Now that a whole generation has grown up with LEGO as a part of their childhood, a fun new market has been created for nostalgic sets harking back to old LEGO themes, like Classic Castle, Space, and of course, Pirates. Each of these sets has a unique charm, combining the classic colors and playful concepts of the old themes with modern parts and techniques, and the new 10320 Eldorado Fortress is no exception.

As long-time pirate MOCers, my brother Isaiah and I jumped at the chance to “review” this set. Here at BrickNerd, we like getting a bit more creative with the sets that LEGO offers us. Right out of the box, what the Eldorado Fortress screamed to us was story. We’ll get into the specific reasons why this set is so great for storytelling in a moment but first… it’s storytime! (Click the images to enlarge or pinch to zoom if you are on mobile.)

The Swarthy Story of Morgana and… Bob

The Pros and Cons of Storytelling With a Set

So, why is this set ideal for storytelling? Let us count the reasons:

Loads of small play features, including some that make no sense, like a letter hiding in a box in the rocks.
A modular structure that lets you rearrange the fort so no two scenes need be the same.
Two boats plus the fort give good opportunities for a change of scene.

the modular design of this set means you can lay it out in many different ways

The modular feature is the standout of Eldorado Fortress. With five separate sections, there are many options to shift scenes and easy access for a camera in any section.

The set does have some cons, of course:

The fort tends to fall apart if gripped anywhere but underneath. (RIP Raised baseplates.)
There aren’t enough pirates.
…and not nearly enough treasure!

Storytelling with sets is not something we’d done before (since we were kids) and not something we’ve seen many AFOLs do. But this set is made for stories, and if you’ve wanted to do more storytelling with the bricks, I can’t think of a better place to start than Eldorado Fortress!

DISCLAIMER: This set was provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

When did you last tell a story with your LEGO creations or a set? What do you think makes LEGO good for storytelling? Let us know in the comments below!

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