Tag Archives: Castle

Dragons! Knights in shining armor! Trebuchets & ballistas! From enormous LEGO castles buttoned up for battle to peaceful village market scenes, we’ve got your LEGO Castle needs covered right here.

Majisto trades his magical workshop for a spellbinding tower

When LEGO first introduced the wizard Majisto, I was confused that this affable bright blue Merlin-type was working alongside the Dragon Masters, who with their black and red color scheme, halberds, and mustaches were coded “bad guys” to young me. So while Majisto did have his own tower (and chariot!) back in the day, it felt wrong… like a version of Gandalf who sided with Saruman. A new builder on the scene, Lego Library, offers up a home for Majisto that trades Dragon Master darkness for fairy tale splendor, and it suits the blue mage to a T. Lego Library employs stellar stonework in both the rock foundation and tower walls to achieve a perfect profile that avoids right angles. I adore the blue pointed roof that mirrors Majisto’s hat, and the coral accents add a nice patchwork element. It’s a perfect mix of nostalgia and modern techniques and an amazing debut from Lego Library.

What are your thoughts on the perfect home for Majisto? Is this Wizard Tower the place he was always meant to live, or do you miss Majisto’s alliance with the Dragon Masters?

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Maybe this wonderful wall will be the one that saves you

Walls were an essential part of medieval life. You could send your protagonist there to defend from the coming winter, you can blow raspberries and throw chickens from them, and they offered great views of the moat. In a pinch, they could even hold off invading armies. This LEGO medieval wall from builder n.o.l.d.o.r is a beautiful bit of brickwork, it would be a shame to see it besieged. I’m in awe of the subtle textures on the brickwork, where slightly recessed sections of wall allow SNOT tiles to stay flush. The tall wooden parapets are gorgeous. Even the patch of landscaping is a masterclass on subtle shaping.

n.o.l.d.o.r continues the wall’s story on the other side, with even more impressive brickwork. The green and black banner again uses the trick of recessed bricks to create the illusion of a thin surface. The mix of minifigs adds drama and hints at a larger fantasy world of goblins and elves co-existing with humans. Those halberds with ice skates as axe blades are truly wicked designs.

Wondrous music box castle spins right ’round, baby

As just an example of medieval architecture in LEGO, this castle model from builder Feanor001 would be worth heralding, but the creation is so much more. The round diorama tells a story in four acts, brought to life with motor functions and music. Here you can see the music box come alive, spinning on an ornate turntable as motorized minifigs tell the story of King’s fall and a kingdom’s rebirth.

Take a spin below for a closer look at this mechanical marvel.!

A LEGO castle where dreams take flight

Three years before Disneyland transported American families to fantasy worlds, Efteling park in the Netherlands brought fairy tales to life with European flare. Dutch builder Lucas Firestone makes his debut with a LEGO tribute to that theme park’s signature dark ride, Droomvlucht (Dream Flight), with his interpretation of the castle. Lucas does a great job capturing the castle’s dreamlike dimensions, with towers that jut out at gravity defying angles. Binoculars make for wonderful parapets. As much as we love the Disney Castle, it’s great to see other theme park landmarks in LEGO.

A bard who likes to ramble on

There’s a feeling I get when I look at a great LEGO build, like this one by Tomasz Bartoszek! You can feel the scene drawing you in as you look for all the tiny details in this packed build. Tomasz has added a ton of designed disorder to the build that adds to the organic feel of the scene. For example, those gaps in the slats in that gate in the background are simply the gaps between bricks that aren’t pushed together. So, don’t be alarmed now if there are gaps in your brickwork. It’s just another building technique! Check out that tiny brick at the bottom of the stairs. That’s an old Modulex brick that Tomasz snuck in. Finally, the window in the door on the left is made from chain links. And don’t worry, that minstrel isn’t playing alone. The drummer will be there in four minutes!

Love is in the air and on the stairs in this medieval LEGO village

She was a high-town girl, raised in comfort. He lived in low-town, busking for coin. She hears a hum on the whispering wind. Could it be love? All that keeps these two apart is a short flight of stairs. Tomasz Bartoszek captures this romantic moment in LEGO with a scene that is packed with medieval detail and incredible parts usage. The brickwork throughout features some lovely SNOT (studs not on top) techniques, especially on that heavy wall through which the staircase rises. My favorite details are the large door that uses gaps between bricks to look like wooden planks, and the slate roof that integrates capes for a truly ramshackle look. The distinct colors and building techniques for the high and low towns make this scene of star-crossed lovers really shine.

Tomasz’ build won the runner up spot in the 2024 Summer Joust Competition “Stairway Tales” category.

Half-timbered LEGO cottage goes full goth

Half-timbered Tudor architecture is a favorite subject for LEGO castle builders. Peter Botcher has become adept at the style while making his mark by adding a pitch black sense of humor and goth gloom to his works (he even made his own tombstone out of LEGO). For his latest cottage, Peter impresses with use of color, especially the mossy brickwork and the splash of magenta vines against the black roof. He finds creative variations for the timber on the facade, including tail pieces and corner tiles. The model is titled “Nobody’s Home,” but the smoke coming from that spooky chimney, adorned with unholy accoutrements, suggests otherwise. Enter at your own risk!

Hats off to this microscale Neuschwanstein Castle

This wonderfully detailed model of the famous Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany by Geneva Durand is packed with nice part usage for sure, from the many different sizes of cone-shaped elements forming the tower roofs to the gears and teacups for the towers themselves. But one of my favorite details would have to be the many non-tree elements used to surround the castle with nature. Archer hats, ranger hoods, and the bottom jaw of a dinosaur are among the many cleverly used parts.

A new gate to an ancient LEGO city

For some LEGO builders, each creation is a stand-alone work, but the castle creations of Andreas Lenander are an exercise in world building spread over years. Andreas has added to his Middle East-inspired city of Mophet, a medieval oasis of tan and teal, in various competitions and collabs over the years. The latest addition, The Blue Gate, is a great showcase for how much Leander’s talent for Islamic Architecture in LEGO has grown since he first introduced his fictional city. I love the flowing arch of simple 1×2 bricks and the anti-studs in alternating colors, examples of creating beauty from the simplest LEGO elements, and the use of colors – especially nougat and medium blue – is outstanding. Here’s hoping Andreas will continue to reveal Mophet’s many secrets for years to come.

Stairway into shadows

The Summer Joust building competition challenged builders to create “stairway stories,” and most participants assembled their LEGO stairs upward. Isaiah Kepner takes a different approach with his model “The Shadowed Temple,” in which a wandering wizard approaches an ominous flight of stairs descending into the unknown. The surrounding wall features some impressive brickwork, mixing profile bricks, tiles, and ingots in every direction. For the trunks of the aspen trees, Isaiah borrowed a technique from Markus Rollbühler and incorporated Stormtrooper shin armor. Most impressive is the technique Isaiah devised for the cave itself, with a gradation of ever-darker bricks accentuating the darkness within. It’s an evocative scene and showcase of Isaiah’s growing skills as a castle builder.

Prepare to meet thy (map) maker!

Some of the best LEGO builds are the ones that not only have a story behind them, but that subvert expectations somewhat. Now I’m not talking about all the Nice Parts Use (NPU) in Eli Willsea‘s little vignette – although it is absolutely chock full of it. A wrench is used as a very sturdy-looking door handle, doors make for an elegant staircase, and candles mimic scrolls on shelves made out of Duplo elements. The bucket handles shoved into lever bases for the bookstand are cool too. This creation is titled “Madeline the Map Maker”, but is that really all she is? Look how brooding this place is… The dark red evokes something a little sinister to me. And it’s not helped by Madeline’s black robes. Perhaps we should be wary of where these maps might lead us!

A year-long LEGO Castle project documented on YouTube

One of the perks of having friends in the LEGO hobby is being able to see their projects develop over time, transforming from rough sketches and multi-colored foundations to beautiful works of art on their way to a convention. And over the past year, we’ve had the chance to look in on Caleb Schilling‘s process as he developed his Island Castle build over on YouTube. The work was on display at Brickworld Chicago this year, and the completed work is quite a sight to behold! Featuring an array of earth tones, a gorgeous galleon, and an army of conquistador-style minifigures, this scene displays an overwhelming number of interesting techniques bringing it to life. My favorite among them has got to be the design of the large palm trees, relying on 1×1 slopes to create bands of texture running up the bent trunks.

If you’d like to go back to the start with Caleb, he’s got all 8 videos lined up in an Island Castle playlist over on YouTube for every LEGO Pirates and Castle fan out there.