Design Challenge: Support Frames

We're going to be running a Design Challenge on the Hangar for the month of August.  Rook, creator of the Rook Maneuver, came up with the idea.

The Design Challenge is as follows: create a Frame that provides a support role to another Frame, e.g.; co-gunner for a squad support weapon; spotter for a sniper; loader for an artillery frame, etc.  The reasoning behind this is -- if you think about the 1:6 rule of Frames*, any role that typically has support can only work as 1:3 by providing its own.  Or less if it's also doing other jobs.

How it works: you build a Frame -- either physically or digitally -- that fits the parameters of the Challenge and post it to the Hangar in a special topic that will be created for the Challenge.

Duration: This Challenge opens Saturday, August 1st and ends Monday, August 31st.

Entry Criteria: 1) All submissions should fit inside "The Box".  ("The Box" is an area 10 Studs long by 10 Studs wide by 10 Bricks tall.)  2) The design must cover a non-combat role of your choosing.  It can have weapons, but combat MUST NOT be its primary function. We're looking for spotters, ammo carriers, fuel tankers, medical units, etc.  3) Your design can either be completely new and original or it can be based on an existing template. The choice is entirely yours.

Judges: The judges will be myself, Rook, and a third judge yet to be named.

Judging Criteria: 1) Checking to see if the creation fits Entry Criteria One and Two.  2) We're looking for creations that wouldn't be out of place in a game of Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack.

Prize: Bragging rights to say you've won a Design Challenge in the MFZ community.

* The in-universe fiction for having Frames, instead of any other mechanical construct, is that they can do the work of six humans.  Which is expressed as the shorthand ratio 1:6.

Review: CaDA C56044W SLS Artemis Rocket

The CaDA brand of building blocks has started making its way to the United States.  I found this set, along with a few others, at Barnes & Noble.  I recently saw some different sets on display at Wegman's.  I know the typeface makes it look like it should be "CaDFI" but it's actually spelled CaDA.

Box.  MSRP is $22.99, for a $0.12 Price per Piece.  I bought

this at Barnes & Noble for 14.99, for a $0.08 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1.  8x12 Plate, 6x8 Plates, Arches, Panels, 1x2x5 Bricks, 2x6 Bricks,

1x10 Bricks, 1x12 Bricks, 1x6 Plate, 1x2x4 Bricks, 1x1x6 Bricks, 1x6 Bricks,

1x4 Bricks, 1x8 Tile, Curved Slopes, 2x6 Tiles, Slopes, and 1x8 Plates.

Parts 2.  Slopes, Bricks, Round Bricks, Translucent Cone, Round

Bricks w/Pinholes, Lattice Fences, Studless Slopes, Translucent

Round Brick, Truncated Cone, Corrugated Bricks, 1x2 Brick

 w/Pinhole, Bricks w/Stud on Side, 1x1 Brick w/Pinhole,

Travis Bricks, Curved Slopes, and Round Bricks w/Fins. 

Parts 3.  Printed Tile, Round Plates, Round Tiles, Inverted Round

Tile, Round Large Jumper, Corner Tiles, Plates, Tiles, Double

Jumper, Jumpers, Angled Brackets, Plates w/Pinhole, and a Dish.

Parts 4.  Pin Connectors, Friction Pins, Pin Connectors w/Pins, 3L

Pins, Bar, Half Pins, Bars w/Bent Stud, Double Curved Slopes,

Cheese Slopes, Round Plates, Tiles, Round Tiles, Tiles, Plates, Cones,

Translucent Cones, Round Bricks, Pneuma-Ts, and Minifig Harpoons.

Build.  Frame (2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W).  [Systems

are Light Bley], and two 1 Hit pieces of Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)

Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Over.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)

If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)

Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)

Score: +5 (B+).  It has some useful pieces, and plenty for terrain, but not enough of the really useful bits we all want.  The score for the price I paid is +20 (A+).

Review: Sembo 730012 Famous Car Formula 1 Racer

I went to the opening of a new Teso Life store in Boston a while back in hopes that they would have a selection of clone brick sets from different manufacturers.  And did they!

Box.  MSRP is $2.99, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1. Plates, Mudguard Plates, Axle Plates, Inverted Tiles, Studless Slope,

Corner Tiles w/Stud, Corner Plates, Pentagonal Tile, Tile, Long Cheese

Slopes, Large Cheese Slopes, Extra Long Cheese Slopes w/Cutout, Double

Studless Slope, Brackets, Bar Plate, Clip Plate, Double Wedge Studless

Slope, Plate w/Studs on Side, Tires, Rims, and Translucent Wedge w/Cutout.

Parts 2.  Plates, Tile, Wedge Tiles, Door Rail Plates,

Corner Cheese Slopes, Cheese Slopes, 1x1x1.5 Bricks,

Quarter Circle Tiles, Corner Panels, and Brackets.

Build.  IO Cruiser and HVA.

 

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  I bought this mainly for the Olive Green but there are some neat new parts in the set.

Review: Make-It Blocks Train

This is the last set for Make-It Blocks review week and the last set of the new release.

Box.  MSRP is $1.75, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Parts List.

Parts.  Plates, Round Tiles, Corner Plates, Corner Tiles, Axle Plates,

Jumpers, Cheese Graters, Tile w/Studs on Ends, Cheese Slopes, Double

Studless Slopes, Brackets, Bricks, Round Brick, Tires, and Rims.

Build.  IO Frigate (1B {ram prow} 2W).  [System is Yellow.]
   

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  There are some decent parts but I feel like this is the weakest of the new sets.

Review: Make-It Blocks Garbage Truck

We're at the mid-week point on the reviews for the final sets from the new release.

Box.  MSRP is $1.75, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Parts List.

Parts.  Tiles, Curved Slope w/Cutout, Mudguards, Plates, Axle Plates,

Bricks, Headlight Bricks, Bricks w/Stud on Side, Studless Slopes w/Cutout,

Grille Tiles, Double Curved Slopes, Corner Plates, Tires, and Rims.

Build.  Frame (2Rd+d8 {gun pods}).  [Systems are Light Bley.]

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  Plenty of SNOT bricks and, as before, I like the Bright Green.

Review: Make-It Blocks Truck

Let's start a new Make-It Blocks review week and try to finish out the newest series.

Box.  MSRP is $1.75, for a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Parts List.

Parts.  Plates, Axle Plates, Tiles, Brick, Tiles w/Studs on

Edge, Grille Tile, Translucent Plate, Round Tiles, Brackets,

Corner Panels, Panels, Translucent Brick, Headlight Bricks,

Studless Slopes w/Cutout, Tires, Corner Plates, and Rims.

Build.  IO Frigate (2W).

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  Plenty of Round Tiles, and a couple of other parts, in this one.

Review: Brickcraft 72453 Candy Cars Hersheys Milk Chocolate Racer Polybag

So I was going to continue on with the new Make-It Blocks sets but I ran into a bunch of new to retail Brickcraft sets at my local Newbury Comics so I'm switching to them instead.  Let's do a week of Hershey's set reviews.  Now I know that the proper name for this line is Hershey's but "Candy Cars" sounds so much better.  So there.  Also the packaging is a polybag with a resealable top.

Bag.  MSRP is $6.99, for a $0.10 Price per Piece.  I paid

$9.99 at Newbury Comics for a $0.14 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Translucent Windscreen.

Parts 2.  Printed Tile, Printed Mudguard, Plates, Studless

Slope, Mudguard, Axle Plates, Tile w/Studs on Edge,

Double Studless Slope, Bricks, Slopes, Curved Cheese

Slopes, Inverted Tiles, Candy Bar Tiles, Tiles,

Lampholders, Bar Plates, Transparent Round Tiles,

Inkwells, Bar Studs, Translucent Stadium Tiles,

Clip Tiles, Brackets, Grille Tile, Rims, and Tires.

Build.  IO Heavy Escort Frigate (2Rpd+d8/2W).

[Systems are Light Bley and Color-Tagged.]

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  At.  (+0)

  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have

  parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +15 (A).  The Candy Bar Tiles are pretty neat.  The homogeneity of colors in this set could prove useful if someone was looking to build in Dark Brown or Dark Bley.  The score for the price I paid is +5 (B+).  Overall, I'm not sure which set I prefer.  Although there is one more I haven't reviewed yet.  I find it interesting that the Bar Studs in all three sets are the same color.