This is a reimagined version of Saber Island – this time the outpost has been built on the former volcano that makes up Volcano Island.

Set on a 32×32 base plate, made from under 1600 pieces with seven minifigures, a seagull, a shark, a crab, a lobster, a clam and a starfish.

The little dock is served by a crane that can lift the cargo up to the fortress. For the poor Imperials, it’s up that rickety staircase we go.

The staircase is in a bad state and many of the handrails have rotted away. Some supports have been put in to hold up what’s left, let’s hope they’re strong enough.

A view up at the outpost from the staircase. I added an extra level to the original set.

I also added a little extension to the side.

The roof also has a tiny bell tower build to raise the alarm when enemies approach. The cannon emplacement and tree are present as they are in the original set.

I added a creeper plant up the other side of the building to add a bit of visual interest. I chose dark red as the base colour, I almost went for dark tan.

All three balconies and windows in the middle floors have different builds.

The roof has been enlarged and I used the broken rungs technique from the Elusys Ra Anwal’s Forbidden Island build to make the tower look run down. I would ideally have the telescope on pearl gold, but the sextant piece isn’t available in that colour.

The roof has a sextant and compass accessory, you can just about see the alarm bell in the tiny building. Below the roof is the Governor’s office.

The Governor’s table is complete with maps, quill and ink pot, goblet and decanter, with a nautical painting on the wall.

The office is lit by a chandelier, the table build, and most of the interior is SNOT.

Below that is the barracks with two bunks, below that the entrance hall with a store room to the side.

The barracks has a little weapon rack, the entrance hall has a banner and chest full of gems. ‘In real life’ there would be a mess hall and kitchen closer to the camera.

And now to the Volcano Island.

One thing I always wanted to do was have a skull that was solid rock, not with gaps for the eyes or nose.

The skull opens up to give access to a hidden cave where the Pirates can store their loot. I did want to add a subterranean prison with access to the cave, but there was no room.

The Pirates have to be very sneaky to get in their hideout under the watchful eye of the Imperials.

I should have rendered these without the roof, it’s very dark. There are little islands dotted around covered in coins. There is also a carved stone skull with glowing eyes, I wonder who carved it…

The hole here is big enough to get your hand in for play in the cave.

Colonel Sir Dirk Allcock has been busy since landing in Westface. As commander (land), Corlander Forces Terraversa, he has had much to do. Most of his time has been taken liaising with L’Ouis and his Terraversan staff in Westface, finding billets for the Corlander Expeditionary Force and ensuring there are enough supplies to campaign. Before leaving for Pamu, his old friend Montoya and remarked his preparations would be in vain, and that the proposed peace talks would prevent conflict.  Allcock was not so sure. He had not been in favour of war with Oleon, although that nation’s aggressive and irresponsible actions attacking King’s Port had left the Crown with little choice. Since the declaration, old enmities – animosity Allcock had hoped buried with expansion into the New World – had spilled to the surface. He felt certain the war; which to date had been relatively bloodless between Corrington and Oleon, would not end without a major blood letting.

Finally the arrangements in Westface were competed to his satisfaction. Still, his work had only just began. He strongly believed that information won battles and wars. The Corlanders had limited knowledge of the environment and terrain of Eastern Terraversa. This would have to change. Together with his second in command; Major Nathaniel Brickford, he has left Westface to conduct a thorough reconnaissance eastern Terraversa. Not wanting to risk capture or ambush, this will be a reconnaissance in force, accompanying Allcock and Brickford are a retinue of staff officers including Colonel Agnolino de Silva, the Terraversan liaison officer assigned to Allcock’s staff, Captain Nardo Bonzi, a militia officer and expert guide. Escorting the force are a strong force of cavalry including a troop of the Corlander 2nd Regiment of Hussars and a troop of elite Terraversan cuirassiers.

Allcock is paying particular attention to ensuring the force’s maps are up-to-date and enhanced with local knowledge. The locations of river crossings, seasonal weather patterns. The thirst for knowledge that saw him a founding member of the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy is now applied to his military command. If battle was coming, he was determined that the Corlander force would not be defeated due to a lack of local knowledge.

“They told me there would be skulls! Geez, what a misplaced name..”

A LEGO Pirates Island. What better place to dock your pirate ship than an tropical Island? Islands always seem to have a fantastic history behind them, it provides a real sense of adventure!

The set, unlike many traditional LEGO Pirate sets, would be focused more around the island itself, landscaping would take priority over manmade structures and boats.

Note: This project has expired and voting is no longer available. Visit the LEGO Ideas page for more details.

Belisarius is a pirate boat that after a lot of journeys and adventures, in one of its trips and in its final quest for a long-lost treasure that was located in the abyss, it met a magical sea dragon. The dragon was the guard of the abyss that did not allow bad spirits to rise the surface. After a battle between the dragon and the ship not only was the dragon beaten but also it became the ship’s skeleton. All the sailors were transformed as well into it’s skeleton which also became part of the ship. So now, the ship took the role of the guard and protector until someone else had to win and take with its turn that role.

The set includes florescent pieces so when you switch off the light you can see the skeleton, the mystique of the dragon and the darkness vanishes the black bricks of the ship which looks like its flying in the air.

Visit the Belisarius LEGO Ideas webpage for more photos.

Note: this project has expired and voting is no longer available.

Ahoy there me hearties!
Do not trust every light you see across dark stormy seas.
For if you chance upon the False Light, you’ll be lured to dangerous shores.
And your ship, and your crew, will vanish into LEGO Pirate lore!

The Pirate Wreckers of False Lighthouse Cove flourished during the Golden Age of Piracy.  By skilfully shining their false light, they lured passing ships to wreck upon their treacherous coastline.  Under the cover of darkness, the pirates would then salvage the precious cargo.  Hundreds of vessels navigating the Caribbean trade route, simply disappeared into the night.

Surviving accounts from the cove are rare, as the stranded passengers and crew would usually assimilate into this secretive pirate community.  As a consequence, the exact location of False Lighthouse Cove remains a mystery to this very day!

I have recreated the legend in LEGO, based upon the journal records of the only known ship to have escaped the notorious clutch power of False Lighthouse Cove.

THE FALSE LIGHTHOUSE

Crucial to the whole operation was the lighthouse tower.  Featuring a LEGO Light Brick, and a supply of strategically placed cannons, the pirate wreckers were well equipped to run aground passing ships.  The tower stood next to the Old Pirate Hulk, and together they created the illusion of a safe port.  The tower was entangled with jungle vegetation, which helped conceal the guns from approaching ships.

THE OLD PIRATE HULK

The official headquarters, and home to the pirate captain, “Golden Peg”.  He ruled False Lighthouse Cove from his old pirate hulk.  He was a familiar sight walking the decks with his pure gold peg leg.  Recreated in modular format for practical pirate playability, the Old Pirate Hulk includes such wonders as:

• The Secret Treasure Chamber
• The Pirate Prison
• Golden Peg’s Bedroom
• The Captain’s Bridge and Map Room
• The Pirate Galley and Chicken Hut

For history buffs, the pirate hulk is believed to have been an old Dutch trading vessel, that shipwrecked in the cove sometime around 1640.

RECEPTION ROCK   “Good Old 88”

According to legend, all eighty-eight of the hazardous sea rocks in the cove were individually named by the pirates, sometimes after a famous vessel they had grounded.  If your ship was fortunate enough to have missed the first eighty-seven, you would be stopped abruptly by “Reception Rock”, affectionally known as “Good Old 88”.

Reception Rock had a small lookout erected on top, and was accessible from the beach by a narrow boardwalk.  Look carefully, and you might spot Golden Peg scanning the horizon for passing ships.

Granted, the room didn’t have any windows and the floorboards creaked, but the Sea Rat was grateful his room had solid walls and a real floor this Merrymas season.

As he lay back on his bed, he thought about how much more comfortable it was than the stable he’d been hiding out in this time last year. He even had a modicum of privacy!

Things were looking up…

The second large armed merchant man that had, had its keel laid in the Beauchamp Shipyard when the limited police action in Terraversa erupted into a Brick Seas wide conflagration. The HRS Phoebe is the prettier and slightly larger the two ladies, but not the stronger.

The patriotic spirit of Breshaun and the shipyard has led to an assault of bunting on a ship that was already well decorated for a man-of-war. With ribbons in her hair, as she left Breshaun a month ago for her final sea trials, the HRS Phoebe is quite a head-turner.

Now, stopped at LOCATION REDACTED to take on supplies and receive new orders, the ship is a much needed addition to the fleet adding teeth to the underdog Oleon as they stand alone against the Red Coat giant.

But, all the trim doesn’t mean she doesn’t pack a punch. The broadsides are each 19 heavy guns, plus 2 bow chasers and 2 stern, for 42 heavy guns altogether.

The Captain is a reclusive man, he keeps his own counsel. Few aboard know the ship’s next destination. Though with her ornate merchant-man stern section, the Brick Seas will know soon enough.

As Helios is the god of the sun, transporting the orb across the day’s sky. Phoebe is the moon, carrying the lesser orb across the night’s.

And we see Phoebe again on the bow piece, flanked by chasers.

As she glides over the water, she not only holds her two full gun decks, but still ample cargo space below deck.

Skull Cove: Redbeard’s Return.

Captain Roger Redbeard once terrified the seas with his crew aboard the The Black Seas Barracuda but he has not been seen on the high seas for over a decade.  Nobody knows exactly what happened to him, many assumed he finally met a bitter end, perhaps finally caught by the Imperials…some claim he retired and lives quietly on his untold riches.

His closest friends and allies however know the truth.

Redbeard, surrounded by his loyal crew, still rules the great pirate fleet, a shadow empire, from the security of his stronghold, Skull Cove.

This set seeks to create a top of the line pirate stronghold operated by a cadre of pirates inspired by classic LEGO pirates.

The re-imagined pirates includes the classic figures: Captain Roger Redbeard, Rummy, Anne, and “Steve.”

The Crew

Captain Rodger Redbeard.

In the passing years the Captain’s beard has grown and streaks of white have crept into it.  He may not be as spry as he once was, but he is as cunning and quick witted as ever, coordinating strikes against the merchant lanes while continuing to foil the Imperials.

First Mate Rummy.

Rummy has long been Redbeard’s right hand man.  Now he operates the ingenious communication network that keeps Redbeard’s pirate armada working in concert.

Rummy is also a legendary spotter and look out.  He can count the number of cannons on a ship before most of the crew can even see its sails.

Anne.

Anne has served as Redbeards Quartermaster, leading countless boarding actions upon ships beset by the Black Seas Barracuda.  She is an expert marksman and sword fighter, equally at home on the deck or in the ropes.

“Steve”

Steve is a bit of a mysterious wild card, coming and going as he pleases. The crew is not even certain if “Steve” is his real name.

His unequaled skill as an artillerist however has earned him a permanent opening as the master gunner in Redbeard’s ranks.  On many occasions the astounding accuracy of his cannons has spelled the difference between victory and defeat.

Note: This project has expired so voting is no longer available.