Tag Archives: Microscale Magic

Spooky castles at a distance

This latest model by builder LEGO Monkey certainly provides some challenges moving level to level. Adorable, spindly castles are perched on floating islands connected by cascading waterfalls. The whole thing reminds me of a level from Kingdom Hearts 2 that I remember playing through back in 2006. Where’s Sora, Donald, and Goofy when you need them? While they’re out protecting the universe with Mickey, I hope you have Glide Lvl 3 unlocked for this tour of the castles’ grounds. Horns and minifigure accessories adorn a variety of light bluish grey elements to make delightful towers and halls which come to a cute, curved point. Angled and sloped pieces are used in dark bluish grey to create each of the floating islands, while different shades of green elements make up the lawns and foliage. Vines stretch between each block and blue flame elements are wedged together to make microscale waterfalls reaching down to the trans-blue and clear tiles of the sea below.

Mage Mountain

Honestly, I’m not sure how each of these islands is staying up but I love the results in this edited photo. Whatever spooky actions LEGO Monkey used to keep them in the air, I hope they can keep the magic going.

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Frigid bridges and cold, old stone

Winter may have passed, but its scenes still provide a tranquil allure. This small model by Eli Willsea is a delightfully cartoonish landscape of such a pleasant, icy kingdom. Aqua slopes and curves are built studs not on top, aside from the few exposed to secure the tiny trees and little huts. Using unicorn horns in sand green for different sizes or types of trees is a great method at this scale, but my favorite are the bridges. The mold for wands includes two of the pieces attached to a non-System piece for structural stability. Eli was smart here, wedging unattached wands into the gaps in the wand molds to create small wooden bridges connecting the islands. It might not be “legal” but it certainly suits the scene. Of course, the most complex element is the focal point, the Cold Castle itself. While the nearby huts sport maroon roofs, the castle is capped by dark azure. The stone spires of the structure seem to make use of inverted building techniques to secure the lightsaber hilts. Those create pressure to hold the forks of the bucket handle wedged above the inverted, rounded gold tile used as the castle gate.

The Cold Castle

This miniature scene is yet another example of the subtle skills that builders like Eli Willsea make use of for their models. It’s one thing to know how to operate within the System but another entirely to know how to break the rules. It starts as a simple suggestion, an experiment in limits, and becomes a signature that builders can rely on to set them apart.

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.

The escape of the Gringott’s dragon

There were so many terrific creations for our Microbuild Magic! Contest that it was incredibly difficult to choose the winners. While not everyone can win, there are still more that are certainly worthy of a spot on our front page. One wonderful build that caught our eye was this little recreation of Gringott’s Bank, complete with the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon. The artist behind the build is Zed, who also recreated Harry’s “Cupboard Under the Stairs” for the competition. There were several Gringott’s scenes, but this was one that really stood out.

Gringott's Bank

I’m a big fan of the clever parts usage on the dragon, as well as the contrast of the dark vaults below. The wand-sprue gate is a perfect touch. Overall, the build is clean and elegant, and made even more so by the black background and crisp photography.

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Tiny LEGO model of Hagrid’s hut is truly magical

Nestled at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, this iconic dwelling from Harry Potter by Jonas Kramm is instantly recognizable. There are so many great details to talk about that make this model come alive, starting with the landscaped base, using sloped parts and tiles at alternating angles. And don’t miss the new wand sprues planted in the ground to form the perfect fence. Aragog lurks on the left corner below some trees made with this shoulder armor element. Another surprising technique is the way the 1×1 plate with clip nestled in the anti-stud gap in the cone used for the hut’s roof.

On the Edge of the Forbidden Forest

This LEGO model was built as an entry for TBB’s Microscale Magic contest. Coverage on TBB of an entry will not be taken into consideration during judging, and will have no effect on its ability to win, either positively or negatively.

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.

1 week left to win a 6,000-piece Hogwarts Castle in the TBB Microscale Magic contest [News]

There’s only 1 week remaining to build an entry for our Microscale Magic contest and have a chance to win the biggest Harry Potter set of them all, the massive 6,000-piece 71043 Hogwarts Castle! There are some great entries already, but we think our readers might have a few more excellent scenes up their sleeves, or maybe even still in your imaginations. So don’t delay, as the contest ends before the stroke of midnight Sept. 30.

Microscale Magic

We have two categories for you to enter with big or small creations, each with their own awesome prizes. And the person who builds best in both categories will get their very own 71043 Hogwarts Castle, the largest LEGO Harry Potter set ever.

  • BIG category award: 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall + 41615 HP BrickHeadz (prize worth $115 and donated by TBB)
  • SMALL category award: 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow + 41615 HP BrickHeadz (prize worth $85 and donated by TBB)
  • MASTER WIZARD award: 71043 Hogwarts Castle! (prize worth $400 and kindly donated by The LEGO Group)

Be sure to read the full contest rules, and put your entries in our flickr group here.

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.