A long time ago, when I’d just started Blogging for Eurobricks, I found a few photos of this MOC when it was only partially built.  At the time I was really quite impressed by it, and I remember thinking that if anyone could replicate the huge dimensions of the Death Star in a LEGO format, Brickplumber would be one of the few who had the talent to achieve it.  Anyway, it’s finally complete and comprises over 150,000 parts and is beautifully backlit with 3,000 LEDS!  It’s difficult to estimate the size of it from the photos, but it’s clearly very substantial.  It includes the usual humorous touches you’d expect; including an army of construction workers, a bar complete with Classic Spacemen, Lord Vader trying to give the Emperor flowers and even Darth Maul lurking in one of the corridors!  However, my favourite elements are the hangar and the scene showing Ben Kenobi disabling the tractor beam (above).  Head over to flickr and take a look.

Among a great diversity of amazing builds, Brick Productions has created some marvelous Star Wars vignettes. His small scenes don’t feature vast, swooshing ships, but still ooze detail and atmosphere. And his latest build might be the best. The Crab droid gets the main focus, and it totally deserves it: the spindly yet powerful aspect of the machine was captured perfectly, with its sharp toes and angular panels. And there’s our Clone trooper, with his intricate blaster and tense pose. Most scenes would end here, but Brick Productions’ creation goes a step further by creating a beautiful backdrop. A strange ball, some canisters and a never before seen decoration of the floor. It’s complex, it’s beautiful, and it feels like it belongs in the scene. Maybe it’s because it contrasts so well with the soil, pointing out the organic-mechanical duality of the scene. But no matter how, we’re looking at a gorgeously created and pictured scene. It shows that a small scene with no big features can still be impressive, with great machinery, backdrop, base, props, figure posing, photography… When there’s so much to learn, how could anyone even begin on making a large scene? I think looking some more at Brick Production’s builds wouldn’t hurt, so check out his Flickr account.

There’s something about the LAAT Republic Gunship I really like. It makes me drool over every single iteration LEGO ever came up with… even the Advent Calendar version. The most recent microfighter though… not quite a success. But there comes Flickr user Yxxn‘s amazing version buzzing around the corner. The shapes have been interpreted very playfully, not only in proportions, but also in actual shape. I haven’t seen that a lot on chibi creations, but I’m liking it, especially as it helps to evoke that adorable bumblebee look. The techniques used to achieve the angles must be quite ingenious as well. Isn’t it surprising that there’s still so much room for the lovely details? It almost makes you forget that there’s only one cockpit. An amazing proof that a creation doesn’t stand or fall with a single detail, but rather is an intricate play of all the parts and all ingenuities. Pretty good for such a small creation. Check it out on Flickr.

In our galaxy, stromtroopers aren’t always perceived as the most efficient soldiers, missing targets, banging their heads against doors… It would almost make you forget the Stormtroopers are the Empire’s finest and one of the most feared soldiers in that galaxy far far away. Umamen‘s stunning Stormtrooper reminds us why. His incredible figure doesn’t look like it’s going to miss its target: it demands respect. It does something remarkable: not just recreating an existing a character, but altering our perception of it. Umamen did it with spot-on shapes, dynamic posing, authentic detailing and more. It makes the model look a lot larger than it really is. I enjoy looking for all the degrees of freedom in motion, with the interestingly angled shoulders, a swinging waist and even the ankles that can rotate sideways. That abundant flexibility isn’t a unnecessary play feature, but it makes the subtle posing possible that gives this model its… presence. That and the unique and mind-blowing recreation of the iconic helmet. Discover how Umamen worked his LEGO magic in the Flickr album, and be sure to check out how Han looks in this splendid suit. And next time you see a stormtrooper… be a bit more careful. Because this single MOC shows you how they really are. Remarkable.

Following on from the beautiful UCS C-3PO that I blogged about in early March, Anio has just shared his latest creation with us on Eurobricks, a UCS RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor.  Now, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the most attractive of the Star Wars fighters, but it does have a certain functional and robust ‘quality’ to it; which are both useful in the midst of a battle!  Although it didn’t have a great deal of screen-time in the OT films, one of them played a pivotal role during Episode VI when it managed to cripple the Executor by crashing into its bridge.  Anio’s design is typically superb, and has received universally high praise from EB members.  The overall shape is just about perfect and it includes some great details; the cockpit and cannons are my favourites.  Head over to the Star Wars forum to see some other images of this excellent MOC.

Ah, everybody’s favorite Star Wars character. Mesa could make muj jokes about him, but this creation by vitreolum demands some more respect. It’s actually one of the first LEGO recreations of the world’s most infamous gungan I’ve seen. Maybe it’s because he’s not very popular, or maybe it’s because he’s hard to build. Not for vitreolum, it seems. The head is well done, and already shows a bit of Jar Jar’s I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing expression. And his ears are quite amazing. You’d think that once you’ve got that nailed down, you don’t have to pay attention to the rest of your creation because your character will be recognizable anyway. But on the other hand, the characteristic disproportionate limbs make up quite a bit part of the character as well, and the builder captured that, with those nice big hands in particular. Present it all on a base with interesting parts, and you’ve delivered yet another amazing MOC. Even if vitreolum states that this is only a reject from a bigger project… there’s always a bigger project. So take your chance of liking Jar Jar for this once, and head over to the topic.

The Rancor: a brutal, savage beast, Jabba’s terrifying trashcan. But that’s only one part of the story. After showing up for feeding time, they retreat to a hidden corner in the palace. There they educate themselves, striving for sophistication while the beasts above do their things. It’s this extraordinary story mordatre depicts in his latest build. He built this unique scene for a May the Fourth display in his local library, and I think it will make quite an impression. Because apart from its bewildering idea, the build is top-notch. Everything from the base to the top of the shelves has an ornate feel to it. And the crates and pillars add to the texture, helping to give the impression of a bigger-than-normal scene. I’m also loving the colors: the brown Rancors look perfectly at home, the sand green adds some class to it, and colorful pencils and books make the scene even more hilarious. In a universe where children get slaughtered, this really colors your day. And it proves that a funny scene can be more than a picture of some minifigs and can be a beautiful scene. So when your laughing has died away, start it all over by going to the topic. Have fun!

Character building seems to be the trend lately. We’ve had an amazing stormtrooper, a Jar Jar we could really like, and an UCS C-3PO. And still DanSto surprises with his take on the world’s most beloved metal man. He built his version to be in scale with his previous masterpiece, a mid sized R2-D2. As you can see, they fit perfectly together, both in scale as in detail. Because once again, this model is chock-full of details and features. You have to admire the delicacy of the arms, the beautifully angled battery at the back or the defining tubes across the waist. DanSto also managed to capture less obvious aspects, like the v-shaped hip piece, the perfect shape of the shoulders, the rim across the head or outlines of the torso. Combine all these details and shapes with a lot of clever articulation, and you have no one less than C-3PO himself standing in front of you. Yes, if you look really close, you’ll see that some details don’t match up completely, but these are bricks we’re talking about. And it only shows that Daniel managed to create something with character and a heart despite all limitations, like the colors of available bricks. It shows limitations can’t stop a good builder: he just uses them to improve the original model! So thank the maker! and admire C-3PO from all angles in the topic. And if you look carefully, you might even get hold of the blueprints somewhere…

Imagine you’re new to MOCcing. You really want to make the Star Wars creation from your dreams: a huge Death Star diorama showcasing the moment of the destruction of Alderaan. So you prepare: you collect bricks for years, you watch all the source material there is, from the movies to Robot Chicken videos. You start building a Turbolaser cannon, it works out rather well. You keep building. You fall ill, but keep thinking about the project. You return and spend many countless nights to get it done in time for an exhibition. On the way to the exhibition, it fall apart, but you manage to restore your creation to its former glory in half an hour, just in time. And now you hope people like your creation. This is the story of Asoka. You decide how his story ends.

But I have no doubt this creation will receive praise from anyone who sees it. Because it’s rather unique, and completely imposing. The scale is tremendous, yet there are plenty of details to make every area interesting. It’s loaded with little bits, but still manages to remain clear, with a nice textural division between the three main areas. I really like how the creation builds up, with lots of technical details at the bottom, with still some structure to it, followed by a smoother section with a gaping, menacing hole. And that single tube that does a great job binding the sections together. And than the top section, clean, cold, Imperial, set apart by its overhang and the unique angled shape of the room. It gives you the impression everything from the smallest detail to the biggest layout feature has been carefully conceived and built. The result is a creation as glorious, looming and efficient as the Death Star itself. But without those nasty exhaust ports. Yes, you can try to find the fatal weakness in the topic (German) or even the WIP pictures, but I daresay not even a lucky farmboy can find one.

“Build a 16×16 Star Wars scene”. My guess is you immediately think of one of the iconic scenes we all know and love. Luke versus Vader in the throne room? An AT-ST in the forest of Endor? That climactic moment in Cloud City? Or maybe even the Duel of the Fates, or the Battle of the Heroes? Did you think of Rebels? Goatman461 did. And he shows that a scene based on that show can be just as epic and amazing as the most iconic movie moments. While his build doesn’t literally depict a scene from the show, it totally has the right atmosphere and looks cinematic enough to be a screenshot of an episode. The highlight of the scene is the Phantom. You can instantly forget the tiny LEGO set, because this one is both big and beautiful. It’s size allows for plenty of details, even on the underside, and goatman461 took care to recreate the entire interior. The result is an amazing ship with personality. If there will ever be a creation that will make you like the Phantom, this is the one. The base is also quite unique. The people running in circles create a dynamic yet funny scene, and the greebles enhance it further. And you can’t get around that glorious phoenix logo. While blocky, it’s perfect, maybe because it represents graffiti better that way, and the different shades give it that used-universe look we all love. And it creates just that extra level of cinematic drama. I think that if you haven’t seen the show, you’d hardly notice this is a completely imagined scene at all. It’s amazing, but goatman461 shows that you don’t need spectacular source material to create an iconic and meaningful scene! A rare message in LEGO Star Wars land. So learn from the master in the topic!

If you’ve read a couple of articles here, you might have started to think that accuracy and eye for detail is the key feature of a successful Star Wars LEGO model. But then we’re forgetting a whole world of wondrous creations that are simple, abstract or out of proportion. These are creations that have a special way of making our day and dropping our jaws. Seb Toutouille’s blockheads are the prime example of such a creation, portraying several popular culture figures in a very peculiar fashion. Despite their blockyness, they look very dynamic due to the expressive posing of the head and just the right amount of curves. They aren’t overly detailed, but spot on. And despite their universal cuteness, it seems like the personality of the characters has been captured as well. All of that in such a simple construction, it makes you wonder why you’ve never thought of it. And you’re desperate to have them on your desk. That’s real genius. So leave the world of greebles and UCS, and dive into the whole new world of abstract builds, and discover some more awesome figures on Flickr. It’ll make you look at your basic bricks with whole new eyes.

The eighth episode of the Shadows of Nar Eurbrikka has just ended, and we’ve got 15 marvelous entries, most of them portraying a podracer. They came in all colors, shapes and sizes. The engine LucasLaughing built for his entry isn’t very exceptional at first sight, but yet it manages to stand out. Maybe it’s how real it feels. Everything seems to have a purpose, from the biggest flaps to the tiniest, almost hidden details you can barely see at the inside of the engines. It shows that the details that are almost invisible make a creation really stand out, so that’s something to think about. Besides from that, its functional look also might come from the functional decomposition between the aerodynamic front and the heavy duty back. All of that combined with some beautiful, yet not extravagant shapes. It makes the engine look like a real feat of engineering. An effect enhanced by the knowledgeable looking characters, discussing, fixing and using various tools. The entire work-in-progress vibe of the scene the build really finishes the build. The entire entourage lift this (part of a) vehicle to an entire new level, even though there are less bricks in that part. So next time you’ve built something, stand back and look at what you can’t see, build what will not be the main focus and maybe write an incredible story like LucasLaughing has. So head over to Watto’s Junkyard to study this marvel of engineering and building.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, my brother gave me one of the very first Technic sets.  It was the Excavator (8851) and this had a basic pneumatic system that allowed you to move the arm and bucket via a series of switches.  I’ll admit that it wasn’t the most efficient of systems, and it was fairly lethargic at best, but back in the 1980’s it was an amazing sight to behold!

Anyway, as you’ve probably guessed I’ve always had a soft spot for Technic LEGO, and the amazing creations that talented builders can create with it, which leads me neatly onto this 80cm X-Wing by Jeroen Ottens.  Not only is it an accurate replica of the original model, but it’s packed with pneumatics which control the wings, canopy, targeting computer, landing gear, cargo bay door and proton torpedos!  It’s one of the best versions that I’ve ever seen, and I’d love to see this released as an official set.  Head over to the threads in the Star Wars and Technic Forums and have a look; there’s even a video showing all of the different functions.

“Chewie, we’re home” – This line has mesmerized Star Wars fans ever since the second trailer for episode VII came out. But what did “home” look like again? Yes, the hunk of junk with the iconic cockpit, the chess table, the corridors, the turrets… you know the big rooms, but do you really know every nook and cranny? ‘Titans creations’ gives finally gives you the opportunity to discover it all, from the most iconic locations to the hidden spots you couldn’t even imagine. Because this group of builders from Singapore built a minifig scale Millennium Falcon interior for a display in Legoland Malaysia. 40% bigger than the behemoth that was the UCS Falcon, it features everything that model lacked: an interior worthy to its exterior. I love how they filled the model with both rather spacious rooms where the passengers come, and areas stuffed with technology. It creates a very practical look and makes it interesting to look at. You also have to admire the asymmetry in the model in just the right amount. It gave the builders the opportunity to cram every single detail in there, because yes, they even built a toilet. So take your time to admire this creation two months in the making. Scan all 110 cm of it, enjoying the twisted tubing, curved coridors, varied vents, exciting engines and exhilarating easter-eggs. It really is too much to talk about. So head over to the fantastic Flickr album, and please, make yourself at home.

I have to confess something… I haven’t watched any of the The Force Awakens trailers. I’m trying to keep myself completely spoiler-free, and although I’ve seen some images, I can honestly say I still have not the slightest idea what the movie will be about. The thing is, I can’t just ignore these beautiful MOCs people are creating based on images from the trailer. So if you don’t care about spoilers (actually, it are just LEGO representations of scenes in the trailer, so no real spoilers) at all, or if you are willing to abandon your information-bubble, have a look at three marvelous MOCs based on the trailer after the jump.

These three creations where built for a contest on the German LEGO Star Wars forum Imperium der Steine. The first one is by Rolli, who made what’s probably the first episode VII microscale build. I can’t really get into how well the scenes are recreated, but I really like the composition of this one with the great use of colors. The banner pops out, with its marvelous hexagonal shape and supported by the two stark columns. And the uniquely tiny people help it all to look huge and imposing. The effect is continued by the use of to-scale doors and vehicles. The sense of scale really is the most remarkable feature of this creation, giving the picture the impression of being an aerial shot taken from far far away. It makes you realize how imposing and threatening that banner is… Getting the chills already? Then maybe you should not have a more in-depth look at the topic dedicated to this dangerously small creation…

Maybe you’re better off gazing at Disco86‘s creation then, representing an AT-AT that probably isn’t going to bite anymore. He succeeded perfectly in giving us a sense of decay, of time. The AT-AT design is great in its own right, but it’s the weathering that makes it stand out, because of the way it’s done: at one side there’s texture, at the other color. The consistent use of a single rust color in patches gives the impression it’s been there for quite a while and is starting to fall apart. You can already see some parts straying around. I really like the use of the root piece as something else than a root, and it gives the feeling something is buried. The way the sand is heaped up against the right parts only adds to the realism, and the speeder and the footsteps do a good job bringing a little bit of life to the scene of decay, no matter how shady. So if you can’t stand rotting carasses, maybe it’s better not to inspect it further in the thread showcasing this haunting scene.

Markus1984‘s creation is at the other side of the spectrum, completely shiny and new, although it will not be long before decay will kick in. The polishedness of the build lends it an unsuspecting atmosphere, making the destruction look like a total, horrifying surprise. It’s a pity those beautiful fighters will be gone soon. Because although they may look studded, they are very clean. Just look at the way markus1984 did the rims surrounding the wings, without any hinges or gaps visible. And look at how clever he was not just clipping those bars at the octagonal piece, but forcing them at just the right angle. That care only makes the destruction look worse, while it is already awesome, with that smoke, flashing bolts and roaring fire. It’s great how the builder differentiated between the explosion happening just now, and the fire in the background already spreading out, dynamic as only fire can be. And all of that action in such a serene environment. So if you want to keep your cool, maybe just leave the topic as it is, figuring in both dreams and nightmares.

Ah, the jolly girl with her adorable robot whose ship was swallowed up by a Star Destroyer, who made friends in a world somewhere over the Milky Way. Then encountered strange little creatures, and became friends with the raggedy smuggler, the tin man with a hard of gold and the imposing Wookiee who wouldn’t hurt a fly (as long as it would let him win). And set out on a quest to defeat the wicked Sith of the West… When put like that, the similarities between Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz are quite obvious. But you have to have vitreolum‘s creative eye to conceive them. So it is he who brings his cross-over mastery and character building wizardry together in this unique creation.

The joy and enthusiasm of the original scene burst from the screen, with the jolly band hopping across the yellow brick road. The Dorothy/Princess Leia mash up looks completely acceptable, and I just love the way that skirt is shaped. C-3PO looks stunning as well, with both an incredible shape and incredible details for the scale. He looks very substantial and machine like, and somehow I love those legs. Han has that fabulous swashbuckler-look, careless as the scarecrow, and connects perfectly to Chewie. Everyone’s favorite wookiee is presented here like never before, with just the right amount of texturing in his fur, and sufficient curves in it. He does look very frightening and imposing, although his look reveals what’s underneath. Maybe vitreolum built better characters than ever before, just for this fun scene. You can admire it for more than it just being a creative mash up. But to be honest, I haven’t seen a lot of scenes that come close to this level of originality. Seeing Star Wars with whole new eyes already? Who knows what’s next! You only have to follow the hyper-link road.

The Star Wars Battle Pack contest has been going on for three weeks now, and your chances on winning are growing ever smaller. Not only has there been a great response, but some entries defy what you thought was possible with the limitations of a battle pack. Ninja Nin‘s Angry Senator Battle Pack is a testimony to that fact. It presents us with a very good looking senate pod, quite probably the most visible Star Wars object that has seen the least LEGO iterations. The pod features all the necessary details like the desk, lights and hoverpads. But this is also the first creation that brings the political bickering of the Prequel Trilogy alive. Throw around your arguments and disprove the other party! It’s a funny, intelligent and never before seen take on the concept of the battle pack, and shows that you don’t need a lot of bricks to convey an awesome concept. So dig up those failed pies and take that fish you don’t like eating. The fight goes on in this topic.

Artizan‘s Rebels Special Forces battle pack is more serious. In fact, it would fit perfectly in the line of existing sets, with the difference that this one shows how it has to be done. With just these few parts, the creation conveys a certain atmosphere, and has an overall professional look to it. That without any fancy parts usages: it just shows that every brick is exactly in the right place. What makes this a great battle pack furthermore, is the division of the bricks in two builds. A turretst with a lovely shape with just the right offsets, and a console with good angles and textures. It gives you something to defend, and something to defend with, creating endless possibilities for playing, even without any elaborate functions. It’s genius, efficient and professional in its simplicity: a quality that’s very hard to describe, let alone to nail down. So let yourself go and imagine all the battles you would be fighting in the topic. Or if your bloodlust has really awoken, submit an entry to the contest before the end of May

You’re going to see a lot more of these ‘continue reading’ links around here. We’ve decided to use those for every article containing pictures concerning episode VII, in case you want to see the movie without knowing what to expect, just like myself. But there’s no stopping the amazing creations people are building. We feature markus1984 again, with the definitive version of a scene that hasn’t been even in theaters yet. He brings us his second rather unique AT-AT. This time, he had no deadline and has been working on it for months. So I daresay this one is even more impressive than his first one.

This truly minifig-scale AT-AT looks as amazing as if it was still in its glory days, looming over the landscape. This creation conveys the feeling of faded glory perfectly. The way the head and the legs are posed, in that strange angle, shows how old and tired the machine feels: markus1984 succeeded in giving a well known vehicle emotion and an expression. It gives this excellent creation extra quality. Because there’s already a good foundation. The humongous monster never looks boring due to all the different textures and many interesting details. The creator spent thoughts on every single area. Just look at the way he avoided getting antistuds in the feet, and detailed it perfectly: this creation is amazing no matter how close or how far away you are. Even when viewed from a distance, the small bits lying around give it a sense of scale and the landscape give it the necessary context. It’s hard to imagine a landscape worthy of such a monumental vehicle, but this is a rare case where the two are perfectly balanced. In one go, markus1984 gives us a marvelous AT-AT, and probably the best recreation of a desert in bricks – ever. The way the bumps are not high but very clustered feels very natural. Can you already hear the howl of an approaching sandstorm, and the tired shrieking of the rusty walker? If not, maybe you should just take a closer look. your trip to the desert starts here. Don’t get lost in that sandstorm, because I have a feeling there are still a lot of beautiful MOCs about to awaken…

You might not be very familiar with the Pelta-class frigate. It has been around for a time though. It served in The Clone Wars, and we’ve seen glimpses of it in the trailer for the second season of Rebels. It looks as amazing as ever, complete with a new paint scheme. This prompted TheNerdyOne_ to show it some love. He’s one of the first to render this ship in our beloved bricks, and with quite some success. He captured the interesting shape carefully, keeping the sense of design history in it. I love how the perfectly shaped front section fits so nicely in the angled hull, with the flaps in the back making the flow of the ship complete: he perfectly accented the lines with ridges and colors. The ship isn’t overloaded with greebles, but the details that are there really stand out. That black block in the middle is just gorgeous, and you have to like the docking area. And the more subtle details like the shapes in the black areas, and the tiny turrets everywhere complete the model. The details being not to pronounced give the model a really clean and effective look, and shows the builder really understands the ship. Not bad for a ship without a lot of screen time. So get to know this beautiful ship better, complete with its new clothes and its hidden innards in the topic. Maybe it will make you consider what superfluous things not to recreate on your next creation…

Step by step, scenes from Star Wars Rebels get portrayed in bricks. With a lot more locations appearing in the next season, I have no doubt we’ll see more of them through our ABS glasses. In the meantime, we can enjoy Donnie Bricko’s ‘Attack on Lothal’. It features the AT-DP and an improved ITT in the show’s recognizable Imperial hangar. It’s clearly Imperial, but the creator managed to capture the distinct look of the site. The accurate lighting, bringing the open hangar door in memory, definitely adds to that feeling. And apart form the excellent greebles, there’s the incredible round platform. If it’s in the show, I missed it, but no matter what, Donnie Bricko (re)created a thing of beauty. Round shapes are tricky to pull of, and here it has some nice concentric panels reminding me of the Emperor’s throne room. So this creation manages to capture all the Imperial details and references, without making it look generic. It has the unique action going on, and all of that in a great composition: the markings on the floor and the inset columns in the walls give the viewer some context. All of those nice details in a tight and classy jacket. So travel to Lothal, dodge the lasers, and enjoy the view of the hangar.