The Kraken

From the depths of the darkest sea, comes a monster unknown to most of humankind. A terrifying creature, known only as The Kraken! This sublime cephalopod measures 32 inches or almost a full meter long. It measures 6 inches (or 15 centimeters) tall and its width is mostly the same (minus the tail).

This set has two rowboats with a small team of pirates to fight off this massive monstrosity.

The magnificent Kraken is made up of several different modular sections that total approximately 2,900 pieces, providing a balance of display ability and play ability.

This product took over a year to develop and was created by a team of two: myself and my best friend, whose LEGO account has the username SkullBuilderX. This product was developed as a complete team effort between the two of us.

As for our inspiration, we have to give thanks to Hamster Productions for making the YouTube video:

And so we began designing what would ultimately become the largest project we have ever worked on together. We had the tentacle design down within the first few weeks, and sometimes even we can't believe how long it took to design the body of this behemoth. After many, many, many redesigns, we arrived at a two-piece body: the core and the tail. Originally it would have had a joint in the very middle for articulating, but this proved too difficult to design while keeping the gaps to a minimum. We finished it just in time for Christmas, and here we are.

I think this would be a very welcome addition to the LEGO Ideas collection for several reasons:

1. It's a completely self-contained set that allows for many different stories with multiple outcomes.
   
2. It is built to scale with any previously made LEGO ship, so a fan of LEGO Pirates would squeal at this set. Note that no standard-size pirate ship is included in this set; I am using the LEGO set 70413 (The Brick Bounty) for scale references in the pictures.
   
3. It is a very easy model to display, and while this would not be something you would necessarily "swoosh" through the sky (or ocean), building dioramas is where this set shines. 
   
4. However, this is still super fun to play with and isn't limited to any particular age. It has a wide range of possibilities, as it has the potential to tell a story through stop-motion animation, a diorama, and hands-on play. Given its size and complexity (especially when a pirate ship is added in), the whole family can have a great time.  
   
5. The tentacles are by far the most versatile part of the set, involving seven different points of articulation and also an ability to attach to a stand to make it seem like they are sprouting straight out of the sea, ready to wreak havoc.
   
6. It is incredibly strong in its core. This model can (and should) be held in the same region where the eyes are, which is also where its center of gravity is, and it doesn't even need a dedicated handle. The tentacles never stay static, but you don't have to put a hand under them while carrying the full body. Surprisingly, it's a little lighter than it looks.
   

• A ring of teeth that can be spun remotely; 
  
• A removable section on the top that has detailing of a stomach, complete with bones, a skeleton, and an old captain's hat; 
  
• A removable section on the bottom that has a compartment for small red translucent pieces, which can be placed around the Kraken to simulate small injuries, either from the pirates or a previous fight; 
  
• A tail that can be articulated, which is both a neat feature for some extra poses, but also can be used as a stand for the back of the Kraken; 
  
• Glow-in-the-dark eyes for an extra creepy bonus; 
  
• Removable tentacles complete with stands so they can be posed around ships, cut in half by pirates, and recreate the iconic scenes Krakens are known for; note that half of the tentacles have the underside of studs all the way down, but the other half have one section with available studs, allowing the Kraken to grab minifigures.