[OFFICIAL] 10320 Eldorado Fortress - Retiring SOON!

[Captain Braunsfeld]

On 6/18/2023 at 5:47 PM, Mister Phes said:

Official news gets the views...

Unless it is as lousy as that terrible large pirate figure...

[Mister Phes]

12 minutes ago, Captain Braunsfeld said:

Unless it is as lousy as that terrible large pirate figure...

That's subject to personal opinion, and while share this opinion, the House Exclusive Captain Redbeard cause a a noticeable spike in website traffic.

So yes, even if the news is "as lousy as that terrible large pirate figure" it still attracts significantly more views and member engagement than the average MOC.

[Alexandrina]

11 hours ago, dimc said:

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.

Bricklink has 70412 going for around £107 new (you know better than me if the box on yours is good condition or not). A quick look says that the unique parts of the minifigures in question go for a combined £12 or thereabouts (obviously with leeway for different sellers being priced slightly differently). If you're not interested in necessarily having exactly the 2015 governor or the 2015 governor's daughter, it's easy to provide your own head and hair, and the Governor's legs are plain white. The set itself looks quite lacklustre imo; your best bet is probably selling the sealed one, then buying the minifigure parts you want separately. Even with the pirate torsos, you're looking at maybe £15 plus postage, giving you a tidy £80 profit for your set.

You could probably knock up a far better Sabre Island MOC in Stud.io that would cost less than £80 for the bricks, too.

[F1stzz]

3 hours ago, Roebuck said:

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

Thanks for a reminder, lad, didn't use that link for a while, lol. U can bet I'll have a few slaps to throw at 'em 

[Jack Sassy]

12 hours ago, zinnn said:

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

The ship's design seems a bit too classic () but other than that I think it is a lovely addition for the fortress. Those gaps in the front seem to me as intentional.

12 hours ago, zinnn said:

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,

As I said earlier, we can modify that dock but to me it doesn't seem too big of a problem, interior seems like something between Creator and Lion Knights' Castle (at least the basement). The figure does seem to be a bit problematic but nothing to stand out too much.

 

Of course, everyone has a different opinion about this set. To me, it seems like a lovely upgrade on the original fortress. Sure, it has problems, but nothing that some modification cannot fix. I just feel we all might be going too harsh on this set, perhaps we shoud give it a chance. 

4 hours ago, Roebuck said:

could give feedback to Lego so the next set do not make the same mistakes

Indeed, that is the best way of letting them know what should be fixed in the next sets. 

[Mister Phes]

30 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

The ship's design seems a bit too classic ()

This is Classic Pirates - there is no such thing as "too classic"

[GameTime]

16 hours ago, Wesley D said:

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?

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

Yes many suckers here will buy this when clearly this set is absolute trash.
To replicate the black dock from 30 years ago when they could have improved with brown is beyond a joke. That crane is so large it looks like something that fits on a recent lego city design.
Not to mention the 100+ other issues people here mentioning.

I get 1 or 2 mistakes might be nitpicking, but the list of issues seems endless, no way this should be a premium set.

Lego honestly butchered this,  Really disappointing.

[dimc]

12 hours ago, TalonCard said:

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.

I will admit, the figures are pretty excellent. Barring the red pirate, all would have a good use in the new EF and all of those sell for over $10, sometimes a bunch more.

[GameTime]

13 hours ago, zinnn said:

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...

Yes you are 100% accurate - this entire set looks like a 3-1 creator and is so far off what is expected from a premium set like POBB.
I would honestly be embarrassed to display this next to POBB.

When i first heard the rumor about this set I was extremely excited and we would get something truly special that can be displayed with my POBB.
This is so far off the mark its not even funny.

Edited June 21, 2023 by GameTime

[dimc]

2 hours ago, Alexandrina said:

Bricklink has 70412 going for around £107 new (you know better than me if the box on yours is good condition or not). A quick look says that the unique parts of the minifigures in question go for a combined £12 or thereabouts (obviously with leeway for different sellers being priced slightly differently). If you're not interested in necessarily having exactly the 2015 governor or the 2015 governor's daughter, it's easy to provide your own head and hair, and the Governor's legs are plain white. The set itself looks quite lacklustre imo; your best bet is probably selling the sealed one, then buying the minifigure parts you want separately. Even with the pirate torsos, you're looking at maybe £15 plus postage, giving you a tidy £80 profit for your set.

You could probably knock up a far better Sabre Island MOC in Stud.io that would cost less than £80 for the bricks, too.

My box is OK but has some damage. I don't know if it would be easy to make my own governors daughter with parts available today, but I do have enough bluecoats and two original Broadsides (plus two extra Broadside heads).

I suppose it depends on what will serve me best. If I can sell it for let's say $120, that will cover half the cost of new Eldorado or quite a bricklink/PAB order. I have ~$70 worth of Castle/Pirate stuff in my PAB cart now, and I know I have to add some more. Even if I do grab the daughter torso and legs, that's pretty cheap in comparison.

If I'm going to do a Sabre, I'll just combine a couple that I have with some Brigs and the little island baseplates. I love the old wall panels with bricks showing through, and don't mind a few shortcuts that make it feel more vintage.

Edited June 21, 2023 by dimc

[Alexandrina]

50 minutes ago, dimc said:

I don't know if it would be easy to make my own governors daughter with parts available today, but I do have enough bluecoats and two original Broadsides (plus two extra Broadside heads).

I just bought the torso and legs from the Soldiers' Fort set. I've got better heads and hair than the actual set included (I'll be using the original Pippin Reed head personally, but that might be because my first exposure to Lego Pirates was the Doug Vandegrift brickfilm!) and the two combined cost me about £4. (Of course, I also spend another £25 on stuff I didn't know I wanted from the same store, but such is life! )

[dimc]

2 minutes ago, Alexandrina said:

I just bought the torso and legs from the Soldiers' Fort set. I've got better heads and hair than the actual set included (I'll be using the original Pippin Reed head personally, but that might be because my first exposure to Lego Pirates was the Doug Vandegrift brickfilm!) and the two combined cost me about £4. (Of course, I also spend another £25 on stuff I didn't know I wanted from the same store, but such is life! )

Ahh Pippin! I think I only have some Gail Storms from the Desert line, but I believe they have similar heads. Adventurers is about the last line that I would collect these days until LOTR, and to be honest, I'm hoping to grab some at a yard sale this weekend. I can see a raised baseplate in tan, and if it's not close to complete, I might take your inspiration and grab a daughter body and match it. I'll have to see what hairs or hats I have that will fit. If I go the Elizabeth Swann route, some impertinent wearing of dad's hat might fit the storyline.

[TalonCard]

50 minutes ago, GameTime said:

Yes many suckers here will buy this when clearly this set is absolute trash.

Alright, I get this set isn't universally popular, but is it really necessary to insult those of us who plan to buy the set? It's the only pirate set we've had in years, most of the reviews are positive, the price to piece ratio is good, and it has sails and minifigure parts that will be expensive and hard to get after it retires. For those who like the classic aesthetic and didn't get the Eldorado Fortress or Imperial Trading Post the first time around, this is a good opportunity to experience parts of those at a reasonable price. Not everyone is going to like it, absolutely, but no one is a sucker for buying it.

[dimc]

7 minutes ago, TalonCard said:

Alright, I get this set isn't universally popular, but is it really necessary to insult those of us who plan to buy the set? It's the only pirate set we've had in years, most of the reviews are positive, the price to piece ratio is good, and it has sails and minifigure parts that will be expensive and hard to get after it retires. For those who like the classic aesthetic and didn't get the Eldorado Fortress or Imperial Trading Post the first time around, this is a good opportunity to experience parts of those at a reasonable price. Not everyone is going to like it, absolutely, but no one is a sucker for buying it.

My dude, the ignore function is here for a reason. 4 posts, all trolly garbage. Nothing of value will be lost.

[Alexandrina]

Tell you what, a part of me wishes Eurobricks had been around when the Jack Stone Pirates sets were first revealed. Would have been entertaining to see people's responses, if nothing else.

But honestly I don't get it. Maybe this isn't on the same level as Barracuda Bay. It isn't perfect, but it's still a good set; I understand it not being for everyone but the vitriol from some corners surprises me.

[jodawill]

The black dock really isn't odd at all. I drove under an old train trestle last night and you know what color it was? It was black as ebony. That's what a lot of old wood looks like. Personally, I would have been annoyed if they changed the color.

I also like using black for tree trunks. When's the last time you saw a tree that's actually brown? If you take a step outside, you'll see that trees are actually white and varying shades of gray. They aren't really brown. Wood isn't really brown either until you stain it.

[dimc]

1 minute ago, jodawill said:

The black dock really isn't odd at all. I drove under an old train trestle last night and you know what color it was? It was black as ebony.

New canon: the docks are made of ebony and sun-damaged so they look black. There, I fixed the whole issue.

9 minutes ago, Alexandrina said:

Tell you what, a part of me wishes Eurobricks had been around when the Jack Stone Pirates sets were first revealed. Would have been entertaining to see people's responses, if nothing else.

But honestly I don't get it. Maybe this isn't on the same level as Barracuda Bay. It isn't perfect, but it's still a good set; I understand it not being for everyone but the vitriol from some corners surprises me.

LOLOL Jack Stone. Was that the same as the Junior Pirates or whatever it was called? I find those occasionally in hauls, and while I can't bear to throw Legos away if undamaged, I leave them in the little kids toy library. Someone else can enjoy them!

[Alexandrina]

6 minutes ago, jodawill said:

When's the last time you saw a tree that's actually brown?

About an hour ago on my way to work? I get your point but there are plenty of brown trees out there!

[RichiPuppy]

Set looks great, can’t wait to get one.  
 

I find it funny how many people find this such a travesty when compared to the PoBB when it really seems like a similar comparison to the original Eldorado Fortress and the Black Seas Barracuda.  Having the same price probably causes a lot of the hate, I guess they should have made a new base plate.

[Alexandrina]

3 minutes ago, dimc said:

LOLOL Jack Stone. Was that the same as the Junior Pirates or whatever it was called?

That's the one! A couple of useful parts (47993 has some uses) but mostly pretty risible stuff. Aimed at kids, nothing much of value for AFOLs.

[GameTime]

19 minutes ago, jodawill said:

The black dock really isn't odd at all. I drove under an old train trestle last night and you know what color it was? It was black as ebony. That's what a lot of old wood looks like. Personally, I would have been annoyed if they changed the color.

I also like using black for tree trunks. When's the last time you saw a tree that's actually brown? If you take a step outside, you'll see that trees are actually white and varying shades of gray. They aren't really brown. Wood isn't really brown either until you stain it.

POBB dock was brown. Pretty much every single movie or depiction of a pirate-bay, imperial port, or dock is brown, not black.
The only reason Lego used black here was to copy the original set design which at the time brown block pieces were in their infancy.

Edited June 21, 2023 by GameTime

[dimc]

9 minutes ago, Alexandrina said:

That's the one! A couple of useful parts (47993 has some uses) but mostly pretty risible stuff. Aimed at kids, nothing much of value for AFOLs.

That ship captain should never be called Redbeard. What a horrifying mess all around.

[Alexandrina]

8 minutes ago, GameTime said:

POBB dock was brown. Pretty much every single movie or depiction of a pirate-bay, imperial port, or dock is brown, not black.
The only reason Lego used black here was to copy the original set design which at the time brown block pieces were in their infancy.

Black Seas Barracuda was also brown, though. You can just as easily say that Barracuda Bay had a brown dock to match the original ship. This is a remake of the original set, so of course they're using the same colours as the original set.

And if you think every single depiction of a pirate dock is brown, you clearly didn't see the Oddsocks production of Treasure Island circa 2011 

[RichardGoring]

2 hours ago, GameTime said:

Yes you are 100% accurate - this entire set looks like a 3-1 creator and is so far off what is expected from a premium set like POBB.
I would honestly be embarrassed to display this next to POBB.
When i first heard the rumor about this set I was extremely excited and we would get something truly special that can be displayed with my POBB.
This is so far off the mark its not even funny.

Shame that you don't like it, but at least you have PoBB.

Personally, I see it and think they're fine together. It's a small fort and I'm OK with it being a small fort. Compared to a huge flagship, that this fort isn't designed to support, but may deter the ship from entering a mid-level harbour.

If it were to be a much bigger, more impressive fort, then LEGO would charge $400 for it, and at that point it becomes too much for relatively limited gains and appealing to a far smaller market.

Dare I say it, if they were to keep the price but try to increase the size a little, should they have used a load of BURPs? Now let's imagine that they did. The outcry would be huge!

[Alexandrina]

11 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

Dare I say it, if they were to keep the price but try to increase the size a little, should they have used a load of BURPs?

A Dothraki wedding Lego Pirates set without at least three deaths BURPs is considered a dull affair