LEGO Warhammer 101

A few weeks ago I reached out to two of LEGO customizers regarding how one might incorporate pieces from the Warhammer line of gaming figures into their minifig customs. Life being what it is, I hadn't been able to write up this article until now. Although 'Warhammer fever' has since cooled, I thought it would still be worthwhile to share these tips.

Warhammer and Warhammer 40K are table-top gaming systems that utilize small figurines. The painting and customization of figures via 'bitz' is as much of the experience as the role-playing game. Warhammer largely takes place in a fantasy setting much like Dungeons & Dragons, while Warhammer 40K is set in a dystopian science fiction universe. The scale of the Warhammer figures are not quite aligned to minifigures, but if you know where to look, you can find some great pieces.

In order to find answers to my questions I sought the help of two experts in both Warhammer and LEGO customization, JasBrick and Geoshift.

The first question I had was where to even begin looking if I wanted to see what might be available. A quick Google search on 'Warhammer' quickly lead me to the Games Workshop website. Games Workshop is the parent company that owns and produces the figures for both games. Even though I had found the 'mothership' it wasn't immediately clear which elements would actually be compatible with use on minifigures.

JasBrick offers up that the plastic parts (versus metal) are going to be your best bet. In fact those parts associated with the Tau Empire or Space Marines from 40K work quite well.

JasBrick: "The scale is not quite right, however GW uses a heroic scale which means that some of the pieces are exagerated in size.  The best kits to use are space marine and Tau kits, with the former having lots of nice details and bits like ammo packs and heraldic symbols, and the latter being good for sci-fi weaponry (from the battlesuit kits)."

A quick perusal of the Games Workshop site shows lots potential across the board, but what's difficult to discern is which parts are the right scale for minifigures. Geoshift had similar issues when he started to incorporate these 'bitz' into his work...

Geoshift: "I wish I had a good answer for this, but the truth is that it's very difficult. In fact, MOST of the parts I've purchased can't be used at all because they are simply too small and I don't have a good alternate use for them. Unfortunately it is often impossible to determine size from the photos [online]..."

So it's definitely 'buyer beware' when exploring parts for usage where you aren't certain of the scale. Looking around at Jas' and Geoshift's Flickr streams may give you an idea if a part you're considering has been used in their work previously.

So you've scoped out some parts and decided on which you want to buy. Do you start purchasing kits? JasBrick has some advice here...

JasBrick: "Would I recommend buying the kits for those that don't play WH40K.... NO.... these are expensive and the amount of usable parts in most cases do not warrant the expense.  What I would recommend is to use eBay for bits as a lot of people break down the kits.  Alternatively is try and find out if anyone you know is a GW player and ask for access to their 'Bitz Box' which any modeller worth the name will have.  You may find parts that they will have no use for that you can use to create a new custom."

Geoshift has purchased all of his parts off of eBay...

Geoshift: "I've found a few good sellers for these parts, including 'hoard_*_bits', 'window-box', and 'krazy_marine'. The best search terms are 'Warhammer bits' or '40K bits'. You will then find these guys and others selling just parts."

So you've raided the 'bitz box' and put in several orders on eBay. Now what?! What do the experts recommend on how to bring it all together...

Geoshift: "Because of the scale issues, the challenge is to find useful parts, then bring them together on a particular build in a way that flows and seems to make sense. So, I'm using parts in ways they were never intended in most cases (a jet pack becomes part of the armor chest-piece, or the top of a banner staff becomes a decorative shoulder guard). Of course, this is part of the fun as well!"

I want to thank Jas and Geoshift for sharing their wisdom on this topic. Hopefully this has been helpful for readers who may have considered using Warhammer in their customs but didn't know where to begin.

A quick review would suggest the following:

• Choose plastic over metal for minifigures
• Tau Warriors and Space Marines are a good place to start, but opportunities are everywhere
• Buying full kits may be pricey - raid the 'bitz box' or shop on eBay
• There's not a good way to check scale in advance - look for parts used by others previously, otherwise 'buyer beware'

V&A Steamworks Now Offers Stovepipes to Public

Prior to Bricks by the Bay last week, we discussed that V&A Steamworks would be selling their minifig stovepipe hats at the convention. There was a promise to make them available to the public at some time down the road...well today is your day!

Available in seven colors, the cost is $4 USD apiece or three for $10 (plus shipping). Guy is even offering to do custom color runs with a minimum order of 10 hats!

You'll need a Flickr account to place your order, as you need to send V&A a Flickr Mail to start the process.

What more do you need to know. Head on over to V&A Steamwork's Flickr stream and place your order today!

Citizen Brick Review on Brother's Brick

It seems the folks at Citizen Brick set Nannan up with some printed minifigures, bricks, and tiles. In turn, Nannan has put together a review of their products on The Brothers Brick.

If you've been considering a purchase, but wanted a the opinion of an unbiased third-party...well now you have it! I personally think that there's a lot of potential from this relatively new company, given the inventive and witty nature of their products to date.

You can see the full review on The Brother's Brick, or just cut to the chase and visit Citizen Brick today.

New Hazel Visors Have You In Their Sights

Hazel Tam has been 'flashing' pics of a new variant of eye protection on Flickr. These visors appear to be a custom design for Nightmare System in Japan, but may still make it to the US via United Armory. So far there appear to be versions in black and tan.

Once these go on sale, I'll let everyone know.

(Via Hazel's Flickr stream)

Tiny Tactical Packs and Radio

Steve has more great custom accessories soon to hit the shelves of Tiny Tactical. There are three new items pictured above:

• ULS - Ultra lite strike pack (Dark Tan, Black and OD Green)
• TDA- 3 day assault pack (Dark Tan, Black and OD Green)
• MSRV2- Tactical Radio in pouch (Black/Dark Tan, Black/Black and Black/OD Green)

The packs may come in two 'flavors' - one which attached to the TT vests, and another that attaches to the fig via a neck piece.

The radios can't be removed from the pouch, but will look great as an accent item on your custom figure.

No dates yet on when these will be available, but be assured that we will let you know.

Many of the Tiny Tactical accessories sell out quickly, so check their BrickLink storefront often for news and updates.

(Via Tiny Tactical Flickr stream)

V&A Steamworks Stovepipe Hats at Bricks by the Bay

Bricks by the Bay is this weekend, and those attending are starting to put up some of what they'll be bringing. V&A Steamworks will be selling stovepipe hats in black and white and some with printed bands as well. They will be selling for $4 USD each, or three hats for $10 USD.

Not going to be in Northern California this weekend? No worries. It sounds like the hats will be available to the general public soon.

(Via V&A Steamworks Flickr stream)

Amazing Zelda Custom Sword on Shapeways

Shilo shares this new minfig scale custom sword currently sold on Shapeways. The sword is a replica of the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda series of video games. The designer is Michael Inglis (M1NGLES) who had added just enough detail to keep it within the LEGO aesthetic.

Given that it's Shapeways the pieces you buy are produced via 3D printing techniques. You have a variety of materials that you can choose from. The version shown in Shilo's pic above is made of stainless steel but you can also purchase versions in plastic as well.

I would recommend checking out Michael's store. He doesn't have a lot of items for sale, but what he does have looks quite nice.

Thanks to Shilo for sharing!

Black Lodge Customs for Bricks by the Bay Announced

Badger has announced the two Black Lodge Customs figs that he'll be bringing to Bricks by the Bay next weekend. Fans will be able to pick up a redesigned version of the Neo-Tokyo Street Punk and the all new Royal Rifleman. 

You get quite a bit in each package. The Street Punk offers up several BrickArms custom accessories, including four prototypes, for $25 USD, while the new Royal Rifleman at $15 USD gives you an opportunity to score a prototype musket along with other goodies.

Badger makes mention that the Heavy Laser Cannon prototype mold suffered some damage while producing these figs, so the value of these babies just went way up!

The figures will be on sale at the Brickmania booth on Friday and will be first come, first served.

Bricks by the Bay will be the first major AFOL convention of the season and starts next weekend. If you would like to learn more about the event, check out the interview with Bill Ward on the Ka-GO blog (a seriously good AFOL site that Ka.lego has just started).

You can see more about the Black Lodge Customs on Badger's Flickr stream.

Tiny Tactical Restock Today (3/11/11)

Just a reminder that Tiny Tactical is planning on re-stocking their shelves around 2pm PST today (3/11). The BA-G36 upgrades, gas masks, and flame thrower kits should also be available at that time.

Don't forget to visit Tiny Tactical on BrickLink in just a few hours!

New Products at FireStar Toys

First off, my apologies for not posting much. I've been traveling alot this week. In fact I'm writing this post in an airport lounge waiting for the 'red eye' back home. But enough about me, let's talk about figs...

FireStar Toys has just released a new series of custom minifigures featuring chromed custom items from head to toe. Some items feature accessories from the Hazel Fantasy line while others are chromed Star Wars figs.

There's also a series of female Star Wars custom minifigures featuring the new Arealight printed sci-fi torsos and helmets!

Lots of wonderful custom items and minifigures to choose from. Head on over to FireStar Toys today!

I Apologize In Advance...

I couldn't call it a night with out posting about a new custom house out of Chicago called Citizen Brick. I say new, as they've just established a presence on Flickr, but as far as I know this group could have been out there for awhile.

Now I realize we have a wide variety of readers, and not everyone has the same tastes, but I find Citizen Brick's products run the gamut from inspired to just plain funny (to me at least). 

Their big, claim to fame is that they are able to create printed items from minifigures to bricks and tiles. The minifigures are priced around $20 USD and include names such as 'motorcycle enthusiast' and 'botany enthusiast' (yes, I know these won't be everyone's cup of tea). I've shown the 'ink enthusiast' above. 

In addition to full custom minifigures they have a range of printed tiles, bricks, and minifigure heads.

I'm really interested to see what these folks have in store. You can see more on their Flickr stream or on their website, CitizenBrick.com. New customers can save 20% with the promo code 'Citizen20'!

Unknown Artist Now Offers Metallics

Posted a few days ago on UnknownArtist.com, Pharazon and company now offer their custom cloth accessories in three, new metallic colors - gold, silver, and copper. You now have more options for your cloaks, coats, and holsters.

You can find out more at UnknownArtist.com.

Tiny Tactical is Back!

Well they never really went anywhere, but Steve has returned with new custom accessories. First up we have the flamethrower kit that was shown as a prototype back in September 2010. The final product looks great in olive drab green and will hopefully be up on Tiny Tactical before the end of next week.

But wait, there's more. Steve also has upgrade accessories for the BrickArms G36 including a drum magazine, grenade launcher, launcher sight, and folding stock. The only question I have is where can you get BA G36's, as they appear to be sold out at BrickArms.com?!

You can see more pictures on Flickr. You can also check out the Tiny Tactical store on BrickLink.

UPDATE: Badger clarifies in the comments on a few places where you can pick up the G36 (also known as the 'assault carbine'). It can also be found at FireStar Toys.

Product Review - Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor

It is hard to believe, but this will be the first product review we have done for Hazel Fantasy and Amazing Armory Ltd.. This review will cover the Cyborg Armor set and Cyborg Shield. We will also have a review of customizer Pedro's work in painting one of these sets. The intent of this review is to give you the information you need to decide if these products are right for you.

Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor - 360 View (Click to Enlarge)

The Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor is sold as a set that includes both body gear and helmet. The body armor fits on the fig in the same way that standard LEGO gear might, over the head post. The connection holds firm to the body with no issues. The pauldrons and back pack are all part of a single, molded, ABS piece. The level of detail on the body gear are astounding.

There's plenty of room inside the neck/head guard of the armor to allow for helmets of various shapes and sizes.

Max Forward Arm Movement (left); Max Rear Movement (right)

Full arm movement is restricted due to the pauldrons and the back pack. The picture above shows the full range of arm movement available.

Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor Helmet - 360 View (Click to Enlarge)

The helmet, also made of ABS plastic, has full coverage of the minifigure head with an opening for the mouth. Again the piece is nicely detailed and there was a firm connection with the head with no issues.

Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor Set - 360 View (Click to Enlarge)

The pictures above show how the body armor and helmet come together for the final effect.

Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Shield - Front and Back (Click to Enlarge)

The Cyborg Shield (sold separately) can be paired with Cyborg Armor set or used for other builds. The shield is held via a handle on the back of the shield (shown above). The connection was good within the fig's hand and there were no connection issues. As with the Cyborg Armor set, the piece is molded in ABS plastic and comes nicely detailed.

The Cyborg Armor set and Shield only come in Dark Blueish Gray. Many customizers will often paint these pieces to provide variety and add color. Customizer Pedro, who is also the owner of the North American reseller of Hazel Fantasy, United Armory, provided us with a hand painted custom version of the Cyborg Armor set. We will review Pedro's work to both give you a sense of what can be accomplished with these pieces. Pedro will often sell custom minifigures through United Armory, so this can also give you an understanding of the quality craftsmanship that goes into his work.

Painted Cyborg Armor Set for UD by Pedro (Click to Enlarge)

Here we have a 360 view of the painted Cyborg Armor. Pedro has used Mr. Color paints on this piece to nice effect, incorporating the colors of our site into the armor. Pedro uses both Mr. Color and Citadel brands in his work. The lines are extremely clean with no issues. Pedro has also added two additional custom touches, first he's added several tiny holes in the neck/head guard to give some additional character to the piece. Second he's added a waterslide decal on the right pauldron of the Ugly Duckling logo - both features are nicely done.

There are no sealants used, as Pedro feels it can alter the appearance and texture of the piece; however, he can add a sealant upon request. Also although extensive play is not recommended, the piece should withstand some light play and posing.

Cyborg Shield Painted (Left) and Unpainted (Right)

Pedro included a painted version of the shield and a FAMAS rifle (not reviewed here). The two pictures show the difference between the painted and unpainted pieces.

Hazel Fantasy FAMAS Painted (Bottom) and Unpainted (Top)

Another factor to consider when buying a full custom minfigure is the quality of the minifigure itself. There were no issues here as the Space Police III minifigure that was used seemed brand new and the head was of quality.

Pedro will take requests for custom minifigures, but he asks for payment in advance. You can contact him via Flickr or United Armory.

Overall these pieces are fantastic from top to bottom. Good connections, highly detailed parts with ABS construction. Although they only come in dark blueish gray, you can always paint the parts and add your own custom look. If painting is not your thing, you could always purchase one of Pedro's custom pieces. The Cyborg Armor set, shield, and Pedro's custom work are all highly recommended.

Additional Stats - Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Armor Set
Website: United Armory
Location: United States
International Shipping: US and Canada only
Products & Colors: Dark Blueish Gray
Retail Price: $8.80 USD

Additional Stats - Hazel Fantasy Cyborg Shield
Products & Colors: Dark Blueish Gray
Retail Price: $4.00 USD

Geiger Would Be Proud

Yes, I recognize that these Xenomorphs from Aliens are not minifigures, but who else is your ABS Ripley going to fight? These are some great creations from Brandon (AKA Catsy), with lots of articulation and pose-ability.

These would pair nicely with the upcoming Hazel Fantasy Aliens line which debuts at the Tokyo Toy Fair in March.

Brandon has incorporated these great builds into a series of scenes which can be seen on his Flickr stream.

BrickForge Unveils New Color - Steel

Armothe has released pics of six BrickForge items in their newest color - 'Steel'. Most comparable to 'gunmetal' or 'dark pear gray', you can now purchase the falcata, knight's shield, military helmet, round pauldrons, vambraces, and wizard's staff in this new shade.

You can see all this and more at the BrickForge store and on Flickr.

Bricks & Customs Restocks Minifig Capes

Minifigure cloth customizer Lamanda has restocked her BrickLink store with new capes and shoulder extensions aplenty. A great way to upgrade your Series 3 Elf or custom faction.

You can find her store, Bricks & Customs, on BrickLink.

ORRANGE is Back in the Game

It looks like ORRANGE is back at the bench and sculpting fantastic custom accessories from game series like Killzone, Dead Space, and Half Life.

What's nice is the Dead Space helmet would be just as much at home on a jousting field as an abandoned space colony. The Killzone sniper coat also has a lot of custom possibility.

It seems that United Armory will be busy with orders for ORRANGE's customs this year.

(Via ORRANGE's Flickr stream)

Arealight Printed Helmets and Torsos Now on Sale

Just a quick reminder that Arealight now has their range of printed Sci-Fi Helmets and Female Mando Torsos up for sale today. A wide variety to choose from and the colors work wonderfully with official TLG items (as you can see above).

Head on over to the Arealight store today!

BrickTW's Hearts of Hope

BrickTW has come out in support of Child Welfare in Taiwan. Winter can be a difficult time for one an all, but those in disadvantaged situations can feel the bit even more.

BrickTW has put together a package of custom minifigure accessories and items for sale whereby a portion of the proceeds will go to help child welfare in these tough times.

For more information, visit BrickTW's Flickr stream.