SHIPtember is in the air, which means you get the best of the best (space)ships from the LEGO fan community being churned out all month long. You could almost smell the fumes from the fuel of competition out there. This elegantly elongated wingspan of a build by lokiloki29 is aesthetically pleasing in shape, and almost looks like an orbital satellite of sorts. Thinking of ships, I’m starting to wonder why I see more space(ships) instead of actual floating ships of the sea.
The newest character that’s going to go down in history very soon-ish is so predictable, and yet full of mystery and anticipation. We all know BB-8 for his very unique squeaks that brings the droid to life and give him so much character. It was recently revealed that BB-9E has a nickname on set — the new First Order droid is better known as BB-H8 (BB-“Hate”). This build by Kevin Wanner was modeled very closely to the recently released 75187 BB-8, and one can only imagine how much evil-er a droid can be in a galaxy far far away.
This creepy and distorted castle by Ryxe is quite a mind-bender. The walls meet at unusual angles to form a fortress that only a madman would call home. Even the pieces used for the building consist of a hodgepodge of bricks, tiles, wedges, plates, tiles and more — all scrambled to create a chaotic texture.
Check out more photos of the creation from different angles on Flickr and see how the structure looks different with each view.
The release of The LEGO Ninjago Movie this weekend has raised Ninjago hysteria to new levels, so what better time to reveal a second wave of tie-in sets? A further four sets have been revealed with official set images, and are due to be released in December. No further details regarding parts count and US prices are available as yet. In addition, a further set, 70656 70656 garmadon Garmadon GARMADON, which had only been seen on display at SDCC earlier, is also due for December release.
70631 Garmadon’s Volcano
Mild SPOILERS ahead in the full set of LEGO Ninjago Movie wave 2 set images
Built for the #Summer Memories Contest on the Brickly app, this scene titled “Summer Beach” by Mark E. is a beautiful representation of an idyllic visit to the beach. I love the visual of the waves breaking and foaming on the beach, with the dark greens highlighting the ocean. Illustrating fond memories of building sand castles with friends and siblings, the only thing more certain than a fun afternoon in the sand was the incoming tide sure to level all your hard work.
If you have a spare five minutes I would thoroughly recommend watching the mesmerizing time-lapse of Mark’s build on YouTube.
The Brothers Brick Senior Editor Chris Malloy and Editor-in-Chief Andrew Becraft recently completed a new hard-cover coffee table book titled Ultimate LEGO Star Wars from DK. An up-to-date reference that covers the full range of LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigs from the first sets in 1999 to The Force Awakens and Rogue One, the book is due out on October 3, and is available for preorder now.
The book includes spreads on characters, locations, and vehicles, such as the various LEGO B-wing sets that have been released over the years.
Here’s the press info from DK:
The definitive guide to the LEGO® Star Wars™ universe, showcasing the vast collection of LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures released over the last 20 years.
This is a complete, unrivaled encyclopedia of the LEGO Star Wars theme. Fans will have an all-encompassing companion to the LEGO Star Wars cultural phenomenon. Produced in large format and featuring beautiful imagery, this is an indispensable guide for young fans and a stunning reference work for adults. With behind-the-scenes material, it tells the complete story of LEGO Star Wars, from the earliest concepts in the late 1990s to the creation of the most recent sets for The Force Awakens™ and Rogue One™. Created with the LEGO Star Wars team.
Keep your eyes peeled for our exclusive follow-up interview with the authors — and who knows, there may even be a chance for lucky TBB readers to win autographed copies! And if you’re heading to BrickCon 2017 in Seattle in just a couple weeks, the book will be out two days before the convention starts, and Chris and Andrew will be there to sign your copies for you.
Of all modes of aerial transport, zeppelins are almost certainly the coolest (possibly because they are the least common). And while using one for raiding other aircraft may literally be the worst possible idea, that just adds to the fantasy. The sky pirates of The Travesty seem twice as crazy and intimidating for daring to raid aircraft in something as fragile as a zeppelin. The build is somewhat simple, using many large and specialized pieces, but Ted Andes manages to bring it all together quite well.
I may be biased by nostalgia for the Adventurers zeppelin piece, but I am sure the creation has something to offer for almost everybody. The deck looks like it was just slapped together and hardly supports the clutter it carries, which is exactly what one would expect from pirates. The light use of stickers breathes just that little extra life into the creation to make it quite memorable and recognizable.
The master of Bionicle character builds Djordje is consistently churning out such great creations that one would feel like he can’t surprise any more, but somehow he does just that, with every new build he posts. So it is with this powerful-looking Viking warrior named Asmund the Banisher, who the builder says was chosen by Odin to wield magical steel to banish those corrupted by darkness. If I were in the All-Father’s place, my choice would probably be similar.
The figure has lots of character, with the Chima lion head as a beard and some simple yet effective limbs. There is a perfect balance of system and Bionicle characteristic for Djordje, who keeps making great characters with this subtle skill.
Nothing evokes the 60s like a cyan-colored Cadillac — oozing the charm of the era of flower power. I always wonder why our modern cars don’t come in this shade any more? Anyway, buckle up, and put the pedal to the metal — now you can own a piece of nostalgia with this mini Cadillac build by Grantmasters.
Click for the parts required and a guide to build your own version
I’m hoping the LEGO Ninjago Movie prompts a swathe of Ninja-flavoured creations. Rollon Smith certainly seems to be getting into the spirit of things with this sweet little vignette of Lloyd meditating before a shrine. The calm pool makes a pleasant change from typical Ninja settings, and the haphazard planks are nicely laid-out. The shrine itself is simply done, but detailed enough to look interesting, and the surrounding greenery offers a strong colour contrast to the blue and grey of the base. Overall, this is a great little scene.
Intergalactic space is getting busy with SHIPtember traffic as the number of large LEGO spaceships begins to rocket. Here’s another fine looking vessel called the ZC Lapsadle. Built by TBB alumnus Simon Liu, it definitely meets the longer-than-100-studs criteria to be a SHIP. The flashes of Bright Light Orange are a standout feature along with the interesting two-prong shape of the bow. I love the central launch bays on either side — dark and deep enough to generate some intriguing shadows.
Do you think Simon actually built two of these ships or are we seeing some artistic jiggery-pokery at work?
When LEGO sends The Brothers Brick an early copy of a LEGO set to review, receiving it a few days before it’s widely available is generally not a problem. We just spend a couple evenings building, photographing, and writing up the review — no big deal. But when the new 75192 Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon lands with a resounding “thump!” on our doorstep two days before it’s available to LEGO VIP Program members, that’s a bit of a different story. TBB Senior Editor Chris Malloy and I have spent literally every spare moment since last Monday (a week and a half ago) slaving at the brick to bring you our hands-on review of the largest LEGO set ever released.
The new UCS Millennium Falcon includes 7,541 pieces with 10 minifigs, and costs USD 799.99. That obviously makes it the most-expensive LEGO set ever released, and we’ll address the price later in the review.
Fair warning up front that this review will be as much about the subjective build experience and our Gestalt perspective on the completed model as it will be about details like parts, minifigs, and building techniques. We expect that many of our readers will not be able to afford an $800 set, and we want to give you as much vicarious insight as possible into the end-to-end experience. We’ll also do our best to compare this set with the earlier 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon from 2007.
Read our complete, hands-on review of the new LEGO Star Wars 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon