Terrain Workshop: Trees 23

These are actually some of the earliest trees I made.  (The first version is just over eight years old.)  But since the core part, the Technic Rotor Plate, is now available in Dark Brown as of 2021 -- and I've been looking at these again because of Dinosaur Planet playtesting -- I'm going to make a few more revisions that will hopefully make these look better.  These changes will also, finally, remove all of the Light Bley parts that just looked so weird in the initial designs.

Large Triple Tree
30176 Plant Brick, Round 1x1 w/3 Bamboo Leaves (x3)
2423 Plant Leaves 4x3 (x3)
6148 Plant, Tree Palm Leaf Small 8x3 (x3)
32125 Technic, Plate Rotor 3 Blade w/Smooth Ends & 6 Studs (Propeller) (x2)

31183 Carrot Top/Twig (x1)
4286 Slope 33 3x1 (x3)
2339 Brick, Arch 1x5x4 - Continuous Bow (x3)
3005 Brick 1x1 (x6)

3023 Plate 1x2 (x6)

This is 6 Hits and is 16 feet tall and covers a circle 60 feet across in 6P scale.  If you want this design to be a little more frangible you can remove the 4x3 Plant Leaves and the Bamboo Leaves which brings it down to 5 Hits.

Small Triple Tree
30239 Plant Leaves 6x5 Swordleaf w/Clip (x3)
32125 Technic, Plate Rotor 3 Blade w/Smooth Ends & 6 Studs (Propeller) (x2)

24855 Plant Flower Stem w/Bar Holder, Bar, and 3 Stems (x1)
3040 Slope 45 2x1 (x3)
13965 Brick, Arch 1x3x3 (x3)
3005 Brick 1x1 (x6)

This is 3 Hits and is 11 feet tall and covers a circle 40 feet across in 6P scale.  Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.

Some of the things I like about these designs is that they cover a fair amount of real estate, they're pretty sturdy, and they provide cover from multiple directions.  So along with being attractive they're useful as well.  I hope I've given people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 22

These aren't really trees.  Well maybe they are.  Technically Giant Bamboo is a member of the grass family and can reach heights of 140 feet.

This build is fairly simple.  Three of Plant Stem/Stalk w/Bar, Bar Holder, & Hollow Stud and three of Plant Stem w/Bar, 3 Leaves, & Small Pin Hole mounted on an Inkwell.  Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.

Each stalk is 1 Hit and is 14 feet tall and 9 feet across in 6P scale.  This design is fairly versatile, kind of like bamboo itself.  You can space them out in a row to form a simple wall.  You can angle that wall across a few plates.  Both wall versions aren't that tough to get through.  You can also pack them tightly together to make a clump which will take several Hits to destroy.  I hope I've given people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 21

After close to 30 reviews, let's get back to building terrain.  I was inspired to build these after I saw a new part in the Super Mario/Donkey Kong sets.  Working downwards we have two 6x5 Plant Leaves attached to a Brick w/Studs on 2 Opposite Sides on top of a Friction Pin that connects to two Long Arms w/Technic Pin & Pin Hole.  This is six pieces which is 1 Hit and it is 20 feet tall in 6P scale -- measured from where it connects to the base -- and is roughly 27.5 feet across from branch-tip to branch-tip.

The base is a Brick w/Pin Hole, 2x2 Brick, 2x2 Inverted Slope, 1x4 Brick, and two Curved Slopes 2x1x2/3.  this is also 1 Hit but it doesn't make the Height Minimum for Cover.  Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.

There are only five of the Long Arm w/Technic Pin & Pin Hole parts, over two sets, available in Reddish-Brown right now so this will probably be a limited and expensive build for the time being.  It does have a fair amount of posability, which might make it worth it.  I hope I've given people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Review: 30679 Venom Street Bike Polybag

I found a few more polybags at a local Target.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.09 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts.  Double Inverted Slope w/Cutout, Plates, Tires, Wheel

Forks, Curved Slope w/Studs & Wing End, Brackets, Rims, Stud

Shooters, Smooth Slopes w/Cutout, Hinge Brick Top, Tooth Plate,

Curved Slope, Rounded Plates, Bar Plate, Studless Slopes, Lamp-

holders, Bar Studs, Cheese Slopes, Round Plates, Cheese Graters, Stud

Shooter Triggers, Hinge Brick Base, 3L Pins w/Stop, and Flame/Waves.

 

 

Build.  Battlebike (2Rd+d8 [guns] 2Rh+d8 [blades] 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+).  A plentiful amount of useful parts and a fun build.

Review: 30683 McLaren Formula 1 Car Polybag

I found a few more polybags at a local Target.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.09 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts.  Minifig Stand, Plates, Wedge Plates, Large Jumpers, Tiles,

Studless Slopes, Axle Plates, Tires, Rounded Plates, Jumpers, Round

Tiles, Rims, Clip Plate, Transparent Plates, Wedge tiles, Wedge Studless

Slopes, Brackets, Quarter Circle tiles, and Minifig Crescent Blades.

 

  

Build.  Frame (2Rd/1Y).  

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+).  This will make a decent starship as well -- I did so while breaking the build down for sorting -- but I feel like the parts are a little too specialized to make something really good.

Sales Alert

 Target is running a 20% off Select Lego sets sale this week.  This is an in-store sale for once and has a good cross section of choices.

The Star Wars Mech Armor sets are included in this sale which finally brings two of them to a reasonable price.

Also, I saw this recently on a visit to my local Lego store.

That's a really nice combo.

Good hunting.

Review: 30672 Minecraft Steve and Baby Panda Polybag

I found this in my local Stop & Shop along with other polybags I've already reviewed.  It was in the Seasonal section but I'm not sure if it was a late Easter placement or meant for some sort of post-Easter holiday.

Bag.  I paid $6.99 for a $0.20 Price per Piece.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.14 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts.  Plates, Minecraft Panda Head, Padlock, Lampholder,

Bricks, Travis Brick, Large Jumper, Tiles, and Clip Plate. 

  

Build.  Two 2 Hit pieces of Cover, or two Stations, or a Station and a piece 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?  Above.  (-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?  No.  (-5)
Score: -5 (B-).  It's an interesting set, I may try to do something with the Panda head, but in my opinion it doesn't live up to prior Minecraft polybags.

Battle Report: Dinosaur Planet 1 (Anatomy of a Playtest 3)

A year and a three quarters has passed since the last time I tried to playtest my "Dinosaur Planet" ruleset.  I've actually sold this ruleset as an ashcan in the intervening time at PAX Unplugged.  We had three players this time and this was also the first time it's been used in a full sized game.

Tom (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 42 points.
   Blue Hammer -- 2Rd/2B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   White Anvil -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1Y/2W.
   Yellow Anvil -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Anvil -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.

Phungkyjams (5 Frames & 19 Systems) = (4 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 28 points.
   Red Anvil -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1Y/2W.
   Blue Hammer -- 2Rd/2B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Lime Closer -- 2Rh+d8/2Rd/1B/2W + SSR (x2).
   Yellow Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.
   Orange Static Warrior -- 2Rh/1B/1Gd8/1Y/2W.

Me (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 21 points.  (Quattros)
   Purple Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W + SSR.

   Green Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Red Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.

   White Walking Target -- 2Rd+d8/2Ra+d8/2W.

This is what the table looked like at the start of the game.

Events of Round 1 (DDC@11): Tom captures Phungkyjams' Dog station before the game starts. My Green frame hits the tree in front of Tom's Yellow frame for 1 then moves along the edge of the battlefield towards a Small Triple Tree.  Phungkyjams' Red frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1, Station Dance. Phungkyjams' Yellow frame hits Tom's Orange frame for 1, Station Dance. Tom's Orange frame hits Phungkyjams' Blue frame for 2. My White frame takes a couple steps to its left and hits Tom's White frame for 1 and his Orange frame for 1, Station Dance.

Tom: 49 points.
Phungkyjams: 24 points

Me: 21 points.

Events of Round 2 (DDC@9): The Triceratops gores the Tyrannosaurus Rex for 1. Phungkyjams' Red frame hits Tom's Orange frame for 1. Tom's Yellow frame hits the tree in front of my Orange frame for 1. My Orange frame hits Tom's Blue frame for 2 in response. My Orange frame then runs forward and captures Phungkyjams' Dog Station that was under Tom's control. My Green frame tucks in closer to the Small Triple Tree then hits Tom's White frame for 2, Station Dance. Phungkyjams' Yellow frame moves closer to his Carrot Station and hits Tom's Blue frame for 3, Station Dance.  Phungkyjams' Lime frame hits Tom's Blue frame for 2, destroying it.  Phungkyjams' Lime frame then moves to the center of the battlefield and captures Tom's Station.  My Red frame hits Phungkyjams' Yellow frame for 1 with a SSR then moves closer to the center of the battlefield.

Tom: 28 points.

Phungkyjams: 28 points.

Me: 24 points.

Events of Round 3 (DDC@6): One of the Dilophosauruses spits at the Triceratops for 1 then runs off the battlefield.  Tom's Yellow frame hits the tree in front of Phungkyjams' Blue frame for 1.  My Purple frame slashes Phungkyjams' Lime frame for 2.  Phungkyjams' Lime frame hits my Purple frame for 2 in response.  Phungkyjams' Orange frame hits my White frame for 3.  Tom's Orange frame hits my Orange frame for 2, Station Dance.  Tom's Orange frame then trundles backwards and captures my Red Station.

Tom: 35 points.

Phungkyjams: 28 points.

Me: 21 points.

Events of Round 4 (DDC@3): Tom's White frame hits my Orange frame for 3.  Tom's Yellow frame hits Phungkyjams' Red frame for 1.  Phungkyjams' Red frame hits Tom's White frame for 2.  The Velociraptor bites my Purple frame for 2.  My Purple frame then jumps to the other side of Tom's Station and punches Phungkyjams' Lime frame for 4, Station Dance.  My Purple frame captures Tom's Station that was under Phungkyjams' control.  My Green frame comes out from the cover of the Small Triple Tree and hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1.  Phungkyjams' Blue frame finally makes it to the corner of the battlefield and captures my Purple Station.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked to zero.

Tom: 35 points.

Phungkyjams: 28 points.

Me: 21 points.

Here are more pictures from during the game and the aftermath.

Round 2

Round 1

Round 1

Round 2

Round 2

Round 3

Round 2

Round 3

Round 3

Round 3

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Round 4

Thoughts & Observations:

• 

  Round 4

  This was a Skirmish.
• We all showed up with the same Frame/System ratio so there was a roll off to determine Defender.
• Then we had another roll off after I opted to add a Frame to my squad.
• Phungkyjams also opted to add a Frame but with less Systems so we finally had our starting Initiative Stack.
• Remember, always have current versions of your playtest documents on hand when executing a playtest.
• Came up with some ideas on Movement and dice decisions for the dinosaurs.
• Still working on where they should activate in the Initiative Stack.
• There wasn't a lot of destruction for this game.
• I dug the Quattros out of storage for this game because I didn't have a new squad ready to go.
• Of course now I want to tinker with them.
• Which I should do because I need more variation in the Systems available for this squad.
• The Damage dice went cold for me in Round 3.
• This game had the least amount of Frames destroyed of any game we've played.
• We had a pretty crazy Attack chain to open the last round.
• Flickr page.