Have you felt that no matter where you go, there be always Imperial Guards chasing after ye? There has always been a demand for a perfect town where Pirates from every corner of Caribbean can rest. SlyOwl has found a solution to this problem by treating our eyes yet again with another stunning MOC, entitled “Tortuga? Aye, Tortuga”.
Honey, I think we should find a new travel agent…
Some of ye might recognise Tortuga from the famous Pirates of the Caribbean series. Now, we don’t truly know if this build was inspired by the film series but it is assumed that mostly likely it was. This scene has a heavy resemblance to scenes from the first two films. At the end of the day, should we worry about that? Nay, we shall drink on. I promise you, no matter how many times ye may take a detailed look of this MOC, ye always will find something new in it. Take that clever black roof as an example of true mastery.
Oh, look at that man floating in the barrel! Look at the lad who’s falling throught the window, look at the man with multiple hats! So many details!
The black goat is overseeing all of this madness. Is that Blackbeard in the background? Wonder what would happen if he and Captain Redbeard clashed…
What is Tortuga?
Tortuga is an island near Haiti in Caribbean, Tortuga translates from Spanish as turtle, but local Pirates care not for the background of this name as the island’s town serves good drinks in every local pirate pub. Island was originally owned by Spanish but then was captured by the British, afterwards it became widely known as a place of pirate operations, similar to Nassau.
In present day it is as casual as any other island in Caribbean, but that shouldn’t stop ye from visiting the place where once all yer mates stole all yer money to buy drinks drank kegs of rum, should it?
That man seems really happy with his drink and the new established friend. Is that a pig or some other animal?
The big question here really is – did you compliment this MOC back in 2009 when SlyOwl presented it? You didn’t, am I correct? If so, then why didn’t you do so? Were you too busy to see it or was it a dark age? It be too late to drown in sorrow and regret now. Best we can do is appreciate it as it is now.
About the Builder…
Most people on LEGO Pirates Forum have heard of SlyOwl (also known as Barney Main) before, he has created so many wonderful MOCs, creating a unique style of his own. While he may not be active at the moment, he surely has left quite a legacy for all of us to admire. “Tortuga? Aye, Tortuga” is part of it.
Being featured in (as far as we know) countless official LEGO books, SlyOwl has made a name for himself and shall always be remembered on LEGO Pirates Forum by his contributions. Apart from his presence on the said forum, he also has a Flickr account where ye can view all the creations that were praised earlier.
If you wish to study this MOC further, there is a video on YouTube that was made in 2009 so consider checking it out. This MOC, along with hundreds of other cool creations can be viewed on Pirate MOCs subforum. If ye wish to discuss LEGO Pirates in general, do consider visiting a pirate pubLEGO Pirates Forum. Most importantly, don’t forget to press that red button below to discuss this lovely MOC with other pirate enthusiasts online!
There are different approaches to building LEGO ships. Before starting, one must think about the desired outcomes… playability versus realism. Should the hull start at the waterline or does one wish to construct the whole keel? LEGO prefabricated hull pieces or brickbuilt? These and more are questions answered by Lukas Diemer‘s astonishing build “HMS Argonaut”.
HMS Argonaut! Quite the vessel she is!
Builder writes:
My goals were different for different projects. Problematic was that sometimes they changed within the building process. Most of my European themed finished ships ended up in a similar category. The HMS Argonaut made her first appearance in 2015 as a side project, while I was building a 74 gun ship of the line. The idea at that time was to build a ship, using only prefab hulls and get closer to a LEGO set style approach. The same approach I started the ship of the line with and the same reasons I later changed to achieve some route closer to modelling than to integrate playability. There always were some deviations. Also there are lots of beatiful decorated frigate cabins out there, but I just had to use the same old windows with barely any decorations. My 38 gun frigate from the beginning on was limited in some design choices that I wanted to copy from my 74 gun ship of the line as to make them recognizable as being from the same builder. Both for example use jumper plates to form the tumblehome. Both use the same gratings and belaying pins as well as similar mast tops. As for the name, same as with the HMS Bulwark, there were ships named HMS Argonaut, but just coincidentally.
And here be the stern side of HMS Argonaut. Lovely colours on the windows accompanied by a nameplate below!
Lukas learned before commencing construction, it’s easier to start with a real life ship reference and ideally plans, than it is to just start building, and then later attempt to implement realistic features and characteristics.
Look at all that rigging. There has been put much love and care into building this mighty vessel!
Lukas Diemer on his Rigging:
With rope and cloth there often is more agreed upon leeway, though in the end it is one‘s own decision that matters. hntrains commented that the ropes steal the show. That is somewhat true as my focus was shifting more towards the rigging. On the first ship I was hesitant to use the sewing machine, as I didn‘t think myself competent enough to work decently with it. So I let my father do the sails for the ship. Unfortunately though, my father is less artistic and didn‘t use a pencil to mark parallel lines on the cloth. Once I did the sails myself for various smaller ships, I realised, mine were more dedicated and I started adding reeflines. Tideous work like doing all the knots can be quite meditative. My rigging is often complimented and I can gratefully accept praise. But still it is only a selection of sheets, halyards, shrouds, lines and ropes. For example, I left out the clewlines completely. Some also have recommended to use strings in black or brown, that might look better. Working in three dimensions and using a functional rig helps a lot to understand how the sails work and my two dimensional ship drawings and paintings benefitted hugely, as now I understand what the purpose of the rope I‘m drawing is.
As ye can tell, the rigging was achieved with a goodly amount of thought put into it. Are yer rigging skills as good? Do not worry, I won’t have ye handed to Imperial Guards and hanged judge ye if yer skills aren’t as good, for there is always room for practice and time for improvement.
And here be another angle of this marvelous vessel! Those broadsides are looking hungry to pound some pirate vessels!
There is a perfect balance ‘tween brick-built and prefab hull!
While there is indeed a good balance ‘tween brick-built and prefab hull, Lukas says that there could have been a better outcome:
My 74 gun ship of the line is quite straight throughout the broadside. Here some more research beforehand would definitely have helped, though I would not have achieved such a broad stern. For the hull of a frigate I would probably recommend another technique. Who knows, maybe in the future I maybe will build the L‘Hermione or the Shtandart. What sometimes still bother me is the Stern. I started with prefab hull parts only. Then I had to widen the hull, using sloped bricks. At some time I had to lower the black stripe. The old brown bow I had didn‘t allow for that. So I came up with my own solution and on the finished vessel the gapes that were created don‘t look so bad. I feared worse. What remained was the stern. Looking back now I should just have gone over to brickbuild everything and maybe even use only black parts.
A Closer Look
Not only does HMSArgonaut look magnificent, but she also has a bustle of activity occurring on the upper deck.
Some soldiers have lined up on the main deck, perhaps an inspection?
Here we get a glimpse of what the gun deck – the brick-built cannons are another point which demonstrate this is a project with much love and care put into it!
The Admiral is giving orders to the sailors, or be that an officer?
And here be the helm, that lad near seems rather suspicious!
Soldier inspection – all soldiers must be fit for duty on board a ship the caliber of HMS Argonaut!
The cannons get an inspection too! All of them must shine in order to meet the necessary standards!
HMS Argonaut has proven to be capable of taking on a multitude of enemies, even Captain Redbeard and his crew. Fear not, if yer on Imperial Guards‘ side, there is nothing to worry about, they’ve got you covered! Now we shall end the story (for now) with this mighty vessel sailing away to further adventures!
And there she goes! May the winds blow fair!
About the Builder…
Lukas Diemer or Wellesley or Fehron Argonaut (as he is known on Flickr) has been around on Eurobricks for a rather long time. As a matter of fact, this year marks his tenth anniversary on the forums and some of ye may have noticed his well-established MOCs long before. He has made brief appearances in LEGO Pirates MOC Sub Forum but mostly he contributes models to the outstanding role-playing pirate game, Brethren of the Brick Seas. Besides Eurobricks, he can also be found on Flickr, so don’t be shy and inspect that account with awe and enthusiasm, for he has shared some beautiful vessel MOCs on there!
I suppose ye would be wishing to leave a comment about what a masterpiece this MOC is, if this be so, ye can do it in the dedicated Eurobricks topic for it. Alternatively, ye can give up the gold and turn yerself in hit that red button below to discuss it further. If this magnificent vessel has made ye thristy for more magnificent pirate MOCs, do consider visiting LEGO Pirates forum and Pirate MOCs subforum… I promise, ye will not regret it! (that much!)
Pirates have roamed seas for as long as we may remember ourselves. Most notable of them all has to be Captain Blackbeard and his crewCaptain Redbeard, who for a time being was absent until making a comeback in 2020’s Pirates of Barracuda Bay! Newest brick film by Hamster Productions shows us what has happened to Redbeard, it is entitled as “Pirate Sea Battle – Barracuda Heist”. xxx
El Ladrillo Harbour sure seems like a lovely town, hopefully it has a pirate lovely pub too!
This is a once again well-crafted story by Hamster Productions, older fans of his brickfilms may notice few recurring characters from other works, I won’t list them, for ye have to find them yerself.
Look at this sailor! Why would anyone even think that he could be up to no good?
Now, why does this particular pub inn look familiar?
That goblet of rum apple juice surely looks lovely, I bet it tastes good too!
Be that Captain Redbeard and his crew? And be they imprisoned? What an outrage! Surely there must be someone out there coming to rescue them, right?
Mysterious sailor reveals himself to be Tattooga! And it seems he has come to rescue Captain Redbeard, whom he has stayed loyal to!
Hamster Productions writes:
A lone sailor enters an occupied harbour in the heart of the Caribbean. Can he rescue his friends?
That be indeed a good question – can he rescue his friends? I would not be so sure, ever since El Ladrillo Harbour is full of Imperial Guards, but this rescue mission could be worth a try. After rescuing Captain Redbeard and the crew, they all need better means of transportation than a small boat, that is where Black Seas Barracuda comes in.
The main prize of the whole rescue mission – Black Seas Barracuda. Magnificent, as always, only dry-docked in the wrong harbour!
It seems that Baron von Barron has made his way yet again in LEGO Pirates universe! This time he has made his way high in the ranks of Imperial Guards, at the moment, he is inspecting the vessel
Baron’s career is short-lived, Captain Redbeard with the crew has come to take back their vessel
Now Captain Redbeard may stand on poop deck once again
What is a brickfilm?
Brickfilm is a film made using LEGO bricks, it is usually created through stop motion, which consists of combining multiple photographs to make an object move in the said photographies. In this case, a LEGO minifigure is taken multiple photographs of, in order to walk, fight, visit pirate pub drink and do other activities. Now, mind ye, making a brickfilm takes some time, especially if ye want it to be of high quality. Think how long it must have taken for Hamster Productions to make this magnificent film.
At last, Black Seas Barracuda flies the Jolly Roger again!
Governor has caught wind of what is happening but it seems that an Officer has not!
A battle is brewing ‘tween pirates and Imperial Guards!
This can’t end well for at least one of the sides!
How on Earth did that happen? Ye wouldn’t expect me to tell ye, would you?
How I love the sound of a ship breaking in half in the morning!
And that is how it ends, for better details of how did we get to such point, ye have to watch this brickfilm yerself!
About the Builder…
If ye have watched brickfilms on YouTube, then there is a possibility that ye stumbled upon Hamster Productions, also known as Joshua Chawner. His brickfilms are well-known and as many have described, specifically his Police Chase Part 3 invokes nostalgic memories among the audience. His 2019 LEGO brickfilm The World’s ‘Coolest’ LEGO Set has won many International Science Film Festival nominations. All of Hamster Productions‘ amazing brickfilms can be found on his YouTube channel. Be sure to check it yerself and perhaps even subscribe for more great future content.
Be sure to head down to LEGO Pirates Forum on Eurobricks and see the advertising topic created for this film. And if ye want to see more Pirate-related content, have a look in the Pirate MOCs subforum, I can guarantee that ye won’t regret it!
Posted by Jack Sassy in Pirates, Brickfilms | Comments Off on “Pirate Sea Battle – Barracuda Heist” by Hamster Productions
It is that time of the year again… Oktoberfest! and the town of Punto Sur is hosting yet another festival, all thanks to omnihash_cz who has represented a part of this festival on outskirts of the city with such an amazing build – Westward Square Oktoberfest.
Punto Sur surely has fine architecture, even on its outskirts
omnihash_cz writes:
Small square on the edge of the city has been temoporary refurbished as a location for this year’s Punto Sur Oktoberfest. Couple tables, large beer keg from Punto Brau brewery, and a little something to eat, some makeshift dance podium and the party can start!
Gunnar is the leader of the Silverhair gang. His first Oktoberfest was 40 years ago but all he needed was couple jugs and nice bartender with promising smile to dance on the table like there is no tomorrow.
That hot dog might be a bit over-cooked
Everyone is showing off what they can do on the dance floor (including dancing, of course)!
Gunnar surely got some moves, ask the ladies, not me!
Now that is one amazing looking tudor house. And take a look at those pink parrots!
I know what ye might be thinking – where are the pumpkins? But remember, this is the New Haven Sea, so far there have been no strange pumpkin mutations around here! What is strange might be the pink parrot invasion and the fact that they get away with selling over-cooked hot dogs. Punto Sur is the ultimate definition of freedom (Pirates, ye better keep yer distance. No one needs more trouble in such a fine town, especially from Captain Redbeard and his crew)!
Oktoberfest
What could Imperial Armada soldier dream of? Oktoberfest. What is it? I am glad ye asked, Oktoberfest is a widely known seasonal celebration, which this year is held in the Eslandolan town of Punto Sur.
As the announcement says, the festival has opportunity to sell all the old household food what every Eslandolian might have at their home lots of food and drink, traditional costumes, dances, contests, games, amusements and a lot more! Don’t be shy and come join the fun, It is definitely worth it.
A nice look behind the scenes
And even more behind the scenes. That lady better be careful, otherwise she will fall off the balcony!
Admit it, you hadn’t thought of using those cone pieces as roof technique, had you?
About the Builder…
Those who have been browsing the dark, shark and mermaid-infested subforumBrethren of the Brick Seas on LEGO Pirates Forum might have noticed omnihash_cz, who’s name isn’t Slim Shady, publishing so many awesome, colourful digital designs since June of 2021. His contributions in this short period of time have been nothing short of amazing! Accompanying his presence on BoBS is also his Flickr account with more amazing builds (along with pink parrots, over-cooked hot dogs and folk simply having a good time).
As always, Pirates need a place where they may rest and drink a keg. For that we have pirate pubs taverns and thankfully, The Plastic Brick treats us with an amazing build, entitled “Brick-Terre Tavern”.
The back can open up to create an illusion of a bigger building. Quite devilish, so to say…
The Plastic Brick writes:
This MOC is designed with play in mind, so it is sturdy and provides access to the interior rooms. The building opens in the back and reveals a variety of scenes.
I really enjoy the color scheme, brick arches, balcony and the details of interior. The little nook table with Redbeard is my favorite, though.
Aye, this MOC indeed includes all the things listed above. Many non-pirate elements are used throughout the build, like them vehicle mudguards. All of this sounds exciting and I be sure that this tavern might remind ye of another one, but I can assure ye that this masterpiece is of its own class.
Come, join yer mates for a keg (or two) of rum! Ye won’t regret it…
A look from behind. So many details and things to see! Even the stairs can move just like in Hogwarts any self-respecting pirate tavern!
Now that ye have a great idea how it all looks, let us take a closer look on the present characters in this holy building.
The bartender seems to be rather happy about her job. She should be careful, though, that ship in the bottle shouldn’t be standing like that…
I can’t seem to figure whether these pirates are about to fight or have a drinking contest
Captain Redbeard is overseeing everything in the tavern with his trusty parrot Popsy
Brick-Terre Tavern is such a popular place that even Captain Redbeard visits it! There have also been rumours about his nemesis around the area…
And there he is! Governor Broadside seems to be Admiral Broadside now. Wonder what is he discussing? A plan to capture all pirates?
These two pirates seem to be having fun, so monkey shows his best tricks!
All of these people are having fun! Apart from demoted Admiral Broadside and his Imperial Guards, he has important plans to attend to. Besides him, everyone else has enough to drink for at least five days!
And here be the back of the tavern. Quite splendid too, given the fact that the only people that ye may meet here are those who had too much to drink…
About the Builder…
Some of ye may wonder, who is The Plastic Brick (also known as Ryan)? Truth be told, he can’t be found on Eurobricks but opposed to that he is on Instagram and Flickr. So check him out on these sites as he has a wide range of amazing MOCs, among them being few pirate MOCs too! He also has a store with the same name which sells retired LEGO sets, so if yer interested, check it yerself (Classic Pirates does not profit or encourage anyone to buy from any stores, spend yer Reales at yer own risk). Of course, be sure to visit LEGO Pirates Forum and Pirate MOCs subforum for more amazing pirate builds, including this one.
What would one expect to meet at an Imperial Outpost? The Imperial Armada? Or Imperial Soldiers? Well, whatever you might have thought of, you certainly didn’t think of pirates, did you? It seems that The Conquered Outpost by cjtonic has indeed been conquered by pirates.
cjtonic writes:
This is my first Pirates MOC: The Conquered Outpost. While designing it I realized how much fun I had back in the day when playing with the original Pirates sets. The model consists of the island, the small cave with the treasure hidden in the back behind the skeleton and a small house with fireplace and bedroom for the soldiers (now pirates).
Indeed this MOC does consist of all the things listed by cjtonic. Don’t believe me? Then feel free to jump overboard and never return see for yerself in the pictures below.
Come, ye be welcome no matter if yer right or if yer wrong!
A better look at the building. Seems that there are only few remains of the classic yellow colour that outposts always use
The Backstory
This Imperial Outpost was once conquered by the pirates who have been living there ever since. Only recently they discovered there was this treasure cave underneath the small island, but it took some time before someone dared to move the skeleton sitting in front of the entrance door.
I know that ye might be excited to find the treasure room right away, but before we explore the cave underneath and find the treasure, it would be best to check out local surroundings.
How come Redbeard’s crew ended up here? No one knows…
What would a pirate’s life be without rum? Only sorrow and hard work, that be for sure!
4+ Juniors Captain has come a long way since his initial appearance. Seems like he has managed to snatch a few of Redbeard’s men!
Watch out, Popsy, the daft captain is about to shoot at ye!
Now that ye have got a good idea of the surroundings it would be best to give up the booty and walk the plank see the hidden cave with all the precious treasure this captain has been looking for.
Supposed exploration attempt that consisted of moving the skeleton who was blocking entrance to the cave
Oh look, a friendly face says hello!
A poor soul who wasn’t so lucky. What would the room forward contain, I wonder?
Look at all this treasure! Forget all the pirate pubs in the world, this is the place I long to be!
Digital Instructions
What will the pirates do with all this treasure? Buy Black Seas Barracuda from Redbeard? Visit every pirate pub and taste every type of rum under the sun? I am not sure but you shall be delighted to know there is a chance for ye to own this very MOC as we speak! If ye visit Rebrickable, you may find that cjtonic has indeed added instructions for anyone to buy (with real money, reales, if ye prefer) this amazing build, you could be an owner today or tomorrow or any given day! All that is left is your decision, does this MOC interest you? Do you feel the need of expanding upon the lack of pirate related builds in your collection? Then head over to the website and buy the instructions today (we are not responsible for any purchases regarding anything LEGO related, only advertisements, purchase at yer own risk)!
But we be not done with an overlook of The Conquered Outpost, there are few more aspects you have to see to truly understand the masterpiece this build is.
A bird’s eye view from the right with a great look at this small fortification!
A good look from the left side, this roof might collapse at any point, given its state!
At last, a top-down view, as if it were a map
About the Builder…
Some may have heard of cjtonic before, he may not be a frequent poster on Eurobricks but when he does post, he posts quite some amazing MOCs. With this as his first pirate MOC he has shown great skill, just as with all his amazing builds are available for viewing on Flickr and many of the designs have instructions available for purchase on Rebrickable. He is no stranger to other social media too, as far as we have managed to track down using police criminal database he is on YouTube and Instagram. Be sure to check him out and take your time going through all these designs.
If ye enjoyed this MOC, which, I know you did, then be sure to check out even more of them on LEGO Pirates forum and Pirate MOCs subforum. At last, don’t forget to press the red button below to discuss this MOC with other fellow buccaneers, scoundrels sailors.
Pirates have been known to roam the seas for as long as we can remember, but what happens when they get thirsty? They can’t just simply drink sea water. No, they head to the nearest pirate pub tavern to have jolly good fun. The infamous Captain Braunsfeld has created this simple yet outstanding tavern to represent a classic Trouble in the Tavern.
Captain Braunsfeld writes:
Last Friday in the “Three Cannon Balls” tavern some trouble started, the usual trouble in a pirate tavern.
Initially I just wanted to build the interior of a pirate tavern, but then it seemed possible to have a somewhat decent outside too.
Such a neat, classic look!
From outside Three Cannon Balls tavern looks like any other tavern in a modest town like Tortuga. It screams classic quite a lot. But inside it, chaos ensues as another Friday trouble has been caused due to one man insulting the other by dropping his glass of Rum to the ground.
You may insult a man’s family, steal his boat, but never, never do ye drop his glass of rum! Those two lads are really asking for it!
That poor pig has to hang over some translucent plastic all day long!
And so the trouble begins! Tavern’s owner must have a rough time cleaning the place up every day. Is that Captain Brickbeard hiding himself on the right?
The biggest mystery to me and everyone else probably is the way how pirates get up to the second floor. Seriously, where’s the ladder?
No, better question – how does the owner get up to that supply crate at the very top?
Check out this groovy camera angle of the tavern!
And another groovy angle, just a little different, lets you better see the spilled glass of rum!
Ye might think, why is this amazing MOC being blogged in 2021, when it was presented in 2016? Well, no one is quite sure why this masterpiece was never blogged back in the day, but better late than never! No one can stop a trouble in the tavern, not even Imperial Guards, it just happens by itself, whether it’s an insult, spilled rum, bad chess game or even a challenge, these things are expected in Buckingham Palace any pirate tavern.
Now, better question would be – why didn’t you notice this MOC in 2016? Why weren’t you there when Captain Braunsfeld presented it? At this point it is too late for any apologies, time has passed but this masterpiece shall not be forgotten!
About the Builder…
Captain Braunsfeld is a very well known builder who has been contributing for a long time on LEGO Pirates forum, Pirate MOCs and Brethren of the Brick Seas. His builds are accompanied by humorous text and not only has he built land-based MOCs, he also has astonishing vessel contributions, one of his best known ships might just be HMS Colourless. At the moment, he has an ongoing Tulip selling series in BoBS game.
Besides his presence on Eurobricks, Captain Braunsfeld also has a Flickr account where he posts all his LEGO rum collections amazing MOCs, so be sure to check them out, trust me, it’s worth all the gold in the world.
If ye are interested in expressing yer apologies for not commenting on Trouble in the Tavern back in 2016, you may hit the red button on the very bottom and visit LEGO Pirates MOCs subforum, if ye want to discuss all things pirate, do consider visiting LEGO Pirates forum. And if ye want to see the Tulip selling series, then be sure to check it out in Brethren of the Brick Seas.
Posted by Jack Sassy in Buildings, Pirates | Comments Off on “Trouble in the Tavern” by Captain Braunsfeld
When it comes to fort building, the bastion fort problem has caused quite some trouble for AFOLs across the whole globe (the LEGO Caribbean for that matter). But fear not, for Lord James has submitted an outstanding fortress on LEGO Ideas, one that Green Coats, Red Coats, Blue Coats and Imperial Armada are scared of. It goes by the name of Crown Dominion Fortress.
Officers seem to be discussing the newest wigs
Lord James writes:
It was the Age of Wigs. Mighty empires clashed on land and sea for dominance of the lucrative wig market. After years of stalemate, one ascendant force has gained a tenuous hold over the vital trade routes and constructed their impregnable citadel, Crown Dominion Fortress. The Viceroy and his trusted inner circle have been charged with a solemn duty: to protect the supply of luscious wigs that society desperately needs for work, leisure, and attracting mates. The very fate of the empire hangs in the balance. Yet storm clouds gather on the horizon; their fierce rivals, the Greencoats, will stop at nothing to seize all the wigs for themselves! Now you must choose who will prevail. Control the wig trade; control the world!
Now for the part that reads like a press release:
With its fun play features, innovative design, and historical realism, Crown Dominion Fortress is the perfect addition to any LEGO collection. The striking, angular appearance of this bastion fort is unlike any set that LEGO has ever produced, and the numerous callbacks to classic sets are certain to please. The nine minifigures in this prototype are based on the legendary never-released theme, Europa, which LEGO enthusiasts have been awaiting for decades.
This is more than just a display piece; the building experience is a rewarding challenge, and the structure, consisting of 10 movable sections, is durable and internally well-supported, so younger children can play for hours while the fort remains in good working order. The crane can be positioned to hoist barrels of munitions to the upper levels as well as to pull cannons up the ramp in order to defend the base against Greencoats or any other adversaries imaginable. The fort also includes two jail cells and ample storage areas for stockpiling wigs and other treasures. The roof of the gatehouse can be removed easily to reveal the viceroy’s bureau, containing a handsome pedestal desk and chair, bookshelves, maps, light fixtures, and more.
Technical details:
This prototype contains 2,992 elements (Studio 2.0), around a thousand of which are 1×2 tiles or smaller, so the total volume of the set is reasonable relative to the part count. Many large supporting bricks can be replaced with panels of similar dimensions to reduce the mass without losing any stability. The colors (yellow, white, and bright light orange) are reminiscent of classic LEGO sets as well as real-life forts such as Christiansværn (Christiansted, US Virgin Islands) and Forte de São Tiago (Funchal, Madeira, Portugal). Other historic forts that influenced the design of Crown Dominion Fortress include Castillo de San Marcos (St. Augustine, Florida, US) and Fort Zeelandia (Paramaribo, Suriname).
The foundation is a symmetrical irregular pentagon. The interior sides have lengths of 18 studs (x2), 26 studs (x2), and 31 studs (x1). To save on the part count for the final product, each side can be reduced by the same length and still maintain a uniform, integrated appearance. The five interior angles are each 108 degrees, leaving corner gaps of only 0.25 millimeters or less. The sides of the bastions align with the flanks at 9 degrees from a straight line (171 degrees) to form a consistent outer wall. In the prototype, these sections are not connected, although they can be easily adjoined by 1×2 hinge bricks at the level just below the row of white slopes. Alternatively, to maintain modularity, the sections can be connected internally using holders and sticks or – better yet – with magnets.
As you can see, this fortress is such a cleverly complex build that Captain Redbeard has no chance of getting in. The Classic Pirates fortress colour scheme is also in place with yellow and white accents all around.
Coming in from the rear
Or is this the rear? Which way round does thing go anyway?
That crane is useful for lifting barrels of rum to the upper level
The officers stand round while dueling takes place right behind them
This is how they’re settling their divorce
The cannons are loaded! Hey, that flag looks familiar from somewhere…
What is a Bastion?
It’s a type of fortress which was common in the Caribbean, built most commonly by the Spanish, yet has been rarely seen in LEGO form. So that makes Crown Dominion Fortress exciting, is it’s historically based yet something we’ve never seen released as an official LEGO Pirates set.
From above, fortress appears as a beautiful star
A bastion (also known as a bulwark) is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification (in the image above the curtain wall be the wall furthest from us), most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the flanks being able to protect the curtain wall and the adjacent bastions. Compared with the medieval fortified towers they succeeded, bastion fortifications offered greater passive resistance and more scope for ranged defence as gunpowder artillery became more common. In terms of military architecture, the bastion is one element in the style of fortification which became dominant from the mid 16th to mid 19th centuries.
Wigs… Wigs… and more Wigs…
And now we must examine the most important aspect of any fortress – the wig storage facility.
Look at that colour variety!
This model is a perfect start for anyone’s wig collection!
Support on LEGO Ideas
The project has been active on LEGO Ideas since December 28, 2020 and 10 months later only has only attracted 703 supporters. I know, I know, you might be thinking – how come it’s been almost a year and is yet to garner 10k votes? No one knows the answer to that question, but what we do know is it needs more support. So, get out there and support this eighth world wonder to protect us from Green Coats and the other enemies who are lurking out there!
All the appropriate minifigures. Even some Green Coats have snuck in!
And here they are again wearing hats
About the Builder…
When it comes to MOC building, Lord James isn’t the most active builder on Pirate MOCs subforum but when he does build, he builds the most wonderous things with quite some amazing building techniques.
Lord James has a LEGO Ideas profile on which he has submitted this very same project, also a YouTube channel on which you can see this amazing model’s speedbuild.
