One of the most interesting new elements LEGO gave us in the last couple of years is the LEGO Nexo Knights shield piece (also referred to as 2×3 Modified Pentagonal Tile on BrickLink, and as 2×3 Flat Tile with Angle on Brickset). The most common application of this element is as a printed shield representing various powers in the LEGO Nexo Knights sets and video-game. There is a staggering number (at least 100 according to the BrickLink database) of these beautifully printed shield pieces, and many LEGO fans collect them. 🙂
However there is also an unprinted version of the shield, which offers some very interesting tiling and decorating possibilities. The unprinted shield comes in eight colors so far: white, light-bluish-gray, black, sand blue, blue, reddish-brown, flat-silver and trans-dark-blue. They are used for making fancy floor tiling in a number of recently released large sets like the #10251 LEGO Creator Brick Bank, the #10255 LEGO Creator Assembly Square, and the #71040 LEGO Disney Castle. The shield pieces are also used in creative ways in a number of LEGO City, LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Super Heroes, and of course, LEGO Nexo Knights sets. It is worth noting that the reddish-brown shield only appeared in one set so far; the #71253 LEGO Dimensions Fantastic Beasts Story Pack.
While the printed version of these special tiles is excellent for shields or for decorating a castle hall, the unprinted version has pretty much unlimited applications. Making floor patterns and mosaics is one of the obvious ways the tiles can be used, but that’s just the beginning. To give you an idea of some of the most creative ways the tiles have been used by LEGO fans, I would like to bring to your attention the recent season of the Iron Builder Competition.
We have discussed this contest previously (see: LEGO Contest to Awe and Inspire: Iron Builder), but to summarize briefly, it is one of the most prestigious (and most difficult) contests a LEGO fan could participate in. The contest is between a previous winner and a challenger, and they have several weeks to duke it out between themselves to see who is a more creative builder. The contest always focuses on one LEGO element (usually something interesting or obscure) that the builders need to use in creative ways. The contest organizers send each contestant a good number of this special piece, then the war is on! You can follow the Iron Builder competitions both on Facebook and on Flickr. You will be amazed and inspired by the creativity.
The current contestants in the Iron Builder Competition are Chris Maddison (he is a current Iron Builder title holder) and his challenger is Cecilie Fritzvold, the first female builder who ever dared to enter the competition alone (sometimes couples compete together). And of course the special parts they need to use is the LEGO Nexo Knights shield. The contest is not over yet, but there are already a number of amazing creations that are great examples of what can be done with this unique tile piece.
The LEGO digital clock you see here by Cecilie is an excellent demonstration of the most unique feature of the tile; the cut corners. Notice all the interesting angles the pointy ends can create.
The tile can also be used very effectively in micro-building. In this little village (also by Cecilie), the tiles make up the angled walls of the houses, and also the front of the church. Notice how she dropped some of the tiles into the elevated base to “cut” the height of the tile and create variety.
This is another great build by Cecilie, where she uses the shield tiles for the curtains, the cushions of the couch, and some of the books. The cushions are a particularly interesting part of this creation because they take advantage of the subtly angled surface of the tiles. It is worth checking out the other furniture pieces too, as there is a lot of creative building going on here.
The beautiful water lilies in this peaceful scene (also by Cecilie) have petals made of the LEGO Nexo Knights shields. I also quite like the lily pads!
Careful posing and excellent photography are just as much part of the Iron Builder Competition as creative building. This snow-covered pine cone by Cecilie is a work of art, and doesn’t even look like LEGO!
Not to be outdone, Chris built (or dug up) this excellent archeological site, using a number of bone and tusk pieces, as well as several shield tiles, to create the skeleton.
Another contest entry by Chris is this gorgeous little train. Notice the gradually stepping shield pieces at the front, and on the roof. The landscaping and train tracks are also done really well.
These chattering teeth incorporate the LEGO Nexo Knights tiles perfectly. And yes, this creation is motorized to make it even more terrifying. I guess Chris is hoping that it will frighten his opponent in the contest. 🙄
In this lovely flower garden by Chris, the shield pieces are used for making the white fence. You can almost smell the flowers they are so vibrant and pretty! The birdhouse and birdbath are also very nice little builds.
This little medieval village scene (also by Chris) uses the shield pieces in three ways; for the cobblestone road, for the colorful canopy of a merchant’s booth, and for the roof of the small hut. It’s remarkable that in one small creation like this, Chris was able to use the tiles to represent three completely different materials; stone, canvas, and tile.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to use the new LEGO Nexo Knights shield piece. Please note that I only highlighted some of the entries in the Iron Builder Competition that I felt would give you the best variety of examples on how the tile can be used. You can see more at the contest pages at the links I mentioned above.
If you haven’t played with the new tile element before, I do recommend that you get some and try them out. You will be surprised how versatile it is. And if you have already used the tile piece, or if you have seen some other creative applications, feel free to share below! 😉
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