Tag Archives: mech suit

Benny’s Mecha, Mecha, MECHA!

Alternate realities are all the rage these days. Consider, for example, the variant reality where Benny (the lovable 1980’s Spaceman from The LEGO Movie) was fixated on robots instead of spaceships. Psyro TtunTomato has been peering into this timeline and brings us a stunning rendition of Benny’s Titan Mech. The classic space blues and greys are there, as is the transparent yellow canopy we know to expect. But check out that arm rocket – a clear tribute to the 897 Mobile Rocket Launcher. I also love how Benny’s Space Squad is still ready to lend a helping hand as the ground crew. There are a lot of great construction techniques on display here – I’m particularly fond of the design on the feet and hands. Even the display stand is an interesting build, with integrated LEGO ingot elements creating a smooth-yet-greebled texture. I’d love to see this one animated…have they finalized the script for The LEGO Movie 3 yet?

Benny’s psyrottuntomato Titan mech

Classic Space Nostalgia runs high in our archive, too. A plethora of great Neo-Classic Space builds are just a click away!

Fabulous + soldier = Fabusoldier?

When it comes to arming animals, Moko is one of – if not the – best in the business. We’re big fans of his work, and apparently so are the residents of Fabuland. They’ve moved on from the happy-go-lucky bright colours of the 1980s and are upgrading their armory. After Peter Pig and Lionel Lion, Bonnie Bunny is the third character to get their own mech, and this one gets airborne! There’s some serious Apache helicopter vibes here – the olive green looks great. And there’s in-flight snacks! It seems even a mech-suit army still marches, and flies, on its stomach.

FabuSoldier 03

It’s Hammertime for this Mech

Moko brings us another offering of his Animal LEGO Mech collection, this time with the Hammerhead Shark kitted out and ready to deliver the Hammer blow! The design of this build certainly emphasises the heavy armour of the Mech and the colour palette accentuates that militaristic vibe. Even within the heavy armour, there are some nice flourishes of design – from the Battle Droid Torso’s found in the ankle mechanism through to the technic construction briefly glimpsed in the arms.

Shark's Exo-suit "Big hands"

But let’s not forget the Mech’s weapon, the Warhammer reveals it’s own bite which is expertly hidden away ready to add a powerful bite to any adversary they encounter. But that Hammerheads grin – toothy!

Shark's Exo-suit "Big hands"

We’ve all been there, those two LEGO plates that need that additional pressure to stick together. Have no fear, this little Sharknado in a Mech suit is here to help!

There’s still Life On Mars

Sand purple; there’s a color that doesn’t see a lot of use in LEGO creations these days. But Djokson refuses to be limited by convention – or that fact that the purple elements used in Grappler SuGork haven’t been seen since 2001’s Life on Mars theme. And don’t let that friendly face fool you, either. That’s a Bionicle Krana mask from 2002. And those odd shoulder bits? Hovercraft skirts last seen in a 2006 Batboat. I don’t know what SuGork is up to, but it’s clear he’s been working on that armor for a very long time.

Grappler SuGork

Sadly there aren’t a ton of other Martian throwbacks in our Life on Mars tag. Why not dust off some old pieces and try making a tribute yourself?

One mech, two mech, tan mech, blue mech

It’s not everyday that you can trace the evolution of a LEGO design by a builder through their photos. But Bartosz Sasiński has the development of his four M-Series mechs well-documented. Their first addition, the M-1, was posted over a year ago. And it features chunky armor and stable click-joints. As a result, the build looks sturdy, with some interesting textures running up the torso and around the cockpit’s exterior. But more than anything, that striking color scheme of greens, white, and dark gray make this chunky boi pop.

M-1

See the evolution through version 4 below

Then why is it a HAMburger?!

This cyborg version of an old Fabuland figure is pretty torn up about your food choices. Flickr Builder Moko has been making mechs for a long time and, after creating some cyborg versions of LEGO animals, they’ve moved on to some LEGO legends. For the unfamiliar, Fabuland sets were introduced at the end of the 70s and went out of production at the end of the 80s. As Moko puts it in his blog, Fabuland offered a more “picture-book-like world view” with anthropomorphized animal citizens. Think of them as the middle sibling between Duplo and LEGO with a twist of Richard Scarry’s Busytown. Though these figures and sets aren’t produced by LEGO anymore, they still have a core fan group among some collectors due to their rarity and obscurity.  Here Moko has created a mercenary cyborg soldier with an edgy appetite. The plethora of detailed, hinged elements that Moko uses combine in the arms, legs and bodies provide a thick, responsive frame to protect the rider within. Fully armed and prepared for combat, this mech only has one week spot but its a necessary one. After all, how else are you supposed to keep eating during battle? Can’t have crumbs in the cockpit either.

FabuSoldier 01

Aside from all of the amazing details and angles that Moko has created, the solid yellow crystal piece with a red brick as French fries is a stand out detail here. The color-blocking and range of motion that Moko employs always renders a satisfying product that reads well and strikes envy in LEGO mech fans everywhere. Either that or fear, given its intense arsenal and bulk.

What? I just want to shake your hand!

It was nearly a year ago that Faber Mandragore released the first version of their Jäger Mobilanzug into the wild. Since then there have been some quality design upgrades – this mech suit has been “re-armed” with enormous and hefty claws instead of the previous arm cannon. Range attacks are apparently still possible with that new shoulder-mounted gun, but it’s obvious this mech is now ready for more in-your-face mayhem. I particularly like the use of Technic gears in the shoulder assembly.

Jäger Mobilanzug - Ma.Ktober 2021

The opening cockpit and driver are also worth calling out. The functional feel of this build makes me wish that the smaller LEGO-released Mechs were half as formidable.

Jäger Mobilanzug - Ma.Ktober 2021

Faber isn’t limited to just reimagining old builds, though. Take a stroll through their other featured creations to really get a feel for what this artist is capable of!

An (eight) arms race – Marvel 76198 Spider-Man & Doctor Octopus Mech Battle [Review]

The latest wave of LEGO superhero sets will be released soon, and we’ve been sharing an early look at them. The final set, Marvel 76198-Spider-Man & Doctor Octopus Mech Battle, will be available April 26th from the LEGO Shop Online for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99. Doc Ock and Spidey have battled many times in the past, and it’s usually a sight to see. Does this latest mechanical knuckle-buster live up to that grand tradition? Come along as we take a close look!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Shrine on you crazy diamond

LEGO models with smooth curves and bright colors – they’re just a joy to behold. But there’s more than colors and curves to like about this build by BobnDeQuatre. In Takoizukame – The Shrine Keeper, those qualities are combined with some sweet part usage. Take, for example, the hubcaps in the upper arms. Or the Chima flywheels in the feet. And is that a Ninjago Spinner at the center of the mech’s chest? *Chef’s kiss*

Takoizukame - The Shrine Keeper

The rearview also showcases some great building techniques. Check out how the 5×5 arch bricks switch orientation and mix and match with the quarter-circle tiles to create smooth transitions and complex shapes.

Takoizukame - The Shrine Keeper

At the end of the day, though, it’s probably the fact that the colors remind me of the Downtown Diner that makes this mech near and dear to my heart. Retro-Town-Ninjago is a popular sub-theme, right?

A heavy assault mech for all your heavy assault shenanigans

Have you ever wondered what those S.W.A.T. team hand signals mean as they gather outside your house? I believe a fist hoisted straight up and down in the air means “hurry up” while a hand covering the mouth means “gas”. The rest was sort of lost in a fiery frantic blur but no matter the hand signals, a S.W.A.T. team outside means you’re pretty much screwed. While going out in a blaze of glory does have its appeal, you might instead want to employ the help of of this Heavy Assault Mech built by Mishima to tilt the odds in your favor. Trust me, a light assault mech or even a moderate assault mech will not help in this situation. You will need some seriously huge guns–so huge you wonder how it’s still standing upright.

Heavy Assault Mech

A shoulder-mounted Gatling gun and a missile launcher rounds out the arsenal, the latter making excellent use of the “nexagon” part. While doing time in the Big House you might want to check out this builder’s other nifty mechs and bots or follow his Youtube channel for an instructional video on how to build this one. In the meantime, all this mechanized firepower ought to hold you over right up until they send in the attack dogs. Good luck!