Over at The Brother’s Brick we know a good LEGO Orc Hut when we see one. And this Orc Hut by Versteinert definitely is a good one. Do you want to know why? It’s because of all the funky parts used in original ways. We get a tree trunk suit disguised as a chimney. Complete with a Ninjago snake used for the smoke. I’ve seen this part used for smoke before and it never stops to amaze me how good this looks. Cake suit guy gets robbed of his party hat because it gets transformed into a bell. I love how the pin of the hat resembles the clapper of the bell. The flower stem pine trees are to die for. Same goes for most of the foliage. There are quite some original parts used there. If you take a closer look you can spot eggs, ice cream scoops, Minion hair and even Marge Simpsons head.
Category Archives: Models
A proper TRON cycle
Veteran builder Simon Liu made the most of an opportunity during his latest review for New Elementary. Given the chance to pick the set he wanted to write about, he jumped on the smorgasbord of glow-in-the-dark pieces available in June 2021’s LEGO Monkie Kid 80028 The Bone Demon. Making use of the angles and curves presented by parts selection in the set, Simon was able to finally execute a proper glow-in-the-dark TRON cycle. As a bit of a dream for Simon, he was excited to pull it off, no matter what the scale. Of course, that meant that things got a little more difficult once he got attached to that swoop of White Glow curve in the center of the bike. Sandwiching the two sides together at a scale he liked only left a tile’s thickness for the core of the body. The wheels were almost too easy, the clever curve using rounded 1×2 plates centered with that tile’s thickness to provide an attachment point for the glowing rims made with 3×3 1/4 arch bricks. Black detailing on the body is complemented by 45-degree cut slopes near the base and handlebars, completing that quintessentially TRON light cycle feel.
Just one of a few great builds that Simon worked on for New Elementary, this TRON cycle entices the building community to see what else they can do with a fist full of glow-in-the-dark elements. Clearly, there’s potential for tech and sci-fi models so who knows what use Simon will find for these highly UV-reactive pieces this year. It could make for one interesting SHIPtember if he was feeling adventurous.
We’re shell-shocked by this handy build
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles famously waged battle against the evil Foot Clan. Well, Dan Ko is here to remind us that the best weapon against the foot is a hand. The Iron Builder competition is back underway, with the seed part being the bright light green big fig hands in both left and right. Dan has ingeniously used at least seven of them to build Raphael, and there’s another bunch of them making up the ooze leaking from the sewer. The result is some impressive NPU (Ninja Parts Usage).
One strange Bionicle bunny
Well not quite a bunny, but actually an evil servant of Makuta! Alex Mertens has created this impressive version of Lariska from the Bionicle lore; a Dark Hunter who never got an official set. Presented in a mainly turquoise colour scheme, the character has a slim, agile looking design, fitting with the descriptions of her acrobatic combat style. A variety of pieces from the Clikits theme have been added to create pink highlights across the build. A panel piece, featured in a classic Rock Raiders set, forms part of the front section of the head. Minifigure helmets are cleverly used to cover connecting joints at the shoulders and upper thighs. Long skis represent the feet, with the implication that Lariska uses these to spring into the air for devastating aerial attacks.
This mech packs a real bite
Here at The Brothers Brick, we come across a lot of LEGO mechs, and I’m always looking for something different. Moko definitely delivers something different with this mech built for the inevitable Crocodile Invasion! The crocodile body has limited connection points itself, and to see it so easily integrated into the body displays a fantastic knowledge of how LEGO works. The mech’s body has a wonderfully sculpted structure, with its bulky, angled construction creating an impressive and foreboding appearance. Moko has been able to pack a lot of detail into this mech, from the dynamic colors to the powerful arm cannon making good use of the updated stud shooters. The asymmetrical nature of this build allows for the arm design to be vastly different, with the left arm ending in a powerful claw. I’m not in any rush to see this Crocodiles death roll any time soon…
What the world needs is a shiny, green COE
You may look at that title and think; well that’s just stupid. And believe you me, this wouldn’t be the first time I drop a rock stupid article on y’all. But then when you check out this sick slammed LEGO 1948 COE (Cab Over Engine) Car Hauler built by Sérgio Batista you’re like; OK, that’s pretty dope! Right? At least that’s how it all goes down in my mind, anyway. But seriously, with copious chrome, dropped stance, mean green color, and sexy curves, this COE has probably earned a dope status from you the readers. And that rat rod you see it hauling? It turns out we featured it before as that one was penned by yours truly. I guess I’m just into rat rods and COE haulers. Check it out and another creation by this same builder in our dope archives.
Repetition is key, but let’s not make it too obvious
Sometimes when creations get big, they lose a lot of the details which can make the build interesting. This does not apply to Tobias Goldschalt’s latest LEGO design. This Outpost Inn is so big it might as well be a Medieval version of Ninjago City. Whenever you build something this gargantuan, repetition is inevitable. The danger is that repetition is one of the key factors that can make a creation a bit boring and dull. Tobias repeated the color scheme and the architectural style of the build, however he differentiated in the details. Every section of the Tudor style mansion has a different technique. Even though all the rooftops are red, there’s a variety of texture thanks to the use of round bricks, round plates, cheese tiles and slope turrets. Additionally, the style of window construction rarely repeats itself. Avoiding repetition on this level keeps a massive creation like this interesting. You keep finding new little details every time you take a closer look at it. There is a great deal to learn from this creation if you study it closely enough.
Bored Bionicle Beach Bum
There’s been just a bit too much going on in the news lately so to ease our stress here’s a bored LEGO Bionicle lifeguard built by Patrick Biggs. When a lifeguard is bored that usually means everyone is playing nicely and no one is doing any stupid shiznit in the water. I could get drunk and try to use an ironing board as a surfboard but being rescued by one lifeguard is more than I want to endure in one lifetime. You, on the other hand; go nuts; get recued; good times! This is part of a series in which a group of friends portrayed Bionicle figures acting as ordinary citizens. We’re all perplexed as to how and why they did it but, truth be told, my whole ironing board fiasco perplexed several local citizens as well, so…yeah.
This sail barge is large and in charge
As the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ invites us back to the harsh sands of Tatooine, Shaun Sheepa reminds us that you can still travel in style on a desert planet. This fantastic rendition of Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge from Return of the Jedi is just 50 studs long, but is still packed with all the comforts you want in your intergalactic super yacht, like hover engines and deck-mounted cannons. The pentagonal tiles and ingots do a great job of adding some screen accuracy to the ship’s hull.
Inside, there’s room for a brick-built Jabba and plenty of the Hutt’s crew. The front also features a cockpit worthy of the finest starfighters, a feature that both of LEGO’s official sail barge sets has lacked.
Micro Nausicaä glides over a LEGO Sea of Corruption
I don’t think there are enough words to describe my love of the Studio Ghibli movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. And the same can be said for this gorgeous LEGO build by Tino Poutiainen. The vibrant coloration of all the virulent fungi fits in perfectly with the aesthetic from the film, giving off that strong “poison arrow frog” vibe. Heavy use of round disks and plates, combined with more texturally complex parts create enough nooks and crannies to trigger some serious trypophobia. The skull of a long-dead God Warrior, resting atop the pile of fungi, is spot on. I especially like the use of old and new LEGO shades of gray to add some wear to the husk. But the icing on the cake here is the micro Nausicaä herself, soaring above on her mehve. Using under ten parts, it’s a shining jewel in an already brilliant crown.
You can’t hold this little ship down!
The winds must be really strong on this world as First Order Lego has created a mysterious landscape featuring a small floating ship. The miniature vehicle uses teeth pieces for its sails and a minifigure hand as a bowsprit at the front. Large links of chains descend from the sky which are possibly attached to the anchors of an even larger construction. In the background, the clouds are beautifully formed using a variety of angled slopes and rounded bricks. The lush green forest is made up of spikes representing sharp-looking trees. We’d love to see more from this alluring realm and find out what those chains are connected to.
Giving nature a hand
The Flower Pot Girl (from the collectable minifigure series 18) gets a boost in this thought-provoking build created by Pascal Hetzel. The model shows an arm raising the colourful minifigure and flowers out of a stone box. Transparent wedges seep through cracks in the stonework and could be viewed as toxic waste with the arm saving the plant life from falling in. The forearm is presented in a staggered motion in order to portray the limb outstretched at an angle. Macaroni pieces are used to represent humanoid curled fingers with small bulb pieces in white forming the fingertips. Best not to give this one a shake, otherwise those carefully placed wedges and flowers will be going everywhere.
