Buckle up, this car is a real winner

Okay, so the BMW M8 GTE didn’t actually perform well in the 2018 Le Mans endurance event, nonetheless this vehicle translated into LEGO by builder Lasse Deleuran is still a winner in my eyes.

BMW M8 GTE from LeMans 2018

The custom decals, the gold rims, and the racing colors on this brick-built racecar make me want to speed away, luckily for everyone on the roads in New York that actually won’t happen. Deleuran’s choice in rendering this sportscar’s windshield using black LEGO tiles instead of a trans-clear piece is an interesting, albeit effective one. I also thought his use of the clipped 1×2 plate along with the black bar was a clever way to build windshield wipers. While the actual BMW M8 GTE isn’t exactly a winner, its brick-built counterpart has surely won my heart.

Next LEGO Winter Village set unveiled as 10275 Elf Club House [News]

The holiday season is around the corner, which means it’s time for LEGO to reveal this year’s addition to the Winter Village line, 10275 Elf Club House. The perfect sequel to 2014’s Santa’s Workshop, the Elf Club House includes 1,197 pieces, four minifigures, a reindeer pulling a sleigh, toys, gifts, and a Christmas tree. Earlier today we brought you a full, hands-on review of this brand-new set, but here are the official images and press release, along with an interview with set designer Chris McVeigh.

The set will retail for US $99.99 | UK £84.99 | EU €94.99 starting on September 23rd. The eleventh in the series, 10275 Elf Club House is the third fantastical Winter Village set, joining last years’ 10267 Gingerbread House and 10245 Santa’s Workshop from 2014. Continue reading →

LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian 75318 The Child official pictures released [News]

Earlier today we brought you a hands-on review of the newest LEGO Star Wars set from The Mandalorian, 75318 The Child, but here are the official images from LEGO. Better known by the fan nickname of Baby Yoda, the character stands about 8 inches tall and has a poseable head, ears, and mouth. Featuring 1,073 pieces, the set will be available for pre-order starting October 21, and is slated to be available to purchase on October 30th, coinciding with The Mandalorian’s second season debut on Disney+. The Child will retail for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99.

Click to see more pictures and read the full press release

LEGO Winter Village Collection 10275 Elf Club House [Review]

It’s hard to believe, but somehow it’s already nearly October. While some people think that should mean “Halloween all the time,” others–particularly those in marketing–think that it’s a good time to start getting everyone ready for the gift-giving holidays. Normally that just makes me grumpy, but it does have the occasional upside. Here’s one of those positives: it’s time for LEGO to announce the newest addition to their Winter Village Collection! This year, we leave Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole to check out what the elves get up to in their spare time…namely hanging out in their club house. This highly anticipated set spans 1,197 pieces with goodies like a new minifigure-scaled reindeer, four elves, a heap of presents, and, oh yeah, the club house itself. The Winter Village Collection 10275 Elf Club House will be available September 23 from the LEGO Shop Online for US $99.99 | UK £84.99 | EU €94.99.  Is it worth fitting into your holiday budget? Read on and see!

Click to read the full hands-on review

LEGO Star Wars 75318 The Child is a 1,000-piece Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian [Review]

Ever since Star Wars: The Mandalorian debuted on Disney+ last year, the adorable, nameless alien has set the internet on fire. Simply called “The Child” in the show, fans have dubbed the green toddler Baby Yoda, and to help protect season 1’s plot, Disney didn’t license any toys of the character until this year. Now LEGO is diving into the merchandising, providing fans with three different scales of Baby Yoda in anticipation of season 2. The latest, being officially revealed today (though images have been circulating for awhile), is this 1,073-piece buildable figure. 75318 The Child will retail for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99, and will be available for pre-order starting October 21, and will release on October 30 in conjunction with The Mandalorian season 2 debut. We’ll be publishing LEGO’s official press release and images later today, but since we have the set in hand, we wanted to kick it off with a full review instead.

Click to read the full review

Storage just overflowing with bricks

Recently LEGO announced a collaboration with IKEA to produce some new storage solutions. They won’t be available to the masses until October 1st, but Brothers Brick contributor and LEGO Masters US competitor Flynn DeMarco and his partner Richard Board, collectively known as TrickyBricks, had a chance to try them out early. Using the largest box as a base, they’ve built a breathtaking palace of white and transparent light blues. I’m particularly fond of the crests formed from Legends of Chima Wings and Nexo Knight shields, and the repeated use of trophy statues help create a sense of vast scale. Also, check out that “studs to the side” inlaid mosaic in the central archway. The varied shades of blue and clear plate really unify the color choices of the whole creation.

But what really caught my eye was the way they didn’t just use the box lid as a base. By adding waterfalls of blue brick to the lower section,  they created a great visual pun of “overflowing LEGO storage bins” – a common lament in my household. I’m not sure things are actually useful as a storage solution at this point…but I don’t think anyone will be complaining about that.

The other famous blonde elf with a bow.

I can almost hear the collective eye-roll of Nintendo fans everywhere when they read this title. While there can be no argument about who came first, Legolas is not the only blonde elf archer with a big fan base. This model by Brixter Productions shows Link, the daring hero of The Legend of Zelda video game franchise first released in 1986, stands ready to defend the Princess Zelda.

LEGO Breath of the Wild Link on LEGO IDEAS

This version of Link is from 2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and he’s fully armed and ready for anything. The tunic is very well-crafted with a minimum of parts, and his wind-blown hair is a nice touch.

Jumping for joy on the moon

For some, the month of April in the year 1972 may not be memorable but for astronaut John W. Young this date marks the journey of a lifetime – he became the ninth person to walk on the moon. Young’s iconic jumping salute which has been captured both in photography and video is recreated in LEGO bricks by spacemanship123.

Jumping salute on the moon

This brick-built astronaut seems to make use of a lot of tile type pieces as well as some slopes and a few LEGO Technic elements. A spacesuit does seem like it would be a tough model to design because of its bulky nature and also its requirement for articulation seeing as it is a figural build striking a pose. Designer spacemanship123 was able to make it happen by using various clip pieces in addition to some ball and joint elements. Overall I would say the idea behind this build is unique, perhaps even out of this world! It’s not an everyday occasion that a human lands on the moon, or that an astronaut is built out of bricks.

Snatcher, no snatching!

I’m a big fan of people using LEGO elements in unusual ways, and builder Djokson hits the sweet spot with Slizzk the Snatcher. Although described as “a pathetic little creature cursed with an insatiable desire to collect all things sparkly and shiny,” I don’t find Slizzk lacking at all. Two LEGO DOTs bracelets create a great color contrast with yellow Hero Factory armor. The black limbs show great articulation, and the end result is just charming as all get out. Sure, I’d probably be annoyed if they stole any of my stuff. But that’s not currently my problem.

Slizzk the Snatcher

This isn’t the first adorable creature of Djokson’s we’ve featured. Hopefully it won’t be the last, either.

A Swedish take on Blacktron

Some say that IKEA is for grownups what LEGO is for kids. I say, why not have both? Builder Kalais seems to think so too.

[MOC] Ikea BYGGLEK Blacktron base

In probably the first example I’ve ever seen, Kalais used the new IKEA BYGGLEK storage boxes for a very modern-style Blacktron base. As far as getting the Blacktron look, this creation succeeds. From the laser-lime windows to the black and white accent bricks, you know this base belongs to the infamous space-faring evildoers the second you look at it. I especially like the power generator made from large wheels. Very clever!

The one downside about the BYGGLEK storage bins is that they don’t connect as regular LEGO bricks do. If you stare hard enough at the space base, you can see that the boxes are sitting on top of each other instead of locking in like normal bricks. Kalais has made up for that by using black bricks in places to give the illusion of the base being one solid tower.

This is a fantastic example of what you can do with non-traditional pieces like the BYGGLEK storage boxes. I hope to see more people become inspired by Kalais’ creation!

Bow before the mighty Lich King

Sometimes I look at something and think “Wow, that’s a really cool sculpture!” only to realize it’s actually made of LEGO. That was exactly my thought process when I saw Marcin Otreba’s Lich King Arthas from World of Warcraft. What I was first drawn to, oddly, was the base, and no way did I realize it was built out of my favourite plastic bricks.

Lich King Arthas ????????????

The way the wedge plates are stacked and the cascading effect of the trans medium blue textured wedges make it hard to believe that’s not actually carved out of ice and snow. Then you zoom and realize this thing is an absolute tutorial on parts usage. So many amazing combinations of sword or blade elements really displaying how even specialized LEGO pieces can be combined in unique and spectacular ways. There so many different textures too, my favourite being the claw pieces simulate the white fur on the boots, and the chains creating the mail on his abdomen. The skull on his shoulder ain’t too shabby either. Be sure to zoom in to notice all fantastic parts usages.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for September 19, 2020

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of September 2020.

The massive Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina set has arrived. Will it scratch your Star Wars nostalgia itch? Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: This week we reviewed three new sets including Mos Eisley Cantina, Diagon Alley and the Brickheadz Nutcracker. Plus, we get news about LEGO’s efforts towards sustainability and more!

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest: