Tag Archives: Microscale

Some say “Go big or go home!” but it takes real talent to compress something down to just a few studs and still keep it recognizable. Of course, many of the micro models we feature here aren’t so small after all, whether it’s a vast cityscape or starship.

Surrender your life to the tyrant of the abyss

Who is the pirates’ greatest enemy? Imperial navy? Or is it really the mysterious ship-devouring monsters of the deeps? William Navarre tackles the latter with his latest creation, pitting a pirate ship against a gargantuan kraken. Of course I do not envy the pirates their futile fight, but seeing a kraken would probably be worth it either way…

This is a really dynamic image, owing this impression to the expressive curves in the monster’s tentacles and the perfect little tilt on the ship. As expected from Navarre, the build is full of intense textures and complicated techniques coupled with unique part usage. What most builders avoid like the plague, the builder uses to his biggest advantage: the water is more than a base or even just a blue background, Navarre has built it to show the forces at work with waves and splashes corresponding to the action in the scene.

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The Resistance arrives at micro LEGO Takodana

Didier Burtin showcases a huge Star Wars moment in a small scale with a micro Battle of Takodana scene. The low-flying, wave-making X-Wings are equally as eye-catching in LEGO as they are in The Force Awakens. Though the X-Wing formation is the highlight for me here, Didier’s detailed microscale rendition of Maz Kanata’s Castle won’t go overlooked.

An artistic recreation of an artistic recreation of a medieval castle

Motivated by a fictional castle building contest, Isaac Snyder has made a questionable move by recreating the Lichtenstein Castle, located in the non-fictional Germany. Although it might seem like a complete miss on the contest’s rules, it turns out surprisingly appropriate, because the castle in question is not of medieval origin and never served a defensive role. It was built in the nineteenth century from romantic inspiration.

The LEGO version is as much of a work of art as the original. The colours themselves are notable, as most builders are afraid of doing what so many real-life castles do: using the same colour of stone in the castle itself as the rock it is built upon. The mix of dark green and dark brown in the landscape down a bit lower also add a very natural feeling. I love all the parts used throughout the build, from grille tiles and lever bases to 4×4 hinge plates used as crenellations.

Micro Ninjago City for all your micro ninjas!

I must admit the fascinating set 70620 Ninjago City is one of my biggest LEGO dreams. But the only reason I can’t get it yet is its enormous size; I’m simply running out of empty spaces in my room! Luckily, Simon NH gives me a little hope — a very accurate tiny copy of the set that occupies no more than 12×12 LEGO studs.

Describing this wonderful creation would be a dreadful challenge of listing each and every single piece used for its facade, because each of them precisely copies countless accessories from the original 70620 set. So, let me call it a magnificent creation and get back to enjoying pictures of it… And if you’re not into ninjas, check out this equally wonderful tiny copy of 21310 Old Fishing Store.

Still don’t like the UCS Hoth set? Maybe a tiny version will win you over

When the Ultimate Collector’s Series (UCS) 75098 Assault on Hoth set came out, it was strongly disliked, which carries on even today. Seeking to miniaturise it and make the set a bit more likable, IamKritch has remade it in microscale. Minifig tool pieces are used a lot here, with screwdrivers, hammers and wrenches as various laser barrels. One hammer is even used as an aerial.

The minimalist Tauntaun in the back may just be the best part.

Pint-sized castle packed with style

It can be a challenge to find a unique perspective on capturing some of the things that make a good castle work on a small scale. But I think this model by Dwalin Forkbeard really nails it. To begin with, the multi-angled rockwork and landscape is an excellent rendition of techniques more commonly seen on a much larger scale.

Using loosely connected plates curved into an arched bridge is genius, and the wooden window shutter makes the perfect gate door. The fact that each tower is a different size and the combination of stone and wood create a neat effect as well. And did you notice the minifigure helmet as a roof of that interior tower?

Incredible LEGO diorama of London has everything from Parliament to the London Eye

At a glance, this view of London hardly looks like a LEGO model at all. Even though the scale is tiny, builder Rocco Buttliere has packed it with amazing details. Encompassing the famous landmarks on both sides of the Thames, the giant model features the London Eye, County Hall, Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Rocco has long been known as the master of LEGO architectural models, from downtown Chicago to the humble Rosenwald apartments, and even a 12-foot long Golden Gate Bridge, and this new architectural masterpiece easily stands with the best of them.

Click to see more of this stunning model of London

Tiny LEGO version of Manila Cathedral

Here’s a LEGO model worthy of a little worship. Gerald Cacas has put together this wonderful microscale rendition of Manila’s Cathedral. There’s an impressive level of detail on display here, with smart texturing around the base, at the top of the walls, and on the dome. My head hurts just looking at the brickwork that’s gone into the belltower.

Modelling an existing building with any sort of accuracy at this scale is an achievement in itself, but to include a detailed interior? That’s just showing off! Gerald does exactly that with a lift-off roof revealing the inside — complete with pews and altar. This is excellent microscale work.

A cute castle by the cute sea

Microscale castles are ever-present and always pleasant to look at, but often the width of LEGO bricks works best for minifig-scaled castle walls, making ones built at smaller scales too blocky. Aaron Newman has gone around this problem by using panels and the bottom sides of bricks as walls proportionate to the scale.

The build has a good sense of clutter naturally present in medieval castles, but my favourite part is the fortifications on the towers; the creation is made for a competition that stipulates using silver goblet pieces in unique ways, but all I can see is the brilliant use of upturned 2×2 round bricks!

An even smaller LEGO Caterham

The microscale style has reached one of my personal favourite LEGO Ideas sets, 21307 Caterham Seven 620R. Builder Victor has managed to cram the important features of that build into a handful of pieces, complete with a simple base that uses one of the printed pieces from the official set. The rear section is where most of the interesting stuff is happening: the use of two fender pieces to make the back fenders is smart, but the minifig headphones as the roll cage is even smarter, while the batarang as the windscreen detail makes me want to invert these colours to make a proper open top batmobile.

Future LA has never looked cuter

“Cute” isn’t a word you’d normally associate with the dystopian cyberpunk future envisioned in Blade Runner. However, that’s what comes to mind with automaton120‘s futuristic microscale LEGO street scene. The backdrop nicely evokes the neon-soaked architecture of cyberpunk-LA, but the stars of the show here are the vehicles. That police spinner is a cracking little model, and the others really capture the feel of the cars and trucks in the movie. The presentation of the model could have been better, maybe clipping the ugly sheet backdrop out of the image, and some image processing could have added lens flare to the signage and vehicle lights etc. But not every builder likes to add post-production effects, so that’s nit-picking at an otherwise cool LEGO creation.

Regular readers will know we like us a LEGO Police Spinner here on TBB. Syd Mead’s classic design is a rite-of-passage build for any self-respecting sci-fi builder. We’ve featured a few brilliant examples in our time — including this stunning rain-soaked Blade Runner scene from Tyler — but we don’t see a lot of microscale versions, so this creation was too cute to pass up.

Someone cast Reducio on Diagon Alley

This microscale scene by Nicolas Kolbeck is instantly recognizable to any Harry Potter fan as the eclectic wizard village found on the other side of a brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron in London. Even more impressive than the many details that stand out, like the angled windows of Olivander’s shop and the leaning pillars of Gringot’s Bank, is how recognizable the various miniature characters are. Notice the fez part used as a skirt for Hermione, and see if you can name the rest.