LEGO Masters Netherlands/Belgium
Season 2 Episode 7 – Recap
Welcome back to our coverage of LEGO Masters Netherlands/Belgium. With four teams remaining and a semi-final approaching this week, we travel to a galaxy far, far away with The Star Wars episode.
Mini challenge: Stormtrooper build
Challenge 1
The shutters open to reveal a squad of Stormtroopers marching into the workshop. The challenge is for each team to pick one and create a LEGO replica of a trooper in six hours. The team reactions are mixed with some being massive fans. Such as Ernesto who is overjoyed, and others having no connections at all with the movies.
The Brickpit is opened to reveal it’s been Star-Wars-ified with several key models on display and an assortment of minifigs.
The teams get cracking with working out what scale to use. Brickmaster confers with Kurt that given the time building something that’s around 50-60 inches tall where you can use pieces to create smoother elements would be better than trying to create a massive brick-sized piece at Kale-Scale.
“Are these good people or bad people?” asks Thomas as they get started on their build as Marco gives them a rundown on what Stormtroopers are while getting stunned that they don’t know who Darth Vader is.
Thomas and Roy
Brickmaster points out the use of sloped bricks which help sell the form of the armour. The head also gets praises as it’s a tricky thing to build and they get points for all of the elements.
The only criticism is that the leg to torso ratio is off with the trooper having longer legs than his torso suggests. The pose is also commented on as being a bit too slouchy with underbuilt shoulders.
Jan and Julien
Noted for being the largest of the four. Brickmaster zeros in on the details being all there but a bit off in proportions notably the legs being a bit too small and simple.
Ernesto and Marco
The grandmasters of Star Wars spent their time struggling with a very fragile build that threatens to completely fall apart at the last minute. They get points for the helmet looking great and the build having all of the elements. Brickmasters points out the proportions are a bit elongated with the trooper having flat feet.
Marcel and Bibi
Off the bat, they get points for having all the elements and recognisable Stormtrooper shape along with the details in the legs. The helmet gets the most criticism as it is lacking finer details that make it correct.
The Verdict
The two teams that get called up are Thomas and Roy and Marcel and Bibi. Marcel and Bibi are praised for getting proportions correct that match up with a human ratio. They are at a bit of a disadvantage with the helmet being a bit plain.
Thomas and Roy get praise for a perfect helmet and their attention to details elsewhere gets them the prize. They gain an advantage for the semi-final and the second challenge.
Star Wars Vehicle Challenge
Main Challenge
The teams are tasked to build a new and original vehicle that has to exist in the Star Wars universe. Four minifigs are on hand to be picked, two dark and two light. Brickmaster points out that each side has a distinct design language and colour scheme that needs to be followed. They also need to pay attention to the function of the vehicle so that it fits in alongside existing ships.
Assisting in judging this week is Stefan Cembolista. Stefan is a props builder who has worked for Lucasfilm for fifteen years and often builds life-sized ships for trade shows.
Thomas and Roy – Dark Side – Jump Star
They have a small advantage where they can use Stefan’s knowledge for ten minutes when building their ship.
They quickly suss out the Imperials use triangles and decide on creating a “jump-star” – a walking star-shaped platform. Call in Stefan early on to help assess their design. He points out the design is quite unusual in that it combines flying and jumping. He also points out the pointed edges could be used as defensive ships.
Their lack of Star Wars knowledge becomes apparent as they consult with Ernesto and Marco over what to use as ship pilots and their confusion with “Darth Father” thinking they were designing a mansion for him. Which results in an interpretation of the base spinning to reveal a room where he sits.
Judging wise, Stefan points out that jumping legs on a base is a unique concept for Star Wars and feels it could be a weak point for Rebel Attacks as it feels too light to the main building.
The five fighters are given praise for the playability factor.
The other criticism given is the colouring is a bit off and the detailing feels too busy.
Jan and Julien – Dark Side – AT-BT: All TErrain Base Transport
Noting that there were a ton of flying vehicles they decide to create a ground-based troop transport tank and decide to go big. Really big. There is some discussion with Brickmaster over their direction as they are spending time adding in cargo crates. Brickmaster points out that most Empire ships generally have one function. Stefan isn’t quite sure “what factory” the tank came from. The style feels a bit too industrial with the piping being used for greebling. But still has the core elements of a Star Wars vehicle.
Ernesto and Marco – Light Side – Scav-1
Humming away Star Wars tunes they come up with an idea for a scavenger for the Rebel Alliance which collects scraps from battles. Focusing on Rey and Finn as the main pilots of the ship the craft features a grappling hook and swing-out sections to reveal storage holds with pieces of craft that are processed into containers. Brickmaster praises the ramshackle ugly nature of the ship with the clashing colours and highlights.
Stefan also praises the look and feel of the ship, only noting that the grappling hook might have worked better as a crane arm but loves the functionality of the build and the playability features.
Marcel and Bibi – Light Side – Drop Pod Ship
They decide on creating a large spaceship that is intended to transport colonies onto other planets via a habitat pod that can get dropped off from the underside. The judges point out that it fits the bill being a light side with round edges and a colour scheme.
Stefan notes that while the ship fits the bill with the right elements. The colonisation theme doesn’t quite gel with the universe’s narrative, noting it’s called Star Wars, not Star Peace.
The Verdict
The two teams that get called up front are Marco and Ernesto and Jan and Julien. They both are praised for building a ship that comes out of a star wars movie along with having features that enhance playability and tell stories.
The team who wins are Jan and Julien. They also win a bonus prize of keeping their build and taking it home with them. As it’s not an elimination no teams are going home.
Up next week
The semi-finals are here! Which teams will be in the final contest to become Belgium/Netherland’s second LEGO Master?
Tune in at BrickBanter.com and find out!
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