The Bluecoat line advances!

There is something particularly satisfying about seeing a line of Bluecoat soldiers stretching across the battlefield, bayonets fixed and colours flying.

For this little outdoor photoshoot, I wanted to recreate that feeling of a much larger regiment advancing together — essentially, I wanted to see an ocean of bayonets.

Almost everything you see here is original LEGO. The exception is the muskets and bayonets, which are compatible parts I found on AliExpress. I really like their proportions for this kind of historical scene, especially when dozens of them are lined up together.

The regimental flag is my own reinterpretation of the original LEGO Bluecoat flag design. I reworked the design with a little help from AI, adapted it for a larger banner and then printed it on real fabric. I think fabric makes a huge difference in outdoor photographs, particularly when the flag catches the light and doesn't look completely flat.

Creating a larger regiment with a simple photographic trick
Of course, there aren't actually quite as many soldiers in my collection as you can see in the final picture!
To create the effect, I first arranged two ranks of Bluecoats on the left side of the flag and took the first photograph. I then moved those same soldiers to the right side, changed their positions around a little and took another shot without moving the camera.
Finally, I combined the two photographs in an image editor, using the flag and the soldiers around it as the centre of the composition.

It's a very simple trick, but it allowed me to turn a relatively small formation into something that feels much closer to a proper massed regiment.
And that was really the whole idea behind this photograph: more soldiers, more muskets and an ocean of bayonets!

A Host Beneath the Banners

There is something magical about seeing an army gathered beneath a forest of banners. Every knight, every shield, and every standard tells a story, turning a collection of minifigures into a living medieval host.

This was a fun outdoor photoshoot, and I tried to capture the feeling of a great army preparing for battle. Looking closely, you may recognize a few famous coats of arms and heraldic devices hidden among the shields and banners. Some are obvious, while others might be a little trickier... How many can you identify?

Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments—I would love to see who spots them all!

Next time I'll try to improve the lighting by shooting during the golden hour or slightly reducing the exposure. The bright sky ended up overpowering the scene, and I'd like the banners and heraldry to stand out even more in future photos.

Lion Knights' Castle with real moat

Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with castles surrounded by moats—and in this scene I tried to bring that idea to life. Although this goes beyond a simple moat, turning the castle into a true citadel rising from the middle of a lake.

This second-hand castle was placed inside a large shallow mixing basin (originally used for cement), which allows me to build wide outdoor scenes with real water.

All the knights are original LEGO figures, with custom touches: I painted the armor and helmet visors using Citadel metallic colors, then used a very fine black pen to redefine the helmet holes and add depth.

The banners are handmade, based on Lion Knights heraldry that I adapted in Photoshop, printed on special paper and applied to fabric—just like I show in my tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNARhgPCAU

A Small Review of AliExpress Warhammer Builds - Killa Kan and Death Korps of Krieg

This scene features two non-original LEGO-style builds I recently picked up from AliExpress: an Ork Killa Kan and a squad of Death Korps of Krieg.

The Killa Kan looks great at first glance, but the quality is mixed. On a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give it a 6. Some parts simply don’t fit properly, which makes the build a bit frustrating. The design itself is likely taken from a MOC creator, so in cases like this it’s probably better to support the original designer—buy the instructions and source proper parts from places like BrickLink.
The banner on the Killa Kan is custom-made by me, using an image found online, reworked in Photoshop and printed on fabric.

The Death Korps of Krieg, on the other hand, are excellent. The print quality on the minifigures is outstanding, and the details on the lasguns and equipment are surprisingly sharp. They feel solid, well-made, and visually very close to what you’d expect from high-quality custom pieces.

Overall, a mixed experience: questionable build quality on the mech, but truly impressive results on the infantry.

From Pike to Spontoon

The experiments with my 3D printer continue.

After several attempts, I’ve finally figured out how to make small, meaningful modifications to other designers’ files. Not to overwrite their work, but to subtly adapt it to my own vision and needs.

This time the focus was on 18th-century Redcoats.

I found the perfect cartridge boxes unfortunately they are barely visible in this photograph but they truly make a difference in person. Those small elements are what transform a simple minifigure into a believable soldier.

The flag poles originally started as simple pikes. I added a lateral grip support to make them look more practical and structurally convincing. I then reused the same grip modification on a set of lances, which eventually led me to create several spontoons.

So, what exactly is a spontoon?
A spontoon was a type of polearm carried by infantry officers during the 17th and 18th centuries. Unlike common pikes used by rank-and-file soldiers, the spontoon was both a symbol of authority and a practical weapon. It featured a leaf-shaped blade mounted on a wooden shaft and was often used to direct troops in battle formations while still serving as a functional sidearm.

The regimental flags are the result of a collaboration between artificial intelligence and my own hand.

The initial designs were generated with the help of AI, which provided the heraldic base and compositional structure. I then modified and refined them myself adjusting proportions, enhancing specific details, and tailoring the symbols to better fit the character of the regiment.

They were printed on paper rather than fabric. To achieve a convincing double-sided effect, I mirrored the front design and slightly adjusted the transparency before printing. This allowed the ink to subtly show through once folded, creating the illusion of a proper front and reverse without adding unnecessary thickness.

New Knights in the Camp

New banners rise between the medieval tents I built for this field, and with them new allegiances take form beneath the canvas roofs.

These knights are the result of a long process of assembling, printing, modifying and refining. Some helmets and armor elements were 3D printed from purchased STL files and carefully customized to better match the proportions and character of my Playmobil warriors. Each piece was adjusted, tested, and integrated into the final silhouette of the figures.

But the true heart of these new arrivals lies in their heraldry.

Two of the coats of arms are a tribute to the beautiful work of TableKnight. 

One particular shield is an homage to the distinctive heraldry of Knightly_Lady, whose visual identity immediately inspired me to reinterpret it in Playmobil form.

The knights now stand before and behind the tents, as if awaiting inspection before a campaign. The camp is quiet. Standards are raised. Armor catches the light. The moment feels suspended — that calm breath before movement.

New Video Tutorial — How I Create Fabric Parts for LEGO & Playmobil

Today I’m excited to share my first official video tutorial, dedicated to a technique I discovered almost by accident — one that allows me to create fabric caparisons, tabards, cloaks, and banners for LEGO, Playmobil.

Here is the full tutorial on YouTube

All the designs shown in the video:

caparisons, banners, heraldic patterns will be available here so you can try them yourself or use them as a base for your own creations.

Here are all the tools and materials I used in the video.

Some of these links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you.
It helps support the project and future tutorials.

Tools & Materials:

Heat press (or household iron)

Fabric transfer paper

Large scissors

Small detail scissors

Precision cutter

Silicone sheet (usually included with transfer paper)

Wooden board (to protect the table)

Fabric cloth

Fabric glue

Hole puncher (for creating the neck opening)

If you try this technique, I’d love to see what you make!

Feel free to send pictures, tag me on social media, or share them in the comments — every new creation is another banner raised on our little battlefield of imagination.