Back at it again with another fantastic figure, Builder Eero Okkonen makes use of some interesting parts from Monkie Kid’s new Galactic Explorer. After watching the Moon Knight finale, this seems like an ancient Egyptian hero in the modern era. Just imagine him strutting up to a bad guy, dropping that boom box, hitting play, and kicking butt in step with the power of the gods.
Winter may have passed, but its scenes still provide a tranquil allure. This small model by Eli Willsea is a delightfully cartoonish landscape of such a pleasant, icy kingdom. Aqua slopes and curves are built studs not on top, aside from the few exposed to secure the tiny trees and little huts. Using unicorn horns in sand green for different sizes or types of trees is a great method at this scale, but my favorite are the bridges. The mold for wands includes two of the pieces attached to a non-System piece for structural stability. Eli was smart here, wedging unattached wands into the gaps in the wand molds to create small wooden bridges connecting the islands. It might not be “legal” but it certainly suits the scene. Of course, the most complex element is the focal point, the Cold Castle itself. While the nearby huts sport maroon roofs, the castle is capped by dark azure. The stone spires of the structure seem to make use of inverted building techniques to secure the lightsaber hilts. Those create pressure to hold the forks of the bucket handle wedged above the inverted, rounded gold tile used as the castle gate.
This miniature scene is yet another example of the subtle skills that builders like Eli Willsea make use of for their models. It’s one thing to know how to operate within the System but another entirely to know how to break the rules. It starts as a simple suggestion, an experiment in limits, and becomes a signature that builders can rely on to set them apart.
As spring full sets in with showers and sunshine, carpets of grass and beds of budding flowers thrive. This clever garden and cargo tricycle by Mel Finelli celebrate the spirit of the season perfectly with a ton of green. Using a ton of repeated elements and minifigure headpieces, Mel not only made some lovely garden beds but also tools, a watering can, and a whole tricycle with its own bed of thriving plant babies.
Spaceships and LEGO are partners to the end. Fans have been dreaming up their own versions of their favorite ships, fictional or real, since before LEGO picked up Star Wars. Builder Mocking_brick combines their love of The Expanse with LEGO to create massive, minifigure scale ships from the series. Though these spacecraft are already immense on their own, Mocking_brick felt like pushing the limits of the building program, Stud.io, by making gigantic scenes as backdrops for their creations. This scene exceeds 100000 pieces all on its own, showing off the hangar bay of the MCRN Donnager prior to its destruction. Housed inside this minifigure-scale creation are the damaged Knight shuttle (which held the survivors of the Canterbury ice freighter) and the MCRN Tachi (which would become the legitimate salvage, the Rocinante).
While James Holden and his rag-tag crew of rebels caused issues for the Martian crew of the Donnager, their seized shuttle sat in the hangar with the formidable frigate that would become the Rocinante. After digitally building these ships to minifigure scale, Mocking_brick created separate renderings for the different parts of the background. The background was fleshed out first, as it was a repetitive but satisfying element for the builder to develop.
After building out both walls and partnering them with the Tachi, Mocking_brick moved on to the base and the maintenance rig. Already at 63,000 pieces, this next section added another 40,000 pieces and tested the limits of the Stud.io program and their computer.
This builder has an unmatched dedication to this fandom and I, for one, am here for it. I mean, the attention to detail that Mocking_brick puts into their ships goes above and beyond anything I’ve seen. I can’t wait to see what else they manage to finish. Given the size of their creations, it makes sense that they jump around projects for a little while. Patience is a virtue, though, and these builds are worth the wait.
This hair-raising crash may have ruined Arodi Anderson’s ship but he’s survived to take revenge on those that wronged him. This scene by builder Mix the Brix makes use of some clever techniques to build a realistic desert scene on an alien world. Emerging from the wrecked starcraft, the pilot knows there’s no point looking back as the smoke rises into the barren skies above the dune sea. He’s more concerned about who shot him down.
![The Crash on the Dune Sea [Quantum Lands]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52022898916_71d6563a2f_b.jpg)
What happens when the director of a highly anticipated film about a Space Ranger also happens to be a fan of LEGO Classic Space? You end up with a gorgeous spaceship with a sleek new yellow canopy that writer, director, and adult fan of LEGO Angus MacLane wanted for his own builds. The LEGO Disney·Pixar Lightyear 76832 XL-15 Spaceship is hands-down the star set of this new movie tie-in line. We got a chance to familiarize ourselves with this 497-piece set a few months before the movie hits theaters. Buzz Lightyear’s XL-15 Spaceship is available now from the LEGO Shop online and retails for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £44.99.
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.
Let’s go to infinity and beyond!
A courageous hero through many adventures, this legendary Nintendo character has been brick-ified by builder Sybricks with only 101 pieces. This Brick-Link is fantastically detailed, from Master Sword and Shield to iconic green tunic and swoopy haircut. Typical Miniland figure-building techniques get turned on their head with the molding of Link’s hair, hat, and face (those pointy ears are clever). Bulky building in the arms partnered with clever color blocking gives the effect of Link’s puffy tunic and white undershirt. Inventive parts usage helped the builder recreate the Tri-force on Link’s shield along with the hilt and blade of the sword.
Given the parts limit, Sy couldn’t build the entire figure as he wanted. I hope he explores the theme again though so Link can really kick some butt one day. Until then, he can hang with Stuck Chuck from Kid Cosmic.
Originally a Playstation exclusive but now also available for PC, Horizon Zero Dawn was a groundbreaking game with a visionary plot. This 2017 role-playing game was a foray into the unfamiliar for the developer, Guerilla Games. A title like this was a massive change from their usual fare and some within the company saw its development as a huge risk. Though the plot and gameplay went through plenty of changes before it was released, the Tallneck was an early mainstay amongst the creature designs. Before the game even hit the shelves, fans were excited about the concept art featuring this peaceful, iconic giant. The giraffe-like mechanical beast soon became a recognizable symbol of the game that now extends into its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, currently available exclusively for the Playstation 4 and 5, and fan-built LEGO models of it have been quite popular. The release of this new installment was a perfect reason to make official the relationship between Guerilla Games, LEGO, and their mutual fans. Enter the Horizon 76989 Tallneck. This 1,222-piece set will be available worldwide on May 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99. It comes with one Aloy minifigure, a small Watcher, and the towering Tallneck on a display base featuring scenery elements of the game. If that interests you, turn on your Focus and let’s get ready to Override this big guy correctly.
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.
Readers of the Lord of the Rings trilogy can usually point out the differences between the movies and books. Four builds into the first of six installments, builder Thorsten Bonsch represents the book over the movie for this set design. Most notably is the inclusion of the curtains that Gandalf draws before picking up the ring. Minifigure hook hands were used as curtain rings which took a little bit of care since those elements can’t be “clipped” on but have to be slid on from the side. There is a wealth of other techniques displayed from the bucket handles used as a fire-dog to the textured stone fireplace. Loose tiles in the angular wooden floor or lining the round window illustrate staple methods builders employ for added realism. The base frames the scene while also hiding the thickness of the angled tile technique Bonsch uses. The added framing behind the tan wall also provides space for Samwise’s floating head framed amongst the foliage with a furrowed brow.
After telling the story of The Hobbit through 43 different displays with tons of unique techniques and iconic scenes, Thorsten decided to take on the massive project of its sequel series with the help of some yet-to-be-announced builders. We’ll have to wait to see who all is involved since Bonsch won’t be announcing his successor in the series until the end of his contribution.
For a giant, bottom-feeding sea bug, these bright red crustaceans sure make for a tasty meal. Then again, a lot of things taste delicious covered in melted butter. Builder Joe of jnj_bricks takes us out for a nice lobster dinner but he’ll probably never call us again. Dated as an Anchorman reference may be, it seems apt given the shirtless Woody getting cozy in the bed of parsley. That’s some definite Ron Burgundy energy. Joe found quite a few uses for the red hexagonal plates with hinges that make up most of the crimson carapace. Beyond the boiled ocean insect, Joe built some delicious lemons for garnish as well as a nice slate serving plate, clever clamps, and a checkered napkin to clean up with during dinner. You might miss it if you don’t look carefully but there are couple actual Lobster pieces used near its mouth for a clever bit of added realism.
I can’t help but wonder if Joe wasn’t trying to make a surf and turf joke with this build. The lobster is on point but Woody is a bit of a stretch. I’ll give it to him since this was clearly a feat of clever organic building.
Those with a green thumb are often on the lookout for new intruders in our garden beds, ready to weed deep to keep our leafy babies safe. LEGO builder Galerie d’Antha recently discovered this peculiar perennial popping up amongst the spring blooms. Its sweet smell seems to be attracting a crowd but that alien eye-stalk makes me think those spiders are marching to their doom. The builder filled this model with gold, creating a filigree-like plant that I imagine would wiggle and writhe in Lovecraftian ways. You might recognize the large, golden leaves in the center as the wings from the Snitch in the Hogwarts Icons set. The tentacle portions come from the Gargantos Showdown set but, combined with the gold eggshells and leaves, the whole thing kind of feels like a Kylothian from Men in Black 2. You know, that little alien from that little ship that turns into Serleena? Hopefully, this one isn’t as malicious though.
It’s been a few months since builder Oscar Cederwall gifted us with one of his LEGO creations. Everyone deserves a break and this winter has been particularly worthy, however his latest creation reminds us that summer is on its way with a vengeance. Thankfully the swarms of flies we’ll be dealing with won’t be quite as formidable as this Wisp Scout Tank. As usual, Oscar shows off his detailing skills with the greebly legs of this flying menace. The interesting wings are swords from the Exo Force Sky Guardian Mech from back in 2007. Though it might be the oddest piece amongst the build, the literal standouts are the bright blue Modulex pieces featured in the turrets. The contrast was both a design choice and a color limitation since, as Oscar puts it, “Modulex colors are a bit odd because they mostly don’t match any other LEGO System colors.” Thankfully they make for great accents on some already intricate turrets.
