This is the story of my New Hashima build for Brickworld 2023. Technically, it’s all Simon’s fault. And a deer. But we’ll get to that later… Let’s Start At The End You may recall our fearless leader, Dave, on his way back from BW Chicago, had the misfortune of hitting a deer, and then being hit by a tractor-trailer. Miraculously (and thankfully), he was unscathed, but his car and LEGO inside… not so much. But if you look closely at the picture on the right, you can see the one box with some big letters on it that survived. That’s mine! I mean, yeah, I was concerned with Dave and all, but dude! What’s the deal with my build!?!?! View fullsize View fullsize Back To The Beginning Let’s go back a few months. My old pal Simon was recruiting people for this New Hashima Cyberpunk (whatever that is, I’m still not...

In my quest for SNOT building techniques, I have come across some ways of building that might be considered somewhat controversial. You might have heard of so-called “illegal LEGO techniques” that cause stress on elements. Well, in this article I will highlight illegal techniques that have the best potential when it comes to SNOT. Don’t worry… we won’t be breaking any laws here (but we might break some LEGO elements!). This is the sixth article in our LEGO SNOT series. I suggest reading the previous articles about SNOT (Studs Not on Top) and sideways building first to get the most out of this article: Hinged SNOT Modern SNOT History of SNOT SNOT Basics Advanced SNOT So let’s take a look at some illegal techniques with the SNOT-iest potential… What Are Illegal Techniques? The term “illegal” was first used by LEGO designer Jamie Berard in a presentation about LEGO building techniques in...

This past weekend, LEGO fans from all over the world converged on Skaerbaek, Denmark for the ultimate builder gathering (that also happens to be in LEGO HQ’s metaphorical backyard). Builder and LEGO designer Wes Talbott featured this fantastic horde of baddies at the Fan Weekend, about to pass through their nerco-powered portal to attack their sworn foe, the Moon Elves. The intricacies of the portal are spectacular, from the organics growing out of its side to the stone dragon heads sitting atop it. But my favorite part has got to be Wes’s integration of bones and skulls into the structure, using the 1×1 round plate with bar. The part really gives those skeletal minifig heads a jaunty slant, evoking the makeshift/natural/ritualistic nature of goblin magic. But don’t let the glowing green gateway distract you from the brilliantly-crafted army surrounding it. Specifically, that big, boney behemoth in the background is a masterclass...

Today we try to shake off our summer daydreams to return to the LEGO Dreamzzz theme with a look at the second-largest set released so far, 71461 Fantastical Tree House. This represents the heroes home base in the Dream World – their “dream landing” – and in addition to the alternate build choices core to the Dreamzzz building experience, the treehouse has lots of flexibility in how it’s arranged. Here’s our review of the set, which contains 1,257 pieces, 7+ characters, and is available now for US $109.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £94.99. 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. Unboxing the parts, instructions, and stickers The front of the box follows the template for this wave of Dreamzzz sets. It shows off the first of the two build...

LEGO builder João Eínon has been working on a series of Italian battleship models and his latest creation of the Andrea Doria in dazzle camouflage is absolutely stunning. The camouflage pattern is what caught my eye first, as it’s entirely brick-built and takes this scale model of the WWI and WWII battleship to a whole new level. It’s difficult enough to get decent shaping on a ship’s hull, but all the more so while building in an abstract pattern. But as impressive as the dazzle camo is, the rest of the ship’s details are also worth examining. Despite this model’s small scale, all of the turrets are faithfully recreated, and João’s ability to integrate interesting patterns gets more of a workout with the distinct red and white bow striping, a hallmark of Italy’s warships during WWII. The post Dazzle me with your Battleship skills appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original...