About Bre Burns

Bre is an Oregon native who came to Seattle with her partner, Jessie, in 2015. She briefly worked for the LEGO Group as a Brick Specialist before she left to pursue her dream of being a Zookeeper. Now she works at Woodland Park Zoo, but LEGO continues to be a huge part of her life. She and her partner are active members of SEALUG, FabuLUG and SquatchLUG, and enjoy building creations big and small that span across many themes, under the name Renegade Bricks. Bre is also the Theme Coordinator for Technic/Mindstorms and a member of the Senior Staff for BrickCon.

Posts by Bre Burns

LEGO Technic 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R – A silent assassin? [Review]

Our final kit on the March 1st released Technic sets list is the LEGO Technic 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R. While it’s being reviewed last, it’s certainly not the least interesting of the bunch. LEGO motorcycle fans will be keen to learn whether or not this 643-piece Ninja is worthy of their shelf space. So join us as we take a closer look at the model, which is available now and currently retails for US $84.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £69.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Technic 42169 NEOM McLaren Formula E Race Car – A pull-back to hold back on? [Review]

We’re finally wrapping up our reviews of the March 1st wave of Technic sets. Next on the list is the 452-piece LEGO Technic 42169 NEOM McLaren Formula E Team race car. Compared to the other sets in the wave, this guy is pretty little! But retailing for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £46.99 doesn’t seem like a small price tag. Does the set rise to the price-point? You’ll have to read on to find out!

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Technic 42165 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 Pull-Back – A new way to team build [Review]

A couple days ago we published our review on the large 1:8 scale LEGO Technic replica of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance racecar. Next up on the docket is the itty-bitty LEGO Technic 42165 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 Pull-Back. This 240-piece set is being heavily marketed as a companion build for the large version. Is it worth it? Come with us as we build it and make our verdict. The set will be available March 1st and retail for US $26.99 | CAN $34.99 | UK £20.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews

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LEGO Technic 42178 Surface Space Loader LT78 – More rover than loader [Review]

The latest round of Technic sets has created a bit of a stir with all their epic space-y-ness! We’ve already taken a close look at 42181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 and 42180 Mars Crew Exploration Rover and now it’s time to turn our attention to the smallest of the space vehicles:  LEGO Technic 42178 Surface Space Loader LT78. Is it a mighty mouse? You’ll have to read on to see! Like its counterparts, this set will also be available March 1st. It has 435 pieces and will retail for US $34.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £29.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews

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LEGO Technic 42181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 – Super swooshable! [Review]

It looks like this year is the year of SPACE for LEGO. They are pumping out some lovely sets in multiple themes, including Technic. The latest wave appear to be some heavy hitters, especially with LEGO Technic 42181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81. Space nerds a mile away did a double take when pictures started to surface. Plus, a marriage with Technic functions could be an epic pairing. So let’s take a deeper look at this beauty to see if the build is as fun as it looks. The set, which contains 1365 pieces, will be available March 1st and retail for US $109.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews

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LEGO Technic 42180 Mars Crew Exploration Rover – A plethora of play features [Review]

Many LEGO space fans like to participate in “Febrovery” each year – a challenge to build space rovers. Well, it appears the LEGO Technic team is going to wrap up Febrovery with their very own epic rover. Not just that, but we have a whole line of Technic space sets coming down the pipeline! Join us as we take a look at the first and largest of the bunch, the 1599-piece LEGO Technic 42180 Mars Crew Exploration Rover, which will be available starting March 1st and retail for US $149.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £129.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Technic 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit – Finally an orrery! [Review]

As time goes by and LEGO Technic adds more and more elements to its repertoire, it becomes more and more of a force to be reckoned with in the world of STEM toys. Nowhere is this more evident than in the recent addition to their lineup: the LEGO Technic 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit. Some form of orrery (a model of the orbit of planets and moons around the sun) has been on many wish lists for a long time, and finally the wait is over. The kit will be available March 1st and retail for US $74.99 | CAN $99.99 UK £69.99. Join us as we build the 526-piece model and see if it’s everything we’ve hoped for. 

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Technic 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance – A winning replica? [Review]

Almost exactly two years ago to the day, I wrote a review of the orange and blue LEGO Technic 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car. Recently, I looked back to find that I had been fairly critical of the model, considering it overpriced and underwhelming at the time. However, I had little recollection of that, feeling maybe I was too harsh, and it made me all the more intrigued as to how I’d feel about the new LEGO Technic 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance. At 1642 pieces and retailing for US $219.99 | CAN $289.99 | UK £189.99, the price per piece is even higher than the McLaren. But how about the rest of it? Does it hit the mark that the McLaren missed? Come along as we take a deep dive into Technic’s latest 1:8 scale supercar, which will be available March 1st.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.


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LEGO Disney 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Cottage – A beloved classic [Review]

The partnership between LEGO and Disney has been long-running, featuring sets across the gamut of Disney’s collection for years. That has included many appearances by the Disney princesses. However, we’ve only seen a couple of the first one ever – Snow White. It’s been a long time coming, but wishes have now been granted! LEGO Disney 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Cottage brings us the cottage we’ve long-awaited. Come with us as we step inside this 2,228 piece set, which will be available March 4th, retailing for US $219.99 | CAN $289.99 | UK £189.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Icons 10331 Kingfisher – An iconic bird in brick [Review]

The LEGO Botanical Collection has been a huge success, with loads of adult fans scooping those sets off shelves to decorate their homes and offices in a fun and cheerful way. The LEGO Ideas Insect Collection was also a hit, giving a bit of variety to these similar types of adult-oriented sets. It only made sense that the company would try to branch out into some of the more elegant representatives from the animal kingdom. Speaking of “kingdom” they picked an excellent candidate with the LEGO Icons 10331 Kingfisher. Join us as we swoop in for a closer look at this 834-piece set, available February 1st, and retailing for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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Ace Parts Usage: TBB’s favorite LEGO build techniques of the second half of 2023 [Feature]

It’s been nearly six months since our first “Ace Parts Usage” article. In it, we sifted through hundreds of LEGO creations to determine our top 10 favorite build techniques from January through June of this year. If you’re unfamiliar, builds that feature particularly cool techniques are said to have NPU (Nice Parts Usage). We’ve seen everything, but occasionally we’re extra impressed by something new and unique – an “ace” parts usage. Although we’re about to announce our overall favorite builds (using several criteria) in the running for the TBB Creation of the Year , we want to honor some ace parts usage right here, right now. There were too many awesome considerations over the past 6 months, so we decided to give you our favorite 15 instead of our favorite 10. Join us as we count down the best of the second half of 2023!

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LEGO Fortnite – A video game match made in heaven? [Review]

The LEGO Group has had its hand in the video game industry for a long time. From its first PC games in the 90’s to popular, cross-platform, licensed titles in Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic World, Harry Potter, DC, Marvel, and of course, Star Wars, it could be said that the company has had a prolific mark on gaming. But, like anything, there have definitely been games along the way that didn’t hit the mark. Join us as we dive into the latest partnership with Epic Games’ Fortnite to see if it’s a flop or winner. Plus, we’ll look at some loot! LEGO Fortnite is free and available now across multiple gaming platforms.

The LEGO Group and Epic Games sent The Brothers Brick some items for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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