LEGO is ringing in 2020 with a bunch of new City sets, and The Brothers Brick is here with a sneak peek! Today we’re looking at one of the smallest, 60255 Stunt Team, which contains 62 pieces and spans two minifigures, two vehicles, and a stunt ramp. This set will be available December 26th in the UK and January 1st, 2020 in North America. ($9.99 USD | $13.99 CAD | £8.99 UK)
We all know that shopping for that perfect gift can be a real nightmare. Sure, shopping online has made things a lot nicer. But sometimes you still have to go out into the crowds and fight hand-to-hand for those discounted LEGO sets that you a loved one really wants. It can be hazardous, particularly if someone else tries to shove you out of the way. So why not take some precautions? For example, you could don the wearable Roman Centurion armor that Amado Canlas Pinlac created.
Built from an interlocking mesh of ball-jointed plates, it’s the rich colors and decoration that really make this a stand-out piece of art. Dark red 2×2 tiles resonate well with a myriad of gold elements. There are plant stems, rounded tiles, and even carriage wheels.
Repeated blocks of curved slopes feature heavily on the shoulders and back. Golden window lattices and minifigure weapons help define geometric patterns on the rear as well.
Okay, maybe this isn’t something that would be super-practical to wear while fighting for bargains. But I bet if you did, it would be a huge distraction to the other shoppers. And while they’re asking “how long did it take you to make that?” you can make off with all the best sets. Victory is assured!
You can read our interview with Amado here.
The MRGM 3 Multi Role Ground Machine by builder Marco Marozzi is a complex example of mechanical evolution. While the initial version felt sleek and light, this third generation is a much beefier model. Some core elements remain the same; a Bionicle Rahkshi back cover forms the spine, and Knights Kingdom armor protects the arms and legs. But you can see the shine of a new model in the shins and lower body. There, the armor has been updated to have a much more textured feel. And that giant gun is also a brand new accessory.
We’ve featured several of Marco’s other mechs in the past, and I’m confident we’ll see even more in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Mark 4 has in store for us…
(With apologies to Prince)
I was dreamin’ when I wrote this, so forgive me if it goes astray. When I saw this MOC I could have sworn it was judgment day. The guy was all golden, there was LEGO lightning everywhere. Transparent yellow radar dishes, you know Matt Goldberg really cared.
Um.
Something something……Tonight we’re gonna party with the creepy Eye?
Okay, so maybe the lyrics don’t exactly scan, but being just a little off-kilter seems very appropriate for a review of this creation. The Eye is a mysterious figure that really grabs your attention. A skillful mix of Bionicle, Hero Factory, and System parts combine in way that meshes well, while at the same time feeling like things don’t exactly align correctly for this reality.
Matt built this as a Secret Santa gift. You have to hope the recipient was impressed. Maybe a little frightened. Maybe a bit of both.
LEGO has explored underwater themes a few times over the years. In particular, I have a fondness for the mid-1990’s Aquazone line. It featured bright yellow colors, exploration-based vehicles, and some pretty cool builds. Finnish builder Tino Poutiainen has also taken the yellow submarine concept to heart with Expedition into the kelp forest. This classy undersea build features a vessel with some very good natural camouflage. That is, assuming fish don’t have a particularly good sense of scale. Based on the image description, the divers are looking for the “incredibly rare yellow-finned bladderwrack fish.” It doesn’t seem like they’re looking too carefully, though, as I think I spotted a couple on my own.
I like how the sub isn’t the usual short-and-flat glider style you often see in craft like this. Instead we have a tall and narrow vessel, complete with impressive vertical fins sloped at interesting angles. The mimicry between the sub and the sea-life makes this little scene one you can quickly tell your own fish stories around. (You should hear about the one that got away.)
LEGO replicas of real-world objects are a challenging subject to work in. Finding the right scale for your creation is a large part of that effort, but builder Letranger Absurde seems to have found a sweet spot in Little Desk. This model isn’t sized for minifigures or humans, but rather just big enough for the LEGO elements to really reproduce the lines and shapes of the objects presented. Of particular note is the sealed letter, using a 2×2 round tile with a flame pattern for the sealing wax. The clock, chest, and wax seal stamp are all well built and instantly recognizable.
What really caught my eye, though, was the melted wax on the candle. It took me a while to figure out what part was used at the bottom of the dribble…it’s a baby rabbit. Now that’s some clever parts usage.
The Brothers Brick contributor Chris Doyle once again builds something based on Mystery Science Theater 3000. What’s his excuse this time?
Some may call it a creative rut. I prefer to think of it as “finding my groove.” I had a blast building characters from the TRY Channel, and thought MST3k would be a great theme to continue with. It’s no secret that I’m a huge nerd when it comes to LEGO versions of MST3k things, and when a table-scrap of Tom Servo “just happened”, I knew it was too late to turn back. And, soon enough, Joel and Crow T. Robot had joined him on a stage based on the Season 2(ish) Satellite of Love.
Read more about Chris’s MST3K LEGO build
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a LEGO convention, but years ago, after the public went home, there were all sorts of “unsanctioned, after-hours” events for attending adults. Of those, “drunken speed building” was always a fun time. Or at least, I think it was a fun time. I honestly don’t remember a lot of details. Possibly because I was participating in drunken speed builds. Ah, youth. Anyway. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, drunk LEGO building.
Recently, the TRY Channel featured a bunch of Irish comedians getting drunk. Pretty common video topic for them. But immediately afterwards, they challenged the same folks to try their hand at building LEGO sets. I’ve already shared my LEGO-versions of two of the sets of TRYers. Today we finish up the series with Jamie Jay Car and Shannon Keenan‘s attempt to build set 75946 – Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge. Like the other folks in the video, they do their best, but success wasn’t really in the cards for them. Shannon was pretty frustrated with the set from the get go, even “accidentally” tearing up the instruction book. Jamie gave it an honest go, but eventually just gave in to the chaos and started putting stickers all over his face. Good times.
I wanted to bring some new elements to this set of characters. Jamie’s shocked expression meant leaving behind the Mixel eyes I’d been using on everyone else, and going with 2×2 radar dishes. And black hot dogs for his eyebrows, because sometimes 1×2 tiles just aren’t enough. Shannon’s ash-blonde hair was a challenge for me, as no shade of LEGO brick really captured it right. I went through a couple of variations before giving in and ordering the parts I needed in dark tan. The torn instruction booklet is the insert from a Harry Potter collectible mini-figure. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made.
I’m looking forward to an excuse to build more members of the TRY channel in this format. At my age, it’s safer than getting involved in drunken speed builds of my own. Maybe. (When’s the next convention again?)
LEGO element 2417, the 6×5 plant leaf, is a part that lends itself well to multiple uses. Many go the traditional route and use it as part of a tree. Sometimes it winds up as part of an alien creature. My favorite uses, though, are when a builder takes a bunch of them and creates complex patterns. Azurekingfisher is a builder who has shown great skill in this area before. But today, they take that skill-set and apply it at an entirely new level. In White Bird the geometric shapes have been joined with sculptural elements to create a bird that is simply stunning.
The bird’s body has some nice part usage as well, bringing in textures from parts like open-stud 1×1 round plates for the eyes, and a turntable base on the chest. The touch of gold from the tooth plates as claws adds just a touch of opulence to the build. If this is just a step in Azurekingfisher’s building career, I can’t wait to see where they head next.
Versatile as LEGO bricks are, sometimes there are pieces that are just…challenging…to work with. There are common but annoying parts like big ugly rock pieces. There are wacky things like a rare Duplo stand from a short-lived licensed theme. Whatever the case, it takes a special kind of builder to take these elements and see them in new ways. A kind of part mastery. Some might even say….Jedi mastery. For example, LEGO builder Logan W. has taken the normally single-purpose Bionicle Midak Skyblaster cannon and incorporated it into an impressive replica of Darth Vader’s iconic lightsaber. The cannon forms the emitter shroud, while the hilt is made from strips of black tile connected to octagonal bar frames and a Technic racing wheel rim.
Logan was inspired by a Two-Piece-Only lightsaber created by The Igzer. The two pieces in use there are the aforementioned Midak Skyblaster cannon and a bit of Bionicle shoulder armor. If you’re looking for a minimalist approach to Jedi weaponry, you should check that build, too!
There have been enough medical issues in my extended family that I know you have to take an unexpected growth or bump seriously. Early detection is often an important factor in survival, and ignoring things almost never has a good outcome. LEGO builder Djokson brings us a cautionary tale in this vein with The Husk of Minaurogg. I’m sure that Minaurogg was a happy-go-lucky type of person. You can see that reflected in their cheerful helm (skillfully constructed from a minifigure shield, robot arms and elbow bricks.) and well groomed nails. Sadly, all that mirth has come to a sudden halt as Minaurogg has come down with a bad case of…something. A growth of round tiles in transparent purple have boiled up, and a couple of giant pustules look ready to burst. There’s also severe discoloration of the arm with new spiky outgrowths on the shoulder. And that one red eye seems pretty bloodshot.
Ah, maybe it’s just me being alarmist. I’m sure I few days of bed rest is all that’s required to set things right!
I’ve been a fan of LEGO’s Bionicle for a long time. I came out of my dark age just as the theme was launching in the US back in 2001, and they were some of the first sets I bought. When the line came to an end a decade later, LEGO fans kept the theme going strong with tons of unique creations. Anthony Wilson is among those builders, and their latest offering, Valkyrie: Toa of Lightning, is breathtaking. The base figure has a strong color theme in white and purple, with a brick-built mask. Quality building techniques are at play throughout the model, my favorite being the small offsets created in the armor on the thighs. (The unique shaping of headlight bricks allows for the gap.) There is also a lot of great part usage, including tricycle frames in the hips, worm gears on the legs and forearms, and even a zip-line handle in the chest. As impressive as the base figure is, what made me want to write about this model are the lightning effects. A couple of minifigure-accessory magic sparks hint at the awesome discharge happening on the Toa’s right arm. Made up of layers of hero factory armor and weapons, the angular electric effects have an almost liquid quality to them.
The build on the Valkyrie is probably several levels above what LEGO would have released for a kid-friendly set had the line continued. So maybe, just maybe, Bionicle is better off left in the hands of the fans. Oh, who am I kidding. They need to bring this theme back, and soon.