[OFFICIAL] 10320 Eldorado Fortress - Retiring SOON!

[dimc]

7 minutes ago, jodawill said:

One of the great things about Fort Legoredo is how it had that huge empty space in the center. I've always enjoyed filling it up with wagons, houses, etc. That set was also really easy to extend. There's a lot of play value in that. I like that approach. But I also like the kind of build we get with Eldorado Fortress because it's such an imposing structure. I love how compact it is because it looks so imposing and it has some great forced perspective.

I have Black Monarch's Castle built now, and it's very open in the middle aside from a small jail. It's just on flat baseplates, so you can open it up and do more play with it, or close it and store your horses and minifigs in it. It's nice, but I admit to being really excited about finishing Black Knight's Castle because it has much more detail inside. There are little rooms, a well, a jail (which is also the well, sucks for the captives), and it feels more like it's something. Both have their great points, and I'm glad to have both, but they seem to cater to slightly different crowds.

I like that Eldorado has more details, in both the original and new versions. It's smaller overall, but this one opens up now, and has more inside due to the brick-built base. I'm excited for a good GWP so I can snag this and see how it is.

3 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

Isn't this always the way?

LOL it is very on-brand to have inconsistencies between various notes and media about sets.

[jodawill]

1 hour ago, TalonCard said:

I did raise my eyebrow a bit at the assertion in the instructions that the Eldorado Fortress came packed with the Golden Medallion comic--that's the first I've heard of it; anybody remember this? There were lots of similar promotions that I had no idea existed like the treasure island game, so it's not impossible. Eldorado Fortress was off the shelves in my area by the time I got into Pirates.

You know, I can't find a source for this, but I really think I've heard someone claim this before. You would think Bricklink would indicate this if it were so, but it doesn't. I also can't find any images of a new copy that has the comic. I think it's just sloppy research. It's kind of sad. There are so many AFOLs who could have created better promotional materials than what they created.

It's not a problem that will keep me from buying the set, but it makes it feel like AFOLs are just an afterthought here. I mean, how hard would it be to get these details right? Read the Brickipedia article for the set and the comic. Look at the box of the original set. It's not that hard. It seems like whoever put this stuff together (literally!) didn't even spend 5 minutes doing the most basic research on this.

Imagine, though -- what if they included a new copy of The Golden Medallion with this set, or if they added it to the rewards center? That would be so incredible, especially if they included the unpublished sequel!

[Alexandrina]

40 minutes ago, jodawill said:

You would think Bricklink would indicate this if it were so, but it doesn't

Bricklink isn't infallible. If it was a niche promotion they might not be aware of it, especially if nobody has tried to sell the combo. As recently as last year I corrected a set inventory for a beloved set because Bricklink had listed an alternate minifigure and not the one actually in the manual, so you can't trust it 100% as gospel 

[Arjo]

Jay’s blog review reassured me on many points but I still resent the poor torso printing. Hopefully not as jarring in hand (benefit of poor eyesight vs. High res zoomed in pics!)

[Yperio_Bricks]

Seeing the set in YT reviews cemented my decision to skip it. Actually it's an easy pass. It just does not life of to the expectations i had on a modern remake of the classic set and it looks rather simple and unispiring

[Arjo]

Sorry it does not float your boat. First ytb review did not hype me up much… but second one was better in terms of the overall impression it made on me. In close formation I think it makes for a very coherent whole (though TLG should have thrown in the few missing bricks they removed on the count of allowing reconfig). Spread out, I think it would be easy to come up with additional blocks at the back to expand into whatever picks your fancy. And the minifigs whilst not fully redeemed can have a better look depending on what light strikes them. These days there aren’t too many sets in this price bracket that tick so many of my personal boxes so count me in:)

[Wesley D]

24 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Seeing the set in YT reviews cemented my decision to skip it. Actually it's an easy pass. It just does not life of to the expectations i had on a modern remake of the classic set and it looks rather simple and unispiring

I couldn't agree more. Being spoiled with 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay, 10497 Galaxy Explorer and 10305 Lion Knight's Castle, I was extremely excited for a grown up and blown up Eldorado Fortress. Now I just can't help feeling really disappointed with this fortress.

The inclusion of the ship is nice, but the fortress doesn't feel polished. My initial dissapointment made place for appreciation for the remake, but the reviews pull me down completely. The Admiral's tower makes me cringe, it's just an open back tower?

Undoubtedly the set has great play value and the designers did a great job recreating the original set with contemporary parts, but isn't there more to expect from an 18+ set? I can see myself buying this for the kids, but as an adult oriented set it feels more than flawed. It's like the set is ment for being modified by AFOLs, which may be a compliment for a regular set, but not for an ICONS set.

I fear LEGO has discovered nostalgia can make them easy money.

[TeriXeri]

Seems like a very mixed opinion (which is fine as its an opinion).

For 10305 it went both ways, from too big, too detailed, too expensive, to not enough detail, too  simple etc , so it's expected here too. Many different types of AFOLs with many different preferences and expectations.

Even can be seen with AFOL who prefer Town/City sized buildings, compared to the group who vastly prefers full-sized modulars etc.

This set has a very different approach to 10305 obviously, not meant to be at the same size or detail, but far closer to the original.

As for open walls/backs on towers, I don't think it's an issue at all, I keep seeing how much love there is for 6265: Sabre Island (mind you that tower was open on 3 sides on the second floor). 

I just don't think this can be compared to the many MOCs or even sets like 10305 at Twice the price as those are different categories entirely (but same complaints were thrown around for the 2009 or 2015 Pirate sets being way too "simple" )

 

And yes, being critical is a very good thing, especially for the big group who does not get this as a sponsored product, even when this is about half the price of Lion Knights Castle, it's still not a cheap product (as we see with 2023, even cheaper themes like 3-in-1 did not escape the price increases)

 

I'll probably modify the tiling on the sail of the 3-in-1 31109: Pirate Ship into a ship for the Bluecoats. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by TeriXeri

[jodawill]

26 minutes ago, Wesley D said:

The inclusion of the ship is nice, but the fortress doesn't feel polished. My initial dissapointment made place for appreciation for the remake, but the reviews pull me down completely. The Admiral's tower makes me cringe,

I don't mind the building being open in the back at all. It's great for play value. It doesn't really affect displaying because you can't see it from the front. The location of that cannon is definitely bizarre though. Is the "admiral" really ok with people blasting behind his desk? It looks very strange. I'm glad a third cannon is included because you can never have too many, but I don't think I'm going to put that one there when I get the set.

Speaking of cannons, I originally thought that they were dark bluish gray. I looked at one of the new cannons yesterday that my son got in the pirate pack and I was surprised by how different that color appears than when the 2015 pirates wave came out. Those older ones weren't a solid color. For that reason, I never liked the pearl dark gray cannons. These new ones have a very solid, refined color. I actually love them. I think I'm going to stock up on them soon. They look great!

[dimc]

7 minutes ago, jodawill said:

I'm glad a third cannon is included because you can never have too many, but I don't think I'm going to put that one there when I get the set. 

I wondered where it was supposed to go, only two were shown in some photos. But yes, more cannons are always welcome, especially if they shoot. The vast majority of mine do not, and I can easily make my own little Sabre Island tower to put somewhere near this.

I think the governors area is ripe for customization. It'll be a while before I get to building (or owning) this, but that will probably be my first change.

I wish they had remade the cannon wheels in brown. My god those are stupid expensive on BL.

[dimc]

Lots of photos at the Brothers Brick review. Also a note that the original didn't come with a monkey (I'd forgotten as mine has long had one), so that's actually a bonus.

I'm honestly surprised at how many reviewers don't seem to own both 6276 and 6277 for comparison purposes. I know I'm a vintage fan and thus have a lot of era stuff, but I've got both of those completed. Maybe I should do a review channel...

[F1stzz]

Oka-a-ay, so I've looked through the Brickset review as well as RacingBrick's video I've shared earlier (btw, I recommend you to subscribe to his channel as he's planning to upload an interview with the 10320's designer soon, I bet it's gonna be an interesting content ). Now I'd like to leave my comments on some of the Brickset's review theses & express my feelings this way. Get yourself ready for a long 4ss read, me hearties, bring some tea or coffee, or beer, or RUM — whatever you'd like to have this evening, cuz it's gonna be a hell of a ride 

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1. "The instruction manual in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay received praise for its explanation of how the modern set and its minifigures related to the iconic 6285 Black Seas Barracuda. These manuals lack such extensive detail, although the first does state that this Eldorado Fortress is a renovation of the original, within the LEGO Pirates universe".

So first of all, as can be seen in the aforementioned video review by RacingBrick & was already pointed out by @TalonCard, we have a page in the instruction manual that is dedicated to the "Golden Medallion/Sovereign" comic. Now I'm starting to boil, ladies & gents. TLG does recognize the source material, yet Bluecoats faction in the manual is called "Imperial Guards" for some reason instead of "Imperial Soldiers", as it's been for decades. They do recognize the comics, but in a 200+ bucks remake we have "a new governor & guards", tho nobody bothered to mention their names & give them stories in the instructions to smooth out the introduction of new characters. This, unfortunately, proves all the doubters were right: even while having the "Golden Medallion" in the back of their minds & directly mentioning it in the manual, TLG just simply didn't care to put any original characters in a quite expensive set that is advertised & built as a remake, not a "reimagining" — but a "remake". Bonkers.

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2. "The instruction manual also suggests that Governor Broadside has been succeeded by a new commander of the fortress, which seems strange because I think this bearded head works for an older version of the governor".

No, it does not. That's why I've been talking about the 2015 Governor's faceprint (that's still in production, btw) all along, this is why I had a feeling we've been given a character replacement for Broadside (with a description calling the figure an "admiral" on the website only adding to the suspicion). Was right indeed, again. Having the main character being replaced by a no-name in the pricey remake of ... and yada-yada-yada. You get how I feel about this. I do have a 3626cpb1335 head tho & I need the head that belongs to the "new governor" in 10320 for my take on modern Black Jack Hawkins, so no problem there, but I am disappointed we didn't get a great refreshed Broadside faceprint in the set that claims to be "a faithful remake". For 200+ bucks.

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3. "Lieutenant de Martinet accompanied the governor in 6276 Eldorado Fortress, recognisable by his red facial hair. Two officers are provided here and these minifigures look superb, although I wish one had included red hair, perhaps representing de Martinet's daughter".

Yeah, I wish we had any explanation provided for this... Thrilling, I'd say, minifigure selection. Again, if TLG wants to bring in new characters into an established 30 years ago storyline — plz, give 'em names & a little story at least, especially when you're mentioning the legendary comic that had all the great stories and took care of depicting the main characters, ESPECIALLY when you bothered to do so earlier with 21322. Without any of that the whole thing feels like a letdown, in my eyes at least.

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4. "...the blonde-haired minifigure is presented with the ship in the instruction manual and official images. Perhaps her attire should have alluded to that role, inspired by the merchant in 6277 Imperial Trading Post".

Once again — that is a matter of a minifigure selection which is a letdown of 10320 in my estimation. I had a few thoughts on that & came to a conclusion that the optimal range of minifigs in this particular set could've been, IMHO:

• 1 for Governor (Broadside preferably, aye?);
• 1 for officer (Lt. de Martinet);
• 2 for soldiers (1 male & 1 female or we may replace one of the soldiers with Camilla — what a blast that would've been to have her featured for the first time ever!);
• 2 for merchants (1 for the update of our dear Merchant Ship Captain from 6277: new torso print, all that, may even call him "Ascot Stevenson" to crack a few smiles — or you may still just give this figure a female faceprint while not making any distinctive accents on the refreshed torso print; 1 for his/her fiance/friend — a female merchant accompanying Ascot? LOVELY if you ask me!)
• 2 for pirates (1 for Anne Anchor, she's a stunning minifigure, but when it comes to 1 pirate — here we have a plenty of options: we may just leave it at that with giving a random pirate a different faceprint instead of Redbeard's 2015 one; we may put a remade Bo'sun Will Cavendish in the place of a random pirate — can you feel it, lads? Already sounds A BANGER, innit? Especially when we have the "Golden Medallion" mentioned in our manuals, lol; if we do need a pirate captain in this set & want to keep the exclusivity of Redbeard's 2020 faceprint to 21322... Let me think of another Captain that could've potentially take Redbeard's place in plundering the Eldorado Fortress... HEY, THERE'S ONE! CAPTAIN IRONHOOK! The remake of another classic Captain that is yet to happen! Damn, what a surprising appearance this one guy could've made! And btw, this is where 2015 Redbeard's faceprint could've worked marvellously)

That makes for an 8 minifigures in total, just like the number we have in 10320. Now dare you say the selection I proposed is by any means worse than what we actually got with the set. Btw, for those who say "just change some heads" — due to my minifigure selection's logic, you have an option to swap the heads in any order & make whomever you want whoever with what you already have in the set without any extra spendings, as there are still 3-4 female faces in my suggestions & the roles are more diversified. Meanwhile in this case the probability of any complaints about minifigures is SIGNIFICANTLY decreased, cuz in my variants we have the original & new characters coexisting in harmony. But hey, at least I'm not the one in charge of the disaster that is the minifigure choice for this 200+ bucks "homage", gotta be satisfied with that, I guess.

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5. "Imperial Soldiers were similarly modernised for the Pirates range in 2015, so those minifigures are similar to these. However, the designs found here remain closer to the soldiers from 1989, featuring red epaulettes and plain shako hats".

Red epaulettes is a W, zero debate here. Plain shako hats in a 200+ bucks set is a BS.

2 hours ago, Arjo said:

I am very disappointed in the torso bad printing. The washed out blue instead of crisp white will make me enjoy these a lot less unfortunately.

And this is also BS in a 200+ bucks set. Even tho there will be lots of copies with a great printing quality across the board, we all know that a similar amount of sets will contain the aforementioned printing defect on minifigs. Considering the fact we seemingly don't have a separate colour for a buckle on crossed belts, some might expect those buckles to have a bluish flair to them as well.

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6. "The front of the model adheres particularly closely to the 1989 design, arguably to its detriment in some areas".

That's absolutely true. Just in general, many fans were waiting for a modern take on 6276 in style of PoBB, but instead we've got a copycat that uses a number of modern pieces & techniques only where it's absolutely necessary due to some of the 1989 parts & moulds being long out of production & unavailable, kek.

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7. "The jetty leaves something to be desired though, as 2x2 bricks form steps and a Technic brick appears underneath. These are taken directly from 6276 Eldorado Fortress, but appear dated within the context of the whole fortress, rather than charming... ...Furthermore, the jetty becomes very narrow in places, allowing just enough room for a monkey!".

Those appear 30 years outdated, to be exact  Seriously, one of the biggest "WTF?!" moments of this set build-wise. It's underwhelming to the point of disgust to see such an uninspired take on the dock after what designers presented us with in 21322. Throwing that one in a bin & rebuilding from the ground zero once I have the set on hands.

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8. "The staircase connecting this platform to the fortress walls is similarly narrow and presents a serious defensive vulnerability, where the pirates can enter surreptitiously".

I assume the integrity of the front defensive wall has fallen victim to modularity of the "crane tower", that's why we have a narrow gap there. Also that staircase... Ugh, whatever.

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9. "The use of curved slopes to denote sand is lovely, although I am less convinced by the palm trees".

Aren't we all? But we've made it far enough already to suppose that "half4ssing" is the motif under which many things have been done in this set. Changing palm trees as well once I grab it, btw.

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10. "However, the brick-built ramp is undoubtedly an improvement over the original set".

It absolutely is, except we still have literally nothing to do with the space under it — just like in the original Eldorado Fortress 

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11. "The gaps in each corner are less attractive, although more problematic is the walkway on the left, lacking a wall to finish the parapet. There is a reason for this omission, but the design appears decidedly awkward".

We're talking about the main tower here, & while the decision making with modularity in mind resulted in lacking a wall to close out the parapet, we can always pretend this was intended to be a substitution for "walking a plank" lol.

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12. "The printed flag of the Imperial Guards is essentially identical to that from the original Pirates range and looks good, although I prefer fabric flags for banners of this size, like those displayed on 10305 Lion Knights Castle last year".

And I prefer the 2015 version of it. But that's just a matter of preference — the true crime here is not receiving a 2x2 variant of this new Bluecoat banner. In a 200+ bucks remake.

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13. "The wooden door to the governor's office looks wonderful...".

Is it? I thought we've moved a few miles forward from regular plates imitating doors over the course of 30+ years, but I guess it's still considered "wonderful" in 2023. That's actually crazy how we still have a °45 doorway there, but from 1989 to 2023 we've moved backwards from a door mould to a couple of plates thrown together. It's like the evolution of part selection & applicable techniques never happened. This one is also — "to be swapped ✍️...".

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14. "...the interior is rather lacklustre by comparison. There is only enough room for a small desk inside, as most of the vacant space is occupied by another cannon. I could excuse not enclosing the office, since buildings in tropical settings are often relatively open to the elements, but this arrangement feels clumsy".

Another victim of the modularity here — (admiral's) "new governor's" office. I'm starting to second-guess the necessity of this feature in 10320. So far it looks like most of the build's shortcomings are direct consequences of its modular design — strangely enough, considering such a feature should improve an overall structure rather than set any limitations.

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15. "The crane has attracted some criticism".

It's atrocious and uses twice as many pieces as it should've in a set, which has a strict piece count. Gotta make my own crane there, a more simple one — but effective & that would fit the composition better. Also, there are kinda too many things already to "change/swap" in a 200+ bucks set, don't you think?

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16. "The angular railing around the forward deck is taken directly from the original ship, including the same yellow highlights and following the contours of the hull. I think the transition between this railing and the deck could be better...".

A LOT better. Look no further than the MOC of this exact ship by @Samarth — this is how it's done, TLG.

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17. "However, more important is the ship's wheel, as this was completely missing from the previous design!".

...while the new ship misses the lid over the cargo hold that was featured in the original one. Score is tied here!

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18. "Unsurprisingly, the prison is not as secure as it first appears... ...there is nowhere to secure a chain or hook on the outside, nor is a grappling hook included, which feels like an oversight".

Just use a dynamite piece (if you have one, ofc, he-he) and blow the wall off like in 6242 set of 2009 Pirates wave  In all seriousness tho, the fact soldiers can't use their own crane & pirates have nothing to blow the wall with is a low-key reminder that 10320 is a set for adults, so u should do everything on your own (as if there were not enough reminders already with all those docks & door designs ).

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19. "The soldiers' treasure is accordingly secure and includes four golden ingots, only two of which are actually stored inside the chest. I think there was an opportunity to provide some extra valuables here, as the treasure hoard seems rather lacklustre currently".

One should've learned already that it's all about "missing opportunities" with this set. Having a four gold bars & 4 coins in total for the amount of chests & barrels included in 10320 is a joke. Eldorado Fortress has little to no gold stored in its dungeons. And that, ladies & gentlemen, is a 200+ bucks set.

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20. "10320 Eldorado Fortress seems slightly underwhelming".

Given everything above & more, I find this quote fitting for a closure. Things that were not mentioned in this long 4ss read were probably mostly mentioned & talked about earlier in this thread.

 

I don't have the original Eldorado Fortress. My hopes for 10320 were extremely high because of that. I LOVE the idea of refreshing the classics & paying them respects via modern touch. 21322 was, in fact, the set that brought me back into collecting LEGO after almost 10 years of a so-called "dark age". I expected 10320 to be a masterpiece worth of its predecessor & surpassing it twice as much (just like 2020 BSB was twice as better feature-wise compared to the legendary 1989 BSB, which I also don't have: double the amount of gunports, double the amount of decks, additional sail & flag, much better executed roping & anchor system, captain's cabin furnishing, everything & all of that). Needless to say the only thing that could be called "twice as much" in 10320 is the fact its baseplate is brick built, therefore a lot more suitable for expansions & mods. I didn't get a refreshed cool Governor Broadside like I wished I would, nor Lt. de Martinet, nor Camilla, nor Bo'sun Will Cavendish, nor some remade Pirate Captain — none of it. The build I got is an uninspired clone of an outdated 34 years old design that didn't even try to improve on the original apart from making its baseplate brick built & modular. This Eldorado Fortress doesn't even have "twice as much treasure & gold" as I expected it would — frankly, it's quite the other way around. This set can't be named "twice as better in comparison to 6276" — it's rather an inferior in many ways nostalgia driven cash grab. And the amount of cash being grabbed here is 200+ F'ing bucks.

I'm still gonna buy this set, might even grab a couple of copies — I ain't missing on the modular Imperial Fortress that I know for a fact I can upgrade myself. But the amount of things I have to "change/swap/upgrade" in what could approximately be a 430+ bucks purchase is disgusting. Twice as disgusting, considering the fact this is probably the last proper Pirates set we get before the theme goes into another extended break. Thanks to those who made it to the very end & I'm sorry — but it is what it is. Feel free to agree or disagree & don't let my reflections on the matter bring your hype & mindset towards 10320 down, after all — to each their own 

[Aanchir]

15 hours ago, jodawill said:

The monkey is a big one for me, obviously. They're not too expensive on Bricklink, but that new one is just so sad compared to the articulation on the old one. Part of the classic Lego aesthetic is how they reused parts in the '90s. The monkey used minifigure arms and the dragon shared the tail and face with the crocodile. I'm not a huge fan of how the pieces are so specific for animals now. I would like to see a lot more animals that are so abstract they share body parts with others.

For my part, I wouldn't be as keen on LEGO bringing back the old monkey (or even its redesign from the 2010s, which had slightly revised facial contours).

My primary frustration with it is an aesthetic one: the lack of printed facial features. Nowadays, printed eyes have become standard on an increasing number of LEGO animals, a trend I strongly approve of — after all, "human" minifigs and molded horses have always had printed eyes, so it feels odd for other mammal species in particular not to have them!

Between the uniform color and the deep, carved-out contours of the classic monkey's face, it ends up looking lifeless and statue-like to me, especially compared to other modern LEGO animals like dogs, cats, pigs, cows, horses etc. The expressive body language allowed by the articulated limbs helps balance that out a bit, but not to my satisfaction.

Another advantage of the current monkey design over the classic one is that its size is MUCH more realistic compared to minifigs and other LEGO animals. The old monkey was practically as large as a full-grown minifigure, whereas even the largest monkeys in real life (mandrills) are smaller even than a large dog like a German Shepherd/Alsatian! I suppose this issue was less noticeable back in the 80s and 90s, when there were far fewer LEGO animal molds in general (and most were much larger animals like horses, sharks, and crocodiles) but nowadays the inconsistency is much harder to overlook.
 

Anyway, it's great to see more reviews! It turns out there aren't a whole lot of hidden features besides the ones we'd seen in pictures and videos, aside from the hidden crate with a mysterious envelope inside. That's a little disappointing, but some of the reviews that show the building process make it clear that it'd be hard to really incorporate open chambers into some of these cliff faces without compromising their stability. I do wish the substantial space underneath the front ramp had been utilized somehow, though.

It is nice to get to see some of the various "stuff" inside of some of the chests and barrels in the set, though, such as the printed coins from recent Castle sets (which nicely match the crown motif on the set's flags and sails) and some additional flintlock pistols. I kind of wish there were some food items in some of the barrels, though — especially fruit to help sailors returning from or embarking on a long sea voyage stave off scurvy!

Also, I appreciate the largely seamless way that the wooden boards inside the jail lift up to reveal the hidden passage! I was initially expecting a cot or something to conceal the passage entrance, but this is even more impressive (plus, the pirates do at least get a soft pile of hay to rest on while they wait for a chance to escape without being spotted)!

Conversely, it's a bit odd to me that the "switch" for the trapdoor in the main courtyard is only accessible in the alternate "open" layout. I kind of wish that it had been designed with a more accessible switch even in the traditional compact layout  — perhaps activating it by rotating one of the Dark Orange dining chairs, for example.

A small cosmetic detail that wasn't obvious to me in the LEGO.com photos but that's clearer in some of the review photos is that the leaf plates on the exterior cliffs vary in color — some are Bright Green, while others are Dark Green (classic green). It's subtle, but makes the foliage feel a lot less repetitive, especially in places where multiple leaf plates appear close together.

All in all, I find this remake extremely impressive, just as I did in earlier photos, even if there are somewhat fewer surprises than I might've hoped. Eager for the building instructions to show up online so I can really examine all the building techniques and learn from them for my own MOCs!

[Arjo]

Well sorry you are disappointed, truly, wish to share the joy with as many as possible though I appreciate it is far from a perfect set. The upstairs office will at least offer decent floor space once the cannon is gone (and it should be easy to repurpose the latter, particularly if one is inclined to expand on the set). I am not a fan of the two long guns fixed on the balcony... but I am glad they are there so I can give them to extra soldiers when I get my hands on them. The two things that irk me and I promise I won't say it again: the gaping holes should not be, TLG should have given the bricks for a clean build in default configuration; and the torso printing (which might indeed vary as I have seen pics giving me hope whereas others disheartened me... I guess I can only hope I will be lucky).

Parting note, as often with lego buildings, I wish they were at least a brick taller (per floor). The fortress would look less easy to storm if it did.

[zinnn]

I've watched a few reviews on YT of this set, and DEAR LORD, that dock/jetty is ugly as hell. Not only the choice of black bricks, but the way it's constructed it screams 1980s not a modern remake of 2023. HUGE disappointment. More than before I'm leaning towards passing on this one...

Edited June 20, 2023 by zinnn

[Jack Sassy]

3 minutes ago, zinnn said:

More than before I'm leaning towards passing on this one...

Come now, what be a LEGO set without minor modifications? Sure, it isn't a perfect but it be a good set, and for that, we have to give this one a chance in hopes of LEGO making more Pirates sets in the future. Maybe it is just fake optimism but I am willing to give this one a chance to at least show those statistics that LEGO Pirates still rock! 

[Yperio_Bricks]

11 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

Come now, what be a LEGO set without minor modifications? Sure, it isn't a perfect but it be a good set, and for that, we have to give this one a chance in hopes of LEGO making more Pirates sets in the future. Maybe it is just fake optimism but I am willing to give this one a chance to at least show those statistics that LEGO Pirates still rock! 

Would someone really act against their own interest as a customer and consider buying a mediocre (bad) 215€ set just to show Lego that there is interest in pirates? That only justifis to lower the bar even more for future sets...

Edited June 20, 2023 by Yperio_Bricks

[Jack Sassy]

7 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Would someone really act against their own interest as a customer and consider buying a mediocre (bad) 215€ set just to show Lego that there is interest in pirates?

Nay, but if the only reason (Admittedly, I haven't read the entire conversation from start to finish) for not buying the set is that dock, then I believe one could give it a chance. 

 

Besides, it doesn't seem bad (in my eyes ). Which factor makes you think that it is?

[zinnn]

10 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

Besides, it doesn't seem bad (in my eyes ). Which factor makes you think that it is?

TBH @F1stzz review above is pretty much spot on. The ship looks half-assed to me, especially the big gaps in front, the dock is a travesty, the interior design of the fortress feels cheap and more like a 3in1 creator set rather than a continuation of the style TLG nailed in the POBB, the male Pirate minifig is basic...

[Alexandrina]

1 hour ago, F1stzz said:

Once again — that is a matter of a minifigure selection which is a letdown of 10320 in my estimation. I had a few thoughts on that & came to a conclusion that the optimal range of minifigs in this particular set could've been, IMHO:

• 1 for Governor (Broadside preferably, aye?);
• 1 for officer (Lt. de Martinet);
• 2 for soldiers (1 male & 1 female or we may replace one of the soldiers with Camilla — what a blast that would've been to have her featured for the first time ever!);
• 2 for merchants (1 for the update of our dear Merchant Ship Captain from 6277: new torso print, all that, may even call him "Ascot Stevenson" to crack a few smiles — or you may still just give this figure a female faceprint while not making any distinctive accents on the refreshed torso print; 1 for his/her fiance/friend — a female merchant accompanying Ascot? LOVELY if you ask me!)
• 2 for pirates (1 for Anne Anchor, she's a stunning minifigure, but when it comes to 1 pirate — here we have a plenty of options: we may just leave it at that with giving a random pirate a different faceprint instead of Redbeard's 2015 one; we may put a remade Bo'sun Will Cavendish in the place of a random pirate — can you feel it, lads? Already sounds A BANGER, innit? Especially when we have the "Golden Medallion" mentioned in our manuals, lol; if we do need a pirate captain in this set & want to keep the exclusivity of Redbeard's 2020 faceprint to 21322... Let me think of another Captain that could've potentially take Redbeard's place in plundering the Eldorado Fortress... HEY, THERE'S ONE! CAPTAIN IRONHOOK! The remake of another classic Captain that is yet to happen! Damn, what a surprising appearance this one guy could've made! And btw, this is where 2015 Redbeard's faceprint could've worked marvellously)

That makes for an 8 minifigures in total, just like the number we have in 10320. Now dare you say the selection I proposed is by any means worse than what we actually got with the set. Btw, for those who say "just change some heads" — due to my minifigure selection's logic, you have an option to swap the heads in any order & make whomever you want whoever with what you already have in the set without any extra spendings, as there are still 3-4 female faces in my suggestions & the roles are more diversified. Meanwhile in this case the probability of any complaints about minifigures is SIGNIFICANTLY decreased, cuz in my variants we have the original & new characters coexisting in harmony. But hey, at least I'm not the one in charge of the disaster that is the minifigure choice for this 200+ bucks "homage", gotta be satisfied with that, I guess.

I would say that eight minifigures as you have listed is lacking for more than just a swapping of heads.

The Governor is a given, as is the officer (since the original set didn't include Lieutenant de Martinet, I don't see it as an issue that the remake doesn't, and at least there is an officer) but I don't see how you can argue for two - possibly one - standard soldier in the set that is meant to represent the literal soldiers' home base, and then act like there's no argument that your selection is worse than the one we actually got. Soldiers are a necessity. This is especially true in an era where there aren't lots of other sets on shelves containing the soldiers. In terms of sets, this might well be it. We need as many soldiers as we possibly can.

I agree with you that Camilla would be a nice addition. I'm not familiar with the lore but I'm a sucker for civilian minifigures, especially female minifigures. However, I'd prefer to have Camilla in addition to the soldiers, not in place of one. I'm not sure we need merchants in this set, as again it's the soldiers' base. I wouldn't say no to them but to my mind they're lower priority than additional soldiers.

[dimc]

OK stop the bickering for a hot minute, I have a dilemma.

I was digging around in my basement trying to find some cars to sell, and I came across what appears to be an unopened 70412 Soldier's Fort from 2015. I probably would have sold it when I sold the rest of my 2015 sets (which apparently included another 70412 that I had built?), but I somehow missed it (and completely missed the fact that I had never opened it?), but now there is a potential reason to keep it. Having the 2015 governor and governor's daughter would be nice, one printed shako to be a petty officer, and a couple more pirates is never amiss. The soldier torso is a little less detailed, and the set is pretty garbage but might work for a little Sabre Island type thing.

Thoughts? What should I do?

[Aanchir]

I'm honestly not that bothered by the pier. At worst, it's a little mundane (which is not too surprising, given that piers tend to be fairly simple structures by nature), but I hardly think any aspect of it qualifies as a "travesty". In fact, I rather like the interplay between the pilings and the rocks behind and between them.

I've seen some reviewers mention the front stair seeming old-fashioned, but if that bothers you it's no trouble at all to swap the 2x2 bricks with either 1x3x2 half-arches (like the ones used for the side stair) or 2x2 inverted slopes.

1 hour ago, zinnn said:

The ship looks half-assed to me, especially the big gaps in front…

You… you mean the half-plate gaps on either side of the mast? Do you really consider those "big gaps"? Even in most of the reviews I've seen today, they're barely noticeable… plus, closing them wouldn't really increase the amount of usable deck space in any meaningful way.

[TalonCard]

1 hour ago, dimc said:

OK stop the bickering for a hot minute, I have a dilemma.

I was digging around in my basement trying to find some cars to sell, and I came across what appears to be an unopened 70412 Soldier's Fort from 2015. I probably would have sold it when I sold the rest of my 2015 sets (which apparently included another 70412 that I had built?), but I somehow missed it (and completely missed the fact that I had never opened it?), but now there is a potential reason to keep it. Having the 2015 governor and governor's daughter would be nice, one printed shako to be a petty officer, and a couple more pirates is never amiss. The soldier torso is a little less detailed, and the set is pretty garbage but might work for a little Sabre Island type thing.

Thoughts? What should I do?

Keep it! The governor's hat is pretty cool and the big flag is a sweet update. I also like the green torso pirate torso in that set; never miss a chance to pick one of those up.

[F1stzz]

4 hours ago, Wesley D said:

I fear LEGO has discovered nostalgia can make them easy money.

Actually sums it up perfectly. Exactly how this set makes me feel. "Hey, so plebs are ready to just throw their money at us for some half4ssed remakes of the sets they've owned back in the day — sounds like a PAYDAY, BAIBAY!", lol.

3 hours ago, jodawill said:

I looked at one of the new cannons yesterday that my son got in the pirate pack and I was surprised by how different that color appears than when the 2015 pirates wave came out. Those older ones weren't a solid color. For that reason, I never liked the pearl dark gray cannons. These new ones have a very solid, refined color. I actually love them. I think I'm going to stock up on them soon. They look great!

As a proud owner of the 2009-2010 pearl dark gray cannons, which have all sorts of different shades on them, I can confirm & agree with everything mentioned 

3 hours ago, dimc said:

I wondered where it was supposed to go, only two were shown in some photos.

I'd put it on top of the prison cell instead of the governor's office. Such an obvious option to go for, but TLG had to make this cannon a gimmicky feature, so we got the nonsense with a parapet instead. 

2 hours ago, Aanchir said:

I kind of wish there were some food items in some of the barrels, though — especially fruit to help sailors returning from or embarking on a long sea voyage stave off scurvy!

Great point there! I wanted to comment on this stuff, but my pasta was already enormous enough  That's so much fun to see all those plates & bowls, & barrels being empty as if they were cleaned just a minute ago, innit? Just compare this to the grocery list our pirates had in 21322 at a lesser price point, I mean, that's ridiculous.

1 hour ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Would someone really act against their own interest as a customer and consider buying a mediocre (bad) 215€ set just to show Lego that there is interest in pirates? That only justifies to lower the bar even more for future sets...

E x a c t l y. I want more PoBB type of reimaginations at a $200+, not some Creator type of travesties (as was rightfully pointed out by many all around the AFOL space) under the "remake" title at the same price. The fact we don't get Pirates sets for years & crave for them to be released more frequently doesn't mean we would be or should be satisfied with a lazily approached product released once in a while. Quality & care should always be there 100% of the time. 

1 hour ago, zinnn said:

TBH @F1stzz review above is pretty much spot on.

TY, m8, it's really unfortunate that such a pasta even exists when we're talking about the set named "Eldorado Fortress", but I insist that we shouldn't close our eyes on this disappointingly raw product and call BS for what it is. 

1 hour ago, Alexandrina said:

Soldiers are a necessity. This is especially true in an era where there aren't lots of other sets on shelves containing the soldiers. In terms of sets, this might well be it. We need as many soldiers as we possibly can.

1 hour ago, Alexandrina said:

I'm not sure we need merchants in this set, as again it's the soldiers' base. I wouldn't say no to them but to my mind they're lower priority than additional soldiers.

Bullseye, dear! The inclusion of the Merchant Ship from 6277 is a key problem with the minifigure selection for this set, cuz the dilemma is: if you don't have canonical merchants on the ship (or any of them, frankly, but many would still love to get the refreshed torso for Ascot/Steve) — most certainly there'll be complaints about it, but if you do include the merchants figures — then all of a sudden they're taking place of the soldiers in a set that originally never had any merchant boats! So what should've TLG done to avoid the trouble? Correct — they should've made the Merchant Boat a GWP, which would've cleared some space for additional pieces AND soldier minifigs in the main set, while giving a general customer & targeted audience a pleasant surprise in form of Merchant Vessel with a full crew of merchants (could even pump the number of figs up a little to a 3, just for a bonus). In this case we would've had a more detailed (with a lid over the cargo hold! And even anchor maybe!! And an actual cargo on board too!!!) & better executed Merchant Ship as well, btw. But instead the company has chosen the laziest play imaginable, for which I'm calling 'em out.

[Roebuck]

9 hours ago, F1stzz said:

RacingBrick's video I've shared earlier (btw, I recommend you to subscribe to his channel as he's planning to upload an interview with the 10320's designer soon,

I wonder who the designers are, Pierre Normandin seem to be the design lead of the theme, but that do not mean he had "anything" to do with the actual design..

I am sure the set will sell a lot of copies, but those of you that have issues after buying and building the set could give feedback to Lego so the next set do not make the same mistakes
https://survey.medallia.com/legoproduct