The Lord of the Rings is an extremely popular series of books and films—and for good reason. The world of Middle Earth is incredibly detailed and immersive, and I would argue that no other fantasy book has managed to capture that same scale. However, what some casual fans may not realize is that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings aren’t Tolkien’s only works set in the world of Middle Earth. In fact, they’re preceded by thousands of years of history, much of which is recorded in The Silmarillion. The Lord of the Rings takes place in the Third Age of Middle Earth while The Silmarillion covers the events of the First and Second Age, fleshing out Middle Earth’s rich history. As a huge Middle Earth fan, I love seeing MOCs based on all of Tolkien’s work, but there’s something extra nerdy about seeing builds based on The Silmarillion. These...

Not long ago, BrickNerd guest contributor Jesse Gros wrote a piece that, like any good article, left my mind’s wheels churning. I wondered, was artificial intelligence impacting the LEGO community? Could it change the way we build MOCs and truly break barriers for accessibility? Was effortless image spam disheartening MOC builders or just plain drowning them out with Instagram’s algorithm? Good, bad, or ugly, AI has multiple sides—and you know me, I love to sit back and pontificate from the safety of a keyboard on tough topics. So I’m going to try my hand at answering the question: what does the future hold for LEGO fans? Could AI replace human creation of LEGO MOCs or even official sets? AI and LEGO is this the first AI-generated physical LEGO build? Let’s begin with the obvious: right now, AI doesn’t understand the LEGO system. While some AI software can generate images that share...

Anyone else excited for the Bad Batch to return on Wednesday? I know I sure am. Bounty hunter Cad Bane made a surprise appearance in the show’s first season, and just in time for the third and final one, Flickr builder gGh0st has come up with a superb rendition of the Duros. He’s even got his trusty, sassy sidekick Todo! The semi-circular jumper plates are great choices for the droid’s eyes/face. There’s loads of clever parts use, but I would question Bane’s choice of fitting a thermal detonator to his wrist. In his line of work, that’s surely asking for trouble… The post Cad, the Bane of his bounties appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Today we get to dig in to a highly anticipated tribute to/reimagining of/reviving of the beloved 10193 Medieval Market Village. LEGO Icons 10332 Medieval Town Square contains 3,304 pieces and 8 minifigures and will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO retail stores for Insiders on March 1st, and to everyone March 4th, for US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99. It’s over twice the price of the original Medieval Market Village, but also over twice the pieces – and inflation happens, so: how does it do? Is the sequel worthy of joining the village? Let’s get our wattle and daub and find out! 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 box and contents  The substantial box has the adult-aimed, black background and clean presentation, with the rear sides...

What’s something seasonal to build at this time of year? It’s February, and it’s cold in the northern hemisphere… Aha! Isaac Snyder knows what to do. He’s dipped into the Ice Planet 2002 theme with a seriously cool rover for Febrovery. At least, it’s cool on the outside, as evidenced by the chunky wheels and clever cockpit construction. Hopefully it’s warm on the inside, and equipped with good de-misters. I’m speaking from experience here, not because I’ve been to Krysto, but because my old car used to fog up like crazy. In winter, it would freeze overnight when the temperature dropped low enough (and in Finland, that happens a lot). These Ice Planet folks may have all sorts of fancy neon-orange chainsaws and the like, but trust me, some de-icer fluid and an ice scraper are just as indispensable in these conditions! The post You may have a massive drilling rover,...