Great Odin’s raven! This LEGO Viking town by builder Simon Schweyer is an excellent return to form after six years away from the hobby. The lush green landscape atop those rocks is festooned with so many quaint buildings, all of them boasting some wonderful curves. The roof shaping, unique to each structure, is the first thing to catch my eye. Though all the buildings have their own character, the shared colors and building styles in each one makes them feel like a cohesive unit. And employing ship hulls in some of those lovely shapes is some great part usage. Lover of texture that I am, I find the haphazard makeup of the hut walls to be quite endearing. And the minifig placement gives the eye a reason to linger on certain parts of the build. As my eyes pass over it, each of the individual scenes stand out. Has the shepherd lost some of his flock? What song are the bards sharing with the town? And have the fish been biting today?
Tag Archives: Norse
LEGO Creator 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent – An ode to a beloved classic [Review]
Even though the LEGO Vikings line was short-lived, it garnered a fairly decent fanbase. With only eight sets (including chess), the theme was packed with enough exciting elements that they still stand out today. Whether you’re a fan of the line or not, you may have instantly noticed that LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent looks familiar. And you’d be right! There are so many similarities with LEGO Vikings 7018 Viking Ship Challenges the Midgard Serpent, that it can only be a tribute to that iconic 2005 set. Come with us as we take a deep dive into this 1192-piece 3-in-1, which will be available August 1st, retailing for US $119.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £104.99.
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
The beast from the depths
Brothers and LEGO Masters contestants Mark and Steven Erickson are continuing their big building skills with this beautiful leviathan. The scale here is deceptive, as the stand spans several feet, made of transparent bricks with lights embedded. Look closely right in the middle and you’ll spot a tiny Thor battling the mighty Jörmungandr. The sea serpent also has lights in its eyes, as well as a fog machine for real smoke, and the result is astounding.
Raise a horn of mead to Sigurd and Gudrún in Völsung Hall
In Norse mythology, Sigurd is a hero who slays the dragon Fáfnir (himself originally a dwarf affected by a curse). The legend was popularized in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and more recently by a posthumously published epic poem by J.R.R. Tolkien titled The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (published in 2009). Ben Cossy and Eli Brinsmead collaborated on an equally epic and legendary LEGO creation inspired by these myths, winning an award at the recent Brickvention 2018 in Melbourne, Australia.
The two builders live on opposite sides of Australia, and collaborated remotely over the course of more than three and a half months, with the two sections coming together for the first time at the event.