Yearly Archives: 2022

These miners face a major obstacle

The dwarves of Undark were merchants renowned for their valuable ore, but one day they simply stopped coming to market. Sebastian Arts depicts the reason for their disappearance in this impressive build, showing an enormous dragon head throwing the underground mines into chaos. Sebastian has done an outstanding job with this vignette, crafting clever columns that look carved from stone, and even building a mine cart track that splits into two directions. The bright colors of the dragon head make it an instant focal point, but the multitude of minifigures are positioned in such a way that the action of the story is clear and easy to follow as your eye wanders along the build.

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Four new LEGO Avatar sets revealed at San Diego Comic Con [News]

Pandora is calling in these four new LEGO sets based on the Avatar franchise. Debuting today at San Diego Comic-Con, we see an expansion of the toy line from the previously-announced 75574: Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls. Much like the set revealed during LEGO Con 2022, three of these models depict scenes from the first Avatar movie. But we also get 40554: Jake Sully & his Avatar in BrickHeadz form. Who knows what other new sets the upcoming movie, Avatar: The Way of Water, will bring! All the sets here will be released on October 1st, with 75572: Jake & Neytiri’s First Banshee Flight available for pre-order on July 21st through the LEGO website. And the BrickHeadz set will be a LEGO-exclusive, available only through their brick-and-mortar stores or LEGO.com.

75337 LEGO Star Wars AT-TE Walker [Review]

Easily one of the most iconic Star Wars vehicles from the prequel trilogy, the All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer, or AT-TE first appeared in the dramatic conclusion of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones, but fans of the Clone Wars animated series which premiered in 2008 with a theatrical movie pilot will remember the excitement of watching a group of AT-TE’s scaling a vertical cliff on cables, with Annakin’s Padawan Ahsoka Tano leaping from one to another. This vehicle is clearly also a fan of LEGO designers, with this version being the 5th set since 2003. Let’s find out how this latest set stacks up against its predecessors. 75337 LEGO® Star Wars™ AT-TE™ Walker includes 1,082 pieces and will be available August 1 for US $139.99 | CAN $179.99 | UK £119.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Check out our full review

This modern home is the perfect place to find yourself

Builder Sarah Beyer has crafted a home that looks like a high-end VRBO listing, and we’re wondering when we can check-in. The pine trees shading the swimming pool promise a getaway from civilization’s stresses. But the flat roof and terrace, along with a windowed conservatory, mean you can still relax inside with all the latest modern comforts.

Inside you’ll find everything you could want during a long weekend vacation; from the latest in home entertainment equipment to a dining area suitable for a romantic dinner for two. Does anyone know the WiFi password?

Bricks aren’t supposed to bend that way!

Master of the geometric LEGO construct, Zachary Steinman has produced another marvelous sculpture. The three coordinate planes (xy, yz, and xz) all head toward a singular intersection at a central point. But instead of meeting, they bend into one another, creating this star-like shape. The bend is created in our favorite plastic medium by placing 1×2 rectangular bricks next to 1×1 round bricks, allowing for a curve without sacrificing stability. While this technique is no stranger to many a LEGO Castle builder, it’s nice to see it in a simple and artistic application such as this one.

LEGO Star Wars 75338 Ambush on Ferrix – you might be blindsided by how much fun it is – [Review]

At the end of August, Disney+ will offer yet another glimpse of that galaxy far, far away with Andor, the TV series that serves as a prequel to Rogue One (itself a prequel to A New Hope). Not much is known about the series beyond the fact that Diego Luna is returning to play the title character Cassian Andor, the soldier who helped Jyn Erso steal the Death Star plans. Well, we’ve gotten our hands on LEGO’s Andor tie-in set, 75338 Ambush on Ferrix, and we’re ready to share its secrets with you. This 679-piece set will be available August 1st for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £69.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

(No Bothans were harmed to bring you this information.)

LEGO Icons reveals 10306 Atari 2600 to celebrate Atari’s 50th anniversary with a brick-built console [News]

Following the success of 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), LEGO has unveiled its next nostalgia-laden set in the Icons theme with a throwback to one of the original home gaming consoles: 10306 Atari 2600. The iconic console, released in November of 1982, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The 2,532-piece set includes the console itself and the distinctive joystick controller, along with a cartridge holder and three game cartridges with LEGO-ified artwork, Adventure, Asteroids, and Centipede. The set also includes microscale vignettes for each of the three games, as well as a pop-up minifigure-scale scene built into the console itself. The Atari 2600 will be available US $239.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99 when it’s available starting Aug. 1.

Click to see more pictures of the Atari 2600

Restocking Fort Stockton

Part of a larger LEGO concept by the builder, this model of the docks at Fort Stockton, Wullham features some lovely architecture, delightful parts usage, and realistic rock formations. Flickr Builder Evancelt enjoys historical era models full of red jackets and muskets set against natural scenery with old buildings. Here they used some simplistic parts as crenellations and molding along the top of the fort, while cleverly employing letters with a red seal as diamond-leaded windows. Well-molded sea grasses and foliage compliment the sharp change to rock as we move down to the dock. Basalt formations are a delightful bit of geology that we don’t see enough of in LEGO builds or real life. Using dark grey at the base to illustrate the spray and waves of the sea on the rocks is a great decision that adds to the realism of the build.

Of course, the multilayered dock is also wonderfully detailed. Multiple shades of brown make up the boards, while reddish brown and dark brown in the supports mirror the water effect used on the rocks. The lamp piece is a good period setting element that matches well with the flat-topped chest. I love seeing historical models that aren’t focused on war. Sure, these are soldiers at a Fort but still, this is more about daily life than about a battle and I’m all about that. Not to mention how soothingly executed that blue sea is on the eyes. Well done, Evancelt, well done.

Spooky, hungry alien will eat you in good time

Doesn’t he just look…friendly? Those big eyes and that toothy smile just set your mind at ease, right? This model of B.A.R.R.Y. the hungry alien by LEGO Masters contestant Caleb Campion is a grotesque balance between friendly and frightening. His delicately sculpted head has a Grendel-like appearance that only a mother could love, not to mention the cursed Jar-Jar Binks heads that Caleb used as hands. The red cape from the Monkey King mech gave him a bit of a challenge but the final result blends well into the red tentacles swarming out from beneath B.A.R.R.Y.’s body. The bright red stands out well against the stark background and perfectly frames the mess of exposed innards in the creature’s chest. If I had landed my craft and been greeted by this, I’d be hightailing out of the atmosphere already.

B.A.R.R.Y.’s ready for his close-up! This creepy face might be the last thing you see on this distant exoplanet. Eagle-eyed builders will recognize the plethora of droid arms used to round out his head in addition to the droid head used as his nose. With everything going on, or going wrong, with this build I’d believe it if you told me this is what it looks like when you take a Muppet’s skin off. This looks like someone locked Animal in that attic from the insurance commercial for a hundred years.

It’s no surprise that a LEGO Master’s contestant could weave together bricks in such a cute but creepy way. Caleb Campion continues to show us the chops that got him on the show in the first place, setting up not only well built characters but also complimentary scenery that helps tell the story.

A Nahuatl future

Taking its name from the Aztec or Nahuatl word for strength, the Chikautok Jr-2 by Flickr builder Oskar certainly has a strong design. This spacecraft features some powerfully contrasting color blocking to break up the otherwise smoothly flowing body. Various Bionicle elements work their way into the engine and wing sections, adding texture and a technological feel to the build. White rubber bands blend in with the triangular engine/wing combos, serving a functional purpose with a design flair. The red canopy for the cockpit flows smoothly from one side of the craft to the other while blending in almost seemingly with the red stripe along the center of the craft.

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BrickCon 2022 registration now open with Pixar director Angus MacLane as keynote [News]

The longest-running LEGO fan convention is gearing up for another epic year, with BrickCon returning this fall with a blackjack theme for its 21st year. Held in Seattle, BrickCon hosts a 4-day convention Thur-Sun, Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, for adult builders and fans with games, presentations, display opportunities, prizes, and more. BrickCon is continuing the successful hybrid model it pioneered last year to allow virtual attendees for those who cannot make it to Seattle in person, with special activities for online participants. Registration for the 4-day adult builder convention are $85 in-person, and $25 to attend online, available now on BrickCon.org.

This year BrickCon’s keynote speaker is Angus MacLane, an avid LEGO fan and builder who is best known as the director of movies like Finding Dory and Lightyear. Angus joked recently on twitter that the yellow canopy on Buzz Lightyear’s spaceship was because he wanted more LEGO trans-yellow windscreens, so we can’t wait to hear from him.

Pixar Director Angus MacLane is photographed on March 7, 2022 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

The Brothers Brick is proud to be a sponsor of BrickCon. Read the full press release from BrickCon below.

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LEGO Star Wars 75335 BD-1 — An adorable droid of your very own [Review]

I’m not much of a video game player, so when a BD droid showed up in The Book of Boba Fett and the internet lost its collective mind, I was playing catch-up. The droid was cute, sure, but what was the big deal? It turns out these adorable chicken-legged droids are a major part of the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game. BD-1, in particular, is an explorer droid who serves the Jedi Master Eno Cordova during the Galactic Republic. And now he can serve as a display piece in your home thanks to LEGO’s 75335 BD-1, a 1,062-piece set arriving August 1st for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click here to find out if BD-1 is worth haggling with Jawas for