After being left behind at the beach, the toy soldiers find themselves stuck on a sandcastle with a rising tide. They know their treasure, a shining pearl, should be protected at all costs. But the crabs of the beach think very differently! They believe the pearl belongs with them. Will the pearl stay with the toy soldiers, or will the crabs take it from the castle?

When I was a kid, I used to make sandcastles for soldier crabs and pretend they were the soldiers that would defend the castle. Of course, if you have ever seen a soldier crab, you'll notice that when a kid comes along and picks them up, they curl up into a ball or dig into the sand to keep safe.

Coming in at 1797 pieces, this is an update to previous BDP submissions, and as you can see, I have gone back to a design that is much closer to the original sandcastle (specifically the top two sections). I think this design is more visually interesting, and it is also a simpler build, allowing for a lower piece count. With this lower piece count, I also took the suggestions of some prior comments to include shells, which can be collected in the bucket (also a new addition).

There are a total of 6 toy soldiers, 2 fiddler crabs, 2 soldier crabs, 3 openable clams (with pearls), and 6 shells of varying size and colour.

I'd love to hear any feedback you have on this design :)