Ever since the LEGO Friends theme appeared in 2012, I’ve had the stupid idea of Frenemies in my head. Picking up the bricks for the first time in months, I decided to finally take a crack at turning Frenemies into reality. Mech suits are not my forte, and I had to spend ages fiddling with these before I was happy. I found my initial attempts didn’t look like “suits” — the models just looked like ill-proportioned people who just happened to have tiny heads. Much of the focus during building was around the neck and collar areas, trying to get across the impression the minidolls were sitting inside these bigger mechanical contraptions.

I think posing is key in the appeal of a LEGO character. I love when a model can be posed to add a sense of personality and attitude. For Slicer, the close combat specialist, I must have tweaked the limbs and the pose dozens of times until I felt she carried a sense of cheek, capability, and casual menace. Slicer is my favourite of the trio, and I’m pretty sure I’d select her every time in Frenemies Deathmatch…