LEGO 7418 Scorpion Palace ~ R.R. Slugger's Orient Expedition Retrospective!

[@RRSlugger]

We finally made it!! Perhaps the greatest rendering challenge my computer has ever faced, it's honestly a minor miracle I was able to make it work in the end. A ton of effort went into this one and I'm not sure it would have been possible without the time afforded to me by the Summer Of Slug. 😊 We'll have a follow-up video soon enough before we prepare to take on Everest! I also want to mention here that because of my current living situation, live streaming just isn't a reality at the moment. I had wanted to live stream building some DreamZzz sets next week, but I don't think I'll be able to make that happen, unfortunately. There will still be videos on the topic soon enough though! Thanks everyone!

[@Mothbean]

After three months in development, hopefully, it'll be worth the wait! I jest, everything from you is great

[@SanderKoenen-lq7bk]

Nice! I was looking forward to this! Thanks a lot!

[@priestking8636]

I got this set finally two years ago. Finally I need only Elephant chase previous set to finish the Orient Expedition collection!

[@priestking8636]

I always played as Sam Sinister chooses what characteristic he is challenging with. He is the attacker and can make the rules. In addition we often played the Sam or other bad guys with other players for fun (with the exception of Maharaja or other Guardiands - they do not want to take shield, but to stop the interlopers). In addition, whean other players rolled a hook, Sam Sinister "teleported" next to them by secret passages or entrap them and coming "later". This gave us a feel of of racing not with our adventurers team, but also with a bad guys OH! And we never added our movement to the dice roll. We just rolled a dice to determine the dystance. So these are our houserules)

[@rumpelpumpel7687]

the effort you put into this video/your videos really shows. I mean, i have no clue about rendering, video cutting and what not, but the sheer amount of content you put into this clip is a special treat. Same for the production quality as far as i can grasp. I appreciate the background info on indian architecture and the provided photos for comparison, the nicely neatly displayed scenes, alternative builts and play-features, the arranged excursion on the cardboard game and the reevaluation of the game rules, as well as your soothing voice explaining away. Also the background music is so subliminal i struggle to properly notice xD yet it ties the whole video together very well!

[@marcelodom5562]

GOD I LOVE THE SUMMER OF SLUG !!!! 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌 SLUG GANG RISE UP!!!

[@Larry-jp1pf]

RAAAH

[@isaac2409]

SLUG GANG 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌

[@RNDMNT]

ITS THE SUMMER OF SLUG 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️❗️❗️❗️❗️

[@Blazearrow]

​@@RNDMNTIt is the summer of slug🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌

[@PureVessel-xw1uy]

SLUG GANG ON TOP 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌

[@Ruune__]

This is one of the older Lego sets I’d love to see remade akin to the Galaxy explorer and Eldorado fortress. This feels like one of the most iconic orient expedition sets

[@PurpleBrickfilms]

That 1x6x2 printed arch is such a fantastic piece. They’ve never printed on an arch like that since, it just makes this set that much better.

[@MistahhMingus]

8:08, on the right, correct?

[@DragonxFlutter]

It'd be cool if these three legs of the journey was given a video with information from people who are knowledgeable about the cultures represented, to talk about what's on display and whether something strays more into inspiration territory than accurate representation. I think that'd be interesting, and a neat way to get in some tangential learning.

[@darkroom0716]

Probably my favorite part of these videos- and I suspect maybe yours as well- are the still shots and the occasional stop motion. I appreciate the time ot takes get these all set up and I gotta tell you it pays off every time. I can just see the sheer *fun* in many of the shots you take. In a way it reminds me of being a kid again, setting up a cool little scene and playing it out.

[@0hellow797]

Absolutely agree, I grew up on stopmotion Lego myself, and it’s always such a treat :))

[@leeprice2849]

I'll say it again the Elephant design is so much better than the new version. Those dinosaur body pieces make it more like lego than the more Duplo like molds we are getting now.

[@RRSlugger]

100%!

[@Lordodragonss]

The DESIGN is more lego, but fact they cheaped out on basic back leg poseability is a huge middle finger. Same with new Brachisaurus that looks great but suffers for same problem.

[@leeprice2849]

@@Lordodragonss I agree the parts developed were limited but Lego could have built off the basic structure with new parts and chose not to.

[@UsuarioUsual7]

When you are based:

[@MaxArceus]

I remember getting this set as a kid after getting my 2nd swimming diploma, I was so thrilled, and it's one of the most memorable sets I ever had.

[@jimmyjoe9135]

Stand back Barbenheimer, we have a new cinematic masterpiece on our hands!

[@thijsvanvilsteren3489]

5:15 I think the reason that they included these pieces is to make the building process easier, because with these tiles it is harder to missplace the white support beam 1 stud too for or too close. But your reason sound a lot more fun!

[@RRSlugger]

That could be! They certainly used to do stuff like that back then. 😊

[@lbricks7631]

I love how Sam Sinister burst through those doors at the end. Now that is comedy.

[@polarwear]

Got Scorpion Palace as a gift from my mom back in third grade. It was one of my favorite sets so getting this video review of it twenty years later on the weekend of my bachelor party is a real treat. Thanks Slugger!

[@RRSlugger]

Congratulations!! 🎉

[@NefashusLP]

My mom gifted me this set at third or forth grade, and I still remember it was 29.99$! I still keep it as a memory in a box. Tho sadly, few parts and the big ball were lost over time

[@the_real_Kurt_Yarish]

That Heroscape mention now has me itching for a Slugger Heroscape video. Fingers crossed for a Summer of Slug miracle!

[@noahthonnard293]

Just played a game of Heroscape yesterday, just about flipped out of my chair when he mentioned it!

[@Loveistheirwholehapp]

The closing song had me jamming out!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! That’s a new one, “Marco Polo” - you can download it for free from the video description, if you like!

[@TheHylianBatman]

I could swear you included that "To Be Continued" just for me! What a lovely set, LEGO really was something else back in the old days! I love that onion dome and look forward to the video on it!

[@victoriaevelyn3953]

I would love to play sluggers version of that game that sounds fun

[@nevomizrachi6282]

17:14 paper does beat rock huh

[@RRSlugger]

Hahaha, it certainly does! 😂

[@jackmoorm]

Slugger that song at the end was KILLER. Glad you gave us the time to soak it in. Phenomenal work as always!

[@RRSlugger]

Thanks! I'm pretty proud of that one. 😊

[@aurorathepuppymoth]

I'm really glad that you chose to rewrite the board game rules, instead of just decrying the game for being too simple or unbalanced. Negative criticism tends to thrive on youtube, so I'm glad that you've remembered the spirit of Lego and 'just imagined' a version of the game that works better for you!

[@ItsYaTrashboi]

half an hour of slugger? hell yeah If may, i'd love to see a recording of the everest session if you can, it looks really fun!

[@thecelestialtoygazer7816]

I hope this doesn't come off too weird, but this series is my safe space. I can, and have, watch these episodes over and over for hours

[@RRSlugger]

That's awesome! I'm happy to hear they can provide you with comfort! 😊

[@thecelestialtoygazer7816]

​@@RRSlugger funniest thing is, I'm just discovering these sets as an adult. These were just before my time so I never had any, so there's no nostalgic attachment

[@BrotherhoodWorkshop]

One of my favorite sets as a kid! It's disassembled in a box in my garage

[@cable78]

Seriusly, the in-depth nature of how you cover every element of a set like this, even evolving the conversation into a escapade of other topics around the theme itself is truly remarkable. These sets were a few years before my time, but I have always had this great interest in classic sets. Growing up playing with older pieces as I got mountains of boxes with used Lego as a kid. I even have a vague memory of coming across this set at a friends house.

[@Slobezero]

Good video with a great set, as for the board game I would suggest using the hook option on skill checks not as an instant failure but as an opportunity for Baron Sinister to interfere. The player rolls a second time but this time with a penalty based on the Baron's relevant skill. This also makes him more relevant throughout the game and more dangerous if he gets items. It does lead to re-rerolling but with a smidge of added tension.

[@RRSlugger]

I’ll try to remember this when we play again! My board gaming group errs on the side of simplicity when it comes to house rules though - eliminating re-rolls and floating modifiers, that sort of thing. 😊

[@zelgadis115]

Seeing someone review the Orient Expedition board game, and actually improve upon the rules, is a childhood dream come true

[@polyshrub]

The fact, that this man, knows that a color, on a face print of the same minifigure is diffrent depending on the year of the set release only speaks on how much he has to love and enjoy lego

[@Thinginator]

Okay the music in this one is especially killer. It's really awesome that you even do the music yourself.

[@garrettmasters7281]

This is so exciting! The scorpion Palace has little to no proper set reviews here on KZbin. And the aftermarket prices for it are absolutely crazy high. So to finally see someone have a really good video on it, with lots of well-written observations and top of the line editing, this was absolutely a treat!

[@brickjawns]

Just got back from a 3 week KZbin break and what a great video to see recently uploaded! Worth the wait, great job!

[@michaelgjrjvebs]

I actually have that foam gold sword from an old trip to Legoland! God knows what box it ended up in but wow that really ignited a memory seeing it

[@farseer2043]

Thank you for this video and the entire retrospective! Orient Expedition is one of my favorite and best LEGO themes: bright, interesting and even a bit educative. I remember how I together with friends sent the Scorpion Palace by mail to another friend as a present because this was the only Indian set he didn't have. I'm waiting for your Nepal reviews now!

[@narvaliuscore9094]

0:26 Always brave the good ol' Dr. Kilroy XD

[@Nadiki]

WOOOO YEAH SUMMER OF SLUG BABYYYYY!!! I know this one was long-awaited and had a ton of work put into it, I hope you had fun making it!

[@john_michael97]

I’ve always believed that the best kind of historical fiction is the kind that makes you actually want to learn about the real history, and I think these sets are fairly successful in that aspect

[@RRSlugger]

Well put! I agree! 😊

[@instinctart2548]

This is one of the most atmospherecal set of its time.

[@5days5hearts25]

I've only seen the thumbnail and it's already a masterpiece.

[@AsterBTT]

Love the set, love the play-by-play of the game, love the additions and changes you've suggested, but most of all, LOVED the ending. Can't wait to see how our intrepid crew deals with Sam Sinister's Stand, 『THE LEGO WORLD』.

[@n00bplayer72]

17:15 probably the most extreme application of "Paper beats Rock" I've ever seen

[@PlastikowySwiatBennyego]

Oh heck yeah! I've been waiting for your review of this set. Scorpion Palace is one of the most fascinating LEGO products of 2003. I still remember my feeling when I've saw it in catalog for the first time. It was so different than my beloved Castle sets, still castle, but from India, build in different style, and that was so awesome! Thank you for one more extremely detailed review, you're the best Slugger!

[@cirlu_bd]

dayum thank you Summer of Slug for allowing our favorite slug to make so much videos so fast ! So glad we can already look at this milestone set !

[@slanphere]

go over the ufo theme next, its pretty unique and well done for its time.

[@anangryhessian]

Great video as always slug! Definitely wasn't expecting a jojo's reference at the end 😂

[@LKitesar]

summer. Of. SLUUUUUUGGGGG!!! also, i love your board game breakdowns. Guiding us through a playthrough and offering alts is rad. Also, cool job having friends that will play a Lego boardgame.

[@yotsuba5181]

the last 5 seconds were so unexpected and honestly made me burst out laughing oh my god

[@print_purist]

You quickly rise to be my new favorite Lego KZbinr. Greetings from Germany 👋🏻

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you from Canada!

[@mattaldridge]

It’s finally here in its 26+ minute glory 🤩🤩🤩 well done!

[@Funky_Player2]

The music that was made for this series is just amazing, Slugger! Everytime it plays I can't help imagining a montage of explorers trekking through mountains and jungles.

[@findat5740]

Finally! My favourite Lego Series of all time! Love to see it featured on the best Lego KZbin Channel! Keep up the great work Slug! :)

[@karatemaster1144]

It’s so cool you did research into the real-world Indian culture for this series. I had this set when I was younger, so you best believe I’m excited to see the Slugger video!

[@loreescape47]

Woo, what a video--great set review, the alternate builds are back in force, and you even covered the board game and suggestions for improved play! Fantastic!

[@Space-Holiday]

Hi Slugger, I just want to say this video came out the evening before my wedding and it really helped to calm my nerves for the big day, so your channel now has that memory for me!

[@RRSlugger]

No way, that’s amazing!! Congratulations to the two of you! I hope it’s been great ever since! ❤️

[@ErinUre-fl8de]

Woohoo! A Heroscape callout! Great narration of the Orient Expedition game as well, looks like it was a silly fun time

[@vaimantobe3034]

You spoil us Slugger! And this set... it was one of my ultimate childhood sets! I absolutely love your coverage of its grandeur :D The boardgame coverage was also amazing! And the alt model coverage was

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️

[@AnthonyAvon]

This was my first big set. Ah the memories...

[@EpicoNubletto]

Same for me, got it for birthday or Christmas when I was 7. Good times

[@RRSlugger]

It was a birthday set for me as well! 😊

[@sniffleblox2354]

Well worth the wait! I shared my grievances with the lack of architectural detail for this set in the discord before, but those play features have made me see more value in this set - boulders are always very fun! Also loved the board game aspect, you presented it great and it’s nice you had a couple playtesters to have fun with and come up with new ideas. Sounded like a very fun time after your revisions! Finally, that post credits scene was great haha. Hopefully the next phase of Orient Expedition won’t give you as much trouble, due to the smaller sets and you now having a better understanding of how to best play the board game.

[@StarBrickStudios]

I’ve been looking forward to this video, and you did an awesome job on it! Really enjoying your orient expedition series :) The original board game looks like it had a lot of potential, and your additional rules definitely realize that potential and make it look like more fun to play.

[@thatguythatdoesstuff5899]

This was like the first avengers movie. Can't wait for endgame!

[@DonnaxNL]

While I was always fascinated by the boardgame I saw in the catalogues, I never tried to look up how it actually worked and happy my favorite Slug explained it for me xP Also that ending is perfect haha

[@LuketheDuke424]

Man, this video was worth the wait! All the new photography, music, and stop motion was a joy to see; great work! Having recently acquired all of the LEGO Heroica sets for a project I've been working on, the topics of game design have been very present in my mind, so second half of this video definitely hit home for me!

[@RRSlugger]

Nice!! Folks ask me about Heroica every now and then, so maybe in the future I can send them your way!

[@LuketheDuke424]

@@RRSlugger Well my 1 overview video has turned into at least 4 different videos so they'll have plenty to watch! xD

[@daltonmaes5674]

Loved that ending JoJo reference! Absolute gold! ...golden shield that is!

[@barretmusselman9977]

I'd really like to see Lego take another swing at the Boardgame/set combo. Its been nearly 10 years since the last one(i dont count mario or app stuff)and board game design has come a long way. If they could sign on some modern designer and the fact board games are already expensive they wouldn't be limited to trying to get a pricepoint of under $40. They could do a lot more than a simple roll to move or reskinned abstract game. I could imagine A Legacy Campaign game, or a dungeon crawl in an older theme, no license, its not needed. I'm biased as it would bring both my hobbys together but i think it could work.

[@Lordodragonss]

Bro they had whole ninjago series in2020 that had whole gaming system. But I do dream of Heroica - minifig style sets :D

[@gnostechnician]

Last year, I built the 10273 Haunted House creator set with my GF (she's a much more avid Lego fan than me, but I had a ton of fun working on it). With it being Von Barron/Sam Sinister/Slyboots(?)'s manor, it's packed to the brim with throwbacks to Adventures (and a bit of Alpha Team). It's such a joy to watch your retrospectives and see where they all came from!

[@fpga-all-day]

Amazing work as always @RRSlugger! Great job breaking down the board game rules, you could easily run a board game channel

[@LoganFilmStudios]

The clip at the very end made it all worth it

[@dominicamato679]

I'm really enjoying the music you make for your videos, Slug. Also, I loved that ending 👌

[@VestedUTuber]

Hm. You know, the box art for this one seems to imply that the locals are their own faction here, with how Baron Samuel Sinister Von Barron is the one getting chased out of the palace. Doesn't seem like he managed to sweettalk Maharaja Lallu like he did Emperor Chang Wu.

[@RRSlugger]

Definitely depends on the source material! The online comic certainly has the two in cahoots. 😊

[@ryz8]

imagine a Johny Thunder reboot, that would be so cool.

[@calebtuskossmann]

IT IS THE SUMMER OF SLUG WE OUT HERE this is what I’ve been waiting for

[@BigDippas]

This might be your best video so far for this oh so sluggy summer. Great production, pacing, and script.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! A lot of work went into it, that's for sure!

[@MayoHosko]

I’ve never seen anyone explain or play this game before so thanks for doing so

[@empatheticrambo4890]

Man, I wanted this set so badly as a kid. Excited to learn about it through your video!

[@ThatTarkur]

It's finally here beyond excited! Down with a cold rn so this definately made my day

[@GamecubeGeek]

glad I just caught up with the rest of the series over the past couple days!

[@RRSlugger]

Just in time!!

[@colinroberts2060]

I remember obtaining this as a Christmas gift in 2006, nearly four years after its initial release, along with two sets from the Mount Everest wave. The dark orange fences are also near-exclusive to this set, and the red dish on the elephant's howdah has appeared in a total of seven sets over twenty years, appearing most recently in a Sonic the Hedgehog set (76990) released just this month. This set is also the second and final standard appearance of the 1x4x2 fence in white, and the only standard set to have a 2x2x2 nose cone at the top of the palace. I also never knew about some of the rules of the board game until now...

[@digitalunity]

I've been excited to get home from vacation and watch Slugger content again! Always a joy to see an upload. Glad you found a way to make the board game less punishing. I never had any of these sets myself, but while you were explaining the first session of the game, I just had a sinking feeling "this is gonna be a classic case of 'This was an Afterthought' isn't it?" Keep up the good work! (also was that you singing at the end there? I should've expected the music teacher to have pipes, but DANG!)

[@RRSlugger]

Haha, thanks! Yeah, I added a fair bit of vocal layering towards the end there and one big sustained note! 😊

[@lh-tv280]

I'm glad i found this channel, it's reinvigorated my love for Lego and I've really enjoyed your content. Although I'm more of a Power miners fan, so if you could feature any Power miners sets that would be greatly appreciated! Cheers to the summer of slug!

[@Chokun-Gaming]

It's *finally* here!

[@headcrabking9054]

I dropped everything I was doing as soon as I saw that you posted a new video!

[@AClassicBrick]

What an amazing video! I can't wait for the rest of this series! I noticed something with my copy of the set. The two included Dhal shields are different. Bricklink doesn't seem to list this, yet the blue on one of my shields is dark blue while the other is a noticably lighter colour. Now this could be due to printing quality, but it honestly looks to me like something intentional. The dark gray vs dark bluish gray beard can be seen on some other faces as well (for example the "Jedi Bob"/"Mac" faceprint was later released with a gleam in his eye as well as a dark bluish gray beard)

[@jeptha702]

Love this series RR can’t wait for more!!

[@Lordodragonss]

I find this set underwhelming. However it also shows that you can build a solid nice looking structure just with few dozen of well placed pieces. Amazing job on a review. I dont agree with few changes you decided to do but I do love fact you are clearly experienced boardgame player

[@vincentwiddershoven2122]

Thank you for this video R.R. and for all the time you put it to these videos. 👍

[@RRSlugger]

You're very welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying them! 😊

[@thudawed]

I need to see the onion dome video before the summer ends. Exploring part history is some of my favorite stuff you do

[@RRSlugger]

It's definitely an "eventually" project for me; might include discussing Belville and the colour Magenta too! I need to flesh out the script ideas first though.

[@smthnCorny]

Just what I’ve been waiting for

[@soaxiii6214]

One of the things you learn very quickly in game design is that speed is a massive advantage to give to a player. Second, is that when your characters have stats, they all need to matter in an approximately equal way or the least important stats will be an anchor around the neck of whoever has it. I’d be interested to see what you come up with, I remember playing the Himalayan version and it had about the same issues.

[@sestial]

Did I miss set 7417? Also, I thought I heard a bit of Jamie’s soundtrack at 48 seconds? Great work!

[@RRSlugger]

Haha, we haven’t arrived at Everest yet! Still a long ways to go to get there. 😊 And yes! That is an intentional nod to TrikBrix in the music - good ear!

[@sestial]

@@RRSlugger Ah OK thanks! Jaime was the reason I bought some of the adventurers sets and you were the reason I bought some rock raiders sets, all but the HQ. Hard to find these vintage sets here locally in Ontario Canada. Appreciate all your efforts!

[@RRSlugger]

@@sestial Indeed! I'm over here in Calgary, but it can be tough as Canadians to find these old toys locally!

[@MrAgility888]

Great episode, I was looking forward to this for a long time.

[@NIRDIAN1]

Absolutely stellar video on an amazing set!

[@youre_boi6749]

Another banger! I’m glad you were able to finish this video and nothing was damaged after all the problems with the basement mold thing. (I hope that’s doing better btw)

[@Johann55555]

Easily my most anticipated video this year!

[@thecelestialtoygazer7816]

Even outside of the board game context, the cards are a fun bonus collectible. I didn't notice at first, but behind the character/weapon/etc there's a render of the main set of that region (scorpion palace, dragon fortress, etc). I only wish there was some form of binder released to display them when not in use

[@giffordsamuelson2163]

Love this vid. I feel like I’m playing the game vicariously through you

[@freitag424]

Thank you for the feedback over the boardgame! It´s rare to find something on that.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! I'll talk about the Everest one a bit as well when I get there; however, it won't be nearly as in depth as this one was. 👍

[@freitag424]

@@RRSlugger Will you do a combined boardgame with all three subthemes in the end?

[@RRSlugger]

@@freitag424 Yes! That’s definitely a goal of mine. 😊

[@brandonmcginnis2930]

Wife: “What’s that tune your humming?” Me (internally): “Don’t say Summer of Slug. Don’t say Summer of Slug. Don’t say Summer of Slug. Me (out loud): “Uh, it’s the Summer of Slug.” Wife: “…”

[@TheMangaMage]

Great video! Love the Adventurer's line and had a ton of fun with this set as a kid. Never did get around to playing the board game.

[@catfish552]

A pretty cool set, and definitely full of great parts. The printed rug was always my favourite one from this set, even if I never managed to repurpose it for something else.

[@replayplayback1712]

Putting aside the nostalgia (for a set I never owned lol), I’d love to have more Lego sets designed in this style. I would die for a remake

[@M0torsagmannen]

trule a delightful episode, well researched and fun!

[@DampfGecko]

Hooray for Hero Scape!

[@RRSlugger]

YES! Love me some HeroScape! ❤️️