Tag Archives: Medieval

Repetition is key, but let’s not make it too obvious

Sometimes when creations get big, they lose a lot of the details which can make the build interesting. This does not apply to Tobias Goldschalt’s latest LEGO design. This Outpost Inn is so big it might as well be a Medieval version of Ninjago City. Whenever you build something this gargantuan, repetition is inevitable. The danger is that repetition is one of the key factors that can make a creation a bit boring and dull. Tobias repeated the color scheme and the architectural style of the build, however he differentiated in the details. Every section of the Tudor style mansion has a different technique. Even though all the rooftops are red, there’s a variety of texture thanks to the use of round bricks, round plates, cheese tiles and slope turrets. Additionally, the style of window construction rarely repeats itself. Avoiding repetition on this level keeps a massive creation like this interesting. You keep finding new little details every time you take a closer look at it. There is a great deal to learn from this creation if you study it closely enough.

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You’ll fall for this Assassin’s Creed LEGO scene

In his latest LEGO build, W. Navarre posits an Assassin’s Creed video game set in Spain circa 1398. Our roguish hero is taking his hallmark “leap of faith” down to the streets below. But, while the assassin minifigure is clearly the focus of this build, I can’t help but admire the excellent buildings making up this Spanish city. There’s some excellent stonework displayed on the balconies, and of course the iconic terra cotta rooftops of Spain. And, while the vast majority of the build is sepia-toned, I love the pockets of bright color dappled throughout. A hint of light bright yellow on the side of a building, a splotch of turquoise visible through a window, and the occasional dark red roof tile all stand out, even in the fuzzy background.

Click here to watch the video!

Moist bottom or sunkissed top

This LEGO castle by lego_monkey_ is here as a reminder to all that LEGO castles can be colourful and still look amazing. The tower of this creation starts bluish dark grey, gradually fades to sand blue to end up light bluish grey on top. The ombre effect makes me question what is going on with the building. Did the bricks on top of the tower fade due to higher exposure to sunlight? Is the soil on which this tower was built very moist and are the porous bricks at the bottom of the tower soaking up the moisture? I love the addition of the bright blue colours for the rooftop. It matches the bluish tints used for the tower itself but the contrast in brightness really ups this creation. Using orange, which is the complementary colour of blue, as a backdrop is aesthetically pleasing and therefore a really smart choice.

Medieval technical masterpiece

What would have happened if a medieval city grew as dense as modern cities? Ralf Langer builds us a picture of what it might have been like with this set of wonderful LEGO medieval buildings. Now I will confess up front that I’m not much of a medieval buff so I’m sure I would butcher any attempt to discuss the historical accuracy of these buildings. That said, what I do know is building techniques. And this is full of them! One of my favorites is the use of brown tread links to create the wooden supports slotting in between the curved white slopes of the walls. The rock work on the lower walls in superb as well, Ralf does a great job creating fairly random structure that gives great depth. Great stuff here, and it’s worth checking this out in greater detail!

Minifigs galore from the Hundred Years’ War

Travel back in time with this LEGO battle scene from the Hundred Years’ War by builder Hunter Erickson. This build depicts the Battle of Poitiers, fought between the French and the English in the year 1356. This was but one of many clashes in this series of armed conflicts fought over the French throne. Edward, the Black Prince, led the English forces in this battle, while King Jean II led the French forces. This LEGO scene depicts the battle much the same an artist would have painted the event at the time of the conflict. Layering the background, the sky behind some brick-built hills achieves a great forced perspective. I just love the colors of the plates and bricks making up the rising dawn! The scene is densely packed with minifigures engaged in deadly combat. In blue are the French, fighting to push back the ever-advancing troops of the English. And waving across the battle from the mounted soldier is St. George’s flag, wonderfully rendered with round plates, studs, and clips to capture cloth in motion.

The outcome of this battle will side with the English, despite the two-to-one odds against them. King Jean II was captured, along with one of his sons. Their ransom and the peace talks would take another four years to complete, but eventually, hostilities ceased in 1360 with the Treaty of Bretigny. England regained Aquitaine, was paid the ransom for Jean II and his son, and renounced the claim on the French throne. However, this peace was fleeting–hostilities resumed ten years later, continuing the Hundred Years’ War.

This giant sword store has a blade for every occasion.

Combining medieval combat with big-box convenience, Jon & Catherine Stead bring us Swords ‘R’ Us, the one-stop shop for blades of every kind. And not just blades, but spears, shields, clubs, tridents. Anything you need to vanquish your enemies can be found here.

Get your list and saddle up, ’cause we’re going shopping.

The Witcher and the anything-but-the-kitchen-sink-tree

The Witcher has been the subject of quite a lot of LEGO creations lately. When you take a closer look at this creation by Peter Revan, you can surely understand why. Peter took inspiration from the Witcher books rather than from the game or the series. That’s why Geralt might look a little bit different than what you are used to.

For the base of this creation Peteru used ball joint connections which help with all of the odd angles. I like how he used the flower stalks to keep the leaf plates in their places without actually connecting them to a stud. The tree in this creation is truly something else. Peter calls this technique Just-take-and-use-everything-you-have-under-your-hand. And it sure looks like that is exactly what he did. We can see wings, wigs, droid arms, flex tubing, steering wheels, technic parts, skeleton legs, and plenty more odd parts used in the tree trunk. If LEGO would have produced the kitchen sink in grey, it might even have been incorporated. Peter hopes to create more Witcher-themed creations in the future and so do we.

Tudoring the neighborhood in excellence

LEGO builder AfroEngineer enjoys 21325 Medieval Blacksmith Ideas set so much he created this lovely Tudor House as a companion piece. The bright color palette draws the eye into the build, particularly the blues. The light blue of the house’s second story is a great choice! It contrasts nicely with the brown detailing and the gold windows. The roof tiles are created with the help of overlapping minifigure seats. The overhanging vines and the gaps in the roof tiles lend a weathered, lived-in feeling to the home.

The interiors of the house are just as amazing as the outside, too. They feature great brick-built furniture and homey decorations that speak to the lives of the residents. I like to imagine they’re mapmakers and end up on all sorts of wild adventures! They probably have the blacksmith watch the house while they’re away.

Oh no, a sand green chateau

One of the best parts of the LEGO hobby is the lovely LEGO online community that comes along with it. Some builders share their building process on instagram in their stories. Brian (St. Louis Brick Co.) is one of those people who takes their followers along on their building journey. Brian decided to build a castle in sand green and olive green. That’s a decision that might sound like a strange choice, but if you ask me, it works out wonderfully in the end. Not all castles need to be grey! Building in sand green also sounds like an immense challenge because you are quite limited in the bricks you can use, and I always admire builders who limit themselves as a challenge. I love the use of the brick with axle hole and the ornamental fence for windows is quite clever.

If you take a close look at some of the other pictures of this creation, you’ll notice that there is also a niche created for a sand green statue of a king, which is a very nice touch.

That is one pissed off ogre!

As a kid I always had a very vivid imagination. So vivid that I was able to scare myself to the point where I was too afraid to go to sleep. This LEGO ogre by Peter Revan would surely be enough to cost me a good night’s sleep. I can also totally identify with the wagon driver as he looks quite stressed out and a bit scared. Which of course isn’t that strange since he most likely is the one who pissed off the ogre. Things that make this creation stand out are the amount of angles used to create the wagon. Thanks to all the slanted walls it doesn’t look like a box on wheels. Speaking of the wheels, even those are placed at an angle making the wagon look like it is really heavy loaded. Perhapst this little wagon chauffeur loaded his wagon full with valuables which he stole from the ogre. I could totally see why that would piss you off! The ogre looks like it is completely poseable and the face is worth a closer look. The amount of detail used to create the facial expression is just superb.

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!

This jester will keep the royal court entertained

Markus Rollbühler has created this impressive build of a juggling jester. The use of vibrant pink and purple in the colour scheme has made this one eye-catching model. The entertainer has some great details such as the frilly sections of the costume which are cleverly represented by skirt pieces at the upper shoulders. Torches, fruits, and even a knife have been slotted onto a flexible tube piece, used to portray the items in mid-air. It appears the jester might be planning to add more to the mix as some apples and a glass jar are suspiciously placed on the table below him.