Black Falcon's Keep

[ezehogan]

I don't have a name for this one, but here it is:



Here is the gallery URL: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=143623

This is my first larger scale MOC, and only my second MOC total. It started off as an experiment to see how much light grey I have.

Originally, it was only to take up one 32x32 baseplate, but somehow it expanded to it's current size. Length is 59 studs, width 32, and the height to the highest peak of the tower (sans flag) is exactly 50 bricks.

I haven't gotten around to doing any landscaping yet, but I do plan on it. I plan on making a small villiage built around this keep, but I'll be moving next month and I don't want to make a lot right now just to tear most of it down. I made this set modular for that reason alone.

Comments and criticisms will be greatly appreciated to speed up the learning process.

[eNiGMa]

Wow, it looks really solid! I admire your skills, and look forward to more from you (after your move, of course). I can't really provide criticism for this, but I'm sure someone else can. Keep it up!

[Loneranger]

The link you gave us doesn't work (at least for me...) could you possibly give us a new one? I would very much like to see better pictures of this castle, it does look very solid.

EDIT: Nevermind, I found the folder on Brickshelf, it looks like a very nice castle. Good work, I do hope to see more.

LR

[Formendacil]

A really solid, super-BFF! I love it. Those walls avoid the Big Grey Wall Syndrome, and the style is very Black Falcon's Fortress-looking, while highly original in its own right. A perfect example of what a fan can do with the bricks and guidance of the old sets.

[Dunechaser]

I like the interior -- especially the chandelier -- and the buttressing thingies on the walls.

[mister_e]

Wow That's awesome. In particular I like how the walls (outside) are not just flat. Also, I love the crossed swords over the main entrance. The interior is wonderful and very realistic with stairs and walkways to get to all of the various areas. Great work. You should be proud

[Bruce N H]

Hey,

This is a great MOC. I really like the way you've done the slopes and arches on the sides, especially. The use of the yellow tudor walls is also quite nice. Great reinterpretation of the official design.

Bruce

[ezehogan]

Wow That's awesome. In particular I like how the walls (outside) are not just flat. Also, I love the crossed swords over the main entrance. The interior is wonderful and very realistic with stairs and walkways to get to all of the various areas. Great work. You should be proud

Thank you. Personally I am not pleased with some of the interior photos (mainly photos of the barracks section on the second floor). I am not a good photographer and am having trouble taking photos without glare of some kind coming from the camera flash. As such, I don't think some of the photos give a good look at the barracks section. Things just seem to hectic in the pictures, and I think it is a little difficult to see what you're looking at. I'll try to see if I can figure out a better way to take photos of the inside in the next few days.

I'm also more pleased with the structure itself than most of the "furniture". The bunk beds aren't to bad, but I don't know how to make a decent looking table and chairs. Can anyone offer any guidance?

[Nick]

Excellent MOC! I like it very much. You attention to the interior design is very good, and I like the wall that opens to reveal the interior! The keep looks very much insurmountable, being able to withstand many sieges.
How many garrison soldiers does it have? Any catapults?
Congratulations on your first large MOC, it's surely worthy of being praised even by MOCists who have made many large-scale models.

[Maedhros]

That looks very good. It really has that Black Falcon feeling to it (if you understand what I mean )
And as Bruce pointed out, the tudor-wallpieces look great.

[Recluce]

Yes, again a great MOC. I am often tempted to build mainly with the large castle wall pieces, and I'm glad to see here that you have a nice mixture of bricks and you hide the wall pieces well by making other types of arches and windows. Also, the expertior walls are nice int hat they are not flat grey walls, but have texture and slopes. It truly adds to the realistic look, and does have a black falcon feel to it. I have only one suggestion.... try to add n a little landscaping around the sides, even just some plates to show varying elevation, and perhaps some ivy climbing up the side of one wall. That would truly finish it off in my opinion.

[Graynar]

This is great!

I envy people like you who have so much LEGO they can build gi-normus mocs!

Its designed very well, the walls open up to reveal an awsome interior. The walls are designed in a way to avoid the blank grey wall problem.

Wow! Good stuff!

Graynar

[Scnicker]

That's a really sturdy, strong and awesome looking keep you have there. With the landscaping, I bet it'll become a wonderful piece of art. I'm looking forward to your pictures.

-Yankı

[Gumby]

I like the "car roof" hinge 4x4 plates you used to gain access to the top of your towers (as shown here). I can totally imagine a bunch of archers bursting out from them upon the sight of an advancing army.

I once used the 6x8 plate "trap door" piece to achieve the same effect but unfortunately, I don't have any pics...

[ezehogan]

How many garrison soldiers does it have? Any catapults?

Right now there are only 17 soldiers in the keep, simply because that is all of the Black Falcon's I have! It could comfortably hold more however, as the dinning hall could also be converted into a barracks. Soldiers would have to eat out of their laps however.

As for catapults, I have none for the time being. There are plenty of archers however and I plan on getting more guards to not only protect the keep, but the eventual villiage that will surround it.

I also have plans for a larger more detailed castle in the future... but that will be some time away as I hope to enjoy this one for awhile.