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.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 9, 2021

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the first week of January 2021.

25 models have reached 10k votes and qualified for the latest round reviews on LEGO Ideas. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS: This week we reviewed several new Ninjago sets, checked out the latest LEGO Education technical offering and looked back at some of the best models and features that appeared on The Brothers Brick in 2020.

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71029 Series 21 Feel Guide – CMF Series 21 is here! Ready to hunt for your favorite minifigures, or gather the full set? Check out TBB’s handy Feel Guide!
LEGO Ideas third 2020 results are in with 25 qualifying projects – The third and final qualifying round for LEGO Ideas in 2020 has closed and these are the 25 qualifying projects.
LEGO Education seeks to overcome digital barriers with new BricQ Motion line – LEGO Education is announcing a new line that will bridge the gap with tech-free, sports-based physical science lessons.

TBB REVIEWS:

Sports meets science in LEGO Education’s new BricQ Motion Essential set 45401 [Review] – The latest release from LEGO Education uses sports to teach physical science in a tech-free environment.
LEGO Ninjago Legacy 71736 Boulder Blaster [Review] – Do you have a boulder that needs blasting? Well, LEGO has a solution for you with this new Ninjago Legacy set.
LEGO Ninjago Legacy 71742 Overlord Dragon [Review] – The Overlord Dragon is a blast from the past, but is it a blast today?
LEGO Ninjago Legacy 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger [Review] – We last saw Kai’s fiery race car back in 2014 – but the Ninjago Legacy theme has rebuilt it for 2021.

TBB TOP 10s OF 2020:

Top 10 most popular LEGO creations of 2020 featured on TBB – We compiled a list of the most popular custom creations of 2020 featured on The Brothers Brick, as determined by you, our readers.
Top 10 most popular LEGO set reviews of 2020 on the Brothers Brick – We do a countdown of the most popular reviews of 2020 on The Brothers Brick.
The Brothers Brick’s top 10 most popular LEGO Features of 2020 – We take a look at the Top 10 Feature articles that captured the most interest in 2020.
The Brothers Brick’s top 10 most popular LEGO news articles of 2020 – As we saw in our list of top 10 LEGO set reviews of 2020, big sets and brand new product launches generated a lot of excitement among LEGO builders and collectors in 2020.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

I see your 3d printed Mandalorian helmet and raise you a human scale LEGO Knight helmet!, agepbiz YouTube – This 3D printed LEGO knight’s helmet is king!
How Lego ramps for wheelchairs are helping provide access for all, The Star Online – Activists in Germany are helping to provide access to wheelchair users with the help of Lego bricks.
A Chat With James Gregson, Digital Creative Director, LEGO Group, My Total Retail – James Gregson, digital creative director at LEGO Group, reminds marketers of the importance of social media fundamentals in a rapidly changing economic and social climate.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Rest in Bricks MF DOOM

Amusered‘s MF DOOM tribute is the latest creation to pay homage to the fallen rapper/producer. The image of Daniel “METAL FACE DOOM” Dumile’s chrome gladiator mask has been seared in the memories of fans worldwide since 1999. The mask and microphone pictured in amusered’s build are synonymous with DOOM’s persona of the mysterious figure who wielded the mic as his weapon of choice.

DOOM’s boastful lyrics effortlessly extolled his prowess through a rogue’s gallery of alter egos (f.k.a. Zevlove X, King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn). At first glance, the tilted angle of the mask resembled the silhouette of the Millennium Falcon. Amusered intended on making DOOM’s mask look like the Star Wars aircraft, according to his Reddit comment. Call it coincidence or fate, but Han Solo’s MF is the bruised and battered “hunk of junk” that is a crown jewel of starships in the same way DOOM’s mask is a treasured symbol of rap history. The scratches on the angled and sloped grey elements have seen some action from spitting rhymes like dimes. To build the black mic’s grille, amusered used the cylinder hemisphere (30208). The disco ball element caps off the build. And just remember, ALL CAPS when you spell the man’s name. RIP MF DOOM.

Teeny-tiny castles for teeny-tiny knights

I loved chivalrous romances and fairy tales as a kid, and as a teen, I delved deep into epic fantasy novels, so it should be no surprise that as an adult, my primary building interest in LEGO has been the castle theme. It seems that Aaron Newman‘s primary interest has also been castle, as his earliest builds are castle builds (and he designed his own unofficial castle theme). Now, he’s a top-notch builder, and he’s branched out into every other theme over the years, but it’s always nice to see someone returning to their roots in an impressive way. These miniature castle scenes are just that. I can’t decide if I like the floating village with a windmill or the picturesque watermill the best, but they’re all stunning.

Don’t miss more of Aaron Newman’s LEGO builds, and be sure to browse the LEGO castle builds archives while you’re here. You are sure to be inspired. And if you just absolutely love these tiny scenes, Aaron has provided free building instructions for them so you can put them on your desk at work or home.

This spirit painting is a Ghostbusting nightmare

Keep your eyes on the prize, the prize painting to be exact. It’s alive! Corvus Auriac keeps true to his recurring morbid theme and shows us an angry, green-haired figure being pulled out of the picture frame. The diorama sets the scene of an archaic manor, home to the artwork, hanging on a peeling burgundy wall, next to a statue nightstand. Still, there’s nothing to fear because a trap is set to capture the spirit by none other than the Ghostbusters.

The eighty hours Corvus spent crafting this build shows in the details and the myriad of different LEGO pieces. The pattern of sausage elements, frog, leaf, and cheese wedges in the ornate gold frame is hypnotic. The figure’s claws are also reminiscent of a previous Corvus Halloween-themed project. Then the three-dimensional perspective between the spirit and the moon in the background appears to be a nod to impressionism. It’s like one work of art within another. Check out more creepy Corvus builds here.

Taking stargazing to the next level

Free from light pollution and smog, this observation deck would be perfect for spotting a planetary conjunction. But there’s certainly a greater spectacle in this vibrant LEGO creation. The Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse by Pete Strege offers an incredible, up-close view of a spiraling galaxy. This Ferris-wheel-like galaxy is motorized, which is quite an engineering feat for its unique shape and scale. Its free-standing tail overarches the entire model, making this build an event of a lifetime.

Click here to see more views of the Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse

This is Red Squadron Support, Calling In!

Every successful starfighter squadron has a team of support personnel and vehicles behind them. LEGO Builder Gruja shares what his support craft for Red Squadron could look like.

I’m a sucker for LEGO Star Wars spaceships that are implied to exist. This U-wing variant is a perfect example of that. Not seen on-screen but hey, somebody needs to be ferrying supplies to squadron bases.

Gruja’s support craft illustrates what every Rebellion ship looks like; rough, tough, and a scratchy paint job. Lots of little greeble details give it that “lived-in” universe look, helping it fit right in with Star Wars lore.

You can’t live on flight rations every day, which is why I’m sure that cargo crate is full of Socorran Sandwiches.

License and registration, please

Have you ever considered the possibility of actually being thrilled to see a cop’s flickering lights in your rearview mirror? I know, it seems like a stretch of a premise, but hear me out. The lights come on, you break out in a cold sweat and in a hurried panic keister the banana you were going to eat for lunch later. Then once he pulls you over and taps on the glass it’s all-yes, officer, no officer, anything you say, officer. It’s only after the ordeal is over that you realize it’s not illegal to transport a banana after all and you feel like a damned buffoon. We’ve all been there, right? No? OK, forget I mentioned it. Here’s an awesome LEGO classic wagon built by Versteinert that, if seen in the rearview mirror, probably would make the experience of being pulled over just slightly more palatable.

Versteinert knows a thing or two about classic cars. He designed the new LEGO Ideas gift with purchase set, after all.

I’d give my left arm for houses like these

Ordinarily at The Brothers Brick, we writers try not to re-use the title a builder gives to a build as the title for our article; however, sometimes it is just too perfect, and I cannot resist. Now, in this case, it is also true that I wrote the title for the build, since I built it. And when the centerpiece of the build is armless LEGO minifigure torsos, it is in fact true that three minifigures gave both their left and right arms for these houses. The build might be simple, with an uncomplicated fence and vegetation, but combined together it looks pleasant, a delightful little home for birds. And those books do an excellent job keeping out the rain.

I built this for the Iron Forge building competition, where anyone can compete to get a shot at dethroning one of the reigning Iron Builders. There’s still time to get some entries in if you fancy wearing an iron crown yourself!

Elvendale is more beautiful than you realized

The LEGO Elves theme was retired not long ago, and sadly it never quite gained the popularity among adult fans that I think it deserved. Thankfully, though, there are a handful of builders who’ve been designing beautiful creations in the brightly colored world of Elves, and this gorgeous diorama by Stilly Bricks shows how delightful Elvendale can be. They built it a few years ago, but only recently got around to photographing it, which is understandable given that the massive village is over 5 feet long from end to end, and more than 2 feet deep.

Click to check out more details of Elvendale

I am the future. The Tiberian Sun has risen!

Just like LEGO builder Gregory Coquelz, I was a huge fan of Commander & Conquer: Tiberian Sun when it debuted in 1999. So as soon as I saw this excellent pair of dioramas depicting GDI and Nod forces, I knew we had to feature them. First up is GDI with an iconic ore harvester sweeping through the fields of blue Tiberium Vinifera, accompanied by a Wolverine mech and a few soldiers. The diorama is simple, but it captures the bleak wastelands of the game. A blossom tree adds some interest (as well as a renewable source of Tiberium).

Of course, no C&C creation would be complete with the insane machinations of Nod, and so Gregory has also made an iconic scene with a Hand of Nod, along with a turret, buggy, and a few more soldiers. The broken road is a great touch, with the wedge plates fitting together perfectly to create the uneven edges. Continue reading →

An American in Amsterdam

Don’t miss the train! This LEGO train creation by Ervvin makes me want to buy the next ticket available for a ride.

In post-World War II Europe, the United States committed billions of dollars to help people resume ordinary lives. Part of that went to rebuilding Europe’s largest transportation network, the railway. This engine here is an NS1200 series electric locomotive, with components built in the United States and shipped to the Netherlands to create the electric powerhouse that helped move the Netherlands on the path to reconstruction.

You have to love this design, no question about it. It’s very smooth yet leaves room for all the little details like vents and wires. The use of minifigure skis on top of the connecting vanes was incredibly insightful.

Next time you’re in the Netherlands, make sure to stop by the National Rail Museum in Utrecht to get a look at one of the last of these engines still in operation!

No bull about it, there’s LEGO here.

Trust me when I tell you, we are already impressed by Takamichi Irie’s LEGO work. But when a builder of his caliber breaks the rules a little (or a lot) we take special notice. 2021 is the Year of the Ox so we were happy to see this rather charming and (ahem) unorthodox creation grace the interwebs. Takamichi tells us it takes inspiration from his grandfather, who was an artist and graphic designer who had unfortunately passed away last September. The horns, tail, and hooves are LEGO pieces but the body is constructed from cut and folded card stock. Some gluing most certainly helped the process along. The end product is reminiscent of the official LEGO Forma sets so perhaps this isn’t as unorthodox as initially thought.

Whether this irks your purist leanings or inspires you to break the LEGO mold a bit, you’ve got to admit this is pretty neat. Check out more of his work in our archives.