Tag Archives: Mech

Two tickets to the (noun) show

Back by no demand at all is another Brothers Brick post done up Mad Libs style. You can fill in the words and show us your finished renditions in the comments. LEGO (noun) Goth Bricks 2000 has whipped up a battlemech (adverb) called Revenant Sisterhood RD-8 Redeemer. The project took (amount of time) to finish and is using some (adjective) parts usage, especially around the (part of the body) area. A fumbled (website) order made it so this mech has one red “knee” which the builder is quite (adjective) about. Goth Bricks wanted to build a mech that could both walk and (verb) and even (famous person) would agree that this was a/an (adjective) move. I particularly like the yellow (plural noun) and the (adjective) use of black and gray. I can’t wait to see what other (plural noun) Goth Bricks comes up with. In the meantime, here is a slew of (plural noun) built by others.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

A bit of a stretch.

Unpopular opinion time: not every mech needs to be a military hard suit covered in weapons. Oh, sure, they look cool. But what about mechs made for peaceful purposes? Search and rescue? Exploration? Or, best yet, construction? Sure, it’s a bit meta, but I like the idea of things made out of LEGO that are intended to make other things out of LEGO. That’s why the Kroniton Cybernetics I-Beam Bolter from builder Scott Wilhelm makes me smile. This giant robot (piloted by our favorite construction guy, Emmet, of course) features a striking black and orange color scheme, solid articulation, and an action feature that, frankly, caught me by surprise.

Sure, the extending lifting arm with it’s working grippers is cool, and shows that Scott thought about how this sort of mech would need to function in a real construction situation. And the rotating fastening device on the other arm combines form and function. Even the roll-cage around the operator cabin says “real world compatible.” All of those things are quality, but none of those things are shocking. Not compared to this:

This is the first extendo-mech I’ve ever seen. I’d wager it’s the first one you’ve seen, too.

And that, friends, is why I love this build.

Dream if you can a courtyard, an ocean of violets in bloom

Suddenly I have Prince tunes going through my head and I don’t know why. It’s weird when that happens. Anyway, Marco De Bon built this delightfully purple mech he calls the FA-13 “Venus” and we’re all tickled pink about it. Or…purple, actually. Well, maybe a little pink. The translucent sparkly pink wings are actually doors that come from a rare Belleville set (good luck finding that!) and are used brilliantly here. The mech stands 8-inches (20cm) tall and is inspired by the insect-like mechs of the Aura Battler Dunbine anime series from the 80s.

Marco also constructed a stand for flying and action poses.

Woodlouse-bots, roll out!

Woodlice are terrestrial isopods and, among other nicknames, are affectionately known as “roly-poly pill bugs” for their ability to roll into a ball. Though this ability is a natural defense mechanism, Japanese builder Moko drew inspiration from the woodlouse for their latest LEGO mech. Moko’s mech emulates the woodlouse’s segmented body thanks to staggered round shell detail elements, which appeared in black in 2012 Hero Factory sets Black Phantom and Toxic Reapa. This black armor is also reminiscent of the crab-like Garthim from The Dark Crystal.

As an added bonus, Moko’s woodlouse mech rolls into a ball just like the real thing. While the real life woodlouse does this to protect itself, I think it’s safe to say this mechanical critter can also use it for quick getaways. Now, that’s using your exoskeleton!

Check out the toothy grin on this LEGO bot

Sometimes you see a LEGO part and you think “now what will I ever do with that?” I’ve always loved the greebly, mechanical look of the ripcord housing element, but for the life of me I’ve never found a use for it. That’s not a problem for Cezium, though, who whipped together this brilliant digital model with two whole rows of them for the teeth–er, excuse me, railgun housings on this sentry bot. This just goes to prove that old LEGO building axiom: all pieces are useful if you have a sufficient quantity of them.

The grind of updating the Ground Machine

The MRGM 3 Multi Role Ground Machine by builder Marco Marozzi is a complex example of mechanical evolution. While the initial version felt sleek and light, this third generation is a much beefier model. Some core elements remain the same; a Bionicle Rahkshi back cover forms the spine, and Knights Kingdom armor protects the arms and legs. But you can see the shine of a new model in the shins and lower body. There, the armor has been updated to have a much more textured feel. And that giant gun is also a brand new accessory.

We’ve featured several of Marco’s other mechs in the past, and I’m confident we’ll see even more in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Mark 4 has in store for us…

Trio of triangular mechs

What is better than a well-armed hard suit? How about three of them? Moko has put together a hard-hitting squad of brightly colored power armor mechs, each one sharing certain design elements, while sporting very different weapons and other capabilities.

First off, that heavy assault mech, with what looks like a laser-guided rocket launcher, and a shoulder-mounted machine gun. Next, a sniper model complete with some sort of sensor package, and lastly, if you can’t shoot ’em, you can pummel them with punches with the brawler on the right.

It’s right on the tip of my tongue, too!

When I first saw this post-apocalyptic build by SweStar one little word came to mind but, wouldn’t you know, I plum forgot it just as I was about to mention it. It’s a little one syllable nonsense word. Gosh darn it, the ol’ noggin isn’t what it used to be! Let’s see, there is a rather leggy mech, a black cat, a garbage can on fire and a mysterious figure with a papoose but none of that is helpful, really. I swear, I’d forget the nose on my face if it wasn’t right in front of me! Sometimes I walk into a room and forget why I did it. Has that ever happened to you? What the heck was the little word I was thinking of? Oh, well. With my luck, It’ll probably come to me just as I’m falling asleep. I hate it when that happens!

Green is the new black

When Lloyd Garmadon gets tired of flying his green mech dragon all over Ninjago City, he can simply drop by the local chop shop and get it re-built into this sweet LEGO mech, by Max Kunz, complete with a Gatling gun for a hand! This mech looks both nimble and stylish with gold details throughout. The jaw of the mech dragon makes a unique detail in front, reminiscent of the alien mech from District 9.

Mech made of minifigures

Minifgure accessories are an often underused section of the LEGO parts palette. While many builders may think up creative ways to integrate these parts outside of the use they were designed for, many of us lack the quantity needed to carry out our ideas. Markus Rollbühler manages to pull it off with ease though with his latest mech Black Widow.

Obvious standouts are Count Dooku’s lightsabers and the skeleton pattern armour, and both elements help give the legs an organic shape, while the armour’s print is perfect for an arachnoid style mech. I’m personally quite excited to see the relatively new neck bracket with 4 handles used to help shape the body of the mech. When that piece was revealed, I expected to see it in more creations and I’m hoping this is the start of a trend. Non-minfigure parts are expertly used here as well, such as the main section being flawlessly shaped with a Zamor Sphere holder forming a natural spine. Finally, my favourite bit of texture is created using a Technic connector on the legs – not only is the piece functional, but it looks good too!

Springboard your adventure in this mechanical grasshopper

Hop around! Hop around! Hop up and up, and get down! In devising solutions for building robots, it’s sometimes best to start with examples found in nature. When Moko set out to build his latest LEGO mech, he looked to the springy grasshopper. Moko’s model is both an excellent representation of the insect and has just enough metallic bits to make it feel mechanical. Hopping power is provided by the legs’ robust hydraulic system, while the black pistol feet likely give it the ability to stick to nearly any surface.

LEGO Overwatch 75976 Wrecking Ball [Review]

Earlier this year, LEGO released six sets based on Blizzard’s first person shooter video game, Overwatch. This colorful cast of characters is now being joined by Wrecking Ball and Junkrat & Roadhog in LEGO form. We will be reviewing each set separately, and this one will focus on 75976 Wrecking Ball and his transforming hamster ball mech. Wrecking Ball consists of 227 pieces and is currently available online via the LEGO shop for $19.99 USD | $24.99 CAD | £17.99 GBP

Read the rest of the review.