Posts by Peter

The future looks bleak, but at least the decorations are still holding strong!

It seems as though building a scene set in the year 2049 is the thing to do these days, no doubt in part because of the new Bladerunner film. However, this scene by Eddy Plu depicting Tokyo in the year 2049 has some great elements that set it apart from the crowd. Usually when building LEGO scenes, builders tend to focus on the background, and rarely is there anything in the foreground. But here, the Eddy has added some leaves and other objects to the foreground, giving the scene a higher degree of depth and making it much more interesting to admire.

Tokyo 2049 東京

Also, don’t overlook the cracked and uneven street, which makes it seem like either an explosion or an earthquake has happened in the future, and the nice curve the sidewalk and buildings situated on it seems to follow suit in looking precarious.

The art of winemaking in one scene

When we think of medieval LEGO creations, we most often see grand castles of all shapes and sizes. And I’m not complaining per se, but I do love it when someone brings us a more uncommon scene. Wine is a classic medieval beverage for kings, queens, and knights alike, and thanks to Guido Martin-Brandis we can see winemaking in the brick. The builder has incorporated almost every stage of winemaking into this single build. The process of planting and growing the grape vines, and the ripening of the grapes themselves is shown in full, with the grapes represented by different colored cherry pieces on the vines. Behind the vineyards you can spot a bare-legged peasent having a grand old time crushing the grapes with his feet, which I certainly hope he washed before he started.

Wine Making

Around the back of the aging house (with its thatched roof made with minifigure hands) we can see the bottles and barrels of aged wine being shipped off to market via horse carriage, the ending to the story depicted by this excellent diorama.

Wine Making

Glittering with gold, and a beastly shade of blue, Toa Gathu is comin’ for you

The other day I took a visit to LEGOLAND California, where they still have a Bionicle ride, along with statues of some of the Bionicles themselves, and got a pang of nostalgia for the days of old when Bionicle was still an official LEGO theme. Unfortunately, its unlikely the theme will ever be revived. Luckily, as long as the parts still exist, we will always get to enjoy fan made creations from the theme, case in point: Toa Gathu by Mitch Phillips.

Toa Gathu

I particularly like all of the small details on this figure, such as the brown minifigure backpack as a utility pouch, and the usage of lots of small pieces to achieve a trim, athletic shape for the Bionicles torso. This Bionicle has certainly been hitting the gym, unlike many of the official sets whose legs and arms were quite spindly and thin. Lastly don’t miss the nice usage of a gold LEGO Duplo door piece as the shield.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity built from LEGO

I always find myself amazed with LEGO train builders’ ability to translate feats of human engineering, into feats of LEGO engineering, and this beautiful Alstom Pendolino ED250 by Mateusz Waldowski is no exception. For those curious about the name, Alstom is the manufacturer, and ED250 PKP is the actual model of train. Pendolino designates this train as part of a family of “tilting trains”, trains that tilt into a curve so they can go around at a higher speed, without causing passenger discomfort.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity (01)

Mateusz has done an excellent job achieving the slightly sloped sides of the passenger cars, along with the round nose of the engine, which can be the most difficult part of building a modern train. There’s also something satisfying about the red flex tube used on the electrical contact rollers, its a small detail but it provides a nice spot of color. In addition, as if the expert construction wasn’t enough, the builder also seamlessly incorporated interior lighting on the passenger cars and exterior lights on both the front and rear locomotives.

Alstom Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity (04)

If you’d like to see more of Mateusz’s excellent builds, check out the links below:
Newag 15D/16D Cargo Locomotive
1977 Granada MK1 Station Wagon

It’s not wings that make the dragon, but the ferocity of his character

I used to think that a dragon without wings was simply a lizard, but I wouldn’t dare say that to the face of this wingless dragon built by Leonid An. His name is Glaurung the Fierce, and with his athletic, lean build and large claws, this dragon looks like it could easily rip any opponent to shreds, especially a heckling human who dares mock his lack of wings.

Glaurung the Fierce

What I love about this dragon in particular is the way the builder has used repetition throughout the body, neck, and tail to achieve a very clean organic figure. For example, the robot arm piece is used at least twenty times, laced through flex tube to give both the subtle and more drastic curves the body of the dragon required. The 2×2 round tan boat studs are used as armor plating from the top of the neck of the dragon, all the way down underneath the belly to the tail, making for a wonderfully consistent aesthetic.

Custom display case for LEGO Minifigures by Minifigures Display [Review]

There are many different ways to go about displaying one’s LEGO minifigure collection, and there are many of us who simply don’t bother to go about it–instead stuffing our minifigures in containers and drawers, waiting for the day we will finally have a satisfactory means to display them. LEGO has officially licensed some small display cases, but today we’re taking a look at a huge 112-minifigure display case specifically made for LEGO minifigures that Spanish company Minifigures Display sent us. This large case sells for 74€, or about $84 USD.

Click here to read the full review

This microscale duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort is absolutely on fire

I would say that Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix is my favorite Harry Potter movie, but then again, it’s likely that on another week I could say the same about the other seven. However, two things are for certain: The duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic is one of the most epic wizard battles in the series, and Buggyirk has done an excellent job creating a microscale version of this intense battle in LEGO.

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

I love the use of trans-bright green Nexo-Knights helmet accessories as the green fire used for transportation via the floo-network. Voldemort’s giant fiery dragon, which he hurls at Dumbledore (likely the most difficult part of the scene) is instantly recognizable and well done using a combination of simple solid orange, yellow, and trans-orange parts.


This LEGO model was built as an entry for TBB’s Microscale Magic contest. Coverage on TBB of an entry will not be taken into consideration during judging, and will have no effect on its ability to win, either positively or negatively.

He scare. He stomp. But most importantly, he chop.

I’ve always loved how a single LEGO piece has the power to inspire an entire build, as was the case with this awesome mech by Chris Perron. The building of this marvelous monstrosity was motivated by the yellow Fabuland ladle part, which Chris wanted to incorporate into a sci-fi creation after seeing it used in a someone’s castle-themed creation. Finding a spot for such a strange piece likely proved challenging, but the builder managed to find a perfect spot for them on either side of the mech’s head, to form what looks like a respirator or perhaps like rounded cheeks.

Mr. Stompy-Chop-Chop

Ladles aside, the build overall looks like a wonderful mashup of Nexo-Knights LEGO universe, Warhammer 40k, and a beefed-up Bionicle Rahkshi. While the builder could have called it a day after the mech was completed, he went the extra mile and made a simple but effective alien environment base, which perfectly completes the final display.

Brilliant, beautiful, Brickatti.

Building a LEGO Bugatti in minifigure scale is a task that could baffle a novice builder. Luckily, Jussi Koskinen is no beginner, as he has managed to artfully capture the delicate curves and lines of the Bugatti Chiron Sport. And not only are those curves artfully captured, they are represented with innovative parts usages as well — for example, the sausages used on the fenders, and red flex tube to accomplish the sweeping lines on the side of the car.

Bugatti Chiron Sport

The Bugatti looks just as alluring when viewed from the back as well, where red rubber bands are wrapped around the rear lights, both to provide the lights with a solid color outline and fill in gaps that would otherwise be visible. Couple this excellent build with some beautiful photography and subtle effects, and you’ve got a photo that appears to be right out of Car and Driver magazine.

Bugatti Chiron Sport

TBB Cover Photo for September 2018: Bricktychon – The Wood Tryptichon

The TBB Cover Photo for September 2018 is this beautiful triptych (a fancy word for a picture or carving featuring three panels side by side), which shows the journey of wood during medieval times, from logging through cutting and use in a large building. The photo is a collaboration between three builders: Travis Brickle, who built the forest, Simon NH, who built the sawmill, and Ralph Langer, who built the medieval construction scene. While each of the builds is stunning in its own right, the builders did an excellent job coordinating their photography and build styles to create a trifecta of creations that tells a simple yet charming story.

Bricktychon - The Wood Tryptichon

Want to see your own LEGO creation featured across TBB social media for a month? Then read the submission guidelines and submit your photo today. Photos that do not meet the submission guidelines will not be considered, and will be removed from the group.

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And the forecast for Jedha city this week is...gray...light bluish gray to be exact.

The scene from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in which an Imperial Star Destroyer menacingly hovers over Jedha City certainly makes for a striking LEGO diorama, and it seems to entice some of the best Star Wars builders. Although we’ve seen Jedha City with a Star Destroyer expertly recreated once before by Hannes Tscharner, this time 0necase has made a much larger version of the scene, and the result is breathtaking.

The Empire over Jedha City

The Star Destroyer is superb, and the shaping on the front and back of the bridge is particularly well done. However, the real star of the show is the mountainous base and city itself. I love the amount of colors and different greebles the builder has incorporated into the city, which serve to make it pop against the beautiful layering accomplished with various brown and earth orange wedge plates. Even the Imperial cargo shuttles transporting kyber crystals to the Star Destroyer are present, represented by minifigure roller skates — a particularly inventive parts usage.

The Empire over Jedha City

No good sittin’ worryin’ abou’ it, what’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does

I’m quite enjoying the burst of popularity the Harry Potter franchise seems to be receiving these days, not only because of the official LEGO Harry Potter sets newly released, but because of the many superb models fans have been creating. Builder Chungpo Cheng has made an excellent, large-scale model of your favorite half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid. The builder has done a particularly great job with Hagrid’s face and hair, which can be the most difficult part of the human body to translate into LEGO bricks.

Rebeus Hagrid

No details were spared on Hagrid’s clothes as well — from his belt buckle, to his coat clasps, they are all faithfully recreated. However, my favorite item has to be Hagrid’s pink umbrella, which can be spotted inside his right coat pocket. My only gripe with the model is that the crossbow appears to be more of a “crosspistol” when compared to the large size of Hagrid himself.