Built to protect and serve all through the night

Djordje is known for some really incredible LEGO figures and this night-watch Mech is no disappointment. Named Regulus after one of the brightest lights in the night sky and the brightest star in Leo, this mech stands on his own. The crisp color scheme gives the feel of a professional security detail, while the sturdy construction, over-sized revolver and no-nonsense stance let you know that this bot is up for anything. Cross him at your own risk!

REGULUS 02-GR

Take nothing but minerals, leave nothing but tyre prints

Check out this smart LEGO space rover scene from Sad Brick. The mining vehicle itself is an excellent example of quality microscale building, creating an impression of detail and realistic function with the use of only a handful of parts. But it’s the quality landscaping in tan bricks — tanscaping, if you will — which really impresses me. Don’t miss the tracks left in the dust behind the rover’s wheels — brilliant.

MicroRover

Sleek cruiser hides a dark side

John Moffat‘s latest build is the Marie Curie, the first of Earth’s Manchester class attack cruisers which sailed out of the Lagrange shipyard in 2380. What a sleek beauty she is with her subtle dark red highlights and that smooth aerodynamic upper hull covering the intricate ‘greebled’ inner workings of the ship. The little touches of dark tan and yellow add interest and draw the eye to the darker greebled areas — a great way to ensure that all those subtle details are appreciated.

UNEN Marie Curie

Now, I wonder if John built two Marie Curie attack cruisers or if there’s a clone in our midst?

Angry Birds are instantly recognizable in micro form

In a testament to the insane popularity of Angry Birds and the amazing skill of the builder, this microbuild by Letranger Absurde is instantly recognizable.

Despite the tiny size, the birds and slingshot are brilliant. I count nine pieces, and they perfectly encapsulate the birds. My favourite part usage here is the minifig slingshot which becomes supersized thanks to the scale of the scene. There are many more details, and I highly encourage you to scan the pig castle to see all the other little details for yourself.

Angry Birds

Creepily colorful LEGO skulls

David Hughes is building a series of wonderfully creepy LEGO skulls. They have a definite Mexican Day Of The Dead vibe going on with bold color choices and geometric patterns. Our hobby is generally dominated by minifig-scale models depicting scenes or vehicles — sometimes it makes for a pleasant change when we get these kind of larger-scale art pieces beautifully put together from good old-fashioned bricks.
Day of the Dead Red Skull
Day of the Dead Blue Skull

Then & Now with Doris the aging minifig

TBB contributor Elspeth De Montes has been working on a fantastic series of scenes contrasting the life of a woman named Doris in 1966 and later in her life today, in 2016. Originally built for and published in Bricks magazine, Elspeth’s scenes are not only well-built LEGO creations, but also poignant and funny. She describes her Doris series thus: “On the left it is 1966 and she is a young vibrant lady in touch with the latest fashion, technology and trends. On the right, time has passed and it is 2016 and Doris has to cope with new technology, innovation and the changes in society.”

In Elspeth’s first scene, Doris happily tosses her rubbish out in 1966, but struggles to sort her recyclables in 2016. What impresses me most about this scene is how many LEGO trash cans in various colors Elspeth owns!

Taking Out The Trash 1966 vs 2016

 

“Reception” has gained a very different meaning in our technological lives over the past 50 years.

Reception Issues 1966 vs 2016

I’m totally with Doris on this one. Segways are for giant nerds and drones are for jackasses.

Playing in the Park 1966 vs 2016

I’m going to posit that Doris’s weight loss regimen is much more effective in 2016 (with Wii Sports) than it was back in 1966 (with one of those jiggly band things that actually didn’t do anything).

The Latest Exercise Fad 1966 vs 2016

A full English breakfast in 1966 consisted of a side of bacon, eight sausages, a dozen eggs, one loaf of bread with a jar of marmalade and another loaf with a can of Heinz beans, plus some mushrooms and tomatoes. And tea with whole milk, and sugar, of course. I’m not sure what’s going on in 2016, but I’m as terrified as Doris seems to be…

The Healthy Life 1966 vs 2016

In Elspeth’s final scene, in which Doris gets her oats, we see our protagonist finding love in both 1966 and 2016.

Blind Date Woes 1966 vs 2016

I fear nothing. All is as the force wills it.

The German-language LEGO Star Wars forum Imperium der Steine is hosting its annual “MOC Olympics” at the moment, and with the release of the full trailer for Rogue One this past week, we’re seeing a lot of great entries inspired by the forthcoming movie. TBB regular and all-around talented builder Cecilie Fritzvold has recreated the mysterious character Chirrut Îmwe in LEGO, centered on the scene in which he battles Imperial Stormtroopers with nothing more than a staff.

Rogue One: Chirrut Îmwe

Cecilie says that she created the Stormtroopers first, since she thought they might be the hardest. Creating enough detail on the troopers’ helmets to make them recognizable at this scale is no small feat. Cecilie completes the scene with some solid forced perspective, including a minifig-scale Stormtrooper in the background (though she gives him taller legs to bring him into the same shape as the brick-built ones in the foreground).

Rumble at Cordington Courtyard

This excellent LEGO courtyard scene by David FNJ reminds me of an ancient Greek temple. Probably due to those amazing round columns and the open air design of the building. All this scene is missing to complete the Grecian theme is a couple of nude sculptures. In addition to those great columns, the roof on this structure is also quite nice. I’m not sure how David constructed it. But maybe you can figure it out by looking at the bird’s-eye view photo for the roof details.

Cordington Courtyard

The Allied liberation of Venlo, 1st March 1945

Maarten W is proving himself the master of the LEGO street scene. We’ve previously featured his Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and desert market creations, but this WWII-inspired diorama is his best yet. It’s a recreation of the moments when Allied forces liberated the Dutch town of Venlo on 1st March 1945.

the liberation

The damaged buildings are beautifully done, giving a sense of what the townsfolk must have endured as the battle raged around them. Maarten has included numerous small vignettes throughout his diorama, such as the American GIs interacting with the survivors.

the liberation

The details of the left-hand house are particularly poignant — the remnants of the upper-floor telling a tale of shattered domesticity. And whilst I’m not a “dog person” myself, even I can appreciate the message of hope for the future as one of the townspeople finds his pet amidst the ruins.

the liberation

Like a troubled bridge over water

On a bright spring morning, troops from two nearby castles converged at one of the bridges of County Madison. Fat trout could be seen swimming in the creek below, and all agreed that it was a prime spot for fishing. But no one could decide who should make the first cast. As things often went in the era of Castle, violence ensued and blows were traded. By the time the melee was finished, all the fish had been scared away. The moral of the story? Isaac S. makes pretty awesome medieval bridges.
Aindrea Bridge