Inconspicuous

I'm sorry but I really don't know! My cat is "naturally photogenic" and will look at the camera for almost any photo. The lighting and colors turned out nice in that picture, and it's my best shot of him. As for enlarging and framing, I'm sure that would be easy to do. My suggestion is Aaron Brothers.

I think I'll join in the fun as well! Here's a picture of my cat, Simba. I'm his third owner, first on moved, second one took care of him until he moved in with us. He loves attention and nose rubs, and doesn't attack my Legos. (he does shed though! ) In his spare time he's joined "Varsity Hunting" and has successfully diminished the wild bunny population in our backyard. I'm so fortunate to have such a loving and grateful companion as him!

It has already been posted here, but thanks for giving me an excuse to watch it again! Seriously, this video never gets old. It's just so spectacular on so many different levels. Very creative indeed!

Sorry to revive an old topic, but I wanted to share some pics of my first bag-build. I assembled one boat from Venice Canal Chase today, and man is it fun! I didn't do this with the other 2 bags, but I wanted to at least try it with one. The bridge probably wouldn't fit anyways.

Thanks for indexing this, Erds! I makes me feel better to know that my review has a nice, cozy home here in the Pirates Forum. You just made my day! I bet somewhere, a Lego designer burst out in tears, having sensed that his "masterpiece" was brutally destroyed by criticism. Now that I think about, I think I'll move the ship into the closet.

Welcome to my seventh Academy Review, and my first on the way to becoming a teacher. So far, I've reviewed three of the seven Classic Pirates sets I proudly own, and I now present to you the fourth. BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Armada Flagship Set Number: 6280 Number of Pieces: 280 (284 according to Brickset, 280 according to LUGNET and Peeron) Minifigs: 3 Price: $50 USD Theme: Pirates Year Released: 1996 Note: This set was re-released as set 6291 in 2001. RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Brickshelf (When Public) THE REVIEW: INSTRUCTIONS: Front: We'll skip right to the instructions, as I have nothing left of the box. Something very interesting about the front is there is no sculpted background, like in most other Pirates sets back then. Just look at those pretty clouds and calm waters. Random Page: A random page, not so randomly selected. I chose this one because you can see it gives you a 1:1 image of the size string/rope piece you're supposed to use in that step. There are no piece call outs, and the sub-models are small enough to fit on the same page. Back: The back has a few alternate models, but it's hard to use the boat hulls as anything other than boat hulls, so the models don't look that appealing. However, there are some sculpted bits in the background, so maybe there is nothing sculpted on the front because the ship is out on the empty waters. Instructions:: Thoughts: Fine colors, clear steps, no piece call-outs. Nothing unusual from that era. PIECES: Pieces: The sorted pieces, meticulously spread out for your viewing pleasure. This is always the part of the review that takes me the longest, so you better like it! (Click the picture for a much bigger pic.) Pieces of interest: Some of the more interesting pieces, and there's quite a few of them! My favorites include the green railings, steering wheel, trapdoor (you'll see what that's for later. ), ship accessories, and a non-firing cannon. I was just a kid when this set came out, so I had no idea that firing cannons existed. I still don't fully understand why some sets had firing or non-firing cannons, but I believe it had to do with American safety regulations. The cannon has the crossed cannons logo on it, and appeared in many Pirate, Western, and Ninja sets, but it's still a treat today. The Compass: This is my all-time favorite piece of the set. I just love it so much because the center area actually spins (although it isn't accurate) and is intricately detailed. It appears in only ten sets, seven of which are Pirates, and this is the only one I own. Pieces:: Thoughts: A strange blend of colors, that somehow go together on the ship. It's almost rainbow with all that red, green, blue, yellow, and black. But with such a nice variety, there's really nothing to complain about. That compass... MINIFIGS: Front and Back: Next up are our little Conquistador friends. Don't they look fabulous? The helmets are amazing, and torsos great. The armor is fantastic as well, because it is actually very shiny, not the metallic silver seen on the Conquistador skeleton from 7196 Chauchila Cemetery Battle. Without Armor: A shot without the armor, so you can see the printing underneath. It's actually different from the other red one, despite them being the same color. With the armor on, you can't notice it easily, but it is an excellent addition that makes the minifigs even more unique. Minifigs:: Thoughts: Three different torsos, three different faces, and (technically) three different headpieces. Absolutely sensational design. THE BUILD: Build: A few in-build shots, at 5 step intervals. It comes together quite quickly, probably because more pieces are added per step than sets today. It could also be due to the low piece count. Completed: And in 26 steps, the ship is completed! Isn't she a beauty? Build:: Thoughts: Quite average, with no interesting techniques used, but practically no Technic. Threading strings gets a little annoying after a certain point, and this set has quite a few. COMPLETED PRODUCT: Front: A front view of the ship. The sail is great, and you get a nice view of the green railings. If I were a pirate, this would definitely send shivers down my spine! Front closeup: A close-up of the figurehead and the surrounding area. I could never figure out what it's supposed to be, but it looks like a yellow snake with a red tongue to me. Whatever it is, it doesn't make a difference to me, because it blends nicely. Side: A side view, the port side for you sailors out there. (At least I think it's port. ) Note the hanging treasure net, which can be opened and adjusted very easily. Other Side: Now for the starboard side, which is surprisingly a bit different from the port side. You can see a Technic pin and the anchor here. The anchor can actually be moved to the other side, because there is an identical clip for it there. "Crow's Nest" Here is a neat little area near the top of the mast. The sailors can get here by climbing the ropes. This a nice touch that allows even more playability. Treasure hiding spot: Another fun feature is the small area at the stern that can hide the treasure chest. I didn't figure out that it was for treasure until yesterday. Closed: See! The treasure is pretty effectively concealed. Other Use: Of course, there are a few funner uses of the area. I used to think that its purpose was so the captain could poke his head out of his cabin and yell at the crew. Inside: A shot of what's "inside" the ship. The cannon can rotate and move to either side. If you can only have one cannon, this is the way to go! Other ships with one cannon (such as the Cross Bone Clipper) can only fire one way, and having it adjustable is a really nice touch. I'm sure it would have been much more fun with a shooting cannon though. Also notice the black cabinet area and the cannon balls. Taking a break: The cabinet can serve as a sleeping area, cellar, or anything you choose. Another nice little touch here, good work designers! Back: A view of the stern, with nice detailing. The green window and the lantern are really cool. Video: A little feature-length video, showcasing many functions. The collapsing sail is my favorite one, and adds huge playability potential for a sea battle. _______________________________________________ Now for those Totals! Design: 10/10 Absolutely flawless, with an incredible amount of details for a medium-size ship. Sure, isn't clear what the figurehead is supposed to be, but it really doesn't matter to me. Besides, it matches the overall color scheme. Parts: 10/10 A great selection with plenty of colors and accessories. It isn't quite a parts pack today (because of the high price), but back in the day, it would be fairly decent. Build: 9/10 Fairly short step-wise, but many things are added per step. You really have to watch closely in order not to miss something. Minifigs: 10/10 Three amazing minifigs with great printing and accessories. The Conquistadors are some of my favorite minifigs from the Pirate line. Playability: 9/10 Great functions and ideas, with a lot of potential. The only thing is- no bad guys. (then again, these guys might be considered bad, I really have no idea.) Price: 6/10 284 pieces for $50 is very poor. Even though the boat hulls add to the cost, it should still be cheaper. The Pirates line was decent price-wise, but not this set. Total: 55/60 Probably the best score I've ever given a set. It's nice to have a ship for someone other than Pirates or Imperials for a change as well. It's a simply amazing set- I think the fact that it was remade in the LEGENDS series really said something. Out of all the pirates sets they could have chosen.. why this one? Simply put, it has a fantastic design packed with details, colors, rare pieces, minifigs, and everything that a truly Classic Pirates set should have. I'm very proud and fortunate to own this little beauty, and I believe that it is on of the THE best sets I own. If you have any interesting in this rainbow masterpiece, definitely consider making a BrickLink order soon! Bonus: Pirate- "You call that a Flagship?!" Thanks for reading! -Inconspicuous (now nicknamed Inky)

Ha! I knew it! It was er.. GrimFang the whole time. These user-name changing wars make my head hurt.

Very interesting news..... Personally, I was an avid fan of the HP series, and I didn't miss a single year. I'd love for it to come back, and the release of the Video Game and the new article Christian posted (thanks! ) definitely seem likely. As for new set ideas- my brain is filling with ideas.

My first title: (I'm so proud ) Mmmm.... The smell of "chrome" I got it after I commented about my new chrome silver Reviewer's Tag. I'm pretty darn sure it was WhiteFang. He made fun of me after my post.

Yay! A new chapter! And on my birthday too! You must be psychic! "It smelled like my mother" Thanks and good luck on the move.

That's a great MOC you've built, Captain Genaro! Captain Zuloo already pointed out that the image is way to big, so I don't need to tell you that. Then again, I just did. I also believe that deeplinking the next two images didn't work for some reason. I'll let someone else who understands that handle it. Anyways, it's a very nice MOC with some cool details, like the leaning palm trees, the skeletons and the weapons. The skull rock itself is nicely built and I would take that over the single-piece junorized one any day. It would appear that you don't have enough coins and jewels to fill the cave, but trans pieces look fine as a replacement. But why is there a skeleton stuck to the wall?

The electric engine-binder thingies on the official set from years ago were orange- they were actually purple in the movie, which is why yours is better. Hope you understand my comment now.

Nice review Lorentzen! This set always felt like the big brother of Broadside's Brig, and I had not looked at it too closely. This review definitely opened my eyes to it, so if I see it cheap, I'll definitely pick it up! Thanks for the great review!

Nice frozen Indy! A few years ago, I did a few "Ice art" project including a snowspeeder crashed into ice, a real minifig ice-skating rink for Christmas, and a mini Hoth probe droid diorama. I will warn everyone here though that if you don't dry your Legos after they've been thawed, some weird dirty stuff will appear on them in a few months or so. The dirt can be removed with a moist washcloth, but it takes a lot of effort, so just do it at the beginning to save yourself some time later. But anyways, good... uhh... frozen creation. It would be hilarious if you could take some pictures of the ice cubes in a glass of water!

Wow! This is simply an amazing MOC! The purple pieces definitely own Lego's version- I mean, orange? I really like the way you've elongated the yellow plates, while still using the original piece. The detailing on the controls and back of the cockpit is beautiful. If Lego ever released an UCS version of the racer, I'm sure it would look something like this. A very cool MOC you've designed, Anio!

The shape looks pretty nice but as it's been stated, please change the colors! I don't think there are too many pillows printed on the outsides of starships! The main body looks a little like the old Sith Interceptor without the wings. Is this where you got your inspiration? (I imagine it would look similar in light gray.)

A nice small MOC you've built Striker! Sometimes simple is nice. I love the detailing on the back, although it looks like a sticker. Adding an antenna and buttons would be nice, but you would blow me away if you could make a way to have the tape ejected with some sort of button. Overall, a simple yet pleasing MOC.

What a lovely MOC you have there cole! I must admit, all of you MOC's are quite amazing, and this is no exception. My only complaint is that the flames look a bit to unrealistic. Maybe using the new flame piece could benefit this MOC.

What a very clever MOC Pellaeon! Not only is it based around a funny pun, but it is well designed. I love the removed grate and the random wires behind. The wall and arch are nicely built too! I really like small, thoughtful vignettes like this one! Nice work, and I hope to see more creative dioramas from you in the future!

That is simply amazing! I saw the video this morning, and I really made my day. It really took a long time, but man the result is amazing. And I thought it was crazy spending 4-5 hours on a single review.

Welcome to Eurobricks, Sir Tsaboc! I've seen some of your MOC's that you've posted, and they look great! Keep 'em coming! EDIT: Yay, I'm a Citizen!

Thanks for the review Zorro! This set has always been a favorite of mine, despite that I don't own one. I have considered picking this up in the past, and now I'll definitely reconsidering. Thanks again for the review!

I generally stick to the movies, because most of the visualization is already done for you, but occasionally I'll stray off the path and throw in some extra stuff. For example, maybe there were only 2 guards in the movie, and maybe there weren't gold coins randomly scattered around Moria, but I thought distorting these would add to the feeling of the work.

Thanks for the nice comments dabulls03! Regarding the roof, I spent a lot of time on it getting the slope just right, and I didn't have the triangle plates in any other color. I would have made it dark gray or light green if I could have. I know there were only two guards, but it looked a little empty! Also, I believe the little bucket held oil, not water. Thanks for the comments!

Well, after I was sad that I wrecked my Mines of Moria MOC (link) to build what I thought would be an even better Osgiliath MOC (link), I was really disappointed. So I built another after one day, and I am really pleased with it. It will be on display in my house for a few weeks, so don't expect any new LOTR MOC's until then. This is the scene where Pippin climbs up a rocky tower to light a beacon to tell Aragorn and the others in Rohan to come right away. I made the same scene as a part of my Lord of the Legos project a year ago, and I was pleased with it back then. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to come back to it and make it even bigger, better, and with more SNOT. I definitely think I accomplished that! Gallery Link More shots, including minifig shots, can be found in my gallery. All capes are made by the Finders Keepers Shop on Ebay and Bricklink. They have great service and prices, so if you need some custom capes, I highly reccomend them! And just for kicks, here's what the original looked like: Feel free to post your comments and criticism!