Heroes of Fur and Feather Challenge 3: Heart and Darkness [Contest]

Every year at Delving Day, aspiring heroes travel from the peaceful Valley to Dungeon Crossing. Everyone is taught from a young age that Delving Day proves that all animals are equal. After all, everyone has the same chance of success. Most heroes emerge victorious with rollicking tales to share of their adventures. Sure, a few delvers never return, but it’s a small price to pay for lasting peace. But what if Delving Day isn’t about preserving equality at all, but about protecting those animals who are more equal than others? The truth is coming to light for Olly, Liri, and Kitara, the three heroes created by guest collaborators Jacob Manahan, beyondb0nes, and Red Impala. Brennan (@brickbot_studio) joins the mix with the villain (or anti-hero?) Caelus Velmorne.

Ready to delve into Dungeon Crossing? Let’s go!

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LEGO Transformers enters its villain era with fan-favorite Soundwave, complete with sound functions, Ravage, and Laserbeak [News]

When LEGO revealed a fully-transformable Optimus Prime based on the Gen 1 toy, we were blown away by the accuracy, build quality, and play features. (If you haven’t picked up this essential build, Optimus Prime is still available for a few more months.) LEGO’s second Transformer build, Bumblebee, was more of a mixed bag with an awkward robot mode and weird scale. On August 1, a third Cybertron exile is headed to stores – the fan-favorite Decepticon Soundwave – and based on the pictures and details shared by LEGO, this set looks like it could be the best Transformers set yet. LEGO Icons 10358 Transformers: Soundwave contains 1,505 pieces and includes companions Laserbeak and Ravage, who can transform into cassettes and be stored inside their master until it’s time to eject. And as a rare treat, pressing “play” triggers sound effects. You can pre-order Soundwave now for US $189.99 | CAN $229.99 | UK £159.99 or pick up in stores on August 1, 2025.

REad on to see why Soundwave superior, Autobots inferior

LEGO Adventurers meet Jules Verne imagination at the Crystal Palace exhibition

Johnny Thunder and friends must have picked up quite a few souvenirs in their expeditions to distant lands and lost worlds. But, except for that one time Baron Von Baron turned his mansion into a theme park drop ride, LEGO never showed what the Adventurers got up to when they returned home. Bart Marable provides the answer with the breathtaking Crystal Palace Exhibition, an homage to LEGO Adventurers, Jules Verne, and the grand 19th century exhibitions of scientific wonders.

The enormous structure of white girders and glass is modeled after London’s Crystal Palace which stood in Hyde Park from 1851 to 1936. It also evokes 21353 The Botanical Garden at a much larger scale.

The historical Crystal Palace had nothing on Bart’s fantastical version. Have a look at these LEGO exhibits, brought to life with mechanical functions:

Come with me and you’ll see a world of scientific wonders

Feeling crabby? Don’t forget your morning coffee!

It’s July, which means it’s time for one of my favourite monthly LEGO building challenges: it’s #TimeForCrab! As the name suggests, it’s a month full of LEGO crab builds that are as adorable and absurd as they are numerous. Áron Gerencsér – better known to some as Pohaturon – has made himself a cappucino with a touch of crustacean flavour! Apart from the fun design, there’s also some fun parts use. The chocolate squares are great, but this is one of the first alternate uses I’ve seen for the Pixar lamp shade. And what a good one it is too!

A crowning Grand Guignol LEGO build from a master of the macabre

The 2025 Bio-Cup is in full swing, and even as we’re blown away by the creativity on display, there are some builders whose presence is felt by omission. Builders like VB, who created unforgettable models in years past but who has been quiet the past two cycles. Fortunately, VB emerges with an original creation that could easily be the crowning achievement of a Bio-Cup that showcases the builder’s skill at finding beauty in the macabre. Titled after a Black Sabbath song, “Sabbra Cadabra” is reiniscent of VB’s earlier build “Music of the Deep” in its use of dragon wings and nested maws, but it brings a grand guignol energy all its own. VB cites Hans Arnold as an inspiration, the artist known for macabre illustrations of trolls and devils (and the cover of ABBA’s greatest hits). The model is a wonderful return from VB. The show must go on.

Vivi explores Alexandria in the latest Final Fantasy LEGO JRPG tribute from Brick Ninja

July 7 marked the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, and to celebrate, Kevin Wanner (Brick Ninja) recreates the game’s opening in Alexandria out of LEGO. After the sci-fi-infused Final Fantasies VII and VIII, the ninth installment returns to the franchise’s medieval roots and classic character designs, like the black mage Vivi, who Kevin adapts with ease into minifig form. It’s such a charming, immersive scene that feels like it’s lifted straight from a video game, with barely a stud in sight. There’s so much to love, from the dense wolverine-claw grass, to the oval tiled walls, to the curved wall slats on the rightmost building.

Of course, Kevin is no stranger to Final Fantasy-inspired builds. We’ve featured several of his FF7 tributes in the past, but there have been enough recent builds that we’ve missed, that this is the perfect time to play catch up, starting with this spot-on recreation of the expanded cast as minifigures.

Kevin’s Final Fantasy LEGO tributes continue…

Step to the rhythm made out of grey LEGO bricks!

I would say I’m showing my age with that Roni Size reference, but given New Forms came out the year I was born, perhaps it’s just an aging music taste. The reason I’m trotting it out is because a LEGO builder appropriately known as The Maestro has titled this musical build after a UK drum and bass classic: Brown Paper Bag. This appears to be an alternate universe where Dr Frankenstein is a D’n’B junkie, and he’s rigged up his monster with a banging sound system. It features some clever parts use, too – it took me a minute to realise that head is the back of an elephant’s head. I love the tyres for music notes, too!

Paradisa pastels for a poolside gashapon party

While the new Castle factions and Space colors captured the most attention with the release of LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, those aren’t the only themes to get fresh figs. Paradisa, the pastel-infused beach-heavy theme from the ’90s, also shows up in capsule prizes. Builder lego_m.art, whose models fuse nostalgia with a light touch of modern parts and techniques, reimagines the set as a full-on Paradisa tribute. Cherry red is replaced with pink accents on white stucco, with the machine’s top becoming a chill beach and capsule’s sliding out into a refreshing swimming pool. All the classic Paradisa crew turned out to party poolside with ice cream and definitely-not-pina-coladas served in mugs. It’s a chill-wave masterpiece that leaves you wondering what a modern Paradisa Icons set might look like if it got the royal treatment like Classic Space and Castle have in recent years.

See the turtle of renown, on his shell he holds a town!

Before Discworld and The Dark Tower, the concept of a world turtle was rooted in mythologies around the world. Sam (dewback_bricks) took inspiration from the Chinese world turtle myth for this evocative LEGO creation that is both an excellent brick-built creature design and a Roman-inspired microscale city. With SNOT modules angled off the grid, Sam achieves impressive curves on the turtle’s back. Hanging vines give the wizened wanderer a nice goatee. A tiny sailboat in the sea of 1×1 round studs really sells the scale of this impressive creature. Perhaps most impressive – Sam built this towering turtle in just two days!

Masked minifigures make for a majestic and mysterious royal wedding in LEGO

Royal weddings are always a grand affair filled with strange customs and ritutals, which is doubly true in the kingdom of Valmirion from the LEGO role-play world of Feodalis. Builder Tylar depicts a union between royal families, under the watchful eye of the sun god, where noble guests hide their identities behind animal masks (mostly borrowed from Chima minfigs). The figure designs, with copious ruffled collars, are uniformly wonderful, with some great custom accessories, like the bishop’s sun staff, but the background is wonderful as well. I appreciate the SNOT tile walls that allow for more texture and variety than stacked bricks. The excellent floor pattern looks wonderful adorned with a scattering of flower petals. Tylar continues to be a builder who can mix strong architectural skills with custom minifig designs to beautiful effect.

LEGO Star Wars 75434 K-2SO Security Droid – Good enough to parade before the Emperor [Review]

Hey folks! Brennan (aka Brickbot_Studio) here! Some of you might know me as the guy on Instagram who makes a lot of small-scale, part-dense LEGO robots, D&D minifigures, and LEGO Warhammer 40k figures & mechs. But today, I get to offer you my thoughts on LEGO’s latest addition to their buildable characters lineup: K-2SO! Ever since Alan Tudyk made his unforgettable debut as K-2SO in Rogue One back in 2016, the lanky black Imperial droid has been a fan favorite. LEGO first responded with a buildable action figure and a minifig-scale mold. Today we’ll find out if the upcoming LEGO Star Wars 75434 K-2SO Security Droid succeeds at capturing the beloved, snarky robotic turncoat as an intricate and highly detailed display model.

You can ~~reprogram~~ build your own 845 piece K-2SO for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £79.99 when the droid comes home August 1, 2025.

Congratulations, K-2SO, you are being reviewed. Please do not resist.

A LEGO blacksmith shop that’s tongs of fun

This blacksmith shop by LEGO builder kofi beautifully achieves a lifelike tumble-down esthetic in what I’m sure is a rock-solid build. In fact, I’m fairly confident that the only loose parts or “gravity connections” in this scene are the sacks, the blade resting on the anvil, and perhaps one of the coins, but even purists on this matter will surely appreciate the added effect of these set dressings. Kofi’s use of light grey LEGO elements in only the stony path and the forge’s rockwork walls and chimney lends history to this scene, leaving the impression that this structure was built from stone quarried from the very spot it stands. Capped with that striking and weathered tile roof, this can only be the creation of a LEGO fan worthy of Iron Builder status.