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.

Using height to dodge danger in sight

When LEGO launched the Islanders line in 1994, it made for an interesting addition to LEGO Pirates. In carrying on the legacy of this cherished theme, LEGO fan website Eurobricks has created a fictional pirate-themed universe. The lost city of Myzectlan, in particular, is reminiscent of the Islanders. Eurobricks’ “Daily Life in Myzectlan” collaborative building challenge has inspired some excellent models, such as this lush and lively jungle scene by Stefan G. With a big cat on the prowl, two Myzec travelers bide their time by hiding out in a miraforma. In the Myzec world, miraforma are used to hide from predators on the jungle floor. They also make for good lookout posts.

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Set sail on a tiny sea of nostalgia

The original wave of LEGO Pirates sets from 1989 have a special place in my heart. They are some of the earliest LEGO sets I remember, so this microscale scene by Corvus Auriac fills me with a warm glow. These miniature renditions of the classic sets Eldorado Fortress, Caribbean Clipper, and Black Seas Barracuda are notable not only for the way they evoke memories of my childhood, but also for some great building techniques.

My absolute favorite detail is the use of red flippers as the cannon bases. I learned of the existence of this modified 1×2 plate with three claws / rock fingers piece when inspecting the details of the miniature “ramp and pit” baseplate. The 1×2 curved wedge slopes also work great on the sails of the ships.

Want more retro goodness from Corvus Auriac? Don’t miss the re-imagined Guarded Inn we recently featured.

This classic video game enemy is even less threatening when made of LEGO

The folks at Build Better Bricks have continued their series of LEGO designs based on Super Mario characters with this adorable Goomba. This build looks pretty simple at first glance, but there are some clever techniques used to create the simple shapes of the classic video game foe. The eyebrows were the first thing to catch my attention, the key piece attaching them to the body seems to be the relatively new bar 1L with 1×1 round plate with hollow stud. I’m not sure how they achieved the half-stud offset for the mouth, but I guess I could buy the instructions if I really wanted to find out.

This Goomba would look perfect alongside the Mario, Luigi, and Bowser models by Build Better Bricks we previously featured.

Rob Winner builds a winner of an engine shed

I’m a sucker for history and trains, and Rob Winner delivers on both counts with this slice of the Illinois Midland Railway in LEGO-form. According to the builder, the real line was only 1.9 miles long. This was in large part because of a crooked businessman making big promises and running off with the community of Newark’s money. Regardless, the little town made use of the railway to connect with nearby Millington. Rob’s model is meant to represent the railway during the 1940s, back when World War I veteran William Thorsen was running the show. Thorsen is depicted with the vehicles he operated, including a Vulcan 0-4-0T steam engine and Ford Model T railway inspection car.

The engine shed plays its part well, looking weathered and forgotten. Rob pulled this off by adding vines and slightly tilting brown plates outward to simulate loosened wooden boards. It’s a stark contrast to Thorsen standing among railway equipment that looks well taken care of. Then again, he is their devoted caretaker! This juxtaposition is inspiring, symbolizing the fight to persevere against all odds.

Emmet’s trading in his rocket house for a fancy new hardsuit

We recently featured a breakdown of nineteen new LEGO sets released in advance of the upcoming LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. One of these sets is a 2-in-1 build featuring Emmet’s cute little yellow house, which can be transformed into the rocket version he uses in an attempt to rescue Lucy. Maybe if Emmet were a proper master builder, he could have come up with something cooler, like this great mech/hardsuit in matching construction worker colors by Chungpo Cheng. It even features a bunch of stickers from the custom BrickHeadz set 41597 Go Brick Me.

It looks like Chungpo even left some room inside the mech for an overpriced coffee or Emmet’s green friend, plant-y.

How to build a Pave Low helicopter with LEGO: Part 3 [Feature]

It’s done! Building my Transforming Bumblebee distracted me for a bit. However, I actually completed my Pave Low helicopter before the Beetle. In parts one and two of this series I explained how this sort of model has gotten a lot more complicated. Thanks to newer parts and techniques, the simple solutions I would have been happy with ten years ago just don’t hack it anymore. In this third and final part, I finally unveil the finished article.

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The moment the sea becomes the sky

There is something primal about the feeling one gets when they look out at the ocean. It’s the great expanse of the unknown that inspires profound curiosity. While the sea fascinates us, it also humbles and reminds us just how small we are. This beautiful and terrifying build by Ralph Langer is a snapshot of that reminder.

Built with lots of hinged parts, this tsunami swell perfectly captures the moment before disaster strikes. Just imagine how ominous it would look photographed against a dark backdrop! We cringe at the thought of being the people in that ship at the wave’s crest. But let’s not forget how awesome the little microscale lighthouse and village are! It’s a perfectly crafted landscape and a clever use of parts!

Return to the Guarded Inn

The original LEGO Guarded Inn was released back in 1986, gradually becoming one of the castle theme’s most cherished sets. It even received a 2001 re-release under the LEGO Legends moniker. Thanks to builder Corvus Auriac, the little inn has undergone major renovations. It’s a medieval masterpiece built to reflect current LEGO building techniques, the expanded range of parts, and diverse selection of colors.

Every angle of Auriac’s build is packed with jaw-dropping detail. While classic red bricks are great, the dark red used for the walls in this build feel more authentic to medieval source material. Whereas the original featured printed timber details, the timber gracing the walls of Auriac’s model is brick built. The placement of each piece has been carefully calculated. Meanwhile, green hues simulating moss growth on the roof add an extra dash of character.

As you can see in this image, each side of the building looks distinct from the next. A personal favorite is the first image, which showcases both the walkway and vines reaching toward the tower. I love how it shows off the aging of the architecture, a stark contrast to the clean look of the original.

A close-up shot of the yard shows off exciting little details you might miss without taking a second a look. There’s a brilliant-looking well, outdoor furniture, and a mix of greenery and weathered terrain. Even the door looks wonderful; the sai weapons make for convincing hinges.

Auriac’s re-imagined version of the Guarded Inn looks warm and welcoming enough to sleep in. There might be a few ghosts in the tower contend with, but that comes with the territory.

You’re only one swim away from a good mood

When was the last time you saw a LEGO swimming pool? It looks like LEGO fans prefer sea and ocean beaches to enjoying swimming activities without leaving the city. However, this wonderful copy of the Taikoo Pool by mamax711 makes me want to get my flip flops and pretend it’s summer…

Despite looking very simple, this creation can boast a bunch of very interesting building and color solutions. Bonus points are totally for the name of the pool made of red bricks, where LEGO minifigure chairs are skilfully used in the letters P and O!

The perfect LEGO Friends kitchen

I think there’s a little knowing joke going on in Aukbricks digital-LEGO recreation of Monica’s kitchen from classic 90s sitcom Friends. Although it’s a rendered build, the model sticks to available bricks, many of which rely on the colour palette found in the LEGO Friends themed sets. It’s a choice that absolutely works, and captures the idiosyncratic, homely yet prissy look of the room. It also means that if you had the requisite 6,000 pieces needed, you could absolutely build this model yourself. So, if you are a super-fan like Aukbricks, who claims to have watched the shows entire run 15 times, you too could pour over all the familiar details of this wonderfully accurate set in the comfort of your own home.

A snail’s Creed

If you went to BrickWorld Chicago in 2016, you might remember seeing the amazing Eurobricks collaborative display called “Ready, set, escargot!” The display consisted of giant medieval-themed snails racing around a track. The template for these mammoth mollusks was designed by Mark Larson, while the structure on this snail’s back came from the mind of Marco den Besten. Marco drew inspiration from the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, and I think his take on the idea would make for an interesting game. The rustic-looking towers complement the dark tan structure of the snail’s shell. Speaking of the shell, Marco has attached wooden posts to the sides for some classic platform gaming fun.

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Atmospheric LEGO Alfheim from God of War

Germany’s Marius Herrmann is a God of bricks with this beautifully crafted river scene practically straight out of the PlayStation 4.

This model was directly inspired by Marius’ playthrough of the most recent game in the God of War series and you can see here in this comparison screenshot just how accurately he recreated the rocky details and moody atmosphere. From the arching, crooked cherry blossom trees to the rocky statue half-submerged in the river every detail evokes the emotional tale of Kratos bonding with his son Atreus on their journey.