I get a real kick out of seeing parts from the old Star Wars Planets line used in LEGO creations. I’m not sure why that is – perhaps it’s the round features juxtaposed with the often angular lines of other bricks, or the challenge of having only two connection points. Well, I say only two… Nuhvok_mok has come up with an inventive way to add more! In this somewhat sinister droid, the Death Star is used for the top portion, with the photoreceptors attached to it using LEGO magnets. Ingenious! Appropriately enough, the whole things reminds me of the Death Star interrogation droids from Star Wars: A New Hope. I wonder if there’s a tiny interrogation droid floating around in there…
Category Archives: Models
A stout building for bitter warriors to cure what ails them
Dwarves of the Warhammer universe take their beer very seriously. No warrior worth his salt would get drunk on pig swill. Only barrel-aged stouts will do. Dwalin Forkbeard, builder of all things dwarven and steampunk, treats us to a proper Dwarven Brewery in his latest LEGO creation. Dwalin recreates a dry stone building technique of stones stacked without mortar – a tricky technique to pull off this well with LEGO bricks. The stonework is paired with a riveted rooftop, copper detailing, and a pearl gold brewing apparatus peeks out from the back of the structure to heat the wort for a heady brew. On this day, the brewery has guests of dishonor, as Dwarven slayer Gotrek and his chronicler Felix look thirsty for a pint of Korben’s Finest.
Majestic Mayan Temple of Kukulcán towers in LEGO
The Temple of Kukulcán, dubbed El Castillo by the Spanish, is the heart of the Mayan city Chichén Itzá, now a UNESCO Heritage site and Mexico’s most visited archaeological attraction. Jakob Escher, no stranger to large-scale LEGO building ambitions, took on the challenge of constructing the sacred site at minifig scale. Jakob painstakingly recreates the 365 steps spread across the four sides, flanked by the toothy maws of Kukulcán. The massive model impressed visitors at the recent Paredes de Coura Fan Weekend in Portugal, captured here along with many other impressive creations from international builders.
Need a hand with your LEGO creation?
J6Crash has created this entry for this year’s Bio-cup LEGO building competition that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie or video game. The variety of LEGO elements used is fantastic – the use of the Toa Phantoka ball-shooters at the base being of particular note. But it’s the questions that this build asks which elevate it beyond an ordinary Contraction contest entry. Clearly this is some sort of synthetic hand, but why does it need to be supercharged with electricity like this? Is it completely synthetic? Is it – or was it – a human hand? And, er, where’s the rest of it? Surely there’s an equally cool-looking arm and body lying just out of shot. But its purpose is anyone’s guess….
No one out-carcinizes the Hut!
They say that evolution has tended to converge upon a common crab-like shape, and it appears this is true in LEGO as well. All over the brick-built internet, LEGO artists are coming up with crustaceans aplenty during this #TimeForCrab, likely spurred by the Cancer season on the astrological calendar. It’s in this vein that TBB regular Maxx Davidson shows us the carcinization of pizza, a work appropriately titled “stuffed crust-acean.” And that pun isn’t the only thing I’m jealous of here: check out the expert use of the minifigure hoodie part as gooey, melty cheese on this supreme slice of the seafloor. The pizza box is brilliant as well, swarming with baby crabs with carapaces of ‘za.
LEGO with an ego the size of the sun!
This LEGO build by Panuvara drips confidence from every stud! Panuvara has used so many great ideas that make this build shine, that there really is too much neat parts usage in this build to talk about. So, I’m going to rapid fire a bunch at you! Starting with the golden neck-and-head-dress; those chameleons are floating – not connected by studs, and did you know that micro-statue heads fit inside bar holders? I didn’t. There’s also plenty of Bionicle influence: the top of the Emissary’s head is the infected Hau Nuva, while its teeth are borrowed from one of the Piraka. There’s also a head under the Emissary’s right knee. The mottled colors of the Hau match perfectly with the pattern of the macaw used for the Emissary’s nose. Let’s move on the the Emissary’s seat. The rounded rectangular patches with grills are rubber band holders, the bricks holding the projectile triggers are bumper holders, and there’s plenty of minifigure legs and hips for you to spot. Finally I’ll point out that the face carved into the centre of the stonework uses a dinosaur cub and a clone trooper visor as parts of its nose. There’s more to see here the longer you stare at it. But be careful: while you’re looking at it, the Emissary is watching you!
Have a nice trip, see you next fall
I feel bad for Timmy, and I feel even worse for his LEGO Bionicle collection. Builder Magmafrost13 has taught this Constraction collector a lesson in gravity with this round 1 entry into the Bio-Cup competition. With all the excellent parts usage in this creation, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But the use of a pair of Kanohi masks to form Timmy’s surprised face and hair is truly inspired!
You’ve seen this awesome dragon once upon a dream
Poor Prince Philip will never be among the most well-developed and nuanced of Disney characters, but there’s no denying his courage. That bravery is on full display in nobu_tary‘s LEGO rendition of Sleeping Beauty’s climactic battle. The evil fairy-turned-dragon Maleficent unleashes a stream of fire, which is perhaps my favorite part of the build—an assortment of rounded bricks capture the green flames billowing from the dragon’s maw.
Behind the bricks at The LEGO Store
Have you ever wondered what’s behind the pick-a-brick bins at your favorite LEGO Store? Contrary to persistent rumors, there are no elves or advanced Mindstorms robots running the show back there. Builder Dominique Boeynaems takes us behind that Employees Only door to reveal a warehouse full of shelving, boxes, and a pallet truck that should be instantly familiar to anyone who has worked in retail. There’s always something charming about LEGO builds dedicated to the less glamorous aspects of city life and Domnique’s build certainly captures the satisfaction and grace that comes from a well-organized space. The shelves are especially delightful, tightly packed with a mix of colored tiles with a few recognizable micro builds like the Hogwarts Express, Disney Castle, and a botanicals bouquet. It’s nice to see the minifig employees finding joy as well in this adorably mundane vignette.
Cherry Pie takes to the skies
It’s finally a nice day in the Pacific Northwest and this LEGO creation by Cowboy Joe reminds me that it’s a great day for flying. All I need is a biplane, a hangar, the money to have both, and the know-how to fly such a magnificent plane. I guess I’ll have to settle for admiring this Technic marvel from the safety of the internet. It’s called Cherry Pie and my opinion says it’s the most cherry thing I’ve seen all day; and I’ve seen a YouTube video of a school marching band covering Crazy Train. Unless this is a well-known builder going incognito under a different name, this would seem to be the first time we’ve covered this builder’s work so let’s give Cowboy Joe The Brothers Brick Bumb they deserve!
A troubled bridge over troubled waters from Game of Thrones
Two LEGO warriors face off in the center of a rundown stone bridge in this LEGO model by Faëbricks and Brickscaalibur! This creation is based on the third season of Game of Thrones during the duel between Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. And what a bridge it is! Gus and Raphaël have gone for a maximalist greebling-style of brickwork, meaning there’s plenty of cobbled texture to the stonework. If you get the chance, you should try to zoom in and spot as many techniques in there as possible! The bridge arches get their curve due to the 1×2 grated slope, stacked vertically to create each support. Also, I want to complement the greenery along the top of the bridge. These plants are both show-authentic and provide contrasting color to the rest of the bridge. I hope Faëbricks and Brickscaalibur get the chance to work together to impress us again!
The Imp and the Mother of Dragons lock eyes across stairs
With Targaryens and their dragons once again fighting to control the Iron Throne (and Sunday night TV), what better time than to revisit the Breaker of Chains? Martin Studio recreates the Meereen Throne Room, where Daenerys ruled for 3 seasons before marching on Westeros. This was done as an entry into the Summer Joust “Stairway Tales” category. And what a grand staircase it is, filled with details to match the look of the location from Game of Thrones. While keeping to the original’s muted color palette, Martin brings out a little more contrast to great effect. I love how the dark red and orange show through the seams between white tiles on the stairway, recreating the mortar on the screen version. And the mix of outward-facing tiles, plates, and ingots recreate the engraved landing beneath the throne. The choice of minifig parts to recreate Missandei, Jorah, and the rest is spot on. It’s an exquisite remake of an iconic location, and just a great set of stairs.