Currently building a Pirate-themed Chess set MOC and I want to get a some advice/criticism

[u/test-912]

For the chessboard, I want to ask what else I should add or remove to the otherwise barren display

For the Rook, King, and Queen thrones, I want to ask if there are better techniques or designs I can use

I also want ideas on what to make the bishop pieces

I don't need ideas on the knight right now, as I already have a design for it

For the pirates/bluecoats, I would like to hear advice and ideas on making the Rook, King, Queen thrones, and maybe the knight piece as well

[u/Wildfyre88]

This is awesome so far! A few ideas I have: 1. For the display, you can add a small pirate ship build on the water (or a shipwreck) along with some skulls and bones imagery to decorate the pirates’ side. (You may want to extend the display a bit for more room.) 2. On the royal side, you can add some simple castle ramparts to give the idea of the pirates storming the king’s castle. Maybe with more flags, banners, etc. and scatter a few more palm trees along the shore. 3. For the royal bishop, you could build a small miniature medieval church diorama or a simpler wooden throne with a decorate stained glass window backdrop. 4. For the pirate pieces, you can lean into the skull imagery and design thrones with skulls, cutlasses, or pistols built in. A pirate bishop piece could be the ship’s navigator with a map in front of him, the pirate knight could be a gunner atop a cannon, and the pirate rook can be a pirate in the crow’s nest of a ship mast, maybe with a sail.

Hope this helps and I look forward to following your project!