Following massive hits of 10497 Galaxy Explorer and 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle, this summer LEGO revives yet another classic, spoiling fans with the new 10320 Eldorado Fortress set. A 2,509-piece diorama, fusing two iconic Pirates set together, will go on sale on July 4th (for LEGO VIP members) / July 7th for everyone else for US $214.99 | CAN $279.99 | UK £189.99. The new set brings the classic fort in the new, reworked design, along with tow boats: a larger ship with sails made of fabric, and a small boat. Eldorado Fortress is based on the old version of the fort, set 6276, which was released back in 1989. While the original model consisted of a little bit over 500 pieces, the new products is a massive 2,500 build. Though, the scale and the size of the structures is pretty much the same. It’s easy to notice that the original...

This new LEGO creation by Rubblemaker is called Symbiosis. If you recall your grade school science classes, symbiosis is where two organisms share a mutually beneficial relationship. I’m not entirely sure if this is mutually beneficial; that poor clod in the cockpit may or may not be this ship’s pilot but it is most definitely its fuel source. If this ship moves as fast as Voyager II, it would take this suffering fool 9.5 years to get to Uranus. Plus you couldn’t even land there because science journals, as well as my grade school self, will tell us that Uranus is a gaseous, smelly giant. It’s likely you’d have to keep going for another few decades to reach a land-able rock and even then it’s no guarantee the locals will be friendly. Space travel sucks! The post Strap in for a long, torturous ride appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original...

And now, for a LEGO Star Wars build that’s entirely different from the average from Thomas Jenkins.Before Star Wars was released to the world in May 1977, a small team of set designers and model makers were tasked with interpreting and realizing George Lucas and Ralph McQuarrie’s designs.Thomas captures that moment here, perfectly. This little scene has been dressed perfectly with nods to the original trilogy, from vehicles being built and fine detail being added to working from the concept artwork behind them. It is lifted straight from those behind-the-scenes shots of Phil Tippett, Denis Muren, and company from what would become ILM busily crafting the galaxy we’ve come to love. What drew me in, was the intricate little builds scattered throughout; from the Angle-poise to the little tool drawer, such a refreshing Star Wars build. And check out the litter in that bin – a nice touch! The post Not...

For all its laser battles and space wizards, sometimes it’s nice to step back into civilian life in the Star Wars galaxy. Stuart N has crafted this rather charming slice of life, with a lady running errands in her airspeeder. That building adds a whole lot to the scene, as does the floor – the detailing is interesting without being overwhelming. The speeder is the real star of the show, though – it fits so well with the design language of Coruscant speeders from the prequels, for instance. It’s impressive how Stuart has absolutely nailed the Star Wars aesthetic with just a few LEGO Technic panels! The post Just another day in the galaxy far, far away appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Sometimes, we find LEGO builds that elicit quite conflicting emotions when we see them. Jelle ter Veer (Legobricks Bricks)’s digital Duo the owl, mascot of language-learning app Duolingo, is one such build. On the one hand, it’s very well built: the leaves for eyebrows and the upturned dish for a beak stand out to me. The chests of gems and miniature screen really complete the look, too. But on the other hand, I get so many streak reminders from that blasted owl that I’ve seen quite enough of it! In fact as I write this, my phone has just pinged with my latest Finnish lesson for today. Hold your horses, Duo! I’ll get there eventually…. The post Consider this your daily Duolingo reminder appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Sporting some of the cleanest lines I’ve ever seen, this Roman temple by Lech Kulina is a brilliant bit of LEGO architecture. Widths of a half-plate or less permeate the construction, especially on all the plinths surrounding the temple. And all angles have been cleanly cut off thanks to the use of brackets. The build is so clean that those small bits of decay stick out like a sore thumb. Each notch in the tile, each blotch of tan discoloration, each profile brick is given greater meaning by the “purity” that surrounds it. It’s quite possibly the truest representation of Roman architecture I’ve seen recreated in plastic. Make sure to check out Lech’s Flickr album to see how he pulled off such a feat! The post A LEGO tribute to some ancient architects appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

I love a LEGO speeder bike build! When I’m short for time or have builders block, I build a little speeder and am always impressed with how useful those small parts can be. Here, Lucas Shannon puts that versatility to work with a bike of their own. Handcuffs are used to hold onto laser pistols which adds great texture and detail. This also allows a connection point for the interesting windscreen assembly, attached via a clip. Taking a look at the back, we can make out the root piece upon which this hover bike is built: a motorbike frame sans the wheels! The way that Lucas has filled the wheel wells and utilized just about every possible connection point on the frame is quite impressive! I’m excited to see what I can take from this into my own designs. The post A zippy little speeder appeared first on The Brothers Brick....

While I haven’t been plotting any LEGO villainy in the opening round of this year’s Bio-Cup, I have been working with brown Bionicle bits as of late for my own malicious machinations. So let me tell you, Ted Andes was employing quite the limited part palette when he took on a violin-themed evil-doer, Il Maestro Di Violino. The shape he’s managed here is excellent, and the incorporation of the Kakama Kanohi mask is perfect. For a “last minute entry,” this feels like a well-planned symphony of parts. It immediately conveys “violin” and “villain” with just one glance. The post The Maestro is ready to drop some ‘bows appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

Whether you’re a fan of the LEGO Ninjago theme or not, you have to give it props for surviving for so long. Some kids that grew up with Ninjago are now adult fans making fabulously inspired and skilled creations. Now, while I can’t speak to the history of the builder known as Woomy World, I can certainly say that this Oni Lloyd-inspired build is top-notch, and a solid tribute to the theme. The entire thing is riddled with fantastic parts usage, from the dragon-headed weapons, to the clothing and body armor. What really takes the cake, though, is the expressive face. It utilizes a hat for a nose, a hood for a chin, and even a tan crab holding horns for teeth/tusks. The character is both menacing and cool all at once! While you’re here, stick around for more builds and sets related to the LEGO Ninjago theme. We also have...

If there’s one thing that stands out most in this terrific LEGO inn by builder Tomasz Bartoszek, it’s the repeated creation of curved surfaces without using curved bricks. Both the sloped roof of tiles and rounded wall of the tower generate their curves through the use of 1×2 tiles, set at appropriately-varied angles. The result is a beautiful, clean look that perfectly captures a stop just off the roadway, in settings both real and fantastic. On top of that, I love the blobs of vegetation dotting the roof. But it’s the incorporation of Harry Potter wands into the eaves that adds the perfect finishing touch to those concave slopes of shingles. The post LEGO inn-sights and inn-ovations appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller