King Dahrel's Castle (Latest MOC)

Discussion of personal LEGO Castle creations
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RuthleSs__PaLadin
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King Dahrel's Castle (Latest MOC)

Post by RuthleSs__PaLadin »

Finally after many months of completing this creation I took the time to take some pictures. Wow the pictures are kind of dark, I apologize for that, there is not much sunlight getting through the windows (especially in these winter days). As always I like to include a brief background story to my MOCs to make them more interesting. I started constructing this back in November. I had many opportunities in college to plan it out: during lunch, before class, during class... :)

The castle was meant to focus on the life of the people so I tried my best to include detail. From peasant and soldier rooms, to shops, market, and generals room. Visitors are welcome to the castle from all over. Since it is located in the mountain, visitors from wolfpack, forestmen, mongols, and even vikings are seen around. It is also very defendable. It is squared so each corner serves as defence ( I will take pics of the back soon, so you can see what I mean about 4-corner defence). I took the time to include also not only soldiers but peasants, women, and old men.

Please let me know what you think of this work. All advice is apreciated.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=113452


DAn
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verneer
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Post by verneer »

I love it! The scenery is what makes it - I love that it's situated on an island and that you built part of the landscape around it.

Inside, I also really like the variety of buildings you have as well as the streets which have some slope to them:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1070798

I love the details ... your usage of small plates to break up the ground works very well. The whole thing is very inspirational.

Can you post a bird's-eye-view of the creation?

-- Pawel

http://www.hostultra.com/~verneer/
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forester3291
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Post by forester3291 »

Awesome stuff man! I can't wait to get more bricks so I can build something like this.

I really like all the varieity of people. It gives it a really busy feel.

Great job for sure! Keep it up!
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Blueandwhite
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Post by Blueandwhite »

Nice Castle. Perhaps the only part I take issue with is the paper doors. I understand that you may not have enough doors, but there has to be a better way to make a door than this. Other than that, this castle is quite nice. The landscaping is well done, and the castle seems full of life.

I can't believe this army couldn't capture the King's Mountain (6081) though! The walls on that sucker are non existent!

Your BF King should be ashamed!

Nice work on the castle though!
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lil Jon
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Post by lil Jon »

This castle is awesome. But the paper doors...

I like the landscaping and how you've got the people doing stuff. People always make MOCs more interesting.
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Bruce N H
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Post by Bruce N H »

Hey,

Very nice. I like the overall shape of this a lot, and my favorite detail is the main gate. The use of all dark gray rock with the light gray castle is very effective, and the landscaping is very natural feeling. My first critique is that big tree made out of corner panels--the trunk is just way too fat for the few limbs coming off of it. I think that the landscape would be better without that tree. The other critique is the paper doors. I understand not having enough doors--I'm always running out of these and the arched windows--but if you have the resources to build at this scale I'm sure you could Bricklink a pile of the HP doors. Even if you don't want to do that, I think there are better solutions you could use, like attaching a plate on hinges. There are a lot of ideas in this thread. Another alternative that I've used recently was to make curtains out of capes. There I have them on a window, but I've got another (as yet unposted) MOC where I've got them in a doorway.

Bruce
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Dragon Master
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Post by Dragon Master »

Dude!

You've gotten so much better as a builder. From your first castle to this, you've improved so much rock on!

And in case you haven't noticed, you have a style. Few builders I've seen have this style (Takeshi Itou has one LEGOFREAK has one, Jojo has one, Bruce has one, just to name a few). What I mean by this is that I can easily pick out which moc is yours from a mile away. Your use of simple wall pieces with regular bricks and bold landscaping give you this style. You should be proud of it!

Now about the Castle itself, I really really love it! This is my favorite castle of yours and possibly on my top 10! I like the idea of mixing civillain and millitary, and I really really love the landscape.

I was also very excited to see that it has ineriors, unlike some of your previous castles.

For the doors, you may not even have to go out and buy more. I would reccomend using LEGOFREAK's door:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1030177
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1030178

Built using simple tiles. I look foward to "borrowing" the idea myself.

Well, good luck with that castle and I look foward to your next moc, I'll know just by the thumbnail!

Regards,

DM
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Dragon Master
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Post by Dragon Master »

Blueandwhite wrote: I can't believe this army couldn't capture the King's Mountain (6081) though! The walls on that sucker are non existent!

Your BF King should be ashamed!
King's Mountain is also the name of his other, smaller castle:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=961339

DM
"I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you." -Pope John Paul II
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TwoTonic Knight
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Post by TwoTonic Knight »

A great castle. I simply love it. Just lose the strings for the drawbridge and replace them with LEGO chain and you got it (I'd slice links and combine chains so there wouldn't be any clunky connectors in the middle, but that's me).
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RuthleSs__PaLadin
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Post by RuthleSs__PaLadin »

Thanks everyone for your comments. I know the paper doors look bad, but it would look worse with nothing covering their homes.
but if you have the resources to build at this scale I'm sure you could Bricklink a pile of the HP doors.
Wow, thanks for that, I hadn't really looked at that. Next MOC will have enough doors for sure I promise that.
Just lose the strings for the drawbridge and replace them with LEGO chain and you got it (I'd slice links and combine chains so there wouldn't be any clunky connectors in the middle, but that's me).
Ok thanks for that tip. Wasn't quite sure how to work the drawbridge, but i
tried my best.
You've gotten so much better as a builder. From your first castle to this, you've improved so much rock on!
Thanks!
Your use of simple wall pieces with regular bricks and bold landscaping give you this style. You should be proud of it!
I am glad you can tell the difference between my work and others'. I am very proud of being unique to a certain level.

Thanks everyone for the ideas, tips, and links. Hopefully I will improve for the better.

DAn
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Mr. D
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Post by Mr. D »

That is one cool MOC! I like the busy-ness of it, both in all the activity going on, and in all the different roof and wall top heights. The landscaping is great as well.

D-Man
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Jojo
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Post by Jojo »

Hello!


Congrats on a very cool castle! That's a good overall structure (I really like its shape) combined with nice interiors and a great landscape. Well done!


Bye
Jojo

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RuthleSs__PaLadin
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Post by RuthleSs__PaLadin »

That is one cool MOC! I like the busy-ness of it, both in all the activity going on, and in all the different roof and wall top heights. The landscaping is great as well.
Thanks! The major idea was to make it realistic with medieval life.
Hello!


Congrats on a very cool castle! That's a good overall structure (I really like its shape) combined with nice interiors and a great landscape. Well done!
Thanks again, its great to hear this from you jojo. I like all your work.

:D

Thanks everybody for their replies, here is a link of additional photos uploaded to the folder:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=113452

The last photo included our german shepard pet, Blacky :lol:
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