Tower of Orthanc

At a Lego Fan Event in Lisbon Portugal Lego has unveiled a new exclusive Lord of the Rings set.

It is the 10237 The Tower of Orthanc. This is one of the most iconic structures in the LOTR movies and is the literal centerpiece in the Battle of Isengard.

Also in this battle were the Ents so we are glad to see an Ent in this exciting set.

There are five minifigures in this set:
Saruman
Grima Wormtongue
Gandalf the Grey
Uruk-hai
Orc Pitmaster

Besides the minifigures there are the Ent, a brick built figure, and the eagle, special mold.

The entire set is 2359 pieces and stands 73 centimeters high. Check out more images on the Brickset Photostream.

The designer video was also released this weekend:

The set will be available from Lego Shop@Home from the beginning of July.

Green Gables Stadium

Flicker user "RedCoKid" has created a beautiful baseball stadium called the Green Gables Stadium.

The stadium is built in a circle and with a domed top. The circle is shaped by 24 sections fitted together by hinge bricks and Technic parts.

The facade design is very nice, it looks a lot like the classic stadiums still in use today.

Check out the more pictures and the inside of the stadium on Flickr!

Minifigure collections

Collecting minifigures, especially the licensed and "collectible" ones, is something most Afols and other Lego fans love to do.

Flickr user "Vanjey_Lego" has been collecting all variations of different characters. Above are all the Jack Sparrow variations and below are all the different Spongbobs.

Check out more collections on Flickr.

Cuusoo News!

A new project has reached 10.000 votes on Cuusoo!

This time it is a City themed project called "Mini Shop Series" initiated by "Pekko".

The design of these shop is simple but very recognizable. Also it has a high play factor for children.

It remains to be seen if the same brands will be used in a actual set. But it would be fun if the brands cooperate and we would be able to buy the individual Lego shops in their real shops.

Check it out on Cuusoo!

Contact 1, by Mike Doyle

Incredibly this huge creation, by artist Mike Doyle, is built in Micro scale. It is a city on a distant world.

It is truly beautiful and filled from bottom to top with awesome building techniques and details.

Check out Mike's blog for more!

Also I can recommend listening to the Beyond the Brick #52 Podcast. The Podcasters interview Mike Doyle  about his history with Lego and about his creations.

Medieval scene

This is a beautiful little medieval scene built by Flickr user "Disco86".

Especially the tree looks very nice. The leafs are interlocking to create a more natural looking tree.

The roofs of the buildings are also very nice. This technique works really well for creating medieval buildings.

Check it on Flikr.

Lego Game of Thrones

With season 3 launching in just a few days I was pleasantly surprised by this Game of Thrones moc created by Flickr user "flailx".

It is the Heart Tree, as seen in season 1, being visited by Eddard Stark to sharpen his sword.

The technique used to construct the tree is quit original. It makes for a tree that looks a lot like the one in the series.

Look closely and you will recognize the shape of a face in the trunk of the tree.

I am really looking forward to the start of the new season and this moc really makes me want to watch the previous seasons all over again!

Check it out on Flickr.

Moc's of the day!

News on the Lego front has been very slow these days.

Luckily I found two great mocs to kill the time.

This is a 1930's cemetery layout by Flicker user "Nooreuyed". It looks great!

All the trees and bushes look nice and the car in front looks awesome.

Check it out on Flickr!

And here we have the spacecraft "Hephaestus" by Flickr user "nate_daly"

It is designed very nicely, especially the engines on the back.

There is also a very creative cockpit. The use of the large transparent window works great.

Check out more on Flickr.

Collectable Minifig Series 10

An image of the upcoming 10th minifig series has surfaced on the web. In the top right corner you can see one of the 5000 gold minifigs Lego will randomly distribute around the world.

Here are the new names and some of their accessories:


Sea Captain, with seagul and binocular
Sad Clown
Librarian, with book and cup
Grandpa, with newspaper and cup
Bumblebee Girl, with wings and honeypot
Roman Commander, with cape and sword
Warrior Woman, with shield and spear
Decorator, with paintroller
Tomahawk Warrior, with axe
Trendsetter (hipster) with phone and chiwawa
Baseball Fielder, with glove
Revolution Soldier, with long rifle
Motorcycle Mechanic, with tool
Medusa
Skydiver, with helmet and backpack (parachute)
Paintball Player, with paintball gun and helmet

And of course the Golden Minifig which looks like a gentleman in a suit with a top hat.

City Street

This is a great piece of city building by Flickr user "DarthNick".

A new standard for modular building was used in this moc to make all the buildings and streets fit together nicely.

Also there is Hawkeye chasing Loki on the rooftops.

Check out more on Flickr.

New Star Wars X-Wing UCS

This is the new X-Wing model. Like the UCS sets before it it is scaled a bit larger than the regular minifig sized sets.

It is Luke Skywalker's Red Five X-Wing form the movies. The only thing that is not scaled up is the R2-D2. But compared to the minifigs the droids are a bit over sized anyway.

This is the official description:


Build the ultimate LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter!
Collect and create the most highly detailed LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter ever produced. This iconic starfighter is featured in many of the most exciting Star Wars battle scenes, including the decisive battle scene above planet Yavin™. Recreate the moment when Luke Skywalker’s X-wing delivered the proton torpedo that led to the destruction of the Imperial Death Star! With 1,558 pieces, this realistically detailed model features opening wings and cockpit, a special display stand, data sheet label and R2-D2.
• Includes R2-D2 atromech droid
• Features highly authentic detailing, and opening wings and cockpit
• Includes 1558 pieces
• Measures over 10" (26cm) high, 20" (52cm) long and 18" (46cm) wide
• Includes display stand and data sheet label!

Check out more images at HothBricks.com, they were the first to report this set, thanks!

Avenue Saint-Jacques

Paris is a city filled with beautiful architecture, Flickr user "Snaillad" has captured that very nicely in this moc. The exterior is beautiful and the streets are filled with details like the subway entrance. Also there is a very detailed interior and, unlike most buildings where the floors come apart, this building opens up along a vertical side of the building.

Check it out on Flickr!

Lord of the Rings 2013 sets

Finally we have official images of the new Lord of the Rings sets to be released in June 2013.

The first is the 79005 The Wizard Battle set. It is a small set featuring Gandalf and Saruman fighting in the chamber where the eye of Sauron sits on a pedestal.














The 79006 The Council of Elrond is the second set. This set comes with four minifigures. Elrond, Arwen, Frodo and Gimli. Both Frodo and Gimli are the same minifigures as we had before.

This set shows the part of movie where Gimli tries to destroy the ring with his ax but is thrown backwards in his attempt.

Also this set comes with a piece of the elven city Rivendel, a small archway and the council area. There are two notable new pieces in this set, the dark orange leaves and the half arches in light bluish grey.

The 79007 Battle at the Black Gate is the third set in the line. It depicts the final battle at the Black Gate of Mordor.

In this set we get five minifigures, Aragorn (new King outfit), Gandalf The White, Mouth of Sauron and two Mordor Orcs. There is also an Eagle, which is kind of disappointing actually it is not very detailed.

And of course there is the gate itself. It is not as big as the one in the movie but is has a close resemblance and should be fun to play with.

And finally the fourth set is the 79008 Pirate Ship Ambush. This scene takes part when Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas arrive at the battle for Minas Tirith accompanied by the Army of the Dead.

This set comes with nine minifigures, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, King of the Dead, two dead soldiers, pirate captain, and two orcs.

And of course there is the ship, which actually turned out pretty nice. A fun fact is that the pirate captain is actually played by Peter Jackson himself in the movie.

This is probably it for Lord of the Rings in 2013, but The Hobbit sets have already been announced for December 2013. We are looking forward to it!

Harry on the swings

With the ending of the Harry Potter franchise the moc's have also dried up a little.

Yet here is a moc of Harry on the swings before he and Dudley get attacked by Dementors.

The swings are built very nicely and also the use of Duplo fences works very well.

This moc was created by Flickr user "Lego Junkie".

Check it out on Flickr.

Cuusoo News!

Two projects have reached 10.000 votes on Cuusoo!

The first is the Android figure from the Google operating system.

The figure has a movable head, arms and antennae.

Check it out on Cuusoo.


The second project is another Zelda project.

This project differs from the previous Zelda project on its simplicity.

There is only one minifig in this project, Link, to reduce the amount of new molds that would need to be made.

Check it out on Cuusoo.

New Iron Man 3 sets!

Finally the new Iron Man 3 sets have surfaced on the web!

The first is the 76006 Iron Man Extremis Sea Port Battle.

This sets includes 3 minifigures, Iron Man, War Machine and a villain.

The play feature of this set is a boat in which the villain tries to escape or attack the heroes.

The second set 76007 Iron Man Malibu Mansion Attack is just like we have seen in the trailer. The Mandarin attacks Tony Starks home.

This set includes 5 minifigures, the first looks like a Tony without his Iron Man suit, Pepper Potts, the Mandarin, the helicopter pilot, and Iron Man.

This is a fun set because you get a helicopter and a piece of the Stark mansion.

The 76008 Iron Man vs The Mandarin Ultimate Showdown is the smallest set.

It comes with 2 minifigures, Iron Man and The Mandarin.

The Mandarin has a little attack vehicle that he uses to fight Iron Man

So these are the new Iron Man 3 sets. They are planned to hit the shelves on May 15.

ATV trail

This is a beautiful slice of modern landscaping. This is an ATV trail built by Flickr user "cyndi.bourne".
The different shades of green, trees, dirt trail, rocky hill and the stream make this a very realistic scene.

Check out more on Flickr.

Sets Revealed at German Toy Fair

The first pictures of new sets revealed at the Toy Fair in Nuremberg Germany are starting to surface. These images are from Brickset.

This is the box art for the new 70404 King's Castle set. In this new line of castle sets it turns out that blue and red will be the primary colors. Blue for the "good" guys and red for the "bad" guys.

And here we have the 76002 Superman Metropolis Showdown set. It is not a very exciting set. It is probably a scene from the upcoming movie. The new Superman minifig looks great!

Check out the Brickset photostream on Flickr for more!

Aesidisi Castle

This is Flickr user "Tastymuffins" castle entry for the Colossal Castle Contest on Classic-Castle.com.

It is a beautiful and realistic castle with various odd angles and shapes.

Also the surrounding paths, plants and trees look very nice.

Check it out on Flickr.

Lego Cuusoo Android

This Lego Cuusoo project is closing in on the finish line!

It is the Android figure from the Google Android operating system.

Currently the project has 9.279 votes. So head over to Cuusoo if you like this project and support it.

Haldur's Crypt

Haldur's Crypt is a new creation by  Flickr user "- Derfel Cadarn -" for his Dark Isle Saga.

This crypt has a really creepy feeling about it. The crypt and the surrounding trees, plant and walls have a perfect worn look about them.

Check out more on Flickr, and read the story behind the crypt there as well.

The Tall Tower

This is a beautiful tower designed and built by Flickr user "RedCoKid".

The shape and exterior design is very original and detailed. The tower comes apart in seven modules, probably for easy transportation.

And the tower has two working elevators as well!

Check out more on Flickr.

Lego Sets 2013 at London Toy Fair

The following sets have been spotted on the Toy Fair in London. All these sets will be released this year, actual dates will vary. Special thanks to Brickset and FBTB for the lists.

Creator
31012, Family House
31011, Aviation Adventures
31010, Treehouse

Technic
42001, Mini Off-Roader
42005, Monster Truck
42008, Service Truck
42009, Mobile Crane Mk II

Legends of Chima
70107, Skunk Attack
70108, Royal Roost
70109, Whirling Vines
70009, Worriz' Combat Lair
70007, Eglor’s Twin Bike
70008, Gorzan's Jungle Striker
70010, the Lion Chi Temple
70110, Tower Target
70111, Swamp Jump, containing Furty
70112, Croc Jump, containing Crug

City
60011, Surfer Rescue
60012, 4 x 4 and diving boat
60013, Coast Guard Helicopter
60015, Coast Guard Plane
60014, Coast Guard Patrol
60019, Stunt Plane
60020, Cargo Truck
60021, Cargo Heliplane
60022, Cargo Terminal

Castle
70400 Forest ambush
70401 Horse carriage getaway
70402 Gatehouse raid
70403 Dragon peak
70404 King's castle

Galaxy Squad
70706, Crater Creeper
70707, CLS-89 Eradicator Mech
70708, Hive Crawler
70709, Galactic Titan

Super Heroes
76002, Metropolis Showdown
76003, Superman battle of smallville
76006, Ironman Extremist battle
79007, Ironman Mabul Mansion Attact
76008, No set name, includes a minifig called Ironman Heartbreaker
76009, No set name, includes Superman and Lois Lane

Lord of the Rings
79005, The Wizard Battle
79006, The Council of Elrond
79007, Battle at the Black Gate
79008, Pirate Ship Ambush

Star Wars
75015, Corporate Alliance Tank Droid
75016, Homing Spider Droid
75017, Yoda vs Dooku playset
75018, Jek 14’s Stealth Starfighter
75019, AT-TE
75020, Jabba’s Sail Barge
75021, Republic Gunship
75022, Mandalorian Speeder
75023, Advent Calendar

Friends
41009, Andrea’s Bedroom
41010, Olivia’s Beach Buggy
41013, Emma’s Sports Car
41006, Downtown Bakery
41005, Heartlake High
41015, Dolphin Cruiser

Lone Ranger
79106 Cavalry Builder
79107 Comanche Camp
79108 Stagecoach Escape
79109 Colby City Showdown
79110 Silver Mine Shootout
79111 Constitution Train Chase

Check out more detailed descriptions on Brickset and FBTB.

Updated Super Heroes info from Brick Fanatics.

Toy Train

Some creations are truly brilliant. As is this Moc by Flickr user "mijasper".

Look closely and you will find that the creator has used some relatively new parts in a genius way.

The wheels of the miniature train are the new roller skates that appeared in the new series 9 minifigures. And then there is the middle wagon, it is built with the mouth form "Steve" figure in the Minecraft Cuusoo set.

Check it out on Flickr.

Tyr Viking

Here we have yet another great ship by Dutch ship builder Konajra.

This is the Tyr Viking, a sister ship to the Fairplay-33.
The ship is fitted with a working lifting system to lift buoys and anchors, check that out on Youtube.
Also the bridge and deck are full of beautiful details.

Check out more on Flickr!

10232 - Palace Cinema Designer Video

Star Wars: The Old and the New!

Today on "Star Wars: The Old and the New!" I will show you all the different A-wing sets.

In 2000 Lego released the first A-wing, set number 7134. The Star Wars sets from that time are all very brickish looking. There are very few curves.

This set came with two minifigs, a pilot and mechanic. This set consists of 125 pieces.

Check out more on Brickset.

In 2006 the second A-wing was released, set number 6207. This set is quit similar to the old one.

It also has two minifigs, but the piece count is a bit higher. This set contains 194 pieces.

This set features a lot more detail and looks a lot more like the A-wing from the movie.

Check out more on Brickset.

The third A-wing Lego released in 2009 is part of a much bigger play set. 

The Home One Mon Calimari Star Cruiser set number 7754.

This set was a limited edition exclusive for Toy's R Us. On the A-wing the red is replaced for dark green.

This set contains 6 minifigs and 789 pieces.

Check it out on Brickset.

And here we have the most recent A-wing set. The 75003 released in 2013.

This set contains three minifigs and 177 pieces.

It also features the finger fired missiles on both sides. The old pilot helmet is replaced by a new, more movie accurate, helmet without visor.

Check it out on Brickset.

Hope you enjoyed this review of the A-wing sets. I will try to get a new "Star Wars: The Old and the New!" out soon!

The Lord of the Rings Micro Moc's

Here we have a Micro build of Minas Tirith, a mountainside city from LOTR.

This moc was created by Flickr user "diegoboy".

There are many details in this moc. Even the curve of the city worked out great.

Check it out on Flickr.

And here we have another great micro moc from the LOTR.

This is Helm's Deep, an ancient fortress. This moc was created by Flickr user "George G".

It is very nice to see little details like the hole in the wall on the left. And the entrance on the right.

Check it out on Flickr.

Jabba's Palace!

This is an awesome Lego build of Jabba the Hutt's famous palace.

This Palace in the Dune Sea was created by Flickr user "Ar Sparfel".

It takes you right back to the first movie where C-3PO and R2-D2 knock on his front door!

It is obviously based on the recently released Jabba's Palace sets 9516, Jabba's Palace, and the 75005, Racnor Pit.

Jabba is surrounded by all his bounty hunters, dancers and various other beings from all over the galaxy.

The only thing missing is the Racnor. The creator was probably not able to get his hands one that set just yet.

Check it out on Flickr.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

More great news today!

Lego and Marvel have announced a new Lego game. The name is quite simply: Lego Marvel Super Heroes.

The game features over 100 characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki and Galactus.

The game is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2013.

We hope for a new exclusive minifig to go with the release.

Check out more info on Marvel.com and Lego.com!

10.000 votes for the Exo Suit!

A new project has reached 10.000 votes on Cuusoo!

This is the Exo Suit project by "Peter Reid".

Exo Suits are very popular among Afols. However they tend to be very flimsy. This might be an issue when the project undergoes the review by Lego.

But we hope this will make it to a set.

Check it out on Cuusoo.

Lego Mindstorms 2013

Great news on the future of Mindstorms.

Lego will release a new Mindstorms set in 2013!

Among many great new features are, smartphone controls and an SD expansion slot.

Check out the press release on Engadget.

Micro Farm

Micro builds are always very challenging. To achieve details on the micro scale is a difficult thing.

Flickr user "True Dimensions" has done a great job with this micro farm. The details are all over the place and also a great sense of humor was incorporated in this moc.

See more on Flickr.