Master LEGO figure builder Matt Goldberg has constructed this sinister-looking Paladin L. S. Kobra and now we’re all a bit squigged-out by it. He tells us this serpent is the Bannerreptile of the Konda Kingdom, champion of the battlefield, and belligerent master to his squire. I’ve been all three of those things in the past, which landed me a trip to the HR office. All I can say is it was a different time back in 2016. Office politics were different, so that’s why I’m a school administrator now. Obviously. Anyway, click the little blue link to check out why we think Matt Goldberg would rule the office battlefield.
Category Archives: LEGO
Ring Station: does what it says on the tin
This LEGO space station from OA KD is giving off some very 2001: A Space Odyssey vibes, don’t you think? It’s a delightful mix of greebles in a ring that gives this station its name. At first glance it looks like there are LEDs used to light it up, but that’s actually down to the clever lighting. The light just out of shot is reflecting off the transparent bricks in the station (and in the trails of the nearest spaceship), passing very convincingly for a nearby star. I think it’s this that gives it that Kubrick sci-fi flavour. That and the masterful construction, of course!
Have you seen this whale’s baleen?
Whenever a LEGO set hits the shelves with new parts or recolours, you can be sure that Thomas Jenkins will make short work of them! The idea behind this whale was to show off the black Technic panels in last year’s Porsche Formula E car. These parts have of course been great for Technic builders, but they pop up almost as often in creature creations like this one. Thomas hasn’t contented himself with making great use of these pieces though. Take a look at the mouth (or baleen, to be specific). This is a cloth piece from 75113 Rey. Two awesome parts uses in one awesome build? Now that’s just showing off!
He isn’t the Boogeyman. He’s the one you send to kill the Boogeyman.
Builder Dan Ko has applied his special LEGO character treatment to the man, the myth, the legend: Mr. John Wick. The construction here is downright lanky, and appropriately so for Keanu Reeves’s titular hitman. As such, the build does a lot with a little, relying heavily on the perfect part choices for John’s slacks and jacket. The hair is an impressive tussle of various claw pieces, while his beard is nothing more than a double-wide cheese slope. But the most brilliant bit has got to be the 1×1 tile stuck inside a vertical clip for Baba Yaga’s nose. It feels perfectly in proportion with the rest of the construction, and is right in line with Dan’s impressive record of brick-built facial formations.
A construction rooted in cold, hard stone
As the northern hemisphere is awakening from the cold slumber of the last 5 months, Ventum Vox drags me back into the icy chill of winter with this frigid-looking LEGO scene. The trees here, with rootholds in this snow-covered crag, are a masterful compilation of brown bits. They eschew the typical grid of the blocky medium, instead providing some of the most natural gnarls of wood I’ve seen in a build. There’s plenty of flex tubing and minifig utensils in the mix helping to manage this natural aesthetic. And the rockwork these trees cling to is no slouch, either. There’s a clear delineation in style between the stone of the ruined structure and the rocky precipice it sits upon, going well beyond just the color change. And while managing that transition perfectly, Vox still is able to add in enough snow to remind us that this is a cold, exposed destination. Let’s hope that knight is wearing some long underwear.
Sail through the skies with some cyber wings
Taking off at the nearest cyberpunk runway is this lovely LEGO plane from Sylon_tw. The build blends the cyberpunk theme with the classic aviation look to get this tight little flyer. You have the more classic aviation look from the 1930s and 1940s in the overall shaping and especially the blue in the front. The rest of it is definitely cyberpunk in theme! I do love the exposed wings to see all those details, and those wingtips remind me of starfighters. This thing looks like it can really move, pulling all kinds of stunts as it flies around. This is some great styling, and I hope to see more in the future.
Check out some of the details on this slick jet below, including shots of the cockpit and landing gear.
LEGO Creation of the Week (#11): Goldfish by Dicken Liu
Every week readers of the The Brothers Brick Telegram channel choose the Creation of the Week: one project that impressed all of us the most. Watch out for a hungry fish, as this lovely one by Dicken Liu swallowed all of its contenders in the last week’s Creation of the Week voting! Congratulations, little goldfish!
Meanwhile, the new vote is already on! Join our Telegram channel to follow all the best LEGO creations, latest news, and, of course, vote for your favorites. See you there!
A lookout tower with a proper palisade
Perennial LEGO castle constructor Louis of Nutwood has debuted a glorious watchtower complete with palisade wall. I’m amazed at all the different brick-built textures he’s managed to work into this model. The cobbled stonework utilizes half-plate gaps to great success. The smooth wood of the watchtower’s roof stands in contrast, relying heavily on tile parts to emulate wooden beams. And the wonderful implementation of curved slopes in that tattered red flag evokes a weatherworn age that can be difficult in plastic bricks. But the real highlight for me (pun intended) is the choice of lime for the surrounding grass. This pop of color contrasts the grays and browns of the rest of the build well, further emphasizing all the brilliant textures in the construction.
Optimus Prime Combat Deck, ready to roll out
For me, as long-time fan of the Transformers and having built LEGO Transformers myself, LEGO releasing LEGO Transformers 10302 Optimus Prime was a pleasant surprise. It looks great as a robot, decent as a truck and the transformation sequence is fantastic. Its look is also largely faithful to the original Optimus Prime toy from the eighties. In my book, the one thing that could make it even better was for Optimus to have his trailer or Combat Deck. So, I built one myself.
Porco Rosso takes the lead in his Savoia S.21 seaplane
I’ve lost count of how many LEGO versions of Porco Rosso’s iconic seaplane we’ve featured here on TBB, going way back to Uspez Morbo’s Savoia S.21 I wrote about in 2008. And yet I enjoy every version we’ve highlighted, not least this fantastic microscale version by Marcin Otreba, complete with stand and tiny Adriatic seascape. A miniature Porco pilot may try to steal the show here, but the details I love most are the little contrails emerging from the engine exhaust and the rounded cowling on the seaplane’s bow.
A falconer left to “fen” for himself
Nature has gone wild in this swampy LEGO scene by Ciamosław Ciamek. In a daring design choice, opaque sand green tiles are used to excellent effect as the murky water in this morass. The cobbled tower, home to our birdkeeper, looks to have seen a few too many years. The tilework is perfect on its walls, and I adore all the details in dark gray around its entryway. But the real hero in this build has got to be all that thick vegetation. Dark green leaves stand in stark contrast to the lighter colors of the water and tower, making the build generally feel bigger.
Here’s some more detailed shots of the minifigures that make up the approaching party. But mind that you don’t get too distracted by the action in the boat. Who knows what monsters call this swamp home….
Book your flight to another galaxy on this intergalactic wonder
There are many styles of LEGO spaceships, but there’s just something special about the classic LEGO Space theme. Builder Wynd adds an entry to the theme with this excellent spacefaring vessel. The colors are the tried and true yellow, blue, and grey with the hints of red from the theme. Given the size of the ship, there’s plenty of room to use all those wonderful smaller pieces to add textures and details to the spaceship. There’s not a bad angle to be found! The ship looks great from stem to stern. The ship is perfect for some galactic adventures!