Tag Archives: Magic

A fantastic build in more ways than one

My favorite LEGO set of last year (and possibly of all time) is the LEGO Lord of the Rings 10316 Rivendell set. I could wax verbose about that set, but I don’t have to — because everything I loved about Rivendell is back here in this piece, which builder Martin Gebert calls “Rivendell-inspired.” You can certainly see the official set’s influence — the organic blending of nature and masonry, the pastel greens and whites, the otherworldly architecture. And yet this build manages to take the fantasy even further — look at that lovely hanging fountain and the perfectly irregular smoothness of that outcropping. Best of all, this model (entitled “The Arrival of an Old Friend”) is just chapter 1 in a series, so be sure to follow Martin and keep exploring this incredible slice of a fantasy world.

Chapter I - The Arrival of an Old Friend

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Meet the emerald enchanter that’s a defender of all LEGO fauna

While he’s certainly no Radagast the Brown, this nature-loving LEGO wizard by greenarj is clearly best friends with all the birds and beasts of the land. I adore all the plant pieces integrated into the enchanter’s cloak and hat, sporting nearly every color of green in the brick palette. His gnarled dark gray staff is an exceptional conglomeration of tubing, bars, clips, and minifig utensils. But let’s not forget all the effort put into this verdant vagabond’s entourage. The owl, bird, squirrel, fox, and bunny are all wonderful pieces on their own. The sheer number of ingenious connections and part uses among these five tiny beasties is astounding, but my favorite has got to be the tuft of fur on the fox’s chest made from Master Wu’s beard.

Green wizard

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Scrying on your LEGO competition in the Brickscalibur contest

You can tell it’s once again Brickscalibur season when Markus Rollbühler is showing off his enviable LEGO trophy-building skills. Until January 15th, builders will be submitting their best Castle-adjacent creations for a chance at a prize. This devilish warlock seen mid-scrying spell is the trophy for the Medieval Micro category, and it’s an astounding creation! Markus’s ability to make the plastic bricks appear to be flowing cloth is superb, as are all the accoutrements to the spellcaster like the candlesticks and pile of papers. But enough talk – I need to get building if I’m going to have a shot at taking this home! Check out the Brickscalibur website for all the categories and rules if you’re interested.

Brickscalibur 2023 Trophy: The Warlock

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, which baby is the fairest of them all

LEGO is not just great for building. It’s also great for storytelling. This is exceptionally well done by Geneva Durand. We are witnessing an evil Queen on her way to kill a newborn who is said to be destined to one day end her reign. It almost sounds biblical with just a touch of Snow White. I guess the evil Queen also sometimes dabbles a bit in magic because her knights appear to be floating down from the village walls without being crushed. It is their task to find the little baby and end it. On that note, can you spot the little infant?

Endurance

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When it comes to magic-users, the kookier the better!

Straight from the mind of LEGO builder MySnailEatsPizza comes this wonderfully witchy character named Isobel. Complete with a pet frog on her shoulder, this sorceress is seen here riding quite the ornate broomstick, complete with white rubber bands for grips and floating magical zamor sphere. Another black rubber band (all of them official LEGO parts, mind you) is used in her satchel. Aside from this excellent parts usage, this construction does a great job of conveying Isobel’s “chaotic good” sensibilities through a slightly cocked head, open and expressive arms, and legs semmingly crossed for both comfort and balance. She looks to be mid-conversation, describing the intricacies of the “mana-flow” and how best to implement its energy. If only I could follow any of what she’s saying….

Isobel, Witch of the Ashen Plains

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Doctor Strange is in the house!

Experiencing dimensional infestations? Doctor Strange will make a house call to clear that right up for you! This magical LEGO build from Legomocs_501 went through a few iterations before this version emerged from the multiverse. What looks to be a normal house with a tall window quickly transforms, mirror dimension style, into a curving and broken walkway, sloping down towards grasping tentacles. The walls start peeling away until they’re but a memory to the dimensional rift threatening to consume the Sorcerer Supreme! The texturing on the wall fragments is very cool, achieved with plates and bricks of varying size. The grey plates bleeding down into the black of the base balance the sloping pathway by the tentacles. This keeps your eyes focused on the conflict between Strange and the intruding presence. This build captures the mind-bending nature of Doctor Strange and his adventures, making me all the more excited for his next on-screen appearance: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!

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The isle of magic

If I were searching for an island of magic like the explorer in this LEGO vignette by Josh, I’d be pretty excited when I saw this. Josh doesn’t provide us any further details on the specifics, but this mysterious island is flowing with lava and surrounded by a steaming sea. At the center lies some sort of magical cauldron. Note the subtle gradient beneath the transparent light blue tiles, giving the water a sense of depth.

Searching for Crystal Cove

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Vidiyo jealousy

Sometimes a LEGO theme just doesn’t spark your interest. For me, this happened with the Vidiyo theme. Sure I noticed a couple of nice minifigure parts, but for me it just wasn’t enough to hop on the Vidiyo express. Aurore however did not skip on the Vidiyo sets and they show this off in their latest creation. We can spot parts from the Dragon Guitarist and the Flying Unicorn Singer had to sacrifice its wings for a figure in this creation. Now that we are talking about Aurore, their minifigures are always spot on. I am convinced that they put at least the same amount of time and effort into putting the figures to go with a creation together as is spent on the creation itself. Check out their profile and see for yourself!

[Brickcentral] Arkax' Carnival Costumes

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“Higitus figitus migitus mum! Prestidigitonium!”

If you do not recognize this character at all, you need to watch the Disney classic Sword in the Stone, stat. It’s certainly one of the best Disney films ever, and I think Rickard Stensby must agree! One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Merlin casts a spell where he packs the contents of his entire house into a traveling bag. In true Disney fashion, he sings his spell, “Higitus Figitus.” Arguably, the better line is “Hockety, pockety, wokety, wack,” but I digress. Rickard perfectly sculpts the scene in LEGO, from the shrinking belongings floating into the bag, down to the rickety wooden floorboards. Merlin himself is unmistakable with his blue outfit, glasses, and an overly long beard.

Merlin

Top marks for perfectly recreating the body pose, as well as the use of bananas and droid heads for fingers.

Merlin

This one had me feeling all the nostalgia. How about you? Click here to see more Disney builds. We also have more from Rickard too!

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The Hogwarts Entrance Hall to rule all entrance halls

Have you ever had that friend who you try to act all cool around, but who’s definitely much cooler and more talented than you? Well, I have a few, actually, but when it comes to LEGO Harry Potter, there is only one true master. Eric Law has awed and inspired many times over with his dazzling and ginormous recreations of the Wizarding World. This time, he brings us an exceptional model of the Hogwarts Entrance Hall. There is so much going on here, it’s a little shocking. Dare you to take the time to count all the frames!

“But wait, Bre! Do the stairs actually move?” You bet your Firebolt they do! Here is a short snippet GIF, but you should definitely check out the full video on Eric’s Instagram page.

Can’t get enough Harry Potter builds? We have you covered!

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An esteemed member of Discworld’s Unseen University faculty

When it comes to the Discworld universe, I know very little. But when it comes to recognizing clever parts usage on a rad LEGO creation, I’m all over it. Eero Okkonen’s recent tribute to the “Senior Wrangler” instantly reminded me of a similar build we covered a while back. At that time, it was the Archchancellor of the Unseen University, Mustrum Ridcully. What I love most about this chubby fellow is his excellent beard. What better alternative use for a white shin-guard than a beard? I also admire the use of chrome exhaust pipe elements on his jacket/rope.

Builds like this are Eero’s specialty. While you’re here, take a look at all of the magnificent characters we’ve featured!

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The esteemed astronomer and warlock

When I was a kid, my first introduction to Merlin was in the Disney animated movie, The Sword in the Stone. It has remained one of my favorite movies to this day, though I’ve learned that most depictions of Merlin are quite different. Seeing this LEGO build by Jens Ohrndorf, immediately brings me back to that beloved movie and character. The real triumph, though, is that stellar telescope. Using the palm tree trunk element to create the flared end gives it the perfect look.

Any true fan of the movie will know that the one thing missing is Archimedes, the owl. But don’t worry, Tyler Clites has us covered! And if you can’t get enough, we also have many more articles about owls, wizards, and magic.

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