Posts by Jake Forbes

Andor’s TIE Avenger debuts in LEGO in fan build

You should be watching Andor for the incredible writing and performances that bring the Star Wars universe to life with unmatched texture and nuance. But if you’re reading on a LEGO site, chances are you’re also scanning every scene for new ships and droids to inspire future MOCs or sets to anticipate next May the Fourth. Andor season 2 delivers on both cinema craft and spacecraft in its opening minutes with an incredible TIE Fighter heist, and I know I wasn’t alone in seeing that ship and saying, “that will make an incredible LEGO set!” Builder Michał Kozłowski, aka Edge of Bricks, was inspired by the first shots of the TIE Avenger in the Andor trailer and set to work making a remarkably screen-accurate version from 1,088 parts.

Andor's TIE Avenger MOC_1

Originally appearing in the PC game Star Wars: TIE Fighter,  the TIE Avenger is a cousin to the TIE Interceptor. A quality over quantity shift from the standard TIE strategy, the Avenger is equipped with heavier armor plating, a robust armament, and a hyperdrive. Michał’s model captures the wing-mounted missiles, but it is missing the heavy laser beneath the cockpit and the rotary cannons to the sides, which we didn’t get a clear look at until the first episode premiered this week. No doubt Michał will correct this, and in the meantime, it’s a remarkable likeness on a quick turnaround

Andor's TIE Avenger MOC_2

See more pics of this top-secret Imperial fighter

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Maxx’s Moomin is here to melt your heart

The Moomins, created by Finnish/Swedish author Tove Jansson, are timeless characters long cherished in Scandinavia, Japan, and increasingly the world, thanks to new printings of the amazing storybooks and comics, merchandise, movies, and even a new video game. One medium that Moomin hasn’t conquered yet is LEGO, but Maxx Davidson corrects this oversight. Moomin, ever the awkward romantic, is a perfect subject for Maxx’s whimsical style of building. I would love to see Jansonn’s characters come to LEGO so that I can admire them as I drink from one of my many Moomin mugs. If the residents of Moominvalley continue to grow in recognition, maybe they’ll eventually make it through the Ideas or Icons lines. Until then, I’ll hold Maxx’s model in my heart.

Moomin

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LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76974 Brick-Built Mosasaurus Boat Mission – A bold return to basics [Review]

LEGO sets based on the Jurassic films have a notoriously high price-to-piece ratio thanks to the large molded dinosaur figures. This has never been more true than the current wave of Jurassic World Rebirth sets, which offer incredible play paired with big price increases. One set in the line bucks the trend – 76974 Brick-Built Mosasaurus Boat Mission. With a retail price of  US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99 for 858 pieces, the set promises something that other sets leave wanting: value. But is this brick-built behemoth a model of excellence, or is it dead in the water? Let’s find out!

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.

Click here to read our full review!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

This Week in LEGO Bricks: From Asgard to Isengard [Feature]

While scouring the LEGO world for essential creations and news for this week’s video, ABrickDreamer noticed a pattern – lots of builds inspired by transportation, from cyberpunk trucks to majestic camels. He also rounds up the latest models in the Rogue Olympics competition from many of our favorite builders. And if you’ve ever wondered what a 36,000 piece model of Isengard would look like, that’s here too. It’s another amazing week in LEGO bricks!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76970 Baby Dinosaur Dolores: Aquilops – Cretaceous cutie

The plot of Jurassic World: Rebirth hinges on tracking down genetic samples from the biggest dinosaurs deemed too dangerous for the original Jurassic Park. It also introduces the Aquilops, a plant-eating ceratopsian roughly the size of a housecat. And it’s a baby! Alongside the line of action playsets, LEGO will help you build your own baby Aquilops from 339 pieces. Available on June 1 for US $27.99 | CAN $29.99 | UK £19.99, 76970 Baby Dinosaur Dolores: Aquilops is the most  affordable set in the latest Jurassic collection. It follows in the tiny dino footsteps of Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaur, a set we found to be a true delight for a great price. How does Dolores measure up as a buildable baby dino friend?

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.

Check out our review of Baby Bumpy below!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76973 Raptor & Titanosaurus Tracking Mission – Biggest. Dino. Ever. [Review]

In Jurassic World Rebirth, scientists require DNA from the largest and most lethal dinosaurs on a secret research island run amok. For sheer size, the Titanosaurus is arguably the biggest there ever was, and it’s the star of the second biggest LEGO set in the Rebirth line. LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76973 Raptor & Titanosaurus Tracking Mission contains one enormous sauropod, a raptor, two vehicles, three minifigs, a campsite, and an abandoned gas station, built from 582 pieces. The set releases on June 1 and can be pre-ordered now for US $109.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99. Does bigger mean better when it comes to dino DNA? Join us as we track down the answers in our review.

 

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.

Click here to read our full review!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Holy Week collaboration is a testament to creativity and faith

From Byzantine icons to Michelangelo murals to swords-and-sandals epics, the New Testament gospels have been a source of artistic inspiration for nearly 2000 years. During the lead up to Easter, RebelLUG members Kevin Wanner, Eli Willsea, Chris Roberts, and James Libby collaborated on a series of 8 builds corresponding with Holy Week. Regardless of one’s faith, the series is an inspiring use of LEGO as a storytelling medium and a showcase of amazing talent in the community.

Kevin contributes the first entry, an immersive scene that depicts Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, the origins of Palm Sunday.

The Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) 3
Read on for the full holy week collaboration

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Jurassic World 76972 Raptor Off-Road Escape and 76975 T. rex River Escape – Jurassic Classics [Review]

Every new Jurassic movie adds at least one new dino species or hybrid, and this summer’s Jurassic World: Rebirth looks to be no exception. But the franchise also loves bringing back the original MVPs – T.Rex and Velociraptor – who, like Godzilla, have become the heroes as much as monsters. Each of these legends gets its own set in LEGO’s line of Rebirth sets in the form of 76972 Raptor Off-Road Escape and 76975 T. rex River Escape. The sets contain 286 and 199 pieces, respectively, and will be available on June 1. You can pre-order now for  US $39.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £29.99 (Raptor) and US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £44.99 (T.Rex). 32 years after Spielberg and co turned them into stars, does this dino duo still shine?

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.

Click here to read our full review!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Let’s roll up some advanced Dungeons and Dragons LEGO characters [Minifig Monday]

Last year LEGO released a minifigure I never would have expected in a thousand years – a mindflayer paired with an intellect devourer. Dungeons and Dragons turned out to be the perfect license to deliver fantasy and medieval accessories to an underserved audience. While it’s uncertain if LEGO will release any other D&D sets in the future, the creative minifig building community isn’t slowing down in rolling up new charcters. Let’s have a look at some recent highlights!

What started as a group of friends and actors livestreaming their D&D campaigns became a media empire for Critical Role, culminating in the animated series The Legend of Vox Machina. Fantasy minifig artisan Thorgrihm pays tribute to the show with his take on the cast.

ASortaOkayBuilder was also inspired by D&D in other media and made a minifig tribute to the Not Another D&D Podcast. This Steel Hawk Fighter is called Zudrick of the Murder and is equipped with an oversized anime sword for over-the-top stabbing.

Roll for initiative and venture onward for more D&D minifig designs

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76976 Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission – Paging Johnny Thunder [Review]

Three years after Jurassic World: Dominion closed the book on two generations of scientists and park staff, the franchise is back with a new cast, a new director (Rogue One‘s Gareth Edwards), and, most importantly, a new island full of deadly dinosaurs to escape from in Jurassic World: Rebirth. In advance of the film’s debut this July, LEGO is releasing 6 sets, with the biggest of them all being LEGO Jurassic World Rebirth 76976 Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission. The playset packs in two large dinosaur figures, four minifigs, two vehicles, and a substantial ruin that doubles as a dino nest and brings big Adventurers energy. It also sports the biggest pricetag yet for a Jurassic playset. This epic Air Mission is available on June 1 and can be pre-ordered now for US $159.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £139.99. Is it worth a braving a detour to InGen’s lost island to pick it up? Let us be your guide.

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.

Click here to read our full review!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Avacyn has flying, vigilance, and protection from brick separators

Back when I played Magic, the Gathering, I was more of a green or black player, but I lost more than a few games to angel-themed white decks with their ability to cancel incoming damage. For his latest character creation, Eero Okkonen translates Magic’s seraphic hero Avacyn from the plane of Innistrad into brick form, and the results are divine. The wings are substantial but somehow look light, balanced on the angel’s back. Avacyn’s bust is cleverly shaped from a pair of bigfig arms. The lance head with macaroni tubes is perfect. Showing that even a master is always learning, Eero shares that the angled pattern around the hip area was created using the grid-breaking techniques shared on New Elementary last month in this essential article.

Avacyn, the Guardian Angel

Craving more Magic characters? alex_mocs creates another white hero with this haunting Elesh Norn model.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Johnny Thunder’s biggest tomb raid ever

Adventurers was such an amazing theme for any kid (or grown-up) who ever dreamed of seeing far-off lands and solving the mysteries of the ancient past. LEGO Masters champion Mark Erickson is certainly a fan of the theme and picked it for one of his latest 24-hour build challenges. Mark had a blast incorporating as many original parts from the theme as possible, like the printed hieroglyphs, sarcophagus, and of course, the army of minifigures, while also incorporating newer elements and build techniques. The dark orange and dark azure combo definitely wouldn’t have been possible back in 1998, but it’s the perfect color combo for a pharaoh’s haunted tomb and matches the old printings.

The diorama is packed with action from a tomb raid gone horribly wrong as Johnny Thunder and friends unleash a mummy’s curse. All the familiar characters are there, but Mark supplements the crew with minifig companions who look right at home.

If Mark said this was a labor of love built over months, it would still be impressive, but somehow the Master Builder erected this epic wonder in just 24 hours. It must be ancient magic.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.