ch_ris127

Instant favorite The tower looks evil yet...comfortable and homey. Maybe that's just the Noctornian side of me talking, Love the skull decorations, does Derlin add more skulls on the rocks with each victim he takes?

This is amazing!!! I was surprisingly shocked when the Shraliek cave close-up turned out to be a giant tower build Must be very nice to have dwarf orcs guard your house eh, hahaha

Tribe is up! http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=87231

It sure looks like a very hard terrain to navigate, not to mention for an army to attack! Feels very evil, love the lava pit

The Kmnel is a nomadic tribe that act as supply points for other tribes in the Rakath Mountains. They live in outposts well-guarded by a Kmenl scout, warrior, keeper and forger. Humanoid, mostly dark-skinned with deformed faces, the Kmnel are organized and prefer staying behind the frontlines, prefering to survive and live their normal ways of life. Though not your typical short-tempered bloodthirsty Noctornian, the Kmnel are highly territorial and loyal to their allies, and will quickly alert them of your Avalonian, Mitgardian or Kaliphin presence, where you will be immediately attacked by an onslaught of mountain Noctornians. The typical outpost consists of a lookout platform and a weapons storage with a small forging area to repair weapons. With their mounts, the Kmnel are quick to move from outpost-to-outpost to relay information and supplies, especially when they spot an enemy and need backup. Moutain Minotaurs are their closest ally and treat the outpost as a pit-stop area for resupplying. Although the Kmnel are allies with most tribes, they are at war with the Werewolves since both tribes are territorial and want areas of land for themselves. Kmnel warriors hang the heads and hides of fallen werewolves as decoration and proof of their strength in outposts. A female keeper and two male guards with the weapons and shields hanging behind them. It is interesting to note for you scholars out there, that the Kmnel has some of the most horrendous and hideous-looking females in the whole of Noctornus. They are very good outpost keepers though, and are very handy with weapons-repair tasks. Some of the Kmnel tribe members and their steed. ---------- Well, I gotta admit that this is more of a rush-job than a carefully planned build, but I just really wanted to put something up here before going back to work! There's a lot of tribe ideas, but it'll probably appear later in free-builds...anyways, pardon the slightly blurry image above - the camera's gone and the iPad had to do Cheers!

This is one of the most awesome builds I've seen! The whole scene really tells a story, and the lighting gives this ethereal feeling that sends a chill down your spine... I can already imagine an entire underwater kingdom of Drakarkans

The balance of colors are amazing here! They really make the scene stand out, clean and eye-catching. You definitely don't want to be trekking on this wrong side of the mountain

@ Gideon: Kaliphin traders have irresistable loot The Greenhides are in rebellion against the Black Spire, and so are on Lord Ssilyrrith's side.

Hey-ho, fellow Noctornians! I've been following GoH for a while now and finally got around to joining! Led by General Yvesgir, the Greenhides march through Noctornus in search for glory and blood. Hailing from the Southern parts of the Kelra Labyrinths, this renegade group of various Reptrians grew tired of the Black Spire's rule after they took over the South, and so left their home and duty to fight for Noctornus. Yvesgir is a feared but respected general back in the Labyrinths, renowned for his skills as a general of war both offense and defense, along with his signature Ravager Blade that has took the lives of many helpless travellers that dare to enter the Labyrinths. Among his recruits are Slethra, arguably the best archer in the South Kelra Labyrinths, Mossworth, the sly trickster that's not to be trusted, and Urkanth, the infamous warrior from Yvesgir's old army that's capable of dispatching even the biggest enemy in the field. Leaving the South Kelra Labyrinths, the Greenhides hope to regroup with a larger army to begin the war, their thirst for victory growing ever stronger with each passing day. They are now making their way to the Rakath Mountains, and can be seen here unleashing their rage on a helpless Mitgardian traveller. Well, at least they got a banner to hold up high now ------------------------- Well, I'll be on my way now to making the tribe challenge now (hopefully on time though). Lookin' forward to all the head-bashing, pie-making and chaos of Noctornus Cheers!

You're welcome! I agree with that, the armor blocks out all the great details on the minifigure too Wow, thanks a lot for pointing that out, I didn't realize that, hahaha. It's done and fixed

REVIEW 70107 – ROYAL ROOST The King of Lions comes along for a Speedor ride. Theme: Legends of Chima Pieces: 105 Price: $14.99 / £9.99 Links: Bricklink / Brickset I can’t press how useful these Speedorz sets are for getting Chima minifigures the easier and cheaper way, and with this wave of sets, it has become much more obvious. Royal Roost presents us with Lagravis, king of the Lion Tribe, who is of course, quite an important character. Whenever you hear ‘king’, you’ll probably expect him to be an exclusive or at least a hard-to-get minifigure available only in a huge set. But here we can just get him for a mere $15, making it a sure deal for those who want him and does not want to get The Lion's Chi Temple (70010) Let’s get on with the review now. Packaging: Front side of the box Like all Speedorz sets, the packaging is compact, nice, and sturdy. Not to mention that it’s very disposable after you ripped it off and get the insides out There’s not much to say about this other than it looks good, especially the close-up of Lagravis’ head on the right side corner…he sure looks old Back side of the box It’s funny how the same two kids show up on the back of every box…Here you can see the small tower of the set; it plays and breaks up almost similarly to Winzar’s Ice Tower (70106) . Unboxing: Everything in the box The contents are the same as in any other Speedor set; there are the cards neatly packed in plastic, the building instructions, two packages of bricks, the ripcord and the Speedor itself. For Royal Roost, we get an additional white box containing Lagravis’ cape. The new minifigure sheet Here’s a look at the new minifigure sheet, which seems to be present in all of the new wave sets. Furty and Skinnet have the Lion Tribe emblem beside them if you look close enough. Sure they’re the allies of the lions, but are they part of the tribe? Don’t they have their own Fox and Skunk Tribe emblems? We can only wait until next year... Rules of the game The game doesn’t differ that much from Ice Tower (70106). The objective is to knock down the tower, and whoever catches the ball gets to draw a card first. If you’re looking for good games, it’s better to look at LEGO Games itself. But then again, this is aimed towards kids, who will no doubt enjoy letting the Speedorz loose and raising hell on the tower again and again. Laying down the cards One thing that’s awesome about these Speedorz sets are the cards. They’re beautifully drawn with great colors and eye-catching action. Just look at Lagravis being all badass! For all art-appreciating LEGO fans, this is surely a treat. Lagravis is seen holding all the weapons in the set too, and I can easily imagine kids playing with the Speedor and imitating these scenes. If only the TV series could be this cool… Contents: Freed from plastic packaging Right out of the packages, the one thing that immediately caught my eye is the colors of the bricks. You can quickly tell that the set belongs to the Lion Tribe. Chima sets do a really good job in making each tribe stand out with their own unique color themes. Bright, cheese yellow, brown and green; it’s easy to say that the tower’s gonna look lively. Lagravis’ mask comes in plastic, which is nice because considering the cramped packaging in a Speedor box. Quick look at cape and mask We’ll get to the minifigure later, but here’s a quick view of Lagravis’ cape and mask. The cape's shade of blue color is a very nice choice, and the mask...well, you’ll just have to wait till we get to the details (More or less) Interesting Pieces: Shiny! Translucent parts are canon in the Chima universe, as you can see with the abundance of Chi-colored (or translucent-blue if you prefer,) parts. With Royal Roost, you get some pearl gold ones too. The axe-head is a definite extra, useful for making more weapons. If for some reason you’re looking to collect Chi (those blue gem-like pieces), Speedor sets give them away as if TLG has a warehouse full of them, just waiting to get rid of the stock. Some misc. parts Bricks ahoy! Like, literal brick-like bricks. Ahem, that was confusing. There are only two of them, but it’s better than nothing. They add a nice detail to buildings. Then there’s the somewhat new inverted bracket (they appear a lot in Chima and new Star Wars sets), quite useful for those looking to build MOCs. The Speedor: Speedor armor and ‘engine’ Coming down to the core of the set itself, the Speedor, you can see that it’s quite different from the others. Lagravis’ Speedor is fancier due to the fact that it comes in pearl gold color instead of the usual yellow or orange that other lions have. The design is neat, and it feels like royalty too, much suited to King Lagravis, although I believe that the armor looks somewhat more eagle-like than lion-like. The wheel is the same as any other Speedor. Here it is in full glory: Lagravis’ claw-weaponized Speedor Like any Speedor, the armor is fixed with two black technic pegs, with the optional weapon attachable under it. Lagravis’ Speedor has a claw-like modification for its weapon. …But seriously, the more I look at it, the more it looks like an eagle. What do you think? The Minifigure: Hail Lagravis, old man! Now, on to the King himself, Lagravis looks great. Just look at him! Dark-blue cape flowing, bearded muzzle, muscled armor (?!) and a shiny crown. This has got to be one of my favorite minifigures…well, all the Chima minifigures look great, so it’s hard to choose, haha. Great price for the set to get this guy, remembering that he's only available in the largest and most expensive Chima set - The Lion Chi Temple (70010). Cape-less and naked Lagravis Lagravis is old, that’s what strikes you when you see his face without the mask. He has wrinkles, a gray bearded jaw and eye bags. But he looks wise, and you can tell a lot just looking at his face. The other side however shows an angry scowling lion. He’s probably mad at Laval again for some random mischief he did. The blue cape extends to the torso, although it looks like a scarf when the cape is off. The Chi medallion looks good, and so do the belt and armor. It’s all very Chima-detailed, and there isn’t much to say anymore other than it’s great. First time that a crown comes equipped with a hollow head and spiky hair… Here’s a full view of Lagravis’ mask and a close-up. You can see the details of his face, especially the crown and beard. The paint is superb, and there are no shaky lines or imbalanced color here. It really feels well-made and it's pretty much perfect. A King needs weapons As in the card images, Lagravis’ axe and knife are there in the set too. It looks royal, again, keeping up with the overall feel of the set, mostly thanks to the pearl gold, white and translucent-blue colors that complements each other very well. Being the boss And here is the King with one of his weapons, looking quite aggravated. Lagravis must’ve fought some crazy-big monster to get that tooth as a blade A King needs no driver, he drives himself! And there you go, Lagravis, his axe and the Speedor. Someday someone will make a diorama with Lagravis riding down the plains in his Speedor, leading a legion of other lions in their Speedorz, armed with spears and all. The Tower: The base Building the tower is relatively easy, and this base is made up of two similar parts, which of course means that some repetitive building is in store for you. Notice the greenish base and the grass that makes it look more jungle-like. Second and third layer For the top of the tower, you get a yellow structure and the ‘roost’ holding the ball. You could replace the pastic ball with a miniature bird or something, so as to make it a real roosting place Completed tower The structure is stacked together like the previously mentioned Ice Tower (70106), since it's meant to be knocked down by the Speedor. The translucent-blue is made to look like Chi flowing in the middle, and the base makes for a nice lush green ground effect. All in all, it’s a solid build. Extras In case you want to know, there’s some extras here. The typical studs and technic peg, along with some good weapon-builders. Conclusion: Everything built and ready... Price: 8/10 For $15, you get Lagravis and other neat things. As said before, the only other way to get Lagravis is through The Chi Temple, which is way more expensive to buy. Design: 7/10 The tower’s pleasing to the eye, and it really has that Lion Tribe vibe to it. No complaints here, although I believe most would break it down for parts after a while (I know I will). Playability: 7/10 It’s boring for adults, of course, but younger kids will like it. I’m not gonna be a critic for such a simple game, but you gotta admit, the Speedor is pretty fun to zoom around with for a while Final Score: 7/10 In conclusion, this set has got a little something for everyone. The play feature is good enough to be entertaining for young ones, there’s good art to be found in the cards, the tower looks nice, and there’s Lagravis. It’s a great set for a great price, and I recommend Chima-fans and collectors to get this set. As for those who’ve never bought Chima sets before, you can’t go wrong with Royal Roost. That's the end of the review Thanks for reading! ...but wait, there's more! A tribe meeting, and Laval is late. As usual. With this set, I finally completed all lion minifigures for now! And boy do they look great together. Leonidas and Lennox comes from Cragger's Command Ship (70006), while I got Laval and Longtooth from Laval’s Royal Fighter (70005). Three great sets, all minifigs complete. In other words, awesome! Here they are side-by-side: Brotherhood of the Lion~

Supporting what's been said before, Penkid's ideas are great! Contests are a surefire way to get more activity going on here, and I haven't really seen that much contests being held in the action forums. There could be tons of ideas for the contest - it's an action forum right? Vignettes, actions dioramas, stories and even new themes can be the topic of contests.

Surprisingly, I think all the characters can be used for an army, as long as you avoid the tribe leaders (Crominus, Laval, Lagravis, Ewald, Rawzom and Eris, because she stands out a lot). You can just ditch Cragger's cape and you get another crocodile soldier. Out of the pack, Lennox and Leonidas are the more generic, in my opinion, and the best thing about them? They're easy to get since they appear almost everywhere. The same goes for Razar and Rizzo - they almost always come in pairs. Ewar is a bit hard to get, unless you get the booster pack. As for the wolf pack, all of them can be used as army builders, cause none of them really stand out as much as the other tribes' leaders. Plus, having variety in an army's always nice.

And suddenly, Johnny Thunder comes to the rescue....hahaha, great vignette! I love the way you made the setting.

1. Hearing that someone 'threw' out their LEGO sets since they thought it was useless. 2. Having a pile of bricks fall off the desk while building MOCs, especially if these bricks were tiny miscellaneous parts and studs...and having to search for them under tables, chairs and hard-to-reach places. Then finding some more when sweeping the room....argh. 3. Having to go back, reassemble an entire Technic model just because you placed the technic pin ONE stud in the wrong place. 4. Misplacing the brick separator and having to pry apart tight bricks using your own bare hands, fingernails, teeth, and whatever tool you have with you.

Thanks! That's great to hear; I was afraid it would get tedious towards the middle :D Thanks for the feedback!

Part 1: Rookie's First Investigation It's been some time, but I've finally built the sequel to the story This is my first real MOC, and annoyingly so, I ran out of bricks halfway through, so I had a lot of trouble making use of the limited bricks. I'm in the process of breaking down sets though, so the next build won't be this frantic. Alrighty then, let's get started. Warning: it's picture-heavy. The overall view of the build. The streets were lined up with vendors and makeshift stores set up to attract both tourists and everyday shoppers alike. After much searching, Johnny Thunder and Izzy Seeker, the rookie, stopped at the edge of the marketplace and looked around. "Why are we here again, Mr.Thunder?" Izzy asked, wondering why they weren't with the team instead. Johnny sighed, looking tired and worn, answered, "We're going to rendezvous with the others later, after we search for the most important thing. My hat." Izzy stared at Johnny's red bandana, hastily put on as a replacement for the hat he lost. Without his trademark fedora, Johnny felt helpless and oftentimes, luckless. "Alright then. I'll go search us some horses to get to the rendezvous point. We'll meet up again," Izzy said, and they parted ways. Izzy meets an energitic horse. Izzy came upon a small stable with precisely two horses inside it. Just what I needed! she thought, and went to see the stable. She took out a leftover carrot snack from the morning breakfast, and just as soon as she pulled it out, the brown horse neighed and excitedly stood, almost crossing the stable fence! "Whoa, easy, boy!" a voice called from beside Izzy. It was the horse-keeper, or seller, as he immediately greeted the rookie investigator with much joy and smiles as a salesman would. A business discussion. "Morning, miss, I see that our fine breed of horses interest you. How may I be of help?" he asked, as the brown horse chewed on the snack with much satisfaction. Where is that darned shop? Meanwhile, Johnny walked through the streets looking for the hat shop that he traded his old fedora for the new one that is now lost. Ah, here it is. I hope I can get my old hat back, Johnny thought. The Hat Shop. The shop was small, but filled with hats that nobody in their right mind were to buy. The shopkeeper stood inside promoting his stand. Finding Johnny's Hat "Hello," Johnny said. "Do you remember me from a few days ago?" The shopkeeper seemed to ignore his question and offered him the white pith helmet in front of him. "How would you like this wonderful hat? Perfect for explorers!" Johnny held the helmet and examined it. Uninterested, he said again, "I traded a hat here not long before, I was wondering if you still have it. I'm willing to purchase it back." Meet the shopkeeper The shopkeeper laughed and went out from the shop through the side. Johnny noticed a huge sombrero hanging on the side, and wondered what a sombrero was doing in Egypt. Excited salesman. But is Johnny buying it? The shopkeeper enthusiastically welcomed Johnny and said, "Ah, I remember you! Sadly a man bought that hat already. But I hear you are searching for a hat! Let me introduce you to more exquisite hats I acquired." The keeper guided Johnny to the other side of the shop, ignoring Johnny's disappointment, as if he'd only heard the word 'purchase'. 'Exquisite' hats. Right... There were more undecipherable hats on display, including a decorated Egyptian head dress, and...an eskimo's hood? Johnny had trouble talking to the keeper, as he kept on promoting his 'great' items and equally great price. That is, expensive. Johnny shook his head and felt a headache coming on. It would not be easy to turn the shopkeeper down. I'll make a deal you can't refuse! On the better end of the market, the horse seller confidently said, "I can give you a great price! These beauties are guaranteed to be healthy horses, perfect for adventures and long journeys." Hmmm...why not? Izzy looked at the horse, and being fond of their spirit, replied, "Well, okay then. I'll take them!" At the same time as the horse keeper made a deal with Izzy, Johnny tried making a different deal with the shopkeeper. It didn't go as smoothly as Izzy's, and it went something like this: Johnny's negotiating skills aren't as good... Making the deal. As the shopkeeper grabbed his broom, a monetary exchange was being made at the stable. Johnny in danger (?) Izzy paid the horse seller, but something else was definitely going on behind them. The great escape. The shopkeeper chased Johnny with the broom, and Johnny had no choice but to jump over the stable's fence. Loaded with heavy equipment on his back, he clumsily fell over the fence with a hard 'thud'. Face the wrath of the horse! Thinking as if things couldn't have gotten worse, Johnny turned to face a furious white horse approaching him. The horse lifted its front legs and neighed loudly. Johnny defensively pulled out his shovel when taming the horse clearly didn't work. The horse prevails... The horse seller, hearing Johnny's scream, ran to his rescue by opening the gate to the fence, letting Johnny out without his shovel. The horse seemed to like its new chew toy. Johnny's unlucky day. "I thought horses aren't supposed to be territorial..." Johnny groaned, walking towards the rookie. "I knew this was going to be bad. Without my hat, I'm, I'm..." with that, Johnny fainted on the floor, exhausted by the whole ordeal. If he doesn't get his hat back, he wasn't sure whether he could go on at all! Johnny wishes for his fedora back... Izzy shrugged and went to the horses. "Alright, let's bring you boys out, we need to get to the rendezvous point! Maybe finding the two masks and treasure will get Johnny's spirit back." Creeping crooks Unbeknowst to the duo, someone was watching them the whole time. Someone, or some people. Hiding behind a crate of herbs and giant mushrooms were a band of crooks. They hid under the arch's shadow, eavesdropping on everything. Plotting criminals The leader of the band wore a red turban, sported a bushy white beard and held a heavily-used sword. His black cape kept him in stealth and gave him an evil presence. "You hear that, boss? They're going for the treasure soon!" the man with the short knife said. "Yeah, boss, we gotta get them now! Force 'em to show us the map and treasure!" The man with the gun said. A discussion among evil men A rat watches the three plotting as it rested beside a barrel. The man who means business "Silence!" The leader growled. "You fools, we'll follow them to the treasure, and grab it then. Haven't you watch enough movies to know that? We don't have to do the hard work!" He laughed softly so as not to be heard, and said sinisterly, "That Johnny Thunder and his crew will pay for what he did to me! Let's go and wait for them on the other side." Noticing something? The band of crooks began walking in a thuggish manner, scaring the rat as it scurried away from the men. The crook with the gun stopped for a moment something caught his eye. Never sleep unguarded! A man lying beside the arch was sleeping heavily, unaware of his surroundings. A bottle of wine lied beside him, unguarded and half-full. Never leave empty-handed The crook grabbed the bottle without thinking twice and whistled a happy tune as he caught up with his crew. Prepping the horses Izzy and the horse keeper were bringing out the horses. She retrieved Johnny's shovel, and the keeper was putting on the horses' saddles. "This white one is called Nadeem, a great companion for your friend there. He seems to like him! The brown one is Intisar, sure to bring you victory in your journey," he said. "I'm sure we'll get along really well," Izzy said. Creeping creeper While the two discuss about the horses, the rat that previously ran away from the crooks scurried into the open. Johnny, still down on the ground, stirred as he heard the rat approaching. Overreaction Startled by the rat, and traumatized by the horse, Johnny quickly stood up and pulled his axe, ready to strike on the rat he thought was a threat. The rat, shocked and terrified, immediately ran away from the human he perceived as crazy. Moving on Izzy caught up with Johnny and the two started their way to the arch, Intisar and Nadeem following them close. "Seriously, rookie, I need my hat! I think I'm getting paranoid!" Johnny confided in her. "Relax, Mr.Thunder, you're Johnny Thunder! Why would you let a hat get into your way?" Izzy nonchalantly said. "But, b-but...the hat and I come in one package...!" Johnny muttered as his rookie partner went ahead. The confident rookie She walked through the arch confidently, excited about the journey to find the treasure, and couldn't wait to rendezvous with the others. Johnny stood at the archway, staring at something that caught his attention. Hmmm? His eyes focused on the brown thing sitting comfortable on top of the sleeping man, still deep in sleep and unlikely to wake up any moment then. ...seems familiar... Johnny pondered, "Could it be...my hat?" It surely seemed familiar, and the hat shop was just a short distance away, so this really could be the man that bought his hat. The switcheroo The sleeping man, deep in sleep, didn't even stir as Johnny switched his hat with the bandana, and continued on his journey with a much, much more confident stride. I'm Johnny Thunder Johnny smiled a triumphant smile, and walked ahead to catch up with the others, grinning as he said to himself in a strong confident voice. "I'm Johnny Thunder." End part 2. Well, that's it for the second part! It's quite long isn't it I tend to get carried away, cause there's so much to say with the build! Here are some of the details of the build: The archway. Yes, the sign is supposed to be vertical, but it was snatched from Pharaoh's Quest, and it looks better horizontal anyways. The flower at the corner of the stable. It adds a bit more color and greenery to the mostly brown and sandy terrain. The shop and the shopkeeper The minifigure was fun to make. The inside of the hatshop. There's the small table at the back, with a pan, goblet and the seller's earnings. There's a fish in a barrel, for food, most probably, and...a magic lamp? Maybe he stole it from the genie when he got the turban too. The stable. For a moment, I was afraid I'd run out of brown bricks, but I think it turned out pretty well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So...what do you think about it? Stay tuned for the continuing series!

An Eastern Red Riding Hood epic! Awesome! Hahaha. I love the foliage and the wolf's weapon.

I never really was interested in the gorillas, but after reading this review...darn, the mech just looks that good! But I'll be getting Worriz's Combat Lair first to complete the wolf tribe, and save this one for later. Much, much later (LEGO this year hasn't been that good with my pocket...)

And this is just the beginning! I can't wait to see what the fortress ends up looking, especially with that red creepy terrain and army...the Falcons will surely be an intimidating army :D

It surely captures the frantic feeling of Indy emptying out the fridge! I love the clean look of the kitchen - it'll surely fit into a 50's set design...until a guy in a fedora walks in. I'm pretty sure he's screaming in his head, "Why am I even in this movie???" :D

It looks so much more like a raven now! The 'legs' looks great and give it a much better structure, but maybe you can shape the head to be a little smaller and not so blunt....so it'd be more proportional. Other than that, this looks great!

The colors are beautiful! It surely gives off that classic European feel to the town. If this is the town square, the whole town must be even more amazing :D The two white statues at the top of the gate is a nice touch and it adds a little story to the set (I like to think of them as the founding fathers of the town). Great details and decor!

Hahaha, I love the local Aztec's expression. Glad to see the parrot's alive and well :p The cliffs look really well and rugged with the greenery surrounding it.

Wow, this is amazing! Love all the details, and the red floor really plays well to show off all the artifacts. I can serioulsy imagine a fight scene going on here; it's like a movie set! But really though, I hope those nuke missiles aren't live