy 10-gallon, even though Stetson did make a lot of both. For one, the fedora's body is usually teardrop-shaped as opposed to the Western era's usually round or round with a "trough" down the center of the top. Anyone really wants to discuss the finer points of historical headwear, PM me and I'll tell you about a forum specialized in such things. ---------------- Now playing: Voltaire - When You're Evil via FoxyTunes

Especially the big, invader-frying kind used in Command & Conquer: Red Alert... as long as you have enough power to run 'em all. Better start building those Nuke Plants, and don't trust Yuri or Cherdenko!

Offtopic: Get an SOTL in front of my Grim Reaper and I'll show ye an SOTL made into a Tortuga brothel wench, matey... Ontopic: I'd say anywhere from 2-4 studs is plausible.

I's called, "they're trying to fleece the GOTTAHAVEITFIRST!!1!!!! Early Adopters for all they can get".

RR all the way--historically-plausible classic pirate sloop, very good representation of what the average pirate ship was like.

Great idea, I may have to lift this for some of my "covered wagons"! (EMD E-series, Alco PA, FM Erie-Built and 5-axle C-liner) Possibly even adapt it for the big eight-axle DD35/40, U50 and C855... (OTOH, DD series were D-D, IIRC C855 was B+B-B+B and there were two U50 options, a C-C and a B+B-B+B.) Originally, I had just been planning four complete 9v power-trucks, so my DD's woulda been more like the C855 below the walkway... Thanks for the inspiration! ---------------- Now playing: Basil Poledouris - The Bomb Run via FoxyTunes

The old Carstens Publishing Bridge & Trestle Handbook was really nice for bridge info, but good luck finding a copy--I wish I could find mine again!

I have Blacktron II and M:Tron sets that've never been disassembled.

Offtopic: Yarr, matey! Cleanin' Henry Morgan's clock as opening mission FTW! (Once you take his ship, you're all but unstoppable if you know what you're doing--Grape & Chain and campin' on their stern, baby!) ---------------- Now playing: John Barry - Gunbarrel/Traction Table/Gassing The Plane/Car Chase via FoxyTunes

Start at LDraw.org . ---------------- Now playing: John Barry - Escape From Piz Gloria via FoxyTunes

In reality, it varied--a galleon was relatively short, fat and tall of proportion, while a frigate or ship-of-the-line would be longer and lower relative to it's beam. If you check out Sid Meier's Pirates!, the 3d models ingame are pretty good for relative proportions of various designs.

Let me guess: another former WizKids Pirates player? (I used to GM, and a lot of your mechanics look like upscaled WK--it was a simple but decent game-engine until the powercreep ruined it.) ---------------- Now playing: John Williams - The Mine Car Chase via FoxyTunes