Subject:
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Review of Best-Lock 6204 Whiteskull Pirate Ship
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands
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Date:
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Wed, 2 Feb 2000 04:35:20 GMT
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Viewed:
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2744 times
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Set: 6204 Whiteskull Pirate Ship
Mfr: Best-Lock
Pcs: 800
MSRP: unknown
Price paid: $51 on eBay
Minifigs: 6
Colors: brown, grey, red, yellow
This set builds a decent pirate ship. Also included is a small hut and
cannon emplacement, and a horse drawn cart.
The instruction book is nicely laid out, showing giving a parts list for
each step, and showing the results of previous steps in light grey so you
can easily see where the new parts are added. Repetitive items are generally
built step by step for the first one, and then greatly simplified for the
next.
The Best-Lock bricks are slightly different geometry to LEGO bricks. Stud
pitch is the same, but where a LEGO brick is 6 units high (stud pitch being
5 units), Best-Lock bricks are 5 units high. Best-Lock plates are half as
high (2.5 units). The studs are somewhat taller. All height units in this
review are in terms of a Best-Lock brick. The underside of the Best-Lock
bricks has dimples on the sides at 1/2 stud pitch, and 2x and wider bricks
and plates have rows of bars running the length between each row of studs.
The design of the underside allows a longer brick to be connected to the top
of a shorter brick with a 1/2 stud offset. Something like the following
picture:
+----+ +----+ +----+
| | | | | |
+-| |----| |----| |-+
| +----+ +----+ |
| | | | | |
+-| |----| |-+
| |
| |
Of course this also works if you put a x3 or longer brick crosswise across a
2x brick.
Another geometry difference is that some parts, like the ratlines and the
rudder hinge are thinner than a rod, meanwhile other parts are rod size
(rods being 1 unit thick). The cart wheels attach to a pin which is thicker
than a rod, but thinner than a Technic pin (which is 3 units thick, the same
diameter as a stud).
Brick grip tends to be not as good as LEGO bricks, but sometimes can be
pretty tight (I had to use a brick separator a couple times).
The instructions start off with construction of the hut and gun emplacement.
This construction is built on a green 10x20 plate. Green steps lead up to a
grey bridge. Across the bridge, a brown hut, 6x8 studs sits. The hut is open
on 2 sides, and filled with a 1x4x6 yellow diamond grid window. The window
piece is interesting, having beveled sides so 4 of them can be formed into a
4x4 square. The grid size is very large though. The bars of the grid are
about the thickness of a rod, and the grid basically consists of 2 Xs. A
peaked roof is made of 2 brown 6x8 plates. Black 1x4x3 stepped slope parts
similar to the LEGO 1x3x3 part support the roof, but with a less steep
pitch. The gun emplacement sits on a green hillock and is composed of 2
2x2x2.5 macaroni bricks flanking a 2 stud wide gun slot. Behind the
macaroni's stand two 1x1x3 posts to extend the wall back a bit. The gun is a
red cannon barrel with a tube on the bottom (no gun carriage). The cannon
doesn't look nearly as good as a LEGO cannon, has no capacity to shoot, and
red is just not a good color. Behind the cannon, a yellow 1x1x1.5 cylinder
with stud w/hole supports a red flagpole and triangular flag (one piece)
with yellow printing of a flame or something. In front of the gun
emplacement are two small pieces of foliage which are larger than the LEGO 3
stem flower stem, but smaller than a prickly bush. They aren't designed to
stack. Beside the hut stand two palm trees. The trunk sections (no base) are
brown 1x1x1.5 cylinders with a ringed pattern (they look decent). The stud
is a little knob which allows the trunk to bend. The trunk is topped by two
3 leaf clusters (as opposed to a fork and 4 individual leaves). The 3 leaves
are different lengths, and the clusters are stackable (stacking 4 on a tree
makes for a fairly thick top, since the clusters attach with 1 stud, they
can be rotated to any angle). The trunks are a little too floppy and
fragile.
The cart is next. It is very simple. A brown 6x8 plate forms the bed. Two
wheels are attached using 1x2 plates with axle sticking out the side. The
tongue is made of several plates, and a seat makes room for the driver. The
harness is two parts which are bent rods with some pins which stick into 1x2
plates with side clip (for vertical rod) on the cart, and stick into the
clips on the saddle of the horse. The horse saddle is similar to a LEGO one,
though the horse has sides which come all the way up with a 1x2 hole in the
top of the horse (as opposed to the LEGO horse with a 1x2 slot through the
horse. Two yellow 1x1x1.5 cylinders support another pair of red triangle
flags on the back of the cart.
The next item is two rowboats and 4 treasure chests. The yellow rowboats are
one piece and have a divider across the width about halfway back. A red seat
(interestingly different from the one on the cart) sits in back. Two red
oars are supplied. The boat doesn't have tubes (or slots) on the bottom. The
chests are built with a brown 2x4 brick, with 2 2x2 plate with rounded
extension on top (sort of like the LEGO 1x1x1.3 rounded top brick with side
plate, but skip the part sticking down, with a 2x2 on top. What you end up
with is a shape the same as the LEGO 2x4x2 brick with rounded ends (which is
used in some 3+ Freestyle sets as people/creature heads and torsos). This
rounded piece is more versatile than the LEGO rounded top pieces since it is
only the height of the rounded part.
Finally comes the ship. The ship is made of a brown bow, stern, and 2 center
sections. The center sections are exactly the same as LEGO ones, except for
the differing height. They are 8x16 studs. The bow and stern sections look
the same as LEGO ones from the bottom, but they don't have a top part giving
a stud surface. Instead, a special black deck plate (different front and
rear) go on top. The base of the bowsprit is also built in instead of being
made of inverse slopes. The stern doesn't have openings in the rear. The
sides also aren't stepped where they join with the center sections.
The top part of the head (the part that sticks out the front, below the
bowsprit) is built of of black inverse slopes (which are 1x3 with a step at
the back like thus:
___
\ |_
\___|
and grey slopes. It sticks out far more than any of the LEGO ships. The
bowsprit is a mast plugged into a 2x2 hinge plate (like the LEGO 2x4 hinge
plates, or a pair of 1x2 plate hinges). The hinge plate doesn't stick well.
Just behind the bowsprit is a little forecastle, and on that is the ships
wheel (WAY out of place!). Two cannon point forward on either side of the
forecastle. This is definitely the weakest part of the ship design wise. Two
anchors (hmm, TLC, how come we only get one, two is more appropriate) hang
from under the deck plate (ok, so instead of an anchor rope or chain,
there's a 2nd anchor).
Next comes the foremast (the Skull's Eye Schooner is the only LEGO pirate
ship with 3 masts plus bowsprit). The masts are similar to LEGO masts, but
the hollow faces the starboard side instead of the stern). The yards attach
to rods on the mast with clips on the yards instead of rods on the yards
and holes on the masts. This is a little more flimsy. The black ratlines are
a thin rubbery material (which look better, but minifigs can't hold on). The
mast and yards are brown (did I say this set has lots of brown?). The top is
a little circular basket instead of TLC's octagonal plate. The sails are a
thin plastic, but stiffer than vinyl. The foremast doesn't stay on very
well. A triangular jib is hung from the foremast and the bowsprit, but it is
aligned long side down instead of short side down. When I actually finish
rigging the ship, I need to re-arrange this.
Amidships is a cargo area with 4 barrels, which are made of red 1x2x2 half
circle plates and yellow 1x2x2.5 half cylinders. The bulwarks have clips for
the armory and shields (say what?). There are no cannon amidships.
Next comes the mainmast. The sails on the mainmast are actually larger (the
maintop is the same size as the forecourse [lower sail], and the maincourse
is larger). The mainmast stays on better (I think this is mostly because of
a better platform, it sits on the stern deck section as opposed to the
formast sitting half on the bow deck and half on a raised platform above the
maindeck.
Next come two gun emplacements that are similar to the one beside the hut,
but have a small deck above with a small railing made of two rows (red
topped by black) of 1x2 plates and 2x2 macaroni plates (cool, TLC, let's
have a macaroni plate!). I call these gun emplacements because they don't
look like anything I've ever seen on a sailing ship, more like on a WWI
battleship or something.
Finally comes the sterncastle. It sits above a small cabin, which has two of
the 1x4x6 grid windows in the stern, and two 1x4x3 shuttered windows in
arched openings on the side. The front is open, supported by an arch (all
the arch pieces are 1x3x2 half arches, with a plate height step in the
back - relatively similar to the LEGO 1x5x4 half arch, but only a single
step). The sterncastle itself has 3 yellow 1x6x2.5 railings (which look real
nice). Across the stern, a curved rail is built, and two red lanterns
(which are a single piece, which look decent, and are square). The
mizzenmast caries a single sail (the same size as the fore topsail).
Each mast is topped by a red square flag with an eagle. The ship is crewed
by 6 men. The minifigs are similar to LEGO, but the torso fits onto the legs
with little clips. The head is a little larger (and the pin is larger than a
stud by a smidgen). The top of the head is hollow, and the hats have a large
pin (essentially a tube, though the diameter is a smidgen larger, so a LEGO
tube doesn't fit tightly). It's a little harder to plug the minifigs feet
onto studs.
The captain is red, with a collared shirt, belt with knife, and a bandoleer.
He has a moustache and stubble face with an eyepatch. He wears a brown
bowler (which almost covers his eyes). Three of the crew are white torsos
with black legs. They wear a black striped shirt with a white shoulder belt.
They have smiley faces (which look goofier than TLC's smiley, probably
because the eyes are larger). They wear a red hat which is some kind of felt
cap, but almost looks like an Asian straw hat. The last two crew are grey
torsos with blue legs. They wear an open coat over a striped shirt (similar
to the blue LEGO pirates with the striped shirt). The wear a moustache and
beard (the least goofy looking of all the faces). They wear blue felt hats.
For accessories, 6 red pistols and 6 red rifles are included. The pistols
are a little smaller than TLC's, but still look decent (except for color).
The rifles look more like wild west rifles (and are ugly red). 4 shields are
triangular and 2 are round, and all emblazoned with an eagle.
Overall, the ship looks good, and holds together fairly well. Due to the
longer head and bowsprit and the sterncastle overhanging the stern, the ship
actually is longer than a Black Seas Barracuda, and as long as a Skull's Eye
Schooner if you don't count the davits on the SES's stern.
Since this is a used set, I'm not sure about the extra bricks which came
with it. There are easily 20-30 extra brown bricks, 3-0-40 grey, a handful
of black and 10-15 red. There are about 10 each of grey and black 2x3 plates
and a couple other plate sizes, plus a couple extra tiles. There are also a
bunch of extra grass/bush plants and a scattering of other extra bricks.
Since my interest in the pirate theme is mostly due to Steve Jackson's
pirate game, I'll discuss the ship from that perspective. While the ship
tricks out at as long as a BSB or SES, I would still classify it as the
class 6 which corresponds to the hull sections used. It's castles are less
substantial and much of the extra length is due to a long head and bowsprit.
The guns definitely need to be re-worked, and it would be best to replace
them with LEGO cannon (too bad they didn't include one more cannon, then
there would be the 6 it's allowed to carry). LEGO minifigs can stand on the
Best-Lock studs without any problem, so the crew can be supplemented with
LEGO minifigs. The ship is definitely somewhat more fragile, and players
should be asked not to pick it up (they shouldn't be picking up the larger
LEGO pirate ships either, if you pick them up the wrong way something will
give there also). The ship could probably be built a little more sturdy
(much of the problem I was noticing as I was handling the ship for this
review is that the stern deck section doesn't hold very well. and the only
thing which holds the stern on is a pair of 2x4 bricks on the bottom, and a
pair of 2x3 slopes on the top (TLC's stepped bow and stern sections allow
for a much sturdier connection. Fortunately, I have enough bricks to improve
things.
Frank
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