Let’s talk about LEGO and Transformers. When Transformers were first introduced in the 1980s, the LEGO system didn’t quite have the available pieces to recreate the complicated designs of vehicle-to-robot transformations. Fast-forward to today and it’s a totally different story. Armed with a slew of modern joints and plates, Librarian-Bot is pulling off designs that are more than meet your eyes.
Tag Archives: Librarian-Bot
Witch’s Windship gets an update
To answer Librarian-Bot’s question: Yes, you are not alone. Everyone has at least one set they ogled in the LEGO catalog but never managed to get a hold of. For me it is the Hogwarts Castle (2nd edition) and the Sphinx Secret Surprise. For Librarian-Bot this is the Witch’s Windship. To fill in the gap of missing out on this specific set they recreated it. The model features a brick build dragon which strongly resembles the classic dragon from the 90’s. The witch’s windship has gotten a serious update without losing it’s original charm. Since the dragon is a bit bigger the windship can be a bit bigger too. It still looks like the dragon is able to carry it. It is nice to see the CMF shield with a bat pictured on it used to represent the classic fright knight shield. What set’s do you regret not getting?
We’ve trained for this.
Recently, we’ve featured quite a few LEGO builds based on the 9V Train Track switch element. Those were some mighty fine builds. Some might even call them transformative. But Librarian-Bot has taken the idea of “Train Switches” in an unforeseen direction with Switchback. This sinister-looking Decepticon is ready to take you for the last ride you’ll ever go on. I particularly like the way the hands are constructed – they add a delicate, almost surgical feel to an otherwise bulky robot.
In train mode Switchback completely hides any robotic nature – and even works on standard LEGO track. It’s a sharp-looking engine build that makes good use of tile and curved slope elements to provide just the right level of real-world detail.
If you’re ready for even more Transformers goodness (and badness) be sure to check our archives!
Travel back in time inside this retro TARDIS
Doctor Who is a British sci-fi television series about the titular character who travels through space and time. Since it first aired in 1963, it has been a staple of pop-culture and has even gotten an official Doctor Who LEGO set. Fan builders also built many iterations of the time-traveling spaceship TARDIS, many large and complex on the inside. However, Librarian-Bot created a console room of a different TARDIS operated by a different Time Lord. This one is not unlike the hero’s TARDIS from the late 1970s, still recognisable and iconic. While more recent console rooms are grey and greebly, Librarian-Bot adds a splash of colour with white and blues. But my favourite section has to be the usage of computer and button tiles in the middle. Despite being LEGO’s generic decorative elements from old space and town sets, they fit right into this scene.
See more Doctor Who LEGO builds here on The Brothers Brick.
The lovechild of Star Wars ship designs
When certain design elements dictate the look of the gritty Star Wars universe, it is best to stay within those constraints when designing new and different ships. That doesn’t mean make them same-y and boring, but rather different and unique enough to make sense. LEGO builder Librarian-Bot has struck the perfect balance (literally!) with a hybrid of the Millennium Falcon, the Ghost, and the Resistance Bomber. The Raging Comet flies with a unique wedge shape that combines the bulky nature of the freighters mentioned above. Despite a top-heavy structure, this ship balances on its tip by a stand or a singular landing gear. To achieve this feat, Librarian-Bot built this freighter with an airy but detailed interior to reduce the weight.
Many details also add to the characteristics of a starship from a galaxy far, far away. Starting from the top, there is an oversized sensor dish and on either side, familiar circular docking rings. In the front, a cockpit with an iconic conical shape, and lots of intricate angles and greebling between it all. These are a great homage to the Millennium Falcon, which set the standard for Star Wars ship designs. Four engines in the rear are different from what you would expect, but they do not look out of place. The entry hatch further down includes a foldable boarding ramp that some might find excessively long, its superfluous nature just screams “Star Wars!” Red highlights break up the monochrome greys, and a black and yellow checkerboard pattern give the impression of the Raging Comet being a fast smuggler ship.