Posted July 1, 20231 yr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Oh, the joy of seeing a classic Pirates set brought into the modern era, with the charm of the old and the polish of the new! This was exactly the thought that went into the creation of my entry into the new Classic Pirates contest. As my own Pirates collection has grown the inspiration to customize and MOC has with it, and working on this build has brought back some of the fun and excitement of pure creative building I have not felt since I was a kid! And the nostalgia I feel when I look at the sets in my collection, new or old, is exactly what I wanted to capture with this remake MOC! contest 11 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr So today I would like to share with you all my entry into this wonderful competition. This is a remake of the 1995 6263 Imperial Outpost. I tried to keep the same vibe and functions of the original, switching things up as the pieces that came to hand brought new ideas and inspiration. Speaking of pieces, if this MOC reminds you of anything other than the original Imperial Outpost, you might just be correct. This MOC is made entirely from pieces of the 2009 6242 Soldiers Fort! That's right, what better way to marry the old and the new than combining an old and a modern set itself! So here and here are the rest pictures my remake of the Classic 1995 Imperial Outpost! Please take your time to take a look at the rest of the pictures. I also included some comments on my Imgur gallary. Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr In keeping with the 2009 model, this MOC also features some modular building too! The technic pins and 1 x 1s on the base allow a little customization of the layout in a few patterns. This not only calls back to the 2009 set, but also evokes the modular design we see LEGO employing in the new El Dorado Fortress remake! Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Do you own the 2009 Soldiers Fort? Well you can build this MOC too! I have added all the pieces and steps to Studio and will be uploading the instructions here soon! Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr What do you think? With the return of the classic Bluecoats in El Dorado, if LEGO were to re-release the Imperial Outpost should we see the return of the Imperial Guards? Or would the return of the underused Imperial Armada help round out our classic pirates nostalgia? Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr EuroBrick MOC by PirateBricks98, on Flickr EuroBrick MOC by PirateBricks98, on Flickr I would love to hear your comments and suggestions. I could have used pieces outside of the Soldiers Fort set, but I thought it was a neat idea to keep to an alt build. I feel like it really keeps with the spirit of melding the old with the new! How do you think this stands up to the original? Due to file sizes, I'll be hosting all my images on Imgur and a larger dump on Flickr: https://imgur.com/a/XqrEOaz, https://www.flickr.com/gp/198648255@N07/2pP0G4mc0F Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Eurobricks ClassicPirates entry - Imperial Outpost Remake - PiratesBricks98 by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Imperial Outpost Remake by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Socials tag by PirateBricks98, on Flickr Edited July 3, 20231 yr by MichaelOnMedia Added more pictures I missed. Accidentally stated the wrong release year.
July 1, 20231 yr A small, clean outpost Theme (story) We can easily see the play opportunities here, a cannon, a bridge to fight on, some nice balance of the two sides-with one possible improvement being the addition of an escape feature in the wall. Arguably the whole thing feels very small, which reduces space compared to the 2009 fort-perhaps a more open, or even modular, style of outpost might have done a better job, because with 6 figures you won't have much space left on such a small design. Build One flaw of alternate builds becomes apparent, with this design being way too white-and missing arches compared to the 1990s version, in addition the sand could be less square. Overall the colours look a bit lacking- it's too modern, but without a lot of variety, try adding some yellow or maybe some masonry bricks here and there. Also, the bridge feels useless considering there is a safe way to pass over the water by going on the second level of the build-maybe keep the dock from the original in that spot. And finally, please consider ladders; these aren't the flying dutchmen, they can't jump to the second level. For what it's worth, you have done a good job of recapturing the original shape much better than I'd have expected.
July 1, 20231 yr Author On 7/1/2023 at 3:53 PM, Horation said: A small, clean outpost Theme (story) We can easily see the play opportunities here, a cannon, a bridge to fight on, some nice balance of the two sides-with one possible improvement being the addition of an escape feature in the wall. Arguably the whole thing feels very small, which reduces space compared to the 2009 fort-perhaps a more open, or even modular, style of outpost might have done a better job, because with 6 figures you won't have much space left on such a small design. Build One flaw of alternate builds becomes apparent, with this design being way too white-and missing arches compared to the 1990s version, in addition the sand could be less square. Overall the colours look a bit lacking- it's too modern, but without a lot of variety, try adding some yellow or maybe some masonry bricks here and there. Also, the bridge feels useless considering there is a safe way to pass over the water by going on the second level of the build-maybe keep the dock from the original in that spot. And finally, please consider ladders; these aren't the flying dutchmen, they can't jump to the second level. For what it's worth, you have done a good job of recapturing the original shape much better than I'd have expected. Thanks for the feedback! I agree that a few additions, such as ladders and more tan/yellow would really improve this set. But like I said, I wanted to limit myself to the given pieces for this particular build. If something like this were to be made into an official LEGO set they really should be included. At the same time though, the Soldiers Fort, and even Classic sets like the original El Dorado, didn't make use of ladders. On the other points, I will definitely take a look at incorporating the jailbreak feature from the 2009 set into this build. And I agree that this one feels smaller than the original. A large part of the reason for that, other than the pieces I decided to stick to, is the modularity I incorporated. To keep this feature I couldn't overlap any of the walls etc with the floor plates. The original '95 set also only had four figures compared to the Soldiers Fort's six. But keeping the pirate in the jail and the captain on the rowboat allows the imperials to spread throughout the outpost. The bridge section on the left side was defiantly the biggest divergence from the original. I like this modification though, lacking a BURP or even just more grey rock pieces was the cause of that. I did make sure to include a picture in the Flickr gallery showing the bridge and some rocks removed to make room for the row boat. I appreciate the feedback though. I'll for sure look into playing around with the model a bit! Edited July 3, 20231 yr by MichaelOnMedia
July 2, 20231 yr While it looks like a mostly faithful adaptation of the original, I worry that some of the white posts might be a little flimsy. Lego sets need to be played with, so should be structurally sound. Also, there is a lot of white - some more colours might bring more life to the build. Overall, looks like a fun set.
July 2, 20231 yr The 2009 line was my I troduction to pirates, so I really love this MOC. The Imperial Outpost was always a set that never took my fancy the way El Dorado, Sabre Island or the Trading Post did, I think the shaping in the set looks more like a mansion than an outpost. Still, I really like how your remake has come together in the 2009 style. One improvement I think would make this set pop a bit more is to add a short wall or rail above the canopy in the Admiral's office - this would be in keeping with the original and also make his office look more secure. Great job!
July 2, 20231 yr 22 hours ago, MichaelOnMedia said: Thanks for the feedback! The bridge section on the left side was defiantly the biggest divergence from the original. I like this modification though, lacking a BURP or even just more grey rock pieces was the cause of that. I did make sure to include a picture in the Flickr gallery showing the bridge and some rocks removed to make room for the row boat. I appreciate the feedback though. I'll for sure look into playing around with the model a bit! I don't know how many parts you've got leftover from the 2009 fort, but if there are some left, maybe try to use the modular feature a bit better by splitting the post at that point, connecting the two parts at the middle with the bridge (while using a brown plate to expand the dock, and then connecting it to the bridge).
July 3, 20231 yr Cool update! I like this and love the modular nature is fantastic! Pros: modular nature for further modification good update of piece usage larger sizing seeming more grand cons: colours feel a bit washed out and would benefit from some brighter colours here. the awning could use some detailing or tiled parts choice. a switch to the medium azure plates might make this feel more current. all up a pretty great entry!
July 3, 20231 yr I remember the original set from way back, although I don't think I ever had it. I have a few Admiral Woodhouses, but I think they all come from the Imperial Flagships. Anyway, I remember I was kind of happy the figure was available in a somewhat smaller set, unlike Broadside who was only in the Eldorado Fortress and the Caribbean Clipper. I also remember this was one of the most bootlegged sets where I live, and I saw quite a few knock-offs of this one at local marketplaces, made by Enlightened or whatever that brand was called. And that was long after it was discontinued by LEGO. Actually, this was while Pirates were no longer offered by LEGO at all. I remember being tempted by that knock-off for some time (better this than nothing ), but I utlimately resisted the temptation. Your take on this is a refreshing one. It definitely looks like it could be a set, and the colours, while different from those of the original, are nicely composed and look good together. I see that you've made it modular, which is always welcome as it allows for rearranging things a bit. Also, congratulations for making it both digitally and in the flesh, well, brick. My suggested improvement would be to replace the sloped 'roof' (red in the original, dark blue in your version) with something different. I think long slopes or curved slopes (like those with 1x4 studs) would look better here. A smooth surface would look better here. Perhaps with two colours, making a stripped pattern. Also, I don't see any ladders, while the original set had at least one if I'm not mistaken. So you sort of downgraded it in that regard. Those people need ladders to climb to the upper floors! Finally, why are the jewels lying in the water? I believe the set had a similar solution with a treasure chest, but this should be fixed and can be done easily. And while we're at it, this seems strange that you have to remove the entire palm tree to access the treasure. Some kind of a lid would work better here. Still, this is an innovative approach to a classic set, and in that regard you've made a very good job! Edited July 3, 20231 yr by Dreamweb
July 3, 20231 yr Author On 7/1/2023 at 9:50 PM, TimGoodwin said: While it looks like a mostly faithful adaptation of the original, I worry that some of the white posts might be a little flimsy. Lego sets need to be played with, so should be structurally sound. Also, there is a lot of white - some more colours might bring more life to the build. Overall, looks like a fun set. The only post I've really had trouble with knocking off the physical build is the one on the left, the one behind the cannon. The flag post on top can get knocked around a bit as well but that's pretty much the same issue as the original. Other than that it's a sturdy build. I might have to see about moving some of the tan bricks over from the right side to the left to help balance the colours out too. Thanks for the feedback!
July 3, 20231 yr Author On 7/2/2023 at 2:06 AM, Seaber said: The 2009 line was my I troduction to pirates, so I really love this MOC. The Imperial Outpost was always a set that never took my fancy the way El Dorado, Sabre Island or the Trading Post did, I think the shaping in the set looks more like a mansion than an outpost. Still, I really like how your remake has come together in the 2009 style. One improvement I think would make this set pop a bit more is to add a short wall or rail above the canopy in the Admiral's office - this would be in keeping with the original and also make his office look more secure. Great job! 2009 were my first pirates sets too! Too young to see most of Classic lol. Yeah, the classic El Dorado and the Trading Post are probably top 3 Pirates sets for me. I think it's still great that LEGO decided to make some sort of Imperial base set for the 94-95 run, seeing as they already made one for the Redcoats in the previous wave AND they had to release enough sets to flesh out a whole third faction in the Islanders too! The 94-95 wave to be one of the best in Pirates history imo. Unmatched quantity and still great quality sets. I like your suggestion of adding a bit of flavour to the canopy. It does just kind of look like a big navy block in the center of the set. I'll have to make another pass for sure! Appreciate your comment!
July 3, 20231 yr Author 21 hours ago, Horation said: I don't know how many parts you've got leftover from the 2009 fort, but if there are some left, maybe try to use the modular feature a bit better by splitting the post at that point, connecting the two parts at the middle with the bridge (while using a brown plate to expand the dock, and then connecting it to the bridge). I love the suggestion of expanding the dock on that side! I pretty much used up all the parts I could from the Soldiers Fort. I want to keep this build to the limitation of it's being a Soldiers Fort alt build, but I will definitely have to play around in Studio with some extra parts to see what else I can add. Thanks for the ideas! 8 hours ago, thewatchman said: Cool update! I like this and love the modular nature is fantastic! Pros: modular nature for further modification good update of piece usage larger sizing seeming more grand cons: colours feel a bit washed out and would benefit from some brighter colours here. the awning could use some detailing or tiled parts choice. a switch to the medium azure plates might make this feel more current. all up a pretty great entry! Thanks! Overall I think it's neat little update. Appreciate the comment!
July 3, 20231 yr Author 3 hours ago, Dreamweb said: I remember the original set from way back, although I don't think I ever had it. I have a few Admiral Woodhouses, but I think they all come from the Imperial Flagships. Anyway, I remember I was kind of happy the figure was available in a somewhat smaller set, unlike Broadside who was only in the Eldorado Fortress and the Caribbean Clipper. I also remember this was one of the most bootlegged sets where I live, and I saw quite a few knock-offs of this one at local marketplaces, made by Enlightened or whatever that brand was called. And that was long after it was discontinued by LEGO. Actually, this was while Pirates were no longer offered by LEGO at all. I remember being tempted by that knock-off for some time (better this than nothing ), but I utlimately resisted the temptation. Your take on this is a refreshing one. It definitely looks like it could be a set, and the colours, while different from those of the original, are nicely composed and look good together. I see that you've made it modular, which is always welcome as it allows for rearranging things a bit. Also, congratulations for making it both digitally and in the flesh, well, brick. My suggested improvement would be to replace the sloped 'roof' (red in the original, dark blue in your version) with something different. I think long slopes or curved slopes (like those with 1x4 studs) would look better here. A smooth surface would look better here. Perhaps with two colours, making a stripped pattern. Also, I don't see any ladders, while the original set had at least one if I'm not mistaken. So you sort of downgraded it in that regard. Those people need ladders to climb to the upper floors! Finally, why are the jewels lying in the water? I believe the set had a similar solution with a treasure chest, but this should be fixed and can be done easily. And while we're at it, this seems strange that you have to remove the entire palm tree to access the treasure. Some kind of a lid would work better here. Still, this is an innovative approach to a classic set, and in that regard you've made a very good job! If I were to bring in new parts, a multicoloured awning would work well. Just off the top of my head, the blue and red one from Lagoon Lockup comes to mind. But something bigger, maybe a red and white style might fit the Redcoats better instead. Unfortunately, even LEGO didn't see the need for ladders or stairs in Soldiers Fort so they had to be left out of this particular build. The treasure under the tree was also lifted almost straight from the 2009 Fort. I wanted to include the tree to keep it in line with the classic set too, but that section definitely looks a little messy, being brought together with the few parts I had remaining. Thanks for the feedback!
July 4, 20231 yr Fine updated version. I would give the Imperial Armada a chance. They have been forgotten by TGL...
July 4, 20231 yr 11 hours ago, MichaelOnMedia said: If I were to bring in new parts, a multicoloured awning would work well. Just off the top of my head, the blue and red one from Lagoon Lockup comes to mind. But something bigger, maybe a red and white style might fit the Redcoats better instead. I agree! 11 hours ago, MichaelOnMedia said: Unfortunately, even LEGO didn't see the need for ladders or stairs in Soldiers Fort so they had to be left out of this particular build. The treasure under the tree was also lifted almost straight from the 2009 Fort. I wanted to include the tree to keep it in line with the classic set too, but that section definitely looks a little messy, being brought together with the few parts I had remaining. While I understand the idea of restricting yourself to just the pieces of the Soldiers' Fort, I think it would also be acceptable AND interesting to base your building on the elements from that set PLUS some extra pieces for a nice finish, like the abovementioned ladders, etc.
July 4, 20231 yr Maybe try to merge this with another 2009 pirate set? Or use two fort sets to make the build larger. Again, up to you to decide if you want to follow this advice, but it would improve the overall look in my opinion.
July 17, 20231 yr Nice, your build looks pretty good, there are some suggestions that I will make though. First, the roof I believe would look better if it was tiled, secondly, the building could use a little bit more color (maybe dark red), lastly, I feel people would want one more pirate if there were to be three soldiers. Keep up the great builds and happy building :)
August 13, 20231 yr A bit late to the party, and it looks like everyone's covered all the bases for this one; Needs more Yellow or Tan; and while the inspiration was clearly stated, I feel you leaned too heavily in trying to rebuild one old set with the pieces from the more recent set. I would say throw in a canon for the rowboat, as an added play feature, and give it a little more color. the Classic pirates wave, during 1994-1995 had made use of a lot of classic red, blues, and Greens. I'm thinking about the Skull's Eye Schooner, Enchanted Island, and Skull Island off the cuff for citation.
August 14, 20231 yr On 7/1/2023 at 5:08 PM, MichaelOnMedia said: This MOC is made entirely from pieces of the 2009 6242 Soldiers Fort! Given this constraint, you've done as well as you possibly could. But, your creation, like that set, is missing some color and charm that is present in the original Imperial Outpost. I would incorporate some other bricks if you can, as the 2009 and 2015 pirates are not remembered as fondly as the original 90s sets. A red and blue awning (like Lagoon Lockup had) would work, or a red one (like the original set). Add a more modern brick-built palm tree, and this would be greatly improved. Any of the minifigures you've got there would work great; wonderful selections.
August 20, 20231 yr Very nice, i'd go straight to the point where i have to say that i like the modelurity of Your version, but i also do prefer the second layout You've presented :) Or at least this idea makes me wanna buy at least two boxes of this toy to be able to costruct both layouts, or to merge them freely. I also like those soldiers, all 3 groups look attractive giving us a damn hard choice to pick one up, but i'd go with one of those red groups to be honest. Armada was always a second tier for me in the Pirates theme ;) Then again their red leader is truly outstanding! All of those red officer are extremely well done actually and i'd love to get all of them. So i hope i'd build a set pear each of them, should You dedice which one to drop ;) And am i wrong or is this the first set to include both red and blue soldiers? Or at least that's what i see on one of Your pictures ;) Now with the compound itself i like that little bridge, but i also miss the boat garage. I see that You've made it possible to switch this part of the structure from serving one purpose to another ( and i guess, buying two copies of this set would allow to have both of them at the same time ;) ). So i'm not sure how to judge it. Then again it's easy to give bonus points for some extra elements You've included - like those little flags hanging from the building, and battlements and lanterns and lintstocks. I would prefer to get a bit more watter and a bigger jetty by the building tho. The walkway under that roof and by the prison is very thin, and so it serves no real purpose, maybe that's the esthetic idea, to make it look like a little ledge coming out of the structure, but i'd suggest extdenting it to the sea a bit, as it would give it more play value.
August 20, 20231 yr I agree with adding ladders (even though I understand they were not in the 6242 Soldier's Fort set), as the original 6263 Imperial Outpost is actually has two ladders so none is a downgrade (in fact ALL of the original redcoat buildings have ladders (except the small 1795) while none of the original bluecoat buildings did, so 6276 is not really an apt comparison).
August 21, 20231 yr I'm not sure I like the addition of the extra flags. With 3 it seems a bit redundant. As far a color goes, I miss the color that the palm tree and the red roof from the old set added. If you don't end up changing based on some of the other suggestions already given, I might suggest adding an orange crab or nugget colored crate to add some color.
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