What you want in a Fort

[RoryoCox]

I have been planning to build an Imperial fort during the last couple of months. I have been searching for real life examples as well as examples of official sets. I have found that even though many come close, none contain everything that a fort would have.

The official sets often contain many good features which should be included but they are not complete.

These sets have mostly been small outposts with a couple of large port sets in the range. Looking at these you can see how these would work together.

We have also seen some brilliant MOCs which gives us a good example of what we can put in our own.

I would like to know what your perfect fort would contain. The rooms and features, as well as sizes. I am sure it will help not only me but many others who wish to make their own fort as well.

[Big Cam]

I think as a standard LEGO set 6276 Eldorado Fortress is the best.

I think a docking place for boats, a ramp, dock, buildings, lookout tower, a crane isn't needed but is nice. As for size, thr bigger the better, as long as quality doesn't suffer.

[Mister Phes]

I think as a standard LEGO set 6276 Eldorado oprtress is the best.

Yes, it's a mighty fine oprtress

I'm just wondering why Burman left it off his list...?

[Captain Becker]

I'm just wondering why Burman left it off his list...?

Its there if you looks closley, its the 8th pic

Eldorado is indeed the best LEGO fortress ever made.

But if i would make one at myself, i would add the docking place, armory, cannons and soldiers, sleeping rooms, small kitchen and a prison.

Maby one treasure room too.

Captain Becker

[RoryoCox]

The Eldorado fortress is the best TLG ever made. I think it would make a good standard for MOCs. However, the baseplate would obviously be taken away. A few extra buildings in the same yellow would retain the set but make it look more realistic and modern.

Big Cam I agree with you that the bigger a fort is the better it will be. However sometimes this is not the case, one may go for a mega fort and half way through realise they don't have the resources to finish it. Like you said quality over quantity.

[Captain Blockbeard]

I agree that 6276 Eldorado is the best of the official Lego forts, though I only own half of those shown above and always wondered how well 6277 compared to 6276 Eldorado. To me, an ideal official Lego fort set would have been the fusion of those two sets, primarily to accommodate Eldorado's lack of sufficient docks.

For me, an ideal fort would include:

jail

armory

docks appropriate for both dinghies and the full Imperial ships such as Caribbean Clipper

battlements for cannons beyond Lego's typical inclusion of a random swivel turreted cannon or two

signal post (I know of a particular fort that used the equivalent of a ship's mast as a makeshift "flag pole" for signaling approaching vessels.)

greater variety of cannon types

(default Lego cannons are like this one: http://www.owlfish.com/weblog/2004/09/halifax-citadel-cannon.jpg )

(I want to see the inclusion of something more like this: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GOB2aIiDUdE/Si6yXbIOTEI/AAAAAAAAAiM/HUZOycyL5DY/s1600-h/Halifax7.jpg complete with rail and platform assembly for rotating the cannon)

food/supply storage

governor's office (with reasonably detailed furnished interior)

It's a long list, but I hope it gives you some ideas.

[Rapseflaps]

I was going to make a list for my ideal Imperial land base, but basically, I just want one of these:

Perfect.

[gotoAndLego]

I think Eldorado is the Best official set, but this deluxe version of the set really does it for me.

[Mr. Gray]

What I'd want in a fort is as follows;

One large watchtower, below that there would be a wall stretching 20-ish studs wide in one direction, and 10 or so in the other. Off of these two sides are perpendicular walls, and eventually the back is finished off. Inside the walls, or above, would be a cannon every 4 or so studs. Placed on wall mounts of course. Openings/doors would be on the back side facing inland, and there woulds be about 15 or so soldiers of whatever faction guarding the area, standing by the watchtower, lantern in hand etc etc. In the back left corner, diagonal from the tower, would be the, er, sort of admiral's house. it could be anyone's house really, but I think the admiral's house is most fitting. Inside would be multiple kegs of rum, and a desk and some paper, with a map on the wall next to some charts.

Hmm, sounds like I'll have to start building myself a fort that meets these requirements.

[Dan the Brickman]

Hmmm...

An opera house would be an interesting addition to any fort. Need to keep the soldiers entertained and all.

I would want my fort to be huge, and have several walls inside each other(Each one higher then the one outside of it), complex gatehouses, and a big kitchen.

[Angeli]

Maybe it would be a good idea to go in a totally different direction?

I am thinking fantasy creatures, Like in Sinbad ;) fantasy fort, wings etc...

[martinsuper]

I think you need cannons, barrels, and your imagination. Its a good idea to look at whatever everyone else is building, but go with your own gut feelings. I have made a few forts here and there.

[Mister Phes]

All good forts should have a bar with beer on tap...

[Little Brick Man]

All good forts should have a bar with beer on tap...

hear ! hear ! and it should have bar lady making merry sherry, monkey madness and honey funny so that the soldiers (off-duty) to have drinks after a long guard and patrol duty.

after all, where would the soldiers spend their wages in a remote fort?

sending it to their in-laws? Bah! What a tease.

[emiryener83]

What I would really like to see would be an affordable yet realistic, star shaped for with triangular bastions.

[J.L. Hornblower]

This is a link to a fort that has it all !

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=476694

greetz.....

From Belgium..

[Sebeus I]

This is a link to a fort that has it all !

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=476694

greetz.....

From Belgium..

That is an awesome fort, I saw it for real at a belgian lego event, a year ago (2 year ? don't know :S)

it's huge.

I don't have enough bricks to make such large fort, I made a smaller one a while back,

I posted it on mocpages but that site doesn't work very well at the moment so I can't provide any pictures right now.

What any fort certainly needs is a high tower, maybe to function as lighthouse ?

[Sebeus I]

I had this "cannon tower" I made using the design of the set Cannon Cove

I Also think a long pier is critical, a long pier with lots of branches so it can accommodate plenty of ships, every fort needs supplies.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Sebeus Iniwum

[martinsuper]

I really like your cannon tower. It's simple and looks truly lego. I think it could fit in well with original sets.

[blackpyre]

These are some nice ideas. Although I'd expand the concept out a bit. I think an opera house is good, but if I were to build a Royal Fort I'd include a large dinning hall one for the soldiers and one for dignitaries, several salons, a library. music room, and parade ground. I think the idea of a governor's house is good, but I'd go beyond that.

I'd also like a small town that is placed to the side of the fort. This handles all the supplies for the fort and gives the soldiers a place to go. Perhaps a fish monger or two, some civilian homes, a general store, a drinking establishment, perhaps some sort of fine metal smith, a small livestock area, and so on.

I'd continue the ideas of the others with a storage room, dock are, look-out/signal tower, cannon batteries, jail, even an additional office asside from the governor's one.

I'd say three of the four sides woul be rocky faces. Perhaps a small dock for fishing boats in addition to the one that handles warships.

As for size, I'd probably start with 16 large gray baseplates laid out 4 x 4. Of course I'd work on it piece meal over the course of years, but that's what I'd dream up given the chance.

Did I mention sleeping quarters? There would probably be the berricks next to the armory for the soldiers and large seperate bedrooms in the governor's house for the special guests. Oh, and definitely throw in a treasure room. Perhaps even a hall that just displays art.

hmmm....

Will

[Skipper]

I dunno if this is the right place to put it seeing as this thread seems to be about forts at the LEGO system scale/design.

Anways, I was wondering what would actually be inside a (realistic) fort's walls (like in a castle there'd be stables, great hall, throne room, barracks, etc . . .). I've read through a lot of pages on different forts, but they all seem to center on the fort's history/battles/current use as opposed to interiors.

Thanks!

[Bjornu]

I think the reason why lego doesn't put all the options in one set, is because it gives children the need of another set.

I don't blame lego for making kids attracted for buying new sets, but it's a company even if it's selling toys it wants to make money out of it.

So in a some ways I do understand why they don't make "perfect fortresses".

Well, about the needs of a fortress I think this should be included:

-Docks|A fort near water needs one!!

-Big walls

-An inside living population/a military population

-Marketplace

-Jail

-Bar/pub/inn

-A place where whores live| If your building a set for your kids, please do not build this

-Barracks

-Officers place, with: maps, many officers, Etc. ( just like you see in POTC 1 when Will turner says: THATS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!)

-Cannons!

-Hut/room for the Governor/General

-I would add a Gunsmith

-Stables if it's a land fortress

-A large crane|in case your fortress is also a "Warehouse like" fortress

-Some campfires or Braziers to give some heat to the soldiers that are stationed| this also gives a nice look

-In some way I always like to add a Escaping route

-Maybe some sewers, pirates like to enter the fortress from there

-If the fortress has a civilian population, I would add a Police/militia like Post so they can keep an eye at the people and the pirates that come from the sewers

I think thats it for me,I hope I helped a little!

Greetz Bjornu

[Horry]

I knew that this conversation seemed somehow familiar... here is one of a soldier's sea port a little while ago. It might give some more ideas!

[Skipper]

sleepin' area for the garrison

-food store

-designated area for the officers

-small dockyard facility to help vessels making smaller repairs

-weapons depot

-semaphor and/or signal flag utilities

-shore battery

-oven for hot round shots

-designated quarantine area for containing desease

-parade ground

-smithery (and/or weaponsmithery)

-carpentry

Thank you Horry .

[blackpyre]

One thing I haven't seen is some sort of privy. I think the sewers idea comes closest to this. But it could be as simple as a small closet like room with a bucket and a small slit for ventalation.