Viking Fortress "modification" WIP

[Mike Viper]

Well, you decide if this is a modification of the set, or just a whole different fort, but here it is in deeplink. (once again with bad pics, but I tried my hardest, I can't really move the thing into good lighting)

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip1.jpg
This is the overview. I can't believe I had enough lego for all this.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip2.jpg
The one pic without flash. What do you see on the gate? It's meant to be a dragon head, bloody hard to do I might add.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip3.jpg
Like my roofs? They look more viking to me than plain rooves. (sp?)

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip4.jpg
The great halls window, the shields formed a cross by accident, which is fine by me. Also the mayan pillars where rooted from some civilization (this fort is in my fantasy realms, so mayan culture doesn't have to be on the other side of earth)

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip5.jpg
More roof shots. A balchony for the chief/king. also the water is for baths and washing stuff. I don't know the point, the waters ten times dirtier than any viking

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip6.jpg
classic flip-up foof. The interior still needs detailing. So far I got the throne and various standards.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip7.jpg
Every viking needs thier mead. That's what this buildings sole purpose is. All the vikings do is grab a cup, fill it, and walk around drinking, no tables needed.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip8.jpg
The armory, all weapons made by the forts one blacksmith.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... sswip9.jpg
Here is his workspace, he has a bar holder, furnace, poker/grasper, hammer, and two anvils for different purposes.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... swip91.jpg
For some reason the vikings decided to have a tree here. Probly something to lean on when they're drunk, it's softer than rocks.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... swip92.jpg
if you're wondering what those light grey cones are about, they're torches at night, for light.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... swip93.jpg
The outside landscpaping, yes it's WIP, the WiIPest thing here. But the fort is situated in a mountain, where rocks abide, no excuse! Guese what they're enemies in the comic are made out of?

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... swip94.jpg
It would be impossible to show it, but a lot of detail and work went into these corners.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/colan ... swip95.jpg
Welcome. The doors on the bar where put there to keep the animals out, that's why I didn't bother to make them full brick. It looks cooler to.

Every building comes off it's foundation.

So, please tell me what you think. This is my first non-rainbow-colored fort that actually looks cool. My collection is near drained, so I would hate for this to just fall away without replies. I am really proud of my work so far. Are you?

[nazgul]

"modification", riiiiighht... the only two things that it still has in common with the set version are 1.it has vikings, 2.it's a fortress. Besides those there is almost no corealation between the two, the two..., somethings. That's all I have to say since it's 9:30 where I am and it's dangerous for me to type anything past about 9...

goodnight to you all,
Nazgul

[dJOLe_sk8]

Heya,awsome creation...

I like courtyard the best, colors express the various materials on the floor as on the roofs..
Buildings are awsome, especially that hall/cottage near the main building. I like how you did roofs and that crossed shields above the door...
Just one con,those Mayan pillars really shouldn't be there.

Yeah, you should be proud with this, great work
Greetings from Serbia

[chadzicz]

Chicago Bulls rock (see the first pic)

No, really, i expected just a slight mod after seeing the topic, so i was very surprised to see the size of the actual creation. Looks more of a moc than a simple set modification to me. I really like it, the only 2 downsides are use of bley (especially darkbley vs darkgray) and the too-squarish shape.

[Jake, of the Palace Guard]

very good new moc, but it's in the way of the modded fortress that you want to show us!!!

Naw, seriously, it's brilliant, the gate design in particular is very cool!

Ooh, 100th post. Doesn't time fly...

[kelderic]

"modification", riiiiighht... the only two things that it still has in common with the set version are 1.it has vikings, 2.it's a fortress. Besides those there is almost no corealation between the two

I agree. It is definately not a modification. That would be taking it and making it a little better. This is not even in the same catagory as the original. I do have to agree with chadzicz, however, that the used of darkbley and darkgrey together is not very easy on the eyes. I personally can't tell the difference betwen them if they are not right beside each other, but together, they don't look very good. Still, it is extremely good, probably the best viking fortress I've seen yet.

Kelderic

[Troy T. Moore]

Great work Mike!

The whole fortress, including interior buildings has a real "axe hewn logs and stacked stone" feel to it. The representation of thatched roofs is excellent.

The "head" on the doors is a nice touch.... Especially for the time period of the Vikings when there was a lot of symbolism/superstition.

I really like the armourys front walls built with wedge bricks, something you don't see everyday.

I like the way that all the roofs open up, and especially the view inside the great hall with the chieftains throne.

I look forward to seeing more from you in the future. The pics are good, no problem with seeing the details and are of a low enough resolution that I enjoyed looking at each and avery one on dial-up

[brody]

Very nice, I appreciate all of the descriptions you gave and how well you've thought everything out. I like how you have really pushed what you've suggested is a rather limited collection.

One comment, the dragon's head on the front is problematic. The concept is sound, but I think that in execution it's just too similar to the logo of a well known NBA franchise to be read as anything else.

One thing that I think is really working for you is the way you have landscaped the ground. For some reason (and this is blasphemy, especially to my ears) the combination of the old dark gray and new dark bley is working for me! I would propose that as a general concept, Viking MOCs work very well when they are situated on stony, gray ground.

Cheers!
Brody

[JPinoy]

GREAT looking modification. Any plans to expand it and make it larger?

[Mike Viper]

Thanks all for the comments so far! More than I expected! (serious).

Well, I only said it's a mod cause technicaly, the gate hasn't changed much from the set.

dJOLe_sk8: THanks! Well, the Mayan pillars where looted, but I"m thinking about removing them, dunno, I kinda like'm behind the torch, we'll see what happen's I guess.

chadzicz: Heh heh, I knew that would become a problem, rearanging the dragon head. Now let me tell you a story, which includes on how this get so heavily changed. Originaly, on the Fortress, I just made the side walls longer, then, while laying down the base, I discovered the whole thing was so-many-and-a-half-studs-long! I tried everything to round it off, but eventually I looked at my collection, and noticed, I don't have enough angled plates for it to work anyway, so I went square. I agree though, and If I find a way, I'll make it octagonal again.

kelderic: Yes, the bley and grey problem, curse lego's new owner! But yeah, some say it looks good, some don't. I guess this kinda moc shows where the forum divides .

Troy T. Moore: That's what it's called! Thanks! Thatched roofs. I just couldn't remember.
Yeah, but as others mentioned, I don't think they symbolized the bulls, so I"ll be re-arranging it. Thanks for the compliments.

brody: Continuing that on from my other replies, I think that I'll change it to some symbol, I just don't know, I was thinking Runes across the gate which mean something or whatnot. Yeah, I believe that's what the bley/grey mix does, makes the feel that vikings really just laid different stones down, really not to worried if they where a different shade, which I never thought of, but works and makes sense.

Well, again, thank you all for the comments so far!

[Anubisconq]

Oh yeah. Much better than previous fort. I like the longhouse in the middle (even if it isn't long ) Great work! I hope to see more!

[chadzicz]

chadzicz: Heh heh, I knew that would become a problem, rearanging the dragon head. Now let me tell you a story, which includes on how this get so heavily changed. Originaly, on the Fortress, I just made the side walls longer, then, while laying down the base, I discovered the whole thing was so-many-and-a-half-studs-long! I tried everything to round it off, but eventually I looked at my collection, and noticed, I don't have enough angled plates for it to work anyway, so I went square. I agree though, and If I find a way, I'll make it octagonal again.

yep, the piece problem always limits creativity, seems you need to do some bricklinking

do not bother with the bulls comment, it looks actually nice. Only as i was a big fan of Chicago back then, i immediately recalled MJ when i saw the gate

looking forward to more your mocs

[Hewkiril]

Wow. This is no mod. This is awesome. I love all the buildings [using paddles as rooftops looks really good] and the smithy. Even the bley looks good here. I'm looking forward to more, like the WIPy plain being completed. KUTGW!

[ottoatm]

This is quite good - I like the way it looks altogether - a sturdy viking fortress I can see somewhere near the ocean or what-not. You really did a good job in giving the MOC a feeling of Vikings, such as the paddles (mentioned earlier) and some of the decorations on the outside and inside of the buildings. Nice how you let the roof open for ease-of-access too~

Cool - good job... I really like seeing these Viking MOCs~

[Mike Viper]

Thanks for the compliments Anubisconq,chadzicz,Hewkiril, and ottoatm.

Chadzicz: Don't worry bout the gate, I didn't like the way it came out either, so I changed it and gave it a better meaning, a meaning that will fit into my comic well. I gave it:

Algriz: Rune of spiritual safeguard, defence, and defence against demons.

So that works well. Although I don't think I'll post the comic here, I had an SSLF sign-up, so most of the characters look pretty bad. Most of them will be killed off anyway, the ones who didn't really put thought into they're sign-up will be first to go.

Hewkiril: I never thought the paddles would look good til I took a look. I guess that's one experiment I can be proud of

Ottoatm: The flip-up rooves where easiest, and looked best. Imagine having al the buildings as fold-outs in there, heh, would be a heck of a lot of trouble. But theres another feature I didn't take pics of, each building can easily come off it's foundation. I put that in just to make things easier, like when shooting from behind the fort, I can just lift up and remove the "longhouse" temporarely.

Anubisconq: I was going for a longhouse-type structure, but it didn't tur out quite tha way. Perhaps when I buy another fortress, if I can.

Well, thanks for the comments so far, and, as allways, looking forward and hoping for more word.