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LEGO Contest Iron Builder: The Great Battle!

One of the most interesting LEGO contests is called Iron Builder. We talked about this LEGO contest in a previous post already (see: LEGO Contest to Awe & Inspire: Iron Builder), and today I would like to show you the entries to the January 2013 LEGO Iron Builder contest, as it was particularly interesting. Check it out below!

LEGO Contest Iron Builder January 2013

The current Iron Builder challenged in this last round was Bart De Dobbelaer, an incredible LEGO builder with a great sense of color and texture. The challenger was Siercon & Coral, the LEGO fan couple who’s out-of-the-box and unusual LEGO creations we featured here several times.

The “secret ingredient” – the part that both contestants had to use in their LEGO creations – was a translucent orange Bionicle half-sphere.

The first entry to the LEGO contest was by Bart using two of the Bionicle parts. As Bart has a knack for story-telling in LEGO, it was no surprise that his first entry also told a story:  “Zoid’s parents were confident that sending their son to the prestigious Intergalactic Elementary School would benefit his education and improve the interaction with his classmates. However, after the unfortunate incident with little Timmy and the phaser, the I.E.S had to revise their Student Code of Conduct regarding toys brought from home. Zoid was expelled and had to take his further education at the infamous Institute for Juvenile Misfits.”

LEGO Contest Space School by Bart De Dobbelaer

Siercon & Coral responded by building this lovely Lollypop Forest including six of the Bionicle half-spheres. Please note that even the candy-wrappers are from official LEGO sets!

LEGO Contest Lollipop Forest by Siercon & Coral

Bart shot back by creating the Gloom Marshes, also using six of the Bionicle parts, and again telling a story: “Not many ventured into the gloom marshes and those that did, were never seen nor heard from again. Folk would tell of strange shapes slithering through the mist and of the howling noises they heard during the night. Some would say the sounds came from the horrifying creatures that roamed the land. Others claimed it were the trapped souls lamenting out in despair.”

LEGO Contest Gloom Marshes by Bart De Dobbelaer

And for good measure he also sent these fiery lips taunting Sean that he received them from Coral. Now the contest was getting personal.

LEGO Contest Fiery Lips by Bart De Dobbelaer

Siercon & Coral weren’t ready to give up and wrote back: “Oh look, you’ve posted a burnt spaghetti monster. Bart, little by little we promise to drag you through the gates of oblivion. We’ll begin with this Ember Beast from the Lava Lakes. Bring on your spaghetti. And thanks for the kisses… we stand undivided – framing tends to unite multiple enemies.”

LEGO Contest Hell Tiger by Siercon & Coral

And they also added this wonderful Ice Planet diorama using LEGO micro-building techniques and adding lots of clever details.

LEGO Contest Ice Planet by Siercon & Coral

There were several more wonderful entries by Bart, including the excellent creations featured below. You can see the rest of his contest entries at his flickr gallery.

LEGO Contest Giant Bug by Bart De Dobbelaer LEGO Contest Iron Builder by Bart De Dobbelaer LEGO Contest Iron Builder 2 by Bart De Dobbelaer LEGO Contest Doom by Bart De Dobbelaer

And also there were more contest entries by Siercon & Coral, including the coral reef where the whole scene is actually under water in a real aquarium, the giant sushi completely made of LEGO, and the huge sword called Armageddon’s Blade that is also fully LEGO and not glued! You can see all pictures and videos at their flickr gallery.

LEGO Contest Coral Reef by Siercon & Coral LEGO Contest Sushi by Siercon & Coral LEGO Contest Black Castle by Siercon & Coral LEGO Contest Sword by Siercon & Coral

This was probably one of the most exciting LEGO contests I have seen for a long time. I don’t envy the judges who had to make a decision about the winner! Contest entries were evaluated on LEGO building skill, presentation, and the use of the mystery part. The final scores were very close, but ultimately Siercon & Coral dethroned Bart De Dobbelaer as Iron Builder. Now the question is who is going to go against and be able to defeat Siercon & Coral? What do you think? Share your thoughts below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

{ 44 comments… add one }
  • The Yellow Ninja February 21, 2013, 10:17 AM

    AWESOME!!!! I knew they would win! Imagine how many LEGO bricks it would have taken in order to build that giant piece of sushi! And that under water scene reminds me of “Finding Nemo”. 😀 Over all this was a very good season of “Iron Builder” 😀
    :mrgreen:

  • Micho February 21, 2013, 10:33 AM

    OMG!!! Not it!!!
    That couple has way to o much money… and even more imagination, and that my friends is a lethal combination LOL. I would not dare go up against them.
    I did not understand the Iron Builder contest until now, that is a hard core contest.
    IMO Bart should not have touted them with the lips, I think it was that point that turned the tables, it’s like if Kobe Bryant had blown kisses to Michael Jordan in the Finals, Michael would have gotten ignited and just taken his game level up a notch or two above Kobe’s, and that seems to be what happened here.

    • admin February 21, 2013, 10:56 AM

      Micho, yeah, those lips just ignited the whole competition and made Sean and Steph pull out all the stops. Sounds like you are a basketball fan too! 😀

      • Micho February 21, 2013, 12:29 PM

        Orlando Magic :-D… I am a huge basketball geek too LOL… it was really too bad all the LEGO NBA stuff happened during my darkest years, I missed out on all of it 🙁

        • admin February 21, 2013, 12:53 PM

          Yeah, the LEGO MBA sets are actually really cool. I really like the minifigs with the springy legs and the torso designs are sweet too. Besides some minifigs I bought one small set too so I have a basket and a ball, and the minifigs can actually shoot really well. It is quite suprising, and really fun! 🙂

          I have been to Orlando Magic games in Orlando, but I usually just watch the games online. My favorite team is the Dallas Mavericks. They are an older team – nothing fancy, but really hard working. I loved when they annihilated LA a couple of years ago in the finals! I also like Oklahoma City – a young and energetic team with awesome fans! 😀

          • Micho February 21, 2013, 5:42 PM

            Nice… I’m a Laker hater, so I was REALLY happy when the Mavs massacred them. I was a Chicago Bulls fan in the 90s but Orlando’s been my team since Shaq left to LA, but since I know they aren’t doing anything anytime soon, my hopes are on the Clippers (young and energetic too) this year, I would love to watch a Knicks vs. Clippers Finals.

            Wow, I did not even know that the NBA minifigs had springs or could shoot, I’ma have to Bricklink me some NBA minifigs a ball and a hoop, I know there’s Gary Peyton minifig I’ve seen and want.

            • admin February 21, 2013, 8:04 PM

              Yeah, I was a Bulls fan too as I lived in Chicago thru my teens. Those were great times! 😀

              I originally got me some of the MBA minifigs because I liked their shirts and needed them for a City diorama I was working on at that time. But then when I realised how great they are shooting balls I got some more. 😉

              • Micho February 21, 2013, 11:58 PM

                Oh yes, those were definitely GREAT TIMES!

              • Kaasome, Ninja Of Sky February 24, 2013, 1:57 PM

                LOL! when I got my first basketball figures, I wondered what was wrong with them

            • Legoman640 February 21, 2013, 9:00 PM

              Oh that’s just cold Micho. I’m still a Laker fan though.

              • Micho February 22, 2013, 12:01 AM

                I’m sorry Legoman, if it’s any consolation my dad is a huge Laker fan, so you can imagine when we watch games together LOL… If I’m not mistaken there is a Shaq or Kobe LEGO minifigure as well, it’d be something nice to have for a fan like you.

  • percy jackson February 21, 2013, 12:27 PM

    i really like the tiger and the sword! they are cool!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 how do you sign up for this kinda stuff?

    • admin February 21, 2013, 12:47 PM

      You mean how do you sign up to participate? For this particular contest you can’t. Iron Builder is by invitation only based on the impressiveness of your published LEGO works. You can read more about Iron Builder in the previous post I linked to at the beginning and the end of the article. 😉

    • Strider February 21, 2013, 4:05 PM

      While it might be a long time if at all before you become an iron builder, there are other neat contests out there. You could try winning some of those and who knows you could work your way up to bigger stuff like this.

      • admin February 21, 2013, 8:02 PM

        That’s the spirit! 😀

  • Strider February 21, 2013, 3:54 PM

    Well I think that Hellthorn Castle would win any contest. Its soo cool looking. These contests are fun to see and very inspirational. Down to the Lego area 🙂

    • robin hood February 21, 2013, 4:04 PM

      i agree

  • KaiJayColeZaneLLoydDarethSensei February 21, 2013, 4:01 PM

    Hey im nu heer col stuff i luv ninjas lol

    • KaiJayColeZaneLLoydDarethSensei February 21, 2013, 4:02 PM

      I luv my litle pic thingy besides te wurds

    • Robin hood February 22, 2013, 2:51 PM

      Um dood you i think you went krazy

  • Micho February 21, 2013, 5:46 PM

    I would like to make an announcement, I’m really proud of this. I finally bought my real Crown Golden Knight as seen in my avatar. It set me back a cool $25 but I do not regret it, it is worth it for me. Now I need another one to customize and make it my Lion Golden Knight… there’s no end to the madness… LOL

    • Ninjoey February 21, 2013, 5:56 PM

      good for you!!!! i always thaught that knight was cool!!! madness… LOL! 😀

      • Micho February 22, 2013, 12:04 AM

        Thank you Joey

    • gid617 February 21, 2013, 5:57 PM

      Congrats! $25 for one fig though… I think the entire set only cost about $40 back in it’s day… 😛

      • Micho February 22, 2013, 12:06 AM

        Oh trust me Geneva, I am well aware of that… unfortunately that set came out during my dark ages :-(… I had to get my small Crownie crew on Bricklink. But that is the most expensive figure I have, however it is not the most valuable, I have a Hulk minifigure Polybag I got for free and I think it’s going for about $35.

        • gid617 February 22, 2013, 8:11 AM

          Yeah, actually I myself am pretty lousy at army building… two figs that look the same is quite the host for me! I just have a tendancy to skip around themes – or get sets without figs.

    • admin February 21, 2013, 8:06 PM

      Congratulations! That’s a great awesome knight! I have one myself and I really like him. 😀

      • Micho February 22, 2013, 12:08 AM

        He is my favorite, I had tried putting one together and almost did, but I was never able to get a hold of the golden visor by itself, so I had to resort to buying the whole minifigure. Im pretty sure I made the Bricklink seller very happy LOL.

    • Legoman640 February 21, 2013, 9:03 PM

      Cool knight Micho!

      • Micho February 22, 2013, 12:08 AM

        Thanks Legoman

  • Ninjoey February 21, 2013, 5:53 PM

    AWESOME!!!! MY MOUTH IS HANGING OPEN!!! 😛

    • Legoman640 February 21, 2013, 9:06 PM

      Ninjoey, did you change your gravatar again? Cool minifig! What mini figure is it? By the way where’s his mouth?

      • Ninjoey February 21, 2013, 9:43 PM

        it’s just a plain white minifigure. i put it on a program called gimp & gave it blank white eyes. looks cool dosen’t it?

        • Håkan February 22, 2013, 7:59 AM

          Gimp is a free image editor available for a multitude of platforms, btw. Highly recommended.

  • awesome February 21, 2013, 6:48 PM

    they make it look so easy! 😮

  • Fikko3107 February 22, 2013, 7:00 AM

    Wow… If only I have half that many bricks…I wonder what I could make? Probably not much. I’m just not that creative!

    btw, I’ve finally added something for my website column.

  • Håkan February 22, 2013, 7:56 AM

    To the audience who’s too young to remember the Doom video game, (or even that it was an extremely influential 90’s FPS) here’s what the original “Cacodemon” looked like:

    http://doomwiki.org/wiki/Cacodemon

  • samuel February 22, 2013, 11:34 AM

    how long do these contests last?
    weeks? months? days?
    is there a time limit?

    • gid617 February 22, 2013, 11:52 AM

      I believe Iron Builder general lasts a month, though of course other contests have their own deadlines.
      BTW, Admin, earlier my computer (or browser) remebered my name, email, and website, but now I’ve been having to type it every time. Do you know what I could do to the settings to change that?

      • admin February 22, 2013, 1:11 PM

        As far as I know that’s a browser setting and depends on what browser you use on how to set it up. 🙂

        • gid617 February 22, 2013, 1:45 PM

          Thanks, I think I’ve fixed it now…

      • Legoman640 February 24, 2013, 5:29 PM

        The same thing happened to me!

  • Xi ninja February 22, 2013, 7:55 PM

    Stunned silence. . .

  • Legoman640 February 24, 2013, 5:31 PM

    That sword looks so familiar…. Kingdom Hearts maybe? Sora’s,Cloud’s,Sephiroth’s? I don’t know.

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