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.

Color out of space

We see plenty of spaceships here at The Brothers Brick but we rarely see any that are quite as colorful as this one. A LEGO builder who goes by the name of F@bz has conjured up a space tanker that would look right at home in a carnival…parade…fire? Carnival parade fire. I’m seeing some very retro pieces that may have been pilfered from some old Aquazone sets from about 1996 or so. The tanker pieces, or at least the ones with the “AT.02” decal, come from the Exo-Force Mobile Assault Tank from 2006. If ever F@bz gets tired of this colorful model (but who would, really?) it can get pried apart using the two new dark turquoise brick separators included in the design. Now that is totes fabs!

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Ready to hunt some bugs – Nope, not even close

If we were ever to encounter alien life, there is every reason to believe that they will look nothing like us. The many conditions required for life as we know it to evolve are entirely based on our own little blue/green world. And if you are going to invent life in the form of LEGO creations, the only limit is your imagination. Take this scene by Djokson, for example. These insect-like creatures and their troop transport would fit right in on many science fiction worlds and the human troops that encounter them would have the fight of their lives.

The troop transport creature is appropriately named the Flea, for its obvious ability to jump clear across the battlefield. Heads-up!

Everything you want to know about LEGO Masters judges Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard [Feature]

LEGO Masters premieres tonight, and LEGO fans in the US will finally get the chance to watch the hotly anticipated show. Earlier this week, we sat down with LEGO Masters judges Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard to talk about the premiere and what life has been like since filming the reality show.

In the interview conducted jointly with Brickset and BZPower, Amy and Jamie talk about the unexpected challenges involved in being judges, how the three million LEGO parts were chosen for the show, what it was like to spend time with the guest stars, and what they brought back with them from the set!

Read our in-depth interview with LEGO Masters judges Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard

The Republic Gunship will be one of the next Ultimate Collector Series LEGO Star Wars sets [News]

During the last week of January, LEGO Star Wars fans were busy choosing a model for one of the next Ultimate Collector Series LEGO Star Wars sets. Finally, the results of the fan vote are in, and the winner has just been announced on the LEGO Ideas blog. According to the results, the absolute winner is the Republic Gunship. The spaceship got more than 50% of the votes.

We have no idea what exactly the final product will look like. LEGO doesn’t share any details on when the set might be available, promising it will be one of the next Ultimate Collector Series LEGO Star Wars sets.

Click here to see full results!

Giant robots are always a win

Years before the Transformers came on the scene, Japanese cartoons already had a whole host of giant robots to choose from. America had some exposure to them, mainly via Marvel Comic’s Shogun Warriors and the related Mattel toy line. Those brief introductions really don’t do justice to the rich and creative mythology of the original series. But that doesn’t matter. To me, giant robots are always cool. And giant LEGO robots? Well, I bet you can guess my feelings about them.

Taking inspiration from the late 1970’s series, Marco De Bon‘s Grendizer stands an impressive 320mm (12.6″) tall, is fully articulated, and is armed for battle. Man, I wish I could have had this set when I was a kid!

Click for more!

Consider your picnic ruined!

A LEGO builder who goes by the name Cezium has built something that gives new meaning to the term “angry birds”. He tells us the H-301 Autonomous Reconnaissance Units are designed for scouting missions and are often deployed on the battlefield acting as forward observers that relay information to units stationed at the rear. Thermal imaging and night vision also ensures consistent efficacy in locating enemy troops. While he makes no mention of it in his write-up, I’m going to go ahead and assume it has some bombing capabilities as well. Like when you wear a nice new shirt or when you have just washed the car. Consider your picnic ruined!

Hauntingly alien gunship mixes science and nature

If you hear it buzzing in the sky, it is already too late to escape. This LEGO creation by [VB] is equal parts cutting-edge technology, and nightmares. The array of transparent blue garage door elements evokes a dragonfly’s delicate wings, while the twisted mass of tangled brains under that dome… shudder. Oh, and if you are wondering what that big ridged part forming the main body is from, that is a Throwbot container.

Rendered speechless

These days it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to spot digital LEGO creations. Renders and 3D modeling have progressed to the point where all the easy “tells” are gone, and you really have to know your subject matter to spot custom colors and parts. (And that’s assuming there are any to look for!) But virtual creations can go so many places that physical models can’t, allowing for builds that can even make you wonder if they’re based on LEGO bricks at all. I mean, look at the A-10 Asimov, created by noblebun. This ship is gorgeous. And also a complete flight of fantasy.

For starters, Noblebun has made great use of the ability to recolor parts. There big pieces like the front quarter-domes, in a I-wish-they-made-that matte dark grey. A minifigure’s police hat cast in light grey becomes part of the engine detailing. And unfortunately the chromed-copper discs sitting under those Technic gears aren’t standard issue, either. Some pieces are completely outside of the released shapes that LEGO offers. The curved pipes include custom nested 90 degree bends that we can currently only dream of. But, wow, do they look fantastic.

More importantly, though, is how these fantasy parts are built into the whole. There are some really great building techniques in play here. Check out how the use of inverted and standard sloped brick combine to create the white band. And how that same combination, built slightly differently, creates the impression of vents in the grey areas.

A rear shot showcases the amazing build in the engines. To me, they’re reminiscent of the jet exhaust on the UCS Batmobile. Just much bigger, more complex, and more awesome in general.

This is the sort of deep fake I can really get behind. Sure, this creation may only live in the realm of pixels and math, but I’m okay with that. It’s an amazing feat of construction and imagination.

Star Wasps: The Empire Stings Back

A quick Google search reveals that over the last decade the Brothers Brick team has featured at least a couple of brick-built wasps and dozens of impressive space hangars. But have we ever shared wasps inside a space hangar? Thanks to the latest sci-fi work by incredibly talented Sheo., now we have. We have no clue where these giant wasps came from and how they became a popular mean of interplanetary cargo transportation, but we are sure you can spot a ton of excellent building solutions in the picture below. The futuristic cargo crane is my favorite part of the build; just look at those adorable wheels!

Who is a good cyber-boy?

In the wake of global automation, robots are replacing humans in many jobs in factories, offices, and even in space. However, there is at least one thing robots will never be able to replace — man’s best friends, dogs. But even dogs have to keep us with technology push, so Red designs a K-9 multi-purpose unit of the future. He wonderfully captures the dog’s shape using medium-sized Technic panels from Star Wars buildable figures, while a bold choice of pieces in silver is what makes the build special. You’d better think twice before patting this boy!

Your behavior, Jyn Erso, is continually unexpected.

There’s an orthodoxy — often passing over into toxicity — within Star Wars fandom that states that The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie of all time, and that anything produced after 1983 is inherently and automatically lesser. I am the rare heretic whose favorite Star Wars movie is not part of the nine-movie Skywalker Saga. While certainly not perfect, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took the story in a completely new direction while filling in one of the most mysterious gaps in the canon. Luca captures an incredibly poignant moments in the movie, when Jyn and Cassian must abandon K-2SO as they climb the interior of the data vault with the stolen Death Star plans.

The builder focuses the viewer’s attention on the two characters, but the scene is replete with wonderful detail. The round vault doorway and tunnel extends forward, further focusing attention on the minifigs, while in the background repetition provides the texture of the racks of data tapes. Scenes like this show that a great LEGO creation doesn’t need to be a 10,000-piece diorama anymore than a great Star Wars movie has to star a space wizard with a laser sword.

Worn-out but wonderful

Here’s one of those creations which prompts initial “That’s not LEGO” comments, followed by clicking to zoom-in and check out the details in an attempt to figure out how the builder worked their magic. What grabs the attention in Ralf Langer‘s medieval buildings are the weathering effects — this pair of ramshackle structures are a masterclass in making a LEGO model look worn and tatty and old. There’s not a straight line in sight in those walls, or the wonderful base, and the variety of colours used for wood and plaster creates a patina of realistic age and decay. Interesting parts choices give texture and depth to the buildings, and the finishing touch is that splash of contrasting colour offered by the tree blossom.

These two buildings were hidden away in Ralf’s astonishing LEGO medieval town we covered previously. However, Ralf’s tweaked and refreshed them both, and it’s great to get a closer look at such impressive architectural work.