Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

How to elevate your minifig presentation [Building Techniques]

For accomplished sci-fi LEGO builder Jarek Książczyk, minifigures were always an afterthought, but a double dose of D&D in the form of Balder’s Gate 3 and the excellent Collectible Minifigures led Jarek on a building spree that puts character first. From a 4×4 stud building surface, Jarek’s bases amplify each figure’s character and class with a hero prop, a bit of terrain or a splash of color (or maybe some viscera, if they’re really into Bhaal). Whether the characters remain on a shelf or play out adventures on the tabletop, simple stands like Jarek’s can raise your minifig game.

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A pirate’s life for SM-33

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew just aired its final chapter, bringing to a close one of the most consistently fun adventures to come from a galaxy far, far away. While LEGO supported the show with one deluxe set, 75374 The Onyx Cinder, it has one major omission – there’s no SM-33! The scene-stealing droid with a space rodent living in its empty eye socket might not remember no At-Attin, but he’s loyal to his cap’n. Tim Goddard remedies this omission with a pop-eyed droid that perfectly captures SM-33’s hunch and swagger. A minifig pen works great as a peg leg, and the sliced rubber eyes are brilliant.

SM-33 is another treasure from the master of LEGO droids, like this Imperial medley. Why not delve into our Tim Goddard archives and see why he’s one of our favorite Star Wars LEGO builders in this or any galaxy.

Disney’s Three Musketeers: all for fun and fun for all!

A mouse musketeer? Surely there’s a word for that. 21 years ago Mickey, Donald, and Goofy enlisted in Pete’s royal guard to defend Princess Minnie and France in a madcap retelling of The Three Musketeers. Bas van Houwelingen recreates the ensemble (sans Goofy – he overslept!) in LEGO in a tribute full of early aughts cartoon energy. Bas starts with minifig heads for Mickey and friends, but finds creative builds for the bodies. Donald’s oar feet are aces. Brick-built villain Pete strikes a dynamic pose. Forget saving the princess, the real treasure here is Pluto, a pretty rare version from the first Disney sets back in 2000. It’s a delightful ensemble that shows how much creative potential there is even in a molded character head.

2025 goal? Gains like this Colossal Titan!

We’ve seen some amazing Attack on Titan LEGO creations in the years since the hit anime took off, but this latest take of the Colossal Titan from builder Sakiya Watanabe is hands down the most… sinewy? Amazing parts usage for the muscles is on full display, such as what I believe are Hero Factory fists wrapped in rubber bands for the abs, crowbars for the trapezius, and oh so many tails for the pecs. Bruh is totally ripped. Must be all the protein in Survey Corps soldiers.

Craving more anime builds? We also loved the builder’s amazing LEGO Angel from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Micro Miyazaki: Teto and Porco Rosso in LEGO

While there might not be any official LEGO sets based on Studio Ghibli films (yet?), the fantastical worlds of Hayao Miyazaki continue to inspire builders witch creations big and small. Today we’re presenting a couple of builds on the small side, like something Arriety might build. First up is a tiny Teto, the fox-squirrel from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, built from around 20 elements from mini character maestro Qin. The mix of parts is ingenious, especially a pair of minidoll belt bags for the face and head.

Next up is a tiny flying ace from a builder known for his larger character builds, Eero Okkonen. This pipsqueak Porco Rosso with a tan binocular nose fits nicely into the cockpit of the Savoia S-21. Eero offers a detailed look at the plane and writes about why Porco Rosso is his favorite film over at Cyclopic Bricks.

Which Miyazaki film is your favorite? Why not have a look at our Miyazaki archive for inspiration!

A cracking build of Wallace & Gromit’s Austin A35

Wallace and Gromit have tried many business ventures over their storied career. Whether the job calls for trapping rabbits, doling out dough, or wrangling smart gnomes, their trusty Austin A35 van always delivers. Isaac Wilder is something of a madcap genius in his own right, only instead of cracking inventions, Isaac’s specialty is uncannily-accurate vintage cars in LEGO. Here Isaac recreates Wallace’s iconic ride, decked out with decals from the ~~evil~~ inventor’s latest venture from Vengeance Most Foul. Isaac’s attention to detail is admirable, going so far as to offset the wings by half a stud to match the subtle bulge of the original. Isaac pairs the car with a brick-built take on Norbot, the chipper AI-powered garden gnome who definitely couldn’t be hacked for nefarious purposes.

Invading goblins get a lesson in Dwarven hospitality

Builder Mihał Ch regularly wows us with epic scenes from fantasy and folklore. Inspired by the “Dwarf Tales” category of this year’s Brickscalibur contest, Mihał crafts a massive 64-stud square slice of a Dwarven fortress under siege from a colorful crew of goblins. While short in statue, these Dwarves put up a mighty fight with cannons and spell blasts echoing through the hall.

Delve deeper for more pics of this epic Dwarven hall under siege

“Arch” rival builds vie in Iron Forge [Feature]

The Iron Builder competition pits a veteran building champion against a challenger in a LEGO twist on the Iron Chef cooking show. But how does one become a challenger? One path is the Iron Forge competition, where everyone is invited to build and share models using the “seed part,” with the pool becoming a bracketed competition until one is chosen. The free-for-all phase just wrapped up, featuring the seed part of “any mudguard with only one wheel arch.” Here are a few that caught our eye.

“Fun at the Fair” by Dominique Boeynaems – 21 mudguards

“Mud-Guarded” by Bousker – 33 mudguards (each of those traps on the wall uses 4!)

Keep on rolling to more creative mudguard builds

Music box bear causes cuteness overload in LEGO

Builder Jeunet came to LEGO as an adult in Japan shopping for their child, and in the years since they’ve found ongoing delight through the sharing of builds that combine music, cuteness, and everyday objects. Like this adorable bear playing a music box from a carousel unicorn!

The builder has a knack for finding joy in the mundane, with miniature MOCs that share the spirit of specificity you find from Gashapon machines in Japan. In addition to building, Jeunet also performs the violin music on their channel. Cozy kawaii comfort viewing.

LEGO all-stars bring Edo-era Japan to life in LEGO in epic collab

Each year the RogueBricks community, home to many of Europe’s most accomplished LEGO builders, comes together for a collaborative build. This year’s endeavor is an immersive recreation of the Japanese city of Kumamoto during the Edo Period built atop a whopping 170 base plates (that’s 2.5 x 4.3 meters!). The massive diorama depicts the coastal city in autumn and is packed with details of life during the Tokugawa shogunate, including scenes telling the story of the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi.

Attendees were treated to motorized elements and integrated lighting, as well as informative plaques describing the history captured in bricks. As a bonus easter egg for young visitors, 10 Ninjago charaters were hidden in the build. Like 2023’s Rogue Odyssey collaboration, the project took home first prize for collaborations from both jury and audience. We’ve highlighted several contributions in recent weeks, but only now can we share the complete build thanks to Hannes Tscharner. Extended highlights and builder credits follow.

Read on for a full tour of this tour de force!

Plucky Patapons emerge from Playstation Portable past in LEGO

If you were lucky enough to have a PlayStation Portable, then there’s a good chance you remember Patapon, the music and tactics mash-up that’s up there with Space Channel 5 and PaRappa the Rapper in the rhythm game Hall of Fame. Builder Vlad V boots up the little fellas for this pixel-perfect LEGO tribute. Vlad nails the personality of the silhouetted soldiers as they march to the beat. It’s a simple mix of parts, but it couldn’t be more faithful. And you don’t have to know the game to appreciate the lovely sunset mosaic. Already the “pat-a-pat-a-pat-a-pon” earworm is back in my head. If you’re also feeling nostalgic for Patapon, the spiritual successor Ratatan is on its way with more great character designs to inspire LEGO builds.

Rock solid colossal castle

When we checked in with Louis of Nutwood last week, the builder took to the seas on itty bitty sailing ships. This time Louis puts those ace LEGO skills to work at colossal scale with the impressive Fortress of Hyrrefur. The castle features distinctive brickwork that incorporates SNOT techniques, profile bricks, and sloped corners for an impressive chiseled look. That intricacy extends to the rocky base with nary a foothold for would-be invaders.

The fortress is even more impressive up close.

Click to explore Hyrrefur Fortress from every angle