Terrain Workshop: Solar Panels

Recently SkullHPT posted an image of a Solar Panel Station on the Discord.  This made me look for an image of my solar panel design used in my Roadway Rumble table-setting, and I didn't have any.  So that became an excuse for this Terrain Workshop.

This is a pretty simple build, the majority of the parts are four Printed 1x4 Tiles.  These are placed on a 4x4 Plate which is attached to a Hinge Brick Base and 2x2 Top Plate combo.  This is a total of six pieces which is 1

Hit.  It's 11 feet tall (depending on the angle) and 10 feet wide in 6P Scale.

I generally mount them on a 2x2 Turntable to give them a "play function".

As you can see, up against the usual suspects, it's a decent size.  I hope

this gives people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.

Flickr page.

Review: 30723 Ninjago Cole's Car Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive. It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States. I found this one at Target.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99 for a $0.13 Price per Piece.  

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts.  Plates, Tires, Rims, Wedge Plates, Axle

Plates, Curved Slope w/Studs, Slope, Spoiler

w/Bar, Clip Plates, Jumper, Cheese Graters,

Log Brick, Minifig Handlebar, Flexible

Spikes, Bar Bar Holders, and Clip Tile.

Build.  Battlecart Swarmer (2Rh+d8 [blades] 1B [armor panel] 1Gd8

[no ranged weapons] 1Y [katana antenna] 2W).  Systems are Gold.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: +5 (B+). I like it.  I generally like Ninjago vehicle sets.  But, 39 pieces with no spares?  I'm sure that's great for Lego's bottom line.  I don't see how it's good for their customers though.

Review: 30720 Ariel & Flounder's Birthday Music Fun Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive. It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States. I found this one at Target.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99 for a $0.13 Price per Piece.  

Instructions.

Minidoll.

Parts.  Half Oval Plate, Plates, Rounded Plates,

Round Bricks, Curved Corner Bricks, Cones,

Minifig Forks, Studless Slopes, Clip Plates,

Printed Tiles,  Flowers w/Bar, Tulips w/Bar, and 

Translucent Round Plates w/Curved Upright Leaf.

  

Build.  Station and 1 Hit piece of Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: +5 (B+). I like the colors and there are useful parts but that PpP is awful.

Review: 30721 Friends Flower Stand with Roses Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive. It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States. I found this one at Target.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99 for a $0.09 Price per Piece.  

Instructions.

Minidoll.

Parts.  Half Circle Plate, Plates, Arch, Round Brick w/Diagonal Bars,

Panels, Inverted Domes, Headlight Bricks, Transparent Panels, Clip

Bricks, Brick w/Stud on Side, Ice Cream Cones, Plate w/Bar Up,

Triangle Tiles, Sunflower, Studless Slopes, Clip Plates, Apollo Studs,

Round Plates w/3 Leaves, Flower Stems, Peony Roses, Round Plates

w/Flower Edge, Taps, Minifig Scissors, and Translucent Round Brick.

Build.  Station and 1 Hit piece of Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+). Nice colors, useful parts, still needs a little something to be awesome.

Terrain Workshop: Tree 30

Let's finish out the week with a callback to a two year old design with a couple of parts changes and some color changes.

It begins with two 2x2 Round Brick 45 Deg. Elbow, and a Dragon Tail/Curved Neck, all of which are connected with 2L Notched Axles -- including one that goes into the base. Then an Friction Pin connects a Travis Brick to the top of the Tail/Neck, and four 6x5 Plant Leaves are connected to that. That is a total of twelve pieces which is 2 Hits. In 6P Scale -- and this layout -- it's 5 feet thick, 40 feet long, 30 feet tall, and 27.5 feet wide (at the end).

I've got two of the Dragon Tail/Curved Neck pieces so that's all

I have assembled at the moment.  I hope I've given people ideas

or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr page.

Terrain Workshop: (Clone) Trees 29

I'll be honest, this build is really only 1/3 Clone bricks.  This design came about due to digging through parts to find something similar to the 8x3 Leaf w/Bar from the Miniso Toys Lily.  I found eight pieces in the 2025 Brickcraft Poinsettia set that fit the profile.  A 6x4 Leaf w/Bar in Green and Red.

We start with four of those leaves attached to a Technic Pin Connector w/4 Clips.  Then you add four 1x1 Round Plates and three 1x1 Round Bricks.

I place the Round Plates on the top and bottom of the Pin Connector and

in between the Round Bricks.  That's a total of twelve pieces, which is 2

Hits.  It's 15 feet tall and up to 37.5 feet across -- depending on the angle

of the leaves -- in 6P Scale.

Having two sets of identical leaves in different colors allows you

to build Summer and Fall versions of these trees.  Or you could

just put them all on the table at the same time, Green on one side
and Red on the other to denote some sort of demarcation line.

There are also Dark Green versions of the 6x4 Leaf w/Bar if you

want a third color.  It's up to you how you want your table to look.

I hope this gives people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.

Flickr page.

Terrain Workshop: Clone Plants 2

After my post two Mondays ago I started looking at my first build again and some possibly better ways to utilize the The 8x3 Leaf w/Bar while increasing the amount of Lego parts in the build.

Once again starting with parts sourced from this set.  The 8x3 Leaf w/Bar is connected 

to a Tile Clip and that is mounted on a 1x1 Round Brick.  This is repeated three

more times for a total of twelve pieces.  This build is 2 Hits and roughly 24 feet

tall by 7.5 feet wide in 6P scale.  I recommend using a color other than Dark

Red as the edges of the Round Bricks in that color can be a little fragile.

You could also mount the 8x3 Leaf w/Bar on a 1x2 Plate w/Open O Clip on Top

along with a 1x1 Round Tile.  This is repeated three more times for a total of

twelve pieces, you then mount them on a + Plate.  This build is 2 Hits and roughly

22 feet tall by 7.5 feet wide in 6P scale.  I'd fill in under the Clip Plates with 1x1

Plates to neaten it up a bit and cut down on the amount of possible rotation.

Changing over to the other build from Monday's post, let's also switch to parts from another manufacturer.  The 2025 Brickcraft Poinsettia set has parts similar to the 4x4 Leaf w/Clip pieces in the Miniso Lily set.  Starting with the 5x4 Leaf w/Clip, we attach one to a Padlock, then mounting that on a 1x1 Round Plate.  This is repeated three more times for a total of twelve pieces.  This build is 2 Hits and roughly 14 feet tall by 15 feet wide in 6P scale.  The 4x4 Clip Leaf and 5x4 Clip Leaf are both $1.24 per Piece, Yellow Padlocks are $0.10 per Piece, and Bright Green 1x1 Round Plates are $0.01 per Piece for a total of $5.40 per build for either version.  Which is kinda steep but I feel like the Brickcraft sets have a better availability than the Miniso ones.

The 2025 Brickcraft Amaryllis set also has a part similar to the 4x4 Leaf w/Clip piece.

Starting with the 7x4 Leaf w/Clip, we attach one to a Padlock, then mounting that on a 1x1 Round Plate.  This is repeated three more times for a total of twelve pieces.  This build is 2 Hits and roughly 20 feet tall by 15 feet wide in 6P scale.  The 7x4 Clip Leaf is $0.83 per Piece, Reddish Brown Padlocks are $0.02 per Piece, and Reddish Brown 1x1 Round Plates are $0.01 per Piece for a total of $3.44 per build.  That's a bit better.

I hope this gives people ideas or techniques

to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr page.