Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Legendary Xerneas makes a staggeringly cute LEGO Pokémon

As anticipation rises for official LEGO Pokémon sets in 2026, more builders than ever are creating their own Pocket Monster MOCs. The latest builder to try and catch ’em is Azurekingfisher, a builder with a distinctive style whose works are currently on display in LEGO House’s Masterpiece gallery. Azurekingfisher’s builds often focus on flowers, birds, and geometric patterns, so seeing a pop-culture creature on their page was quite a surprise. Somehow, the fairy-type Xerneas seems right at home amongst the builders’ works. It’s equal parts adorable and elegant.

The very private Japanese builder has been sharing pictures of their work since 2014. If you want to learn more about their work, BrickNerd just shared an excellent interview with Azurekingfisher.

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A clean and classic Vic Viper isn’t just good, it’s Gradius!

NoVVemeber, the annual tradition of building “Vic Viper” inspired starfighters in November, may have been first inspired by classic video game Gradius, but over the past 17 years, builders have pushed the format to wild places, like a ship made from string or this VV made from medical supplies. The One and Only Mr. R (yes, that’s his handle) goes back to the source this month with a ship directly based on the Vic Viper of Gradius V, in player 2 red. While the inspiration isn’t revolutionary, the craftsmanship is of the highest caliber.

The geometry of the wings, the subtle recesses in the SNOT-built forward prongs, and the slick color blocking make this Vic Viper a dream from every angle.

Feeling nostalgic for Novvember? Check out our Vic Viper archives for dozens more ships in this iconic style.

Ari “loafbuilds” Hytti defends Iron Builder title against challenger Ben Anderson

Today, the three judges of the venerable Iron Builder competition announced the results of the latest face-off between defending builder Ari “loafbuilds” Hytti against challenger Ben Anderson. While Ben came out on top in the number of builds (7 MOCs to Ari’s 4), it was Ari’s consistent highlighting of the seed part that gave the returning champion an edge, and the judges were unanimous in picking their winner. You can read the judge’s comments here.

The see part for this round was the wave rounded flame element in dark blue, which with its unusual connection points and irregular shape made for a true building challenge.

Now, let’s recap the builds, starting with the victor, Ari!

Shared on Halloween, Ari’s “Infernal Bargain” is one of the most impressive build I’ve seen come out of an Iron Builder competition, and one of the largest! The seed part is used to excellent effect for the demon’s hair, as well as for the quill pen’s feather. The other parts brought, from a Viking sail contrct, to dragon legs for brows, to the truly inspired mountain elements for the neck, boggle the mind.

Click to see the rest of Ari and Ben’s amazing Iron Builder creations

Gotta stack ‘em all, Pokémon!

LEGO Masters Germany winner Alex (Brix Tales) has been on a hot streak in recent months, participating in Habitat Challenges with some spectacular stacks that throw convention out the window. Traditionally, a habitat is an 8×8 base with two walls, built to house a minifig, and designed to interlock and stack. For this tribute to the Gameboy era of handheld gaming, Alex frames one familiar habitat with a pixelated explosion of Pokémon characters. I love how the build embraces the 2D source material and turns the pixel art into layered building blocks. All the starters are present and even a pair of Poké Balls make it into the mix. It’s not just a radical reinterpretation of the LEGO habitat stack – it’s one of the best tributes to 8-bit gaming I’ve seen in LEGO. Bravo.

Dancing with dragons and thrones in LEGO

RebelLUG member Kaleb (llego_pig) returns to the Seven Kingdoms with the latest in a series of masterful medieval builds that capture the specificity of George R. R. Martin’s world like few builders can. This time Kaleb’s subject is the Merman’s Court, where Davos Seaworth meets with Wyman Manderly, Lord of the White Harbor. Take a moment to appreciate the murals that adorn the walls. Ornate mosaics have become a fixture in Castle builds, but usually to create geometric patterns. I’m in awe of the way Kaleb weaves a Kraken fighting a whale, kelp, and an undulating tide into the brickwork with minimal gaps. The floor, too, reminiscent of a seabed, is equally impressive.

Kaleb’s past LEGO tributes to Westeros landmarks have been impressive, and even grander in scale. Build in 2022, here is Kaleb’s take on Deepwood Motte. Theon Greyjoy might have called it a “wooden pisspot on a hill,” but it’s quite majestic in brick with excellent SNOT walls of wood-colored plates. The builder added a weirwood tree to make enhance the connection to A Song of Ice and Fire.

See more of Kaleb’s incredible builds from the Seven Kingdoms

Chicken Dreams – a peck of clucking good LEGO hens (and instructions to make your own!)

It started with a dream – the dream of AFOLSs Carson Lacey and Syrdarian who dared prompt a new building challenge for the community: NovHENber. Frogs and crabs have had their time. Now let the chickens rise to the top of the pecking order! One builder who answered the call and has been strutting her stuff all month is Kristel Whitaker, who just finished her series of ten hens, starting with this plucky lady. This is an extraordinary build of a totally ordinary bird, living her modest egg-laying life on a bed of cozy ~~chopsticks~~ straw.

Only at the end of the series does Kristel reveal the nine fanciful fowl that followed were actually the first chicken’s dreams, with each microbuild becoming a piece of an impressive MOC with a brickbuilt dream bubble housing the peculiar and prodigious poultry. Each of these hens deserves a moment of appreciation.

Fly the coop with us as we meet all of Kristel’s amazing hens!

Do you have the Guts to build Berserk in LEGO?

Elden Ring and other From Software games have been a major influence on LEGO builds in recent years, but long before Dark Souls, another Japanese series wore the Dark Fantasy crown – the manga and anime series Berserk. Vietnamese builder Liivii forges anime characters and mecha from bricks and for their latest creation, they turned to Guts, Berserk’s violent antihero. As built by Livii, Guts is wearing the evolution of his armor infused with the Beast of Darkness. The builder recreates the Berserker armor with its many jet black ridges using all System elements, and most importantly, captures Guts’ bestial slouch as he lurches towards his next battle.

Build your own LEGO Enterprise D & Shuttlepod with these free instructions

On November 28th, LEGO ~~boldy~~ boldly goes to the final frontier with Star Trek 10356 U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. We found this Black Friday release to be a stellar build, albeit one that asks a lot of your wallet and shelf space. During this year of big sets and big price tags, “the one I can afford” memes have flourished, with builders sharing their microscale spins on premium releases, and the Enterprise has spawned a few impressive fan builds. We were especially taken by this version from 2Bricks, which includes the Enterprise D, shuttlepod GWP, and minifigures. 2Bricks was kind enough to share the instructions so that you can build your own mini Enterprise!

With the holidays approaching, if you’re looking to Trek the Halls with Borg and Holodecks, 2Bricks has created instructions for a full Advent Calendar of Star Trek microbuild instructions that you can order here.

But first, start with the free instructions for the Enterprise D and shuttlepod. As Picard sings so merrily, make it so!

Click to view the instructions for the microscale Enterprise D and Shuttlepod

Color us impressed by this Middle Eastern medieval library masterpiece

When you think of medieval LEGO builds, you probably picture a lot of grey bricks (or yellow, if you’re feeling extra nostalgic). In this spectacular scene from German builder Marcel Veit, there’s nary a grey brick to be found. Instead, we’re treated to carpets, mosaics, and bookshelves popping with rich colors. The build was created for the Arabian Knights category in this year’s Brickscalibur competition, but with all those hues, it’s clear Marcel also has his eyes on the “Cerulean Count” prize – a bonus award for builders who get creative with color.

While Marcel has collaborated on RogueBricks projects, it’s been a full year since he’s shared a personal MOC, making this immersive build all the more exciting. Marcel is a builder whose clean designs, ingenious use of elements, and command with color have influenced many other builders. And while Middle Eastern settings have become more common in the Castle community, Marcel was an early advocate of exploring that setting in MOCs.

What I love about Marcel’s builds, and especially this one, is how dense with detail they are. Furniture, potted plants, lamps, and fixtures are both innovative and cohesive. The raised mosaic carpet looks so plush. Like a good book, I want to curl up and lose myself in Marcel’s world.

Aren’t you a little short for a Mûmakil?

War elephants were a staple of combat in North Africa, but what makes them legendary in the battle against the Romans is Hannibal’s march across the Alps. Builder Tylar pays tribute in LEGO to Hannibal’s last standing elephant, Surus, at the battle of the Trebia. Cloaked in red with a howda on its back, Surus might look a little small by Oliphaunt standards, but he is surprisingly close to scale for the now-extinct North African elephants used by the Carthaginians. Tylar completes the scene with wintery terrain on the Trebia banks and a fun mix of historical minifigs, including some Roman soldiers with wolf hoods.

She sees the flowers and she wants them painted black

The LEGO Botanicals sets have offered a steady source of bright colors and inspired plenty of builders to arrange their own bright bouquets. For Taylor (@bricksandchaos), whose builds explore “elegant unease,” flowers became a way to express feelings ranging from elation to anxiety. Her blooms don’t blossom – they writhe. Taylor’s monochrome flower series riffs on Botanicals designs using all black parts, supplemented with spines and tentacles that fuse beauty with seething unrest.

Taylor’s latest MOCs add red eyes to each flower and hand-like prongs at the end of the tendrils to chilling effect. Do these roses stop to smell the humans?

More of Taylor’s flower series follows

Take a break from winter’s chill with this sunny summer palace in LEGO

LEGO castles, both official sets and fan creations, tend to focus on medieval fortresses, but most of the royal palaces still standing in Europe are built around gardens, not garrisons. Palaces like this one from Swedish builder Mikael Norling. While the builder doesn’t list a specific inspiration, the design, with the mix of light nougat and white, captures the aesthetics of 17th and 18th-century palaces inspired by the grandeur of Versailles. The Baroque touches use boomerangs, forks, ferns, flowers, and more to provide texture and detail.

Take a tour of the palace gardens after the break