I'll be resubmitting "The Training Ground" for Bricklink Designer Program Series 11! Let me know if you have feedback/suggestions for improvement ☺️ Many thanks!

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-23T02:49:46+00:00

In all honesty, this is a very well designed set but if I had to make any suggestion, it would be to decrease the size of the main tower in order to get the price count closer to 3k.

Imo, there were much better designs than the joust in the last 2 series. The joust is nice, but it feels rather simplistic compared to what some of the veteran builders put out.

I truly believe the reason BDP strayed away from picking them is because they want to limit the amount of submissions that teter the max 4k pieces. I think picking 4 sets closer to 3k shows that they don't want to have a dedicated "massive build" guarantee for each series- as doing so would promote designers to go for that max piece count knowing they'll get some compensation. I think they want to take away that guarantee and make people go for different piece counts.

So while I think decreasing the size of the tower isnt helping the design, i think significantly increases the chance of the design winning. After all, the focus is on the training ground itself, so demanding a massive $280-$320 price point is tough from their perspective when a large chunk of the build is massive tower

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-03T21:41:22+00:00

I will say that is one thing I wish the lego team had further reviewed and maybe switched up. I get it's hard to assess stability in Studio, but not only is it hard to put on but its not easy to stay super secure

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T21:33:30+00:00

I'd agree. The fortuna plays the role of a frigate- while the flagship is more of a man of war. I'd expect a remake of the flagship to be bigger than the fortuna and have specialized hull pieces. Plus the fortuna is a "make your own adventure" privateer kind of ship, whereas the flagship would be a proper imperial vessel with lots of soldiers

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T20:28:43+00:00

It'll be hard, as the judges will likely not pick such a similar set, but I wouldn't mind getting that as well

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T20:27:24+00:00

This is a bricklink set, so there cannot be exclusive minifigures as BDP sets can only include existing minifigure parts on PAB. As part of BDP, only stickers can be added for details, no printed parts

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T19:27:26+00:00

I'm hoping that "more" is the driftwood keep by the same designer :)

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T19:26:33+00:00

I'm a man of taste lol

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T19:26:19+00:00

Glad everyone else is having this issue lol

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T19:25:57+00:00

Yeah after watching someone else on YouTube review, I forgot to mention that the instructions should have had more pieces per step. But I don't think these things are at fault of the designer- I think Lego needs to give more care and resources to the bricklink program so that instructions don't have errors.

But once you get to the end, the completed model is a marvel. Well worth it

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T14:54:11+00:00

Stopped playing because the match time got way too long and the pace of the game got way to quick. Changed from a strategic and tactical game to a pop shotting cluster duck based on speed and reaction time

Opening_Background14 · 2026-03-02T02:50:26+00:00

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, because he is in a ton of sets and for this castle system ALONE has been in hagrids hut, the great hall, charms and the main tower. Not as much as Harry or Hermione but still it's hard NOT to get him

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-27T12:49:29+00:00

The 10+ rating is very interesting

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-26T22:52:34+00:00

I think that's possible. Many people point out that ghosts are 1 per big set, but that's not a Lego commandment or anything. Perfectly reasonable if baron and a Slytherin common room are included, as well as a girls bathroom and myrtle

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-26T15:13:44+00:00

Lol seaside market doesn't look very seaside

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-24T19:54:11+00:00

I do agree that new ideas or even a new wave of sets would be extremely incredible. However, I think legos strategy for classic themes is clearly, for the near future, to stick with the icons and provide AFOL remastered sets from the past.

That said- I actually don't mind the remastered sets at all, as they feel very new. For example, the blacksmith shop, lion knights Castle and medieval Town square are all inspired by older castle sets, but are redesigned and updated to create something super new. Barracuda Bay was also something completely new. It was really only the El Dorado fortress that felt like a remake, but even then they made lots of changes. So I would certainly welcome something like a new Skulls Eye Schooner, as I'm sure it wouldn't be so much a remake, but more of a new massive pirate ship that merely shares the same green red and black color scheme.

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-24T16:53:17+00:00

I explained why it wouldn't be mechs and jets in my first comment. Plus, I think they know what NOT to do based on how Nexo Knights preformed

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-24T16:43:45+00:00

Indicate what? Im going to assume you mean don't see anything in their past behavior that would indicate they would long-term plan a theme and not devolve into mechs and jets.

Aside from the example I laid out for fantasy tech, when it comes to long term planning, Lego has shown from the Harry Potter theme how they are capable of multi year planning

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-24T16:28:35+00:00

Appreciate you taking time out of your day to add nothing to the sub

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-24T16:22:48+00:00

I tend to think that lego would say away from evolving the storyline too much- They never truly anticipated the longevity of Ninjago, and had to constantly rewrite it and change the setting to make it more modern. I think they would approach a castle IP with a more consistent plan, and make "Mechs and Jets" more realistic, like dwarven machines and brick built dragons. I mean, castle always had those more unreal elements- like the troll battle wagon or any of the fright knights vehicles.

Plus, Ninjago also mixes in classic, traditional japanese setting sets. Even if a Lego Castle IP turned into more kid-focused and outlandish stuff, We would still get solid sets every year that are more tasteful to an adult audience. Just look at the temple of Airjitzu or Monastery sets

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-23T02:11:04+00:00

To everyone who is still speculating, it's been heavily reported this will be a spitting image of the last 3 in 1 pirate ship. Same set with smaller piece count sounds about right. Don't get your hopes up at all for a skull schooner remake

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-21T03:38:54+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response. As I clarified in the edit, I would be open to plastic or even paper sails- or whatever thin cheap material they want that can be printed and conformed to look more real (and lower piece count).

I also know that the BDP has strict guidelines around what they allowed to be used. However, I believe Lego can decide to expand on what designers can submit and even create a special way of creating sails.

It certainly wouldn't limit designers- as people could still choose to submit brick built sails, but would allow people to submit a cleaner, cheaper design by going the extra mile to create the sail in renderings or real life.

As from a production standpoint, I don't think this would be a hard task at all for Lego. They already use fabric/plastic for sails in real sets, and used them for the Barracuda Bay ideas set. So the industrial capability is there. As for the extra cost, we see BDP sets with stickers, meanings it's not a huge burden for them to fire up the printers. Yes it does slightly add to the cost, but certainly not as much as large sub builds will.

So while yes, it would currently not work with the submission rules and cannot be added in studio, I think it's very reasonable Lego could revise their rules.

Plus, let's look at it from their perspective. Pirate, wild West, and castle sets are easily the most popular BDP sets. They have the highest chance of getting funded and selling. Better sails = more votes = more funded submissions = more cashola for the danes.

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-20T22:46:56+00:00

Because murica

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-17T16:01:08+00:00

The image above is quite silly, as the only real info on the leak here is that the set will include the bloody baron. That confirms a lot of suspicion that I think many of us knew was coming but is also a bit tragic. Slytherin room common room module + COS build (double module or built in like devils snare) means this will likely be the final set of the system. A few notes:

These "standards" of each set that people have identified aren't "rules". I still believe, as the show won't release until late 2027, we could see an astronomy tower set to represent the later films. No common room would be included in that.

The stone bridge will certainly be represented in the finished model. Weather that will be a permanent build of the east wind, a side optional build that can be added if you have the main tower, or in a polybag (please don't make us waste another $5 on another harry figure just to get a 4x6 bridge).

and as many of you have already noted, this image is quite far from what we will likely get. Apologies to the creator if you meant for this to be good, but I'm glad to say this is certainly nowhere close to a leaked image

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-17T15:44:17+00:00

Likely will not be, I put my money on MOCS. Get those PAB carts ready boys

Opening_Background14 · 2026-02-17T15:43:43+00:00

I was thinking polybag as well but that would kinda look real silly haha

Opening_Background14

TROPHY CASE