Hammerstein NWC has been building a series of Space Pirates minifigures. My favorite member of the crew has to be Smokin' Joe Ravan, the ship's lookout.
I really like how the builder has created figures that use some minifig parts, but aren't entirely minifigs - they have a larger scale that allows for more detail. Check out the album linked above to see the rest (including a very interesting first mate).
This pirate fort MOC by jsnyder002 hits all the right notes: great design, great building, and tons of action features. Check out the video here to see the trapdoor, collapsing bridge, exploding rock face, and more.
See more images on Flickr as well.
3/5
Appearance - 3/5
Construction - 2/5
Pieces - 3/5
Playability - 4/5
Minifigs/accessories - 3/5
Value for money - 5/5
70412 Soldiers Fort is the second-largest set of the March 2015 Pirates reboot. Interestingly for the second-largest set in a wave, it costs only $29.99, with a relatively low part count of 234 pieces, for a CPP of 12.82 cents/piece.
Verdict: This set is better than its companion the Outpost and is only $10 more. If you only want one of them, get the Fort. They're okay when combined, but some flaws (which I mention in the review) detract considerably from the combined model. I mostly like the look of this structure, but in some places it seems unfinished or oversimplified. Overall, a pretty average set.
2/5
Appearance - 3/5
Construction - 1/5
Pieces - 4/5
Playability - 3/5
Minifigs/accessories - 3/5
Value for money - 2/5
70410 Soldiers Outpost is one of the sets from the March 2015 reboot of the Pirates line. It retails for $19.99 and has 164 pieces, for a cost-per-piece of 12.19 cents.
Verdict: I had high hopes for the Pirates reboot, but unfortunately this set is pretty underwhelming. There are some good parts included, especially for Pirates/historical MOCers, but the main model's small size and highly questionable design aspects make it a shadow of what it could be. I don't own the other 20-dollar set from this release, 70411 Treasure Island, but judging from other reviews I've read, that seems to be the better set. That said, it might be hard to pass up a cheap set from a classic theme that at the very least will add some more parts to your collection and provide a little "soldiers vs. pirates" playability.
Flickr user Dubbadgrim has built this awesome scene inspired by the classic Pirates set 6246 Crocodile Cage.
And, see that bone sticking up out of the ground on the left there? Click here to find out what it does. (It's pretty cool. I'm still trying to figure out how it works!)
vitroleum's MOC depicting the Treasure Island scene in which pirates attack the crew at Flint's fort has a lot to like. In particular, I'm drawn to the repetitive part usage like the dark brown 1x1 cylinders, brown rods in the fence, and all those battle droid arms on the roof. Also check out the palm tree trunk technique using clips and an upside down bush!
Here's a nicely done scene from Mark of Falworth. The buildings, foliage, and minifigures combine to create an excellent display piece as well as a study in interesting building techniques.
Thanks to BrickNerd for the tip.
I really like this microscale castle/pirates MOC by Sir Valiant~. It has ships, castles, and some nicely built tiny palm trees, as well as a huge pile of trans-light blue studs!
Here are Sir Valiant~'s thoughts on the build:
Good to be building Again!
This is my entry for the Jolly Roger Contest 3 1/2 put on by Bluesecrets and the Forbidden Cove Forums.
The challenge was to build a treasure map out of LEGO bricks. This is my interpretation.
I
had a blast building this, and was able to try my hand at many new
techniques. I have never built micro-scale, and I don't think I did too
bad.
Each Island has a fortress representing each fo the
Classic-Pirate faction (excluding Islanders). The bluecoats outpost and
also the Redcoats and Pirate fortresses.
Be sure to notice the details such as the Compass, sextant's, telescopes, and microscale ships. Enjoy!
