Theme: Pirates
Set number: 6242
Number of pieces: 367
Minifigs: 6
Release date: 2009
Release price: $49.99
I have decided to do a set review on the 6242, Soldiers Fort from the latest Pirate theme which should be available in 2009. I was one of the lucky few to manage to purchase one of the highly anticipated sets, as I lived near the LEGO Imagination Center in USA, Orlando.
If you have intentions of dropping down, be sure to give the center a call to make sure there are enough stocks for you to grab to avoid disappointment. Fortunately, when I reached there, there were many Pirate sets and LEGO enthusiasts taking the new Pirate sets off the shelves. Without further ado, let me get on with this review.
Box-Front:
This is an overall box image of the 6242, Soldiers' Fort
Box-Back:
At the back of the box, it reveals an overview of its accessories and building sections which is the unique playing feature in this set.
Instructions-Front:
This is the front page of the first booklet. I did not take a picture of the second booklet because the only difference is the number at the bottom left hand corner.
Instructions-Middle-Booklet One:
Instructions-Middle-Booklet Two:
Instructions-Comic:
TLG has once again, impressed the younger generations with a nicely illustrated comic. I believe that in every other set, there will be an additional comic script illustrating the playability and imagination of its new Pirate sets.
Stickers:
There were stickers in this set, but I used them. The spider webs in the jail, and the red bricks on the walls are stickers and there aren't any printed bricks in this set except for the flags on the tower.
Minifigures-Soldiers-Front:
The shakos are the main attraction of the Imperial Soldiers. The symbols at the front of their shakos are actually printed with its precise design, representing the pride of the Imperials. Even the Admiral/Commander's torso is well designed.
Minifigures-Soldiers-Back:
When the minifigs are turned behind, the backs are printed with a mini backpack. It's very smart for TLG to do this. I wonder if TLG is cutting down the production of brown bag packs and enforce the soldiers to carry light weight combat material.
Minifigures-Pirates-Front:
The Pirates' torsos are very cool and I really enjoy looking at them. The decals are filled with nice details such as the henchmen's anchor tattoo on his hairy chest and the Pirate Captain vest. The faces are a new addition too. I must admit that I am very impressed with the range of minifigs.
Minifigures-Pirates-Back:
Even, the back of the Pirates are printed. The red buckle at the back seemed to be tight across the Captain's vest.
Animals-Alligator:
Here is a comparison of both alligator designs. On the left, the alligator with the darker tone is the new one, while the one on the right with a lighter shade is the old design.
Animals-Monkey:
Both monkeys look very similar with each other. In fact, the one on the left is the older version while the one on the right is the newer version. You can't really tell the difference from this picture.
Accessories:
These are the accessories that come in the set 6242 Soldiers Fort. The accessories in this set are great! First you have a treasure chest, then two dark brown barrels, two swords, two rifles, two pistols, two keys, dynamite, a fish, a telescope, a banana, and finally a torch. Most of the pieces I mentioned are new to the LEGO theme like the dynamite, the telescope, and the fish, to name a few, and a lot of AFOLS and TFOLS are anticipating these pieces for there MOC's.
Extra pieces:
The extra pieces that come in this set are fantastic! The extra epaullattes and the extra sword is one of the many great things in this set!
Vehicles-boat:
The only vehicle in this set is the original pirate rowboat which contains two paddles, a dark brown barrel, and a pirate flag.
Complete set without minifigures and accessories:
The entire set is pictured above and I think that the fort is a little small and I think it could have been larger, but its still a great set! I'll get into more detail about the set below.
The jail:
This is the jail and it has two little lamps and a jail door so you can "capture" the pirates!
This is the back of the jail and the wall can be removed so the pirates can "escape".
Voila! The jail wall is removed and inside there is nothing but some spider webs.....must be a boring place to stay! :laugh:
This is the top of the jail where the cannon can be seen and fired by the soldiers!
The bridge:
This is the bridge which has a palm tree and connects various structures together. The palm's tree trunk is one piece, upsetting to many AFLOS and TFOLS, and it has a secret to it and you'll have to scroll down to find out the secret!
The secret to the palm tree is that there is a secret compartment housing various colored diamonds!
The shelter:
This has the roof-like structure that holds the dark brown barrel container and the plastic-type flag which has a very nice design IMO.
The tower:
The main attraction to this set is the tower, which houses a crane for transporting goods and three floors of.....nothing.
The tower-First floor:
The first floor of the tower has a barrel which looks like a barrel of keg to drink that most pirates would enjoy!
The tower-Second floor:
The second floor of the tower has a balcony which has an empty room like the room below.
The tower-Third floor:
The highest floor of the tower has a crane which can pick up items needed to transport goods from one boat to another.
This set can be rearranged, so I rearranged it in different postions:
This set is modular! Yes I said it, modular, like the 7094 King's Castle Siege!
Complete set with minifigures and accessories:
This is the complete set. The Captain is holding onto the treasure and the Commander is trying to get him. A soldier is getting eaten by the alligator and another soldier is firing the cannon. Notice: The fire pieces do not come with this set. A pirate is escaping with the help of a monkey and the soldier is persuing him.
Conclusion:
This set is a wonderful set! It has some flaws like, the tower is empty and it doesn't have any furniture. The set doesn't have many pieces for the price, but come on, its pirates! Who cares!
Build: 10/10, I enjoyed building this set very much. It was my first time building a pirate set in 10 years! It wasn't repetive and it was a worthwhile build.
Design: 10/10, This set was designed very well. Nothing comes apart and it is very detailed!
Playability: 10/10, This set is great for playing with! There are unlimited scenarios!
Minifigs: 10/10, The amount of minifigs that come in this set is perfect! I mean, theres soldiers and pirates! It doesn't get better than that!
Price 9/10, It would have been more reasonable if this set was only $39.99.
Overall Score: 10/10, This is a great set that you shouldn't miss out on! I don't care what you have to do to get it!
Oh well, nothing a tiny modding can't fix 
colours
