Adventure beyond the instructions and transform your Middle-earth™ home into a masterpiece with a custom display for your The Lord of the Rings LEGO® BrickHeadz™ builds.
We challenged our fan builder and LOTR superfan to create a space-efficient display that celebrates the franchise’s legendary characters – Gandalf the Grey™ & Balrog™ (40631) and Legolas & Gimli™ (40751). Ready to journey into their build? You shall pass!
When it came to Gandalf the Grey & Balrog (40631), our fan builder knew exactly where to begin – the bridge scene was the perfect iconic moment to recreate. But for Legolas & Gimli (40751), the possibilities seemed endless – how does one choose?
Initially leaning towards the steppes of Rohan™ or Helm’s Deep™, our fan builder realized those large-scale settings might overshadow the models when the goal was to make them stand out. Then, inspiration struck: Moria™! Not only did it suit the pair, but it also tied in beautifully with Gandalf’s scene. A win-win!
Top tip! Focus on shapes and textures from your chosen scene and choose your bricks wisely.
Our fan builder started experimenting with designs using Stud.io software (the LEGO Group’s digital brick-building software). Their advice? Start with the baseplates from the models and build out the scenes from there, after all you need them to fit.
For this scene, a key priority was making sure it could stand as two separate pieces while still looking epic together! Elevating the models added a dynamic touch, with realistic rock textures achieved using both inverted and regular slopes.
The goal wasn’t perfect accuracy but rather capturing the essence of the scene. Once the bridge was built, the figures were placed on their plinths, ready to battle!
Unlike the elevation in the other build, this scene was built at a lower level to fit perfectly in front of the Gandalf display.
To replicate the rubble and neglected mines of Moria, round 1x1 plates and angled tiles were used. Favoring a nifty new technique, the fan builder placed them on a hinge, so he could angle the pillar and give it a dramatic edge. Nice trick!
Once the base part was complete and the figures were fitted, additional details like foliage were added to create contrast with the gray tones.
Top tip! Use contrasting colors to make small details pop.
And there you have it – a legendary custom LEGO LOTR BrickHeadz display that doesn’t cost all of Middle-earth.
Whether you’re building for The Lord of the Rings or your favorite TV/film franchise, extend your creativity beyond the instructions with unique touches for a powerful display.
As Gandalf says, “All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that’s given to us.”
The answer? Build!
© New Line Productions Inc. All rights reserved. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and all names of the characters, items, events, and places therein are ™ of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s25)
