Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

This LEGO tower evokes mad scientists, crazy experiments, and, er, video games

One of the great things about art (and yes, LEGO building is an art form!) is that people can draw on their own experiences and environments to find new meaning in a creation. Illia Zubashev came up with an in-depth backstory to this teetering tower. Apparently it’s the abode of a maverick scientist and inventor, which should come as no surprise – I mean, just look at it! As interesting as the description is, though, I didn’t register any of that when I first saw this. What popped into my head was the video game Sable. It’s completely unrelated, but it just has the same sort of vibe. So sorry I didn’t heed your fascinating description, Illia. At least I can appreciate what a good build this is!

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LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog 76995: Shadow’s Escape [REVIEW]

While many people recognize Sonic from video games, and even from a fairly awful movie or two, there are lots of great characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, including Shadow, who, according to Wikipedia, is an artificial creation, and an occasional antihero of the franchise. The set features a glass holding cell where Shadow is created/captured, a small duck in a rhino-shaped vehicle, and a chopper. LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog 76995: Shadow’s Escape includes 196 parts and will be available on December 1st for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99

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

Read on for our full review

Honey, I Shrunk the Grayskull

When I was 4 years-old, my Castle Grayskull playset felt gigantic in my hands, but when I found it packed away in the garage in my teens, I was surprised by how small it felt. Grantmasters has triggered that memory with a miniscule Grayskull so small that the in-scale Battle Cat and Panthor are mostly just a collection of minifigure hands. But the hands aren’t the only creatively used minifigure parts. A ring of minifigure legs make up the top of the tallest tower, and the castle’s namesake skull is making use of some arms. It’s some NPU that totally has the power.

Vanadinite Vic Viper is a victory for void-voyaging vessels

Ah, the Vic Viper. A spaceship design that has seen so many LEGO iterations, and yet every single year we get new and fresh ones for Novvember. Aside from inspiring a slightly forced alliterative title, there’s a lot to love about Tommy Frost‘s take on the subject. For one, it’s a super clean design. Those curves and tiles coupled with the new trans-black windscreen are silky smooth – there’s not a stud to be seen. And there’s juuust enough greebling to keep the “sci” in sci-fi. Vic Vipers are inherently swooshable, but this one looks especially so.

Scrying on your LEGO competition in the Brickscalibur contest

You can tell it’s once again Brickscalibur season when Markus Rollbühler is showing off his enviable LEGO trophy-building skills. Until January 15th, builders will be submitting their best Castle-adjacent creations for a chance at a prize. This devilish warlock seen mid-scrying spell is the trophy for the Medieval Micro category, and it’s an astounding creation! Markus’s ability to make the plastic bricks appear to be flowing cloth is superb, as are all the accoutrements to the spellcaster like the candlesticks and pile of papers. But enough talk – I need to get building if I’m going to have a shot at taking this home! Check out the Brickscalibur website for all the categories and rules if you’re interested.

Come mine the LEGO skies!

Sky islands have been a favorite subject for many a LEGO creation. And it follows from logic that when all the rocks are floating up in the air, then so, too, are all the precious metals and minerals contained therein. Builder John Snyder shows us what a mining operation might look like suspended amongst the clouds with this glorious bit of steampunk-ery. The outpost is abuzz with gears, vents, winches, and pipes. And located right at the center of the whole shebang is the furnace, about to smelt another load of aerially-harvested lode. It was no-doubt uncovered in one of the neighboring rocks using that hot air balloon/drill combo. It’s one of the most ingenious uses of the LEGO ornament bulb I’ve ever seen!

The terrific LEGO tower of technique

It’s never too late to learn a new way to connect these LEGO bricks! And Maxim Baybakov shows us how it’s done with this North Tower creation. Fully embracing the half-stud measurement (the most important unit of measure in LEGO building, in my opinion), this tower slowly converges into a tight square of 10×10 studs using a brilliant studs-out technique that I’ve never seen put into practice like this. The finished model looks clean, with the only exposed studs included for effect. There’s even room for such great details as that adorable brick-built front door!

Maxim gives us a peek at the interior technique with the graphic below. Such a complex means of generating that half-plate indent while ascending up the fortification, employing SNOT (studs not on top) with bar and clip connections to bring the tower into being. I’m definitely going to give this a try on my own as soon as I can!

A LEGO fire engine that’s rungs above the rest!

Every once in a while, you come across a LEGO creation on Flickr that just makes you stop and say “Wow!” That’s exactly what happened when I spied this exquisite ladder truck by Dan Nguyen. It’s an impossibly-realistic design, from bucket all the way back to to the rear step. I certainly appreciate the array of compartments, typical of a fire truck. And each is filled with the tools of the trade. Vehicles remain one of my (many) weaknesses when it comes to my own designs, so I’m in constant awe of those able to bring real-world transports like this to life.

This LEGO plant eats flies like you for breakfast

Since LEGO launched their Botanical theme, we have seen a number of models inspired by the lineup of realistic-looking plants in LEGO form. This American Pitcher plant by moptoptrev is a well-done recreation of this predatory plant that lures insects into a deep bell-shape lined with sweet-smelling fluid that then traps the poor helpless bug. And if you have wings, flying won’t save you as the lid drops into place to seal your fate.

This LEGO temple to the Minotaur is no bull

While this Minoan temple may seem simple at first glance, there is quite a lot going on in this scene by BrickiboT. Inspired by the architecture of archaeological sites like the Minoan palace at Knossos on Crete, the angled pattern along the roof is made from carefully arranged sideways plates and brackets. A small noodle bowl acts as the perfect accent. The plates and rounded plates in two colors, along with a variety of textured bricks gives the front of the temple a weathered look.

The rocky landscape, dotted with plants and vines is a good blend of straight and curved slopes, and even the small beach is filled with details, like the group of hermit crabs, and the head of an elephant disguised as a rock. The angled sides of the small boat are attached with handlebars fit into the undersides of rounded plates with holes. Well done!

Read on to see more details

I can’t see the trees for the forestman

There have been a couple of official sets that turn the iconic LEGO minifigure into giant, brick-built models. This has, of course, inspired builders to craft their own jumbo versions of their favorite minifigs. And Casey McCoy has hit a bullseye with this take on the classic Forestman Archer. The original figure’s printing has been recreated in amazing detail, from the neck frill to the belt buckle. And the bow and arrow combo and feathered cap take me right back to the LEGO Castle adventures of my youth. The only downside is, this particular forestman won’t have much luck hiding in the woods from the Black Knights. Then again, he might cause the Black Knights to go looking for a hiding spot themselves…

LEGO kicks off Black Friday with release of 76269 Avengers Tower [News]

Timing the launch with Black Friday, LEGO has released 76269 Avengers Tower for purchase through their website. As we previously covered, the set is nearly 3 feet tall (90 cm) and clocks in at 5,201 pieces. Plus, with a count of 31, this is the most minifigures included in a single set ever. If you’re considering picking up this new addition to the Marvel stable and are a LEGO insider, you can also get the 5008076 LEGO® MARVEL TAXI gift-with-purchase if you pick up the Tower between now and November 27th. But if Marvel isn’t your thing, there are still other deals and GWPs available on Black Friday that have carried over from LEGO Insiders Weekend.

Check out the Tower and new GWP below!