Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

The Zero Suit Samus of Eero’s DREAMZzz

Legendary LEGO character builder Eero Okkonen has a new side hustle reviewing sets for New Elementary where he puts new parts through the paces in a companion MOC. Hot on the bright light orange heels of his Simba-based Keetongu, Eero celebrates shades of blue with an amazing Zero Suit Samus from Metroid: Other M. The seed parts this time come from a pair of DREAMZzz sets, specifically the 3×3 maxi macaroni tubes in blue found in 71480 Logan the Mighty Panda.

Eero’s goal was to integrate the tubes into larger shapes, and he definitely succeeded, with a curvy torso that makes you forget you’re looking at LEGO. Samus’ fingers also come from Mighty Panda; the reversed trigger finger looks exceptionally cool. Eero is not a fan of building guns, but for Samus’ sidearm, he makes an exception, beautifully integrating Power Miner armor into the barrel. As we’ve come to expect from Eero’s models, the color blocking is second to none (I love the tiniest hint of blue in the eyes). Longtime fans of Eero’s work might remember his earlier takes on Zero Suit Samus using Bionicle parts, first in 2013 and later in 2015, as well as Samus in her iconic Power Suit. While still impressive in their own way, it’s amazing to see what a decade of practice and a wider palette of bricks makes possible for an artist and Masterpiece Gallery alumn like Eero.

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Long live the fighters!

There’s a lot to love in this dramatic depiction of Paul Muad’Dib’s final speech before the battle of Arrakeen. Builder Gus (aka Faëbricks) captures the moment just before Paul launches the family atomics to destroy the Shield Wall so well you can almost hear Hans Zimmer’s throbbing soundtrack. But aside from the faithfulness to the movie moment, two things stand out. The first is the stunning arrangement of the rock pieces, which jut out at impossible-looking angles to make a truly natural-looking cliff for Paul to stand on. The second is the perfectly round base, achieved by stacking rows and rows of plates on their sides, each one just slightly tilted, until they reach full circle. Forget desert power—it’s the power to create angles like this with LEGO bricks that’s really impressive.

Starfighter or bomber? Y not both?

At the Battle of Yavin, it was the brave pilots of Gold Squadron in their Y-Wing starfighters who made the first trench run in an attempt to blow up the Death Star. Even if those ships failed in their mission (thanks, Darth Vader), they live on in our hearts and, courtesy of builders like talego, in our LEGO bricks. talego’s take on the iconic Star Wars vehicle is one of the best we’ve seen, preserving the detail reserved for a UCS ship but at minifig scale. The greebling is out of this world, but the color blocking on the cockpit is just as impressive. For the support pylons, talego employs vintage rails, all the better to stay on target. With the care that went into this model’s creation, it’s no surprise that the Y-Wing is talego’s favorite ship.

Let the bricks do the heavy lifting

Is there a word for second-hand nostalgia? The reason I ask is that, although I never grew up with any of the ‘classic’ LEGO space theme, I’ve always been attracted (hah!) to the magnetic M-Tron theme. Unfortunately the closest I’ve come to owning any of the sets is a pair of Collectible Minifigures from Series 26. But the beauty of LEGO bricks is that you can live vicariously through them! So when I put together a hardsuit and exo-suit (inspired by Devid VII‘s recent construction worker, incidentally), M-Tron seemed a perfect fit. They are the heavy-lifting space faction, after all! All they need now is some magnets…

In space, no one can hear you croak

Our amphibious friends have been making great leaps in the field of space travel, as shown by this LEGO model by Julie vanderMeulen. This ship, dubbed the Pond Hopper, was built to help frog-kind see if the water really is bluer on the other side of the wormhole. With a water-lily radar dish on the back, and gold accents throughout the build, any frog will be able to travel in style in a frog shaped cabin. So say it with me, folks: that’s one small step for a frog, one giant leap for froggy-kind!

Fallout boys create Panic! at the vault door

Fallout wrapped its first season on TV, and a Fallout 5 game is still years off, but the post-apocalyptic world of Vault Dwellers and Nuka Cola lives on thanks to fans like Cube Brick who spent 8 months bringing the beloved universe to life in LEGO. The scene depicts a Raider camp built on the doorstep of Vault 27 in the Mojave Wasteland from wood scraps and rusty refuse. Cube Brick’s diorama is packed to the ghouls with incredible details lifted from recent games, while also sporting some innovative techniques to bring the wasteland to life.

Suit up and venture into the Wasteland for a close-up look and more surprises!

Telling tales of medieval bravery, one LEGO diorama at a time

While castles (and particularly some LEGO castles) are often impressive in isolation, it’s easy to forget that in the mediaeval age, they were often just a part of a larger settlement. Over on Flickr, Baptiste (lebrickoleur) has provided us with a reminder of that fact. And in some style, too! It’s quite a sizeable build, but the section of castle wall we’re presented with is indicative of a much bigger structure than what we see here. The details such as the walkways or wooden coverings demonstrate an acute knowledge of fortress architecture!

That know-how is evident within the garrison, too, as you can see from this rear shot. This build is entirely modular; Baptiste has been building it in sections, each one corresponding to a chapter in an overarching story. It starts in the small wooden hut in the corner, and finishes in the banquet hall within the castle walls. It’s a fascinating way to go about the build! You can examine all 10 sections on Baptiste’s photostream, and if you speak French, you can read the story too. Magnifique!

Take a small trip to this Studio Ghibli-inspired diorama

In the LEGO hobby, some builders like to be able to build everything and anything; but some pick a specialist subject and stick to it, forever improving their craft. It’s fair to say that Jeff Friesen falls into the latter category, with his superb microscale cities and landscapes. But what sets Jeff apart is the variety he is capable of capturing within that niche! We’ve seen everything from his steampunk cities to Viking villages, and now we have a Studio Ghibli-inspired diorama to feast our eyes on. This one was actually rebuilt from a 20×20 stud footprint to a 24×24 base before being called finished. Ever the perfectionist, Jeff!

How the West was fun in LEGO

Fort Legoredo, biggest set of the 1996 Western theme, had all the qualities of a great LEGO castle, only trading grey stone for brand new log bricks in brown and swapping knights with cowboys and soldiers. It was a remarkable set, the first that I bought in multiples as a parts pack, and so iconic that LEGO re-released it in 2002. Evan Crouch, one of our favorite builders of historical MOCs, rolls out the welcome wagon with his take on a Western Stockade Fortress. While not a direct remake of Fort Legoredo, Evan’s base uses elements from the classic set to build at a more accurate scale with wonderful detail and technique. Brick yellow cones atop the log bricks give the palisades a rough-hewn look. The headquarters takes advantage of white log bricks, not available at the time, for a painted log cabin. The terrain texture is wonderful, especially the tan ruts in the road from wagon wheels. And instead of just decorative bullhorns, Evan’s fort features a whole longhorn skull over the gate.

While historical themes shows up in Architecture, Collectible Minifigures, and Ideas, it’s been quite a while since LEGO looked to history for a full play line. Would you hitch your wagon to the Western theme again, or is there another historical period you’d rather see explored in bricks?

Horsin’ around when LEGO meets Bojack Horseman

Will Arnett has plenty of credits in the LEGO-verse, from voicing LEGO Batman in several movies to hosting the US version of LEGO Masters. But Trevor Pearson-Jones wants to celebrate a different one of Arnett’s characters with this excellent take on Bojack Horseman. Heavily inspired by the set 31140 Magical Unicorn, the creature of majesty and dreams is replaced instead with a washed-up TV star/anthropomorphic horse from the 1990’s. Probably something more appropriate in the Icons theme…

Mini LEGO centaur isn’t horsin’ around

Kamil Karpiński is a master at working minifig parts and accessories into complex creatures bursting with personality. As much as we loved Kamil’s Aarakocrans, this centaur druid is a contender for his most impressive figure yet. While LEGO has made a molded centaur body before, Kamil’s brick-built solution offers more realistic proportions and posability. Using the head and hairpiece of Beorn from the LEGO Hobbit line brings appropriate animal rage to the build. Packing in around 100 elements, the centuar might be mini in stature but it’s a major building feat.

It’s time to flee the great LEGO space flea

Menace and malice are the motto of Malefactor, the latest LEGO build from Scott Wilhelm. With outer plating of dark red and mouthparts and limbs clad in black, this giant parasite still appears to have some of the essentials of space travel like rear thrusters and forward battery. So is this a living creature, or a spaceship with a natural inspiration? I’d rather not get close enough to find out!