Bringing a 2-D trading card into the third dimension certainly feels like a job made for LEGO. And Takamichi Irie puts those bricks to work, moving the Pokémon Chikorita into the active position. The ‘Mon is an impressive recreation, extending a mushroom to the “camera” using one of its vines. And the terrain is downright astounding, brimming with vegetation and crags in front of a gradient pixelated background. But the features that take this build from astounding to jaw-droppingly awesome are all the references to items from the game surrounding the card: Master Ball, Rare Candy, Pokédex, Potion, Full Heal, and PlusPower. Even the kanji at the top of the card spells out the Japanese name of this particular pocket monster. One more thing before attaching a Grass Energy and going in for the attack. As with all trading cards, there’s always a second side to consider. And Takamichi didn’t skimp...

If there’s one thing we at TBB never get tired of, it’s castles. The LEGO community never fails at using both innovative and tried-and-true techniques to bring castle walls to life, and this build by JakobKaiserMOCs (“Gothic: Twilight – Greenmire Gate”) is no exception. The first thing that drew my eye was the stunning vaulted arch that serves as the entryway, made from curved stacks of 1×1 round bricks set on top of microfigs to suggest carved figures in the stone. Another standout feature is the lovely set of windows along the gallery on the left, with some 1×1 studs providing an effective accent. It’s worth trudging across that dodgy-looking pond (itself worth a good look) just to get a better view. The post What awaits you beyond Greenmire Gate? appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

Kids. They grow up so fast. One day they’re playing with LEGO and coloring books, the next they’re asking hard questions like, “Dad, why is our family different? Why do we wear these cardboard robot suits?” Builder duo Les Foutch‘s charming scene captures a moment between father and son that is both silly and heartwarming. Les Foutch were inspired by the cardboard robot from Collectible Minifigures Series 23, seen here bound inside the family album. The builders do an admirable job enlarging the retro robot costume for father and son, recreating details at two different scales. The child’s bedroom is wonderfully detailed with matching furniture and storage solutions that look like they could have come from Ikea, and shelves packed with everything a child could need, like Star Wars microbuild vehicles. This scene was displayed by Les Foutch, members of Canadian QuéLUG, at last month’s Exposition Deux tonnes de briques. Looks...

The right minifigs can elevate a build by making a scene come alive, suggesting a story much bigger than the LEGO model on display. The motley crew of pirates assembled by Bryckland have clearly seen their fair share of action, gaining infamy for their raids, but no shortage of glory too with close-calls and daring adventure too, I’d wager. Bryckland’s longship is a wonderful design, with a hull made of horns and rounded Technic elements, invoking ancient reed boats. Considering the sails are made from Hungarian Horntail wings, perhaps the hull is made of dragonbone or some other fantastical substance. The diorama is elevated by the patch of roiling blue sea.  Where will this voyage end? Perhaps with a little pillaging at one of Bryckland’s past ports of call. The post Steer clear of these surly Sea Raiders appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jake Forbes

There are no shades of grey on the battlefield of chess — only black and white. Builder Herbert Lee explores that stark contrast with a pair of opposing pieces that are as commanding as they are elegant. The White Queen is almost entirely monochrome, with only black contrast for the eyes and hidden mixel joints to allow for regal posing. Herbert mixes soft, rounded parts for the queen’s dress with sharp horns and egg shells that should make you think twice before accepting her gambit. The Black King is no slouch waiting for his knights and rooks to keep him out of check. Armed with a jagged sword and Kylo Ren’s chiseled abs, he looks ready to pwn a few pawns. I appreciate the asymmetry introduced by a single metallic grey Bionicle chest piece as a pauldron. Seeing these two pieces, I can’t help but imagine a full board of such...