Tag Archives: Fantasy

A good feast is worth fighting for

These cute woodland citizens gathering acorns in this LEGO scene by Ids de Jong may look harmless, but they are armed and ready to defend their bountiful banquet. While the tree and the landscape are masterfully constructed, my favorite plants are the two winding dandelion flowers, which could make a lovely tea to help wash down those delicious nuts. Many builders have used the custom mouse heads from Crazy Bricks, but this builder digs deep into the LEGO archives for some Fabuland animal heads to create these memorable defenders.

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Taking down the big baddie, brick by brick

What makes for a great RPG boss fight? There’s the boss, preferably huge. You’ll need a party of heroes, their skills honed on the bones of lesser foes. And of course an epic arena with room to maneuver and priceless artifacts to smash. Dan O’Conner doesn’t disappoint with this Boss Fight Arena in LEGO, a scene packed with masterful technique. First, let’s take a moment to appreciate the SNOT mosaics built from hundreds of cheese slopes and other angular elements. The glowing trans blue pentagram under the caster is amazing! Speaking of caster, the brick-built battle effects are quite effective, from the magic shields to the slice of air from the Gith warrior in the background. The heroes seem to have this battle under control. Of course, a truly memorable boss battle will go through at least three phases, so the worst is likely yet to come.

Five flavors of fantasy from one talented Swedish builder

LEGO fan contests like Brickscalibur can push even the best builders to new creative heights through creative prompts, tight deadlines, and friendly competition. One builder whose creations consistently caught our eye during the latest competition goes by T-86 (Swe). What impresses with T-86’s builds isn’t just the stellar medieval brickwork, but the variety of approaches that capture the breadth of “castle” as a building theme. Let’s take a moment to celebrate each of T-86’s five submissions.

First is “The Traitor,” submitted for the Perspective Matters category. This build is a showcase for brickwork in the modern castle aesthetic, creating walls that are deceptively simple at a glance, but upon closer inspection are a web of clever techniques. The arches on the right, capped with a jigsaw of “cheese slopes” are a highlight, as is the door with its deep notches. By framing the shot with wall-to-wall LEGO bricks and simulating natural lighting, the immersive scene pulls you in. T-86 sticks to a grounded setting but adds a fantasy twist using elves for the tale of deception playing out in the courtyard.

Next, for the Adventuring Party minifig-centric category, T-86 goes full fantasy in an eye-catching way, using almost entirely black elements. Dubbed “The Shadowmolded,” they make a nightmarish ensemble, softened somewhat by a mix of animal companions. The brick-built dragonraven is especially nice.

Press on for more enchanting castle builds from T-86

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.

The details run deep in this mine

Descend to the depths of imagination with “The Echoing Mines of the Mountain’s Heart” by syrdarian. This fantastic cross-section of some fabled dwarven caverns is a ~~gold mine~~ mithril mine of detail, conveying a sense of scale from the faint light at the top of the staircase all the way down to the rivulets of lava far below. A big part of any great model is presentation, and these mines are no exception, with superb lighting in the right places. Thanks to that light, along with the combination of natural-looking rock formations and easily recognizable dwarven architecture, it’s easy to see the dwarves’ masterworks deep within the earth. Let’s just hope these particular dwarves resist the temptation to delve too greedily and too deep.

Bootstrapping a botanical brewery in LEGO

Scandinavian folklore is full of tales of little people living in the woods and meadows. Swedish builder Peter Ilmrud gives us a glimpse of one community of fairy folk who have made a lingonberry cidery out of an old boot. Peter incorporates DUPLO and Scala elements alongside wildflowers from the Botanicals line and many custom flowers and berry bushes in the vibrant display.

Break out your magnifying people for a better glimpse of what these wee cider makers are up to!

What do you get when you cross knights in shining armour with the frog prince?

If you want to bring a bit of whimsy to a fantasy LEGO creation, a good place to start is making your characters animals. Oh, and giving them a massive sword. That’s the angle that Dan Ko has gone for in this charming duo. Both the frog knight and his snail steed are full of character – and clever parts use! Our knight in croaking armour has some fantastic leafy webbed feet, and the ski for a cross-guard is a neat idea for this asymmetric sword. The snail, meanwhile, has caterpillar tracks wound up to form its shell. Although I must admit – and this might be a niche reference – that with those bright yellow eyes, it reminds me of the slugs from the LEGO Rock Raiders video game. Perhaps they’re distant cousins?

Mini LEGO centaur isn’t horsin’ around

Kamil Karpiński is a master at working minifig parts and accessories into complex creatures bursting with personality. As much as we loved Kamil’s Aarakocrans, this centaur druid is a contender for his most impressive figure yet. While LEGO has made a molded centaur body before, Kamil’s brick-built solution offers more realistic proportions and posability. Using the head and hairpiece of Beorn from the LEGO Hobbit line brings appropriate animal rage to the build. Packing in around 100 elements, the centuar might be mini in stature but it’s a major building feat.

When all you have is a hammer...

If you need to nail down how much great building you can fit into a little vignette, look no further than this fantasy LEGO scene by Cora! Lets start with the real main character of this build: hammers. Cora has created an deeply authentic piece of brickwork out of enough hammers to make Thor drool! As for character design, Cora has kit-bashed a great minifigure out of parts from a bunch of different action lines. And with all that heavy equipment, I do wonder whether the crocodile has delved deep to find this treasure, or if it’s the reason it’s lying there in the first place?

The Great Grape Chapel Showcase

Medieval marketplaces are a popular theme with LEGO castle builders, but you’ve never seen one with colors and creative lore like this! Tabaya‘s bustling scene introduces the Fellowship of the Wine, a sacred order dedicated to the fermentation of the sacred grape. The monastery is built from a distinctive mix of flame yellowish orange, medium lilac, sand green, and brick yellow. It’s a color combination I’ve never encountered before but really sings, especially paired with fall foliage. Tabaya’s model is filled with playful architectural choices, influenced, no doubt, by limited parts in the chosen colors. But the builder also celebrates the playful connections possible in LEGO without the constraints of historical accuracy or realism.

Tabaya excels at fantasy minifigs and has created the perfect ensemble to bring the scene to life: The Fellowship of the Grape. I like to think that consuming the magical wine grown by the order turns the hair purple. The six statues, each holding a different sacred object, give the fictional church specificity. This is great world-building.

Tiny talons are major minifig feat

Thanks to the newly-released Dungeons and Dragons Collectible Minifigures, filling out your LEGO scenes with fantasy races and epic loot is easier than ever. Kamil Karpiński picked up a couple of Aarakocrans (aka birdfolk, aka “Jarnathan”) and using just 13 tiny elements built new legs to amplify their avian qualities. As wings and quivers clash, Kamil gives his ranger a hip solution.

Kamil’s fantasy-focused creations show how even minifigures can become the foundation for clever building techniques. (His take on Sauron rules them all!)

LEGO-built Dungeons & Dragon idol summons tabletop nostalgia

Before Tieflings or Githyanki, before Strahd took his first bite or Tasha so much as hideously chuckled, there was the Advanced D&D Player’s Handbook adorned with a red demon idol with jewel eyes who sparked the imaginations of a million young adventurers. Derek Bourgeois pays tribute to the OG D&D icon with a LEGO model of D.A. Trampier‘s classic illustration. Derek deftly captures the mix of menace and grandeur in the demonic statue, putting macaroni tubes to good use as fingers that clutch the flaming brazier. Third-party lighting elements make the flames dance for extra dungeon ambiance. Those jeweled eyes look quite tempting for treasure hunters. Perhaps a party of heroes from the new Dungeons & Dragons Collectible Minifigures will attempt to pry them free.