ACPin

That's exactly what I was going for! Hidden beneath all those slopes are the ugly rock pieces. There's more inside except that it's so hard to get a picture of the whole interior in one shot. Built and rebuilt numerous times just to get the correct effect but it was so worth it! The contest only allows for the large baseplate so the cutaway was on purpose to meet the size limitations. Big props for you spotting that and did you look at the dismount as well? Yes, I suck at Mecha! ^Ditto about the mountain^ The interior is also part of the story though I probably would have built the mountain differently (removable top) to show it off if I had more time to do it. AC

Ali Baba comes upon the Forty Thieves, a tribe of murderous bandits that have plagued the kingdom.The thieves have been busy unloading the gold and loot they've stolen inside the cave, which can only be opened by the magic words "Open Sesame!" said by their leader. As usual, click the pics for more details and see if you can find all Forty Thieves! AC

The layout was designed to enhance the appearance of the sand dunes instead of just having the square 48x48 large baseplate. ^Ditto^ Unfortunately, I don't have the fleshie Slave Leia. That's the head of Zam Wessel (bounty hunter SW). ^^Ditto on layout^^ Yes, that's Slave Leia's body with Zam's head. The red cloth pieces are the same material as the Jedi robes and got them from HP sets. You must go back and check out the detailed pics. ^Ditto on layout^ More detailed pics available. AC

Amidst the undulating desert sands lies an oasis that the sheikh's caravan had encamped for the night. The livestock grazes around the watering hole where the caravan had also set up their tents. Entertainment provided by belly dancers with music accompaniement during dinner. However, all the merriment had stirred the scorpions lair that lie beneath the sheikh's tent and the situation is about to get serious! More pics available in higher resolution when you click on any pics... (edited links to personal website) AC

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best! Yeah, I did make sure that I got the little details right from the torso to the facial expression and the hair to look a lot like the Rock. AC

That's the only hairpiece that I've got that resembles the long locks of the Rock in the movie. Not really and scorpions are supposed to be flat which was really difficult to keep the thickness going to the tail at a minimum as much as possible. It took me a couple of days figuring out what to do with the arms and good thing the contest rules allows for mods. The arms are the only pieces that were modded and since the tail end of the scorpion minifig was skinny, I've cut a technic pin and wrapped it around to make the biceps. ^Ditto for the arms^ Lucky to have the PoP sets and Dastan's torso completed the ensemble of parts. AC

The Scorpion King rises in the form of a half-human, half-scorpion monster after thousands of years of being entombed by Anubis in his pyramid hidden in an oasis. As usual, click the pics for more details... AC

At least it won't melt right away! The reindeer was designed similar to a camel that I did earlier. Always try to build in other themes to gain more design expertise and also build MOCs that I won't have a chance of doing in SW. Contests are also another good reason for a break That's why we build what we like regardless of what TLG does. I've always built non-SW from time to time and will still do. Looking from the inside out, you'll have a clearly different view. Did you notice that they were all standing? The Nativity scene would've gone over the minifig limit. Sculptured to fit those minifigs. The priest was probably the one that took the longest to find the appropriate head. AC

Yes, there's a size limitation (2 32x32 or 1 48x48 footprint) and I chose to show the clear, distinct battle lines between the two opposing sides. The moat was added late and actually had to rebuild the castle walls to bring the base from just the bare baseplate to what you see. Glad that it was done at it evokes a more lively scene and really tried to get the whole body of the serpent in it but didn't work so had to chop it off. Tried at first to have the scene in full skirmish between the two armies which would have had the drawbridge down together with the gates open. But it was so hard having to pose the skeleton minifigs and the gates were left open so that the knights have a clear view of what was in store for them when they charge out! Correction, that's not a dragon but a serpent but I can see why you'd think that. Yes, more details like the flaming head and the drummer. Better check the rest of the pics to view other details like the catapult launch and archers in line. AC

The MOC started out with a play on the theme similar to Stonehenge and other rock formations that have withstood the test of time. Luckily I had those ramps in different colors and it was just a matter of creating an appropriate backstory. The CCC contests are always tough to win and hopefully I'll have better luck this year with my entries. Exactly what the scenes try to convey. If you'll pay close attention to the details, the minifigs placements across are almost identical. AC

At dusk when the sunlight grow dim, the skeletal horde attack the fortified walls of the castle accompanied by their lethal slithering champion. The tar filled moat set afire by the castle's defenders proves to be a temporary deterent in their conquest. Behind the gates assembled the finest knights and infantry ready to take on anything that comes through their defenses. In the final reckoning, would their own champion Cerberus be able to annihilate the other? As usual click the pics for more details... AC

The myth of Hunters Rock has survived and evolved the passage of time. Through the ancient Vikings, medieval Bulls knights and Persian warriors that have hunted prey of different species. The Hunters Rock remains a foreboding end to the hunt as every prey cornered faces the certainty of death in the hands of the hunters. As usual, click the pics for more details... AC

Rejoice in the holiday season! The holiday season is a time for reflection and spiritual rebirth. This scene from the Winter Village series includes a church built with walls of ice including the pews. A round stained glass window adorns the altar with an overhead chandelier. Two statues of saints on both sides of the altar and wreaths with holly complete the holiday interior. What better way to enjoy the ride on the sleigh with a reindeer after the service has ended. Includes 7 minifigs, 2 statues and a brick-built reindeer with custom sleigh. As usual, click the pics for more details... AC

Maybe I'll give the Expand the Winter Village contest a shot at! Saw that yesterday and was taken from technabob. That makes it official! AC

Just overwhelmed by the response on this project here and from the various sites (also blogged on TBB) and truly worthwhile spending the time to do it. Can't thank everyone enough for your comments and will just try to answer some common questions brought up. 1) The flag tower is back lit and I really wanted to have all the green plates lit. However that would have required rebuilding it to accomodate strip lights, scrapped that and just settled for a lamp. 2) The helmets used are from the SP3 minifigs and bought several of the small sets from TRU not BL during the October BOGO half off. 3) Action scenes took more time to do than anticipated even though the whole structure was already finished two weeks ago. 4) Next big thing? Don't know yet as I won't divulge anything about it just that it will be in time for the holiday season. AC PS. Thanks for FP KimT!

The harsh reality of everyday life for clone cadets starts and ends at their home quarters. All the amenities to get rest, wash, eat and prepare for training runs are normal daily routines. Grouped into five-man squads, the cadets do everything together in the hopes of becoming clone troopers and ultimately ARC troopers. Unfortunately, some never will attain that status and would be relegated to maintenance work. AC

It all begins on the planet Kamino, where the training of clones who have been bred to be perfect soldiers occur. These cadets must first be subjected to intense physical and mental training before heading off to war. Five headstrong clones of Domino squad struggle to complete their training. These cadets -- Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait, Fives and Echo -- seem to be a "bad batch" and are unable to work as a team. They're given a final training run to prove their mettle and the clones finally learn to work together... As usual click the pics for more... AC

Finally decided to let go of these. Click on the pics to view the individual sets. MISB sets Used sets AC Terms of Sale Open only to US residents Only US Postal money orders accepted as payment Payments expected within 7 days or set will be offered to the next buyer Shipping not included, will combine items for single shipment Prices quoted are for each set when quantity is more than 1 Trades not accepted Email ACPin@comcast.net for offers or questions with subject Pirates For Sale

Simple but effective as I didn't want to overdo their design. This is not yet done, the full MOC hasn't been revealed yet. Didn't get a good look at the actual design of those droids but just remembered that they were yellow and small. It would be about something SW related. AC

You might change your mind if you've seen some works that don't get posted! This should be it for Naboo for this year, time to move on to other locations! AC

Part 4 completed, go back to top to view it. AC

Finally completed the flag tower and other structures beside it! Unfortunately I'll be out of town during the weekend and won't have enough time to shoot all the scenes for the final diorama. AC

Always trying to improve upon some previously used structures to create a whole new experience. Look again, if you only clicked at the pic then you would have seen a whole lot more to it! I've been called a lot worse before. AC

Don't know if you've seen this or this before which might give you another perspective. Best of luck in completing this MOC. AC

Yes, he is! ^Ditto^ Granted it's just a rehash but I'll take it! Good thing I've built this from the smaller scenes that most have already seen the details. The real payoff is when everything comes together and hopefully the next one will still give you all the same satisfaction. AC