Tag Archives: Dwalin Forkbeard

Looks like meat’s back on the menu: 19 custom LEGO orcs [Minifig Monday]

From Tolkien to Warhammer and everything in between, orcs are the biggest, baddest, and often funniest fantasy baddies of any setting they appear in. This week we’ve put together a horrendous horde of LEGO orcs from the custom community. You’ll find more than a few surprises in this one!

A king of cohesion, capt.dark.shark unleashes Commander Kragg the Cleaver. There’s so much to love here, the new(ish) Viking helmet fits so flush with the CMF Orc jaw, while pushing the ears out to make a unique head shape. The oversized olive green arm is actually from Jabba the Hutt, and sticking an axe on the end of a prosthetic is delightfully impractical as it is fiendishly orcish.

Lessor in the orc kingdoms but certainly not in the minifig world, these night goblins from Karp_brick have some excellent black cape layering and subtle diversity in the heads and headwear. We’ve spotted faces from the CMF Goblin, Star Wars Niamoidian and a Ninjago orc.

Older bigfigs are famous for lack of customisation options, but dwalinforkbeard has expertly used black capes to cover a more scifi torso to create something that is right at home in a medieval fantasy setting. Add that to the whimsical mushroom picking vibe and you’ve got a great looking orc dude.

Where there’s a click, there’s a way… to see more orcs! Zug zug.

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Behold Karak-Mahizrinul, a massive Dwarven Stronghold built in LEGO

Grab your preferred hammer or axe, a pint of ale, and join us on a tour of this Dwarven sanctuary nestled within the Red Mountains. Dwalin Forkbeard brought this imposing mountain fortress to life, and nearly every chamber and foothill of it is bustling with Dwarven activity.

The faces chiseled into the very face of the mountain bear resemblance to many of the characters within, and the sheer amount of gold and stone that is used tastefully throughout this build feels very true to character for these delvers. The water technique here is lovely, and I’m half-tempted to check for a treasure chest behind one of the waterfalls.

Take a sip and join us on the full tour of this Dwarven stronghold!

This living LEGO airship sports the latest in alternative fuel: the blue blossom

Green or renewable energy is very popular in many countries, with electric vehicles, wind farms, and solar panels on rooftops. This flying ship by Dwalin Forkbeard features flower power. It’s the perfect mix of steampunk and fantasy. The complex engine sprouting tanks and gears contrasts the many branching limbs growing from the sides of the boat, which are well-shaped, with a few loose planks for that weathered look. The scene is perfectly finished with a subtle forest background.

How much is two oxen in horsepower?

According to Linkedin, the illustrious Bibliarius Zakharius Glockta is a certified adventurer, chronist, scientist, and inquisitor. Left off that resume, he’s also an entrepreneur, green energy innovator, and tiny home enthusiast. LEGO builder Dwalin Forkbeard captures this enigmatic and larger-than-life minifig as he roams the land peddling arcane artifacts from his ox-driven mobile hut. With its wonky angles and wheels akimbo, this rolling cottage is a delightful mash-up of Warhammer and Dr. Seuss. The printed wood tiles evoke Seussian ink, and you can’t tell me Biliarius hasn’t crossed paths with a Onceler.

The wagon hides a few brilliant uses of unusual parts like a turkey tail arch over the window, but the real LEGO miracle is how Dwalin Forkbeard managed to capture this barely-together ramshackle build without it falling apart!

Revisit our Dwalin Forkbeard archive to see why this Ukrainian AFOL has become one of our favorite fantasy builders.

A terrifying tree (and a lesson in awful alliteration)

Its name might not be as catchy as Whomping Willow, but you still won’t want to get too close to talented Ukrainian LEGO builder Illia Zubashev (AKA Dwalin Forkbeard)’s “Mysterious Shrub”. Just ask the two soldiers in this scene! One is being dragged under by the tree’s roots, and I fear the other may not last much longer. Perhaps that’s why it hasn’t earned a catchy name – no-one lives long enough after meeting its gaze to give it one. Thankfully, Illia’s diorama is built at a safe distance, so we can ponder the question ourselves. The Swallowing Spruce? The Odious Oak? The Brutalising Birch? I would find out what type of tree it is, but I’m not about to ask it to find out…

Greenskin gang is ready to rock in this LEGO tribute to Warhammer

While unlikely as an official license, the cartoonishly bellicose world of Warhammer is a perfect fit for LEGO creations. Both feature bright colors, over-the-top characters, a devoted fanbase, and hand-crafted universes in miniature. Our favorite Warhammer Fantasy builder Dwalin Forkbeard usually stans for Team Dwarf, but for his latest diorama Dwalin moves to Greenskin pastures with a Night Goblin outpost he calls Hooda-Rock.

Dwalin grounds the base in a lovely bit of rockwork sculpted in the shape of a goblin’s pointy hood, with an orange path to provide visual interest. A peppering of mushrooms and details like the hanging bones and tasty rats make up for the lack of greenery. Both setting and minifig accessorizing perfectly capture the brutish and nasty charm of the Greenskins.

In addition to Night Goblins, the rock is home to Squigs, the surly cave-dwelling beasts raised as war mounts. Both the full-grown Squig’s red dome head and balls used for the baby Squigs are sourced from the Beast Master’s Chaos Chariot set. In fact, it was those parts that inspired Dwalin to make this build. The results are a delight, whether or not you’re a fan of the source material, and hopefully the start of more Greenskin builds in the LEGO x Warhammer world of miniatures.

A stout building for bitter warriors to cure what ails them

Dwarves of the Warhammer universe take their beer very seriously. No warrior worth his salt would get drunk on pig swill. Only barrel-aged stouts will do. Dwalin Forkbeard, builder of all things dwarven and steampunk, treats us to a proper Dwarven Brewery in his latest LEGO creation. Dwalin recreates a dry stone building technique of stones stacked without mortar – a tricky technique to pull off this well with LEGO bricks. The stonework is paired with a riveted rooftop, copper detailing, and a pearl gold brewing apparatus peeks out from the back of the structure to heat the wort for a heady brew. On this day, the brewery has guests of ~~dis~~honor, as Dwarven slayer Gotrek and his chronicler Felix look thirsty for a pint of Korben’s Finest.

This Warhammer-inspired LEGO diorama is fast in friendship and in enmity

What do LEGO dwarves have to be resentful of? Well, elves got their own fondly remembered line, orcs featured prominently as Castle foes for a spell, and dragons appear in multiple themes and get their own zodiac calendar year. Oh, the indignity! We can’t know what animus brings motivates the dwarven king in Illia Zubashev‘s grand diorama, but chance are it involves gold, elves, or grudges. Probably all three. Illia calls this creation The Hall of Grudges of Karak Izûm, a sacred site for dwarves of the Warhammer ilk. It’s a truly grand scene where a lone minifig king and the holy Book of Grudges are dwarfed by a hulking statue and a towering wall of brick and stone, showing the immense scale of the underground dwarven empire. Illia employs a solid mix of profile bricks, offset tiles, and SNOT work (studs not on top) in the impressive wall and floor. The chonky statue of dark grey and gold makes impressive use of 2×3 rock tiles for a chiseled beard. But perhaps the most striking element of the scene is the diamond window of jutting trans light blue crystals.

The evenly lit scene represents the hall at night. Even more striking is the daylight version, where light shining through the crystal window transforms the underground scene.

This LEGO tower evokes mad scientists, crazy experiments, and, er, video games

One of the great things about art (and yes, LEGO building is an art form!) is that people can draw on their own experiences and environments to find new meaning in a creation. Illia Zubashev came up with an in-depth backstory to this teetering tower. Apparently it’s the abode of a maverick scientist and inventor, which should come as no surprise – I mean, just look at it! As interesting as the description is, though, I didn’t register any of that when I first saw this. What popped into my head was the video game Sable. It’s completely unrelated, but it just has the same sort of vibe. So sorry I didn’t heed your fascinating description, Illia. At least I can appreciate what a good build this is!

A spaceship of a different color

Like the old saying, “a horse of a different color,” this LEGO spaceship by Dwalin Forkbeard is quite unique. Not only is it fairly uncommon for spaceships to be brown, most spaceships don’t have wings such as these either. With all the ships out there, it’s refreshing to see one that is distinctly different. The brown spaceman provides the perfect opportunity to build a ship that suits him, and this does it so well. The angles, landing gear, and barrel booster are all pleasing to the eye.

If you enjoy this model, check out other builds by Dwalin Forbeard. And while you’re at it, take a look at all of the space builds in our archives.

The age of men is over, the time of the Mecha-Orc has come!

Well, now I’ve seen everything! Direct from the imagination of Illia Zubashev comes this hearty band of LEGO orcs armed with a mech suit, a rocket pack, and one huge rocket launcher. I absolutely love the colors here! The greens of the orcish skin and dark tan of the terrain provide wonderful contrast with the safety yellow and of this troop’s equipment. Unorganized and organic patters interplay with neat black-and-white checkerboards and safety striping. It instantly signals that these devices are out of place in this setting. And yet, the hints of rust and a few haphazard patch jobs apparent on the modern equipment still anchors this scene in reality (or at least a reality where fantasy has been gut-checked by sci-fi). May this platoon have much success in its raid of the nearby kingdom of Cyber-Elves.

Mr. Sande over the Lavender Islands

When LEGO released the 43181 Raya and the Heart Palace I knew it was only a matter of time until someone used the dome panel for a hot air balloon, mainly because the part had been released a year sooner in 41252 Poppy’s Hot Air Balloon Adventure as part of the balloon. Thanks to Ilya Zubashev the wait is over. The presentation of this creation is just sublime! The background matches with the colours of the base of the build and contrasts with the main focus of the creation. It makes me want to get over my fear of heights and hop into an air balloon to discover some undiscovered part of this big planet while watching the sunset from your own little basket.