In 73 B.C., the overlords of Capua conduct a slave trade in the town center but below, among the rats and stench, escaped slaves plan their counterattack. That is the scene depicted here by Hunter Erickson. This build was influenced by the TV show Spartacus, particularly the beginning of season 3, Hunter tells us. He goes on to say that the show itself isn’t entirely accurate so further research as to what life may have been like in Capua was needed in order reign in some realistic details. The rough stucco feel of the walls are an excellent touch as well as the terracotta roofs and small arched windows, all reflect the specific feel of an ancient Roman city. Call me weird, but my favorite feature has to be the river of green sludge flowing through the sewer. Let’s just hope that one guy washes his hands before eating that giant baguette.
Category Archives: Models
When pink touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow
If you’ve been hankering to hit the stars in a stylish Vic Viper, Kirby Warden has you covered with his blazing yellow Kigiku. In Japanese, Kigiku means yellow chrysanthemum but don’t let the name fool you; if you think you can outrun this starfighter, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses! You’re not going to get away when the pilot has maximum visibility in the cockpit mounted high above the fuselage.
If the subtle angles of the body formed using hinges are any indication, this is also one speedy vessel. Even the most formidable opponents may find themselves distracted by Kigiku’s lively yellow, dark pink, white and dark bluish gray color scheme.
One small step for minifig, one giant leap for minifigkind
The recent release of 10266 NASA apollo-11 lunar lander has inspired LEGO fans to create some great models, like this lunar rover by Robson M. But Thomas Jenkins has made his own interpretation of the lander, using some interesting parts for the legs — the bicycle frame works quite well. I also like the lunar landscape, brick-built with slopes and arches, complete with craters and moon rocks.
The Mini Mandalorian
The third episode of The Mandalorian drops on Disney+ today, and we’re already seeing some fun LEGO Star Wars creations inspired by the new live action series. The Mandalorian is on the hunt in this fantastic BrickHeadz creation made by Greyson — once he’s set on bringing in your bounty, there’s nowhere to hide.
Greyson did an excellent job recreating the titular character in a miniaturized state, using flat pieces and sharp angles to bring out the same intimidating look that we’ve seen on screen. I thought it was great to see both the Mandalorian’s rifle on his back and his blaster pistol on his hip, small details that I’m glad weren’t left out.
The most helpful farm insect
What is your favorite farm animal? Cows and horses are great, but what about scorpions? Forget those venomous insects and meet advanced CLAAS telehandlers designed for all types of work around the farm. Michał Skorupka built a very nice-looking copy of CLAAS Scorpion 756. Although the LEGO version of the model is very compact, it carries a full set of Power Function motors enabling driving, steering using both axles, and a fully functional telescopic arm.
What I love the most about farm vehicles like this one is their ability to be easily equipped with dozens of custom devices. Michał uses a very simple locking mechanism allowing to replace an attachment in no time.
To enjoy the model in action, make sure to check out a video covering all of its functions.
My eyes are up here!
Builder Fedde Barendrecht is hellbent on building complete weirdness and I am hellbent on cracking jokes about it. It’s what the nature shows call a symbiotic relationship between two diverse species who are mutually benefiting one another. Like many of us on Friday nights, this creature is a “Beligerant Beholder”. What is he/she belligerently beholding, you may ask? Well, I’m glad you did. Has this ever happened to you? After a third snap of the fingers you’re suddenly embarrassed to finally hear “hey, my eyes are up here, honey!” I am guilty as charged but who could help it? With eight legs, two dangly arms, a couple of tusks, two centralized protuberances of unknown purpose and what might be an epaulet comb-over there is just so much to stare at. Couple this with the fact that this creature’s eyes are atop four stalks and you have all the makings of an awkward conversation indeed.
Please tell me why, do we build castles in the sky?
Because they’re cool. Or at least they are when they’re as well put-together as this floating LEGO castle by Andrew JN. The floating rock, with its foliage and tumbling waterfall, is a nice piece of building, but it’s the fortification which attracts all the attention. The colour scheme is wonderful, tan with patches of light grey, and a smattering of dark blue elements providing a pleasing contrast. The texture in the walls is smartly-done — overall it’s smooth and easy on the eye, but has just enough detail to make it look realistic (although what does “realistic” mean when we’re talking about a fantastical floating castle?!) The tan is a bold choice, unusual in LEGO Castle creations, but it pays off here — giving the model more than a little whiff of madcap Bavarian “fantasy fortress”, undoubtedly a good thing in my book.
Prehistoric palaeontology pieced perfectly with plastic
I have no idea how accurate these are but Damian Thomas pulled a great feat of replicating the shape and structure of a few prehistoric monster skulls using LEGO Technic parts in white. What we have are the skulls of a Dilophosaurus, a Triceratops and a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the respective order below. They’re all so good I can’t decide which is my favourite. If you’re lovin’ all things prehistoric and composed of calcium goodness, the closest official set of an arrangement of bones from LEGO is the recent 21320 Dinosaur Fossils Ideas set.
A Technic gunmetal Ford GT is cocked and loaded
Builder Lachlan Cameron has replicated the 2019 Ford GT quite nicely with Technic bits in an understated gunmetal gray. Much of its complex shaping is achieved through considerable build skill and liberal use of flex tubing cased in Technic pin connectors along the roofline and hood details, while the same treatment is achieved with 1×3 liftarms along the front fenders. I’m a fan of sports cars with an understated primary color scheme but a flashy secondary color (in this case tertiary color in red)…Well, it’s just enough flash to let us know it means serious business.
The real thing is loaded with six cylinders in the chamber, seemingly a underwhelming number for such an aggressive beast. With this in mind, you may be tempted to race this car in your Monte Carlo but doing so would be akin to bringing a knife to a gunfight, which so many action spy movies attest is a bad idea. It can crank 647 horsepower out of those six bullets with a top speed of 216 mph. Lock, stock and barrel, this is one fast projectile indeed!
Freedom is the right of all sentient beings
The leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, is known for motivating the troops with a good speech, and this model by hachiroku24 is striking the perfect pose to deliver. While this Optimus may not actually transform into his truck form, the builder did manage to capture many of the details that make this instantly recognizable, from the blocky red and blue limbs to those windshield pectorals.
Optimus is a popular subject for LEGO builders, so be sure to check out all the other amazing LEGO Optimus Prime models we’ve featured.
Green is the new black
When Lloyd Garmadon gets tired of flying his green mech dragon all over Ninjago City, he can simply drop by the local chop shop and get it re-built into this sweet LEGO mech, by Max Kunz, complete with a Gatling gun for a hand! This mech looks both nimble and stylish with gold details throughout. The jaw of the mech dragon makes a unique detail in front, reminiscent of the alien mech from District 9.
Three wheels are better than two
For most of us, tricycles were what we rode as kids, before we graduated to big-kid bicycles. Two wheels were cooler, faster, and just all-around better than three. And we all know how awkward it is to be the third wheel on a date; two wheels are always preferable in relationships and transportation (four wheels are fine, too; both double dates and cars can be lots of fun). After seeing this build by Michael Kanemoto, however, I am thinking that perhaps I threw away that third wheel too soon. That beefy back tire looks like it can get some serious traction, ready to rip up the surface of some alien planet in the quest for more speed, akin to a souped up Polaris Slingshot on steroids.
The frame is made of clips and bars, creating a technical-looking structure that is light and sturdy. Technic panels are placed on the outside to give it clean lines and a definite space-y vibe. I love the greebling of the underside of the cockpit area, including the old classic space flashlight and the ski. The massive transparent light blue canopy adds flair, comprised of several different elements that work well together. The trans-light blue is picked up in the hubcaps of that enormous drive wheel, explicitly in the knob at the center and hinted at by the layered printed dishes stolen from General Grievous and Isla Nublar visitors. I just hope those big wheels keep on turning, carrying the driver home to see his kin.