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The dragon head prow is especially magnicient. benefiting from the large scale to add texture that blends into a scaly smile.

The model can currrently be seen at the Brick Culture Festical in Suzhou, which, in its 6th year, has expanded from a weekend event to a 3 week celebration. The model joins the “Bricks of China” spotlight that brings to life Chinese stories in LEGO. Yong Ji has created many other tributes to Chinese cultural sites and artifacts over the years, including this magnificent Leifeng Pagoda.

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The M1 had quite the successful career on the track as well as the road, and its BMW predecessors were frequently in fierce competition with our next car: the Porsche 935. The various guises of the 935 won over 150 races over the years. Reflecting that, Firas had enough pieces left over to build a trophy cabinet alongside this one. But perhaps also reflecting its occasionally unreliability, we’ve also got a spare engine just in case!

Jumping back to the 1980s, next up we have something completely different: a hot hatch! One of the hottest, in fact – the Renault 5 Turbo. Famous for its rally exploits, it has a shape so boxy you could stack it in a removals van.

So far, everything we’ve looked at has had some sort of motorsport pedigree. That’s true of our last alt too, but you might recognise it from somewhere rather different! This is the also the only build not t0 be entirely built from 10295 – but that’s only down to the custom Initial D stickering.

Not only are Firas’ builds accurate recreations of their real life counterparts, they often feature plenty of additional functionality too. Detailed engines, working steering, opening doors and bonnets, and in this case, even working pop-up headlights!

I can’t imagine these are the last Porsche alt builds we’ll see from this builder, so keep your eyes peeled for whatever comes next!

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The artists in question are the “painter of black” Pierre Soulages and sculptor Ekow Nimako who creates from black LEGO elements. Lufo recreates works from each artist in miniature for a minifig-scale co-exhibition. Even custom figs of each artist make an appearance!

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LEGO Super Mario 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade | 1,371 Pieces | Available August 1 to LEGO Insiders, August 4 for all | US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £149.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.r

The Box and Contents

While this set still falls under the Super Mario theme, the branding on the box uses the Donkey Kong logo. This appears to be the first time that this logo has appeared on a LEGO box, as the previously released Donkey Kong playsets used the Super Mario logo instead.

Inside we are greeted with 14 paper bags, a smaller plastic bag containing some lager pieces, and our instructions booklet.

The instructions booklet contains a nostalgic review of the Donkey Kong game, including a look at the original arcade machine. The note from the design team states that the development of this set has been a years-long project, and that the team specifically sought out to use ‘The Elder Bricks’ (LEGO Elements developed between 1949 and 1977) as part of the design to keep with the theme.

The set contains two large sticker sheets containing a total of 10 stickers. The sticker detail is printed well and the graphics are very accurate to the designs they are portraying, but using so many large stickers for very important visuals in the set is underwhelming. Many of these stickers are quite large and difficult to apply evenly, and I found that the build slowed to a crawl every time I reached one of them. The Jumpman (or Mario) piece that we’ll see later is a new printed part, but a Donkey Kong set where the titular character is a giant 6×8 sticker is disappointing.

The Build

As you would expect, the build begins with the floor of the arcade machine and works upward. In the first bag, we immediately see our first orange barrel (there will be a total of 15 in this set) that will eventually serve as a lever to release the rest of them.

The second bag continues the base, which is primarily built with a brick exterior and a good bit of Technic inside that will allow for the various movements. This next portion is a loose fit and rocks back and forth, as it will eventually hold the joystick.

The Jump button is connected next, along with a Technic decline that utilizes gravity to allow the barrels to roll back to their starting point.

The back is finished off with a couple of transparent panel assemblies that are connected with clips. These are removable and allow you to fix anything that is stuck, in addition to making the interior mechanics of the model visible.

The panel cover is built on its side and connects very cleanly into place. The first sticker for the ‘Jump’ button makes an appearance here, and the finished bottom portion looks very true to the real-life arcade machine.

The next several bags are spent building our way toward the top of the model. Most of these sections contain bricks on the back and sides with an open front, and contain the awesome retro pink lattice fences and a built-in ramp for the barrels.

The various levels of this assembly have different elements, like the sticker-applied Oil Drum and Fireball. There are also two Hammers up for grabs along the way – good luck getting that song out of your head.

As Jumpman will learn, it’s a long way to the top.

Once we’ve reached the summit, a Technic assembly is inserted into the sides of the upper frame and connected with pins to provide stability for the model.

On the backside of the model there are two 2×3 modified plates with holes that will support part of the movement structure later on, but I can’t help but notice that this color palette strangely resembles a certain plumber…

The build for the top section is fairly straightforward, and once that’s finished it’s time to apply 3 very important stickers.

Bag 12 is exceptionally fun, as it contains almost exclusively barrels and printed tiles. Orange and teal are both new colors for the LEGO barrel part, and they look great.

The actual barrels themselves have a slight difference in construction – the poison barrels contain an extra 1×1 round plate and a solid black minifigure head inside. This additional weight makes the blue barrels roll faster than the orange barrels, which adds an additional element to the gameplay that’s not represented in the original game.

The hero Jumpman is connected next, and this is a really neat piece that is printed well. It appears similar to the Pixelated Mario from 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, though this obviously reflects his first ever gaming appearance.

The Technic assemblies on the backside are surprisingly simple, and they ultimately provide sideways movement and jumping functions for Jumpman. It’s much less complicated than I expected, but very effective nonetheless.

The joystick is next, and this is another nice little build that captures the look and feel of the real thing.

The exterior is covered with a frame assembled out of large white plates and rows of red and yellow tiles that neatly match the design aesthetic of the retro cabinet.

There are four large character stickers applied to circular tiles here, and I found these the most frustrating to apply. The tiles are in a fixed position on the model, meaning you can’t just turn the tile to line the sticker up. I ended up applying these separately on a baseplate to make sure they were evenly placed, but even then it was fairly difficult. The cuts on my sticker sheet weren’t even, which meant the bezels on the outside were lopsided – making this even more frustrating.

The final assembly of the build is the brick-built Donkey Kong logo that sits atop the machine. This was my favorite part of the build, and I absolutely love how it’s connected and positioned. The Donkey Kong logo typeface and placement is unique and seems like a difficult task to tackle in LEGO, but it’s captured very well here.

The Finished Model

The completed set definitely captures the retro vibe of the old arcade machine. The colors are vibrant, the graphics are well-captured, and the black parts used to represent the screen help the characters and elements pop.

The model is quite tall, but not overly deep. It’s surprisingly sturdy in this sense, as the base allows the entire upper portion of the structure to remain still while playing.

There are three primary gameplay elements: The first is the barrel lever, which moves the stack of barrels upward. This releases a barrel from the top of the model that simply rolls down using gravity, where it is added back to the bottom of the stack the next time the lever is pulled. The second is the joystick, which allows Jumpman to move left and right. The third and final function is the Jump button, which of course allows him to jump. The joystick movement and the Jump button can be used at the same time, allowing you to jump diagonally if you please.

Final Thoughts

The gameplay functions of this set are surprisingly fun and typically very smooth. The variation in the barrel weights add an additional layer of surprise, and the ability to move the joystick while jumping makes it feel more like an actual game. I do occasionally have an issue where a barrel doesn’t release and two barrels are released the next time the lever is pulled, but that’s not anything that severely impacts the experience.

Though this set is marketed as 18+ and isn’t necessarily priced for kids, my 7-year-old is absolutely obsessed with it. Both of my kids are fascinated by the functions and have played it in sessions for much longer than I would have expected, which does make me wish that something like this was more accessible to kids.

While the graphics are great, applying this many large stickers really takes some of the value out of the building experience. These are fairly difficult to apply, and they simply don’t have the quality perception they would have if they were printed. Even printing the Donkey Kong character tile alone would have made a big difference – it is the first Donkey Kong set, after all. In a $200 set with no minifigures, I’d personally hope for more printed elements and fewer stickers.

As a playable LEGO arcade machine, I think this model represents the original well and provides enough of a gameplay experience to make it a fun display piece. Even so, the hefty price tag for a set with no minifigures and several large stickers is a tough sell.

LEGO Super Mario 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade | 1,371 Pieces | Available August 1 to LEGO Insiders, August 4 for all | US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £149.99

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Picking up where we left off, Danyil wondered what it would look like if one of LEGO’s ‘mech’ sets was Toa-fied. Better than any of the ones currently on shelves, I daresay.

Of course, LEGO paid homage to Toa Tahu too, with a brilliant series 28 Collectible Minifigure officially called “BIONICLE Cosplayer”. But what if that tribute had crossed over with a different sub-theme? One of the many busts, perhaps?

Speaking of busts – Iron Makuta doesn’t stand a chance against the Tahulkbuster.

That Hulkbuster mash-up isn’t the only one ready to break stuff, though. I wonder what Fred Durst’s favourite Bionicle is… I’d have him down as a Toa Lewa guy. Nui-Metal, anyone?

And that’s not even the most cursed Tahu build from the last six months. That award goes to the Bionicle backrooms here. My heebies are well and truly jeebied.

Let’s cleanse our eyes with something everyone finds cute: cats. Yes, even Danyil’s kitties are not safe from Tahu-fication.

As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Thank goodness for animal rights. But the meaning is worth bearing in mind here: it’s seriously impressive how many different ways Danyil has come up with to build Tahu’s Hau mask. Even at bigger scales, like with this Omega Tahu, they’re all unique.

Danyil is a talented builder outside of Tahu too, as his participation in the Toa Mecha collaboration proved. But there are plenty of other mecha that make for excellent mash-ups, as with Tahutron here.

Actually, since we’re on the topic of his other builds, let’s finish with one that is only Tahu-adjacent. Scottish AFOL part_parakeet posted a build entitled “Doomscroll” some months back that is as sad as it is moving. Trust hotdog_waffles to bring a touch of levity with a riff on the concept that got a big laugh out of me. Why? Well, the name of the piece: Dumescroll!

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LEGO Ideas 21369 The X-Files | 1,478 Pieces | Available August 1 to LEGO Insiders, August 4 for all | US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

The Box and Contents

I have to admit, I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to seeing The X-Files logo on an X-Files set. It’s seemed an improbable pairing for so long that it almost doesn’t feel real.

A top view of the box reveals the cast of minifigures, and inside we’re greeted with 12 paper bags, our instructions booklet, and two trans clear support parts for the UFO.

The instructions booklet cover is simple enough, but I really love the shot of Mulder and Scully on the back. Interestingly enough, the progress slider minifig is our Grey alien – a fitting choice as we build through the FBI and forest in hopes of a potential extraterrestrial sighting.

The instructions booklet contains some wonderful anecdotes and details from fan designer Brent Waller and the LEGO design team. Brent’s X-Files photoshoot is officially legendary.

Also included is a modest sticker sheet featuring 8 stickers that contain as many easter eggs and references as you’d expect in an X-Files set. LEGO graphic designer Anne Godsk is a dedicated X-Files fan, and the level of detail captured in the graphics and minifigures in this model prove it. We’ll leave some of the mysteries open for your own investigation, but you may notice a haunting minifig face on the moon (a nod to the Season 1 episode ‘Space’) and a ‘The Lone Brickman’ article on hidden frogs authored by a certain B.W. (a nod to fan designer Brent Waller).

We’ll jump ahead for a moment and take a look at two newly printed parts in this model that I absolutely love: the famous ‘I Want to Believe’ poster and ‘The Truth is Out There’ from the opening sequence (aside from those extra-exciting episodes where the text was different). Both are in the original typeface, or a very similar one, and look excellent. The image depicted on the poster itself is built entirely out of LEGO parts, down to a round 1×1 plate with a dish on top for the UFO. These are fantastic printed pieces, and I’m of the opinion that the sticker to print ratio in this model is a win.

The Build

The build process begins with a foundation and wall for Mulder’s office. This area will eventually support the rest of the build, and it uses an almost MILS-esque design to keep things sturdy.

This model contains some unique build techniques, and we’re greeted with one of my favorites immediately out of the gate in the second bag. Connected tiles and plates are assembled into a structure that will sit loose in a window pane to represent the contents of a glass cabinet.

Once set in place, the books are locked into place by the bricks of the wall behind the cabinet.

Mulder’s office is regularly messy and rarely organized (relatable – Ed.). As we progress through the build, the level of detail and clutter in the model becomes apparent. Two desks in the background contain another unconventional build that provides the appearance of stacked books atop each of them.

The boards on the office wall are covered in details, including a few of the stickers and some yellow 1×1 tiles representing Post-It notes that I absolutely love. There are also two file cabinets that utilize window panes for open drawers, with one containing Fox’s favorite snack: sunflower seeds. This is not a new part, but we’ll thank LEGO Friends for making it possible for The X-Files!

Additional cases on the wall are built with trans clear bricks that each contain different printed tiles. It feels so unconventional but works so well. A final look at the back portion of the office reveals the research of a dedicated agent.

The final details for this section are the tilted window assembly on the backside and a rock trim that is attached using SNOT bricks to tie the various sections of the build together.

The portion of the office including Mulder’s desk features the other printed tile, a cluttered desk with an open X-File on top, and some more sunflower seeds (of course).

This section is designed to be separable and has the ability to be displayed independently. It slides seamlessly into the rest of the office to finish the room.

As we begin to build the upper section that contains the forest floor, a micro build is assembled and hidden within. I asked designer Chris McVeigh if this was intended to represent a specific scene and was told that it’s up for interpretation, but he did note that the UFO build here is the same as depicted on Mulder’s poster.

The forest section is also separable and is able to be displayed independently, but Mulder’s famous pencil-tossing habits were impossible to omit. To accommodate this, a small section of the ceiling containing pencils is attached via a jumper plate and is able to be easily removed if the model sections are displayed separately.

We next begin building the lush forest floor of the upper section. This portion of the build reminds me so much of several of the early episodes that were shot in Vancouver, with so many of them in a forest setting. The Pilot, Darkness Falls, The Jersey Devil, Detour….I could go on and on.

The trees are assembled with a technic base and various sections of upside-down ferns, and the result works very well. There are five trees built to finish out the forest.

The geometry of UFOs in the X-Files has always fascinated me, and the model here does it justice. This craft has 3 sides with 60 degree angles, representing the most iconic version featured in the show.

With this interesting shape and angles, the design team leveraged three golden rings to bridge the smaller gap between sections.

The remainder of the flying saucer is constructed with flexible spike elements and tilted wedge plate assemblies to give the ship its geometric shape.

In a surprising turn of events, the final build is the Grey alien minifigure. This is the first time I’ve seen a minifigure built at the end of a bag instead of the start, but I like to think it represents Mulder’s journey in pursuit of our extraterrestrial visitor.

The Minifigures

The minifigure ensemble in this set is almost everything you could ask for from this show. While Brent’s original Ideas submission included 7 minifigures (including Eugene Victor Tooms and The Jersey Devil), the official set includes 8 and introduces Alex Krycek, X, and the Flukeman. These new additions are so incredibly welcome and bring the model to another level. The detail on the minifigures is excellent and captures their likeness very well (just look at the Flukeman).

Our iconic heroes Fox Mulder and Dana Scully look as great as ever, featured here in their early-seasons suits. Scully’s hair piece is a new mold and it captures her look well. Interestingly enough, the 1×1 cones used for their flashlight beams make only their second-ever appearance here (the other was in 2001’s LEGO Studios 4071 Bottles polybag).

Both contain an alternate face print, with Mulder appearing as if he’s been eluded again and Scully appearing very skeptical of whatever theory he’s on to next.

Our cast of secondary characters includes Alex Krycek (my favorite character), the Cigarette Smoking Man (or C.G.B. Spender), Director Walter Skinner, and Mr. X.

With the exception of Skinner (for hair reasons, or lack thereof), each of these figures also contains an alternate face print. The highlight for me is Krycek’s infected Purity ‘black oil’ eyes, which pairs nicely with the puddle of black oil on the floor of the office.

Our two monsters of the week (if you will) are the Grey alien and the Flukeman. The head piece for the alien is a brand new mold, and both are ripe with detail.

Brent shared that he initially considered adding the Flukeman to his original submission, but limitations in design caused him to abandon the idea. We absolutely love that LEGO included the fan favorite here in the main set.

The Finished Model

The finished model is a wonderfully detailed build that fits very neatly in a corner or on a shelf. There are several different spots to place minifigures, allowing each builder to recreate the scene or display however they’d like.

Each of the major sections of this model are easily separable and are able to be displayed independently. I asked the design team if this was part of their initial assessment of the model or if this was something that came up through development, and Chris stated it was the latter. During development they realized that the tight space within the office made it difficult to place minifigures, which prompted the idea to make the roof separable. This idea eventually spread to the other portions of the build, and it vastly improves the model in my experience. While I intend to display the model together, each section looks fantastic independently and provides an additional layer of customization.

The final model looks great from all intended view angles, meaning it displays well on both a lower and a higher shelf. The backside reveals one of several ‘hidden frogs’ and a lone bee that brings back memories of the X-Files: Fight the Future film. Even the underside of the UFO provides a detailed and finished look at an abduction scene.

LEGO Ideas 40892 Scully’s Lab | 221 Pieces | Available free with purchases of 21369 The X-Files between August 1 and August 10

As if one X-Files set didn’t seem improbable enough, a second exists in Gift With Purchase form as 40892 Scully’s Lab. This GWP includes an alternate version of Dana in her scrubs and provides an alternate workplace for her that’s mostly free of outlandish theories. This set feels fairly sizable for a GWP, and having built both I’d compare it most to the Stranger Things ‘Squawk’ Radio Station.

The GWP was also designed by Chris McVeigh, and the design language is very similar between this and its ‘parent’ set. The floating window pane cabinet displays are similar to those featured in Mulder’s office, and the level of detail in the various items contained below and within is also reminiscent of the larger set.

There are some wonderful little minifigure-scale builds featured in the lab, including a microscope and a table that allow for a minifig to be connected. Scully is no stranger to autopsies, and we have two creatures from the larger set that display nicely here.

The finished model makes for a wonderful little scene, giving us yet another build to display alongside or separately from the main model. A peek around the backside reveals a small fly.

This version of Scully is exquisite, and is one of my favorite minifigs out of both sets. While Scully’s hair and suits frequently changed between seasons, this is a look that we’ve seen her consistently in for decades.

She once again has dual face prints, both of which are new and differ from our other Scully minifigure. One contains goggles, and the other shows a skeptical or surprised appearance.

I think this a wonderful GWP, and it displays very nicely alongside the larger model. Exclusivity is always a balancing act, but I think having an exclusive figure of a character that is already represented in the larger set handles it well. Early adopters will be rewarded with an alternate version of Dana Scully, but those that choose to wait will still have the full ensemble of X-Files characters.

Final Thoughts

As a massive fan of the show and someone that has watched it the whole way through countless times, I am so incredibly pleased with this set. The level of intent and passion for the show that was evident in Brent’s original Ideas submission has been fully continued by the LEGO design team with this model. I found myself writing down a long list of references (and maybe less plausible ‘hypothetical’ references) as I worked through the model, which made this such a joy to build as a fan. I supported Brent’s original Ideas submission and voted for this build in the challenge, and I’m thankful that the designers kept this model so true to the original submission while also improving it in several ways. The minifigures, display options, and level of detail make this a top-tier set.

The Gift With Purchase is a wonderful side build that provides a detailed alternate version of Scully in a setting we frequently see her in. This GWP would have pushed me over the edge to pick this up on day one, but if you’d rather wait you’ll still have all of the iconic characters.

As someone that loves both LEGO and The X-Files, this is a pairing I frankly didn’t think was possible. Hats off to all of the designers that had a part in sticking the landing on this iconic set.

LEGO Ideas 21369 The X-Files | 1,478 Pieces | Available August 1 to LEGO Insiders, August 4 for all | US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99

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Andrew (lego_remat) choses a calmer moment from the gaming juggernaut GTA V. (Can you believe the game is 13 years old?!) The scene is a gorgeous slice of urban grunge with incredible attention to detail from siewalk to rooftop.

Matt (blitz_brix) and Maclean (mandalorianmac) collaborated on several gaming scenes, startiing with this tribute to horror cassic Silent Hill 2. It’s a bit hard to see in the photo, but fans of the game will recognize a barely visible Pyramid Head lurking behind the window above.

The builders also teamed up for tribute to the latest franchise entry, Silent Hill f, with its distinctly Japanese setting.

Matt isn’t one to pick horror franchise favoritis as he also created this chilling church from Resident Evil 4 that showcases the buildeer’s knack for natural terrain.

Jumping from the GameCube era to current gen consoles, Matt also pays respects to Resident Evil Village, maybe my personal favorite in the franchise.

Moving on from horror to sci-fi action, Matt recreates a drone invasion from Bethesda’s 2017 reimagining of Prey as an immersive sim. The futuristic apartment is gorgeous and brings you into the gameworld with a forced perspective skyline seen through the broken window.

Mclean also has a solo session in a sci-fi settng with an homage to Bungie’s recent extraction shooter Marathon. The bulder perfectly captures the game’s distinctive blend off bold colors and sterile architecture in natuural settings.

BobaLUG derives its name from Star Wars, so of course we need some SW games in this collab! Maclean leads with a small vignette from Jedi Fallen Order, the debut title starring Cal Kestis.

Maclean and Matt teamed up again for Cal’s sophomore outing – Jedi Survivor – where the renegadee Jedi searrches the ruins of Jedha.

Minecraft is well represented iin officail LEGO sets, but I still love seeing the game interpreted by builders who bring an adult eye for detail and composition to the voxel-based world.
Isaiah Kepner (jimbagginslego) gives Minecraft a sophisticated look with intricately desgned marbled blocks and the thinest vaneer of snow on the surface.

Finally, in addition to the 11 models above that made their debut, Matt and Andrew brought mocs from a prior Last of Us collab. Matt recreates a patrol ride outside of Jackon from the end of Pt. 1.

Meanwhile, Andrew jumps perspective to Last of Us pt 2 for a harrowing raid on Seraphite Island.

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As a tween in the 1990s, I loved the Redwall book series by Brian Jacques. The books’ stories followed anthropomorphic medieval-era mice, hares, otters, moles, badgers, and other woodland creatures on various adventures around Mossflower Wood. Once I came out of my LEGO dark ages in 2018, one of the first MOC builds I tried was a Redwall Abbey. There were lots of design challenges to overcome at that time – not only did I not yet have many LEGO pieces in general, but the only affordable colors I could find on Bricklink that approximated Redwall’s sandstone color were dark red and medium nougat. I knew at the time that the out-of-print sand red color was the one I actually wanted for the build, but it was out of reach at the time. During that earlier build I did come across some great anthropomorphic mice heads created by Crazy Bricks for the Mouse Guard series. Those mouse heads would stick with me as a great resource for Redwall mice.

Over the next five years I slowly started accumulating sand red bricks, knowing that eventually I’d revisit the idea of a sand red Redwall Abbey. For the uninitiated, sand red was only featured in a few sets for a brief period in the early 2000s. This means it’s rare and as a result, it’s very expensive. Most Bricklink stores only had a few pieces of it, so to get it in bulk required lots of small orders, which meant shipping costs added up. But slowly and steadily I accumulated hundreds of the bricks, slopes, plates, and other specialty elements in that color. Notably, when I began accumulating sand red 1×2 bricks, they were ~$1 each, and when I wrapped up the build that cost had risen to $6 per brick!

Sand red is an interesting color. It’s very desaturated and in some yellowy lights it appears almost identical to sand yellow / dark tan. As a result, not all of the modern colors offered by LEGO look good next to it. For the rest of the color palette for this build, I opted to use the older (and less bluish!) dark gray color alongside desaturated sand red, bright spring green for the ground vegetation, and dark orange for the abbey roofs. Bright light blue for the sky, bright green for the tree tops, and white for the tree trunks and clouds added some color pops to the final build.

The abbey itself is a pretty basic structure, with ornate windows flanking a big arched entry way created by connecting plate clips together with flextube. I built a tall belltower on one of the ends of the abbey, featuring arrow slits made from minifigure legs, topped by more ornate windows. On top of the tower, I built a weathervane out of black minifigure utensils (paint roller, axes, hammers, etc).

I knew a plain brick wall would be kind of boring, even if it was all sand red. So for the walls, I interspersed grille tiles on end to add tiny holes in the wall, and attached plates with SNOT bricks for some horizontal texture. Finally, I threw in a couple of my Rocky Mountain Minifig’s masonry bricks that had been carved into original LEGO sand red bricks. The top and bottom of the outer wall were capped with dark gray elements to add some variety. And to allow the outer walls to angle in at the edges of the build, I stacked hundreds of sand red wedge plates to create transition pillars.

I knew that eventually I’d be taking this build to LEGO conventions that had “lights out” events where the exhibit hall dims the overhead lights to allow lit MOCs to show their illumination, so I built a few light elements into the display. First, there are a dozen or so candle-colored LED lights inside the abbey great hall and tower. I also added a mouse holding a lit lantern toward the front of the build, unsure if little kids would be able to see over the outer wall to the inner abbey.

Because so much of the abbey itself might be hidden by the outer wall, I knew I wanted to add a tall-ish background behind the abbey that kids could see from a low angle. To make the background interesting, I angled the bricks at 45 degrees and capped the left and right sides with 1×2 regular and inverted slopes. The 45-degree angle was accomplished using Technic bricks and resulted in a sturdy mount to the base, which has so far withstood some bumpy crosscountry highway driving to cons.

The angled orientation allowed for some unique SNOTed cloud structures. Boomerangs were added to indicate flying birds, and a fancy ‘R’ letter was put in the upper left corner to drive home the Redwall connection.

Closer to the ground, multiple layers of wall and terrain added to the effect of depth. Dark green Bionicle Visorak feet were used to represent distant pine trees. Finally, I added a square black border around the sky to highlight how the 45-degree bricks weren’t actually perfectly 45 degrees.

Because the main ground color was the washed-out sand green color, I wanted to add bright spring green ground cover to give it a little pop. I used the color search on Bricklink to find what elements were available in that color and then sprinkled them in among leaf plates. In the end, the ground vegetation included saxophones, sabers, keys, pickaxes, hands, fish, and revolvers in green tones.

To add even more visual interest, I built the round front corners of the display using brickbending 1×2 plates, and the river using sideways 1×2 transparent plates. The trees also utilize a ton of different bright green pieces, including stems, clips, strings, leaves, and blades. The white birch trunks use the printed aspen dinosaur tail element.

Finally, to make it clear that this red-walled building was Redwall, I needed animal minifigures. While in previous builds I’d featured a big badger, I didn’t break that one out for this display. Instead, I used a variety of the aforementioned aftermarket mouse heads alongside rabbit heads to approximate Long Patrol hares, and Splinter rat heads to approximate otter heads. Because it was cute, I also made a mole head poking out of the outer grounds.

Because this has been a labor of love over the past five years, I’m sure I’ll continue tweaking and adding to the build, so it may appear altered at upcoming shows!

The post Of Mice and Modeling: Building a sand red Redwall Abbey in LEGO [Guest Feature] appeared first on The Brothers Brick.