Posts by Adam Jacobs

Bringing LEGO back into game night

Are you ready to play? Builder Pascal shows us how LEGO and board gaming can coexist as the ultimate game night. What was once an assortment of bricks is now a modular custom tile strategy game. A mix of grass, water, rocks and mountains can be created by filling in various parts of the map. The fact that I can recreate the terrain after every batch is fantastic, assuring no game is the same.

Pascal says the inspiration for this creation was found in the 1984 game BattleTech. I’m thrilled to see each 2×2 tile piece has a single stud in the middle to balance my robot warriors. This will definitely come in handy since everyone knows you’ll need to stay on the high ground if you’re going to win at this game.

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LEGO Iconic 40493 Halloween Owl and 40497 Spider & Haunted House ornaments [Review]

Is it Halloween already? It feels like it around here, as we’ve had the opportunity to review LEGO Iconic (Seasonal) sets 40493 Halloween Owl and 40497 Spider & Haunted House, and they’re a bit of a mystery. Both will be available starting Aug. 1, the owl for US $14.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £13.49 and the spider for US $9.99 | CAN $12.99 | UK £8.99.

Both sets were very simple to build and are rather fun to use as home decor. Let’s dive into the pumpkin patch and get into the review.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full, hands-on review

Away from the hustle and bustle

Riff raff! Street rat! I don’t buy that! But I would definitely purchase this little scene if it was an actual LEGO set. There’s nothing like a quiet Middle Eastern street to bring peace to my day. Builder Jesse van den Oetelaar easily captures the tranquility of this moment with his skill in using a variety of building methods. I love how the street was formed in a way to allow for cracks, with plants on occasion growing through. The brickwork of the buildings speaks to the age of this setting: long ago, yet the houses and walls have already existed for centuries. The wooden container in the corner is made of two buckets and two black rubber bands, cleverly making it look like a real barrel. There’s so much I want to explore in this little alleyway!

Draw your sword from Fiona’s Forge

This is one of the best fantasy LEGO builds I have seen all summer. Check out ForlornEmpire‘s recent creation, “Fiona’s Forge.”

Wow. Just, wow. Everything about this is a world unto its own. How did ForlornEmpire cram in so much detail so subtly into such a small space?

Let’s start at the bottom: the molten metal flowing under the steps into the casting racks is just unbelievable. I would have never thought to use window bricks to showcase the flowing metal beneath it.

The chain on the bucket looks like it was painstakingly made, using bucket handles, and… wait a minute, are those headlamps from the 2009 Clone Walker Battle Pack? Who would have thought to use such obscure LEGO pieces as a chain? While we’re talking about obscure bricks, I have to mention the Unikitty tail pieces used as supports for the shelf near the roof in this build. Such creativity! Such inspiration!

My only regret is that there aren’t any other images of this build. You’ve done it again, ForlornEmpire.

Fightin’ Falcon to the Rescue!

If you are a UNSC soldier in need of close air support, the Falcon will fly to your aid! Created by LEGO builder ZiO Chao, this low-altitude combat aircraft from the Halo video games has been recreated in brick form.

The legendary Falcon aircraft were first seen in the game Halo Reach. ZiO’s model comes with the autocannon mounted under the cockpit, as well as the troop bay in the middle that can ferry soldiers and Spartans to the battlefield. The smooth design of the propeller engines and main aircraft body is a testament to ZiO’s skill with LEGO bricks. I really like the yellow lights on either side of the central intakes as well.

What I appreciate most, however, are the details in this build that ZiO didn’t have to do but included anyway. For example, I think the white stripes on the prop tips matching the stripes on the cockpit canopy was a deliberate choice. The angled wings on the tail are also a nice touch. It’s the little things like these that make this an incredible LEGO creation.

The End of the Clone Wars

Fans of a galaxy far, far away should instantly recognize this planet as seen in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Depicted here in LEGO by builder Simulterious is one of the last battles of the Clone Wars.

With its cabling arches and splashes of colored vegetation, Felucia instantly grabbed the attention of moviegoers back in 2005. It was again featured in the 2006 game Star Wars: Battlefront II, where clone troopers fought back waves of droids and monsters. I still get those vibes just by looking at the incredible attention to detail that Simulterious has built into this creation.

The flora of Felucia is always a challenge for any builder. Simulterious manages to combine unique parts and colors to establish a strong alien look, with towering plants and deadly bushes harboring even more lethal foes for the clone troopers and Aayla Secura, their Jedi commander. I really like the overgrowth on the Republic tank. As anyone who has visited the tropics know, it only takes a day or two for Nature to take over anything that isn’t natural.

A warning to the Jedi waging war on this planet: watch your back!

Bricks on the High Seas

If you enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, then you’ll love this seafaring LEGO creation by Henjin_Quilones.

Do ye know what a pirate’s favorite letter be? Ye’d think it would be “R”, but his true love will always be the “C”. All jokes aside, this is truly a wonderful little build. Ship hulls are difficult to contrive out of most bricks, but Henjin manages it by using a variety of angles. The sails are made of sloped bricks and automotive spoiler pieces definitely give off the vibe of being pushed by the wind. My favorite part, however, is barely visible. If you look at the deck very closely, you can see a windowpane lattice doubling as the deck grating.

LEGO Minions: The Rise of Gru 40511 Kung Fu Training [Review]

LEGO sets usually accompany new movies right before they hit the theaters, but the Minions theme has been the exception, in part due to the pandemic disrupting the film’s normal theater release, having been pushed back all the way to July of 2022. In the meantime, we’ve been getting various LEGO sets since early 2020, and now yet another will be making their way to store shelves. Today we are able to get a first look at 40511: Kung Fu Training (54 pieces). The price is not yet confirmed, but we expect it to retail for US $12.99 | CAN $16.99 | UK £11.99 when it’s available starting July 1.

Even though Minions 2: The Rise of Gru won’t be arriving on the silver screen until Summer 2022, you can still enjoy all of the dastardly villain fun with LEGO Minions sets. Several have already been released, such as 75546 Minions in Gru’s Lab, 75547 Minion Pilot in Training, and 75550 Minions Kung Fu Battle. This new accessory set adds to the chaos with a young Gru minifigure, the new Belle Bottoms minifigure, and two Minions.

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

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The lightsaber of Rey Skywalker

Legend tells of a woman of bravery and courage, who defied the resurrected Emperor and changed the heart of the First Order’s villainous leader. Her lightsaber, seen here in LEGO form built by Nick Brick, is all that we have left of her.

Some of the LEGO lightsabers I see online are fine but are built rather rudimentary without any standout features. Nick Brick doesn’t do that. I really like his use of small bricks to build out the detail of Rey’s lightsaber. See the emitter at the front of the hilt? Just incredible. The wrapping in the middle is also a clever touch, just like Rey’s lightsaber in The Rise of Skywalker had.

Both in detail and overall, this is a fantastic lightsaber and one of the best I’ve seen.

Behold! The mighty C-130 Hercules

It’s big. It’s clean. And it’s a life-saving machine. This is builder Evan M‘s LEGO creation of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, as flown by the U.S. Air Force’s 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. Evan himself is a military veteran, having flown with the C-130 on several occasions. This particular aircraft performs services such as disaster relief, humanitarian operations, and medical evacuations near the Horn of Africa.

I don’t see a lot of official LEGO sets of actual airplanes, so it’s up to people like Evan to make sure they’re represented. From the pointed propeller tips to the near-perfection roundness of the fuselage, this aircraft stands out as a solid tribute to the C-130.

Battle of the Crusaders

I’m a big fan of seeing historical events recreated in LEGO form. Today’s moment from history is the Siege of Jerusalem, shown here by builder Marco den Besten.

In the year 1187, the armies of Saladin laid siege to the Crusader stronghold of Jerusalem. At the point of the attack depicted above, the walls of the city have been breached. Marco’s use of dark and sand-colored bricks helps establish the Middle Eastern look of the setting. I also admire his woodwork on the siege towers and battering ram tunnel.

The walls are equally impressive, with various bricks serving as weathered stone that has stood through the ages. The arrowslits are well-designed. I like how there are two different versions of them.

As brave as these Crusaders might be, I don’t think they stand a chance against Saladin’s forces.

A getaway to far, far away

I’m drooling over anything that looks like a Corellian freighter. Created by builder Josh, this LEGO starship just might be the spacecraft you’re looking for.

Inspired by concept art from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Josh built this ship for his LEGO role-playing group. I really admire all the angles and curves he managed to achieve on his ship. It definitely has a Star Wars vibe while still maintaining a sense of originality. The choice to use black for engine and wiring detail was good, as it perfectly contrasts with the white hull. And just look at that little landing gear pylon!

The hangar itself is also full of details. For one, it’s incredibly smooth. The bars and piping on the floor add to the worn-in feel of Star Wars. I wish I had the instructions for those cargo pods on the right of the ship. They remind me of the orange ones we saw in Rogue One.

Josh is well known for his Star Wars builds. I hope to see more like this in the future!