Tag Archives: Arcane

Arcane cityscape joins Lord of the Rings and other immersive LEGO masterpieces from jnj_bricks

Immersive scenes in LEGO transport you to a universe where everything is made of plastic bricks but feels alive. Creations like these not only require building on a large scale but also need a keen eye for perspective and lighting to create a convincing world. One of the very best builders in the format is Joe (jnj_bricks), whose epic scenes over the past five years have consistently left us spellbound. For his latest, Joe visits the opulent city of Piltover from Netflix’ Arcane show. (Keep your Stranger Things, this is the Netflix show I wish had official sets!). Joe explains that the scene was prompted by his wife, who build the teal-roofed building on the left. The remainder of the majestic cityscape uses a clever mix of scales, starting with minifig scale for the rooftop where Vi and Jinx survey the city (love the subtle mosaic work!), to midi-scale pavilions of glass and gold and aristocratic residences, to distant towers in microscale.

One day I’m going to ride in one of those things

Joe’s Arcane tribute is just the latest in a long line of LEGO vistas from this RebelLUG legend. Let’s take a look back at some of Joe’s other immersive builds, starting with those based on the builder’s favorite film saga: The Lord of the Rings. The seven-tiered Gondorian city of Minas Tirith is famously immense, yet Joe finds a way to pull off the epic impact of a Peter Jackson bigature in Microscale with incredible forced perspective.

Gandalf rides to Minas Tirith

Tour more immersive LEGO destinations from this incredible builder

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Ekko from Arcane transformed into a LEGO legend

Mitch Phillips isn’t just a phenomenal LEGO character builder – he’s also a great teacher at how to break free from the LEGO grid and create impossible shapes full of personality. His latest creation is the hero Ekko from Arcane, the animated series based on League of Legends.  The build started with Ekko’s face and iconic hourglass face paint (the hero’s powers involve time manipulation), and an afro made from twisted rubber bands.The mix of curves and angles is a perfect match for the animated series’s signature style.

Ekko

Mitch breaks it all down in his video walkthrough, which is an essential watch if you’re curious about techniques that push LEGO elements to their limits. Not visible in the photograph is the most insane parts usage – the hoverboard’s rotor is made from a ring of Clone Trooper visors using a connection I’ve never seen before.

The name Ekko also suggests a mash-up of Eero Okkonen, another character builder whose creations some of Mitch’s design invokes. Coincidence…?

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.