Tag Archives: Mecha

We all love a good LEGO Gundam or Macross mecha, but LEGO builders everywhere are also creating excellent models of their own designs. Have a look at them here.

Classic Space takes flight in a Macross crossover

Benny is a man and minifig of many talents and versatility, having captured the hearts of many around the world. With the help of LEGO fans, he has been to the Star Wars galaxy, and now he’s taken a leap into the Macross Saga with this unique three-in-one transformable model built by Wallace Chow. I’m impressed by the level of thought and effort it took to represent multiple forms in a single LEGO model, all while maintaining thematic consistency. Each form stands on its own as instantly recognizable.

Click to see the alternate Mech and Walker mode

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What will you do with your AI multi-purpose shell?

March is nearly at an end, and that means the end of another fun month-long building challenge known as Marchikoma, where LEGO fans build tributes to the semi-autonomous spider bots from the Manga/anime franchise Ghost in the Shell. When I saw this entry by Oscar Cederwall (o0ger) I was blown away. Not only does the model capture the aesthetic of the source material in a unique but instantly recognizable way, there are some great part usages to call out.

The ice skates make perfect details on the feet, and the microphones used as the primary eyes are spot-on! Also, check out the hands made from Hero Factory minifig arms. But one of my favorite parts is used as the top of the head: it’s a Bionicle armor element that was used on the legs of the Star Wars constraction figure of the Range trooper from Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Precious spider has jazzy-looking legs

A LEGO model built predominantly from a single colour generally needs to be something special to grab the eye. This gleaming clockpunk-style spider beastie from Markus Rollbühler manages to do exactly that, using a variety of textured pearl gold parts to provide lots of delicious mechanical detailing in amongst the bling.

The eye in the mechanoid’s “face” is a brilliant parts choice, and I like the egg-sac feel of the teal balls held between the wheels of the abdomen. Katana for the lower limbs make this thing look like it’s tip-toeing around, but it’s the use of saxophones for knees which is the masterstroke here, adding touches of tiny texture to a nicely angled joint, and proving once again there’s no such thing as a single-use LEGO part!

A mech that bites....with its hand!

If you love LEGO mecha as much as we do, we bet you will enjoy this sleek and noble Legion Royale V built by Christian Lintan. The builder has quite the repertoire of mecha on his Flickr photostream, so be sure to check out his other models.

The color-blocking looks quite expressive, with the combination of white and red proving to be eye-catching. A few trans-purple accents add a futuristic feeling, regardless of whatever their functional purpose would be. The model is proportionally attractive, and the angles utilized give off an air of sturdiness. While the mecha looks elegant, it almost gives off a pirate vibe, but with a Ninjago dragon head instead of its left hand.

This mech packs a big blue punch

A few days ago, every second post on the Brothers Brick was a mech, robot or cyborg – from classic mecha to four legged robots and Bionicle set remakes. Now that things have cooled off and we all regained some mecha sensitivity, we have a big blue mech with gorilla-like proportions by Jason Corlett to show off. The mech is called Big Blue and the name says it all. Its size is complimented by the bulky proportions, namely huge fists and shoulders.

There is a lot to love in this build, from all sorts of technical details (my favourite being the stacked dark gray Technic pulley wheels on the legs) to part use like the Kaukau Nuva Kanohi mask in the mech’s chest. Jason says he was inspired by LEGO power functions LED lights. The picture below has a better view of the light-up features.

Enormous Zorin from Walking War Robots in LEGO form stands nearly as tall as a person

If you have stayed up to date with The Brothers Brick the past few days, you may have noticed we have featured quite a lot of mecha recently. But if you thought you’d seen it all, I have news for you, because what we have here is the largest dose of mecha you have probably ever gotten in one go. Taking inspiration from the videogame Walking War Robots, iomedes! creates the most iconic mech available in the game in LEGO at a mind-boggling scale, standing nearly five feet tall at the tips of its guns.

All the conventional techniques and rules of mecha building go out the window at a scale like this. Joints which would mostly be a few pieces allowing for articulation and covered by a panel or two simply would not cut it in this creation and are rather replaced with complex brick-built domes and arches. Continue reading →

Mighty mech strikes fear in the hearts of its enemies

In recent weeks we have seen quite a few worthy LEGO mechs, almost as if creators around the world have received special orders (or inspiration) to focus their creativity towards building a mecha horde to fight a common foe. This armed and armored mech by Lu Sim is one of my favorites. Built using mostly light gray, it looks grounded in modern technology, particularly the shield, with its small window looking right out of Call of Duty.

Another thoughtful design is the missile racks on each shoulder, complete with access panels that close, to conceal this extra armament. From the back, we see an ammo feed for the Gatling gun, and a number of thruster jets to help this bad boy gain the higher ground.

Heavy Ma.k will squash you like the human bug you are.

Some LEGO creations have a much greater presence than the sum of their parts. From the camera angle to the lighting, this mech in the Maschinen Krieger style by veteran ma.k builder Marco Marozzi is quite intimidating, and even though the guns may not look that deadly, the strength and weight of its legs and feet prove that even once it fires its last armor-piercing round, it is still a major threat.

Not only are the Bionicle feet the perfect part for the lower legs, but the visible joints also have a very mechanical and functional look. From the back, it is even more ominous, with several well-placed pneumatic hose and whip elements adding to the industrial aspect.

Searching for light in a dark world

Presentation can make all the difference in evaluating a LEGO model. Sometimes the photography is just as impressive as the build itself. Revan New brings us a moody post-apocalyptic scene full of mystery and unique parts usage. The picture is more than just a study on lighting, using a fog machine, or image composition. Instead, it is more about combining multiple camera tricks in order to provide visual context for compelling storytelling.

The build uses minifig lantern pieces to form much of the mecha’s structure. It was created as a study in parts for the LEGO blog, New Elementary, but the unique parts usage does not end with lanterns. For example, there is the wheel cover piece used as the ship’s engine and all the fun bits piled atop the roof. However, my favorite aspect of the scene would have to be the realistic rocks. Most of the surfaces are well-textured with angles between larger pieces achieving much of the sculpting. , of course done very carefully and not at all random. There are several other photos of this build on Revan New’s Flickr photostream and his article on New Elementary. With the article, you can see how some parts were done but, for me, this single photo makes the greatest impact.

Graceful and deadly mech

Building articulated mecha at a small scale can be a challenge. But it is a challenge that Dead Frog Inc has measured up to quite nicely with this flying mech. The gun arms made from just a few parts look deadly, and the angled panels used for wings have an angelic quality that looks graceful and strong. Another very nice part use is the bucket handle attached to the shins with simple tension.

Horizon Zero Dawn’s Watcher is no less fearsome recreated in LEGO

When Sony released Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn for Playstation 4 back in 2017, I knew right away it was going to inspire some awesome LEGO creations based on the terrifying dinosaur-like robots which serve as the game’s main focus. Accomplished German builder Marius Herrmann was quick to take the challenge with his spectacular Shell-Walker, Corruptor and Thunderjaw. Once again Marius does not disappoint with his latest addition to the Zero Dawn line up, the Watcher recon unit.

It may be puny compared to other machines in the game, but don’t be fooled. The Watcher can be a ferocious opponent, especially in numbers. Marius brings the Watcher to life with some great techniques and clever parts usage (such as the roller skates used to add a little extra texture to the tail). Those glowing eyes are perfectly creepy, too. Considering Marius’ successful endeavor to build every Titanfall 2 mech, I’m keeping my fingers crossed he’ll bring us even more from the Zero Dawn universe.

Godzilla mech Rex through the town

What’s the only way to make a T-Rex more fearsome? Place him at the controls of a giant Godzilla-esque mechanoid! If you take a close look at the pilot’s cockpit of Simon Liu‘s impressive LEGO technobeast, you’ll spot Rex from Toy Story at the helm. You don’t need to get this little joke to be impressed by this creation and its wrecked-city diorama surroundings, but it’s details and touches of humour like this which elevate the best LEGO models into something special. The texture and mechanical-looking greebles prevent the central robot from just being a big mass of grey (always a danger with a one-colour model), and the ruined buildings are brilliantly done, creating an appropriate sense of urban destruction. The addition of Buzz Lightyear facing down Rex’s new toy, along with a bunch of fleeing claw-machine aliens, adds some welcome splashes of colour amidst the rubble.