Inconspicuous

After spending around a year away from my Lego collection, I finally had an opportunity to build something new! Here's a diorama inspired by Netflix series, Dragons: Race to the Edge, which takes place between the first and second How to Train Your Dragon movies. Welcome to Dragon's Edge Outpost, a supply station where dragon riders can stop for supplies (and a snack!) when exploring islands far away from Berk. Built on the edge of a rocky cliff, the small shelter serves as an entrance to a convenient cave. Just be careful not to fall into the waters below -- though they look peaceful enough, they're frigid during the winter! Roof design loosely based off this image. Stilted architecture inspired by the palafitos of Chiloé, which I visited during my recent travels. Here's Hiccup the minifigure, as the character appears in the new series. Somewhere between the younger and older versions. There's nothing Toothless loves more than a tasty Icelandic cod! For this MOC, I used an updated version of my original Toothless. "Hey! Get down from there you useless reptile!" Toothless makes a fire inside the cave while Hiccup prepares to spend the night at the outpost. Thanks in advance for your comments and critiques! Inky

Thank you very much! The piece is called "Wedge 4x3 Cut Back with Cutout, 2 Studs." It's most commonly found in Racers sets. It's odd that I have two, because I can't remember buying a Racers set in my life!

After a long building hiatus, I've finally had a chance to hit the bricks! Even though I never saw the movie in theaters, I have become a big fan of "How to Train Your Dragon" over the last year (largely due to John Powell's superb soundtrack, but no need to talk about that here). In anticipation of the sequel which will be released this summer, I decided to take on the challenge of building an accurate minifig-scale Toothless. Here are the results! Front View: Hiccup and Toothless in Lego form! Toothless' ears, legs, wings, and tail can all be adjusted. His mouth can open too, but it's not an intentional feature. Side View: One difficulty with building a fairly small and specific dragon is its stability. To keep both dragon and rider in place, I used two rubber bands. The lower rubber band keeps Hiccup's torso in place while the upper rubber band keeps Toothless' head upright. Close-up: When building, I first started with Toothless' head, which proved to be the most difficult part. I wanted to recreate the unique shape of his head, while still incorporating his reptilian eyes and expressive ear-flaps. Even if it's not perfect, I'm definitely pleased with the result! As a fortunate coincidence, Hiccup's pedals align perfectly with Toothless' legs, which is movie-accurate. Flying Mode: The wings I used in the first few photos were much more easy to position, but were too small compared to Toothless' actual wing size. Thus, I made it possible to switch them out for a pair of Dino Attack wings for a more accurate flying mode. For a few more pictures and higher resolution versions of the photos here, check out the Flickr set. I would be delighted to hear your feedback, seeing as my rendition is far from perfect. Thanks for looking! Inky

Hi there everyone, I actually built this diorama a few years ago, but I didn't end up taking any photos of it until recently (because I wanted to disassemble it!) I built the MOC without a particular jungle region in mind, but why don't we pretend it's an Incan temple? Let me show you what I've built! It's a fairly simple model, but I hope you enjoy it! I would love to hear your comments and criticism. Thanks for looking, Inky

[pid][/pid]236B Avast me hearties! I actually built this diorama a few years ago, but I didn't end up taking any photos of it until recently (because I wanted to disassemble it!) It's not the greatest MOC by any means, but this was my first attempt at building detailed water and sand so I'm pleased with the result. Let me know what you think! Thanks for looking. Inky

Excellent review, Kiel. While I'm still not at all convinced by this theme, I gained some respect and appreciation for it after reading this topic. There are some neat details incorporated into the set, like the banana gun, hidden missiles, and rotating arms, but what really interests me is the part selection. There seem to be a great variety of types as well as colors! If I had the budget and space I would consider adding this set to my collection. Thanks again for sharing.

Hi there, On a recent hiking trip in Point Lobos, California, I took some photos of my minifigures in their "natural habit." Only a few of them turned out well, so I figured this would be the best place to post them rather than making a separate topic. Check out the full gallery on Flickr for more photos and larger versions of these ones. Enjoy! Inky

Hi there everyone, Whenever I travel, I usually bring a handful of minifigs along and take pictures of them in their "natural habitats." In January I had the chance to travel to Las Vegas, and each day I went hiking in the surrounding desert. Here are some of the better pictures that I took, including Indiana Jones, Prince of Persia, Collectible Minifigs and more. Check out the entire Flickr gallery for even more photos as well as larger versions of the pictures you see here. Also, if you haven't seen my other Minifig Adventures, check out the following Flickr sets: Minifigures at Point Lobos, California Minifigures in Hawaii Indiana Jones in Costa Rica Please let me know what you think of these photos! Thanks for your time. Inky

Hi everyone, I will be moving at the end of the summer, and I would like to sell off some of my old minifigs before I leave. My prices are not firm, but please be reasonable with any offers. I am willing to ship internationally and am also happy to give you a shipping quote at any time. I have a store on Bricklink called Vic's Bricks, which hopefully shows that I am a credible seller. Also, I have many more sets and minifigs for sale on Bricklink, so please take a look if you're interested! Pirates Minfigures ~ $4.00 USD each Castle Minifigs $3.00 each or $12.50 for all five $3.00 each or $12.50 for all five. $3.00 each or $10.00 for all four. $2.50 per minifig or $8.50 for all four. $3.00 each or $12.50 for all five. Thanks for looking, and let me know if you have any questions! Inky

It was a while ago, so I have no recollection of whether the box looked like it could have been tampered with. However, if someone was buying sets, swapping out sealed pieces, and returning the sets, why would they use the parts from a giant train set? Surely there must be cheaper sets they could have used. I'm leaning towards rogue conveyor belt, but it's still not a particularly plausible explanation. I guess some things are beyond explanation!

Not sure if this counts, but I once bought a Rebel Troopers Battle Pack, only to find that not a single one of the pieces that should have been there was in the box, not even the instructions. However, in their place was a entire bag of pieces from another set, which I believe was 7897 Passenger Train due to the excessive number of green chairs it contained. So technically I had an entire bag of extra pieces that didn't belong.

The Origins of Mandalorian Armor: (Yes, that's real ice) Thanks for hosting the raffle, CopMike!

Thanks for sharing this review! The other day I was fixing up a Technic Hailfire Droid for my friend, and I realized that I had never really explored the Technic theme before. I'm considering getting this book to see if I might be genuinely interested in expanding my collection to this other realm. Technic for teh win!

Hi everyone! The Reviewers Academy was one of first ways I became involved on Eurobricks, and to celebrate its fourth birthday, I've joined my fellow teachers in releasing a flash-mob of Reviewers-Academy-Quality reviews. The climax of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philospher's) Stone revolves around a string of challenges that Harry and his friends must battle through in order to prevent the stone from being stolen by Voldemort. The first two of these challenges were rolled into one set, released in 2001 as a part of the first wave of Lego Harry Potter. Today, I'll be taking you back to the golden days of Harry Potter - days of trap-filled, modular castle rooms that recreated the magic of the books with bricks. Join me as I enter the Forbidden Corridor! BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Forbidden Corridor Set Number: 4706 Number of Pieces: 223 (Bricklink) 238 (Peeron and Brickset) Minifigs: 3 (Harry, Ron, Hermione) Original Retail Price: $30 USD (according to Peeron) Theme: Harry Potter / Sorcerer's Stone Year Released: 2001 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink For high-resolution versions of any of the photos you see here, check out my Flickr. THE REVIEW: INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The first thing we'll take a look at is the instruction manual. It's not surprising that such a tall set calls for a square-shaped manual, but it's a bit surprising how crammed the artwork is. The staircase is partially cut off and Harry is blocking our view of a certain play feature we'll discuss later. This problem could have been easily avoided if there was less of a border, but maybe I'm over analyzing this. Random Page: The instructions to the set appear to be printed on pieces of parchment lying on a stone floor. It's almost like an instruction manual within an instruction manual - if you'll pardon the over-used joke - manualception! Alternate Instructions: Interestingly, the instructions also feature basic instructions for alternate models. If my knowledge of Harry Potter sets of the era is correct, pictures of the alternate models would have appeared on the back of the box. I don't think I've ever seen alternate model instructions in other instructions, so it's certainly noteworthy. However, this particular model doesn't look particularly attractive. Back: The back features an ad for Lego Creator Harry Potter - a horrible computer game, but at least it help set a precedent for much better Lego video games today! PIECES: Black Pieces: Let's take a look at the piece selection. The high amount of black pieces in this set contributes to the gloomy atmosphere of the Devil's Snare pit. There are lots of basic arches and bricks, but nothing that's particularly exciting. Gray Pieces: The gray pieces are a bit more interesting, holding within their ranks some tiles, hinges, and a trapdoor. Again, there's not much variety, but there's still a large quantity of each type of piece. Other Pieces: The rest of the pieces are mostly tan, brown, and green. The tan pieces build the "exterior" of the corridor (like in the title picture) while the greens, not surprisingly, build the plant pit of death. The molded door frame is one of the more interesting pieces, and a hallmark of the Harry Potter sets. I imagine you could achieve a similar effect with the new brick wall pieces surfacing in the Lord of the Rings sets. Big Pieces: The larger, bulkier pieces are displayed here. If you're wondering what all those strange wedge-ring things are, they are individual steps of the spiral staircase. Pieces of Interest: These are the more interesting pieces found in the set, in my opinion at least. Plants, animals, fire, tools - yep, this is a Harry Potter set. I'm a fan of the web piece, because it's both durable and detailed. The Two Most Special: The two most unique pieces get a photo of their own! Not only are they special, but they're key to the plot of the story behind the set. Hermione's blue flames save everyone from the Devil's Snare vines, and the flute helps put Fluffy to sleep. I always thought the blue flame was incredibly rare until I realized that it's used as water in a number of Town sets. The flute, however, remains just as unique. I mean, just look at it! A mouth piece, an owl decoration, and finger holes - it's incredible how much effort the designers put into it. This is the only printed bar piece Lego has ever made, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. MINIFIGS: Front: The set contains our favorite trio of angsty teenagers! They all have their typical Gryffindor robes and signature facial expressions. If this set was made today, I bet you they would all have alternate faces. I wouldn't mind seeing a flute-playing face for Harry and a freaking-out face for Ron, but I don't think alternate expressions were very common at the time this set was made. As an extra touch, Harry's cape is blue, as it appears in a few other sets too. None of them have any back printing. Fluffy: Though he's not quite a minifigure, I thought it would be a good time to introduce Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog. I'm shocked that Lego made this behemoth in the first place, because it's a totally strange and non-reusable mold. They did an excellent job with the heads, but the paws are blocky leave something to be desired. Side View: Fluffy has a few studs on his back, and you can see how the legs are positioned relative to each other. He even has a little tail too! Headless: The lower jaws are actually the same as a Lego crocodile's mouth. So I guess the mold can be used for more than just Fluffy, but I'm not sure how well that will work out... THE BUILD: Build: Here are a few pictures from the build. Each picture is taken 8 steps apart, for a total of 32 steps. The building process is extremely straight-forward: you start at the bottom and build up to the top. I guess the only interesting thing to point out is the half-completed Devil's Snare in the first photo. It's built into the base, rather than being a separate component built separately and placed in the room. You can click the picture for a larger version, if you want to see the details up close. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The Whole set: Now let's take a look at the completed product! Within the context of the set, the hinges accomplish practically nothing. However, if multiple Harry Potter sets were combined, they could help create a more interestingly-shaped castle. Entryway: Our journey begins at the bottom of the staircase. It's nice that Lego provided a way of getting up to the second level, rather than just having an elevated platform. Staircase: The staircase is fairly steep, but it's a very pretty design. My favorite part is the off-center brick pattern that is created at its center - it reminds me of the new LOTR bricks! The only thing that bothers me about the stairs is that they can slide back and forth easily, rather than always being locked. Chest: At the top of the staircase, we find the flute conveniently waiting in a chest. The chest can't close all the way with the flute in it, but it's still nice that they included it for storage. The room is otherwise empty, but hey, it's the "Forbidden" Corridor, they're not going to put in a vending machine outside of it! Door: A turn of the key later, we emerge in the dangerous corridor. The wedge functions as a good door stop, but it's really there for joining together with other Harry Potter sets. Allow me to explain. If you have another building of the same height, you can have a third building overlap with the 1x1 plates and it will become a bridge between the two. It's a bizarre connection compared to the other stacking modular connections found in the theme, but I would imagine it works. Flute Challenge: Harry takes on Fluffy with the flute - hope he's been practicing, because Fluffy is a tough critic! This picture gives you a good idea of how big Fluffy is. He's towering over Harry! Also note the trapdoor handle. I'm glad they gave us a big target; otherwise it might be hard to open. Asleep: Due to the space constraints, making Fluffy fall asleep may in fact make it harder to get through that trapdoor... Trapdoor Opened: Assuming there's enough space, the trapdoor opens easily, leading us to the next segment of the set. If you hadn't noticed them before, there are two flames in the background lighting the "room". Looking Into the Abyss: What could be down there? Here, you can see that a tile helps to keep the trapdoor from swinging all the way down. Trap is Set: There's a Devil's Snare waiting to catch Harry! Beware of the spider webs and bats while you're down there. Trap is Sprung: When you drop Harry, his weight causes the jaws of the Devil's Snare to close around him. I've never seen a play feature quite like it. It works reasonably well, as long as you drop Harry straight down. Devil's Snare: Here's a close-up of the marijuana plant Devil's Snare. The top of the jaw is locked into place with two different connections, but the bottom one only has one connection, and as a result is a bit weaker. Considering the actual plant is more vine-like, this rendition isn't perfect, but it would be very hard to make the same play feature using a different piece. How it Works: Here's a sequence of pictures showing how the jaws open, as seen from the back. It works very well, and locks into place securely. The jaws are more likely to stay open than they are to accidentally come together. Hermione to the Rescue: It's up to Hermione to save the day! Thankfully she remembered a rhyme that helped her think of blue flames. It's hard to make the flames look like they're coming out of her wand - as the instructions show, it's easier to have her hold them in her hand. Ouch! Safe and Sound: And they're free! On to other adventures. Bat on Roof: Before I wrap up this review, there are a few details I'd like to point out. It's likely you didn't notice the bat above the entry way. It's foreshadowing your imminent doom as you walk in! Nice extra addition. Gloom and Doom: I love the spider webs at the back of the vine pit, but I can't help but wish that Lego put in a third one to fill up the empty space. A bat doesn't quite cut it in my opinion. Trapdoor Revisited: As mentioned before, a tile is used to keep the trapdoor from falling through. Lego simply raised the platform one plate high, leaving an ugly gap. It's a quick fix with the right parts, but it's still slightly annoying. Connectors: The “connectors” (1x1 plates and wedges) on the far side are more useful than the ones right next to the door that I showed you earlier. Lego used to include a fold-out advertisement with the Harry Potter sets that showed you how they could be put together. The obstacles at the end of the first Harry Potter book were made into three sets: this one, the Chamber of Winged Keys, and the Final Challenge. If you placed the Chamber of Winged Keys with one part on top of the Final Challenge, the other end would attach here. It doesn't make very much sense play-wise (Harry would end up below if he went into the trapdoor, yet the next challenge is behind Fluffy) but it's still a nifty concept. Here's a picture of the set-up: Video: Here's a brief video showcasing the trap door function and Devil's Snare feature. Enjoy! _______________________________________________ Totals: Design: 7/10 The building has an interesting shape and a color scheme that matches the setting well. There's enough detail to make the set feel full, but not an excessive amount of detail to get in the way of storytelling. However, some parts of the set seem chunky or imbalanced, like the green roof area. In addition, some of the color mixing doesn't look very good in the support columns. Parts: 6/10 A standard assortment of bricks, plates, and arches. The set contains a few interesting pieces, like the spectacular printed flute, but I wouldn't consider this a parts pack by any means. Build: 5/10 Straight-forward with no surprises or interesting techniques. Minifigs: 9/10 All the characters in the book scene are present, including a fantastic molded Fluffy. By today's standards, they're a bit bland, but I think their simplicity is just fine. Playability: 7/10 The trap door and Devil's Snare function is one of the more innovative Harry Potter traps. With everything you need to recreate the iconic scene, the playability options are pretty good. Price: 9/10 If this set originally retailed for $30 USD, that's a very good price. Yes, the piece count is only around 238, but there are several baseplates, a molded three-headed dog, and a special staircase. Total: 43/60 This set brings plenty of interesting things to the table - Fluffy, the flute, and a unique trap. However, the parts that aren't special are really quite boring - the tall chamber, the bulky roof. If you don't mind the mundane aspects and you want the specials that it features, then this set is definitely for you. If you just want a flute, just buy it on Bricklink for a few bucks, rather than getting the entire set. This medium-sized modular castle set is an interesting twist on the Harry Potter theme, but it has its flaws. Blooper: Run for your lives! It's Scaly, the Three-Headed Dogigator! (click here for a better picture) Thanks for looking! Once again, here's the link to my Flickr Set, and here's the link to the Reviewers Academy Info and Sign-up Page. -Inconspicuous (Inky)

You have a point, but I was referring to the earlier days when pages of posts would be generated in a few hours. Don't worry, I was exaggerating. I just mean when I have a bit more free time a daily basis.

I had an enjoyable experience, but I forgot how fast these games moved! I had trouble keeping up with posts at first, and by the time I finally caught on, there wasn't very much to discuss. Being a Vanilla Townie is hard, and I can't say I was very useful this game. I would have totally understood if I was mod-killed for being useless! However, I didn't think it was fair if I was killed solely based off of chance at the last minute, so thank you Bob for changing your mind. That sting at the end was WBD's idea and it didn't help us all that much, but still helped solidify our suspicions. I apologize for contributing to the sting-overload! I was lucky that I was nearly voted out because it meant I was too suspicious to get scum-killed but cleared enough to be kept around. I wasn't impressed with my own performance, so I'm going to take a break from Mafia. Hopefully there will be a time in my life when I'm able to sit in front of my computer, refreshing all day and posting like crazy! Thanks for hosting, Bob.

As Holloway explained, this was a small sting operation to help us reinforce our suspicions. After seeing Harper's reaction, I think it's safe to: Unvote: Lieutenant Harper (Dragonator) Vote: Lieutenant Williams (Swils) I think everyone's sting-ed out for the game.

Alright, here we go. This very well may be the last day, if there's only one scum left (as we strongly suspect). I think it's safe to reveal my role to prove how exactly I know who we're voting out. I'm the tracker. Last night I saw Harper targeting Hornby. Without a doubt, Harper needs to go. Vote: Chief Security Officer Lieutenant George Harper (Dragonator) I've haven't been working with the town block until I was cleared by the voting pattern yesterday, so I haven't really been coordinating my action for very long. Thanks to our teamwork, we finally caught a scum!

I always thought it was intended to go on the barrel on a machine gun. Then again, I had never seen any Batman movies or cartoons when I got my first Batman set, so I could be totally off.

Hmm, It's great that we nabbed another scumbag through our lynch yesterday, but the loss of two Loyalists overnight is concerning. I'm especially bummed that we lost our protector. I'm interested to hear the discoveries that were made last night. Jones sounds like he might have something substantial share, provided he decides to do so publicly. With so few of us remaining, there's nowhere to hide. I'm definitely hopeful that the town can pull through.

I'm willing to believe the result of your tedious note-taking. I actually expressed some minor skepticism about Francis to you in private a while back! A few days back, Francis had commented in the morning that we were "still being influenced by the simulation" and I asked him exactly how. He never responded, which made me suspect he wasn't actually reading the day threads carefully. Now, a good townie should be paying close attention, so his lack of a response made me raise an eyebrow. I almost called him out on it yesterday, but I thought it was too minor a point to dwell on. Let's make this originally boring day a day to remember by catching a second Purist! Vote: Lieutenant Francis (AwesomeStar)

Errr.... Woo hoo! Does anyone know what just happened? Last time I checked, my accusations couldn't kill people.

I was so busy writing my response to all the votes that I didn't even notice that discrepancy! Vanderbilt, what do you have to say for yourself? You acted like you were waiting for me to defend myself, then suddenly change your mind once six votes are gathered. Seems awfully suspicious to me.

Jeez, so I stay up late at night, waiting for a case against me, and I wake up in the morning practically lynched? There's plenty of time left in the day, you could have at least waited a bit. There's the hole in your argument. You assume that the scum knew McAndrews was blocking me. What's more likely here? That the scum somehow guessed his intended action or that I'm not the killer? What really bothers me about the bandwagon is that barely anyone gave a legitimate reason for the vote. The reason the vote against me was even started was the flimsy point about a block that I just countered. Thank you for being the first person to actually present a reasonable case. Yes, I admit that my voting pattern hasn't been particularly strong. On Day 3, I didn't like the fact that the case against Burbank was opened as a result of a crazy simulation-based theory that could have been turned against me just as easily. Obviously, votes were cast against him for his subsequent arguing, but something didn't seem right at first, so I didn't jump on the bandwagon later. On Day 6, none of the candidates seemed particularly scummy. My brief case against Hornby earlier today was rightfully shot down because it was weak to begin with, and was really just a crazy theory. Maybe you guys should stop blindly following the vigilante, who seems to have done more harm than help the last few days.