Terrain Workshop: Marsh Plants

This build owes a lot to my Giant Cattails creation.  I'm not sure where the initial idea came from but it does add another type of vaguely terrestrial, marshland type flora that we can put on the table for a game.

Starting at the bottom we have a 3x3 Plate with two 1x3 Rounded Plates w/Open Studs on top of it.  This is the base.  It doesn't count towards the number of pieces in the build and also helps us space them out evenly.  The plant itself starts with two Apollo Studs, a 6L Bar w/Stop, another Apollo Stud (inverted and placed on one side of the Stop), an Eggshell/Crown, and a 1x1 Horizontal Swirl Round Plate which are on the other side of the Stop.  Each stalk is six pieces which is 1 Hit.  A single stack is at least 17 feet tall -- depending on how deep you push them into the Apollo Studs and the base -- and 5 feet wide in 6P scale.  You can arrange them from one to four pieces on a base which will give you varying levels of "density" for this terrain.

I changed the color of the top two pieces to Pink and I also swapped out the 1x1

 Horizontal Swirl Round Plate for a 1x1 Vertical Swirl Round Plate.  This could be

used to denote a variant of the original or one that's in a different growth stage.

The Horizontal/Vertical Swirl Round Plates come in a combined total of nine colors.

The Eggshell is thirteen colors.  Apollo Studs come in 25 colors.  The Bar w/Stop is

available in fifteen colors, so you can have a wide variety of looks with this design.

As you can see in the size comparison, it's a reasonably tall build.  I hope this gives people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds. Flickr page.

Terrain Workshop: Haunting Tree

I mentioned once before that a friend of mine said "Ideas aren't interesting until they keep you up at night."  This.  Is.  One.  Of.  Those.  Ideas.  This creation absolutely haunted me from the moment it popped into my head.  Hence the name.  It doesn't help that one of the pieces is only available -- in that color -- in one set.

Let's start at the top.  The first piece is a Boat Stud, then two Plates w/Bar Arm Up, two 1x2 Round Plates w/Pointed Leaf are attached to the arms.  Continuing downward we have a 2x2 Truncated Cone, then a 2L Pin Connector w/Slot, then three 1x1 Round Plates and two 1x1 Round Bricks, staggered.

I made a second version that swaps in two 1x2 Round Plates w/Rounded Leaf for the 1x2 Round Plates w/Pointed Leaf.  I think I like the first version a

little better but, I didn't have enough of either type of leaf to make a full

set that way.  Both versions of this tree are 2 Hits and 19 feet tall in 6P 

Scale. Version 1 is 35 feet from tip to tip and version 2 is the same.

If you want to make them a little taller -- and tougher -- you pop off the Boat stud, add two more Plates w/Bar Arm Up, and two 1x2 Round Plates w/Pointed Leaf, along with two 2x2 Round Plates, then re-attach the Boat Stud.  This adds 1 Hit and three feet in height.  If you like the second version you add in two more 1x2 Round Plates w/Rounded Leaf.

As you can see they're fairly tall and should make for good

Cover on the table.  As always, I hope this gives people

ideas or techniques to use in their own builds. Flickr page.

Review: Block Tech US101-2421 Cube-imals Axolotl

I found this the other day at Five Below along with a few other sets.  There's at least three other versions.  I thought this was the most interesting of the bunch so let's give it a look.

Box.  MSRP is $4.00 for a $0.04 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Rubber Bands.

Parts 2.  Plates, Tiles, Corner Bricks, Tiles

w/Studs on Edge, Corner Plates, Brick

w/Axle Hole, Bricks w/Pinholes, Brick,

Round Brick, and Bar Plates (open ends).

Parts 3.  Round Tile, Plates, Axle/Pin Connector Toggle Joint Smooth, Axle/Pin Connector,

Axles w/Stop, Notched Axle, Round Plates w/5 Petals, Inkwells, Half Bushings, Half Pins,

Bar Claws, Bar Connectors, Bar, and Minifig Weapon Blades w/Bar Handle & Spikes.

Build.  Frame (2W) -- taking inspiration

from my Doom Bot -- and Station.

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+).  The colors are nice but I feel like it needs more of the bits and bobs we all look for to be really good.

Review: Brix 64273-01 Bento Blox

I found this the other day at Five Below along with a few other sets.  There's at least one other version.  Let's give it a look.

Box.  MSRP is $6.00 for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Inside of box without filler/shims.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Cones, Round Bricks, Double Studless

Slopes, Round Plates, Tiles, Plates, Double

Sided Plates, and Rounded Plates.

Parts 2.  Bars w/Stop, Axle Connectors, Tiles, Brackets, Cheese

Slopes, Cones, Notched Axles, Ball Joint/Axles, Bars, Round

Tiles, Round Plates, and Flower Stems w/Stud & 3 Stems.

Build.  Two Frames (2W) and a Station.

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+).  When I was taking pictures of the parts in this set I wasn't that impressed.  But when I sat down to try and build something I was happy with what resulted.  Also, the box might make a half decent carrying case.

Review: Brickcraft 72613PEP Peeps Blue Bunny Easter Basket

Brickcraft once again has the Peeps license for Easter.  This is the one new set for the year, I believe, so let's give it a look.

Box.  MSRP is $7.95 for a $0.08 Price per Piece.

I paid $4.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Round Plate w/Cutout, Quarter Circle Plates, Plates, Round

Large Jumpers, Bar Tiles, Macaroni Bricks,  Eggshells, Macaroni Plates,

Printed Macaroni Brick, Brick, Slope w/Cutout, Printed Brick, Log Bricks,

Printed Oval Brick, Tiles, Round Plates w/3 Leaves, Oval Brick, Double

Curved Slopes, Apollo Studs, Bricks w/Studs on Side, Round Plates w/5

Petals, Large Cheese Slopes, Brackets, Cheese Slopes w/Studs on Slope, Bars, Bars w/Angled Hollow Studs, Round Bricks, and Macaroni Tiles.

Build.  Frame (2W), a 1 Hit piece of Cover, and a Station.

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+). I like the pastels, and there are some useful parts, but overall I'm not feeling this one.

Review: Brickcraft 72609BFS D.I.Y Egg

Brickcraft is debuting some new sets for Easter this year.  They still have the Peeps sets but they have a bunch of new sets this time around.  This one seems to be a, smaller, riff on Lego's Decorative Easter Egg.

Box.  MSRP is $6.99 for a $0.08 Price per Piece.  I paid $4.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Plates, Bricks w/Studs on Side, Corner Bricks, Truncated Cone, Corner

Plates, Studless Slopes, Large Cheese Slopes, Double Sided Plates, Heart Tiles,

Round Tiles, Stadium Tiles, Quarter Circle Tiles, and Bricks w/Stud on Side.

Build.  Frame (2W), Station and

two 1 Hit pieces 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+). I like all the Aqua, and the 3x4 Plates are interesting.  It's not conventional but it should add a splash of color to your regular choices.

Review: Brickcraft 72603BFS Bricktanicals Hyacinth

Brickcraft is debuting some new sets for Easter this year.  They still have the Peeps sets but they have a bunch of new sets this time around.  I was really intrigued by the Pink pieces at the core of this build so I bought the set.

Box.  MSRP is $5.99 for a $0.06 Price per Piece.  I paid $4.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  X by Y Leaf w/Ball Joint, Axle.

Parts 2.  Weapon Holder Rings, Axle Connectors, Flower

w/Bar, Round Bricks, Axle Connector w/Ball Joint, Cones,

Minifig Banana Peels, Stem w/Bar & 3 Leaves, Bar,

Apollo Studs, Inverted Tile Clips, Bar w/Stop, and Axles.

Build.  1 Hit piece of Cover and Frame (2W).

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+).  While the build is disappointing, this set will make a great parts pack with those Weapon Holder Rings and Ball Joint Axle Connectors.