Would you like the Vikings theme to return?

[CompleteMadness]

I think it be pretty cool. As long as it isn't as stereotypical as the last

[Covenant84]

This is a great theme and some fantastic ideas for sets and mini-figs. As a Viking re-enactor I'm keen to see what else you come up with and would love to see this in the shops! Love the mini-fig designs too. I may have missed it but are there any companies out there who do custom mini-fig printing?

Planning a viking-eske build myself so will try to post a link here if you don't mind? Ne t the AFO community so will be y first proper attempt at an 'adult' model.

[ED-209]

This is a great theme and some fantastic ideas for sets and mini-figs. As a Viking re-enactor I'm keen to see what else you come up with and would love to see this in the shops! Love the mini-fig designs too. I may have missed it but are there any companies out there who do custom mini-fig printing?

Planning a viking-eske build myself so will try to post a link here if you don't mind? Ne t the AFO community so will be y first proper attempt at an 'adult' model.

Thank you! As a re-enactor, perhaps you could give me your thoughts on the accuracy of the figure designs?

There are a few people who do custom printing for minifigs, and there's a couple of different types of print technology used. The best quality is what's called "pad printing", and it's what is used on official Lego parts, but the set up requires etched plates for each discrete colour - making it only really economical in larger batch runs. There's also what is often called "machine printing", which is basically similar to a normal inkjet printer, but capable of printing special UV-hardened inks onto three dimensional objects. It's much more economical for much smaller runs, but the quality isn't as good as pad printing, and you usually get a slightly raised effect from the inks. Additionally, there's the option of decals or stickers, which are more basic again, but you can do them cheaply in your own home. However they don't look quite as nice.

You should drop in to the Minifig Customisation Workshop forum if you want to find out more!

I'm pleased to hear about your planned Viking build and look forward to seeing it - the more Vikings the better!!

I sure hope Alfadas doesn't mind me posting all my stuff in the thread!

I've been trying to refine my idea of a prison cell built into one of the modular walls, and I've managed something that I'm happy with. As discussed earlier, the cell creates a conflict and adds a capture/rescue narrative to the set. The break-away wall adds an action feature. Both of these are considerations/requirements for real sets, so for that reason I'm trying to emulate them in my project too.

I tried a prototyping a few different ideas in physical bricks to see how they'd work, but settled on the idea that the attackers/rescuers would have one of the new grappling hook pieces chained to a horse (or possibly a small horse-drawn wagon?), and would use it to rip out the wall section. Much like set 60043:

http://www.bricklink...c.asp?S=60043-1

The four-by-six wall section is held in place by only two studs at the bottom, and has double cheese-wedge slopes on the top. You've probably seen many variants of the principal in various official models, mine is really no different to those. But I built a mock-up and it works really well!

I also used the large flat roof of the cell to place a ballista (and as I mentioned before, I'm sacrificing historical accuracy here for a little artistic license!) It's smaller than the earlier one I designed, and is essentially a flick-fire. But the bolt (spear) sits loosely in the launcher, so you're not having to overcome the friction of a technic pin like in the standard flick-fire arrangement. It means that the range is a little better, but I'd think that the pointed end might make it a little too dangerous? Although I can't imagine any of the official projectiles would be much fun if they hit you in the eye! Anyway, the spear could be substituted with a six-long bar with a 1x1 cone on the end if need be:

http://www.bricklink...Pic.asp?P=63965

[Blakstone]

Nice build. I did not even know that there was wall panels shaped like logs before this. I like that you incorporated period appropriate artillery over the cell to take advantage of the wider walkway there. Using spears as the missiles makes a lot of display sense too. But I agree that LEGO would likely switch them out for something that parents would be less concerned over.

[Alfadas]

I'm pleased to hear about your planned Viking build and look forward to seeing it - the more Vikings the better!!

I sure hope Alfadas doesn't mind me posting all my stuff in the thread!

No no, not at all. Please continue, I don't have a lot of ideas, well I do have some basic ideas and stuff, but not the means to make it "real". You do, so please continue!

Nice prison/ballista combo. I don't think TLG would even think about producing something like that, but it sure looks nice.

[gedren_y]

I think a great way to reboot Vikings would be as Norse Fables. There is a lot of folklore to draw from, including Beowulf. Mixing that with some actual historical events of Viking exploration, and you have a great theme.

If you don't mind, ED-209, I'll try my hand at a version of the designs you've shown us in LDD. There are a lot of new pieces that can make for some great design elements.

[The_Cook]

A nice little piece, it adds the necessary conflict and storyline along with a little bit of action.

It might work as a standalone set but I think it would work better as part of the larger fort.

Is there a particular reason that it's a two 6x8's and a 2x4 for the base? Would a 6x8 and 6x10 work?

Edited July 19, 2014 by The_Cook

[ED-209]

No no, not at all. Please continue, I don't have a lot of ideas, well I do have some basic ideas and stuff, but not the means to make it "real". You do, so please continue!

Nice prison/ballista combo. I don't think TLG would even think about producing something like that, but it sure looks nice.

I'm glad to hear I'm not stepping on your toes!

The spear is a little pointy for an official release but they have used a 1x1 cone as the point of a flick-fire before; so that's my fallback position.

If you don't mind, ED-209, I'll try my hand at a version of the designs you've shown us in LDD. There are a lot of new pieces that can make for some great design elements.

Of course I don't mind, go for it!

Just make sure to share the results with the rest of us!

A nice little piece, it adds the necessary conflict and storyline along with a little bit of action.

It might work as a standalone set but I think it would work better as part of the larger fort.

Is there a particular reason that it's a two 6x8's and a 2x4 for the base? Would a 6x8 and 6x10 work?

Thank you! I had wanted to have a cell from the beginning, I just needed the opportunity to get out some real bricks and test out some mechanisms. And yes, I was proposing it as being part of the ring fort set.

The ground plates are the same as the two shops and have always been something of an irritation to me. They're actually eight studs deep, so you're seeing two 8x8s and a 2x6. And sadly there isn't an 8x10 plate, so it makes things a little fiddly. I'd appreciate if anyone has any recommendations.

Here's another attempt that I think is an improvement: a 4x8, a 4x10, and a 4x6 under the cell door.

[SMC]

This topic has been added to the Lego Requests topic where you can now support lego Vikings

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=98013

Edited July 21, 2014 by SMC

[Alfadas]

So, I decided to actually do something here, other then talk about stuff. So I made the tent idea from Ed in real, with a few figs, a dog, a tent and campfire. Here it is:

Edited July 21, 2014 by Alfadas

[Blakstone]

I know that I need to get to building some Vikings myself. I bought enough long boat hull to build a decent ship. I just need to get a lab setup to make free building a lot easier to do.

Alfadas, that looks pretty good. I think you could make it look better if you used a lower camera angle. A white sheet can also double as a drop cloth.

[ED-209]

This topic has been added to the Lego Requests topic where you can now support lego Vikings

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=98013

Cool, I've cast my votes!

So, I decided to actually do something here, other then talk about stuff. So I made the tent idea from Ed in real, with a few figs, a dog, a tent and campfire. Here it is:

There's nothing wrong with just talking about ideas!

Very nice MOC; I like the use of the BrickWarriors parts and very cool inclusion of the dog too!

One suggestion I would make, if you have the parts available for it - I'd change the plates on the tent to another colour so the canvas looks distinct from the wooden poles.

I know that I need to get to building some Vikings myself. I bought enough long boat hull to build a decent ship. I just need to get a lab setup to make free building a lot easier to do.

Cool, I look forward to seeing what you come up with! I'm now tallying up the parts needed for the ring fort and will start the slow process of aquiring parts through multiple Bricklink orders.

I've also started doing something that I'd recommend all AFOLs consider; I've been looking through the sets that were released during my dark ages, looking up the instructions, and building them virtually in LDD. One of the sets that I wasn't previously aware of was a little one from the Adventurers line - 7409 a small tomb with a pop-out skeleton:

http://www.bricklink...ic.asp?S=7409-1

I felt that it would be an interesting addition to a Vikings series, a tomb or burial mound. So I made a few modifications. I enlarged it a little, changed the colours to match the snowy look of my other models, added a runestone* as a grave marker, and popped a helmet on the skeleton. All that remains is a robber looking to plunder the grave goods!

Just like the 7409 set you pull the towbar piece forward, causing the lid to flip back as the skeleton flips forward. I'm not sure whether he's undead (the Norse believed in "draugr", living corpses similar to zombies), or just an inanimate corpse that when disturbed has somehow fallen onto the robber (that type of thing always seems to happen in Indiana Jones movies!)

The only other point I'm not 100% sure about is whether the extra height of the helm and breastplate would affect the flipping mechanism.

*I credit the look of the runestone to one I saw in a very cool MOC by Etzel (and the ravens are great too! ):

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=33621

[Alfadas]

Hehe, that is nice! Draugr popping up and killing everybody!

About the tent, I do have dark tan 6x8, but as I am going to move, they are all stored away. Won't be able to build with them till at least August or so. After that, I would be more then happy to change it.

[The_Cook]

I've also started doing something that I'd recommend all AFOLs consider; I've been looking through the sets that were released during my dark ages, looking up the instructions, and building them virtually in LDD.

I'd second that recommendation.

Borrowing ideas from existing sets means that the idea has been through the Lego participation groups to see whether kids actually like the idea.

Borrowing build techniques from existing sets means that the technique is legitimate and has passed the strict design criteria that Lego set themselves.

[Blakstone]

I was thinking of some sort of a barrow. However, I would love it if that was a impulse polybag that I could find at Target. Your design is just the right size for that.

[BuilderMax]

I had like 4 out of 7 of the Viking sets and I have same level of nostalgia for them just like to Exo-Force and Dino Attack. It would be interesting to see how Vikings sets would look like and be designed at present days by Lego.

Edited August 9, 2014 by BuilderMax

[ShadowWolfHount]

It's sadden to say that I have never gotten a Lego Vikings set and I wish I had. Anyways I would like to see what the Vikings would look like nowaday

And of what I would like to see in a new Lego Vikings are:

• Some of the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit head recolor in yellow, now I know that is really unlikely to happen but it would be awesome to see those head in a different color instead of just having those head in ten.
  
• Seeing HF and old Bionicle/Technic parts in the set because we have seen Bionicle and KK2 parts being used in the old Vikings sets, why not do the same with the new ones it would be awesome and good to see new colors of HF parts but they would most likely be this (<- love to see more in black and different colors), this (<- same but mostly different colors), this and this.
  
• Have Ninjago and Castle and old Vikings dragon head, I would like to see this but not that much but just have one of the White Ninjago Dragon heads like this one and have mostly the old Viking dragon heads.
  
• You already know what I would love to have the most.
  

Now for what I wouldn't want to see in a new Lego Viking:

• No dragon nor any other monster and animals I would hate the most because I think having those is what make it different from the other theme.
  
• Being Realistic, well not too realistic but it would be good the have kid and female minifigures.
  
• All of them having the same Helmets, I really don't want to see that unless they all are going to have different color and I mostly don't want to see this in Speckle Black-Silver.
  

That what I would and wouldn't want to see in a new Viking set.

[BuilderMax]

• No dragon nor any other monster and animals I would hate the most because I think having those is what make it different from the other theme.
  

They are actually apart of Norse Mythology, I think it makes sense to have them.

[ShadowWolfHount]

Thanks Max, I also thinking of what it would be like seeing a Viking Ultra Builds but I don't think that would work because we may see a HF build in a 20 something dollar set with that cute small HF body.

[BuilderMax]

Thanks Max, I also thinking of what it would be like seeing a Viking Ultra Builds but I don't think that would work because we may see a HF build in a 20 something dollar set with that cute small HF body.

Now that you put it that way I agree but if you ask me the creatures probably should be build out bricks with connectors and ball joints much like ninjago dragons.

[Ardelon]

I for one would prefer molded creatures like the traditional dragons or wargs, instead of the Ninjago/Viking "robo-dragons", which would probably turn me off the sets. It would just be more visually compatible with the other Castle themes. And it would be a new way to go for Vikings. I guess we all have our tastes.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Ardelon

[BuilderMax]

I for one would prefer molded creatures like the traditional dragons or wargs, instead of the Ninjago/Viking "robo-dragons", which would probably turn me off the sets. It would just be more visually compatible with the other Castle themes. And it would be a new way to go for Vikings. I guess we all have our tastes.

You know I forgot about such possibility. Dino 2010 sets had molded dinosaurs so I guess it could work here too.

[jdw88311171982]

I would like to see them return. I didn't buy any when they were out. The sets were kind of poor by my taste but looking back a them they had a lot of great elements.

[Spud The Viking]

I'd love to see them back. Maybe less mythical nonsense and just great minifigs and possibly a village set so your army can pillage it!

Spud wouldn't be lonely any more!

[gedren_y]

I have been playing with my LDD, and came up with a nice fantasy Viking ship. It isn't enough for a set, as it would need some objective or action, but it is only 270 pieces currently. This is just a rough design.

Here's a LDD glamor shot. I still haven't got the hang of the POV Ray rendering, so that will have to wait.

I had to go with a brick built sail, but I think it came out quite nice.

A geometric dragon head. An idea I may change.

I played with some different looks for the Viking figures using the available prints in LDD. There is a way to get your own designs added to the pallet, but like the render program, it will have to wait. I'll stand up the figures later for a better look.

I also found that the Heroica axe makes a better hand weapon than the clip version from the original line. The newer longsword looks more like a real Viking longsword than the version from the original line too.

Someone posted that real Viking helmets sometimes had wings, so I tried the large dwarven helmet on my commander. I'm not sold. The berserker came out better. Notice, I feed my Vikings with more than just meat. It took a while to get that food into the box.

The existing prints for the new round shield work just fine, but also tried to mimic a Viking style shield I saw in a Museum Replicas catalog. I did something similar for a GOH figure.

That mast rotates nearly thirty degrees in both directions, and the bars allow the figures to do the rotating. The bottom hull of the ship is made from parts Lego used to make the airplanes. The moment I saw the bottom nosecone piece in LDD, I knew I was going to use it in a boat.

Two more warriors and (a bit of artistic license) a white wizard. The smaller dwarven helmet actually looks like a couple of Viking helmets I've seen, though I think I should have colored it in reddish brown or dark brown. I also played with the stereotypical Viking horned helmet. Hopefully that horn part isn't exclusive to the Star Wars line. It makes for a great ram's horn.

The gladius makes a passable Viking short sword, and the Heroica sword in the wizard's staff looks a little like a seax. Yes, I used the Unikitty tail. Lego has to make more use of the mold eventually.

What would Vikings be without their plunder? This also took a bit of rigging to do.

The back view shows you that I tried to give my figures a back and a front.

I'll revisit this later, with better pics of the boat minus the figs.