I wish my guardian spirit was a dragon. I've become convinced over the years that it is indeed a sloth, and does no protecting. While I like sloths, this dragon by dviddy is way cooler. He sort of reminds me of Mushu from Mulan, but a more badass version. The mix of Hero Factory and System elements is spot on here, nicely done. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

It's been a while since we've featured a good tilted timbers build here, thankfully builder jaapxaap is there to give us our fix with this wonderfully disheveled, colorful dwelling. The color palette on this is stunning and eye-grabbing, while still feeling somewhat natural. Considering the colors chosen this is not logical, but really works. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

I'm not certain the chap in the cape started his day thinking it would end badly, but in this cleverly arranged moment by Jme Wheeler, that outlook certainly changed. With his compatriots felled, the last thought our soon-to-be smudged friend likely had was, "Why didn't I wear my brown pants?" Original linkOriginal author: Will Nickelson

The LEGO brick is 60, and the minifigure is 40, and I'm right in the middle between them. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but I find it interesting. It also means I was the perfect age when the Minifigure was introduced, and I've loved them ever since. And I'm not alone in that love, the world has been captivated with LEGO for over half a century, and Newsweek is celebrating that with a special edition. They were kind enough to send us a preview issue, and let me tell you, you're all in for a treat. It hits newsstands next week, be sure to pick up an issue or order it here. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

Somedays I feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of military mechs that flood the LEGO community, therefore I am always surprised and intrigued by mechs that break this trend, such as this one created by legomelego. The background hangar and lighting is what really caught my eye at first, but the more I look at it, the more I can't help but feel that this little robot is trying to portray emotions and break free from his human overlords. Look at their diabolical smiles... how evil. Original linkOriginal author: Andrew Eden

You just don't see very many Aztec builds, here on BrickNerd we've only featured a handful. But when they do come along they're usually pretty special, like this one from builder Nuju Metru. It turns out the god Quetzalcoatl was against human sacrifice (why are humans so terrible to each other?) and with the help of some brave warriors is about to put a stop to this rogue priest.  Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

When building giant mechanical machines, many builders are often conflicted with one important question: What's the perfect recipe for an awesome mech? Well according to Marco Marozzi all you need are some big guns and some even bigger legs. I mean, look at those things! One thing for sure, this mech has not been skipping leg day at the gym. Original linkOriginal author: Andrew Eden

When thinking of dynamite, cooling rods are not the first thing that comes to mind. However, jtooker2 has created a very explosive build (pun intended) by incorporating the dynamite piece as cooling rods in this sci-fi energy plant, which was submitted to the LOLUG’s April Iron Builder Competition. Original linkOriginal author: Andrew Eden

Ranking quite high on the "sentences I didn't expect to compose today" list is this: Here is a remote controlled LEGO car shaped like a zombie taking a bath with some rubber duckies. I'll let that sink in, then invite you to click through to see more pics of this crazy car by builder Olive_Leaf as well as a video of it in action. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

There's a moment in every hot rod builder's project where the decision has to be made, what color? In the real world this can be put off and agonized over for most of the project, and consequently make or break it. Imagine having spent years building a car, only to screw it up at the last minute with a terrible paint job. In the LEGO world, that decision has to happen quite early, and can also have dire consequences. Depending on color, finding the parts you need can be quite challenging. So I'm always impressed with a rare color choice, and this purple beast by builder redfern1950s2, is a real eye catcher. Of course purple isn't as rare as it used to be, but it's still very limited in part choice, which makes this hot rod all the more impressive. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy