Monthly Archives: April 2024

A spherical Star Wars battleship in a vacuum

Say what you will about the prequels, the opening scenes of the Phantom Menace are extremely compelling. The red Jedi cruiser approaches a Lucrehulk battleship – depicted for us here in LEGO by Jonah – for some tense negotiations. Jonah has made use of a number of classic techniques to capture the smooth curved lines of the ship in the notably square medium of LEGO. The center part of the ship is made using the Lowell Sphere, and the wider curve of the arms is made using hinge plates. Jonah has also added plenty of trans-light-blue accents to increase the visual interest of this build! Unfortunately this LEGO model will probably be short lived, as I can see a certain prophesied child in military hardware approaching bring this battleship to an unfortunate end!

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A LEGO journey through childhood

Once again, builder Maxx Davidson has treated us to some delightful eye candy, skillfully incorporating not only LEGO bricks, but also other assorted elements that might require a deep dive into the internet to confirm their authenticity as “LEGO-branded.” Titled ‘Assorted Childhood Toys,’ the undiscerning eye would be hard-pressed to identify these as toys built out of other toys. However, the builder has expertly used LEGO to transport the beholder to a place of reminiscence.

Check out more pics of each of the toys below

A glimpse of the traveler’s journey through Middle Earth

From the LEGO builder Caleb Huet, we have a diorama titled ‘The Traveler.’ It’s a safe assumption that this scene intends to transport our imagination to somewhere in Middle Earth. Inspired by Jordi Escamilla’s ‘Waterfall,’ the builder has transformed inspiration from 2D art into the third dimension. Intricately crafted rockwork, lifelike tree builds, and mesmerizing water effects cover the piece, with each element of this diorama standing as a testament to the builder’s creativity and skill. Together, they create a scene that leaves us marveling at the potential of simple plastic elements to evoke such depth and beauty.

Have a closer look at the carriage centered over the bridge, and note the build techniques utilized in the bridge itself. Partially-connected bricks form the underside arch spanning between abutments in a great bit of brick ingenuity. The world of LEGO creations has been enriched by the vast and captivating content of The Lord of the Rings, so be sure check out some of the other LotR creations featured on TBB.

Finding oneself in LEGO liminality

There’s something a bit off in this LEGO setting devised by Pan Noda. The intentionally-grainy shot of this brick-built mall food court definitely gives a Backrooms vibe. In a space typically characterized by the bustle of shoppers, the smell of fast food, and the occasional offer of a free sample, the stillness that occurs after hours sure can send a shiver down your spine. It’s hard not to wonder what could be hiding behind a pillar or counter. In fact, maybe it’s best to just get out of here… if I still can.

And if you’re up for more spatial and architectural wonders by Pan Noda, be sure to check out the TBB archives.

Dance to your Death with Sekiro’s Corrupted Monk

LEGO and video games have proven to be a powerhouse of family-friendly fun, but combat in LEGO games is a pretty basic affair. If punishing action is more your speed, perhaps you’ve wondered what a LEGO Souls-like game would look like? If it’s anything like Marius Herrmann‘s Corrupted Monk from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it would be a beautiful game indeed!

FromSoftware, makers of Elden Ring and Dark Souls, are known for their amazing enemy bosses that combine punishing difficulty with breathtaking dark fantasy character design. For many, the Corrupted Monk is the pinnacle of boss encounters, as dueling this demoness requires total mastery of the game’s robust combat system (unless you cheese the boss — no shame in that!). Marius’ model employs some incredible parts usage to capture the Monk’s haunting appearance, like the use of an inverted Ninjago Anacondrai helmet for a mouth and a frog for a nose. There are hand-strung beads made of eggs and flowers, as well as a vintage LEGO Scala pearl necklace for this classy lady of darkness. The color is striking, especially the draping tiled fabric in gold, yellow, and black. Given the vibrant colors, this is clearly the “True” version of the Corrupted Monk. Sekiro also features a spectral version of the boss, but I suspect creating a model this incredible using only translucent parts would be too punishing a challenge for even the most hardcore LEGO builder.

Relive the adventure of Jedi: Fallen Order with a LEGO Stinger Mantis

The Stinger Mantis is the iconic hero ship and base of Cal Kestis and his NPC companions during his adventures in the Jedi: Survivor and Fallen Order games. This fantastic piece of Star Wars design is recreated in high LEGO detail in this model by Tim Goddard. Tim has spared no expense, and pushed LEGO’s clutch power to achieve the outstanding greebling (or scientific texturing, if you will) on the ship’s vertical fin. I love the details on the outboard engine; the front of the engine is a white life preserver, while the rear nozzle features a ring of clip-and-tube-holders.

Check out more views of this cool LEGO Star Wars model

A fantastic build in more ways than one

My favorite LEGO set of last year (and possibly of all time) is the LEGO Lord of the Rings 10316 Rivendell set. I could wax verbose about that set, but I don’t have to — because everything I loved about Rivendell is back here in this piece, which builder Martin Gebert calls “Rivendell-inspired.” You can certainly see the official set’s influence — the organic blending of nature and masonry, the pastel greens and whites, the otherworldly architecture. And yet this build manages to take the fantasy even further — look at that lovely hanging fountain and the perfectly irregular smoothness of that outcropping. Best of all, this model (entitled “The Arrival of an Old Friend”) is just chapter 1 in a series, so be sure to follow Martin and keep exploring this incredible slice of a fantasy world.

Beware of vendors selling ice cream in the forest.

What could be more refreshing after a day of knighting around in full armor in the forest than a sweet ice cream treat? But take a closer look at this LEGO scene by Jérôme Barchietto and you will see that all is not as it seems. Is that the Falcon queen disguised as an innocent shopkeeper? And while our good and loyal Lion knights are distracted by dripping soft serve and brain freeze, a group of Falcon knights are slowly closing in for a delicious ambush.

The textured roof with plenty of thatch pieces and the real-world mossy setting combine to make this scene stand out. Also, with so many joyous faces on those Lion Knights, I almost feel sorry for them. What a cold trick to play.

Whichever way you look, a new world awaits

The best LEGO builds tell a story. Take this one by Carter Witz, which begins with a simple premise: what if a magic portal separated a land of summer from a world of winter? What happened to divide these two realms? And what will it take to bring them together again? While you’re pondering those answers, be sure to appreciate the rich combination of plates, tiles, sloped bricks, and plant elements to achieve the textured greenery. Same with the variation of elements that make up the ancient, weathered stone wall. (I count at least twelve different kinds of brick in that wall.)

Here’s a better view of the opposite side, where winter still reigns. Rather than simply duplicate the topography of the summer half, Carter added mysterious ruined columns topped with drifts of snow. Enchanting!

Are spheres the new DOTS?

LEGO DOTS brought the technique of building geometric mosaics from tiny tiles to a broader audience, and the humble 1×1 quarter circle tile was the workhorse of that line. Builder Palixa and the Bricks employs hundreds of these tiles on a particularly challenging canvas for a mosaic – a sphere! The results are beautiful from every angle, as soothing to look at as it must have been for Palixa to build.

This series allows Palixa to combine some of her favorite things: LEGO, mosaics, colors, and math. If the series continues, what polyhedron will she apply her tiling magic to next? A pyramid, perhaps? Personally, I’m hoping for an icosahedron.

An aged creation: Unveiling the LEGO whiskey distillery

Take a look at this intriguing LEGO set designed for ages 21 and above. Crafted by builder Versteinert and titled ‘Whiskey Distillery,’ it showcases a plethora of imaginative uses for both common and uncommon pieces, resulting in a creation seemingly tailored for adult enthusiasts. This model serves as the builder’s entry for the third round of the 2024 RogueOlympics, a contest that tasks participants with creating designs using no more than 101 Lego elements. The theme for this round was ‘Volume,’ and I find the approach to such a simple word quite refreshing. Upon closer inspection of the build, one can spot a couple inside-out tires, a selection of Harry Potter wands, a gray cattle horn, and even a magic lamp unique to a certain Disney Villain, among other elements.

LEGO Nausicaä glides to a brighter future

Before co-founding Studio Ghibli and going on to win two Oscars for Best Animated Feature, it was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind that cemented Hayao Miyazaki as Japan’s great animation auteur. Joffre Zheng pays tribute to the film with a brick-built Nausicaä on her swooshable glider racing over a herd of Ohmu as they skitter across the desert. The diorama uses forced perspective to sell how high Nausicaä soars over the titanic bugs. The use of bowed slopes to give the dust clouds a sawtoothed edge does a great job evoking Miyazaki’s style and conveying the Ohmus’ terrifying speed. As a bonus detail, Nausicaä’s glider features an LED that lights up with a button press.

For other masterful Nausicaä models, check out these builds from Tino Poutiainen, TBB alum Iain Heath, and Alex Hui.