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.

Mining minerals on Mars in a mech

The Life on Mars theme seems to be mostly forgotten by most LEGO fans, its nostalgia overshadowed by the more memorable early Star Wars and Bionicle sets. Some people, including Henry F., still seem to remember this lost jewel and give it the publicity it deserves — because it really was an imaginative theme with a positive message, unlike the loose reboot known as Mars Mission.

I love how elegant and compact the exo-suit is, with just enough exotic Technic pieces to give some texture while keeping the build clean. A few splashes of orange help the build catch the eye, and the tan used for tool-hands is a nice touch. A Martian figure fits in snugly and the lazy-looking alien looks like he is quite comfortable. It should also be noted that the use of the reddish background really helps create the feel of the red planet.

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An actual LEGO locomotive that distributed LEGO bricks

A Köf or Klienlokomotive literally means a “small locomotive”and, in the 1980s, LEGO utilised a yellow Köf at their German LEGO distribution center in Hohenweststedt. As a huge fan of the classics, builder Faust Chang has built a scaled replica model of the Hohenweststedt train, with details right down into the dashboard and engines. I’m sure for train fans and aficionados alike, it’s pretty cool to know that there’s a tiny train out there that once was run and operated by LEGO. Sadly in 2002 the Köf was sold by LEGO and was painted red by its new owners.

Click to see more details

Motorized Technic Bus opens its doors to LEGO passengers [Instructions]

Builder HallBricks blends the functional with the beautiful in this Technic Motorized Bus. I watched this video several times in awe of its clean lines, compact design, and marvelous engineering. This model exhibits many design features that blend SYSTEM brick and Technic parts to form elegant curves. The rear pillars and roof combine Technic panels with SYSTEM rounded slopes for a smooth, semi-oblate shape. On the outside, the model’s headlights and tail lights consist of multiple translucent tiles for a multi-faceted effect.

Click here to see more interior views

Gather up your bricks to summon Dark Souls’ Faraam

The Faraam character/armour set that was used extensively in the marketing of Dark Souls II has now found its way to LEGO thanks to this build by robbadopdop. It’s a very heavy, layered brick build that could easily pass as a stone monument piece if you switch out all the colours for grey. The fine detailing on the shield is particularly impressive, and the shaping of the cloth and fur elements should be commended too.

Another interesting point on this build is that the picture above isn’t a Photoshop of a single build. Instead, the builder made two (one as a commission and one to keep) so we get a rare double-sided view.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers Infinity War sets revealed [News]

Several LEGO sets based on this summer’s upcoming mega-blockbuster Marvel’s Avengers Infinity War sets have been revealed, available sometime in March. Each set comes with it’s own unique Infinity Gem, so if you want them for Thanos’ gauntlet, you’ll have to collect them all.

The Brothers Brick will bring you pictures of the actual sets this weekend with our hands-on coverage from the New York Toy Fair, so stay tuned for more information. The pictures below contain some spoilers for the movie, so proceed with caution.

76108 Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown – $99.99 USD – 1,004 pieces

Click to reveal more LEGO sets from Marvel’s Avengers Infinity War

Space squirrels take to the slopes

So this LEGO scene by Miro Dudas apparently depicts Space Squirrels competing in a bobsleigh event on the Neptunian moon of Triton. Nope, me neither. Genuinely no idea what’s going on here. But it’s still a fun little creation. Those Olympic rings are nicely done, and the surrounding scenery creates a good sense of a wider landscape. This isn’t the most complex model we’ve ever featured, but it made me smile. Swooshing down an ice track in a tin can at 70 kilometres an hour? Those squirrels must be nuts.

A new take on the old Samus Aran

There have been been many attempts to recreate Metroid‘s Samus Aran in LEGO before, with each one bringing something new to the table. This version by Logey Bear forgoes System bricks for a combination of Technic and “constraction” figure pieces. The obvious standouts here are the comically oversized pauldrons built with Duplo pieces, and the striking teal arm cannon which is built up on a Robo Riders wheel piece.

The day when Anakin turned into Darth Vader

There are a few epic scenes in the Star Wars prequels, and Darth Vader’s transformation is certainly one of them. LEGO has featured it twice, firstly back in 2005 in set 7251, and then more recent 75183; the later was a huge step up in terms of parts and playability. Then there’s the fan-made version by Korean builder Korion which has 1900 parts and a model I’d classify as UCS (Ultimate Collectors Series). The amount of detailing is breath-taking and features a transformation chamber that Palpatine would approve of.

Click to see more details

LEGO Technic 42077 Rally Car [Review]

Cars are the very essence of the LEGO Technic philosophy. Supercars, buggies, Formula 1 cars or wild futuristic concepts — there’s no car you can’t build with LEGO Technic pieces. And it’s not just about the design, but also about the models’ functionality; any car can be equipped with a gear box or all-wheel drive. This season 42077 Rally Car hits the store shelves — an amazingly well-balanced set that can serve both as a brilliant display model or as a very clever choice for anyone who’s just getting to know the world of Technic mechanisms. The set consists of 1005 pieces and retails for $109.99 / 99.99€ / £89.99.

Click here to read our review of the set…

Find your link to nature

How do you create a tree using chains? It seems an unlikely element to form the organic branches of a bonsai tree, but in this creation by Tim Schwalfenberg, each of the connected links forms a knot on the gnarled bark. The result is highly original and undeniably striking. Tim doesn’t say how many chains he used, but it’s certainly more than you might expect, if my own experiences with LEGO chains are anything by which to judge.

Tim hasn’t stopped with just this one tree, though. He’s actually created a series, each explore different techniques.

Continue reading →

Swan Lake ballet automaton built from LEGO

Automata built from LEGO always amaze and inspire me. Growing up, my favorite ballet was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which I had the privilege to see performed by the Bolshoi Ballet at the height of their skill in the late 70’s when they toured Japan. Pixeljunkie has built a LEGO automata with a music box inside that plays the theme from the ballet while a minifigure dancer twirls around the top.

The video showcases the music box feature, as well as the way a group of dancers can also be attached to the mechanism to dance on the stage.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for February 11, 2018 [News]

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 second week of February 2018.

TBB NEWS & INSTRUCTIONS: It is the calm before the storm. Next weekend is the New York Toy Fair so brace yourself for a barrage of set announcements, but for now here is a contest and a few instructions for your building pleasure.

Enter Kill Teal (Volume 2) contest to win 10260 Downtown Diner – Our friends over at New Elementary are holding a contest in honor of the color teal.
Build you own Punisher’s Café Racer – BenFifteenTheChicken shares how he built the café racer owned by Marvel’s Punisher.
Instructions for a tiny helicopter – GolPlaysWithLego has built this great microscale helicopter out of just 30 parts.

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

Life-size LEGO safari on show in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, BBC News – The 12 models, which include a 2.5m high African elephant and a 3m long crocodile, have taken LEGO artists over 4,000 hours to build, and are made up of about 600,000 bricks.
LEGO for a child with a hole in his heart, New York Times – What does a LEGO set mean to a child, or to parents who can hardly afford it? This narrative tugs on the heartstrings.
Duplo Jeopardy: Sell or keep your LEGO collection?, Judge John Hodgman Podcast – Caleb brings the case against his friend, Ryan. Caleb is ready to get rid of his LEGO collection, but Ryan thinks he should keep it in storage. Ryan says that even though Caleb thinks he’s ready to let it go, he will later regret parting with these sets. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?
A LEGO zombie horde is the most fun of zombie hordes, Nerdist – YouTuber Nixolas decided to take the zombie genre and add a bit more whimsy to it. Instead of giving a bunch of human actors some undead makeup, they made a zombie horde out of LEGO figures.