As The Book of Boba Fett continues to shell out the hits, it’s also managing to throw us all for a loop. Dank Farrik, has it been fun! Chapter 5 had plenty of LEGO fans excited for the Razor Crest’s replacement and it was exactly the inspiration that fellow TBB contributor Mansur Soeleman needed to bust out a quick ship. Not one to take all the credit, he’ll have you know that his version of the Mandalorian’s new N-1 Starfighter is “a severe de-modification” of his dear friend Tom Loftus’ original yellow and grey model, which the curious can find images of only on Brick Vault. It just happened to be sitting on his desk while he watched the episode so it was a natural process. While the bones are there, I’d say Mansur’s efforts moved this far from the original. After all, there are only so many ways to skin a Womp rat. Known by most as Lamborghiniwafflesauce, or Waffles, he’s somewhat of a Greeble King amongst the LEGO fan base. Employing these skills, he opened up the design to show off the interior of the two modded J-type engines, along with the additional rear engine added by Peli Motto.
Posts by Chris Burden
The year of Big Cat Energy
The Majestic Tiger set has been a quick favorite amongst LEGO fans since it was released this year. Aptly, this Chinese New Year will mark the Year of the Tiger within the Chinese calendar and Builder Ian Hou is ready to celebrate. Just like last year, Ian brings us the coming Zodiac animal in brick form with a fantastic level of realism. While LEGO’s version is articulated, the builder chose to portray this large, muscular feline in the middle of a biiiiiiiiig stretch. Unlike your cat, Count Mustard von Smittenstein, this kitty’s claws will do some real damage if they come out. One thing is certain, you’d be happy when that tail went down because, just like on the official set, the builder was…very detailed.
LEGO BrickHeadz 40549 Demogorgon and Eleven – Get ready for some Stranger Things [Review]
Few characters sweep the world like “Eleven” from Stranger Things. Since its premiere in 2016, Millie Bobby Brown’s immensely quirky character has proven to be iconic in every season. Meanwhile, the feature creature of the first season inspired dread and fear in all of us. Hailing from the mysterious and grotesque “Upside Down” version of our own world, the “Demogorgon” made a perfect Eldritch beast for the beginning of the series. Despite the immediate success of the series, it’s surprising that LEGO took until the third season to release the award-winning set 75810 The Upside Down. With a summer 2022 release still possible for season 4, LEGO seems to be getting ahead of the hype with two new BrickHeadz. The LEGO BrickHeadz 40549 Demogorgon and Eleven will be available from the LEGO Shop (US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99) on February 1.
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.
Automotive versus Arachnid
The wild ride that was Harry Potter’s experience at Hogwarts was surely extremely traumatic. Ron was obviously afraid of spiders but even Harry was jarred by this encounter from the Chamber of Secrets built by Stefan Johansson. The trusty, rusty Ford Anglia may have abandoned Harry and Ron after they crashed it into a tree but its loyalty never faded, as it proved by saving them from being eaten. Whether it has a mind of its own from Arthur Weasley’s tinkering or from all that time in the Forbidden Forest, it’s not going to let some giant creepy-crawlies munch on some kids.
Not your average garden gate
An alien scene, bright and mysterious, speaks volumes within a small space. Builder Eli Wilsea taps into their imagination to open up this garden gateway to an unknown world beyond. As is the trend at the moment, tap pieces are used to create patterns within the stones. While two are identical and use the tap in tandem with the minifigure posing stud, the middle features a pattern with solely tap pieces that opens up to a solid blue barrier to the beyond. The morose, cloaked figure stands by a lamp made with taps. Like a futuristic Kharon waiting to bear us across this door into the underworld, I’m not sure this guy would be the most comforting guide.
Despite the foreboding figure and the unknown beyond the gate, the garden surrounding it seems pleasant and welcoming. The bright yellow frog bids me to stay, to not take this journey with the Ferrymen. The tree’s dark trunks and bright colors suggest a saccharine poison to this world though, so maybe it would be better to see what lays beyond. It’s up to you which is the true Forlorn Empire.
The Forestmen Fortress Heist
The kingdoms and castles built by fans have provided its many factions a stable home since the last Castle-themed sets were retired. Builder Dale Harris provides two such fortresses in this massive build, complete with lush scenery. Inspired by the original sets including the Forestmen and the Black Falcons, this model is a blend of childhood nostalgia and adult builder expertise. Named for the two factions that call the area home, this had to take a massive amount of planning.
Embark to Episolon IV
Looking like one of those miniature models used in Star Wars, this space base is full of clever parts usage. Builder Andreas Lenander was challenged to use the tap piece as much as possible and inspiration launched him right into space. It’s hard to tell exactly what he imagined for each piece of hardware. Nonetheless, the part lends itself well to pipes and supports. The domes use halves of the Christmas baubles (with their telltale white dots) to hold in all that bright green foliage. As for that craggy landscape, Andreas achieved it by laying bricks on their side as closely together as possible within the limits of the round border he created. It all comes together in a lovely sci-fi scene, complete with a tiny rover.
Red rally shark
The Dakar Rally ended on January 14th and Audi made an impressive debut of the futuristic RS Q E-tron. In celebration of the annual event, builder Martin Josh Vala has created a series of his own rally car ideas. The Shark T1+ is the eighth in the collection and is loosely based on the SRT Rally Team’s car. With some help on the suspension from his friend Dariusz Sędziak, this model is ready to hit the track. Its sleek body and high front end ensure a fighting chance against the competitors.
Three cheers for brick-built backgrounds! Ra! Ra! Ra!
I always say it, there are just not enough Stargate builds out there. That seems to be changing more and more, as seen here with this vignette by Builder Douglas Hughes. Somewhat of a double hitter for references, this model follows in the style of our 2021 Creation of the Year with its own distinct character. Capturing some Stargate history, Douglas imagined the false god moving into his new apartments. A Cheops class warship shoots a matter stream down into the Great Pyramids of Giza as the sun sets behind it, the Nile alight with a red glare. Clever building techniques and color-blocking create a gradient that effectively emulates the dulling brightness of the setting sun. The use of black bricks for the pyramids and ship is a great way to achieve the silhouette effect. The translucent red river is my favorite part though, as it’s a perfect way to capture the depth of field with an added layer of realism.
This is a great example of the power models like this have and Douglas did a fantastic job with its color and layout. Maybe 2022 will bring us more of these delightful vignettes in addition to more Stargate love. Whatever it brings, I hope its not a bunch of Goa’uld in a Cheops.
Honey, I shrunk the Harbour!
The cityscapes from the Architecture series do well to capture individual landmarks with detail; this is true. And while this is an excellent way for LEGO to save on bricks, builders like Samuel M aren’t shy about pushing the parts limit to honor the cities they know and love. This Australian builder clocked in 30 hours of work over four months on this massive micropolis. Over 10,000 pieces were used to recreate a geographically accurate Sydney Harbour and a laundry list of landmarks. Stand-outs like the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House may be hard to miss, but Sam spent a lot of time trying to capture it all.
Another day in Allanar
For many of us, our first LEGO collaborations are with our siblings. Brother builders Isaac and John Snyder know that life gets away from us as time goes on, but thankfully they managed to get another session in that gave us some great results. After knocking out the Everdell castle they took a little trip to the countryside of Alnya to show us a day in the life of a Dwelf. Lush with wildlife and foliage, this little cottage on the edge of Allnar forest is full of interesting parts usage and plenty of character. That purple door certainly makes a statement, but I love the buckets on the chimney or chainlinks around the well.
LEGO Gift with Purchase 40528 LEGO Brand Retail Store – Take the whole store as a trophy [Review]
For ten years, LEGO has celebrated grand opening events with delightful models of LEGO brand stores for lucky customers with qualifying purchases. While the last few versions have been minifigure scale, the original from 2012 was a stylish microscale model. This year’s update seems to be celebrating the anniversary of this concept by revisiting the design of the original. Qualifying customers at new store celebrations will receive the 40528 LEGO Brand Retail Store as a gift with purchases over US $125 | UK £125. No word on the limit for our Canadian friends yet but this should be available for new store openings in select locations worldwide after January 1st, 2022. Still, this 402-piece modern design features a larger floor plan than its predecessor and plenty of sets to catch your eye within a tiny package. Let’s take a tour around the building, shall we?
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.