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Hello Eurobricks community, I was studying this contest for quite a while (felt like half of summer!) and came away so impressed with the range of pirate builders submitting, I had to submit an entry also :). I introduce you to my 6244 Armada Sentry Remake. The original set was a simple, dare I say minimalist, little, one manned dock with a singled roomed fort, plus boat. Still, it had a lot of charm and was a cheap way to obtain white walls and exclusive green doors! In this remake, I added many things: - another level and upgraded architecture with a fully working crane. I felt some height would be advantageous for the crane, plus more real estate for the figures. I also added an extra ladder so each floor is accessible. I am really happy with the railings and arches. They offer substantial character to the outpost's vibe. - many characters with perhaps a love story going on. The original had just one lonely Armada Guard. He's back of course with an extra bushy mustache haha. Same demeanour though! I mean, you could still write a brave story about him, but in this remake I included a Spanish Lady (maybe royalty?) who lives at this sentry post, maybe she is the lover of the sailer? Who knows. She has some accessories like the letter to imply she is educated and has a connection to the someone, like the sailer. The other two are a Pirate skeleton and the boat's Captain who makes good use of the ruff piece around his neck. I think 4 diverse figures offers a very compelling story. - fun accessories and furniture - naturally I had to include some swords and muskets, barrels for the crane and ship. Yet, I also included a map, compass, candles, and even flowers. Items that really bring the place to life. Furthermore, the residence needed furniture so I went witht a small table, a figure bust, a chest, and lastly a colorful bed. Hey, somebody's gotta get some shut eye on this outpost! - some tropical/swamp vegetation (Spanish Moss tree) and sandbar landscape. I experimented with using seaweed upside down to make a Spanish moss like tree. Also, the original set was just in the middle of the ocean, so some land (just a sandy island near the coast) helps here. - animals - Chameleon, crocidile, Parrot, and Tucan bird. The original didn't have any wildlife, so these additions were badly needed. - The boat was also given a massive upgrade to include sails. Before anyone has a heartattack (LOL) that I cut up original Armada Ship sails, relax, I most certainly did not! These are custom printed ones, that I then cut down to scale. The rear most sail is rough (literally on the edges). I will have to seal them later. But for now, they work in their role and have nice color contrast. You can believe this ship is from the Armada. Additionally, the hull of the sailboat has colors resembling the original Armada Flagship. Yes, a bit over the top, but I wanted to have fun and stay in theme with that palette. While the ship uses the original red dingy, it's expanded over the sides for a more midi look. Not much storage room though! You will note the minifigure horse serving as the ship's figurehead. Maybe the ship would be named "caballo de mar" which in Spanish means seahorse. - play features - The shallow base and medium size doesn't allow for a ton of play features, but between the working crane and hidden first floor compartment, you get a few. - piece count - I kept track of the pieces in the build and it comes to a total of: 425 pieces (+/-) 10 pieces if my count was off. Not a crazy amount and definitely within reason for Lego to work with. I would price the set at around $50 fair value in today's Lego market. Perhaps $60 to $70 because of the special elements like sails and figures. I welcome all feedback and criticism, but you should know I spent days on this design and am pretty much at the final stages. In other words, I am very happy with the results, even if flawed in some ways. Also, keep in mind that realism was not at the top of my goals here because I view the Armada Pirate theme up there with the Islanders which is more fantasy based. I interpret that to mean fun expression with colors and sometimes wild designs. Similar to the Dragon Masters in the Castle theme. Thanks for reading. Here is a link to my Flickr to view more images: https://flic.kr/ps/3mi3BG - The Brickshipyard
