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In the past LEGO regularly provided alternate building instructions with pretty much every LEGO set, to give more value and stimulate creativity and fun. Unfortunately these days that is rarely the case, except for LEGO Creator and LEGO Technic sets.  However if you visit the LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles website, you will notice that LEGO provides some fun alternatives to five of the LEGO TMNT sets in the Donnie’s Lab section. So let’s take a look at all the alternate builds as they are quite fun! 😛

LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Donnie's Lab

#79100 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kraang Lab Escape – this is the smallest of the LEGO TMNT sets, but you can still use the pieces from this set to build a little swamp-boat. Download the PDF instructions to build the boat here: DOWNLOAD

#79100 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alternate Build

#79101 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Dragon Bike – you can use the pieces from this set to build a pretty awesome digger bike thingy for Shredder. Download the PDF instructions to build the digger here: DOWNLOAD

#79101 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alternate Build

#79102 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stealth Shell in Pursuit – you can use the pieces from this set to build a three-wheeled and fully armored jail-transport vehicle. Download the PDF instructions to build the vehicle here: DOWNLOAD

#79102 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alternate Build

#79104 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Shellraiser Street Chase – you can use the pieces from this set to build a really cool hot-rod. This is my favorite alternate build in the series! Download the PDF instructions to build the hot-rod here: DOWNLOAD

#79104 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alternate Build

#79105 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Baxter Robot Rampage – you can use the pieces from this set to build an armored scorpion-shaped vehicle. Download the PDF instructions to build the scorpion-vehicle here: DOWNLOAD

#79105 LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alternate Build

Cool, aren’t they? If you don’t yet have any of the LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sets, you can get them at the Online LEGO Shop. This month you will also get a Splinter minifigure keychain with your purchase, so it is the perfect time to get some LEGO TMNT sets! 🙄

Buy LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sets

So what do you think? How do you like the alternate building instructions for the LEGO TMNT sets? Have you built any of them already? Which one is your favorite?  Feel free to share your thoughts below! 😉

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

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Brick Breakdown: Arkham Asylum – Part 2

(Written by William)

In this Brick Breakdown series I review official LEGO sets, from the perspective of looking at interesting building techniques we can all learn from. Here we are continuing to look at the  #10937 LEGO Super Heroes Arkham Asylum Breakout set in detail. In the first part we reviewed the architectural elements and the modular features of the set. You can read it here: Brick Breakdown: LEGO Arkham Asylum Part 1

#10937 LEGO Super Heroes Arkham Asylum

Now that some of the larger building techniques of the LEGO Arkham Asylum have been discussed, it’s time to get to the finer points of this set. These are the details that make this model shine as a triumph of LEGO engineering. So without any further delay, let’s get to the build. 🙂

LAYERING IN CONTEXT

The LEGO Arkham Asylum has some intricate uses for parts in very novel ways. For example, the heads of the gargoyles are nothing more than frog pieces. The decorations around the stained-glass windows incorporate handcuffs. And the skirted gowns of the two dark angel-statues at the front gate are achieved by using ordinary slopes layered in a certain pattern.

LEGO Arkham Asylum Review - Gargoyle

Most LEGO builders would be intimidated by such unique parts usage. This creates a major obstacle in gaining the confidence to reach such high level of building skills. However it is important to notice that while the LEGO elements are being used in extremely novel ways here, they are not basic LEGO bricks. They are all fairly interesting shapes, so there is the possibility to look at them abstractly.

LEGo Arkham Asylum Review - Window

The trick for this technique is all about giving the LEGO elements you are using a context. For example the slopes for the angel don’t look like a skirt when you remove the wings and minifigure torso. Each part taken away from the gargoyle eliminates the context it is in, and it dissolves into a lot of strange pieces attached together.

LEGO Arksham Asylum Review - Angel

It is the context in which the LEGO parts are assembled that makes them more than a bunch of random pieces. The best way to approach this technique is to take an oddly shaped LEGO element and turn it over in your hand. Then ask yourself, “What does this look like when it’s turned this way?” This will give you the seed of an idea as to what context to layer it in.

RULE OF 2-TO-5

Probably one of the most useful LEGO building techniques is found in the tall and thin windows of the LEGO Arkham Asylum set. This is an excellent example of the Rule of 2-to-5 ratio for building sideways. So you will have two studs of space for every five plates of thickness. So let’s look at the windows. Each window opening is four studs wide. Using the 2-to-5 rule, this means we should have ten plates of thickness. So let’s count. There is a railing which counts as one, a plate that makes it two, and a small panel which is the height of a brick which adds three more. This brings the total up to five. Since the design is exactly the same on the other side, five and five make ten.

LEGO Arkham Asylum Windows

And of course you can break this rule to add gaps in your design. Take for instance the broken window. The mini-slopes are only two plates of thickness and the clear tiles are only one plate thick. This results in gaps that are roughly a brick in thickness.

LEGO Arkham Asylum Broken Window

There are some limitations to this LEGO technique to keep in mind. It can not be used with brackets since the bracket contributes a small but noticeable thickness. It must be used with LEGO bricks that have studs flush against their sides. Which means you cannot use the headlight-brick (Erling Brick) since it has a recessed stud. It is also important to note that many of these sideways designs will need to rest on tiles since the typical studs will intrude. Note that the base of the windows are tiled surfaces. You may also consider reinforcing such a design in a framework to reduce its fragility.

APPLYING WHAT YOU LEARN

Layering in context teaches us that our collection of LEGO is filled with fabulous options. That Technic pin is waiting to be used as a cannon, a hilt of a larger sword, or a decoration on a pillar. All you need to do is find an interesting element and take some time looking at it. It is not the piece itself that is interesting, but how it is used in a larger picture.

As for the Rule of 2-to-5, it is a very advanced technique that is simple to use. It creates the possibility of thinner lines that are virtually impossible to create any other way. This LEGO technique will stretch your special reasoning-skills while increasing your building options. It’s not the easiest technique to incorporate due to its fragile nature, but it is well worth the effort when you see the final outcome.

LEGO Super Heroes Sets - DC Super Heroes

What do you think? How do you like the building techniques and embellishments of the LEGO Super Heroes Arkham Asylum set? Have you tried using similar techniques in your own LEGO creations? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the LEGO Super Heroes section for more news, reviews and discussions, or select from the following posts:

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