One returning castle in the latest round of the BrickLink Designer Program serves up a LEGO lesson for all of us – even its designer.
Back for a third swing at things in Series 9 of the crowdfunded program is moccermommy’s Scarlet Bastion, a deep red castle initially submitted for consideration in Series 7 and then Series 8. It didn’t make the cut on either of those occasions, but the designer has taken the chance to make a handful of tweaks to the model for each new series – and the changes for Series 9 might just be the best yet.
That’s thanks not only to the considerations the designer has given to the build, but also by dint of its timing. Each new series of the BrickLink Designer Program brings a fresh part palette to the table for fans to use, based on the pieces that are currently in production (or will still be in production by the time the set eventually ships, which for Series 9 is March 2027).
The part palette for Series 9 includes the debut of the Griffin Knights and Kraken Warriors from this summer’s 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, which gave moccermommy the perfect opportunity to anchor their unique fortress to a current faction. Previous versions included generic knights with blank armour and plain shields, but the Griffin Knights’ silver and dark red colour scheme is an ideal match for the Scarlet Bastion.
Other changes only made possible by newer elements include replacing the blue birds with LEGO City’s pigeons, and adding a greater degree of curvature to the arches on the lower level. These are slightly smaller touches, but also go hand in hand with wider design improvements such as making the furniture removable for better accessibility and playability. You can find a full list of changes outlined by moccermommy on reddit.
While the Scarlet Bastion offers something unique for LEGO Castle fans used to building in shades of grey, it’s fair to say it might not have had quite the same impact if it had entered crowdfunding in Series 7 or 8 as it would if it gets the green light in Series 9. The hook to the Griffin Knights gives it stronger visual identity, while the tweaks made between each series have made it progressively more detailed and cohesive.
There’s a big takeaway here, and it’s really a two-parter. First is that continuing to iterate on a design can yield significant improvements, which probably isn’t the kind of revolutionary gospel you’ll now go and shout from brick-built rooftops. But second is that you never know what might be possible within the BrickLink Designer Program in future series, or what the LEGO Group is going to bring to the table in future part palettes.
The key to perfecting your design might be just around the corner – even if it’s not possible this time, or even if you didn’t know it needed it. (Who could have foreseen the Griffin Knights elevating the Scarlet Bastion so well back in Series 7?) If your Series 9 submission doesn’t make it to crowdfunding this time, well, just wait to see what Series 10 or 11 has in store…
The Scarlet Bastion is just one of more than 400 submissions vying for your attention in Series 9 of the BrickLink Designer Program. Check out our recent YouTube video for a complete overview of every single design, or head over to BrickLink to vote for your favourites to go up for crowdfunding.
You’ve got until October 17 to cast your vote, and the five finalists will be announced on November 19. Crowdfunding will take place in October 2026.
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