The HMS Royal Oak

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There are never enough LEGO tall ships out there, and fortunately Ayrlego has added another to the collection out there on the web. The Royal Oak has some excellent colored layers in the hull, which instantly caught my attention. Building ships like this is no easy task, which is why I have respect for those builders who have produced incredible designs. Hoist the sails, gentlemen! 

HMS Royal Oak - 6th Rate
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Who Needs SpaceSHIPS When You Have Medieval Ships?

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With the 5th annual SHIPtember already starting, many people are producing large spaceships at this time. Not James Pegrun, though! Instead, this builder is going a more classic route by building some old, medieval boats in the middle of a battle out at sea. James has done an excellent job at shaping the boats, while still keeping them smooth at the same time (so many brown tiles!). These boats are so excellently built, it will be a shame to see them crash into each other. . .

Under Invasion
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Apogee: Space Cargo

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As part of a challenge among the builders on Brick Pirate, Xavier Clement has created a unique and asymmetric cargo craft.  His intention was to build a ship with the same spirit as the Millennium Falcon, ready to take on that Kessel Run at a moment's notice.  Now, with Xavier having thrown down the gauntlet, the other forum members are supposed to remix this design/color scheme, and build their own version.  Should be interesting... Punch it, Chewie!

APOGEE

Apogee 01

Neo Classic Space Bridge

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Isn't this awesome?!?  The lighting, the work stations, the chair; it's such a great combination of all the sci-fi sets we know and love.  Somehow you get a sense of the mass of the rest of the ship in this shot, and the crew's anticipation of what's about to happen.  Is it an alien ship, or a dangerous spacial anomaly?  Hopefully Peter Reid is working on a story line of NCS adventures.

NCS Bridge

And the SHIPs come rolling in...

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With only two days left in SHIPtember, we're starting to see completed SHIPs pull in to dock. Some of them, especially this beauty by LEGOLIZE IT MAN, are making the rest of us look like amateurs. This gorgeous battlecruiser utilizes some wonderful oddball color combinations, and really looks like it could dish out some serious punishment. If you haven't finished your own SHIP yet - get to it! There's only a day and a half left...

muulla

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

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Fellow denizens of space, SHIPtember is finally upon us! Test your resolve and mettle in a 30 day, no-holds barred battle of the builders! Boys will become men! Men will become champions! Champions will rise! The chaff will be unceremoniously culled from the wheat! Feast your eyes upon this year's trophy!

Seriously Huge Trophy

For the uninitiated - SHIPtember is a yearly challenge for any builder to try his hand at a SHIP within 30 days. A rather daunting task, as SHIP building is fraught with peril, frustration, and crumbling battlecruisers. Visit The Shipyard for official rules. Go ahead. Try it. You know you want to.

Here comes the story of the Hurricane

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During last year's SHIPtember,  Tim Schwalfenberg stepped forward with the quite excellent Hurricane Battlecruiser, which landed him a well deserved win for the contest. Since then, he's been hard at work on the rest of the fleet. Although much smaller, they are no less magnificent. I've highlighted my favorites below, but make sure to check out the entire fleet, as they are all spectacular builds which maintain a wonderful design and color cohesion throughout.

Typhoon Escort Carrier
Monsoon Missile Frigate
Windgale: Cargo Transport

A master class in SHIP building.

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This is how it's done, ladies and gentlemen. I've been following this one for a long time, patiently awaiting its completion. The end results, I must say, have been more than worth it. Peter Mowry has been hard at work on The Solacium for nearly a year. I remember seeing the first concept sketch on Flickr in 2014, and wondered how he was going to pull it off. Well, here it is, in all its glory. Words fail me. One of the finest examples of SHIP building that has ever graced the ABS brick. Bravo, Pete.