Ragnar_Deerslayer

Excellent proportions, distribution of color, and a nice asymetry that reminds me of Greyskull-like playsets as a kid. (Maybe add a catapult on the top of the soldiers' parapet/balcony to balance the Eagle's Nest?) Also, it would be cool if hinges let you open up the castle to more easily access the inside. Overall, very impressive!

I just now saw this MOC. It's really beautiful, even as an LDD! I'd love to see a physical version. Ragnar

Interesting proof-of-concept. You show the inherent artistic weakness in using only 1x1 round plates: the house looks like it's made of columns, and with the obvious gaps between the columns (a product of the plate design), one expects the house to collapse in on itself the moment someone bumps it. I'm not sure how this can be overcome, short of limiting the use of 1x1 round plates (which was your whole point). Ragnar

Part of the reason the water looks unnatural is because the characters are obviously in motion. We expect splashing, foam, waves, etc. If the minifigs were only on the banks, the lack of apparent water movement would look better and just communicate serene stillness. Ragnar

Welcome! . . . er, welcome back! Unfortunately, LEGO prices vary greatly by country. For collecting on a budget, pick a focus (in your case, trains; in my case, LotR/Castles) so you can build up enough pieces to actually make what you want to make. (And make sure to share pics of your creations with the rest of us!) Ragnar

I only have a couple of small BIONICLE sets, but I can see why people like them. Glad to have you around, but if you come up with a cool BIONICLE build of your own, be sure to snap some shots and share them with the community! Ragnar

This might be the first LEGO set my wife wants more than I do. Ragnar

This is a really beautiful set - and it put the Winter Village line on my radar (having just now come out of my Dark Ages). I'll have to talk to the Missus and see if we can find a display table during Christmas and start a little tradition . . . Ragnar

If you don't have any ship sets, am I correct in calling the sail a sheet of notebook paper? At any rate, you've caught the energy and trepidation of a small crew in a light craft on the high seas. I even think the wimpy mast (the bricks that make it up aren't firmly connected; you can see light through the cracks and it bends slightly towards the top) helps highlight the weakness of their position. Good job! Ragnar

The size and scope of this MOC is inspiring. I eagerly await its completion!

Welcome, iNsAnE_Asterix! I look forward to seeing some of your MOCs in the Historical forum. It's a great place to get both encouragement and advice! Ragnar

The skeleton lying casually to the side implies a history of executions. The skeleton, chopping block, tree, and - is that a battle standard of some kind behind the minotaur? A totem? Anyway, the sparseness of the scene and the empty space really does highligh the "nowhere."

Good review! You really highlight the creative potential within the boundaries of the 27 pieces. I'll keep an eye out for the pack next time I'm at Toys R Us!

The pictures look like you're trying to tell the fight sequentially. There's a lot of good action there and some good shots. Have you considered making a comic of them using the resources in the Brick Flicks & Comics forum? Adding in some of the dialogue from the movies in captions or speech balloons and working with the frames on a page would increase the impact of the fight. Ragnar

Excellent color distribution on the stonework (1x1 round tiles). It looks balanced without being artificial. Others have already mentioned the great roof on the lean-to; I'll add that I like the proximity, orientation, and implied relationships among the family members. Ragnar

I love the use of colors. Those purple splotches - those aren't meant to be flowers, are they? They seem to imply a particularly bright and vivid species of fungus, like this one. Also, I love that Thorin Oakenshield picked up a tree branch as a shield. Again. Ragnar

I most recently finished The Annotated Alice, written by Lewis Carroll and annotated by Martin Gardner. I read it for a college class I just finished teaching (Victorian literature), and it was great. Seriously, I have much more understanding of (and much greater respect for) Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass now. Much of what most people consider "nonsense" in these books are actually Victorian pop-culture references and clever logic puzzles. Ragnar

We all hope to see a Balrog set. The Witch King and Eowyn is also a no-brainer. The Battle of Pelenor Fields, with an Oliphaunt, Grond, and the Gates of Minas Tirith would be a great $100-$150 set. Beyond that, we need a Galadriel minifig. I expect a "Council of Elrond"-sized set, with the Mirror of Galadriel scene and maybe Celeborn. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Gimli minifig and a "Gimli snoring" action piece. ("Press the lever to catapult Gimli out of bed!") AFOLs will use the set to convert the Ewok Village to Lothlorien. Faramir, in either an Osgiliath or Ithilien playset. Preferably Ithilien, since more interesting scenes play out there. TLC could do the Rangers of Ithilien vs. the Oliphaunt ("Flick-fire missles from the Oliphaunt's howdah!"), or the Secret Ithilien Retreat (with waterfall and pool - "Press the lever to catapult Gollum into the pool!"). Minas Morgul would also be good. Maybe the front gate, with the Stairs of Cirith Ungol nearby; or maybe a "Sam rescues Frodo" playset post-Shelob. Ragnar

When I was in college (1998), I got in touch with some of my old roleplaying buddies from high school, and we decided to try a play-by-email RPG. My character’s name was Ragnar Deerslayer, so I created an email address with that username to be dedicated to that game. Fifteen years later, I’ve discovered that this name is seldom taken online, so to save hassle, I make it my default username wherever I go. The “Ragnar” part is from Ragnar Danneskjold, a pirate from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (an atheist conservative I loved in high school but have steadily grown to dislike) and from Ragnar Benson (a right-wing survivalist writer I loved in high school but have steadily grown to dislike). The “Deerslayer” part is from James Fennimore Cooper’s The Deerslayer (the character was a ranger, so a frontiersman was a good model), with the idea that the character might change his name to “Orcslayer” or “Trollslayer” or even “Dragonslayer” as in-game events progressed. Alas, gaming by email was more work than any of us expected, and the game died before a different epithet could be acquired. Ragnar

Hello, Barbarigo! I'm 36 and just joined today. Eurobricks is a very friendly environment for LEGO fans. I'm an English teacher - think of this as a low-pressure environment to practice your English. Do your best, use spellcheck, then relax. I never had any Pirates sets - I was more of a Space fan when I was a kid - but I remember the excitement of getting a new set for a birthday or Christmas. Welcome! Ragnar

I really like the choice of white for the tree. It puts me in mind of the White Tree of Gondor, or a white birch tree. It also coordinates well with the white hairpiece. Ragnar

Are those archer slits made using minifig legs? It looks very good. I also like the ice in the moat during the winter (as well as the snow on the top of the castle walls). Ragnar

The glossary says "8x8," but it's not clear what unit of measurement is referred to. Inches? Centimeters? Studs? I have a couple of ideas for some small MOCs, but I'd like to know what the unofficial "standard" is for such things. Thanks, Ragnar

I've had several LEGO dreams in the past week, but that's probably because I've been in a LEGO-induced mania since I came out of my dark ages a couple of months ago. I've immersed myself in all things LEGO since then, and it's no surprise it's influenced my dreams. Unfortunately, I don't remember the specifics of any of the dreams. Ragnar

In general, the Lord of the Rings series. I just kept thinking about them and thinking about them, even though I hadn't bought a LEGO set in over two decades. The Battle of Helm's Deep set especially caught my eye. Even though I *still* don't have it, it's what made me ask my wife for a LEGO birthday party two months ago. At the party, I was given: 9470 Shelob Attacks 9469 Gandalf Arrives 79000 Riddles for the Ring 9492 TIE fighter 6913 Blue Roadster 6864 Batmobile/Two-Face Chase 9461 Monster Fighters: Swamp Creature Since the party, I bought 9476 Orc Forge, and I'm carefully eyeing my budget for future purchases. I've been amazed at the quality of the sets compared to when I was a kid, and I'm excited about building again. Ragnar