Tag Archives: Blacktron

Black to the Future

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This TLCB Writer is over new cars. Unending app updates, simulated ‘manual’ transmissions, three sub-menus to turn on the heater, and constant bonging to tell you to sit up straight, that you’re 1mph over the speed limit of the road next to you, and that the width to the central white line is narrower than the car itself. Bleugh.

We’d go back to analog cars any day, and it seems the villains of Blacktron have done just that, deploying a unique combustion-powered buggy to avoid leaving a digital footprint for the Space Police to follow.

That they’ve also made it look like every ‘70s concept car is even better, and you can see more retro-futurism Blacktron style courtesy of Flickr’s Kristof and his Febrovery entry via the link.

Medium Rare with Peppercorn Please

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Building inspiration can come from a million places. And in the case of today’s creation it came from the violent wielding of a tenderising hammer by its maker.

The ‘Blacktron Tenderiser’ is the work Flickr’s Rubblemaker who was inspired by his own use of the bludgeoning instrument. We want to question how a tenderising hammer works in the vacuum of space, and why you’d want to use one in the first place, but considering the builder’s proficiency with said tool we’re happy to remain ignorant and uninjured.

Take a closer look via Rubblemaker’s photostream at the link above.

Enter Shikra

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It’s been a while since we last posted a sci-fi creation, which is mostly because, well… we’re rubbish at it. However even we can spot the brilliant ingenuity in newcomer Outer space BRICKS‘ unique ‘BT-SHIKRA’. Classified as ‘Neo-Blacktron’, OSB’s complex trapezoidal design is one of the most original ship shapes we’ve seen this year. There’s more of the creation to see on Flickr, and you can take a closer look at some terrifically clever Blacktron-based tessellation via the link above.

Once You Go Black…

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Flickr’s Rubblemaker has appeared here at TLCB several times with various sci-fi builds that we don’t understand. His latest creations are apparently his favourites to date, and seeing as they all have very big guns indeed, who are we to disagree?

Entitled ‘Blacktron Fleet 2023’ and with names including ‘Ballista’, ‘Mohawk’, and ‘Bulldog’, each is a fantastic example of a genre of which we know nothing, but we do appreciate in our ignorance.

Cunning techniques, clever parts usage, and a paint-scheme straight from the baddie playbook make for an impressive fleet, and you can go black at Rubble’s photostream via the link above.

Sci-Friday

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It’s Sci-Friday here at The Lego Car Blog, a minor space-based event that occurs whenever we remember that sci-fi exists and we can’t think of another post title. Cue the sci-fi!

The first science-fictiony creation (above) comes from Blake Foster of Flickr, who has reimagined his previous ‘Cargo Critter’ build later on in the craft’s life, wherein it’s a bit rustier, and a whole lot more cyberpunk. Jump into a rusty neon future via the link!

Today’s second sci-fi build is multiple creations in one, as yu chris expands his excellent space-in-a-box design that debuted with Classic Space to the villains of LEGO’s vintage space world; Blacktron.

Featuring a huge eight-wheel crawler base, several lunar rovers, spacecraft, and even a jail, all of which pack neatly inside a brick-built carry-case, it’s a the most play-packed space build we’ve seen yet, and you can join the fun via the link above!

And finally, today’s third sci-fi build comes from previous bloggee Rubblemaker, whose creepy ‘Symbiosis’ spacecraft harnesses the power of lifeforms for its propulsion. That mini-figure is no pilot. Still, at least he gets to see the universe whilst the life is sucked out of him! Head Rubble’s Flickr album via the link above and hope you’re not next in line for a journey through space…

Black-AT

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In some kind of TLCB nightmare, Flickr’s Jens Ådne J. Rydland has managed a gloriously successful mashup of two sci-fi themes about which we know nothing. So here’s one of those walking things from Star Wars merged with LEGO’s own Blacktron and Ice Planet themes, for a reference so nerdy it’s probably got adenoids. Join the sci-fi convention via the link above, whilst this TLCB Staffer tries to counterbalance writing this by drinking a beer and giving a wedgie to one of the Elves or something.

Black Harvest

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We’ve never thought about the villainous Blacktron empire’s more mundane needs before. But even an evil space organisation needs to eat. You can’t go thieving satellites on an empty stomach.

Fortunately Flickr’s Dario Đipić has thought about it, and the result is one of the most alien-looking vehicles we’ve ever published, even though the design is rooted in those in common usage today.

That might be because, despite the wonderful work they do feeding the planet, combine harvesters looks absolutely terrifying, and thus are weirdly suited LEGO’s classic space baddies theme.

Head out into the alien fields via Dario’s photostream, and keep the empire of evil from going hungry.

Blacktron’s Back!*

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Blacktron, one of our favourite of LEGO’s classic space themes, have quietly bubbled along since their official dissolution several decades ago. Quietly no more it would seem though, thanks to Flickr’s Frombol and his spectacular Blacktron fighter. Suitably cunning techniques have been used throughout the build and there’s more to see (plus a link to building instructions) at Frombol’s photostream. Click the link above to make the jump!

*Today’s title song. Kinda.

Classic Space Pod Race

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Ok, we’ll start out by saying we are absolutely not going to do these two brilliant podracers by Rubblemaker of Flickr justice. Knowing virtually nothing about Star Wars isn’t something we feel the need to correct, but it does make writing about Star Wars more tricky…

What we can say is that Classic Space themes Blacktron and, er… Classic Space look thoroughly awesome as Starwarsy racing thingumies, particularly when kicking up a cloud of brick-built lunar dust.

Rubblemaker’s inventiveness is evident throughout the builds, with Benny’s Classic Space podracer even using Star Wars Death Star pieces for its engine intakes, which we’re immensely pleased with ourselves for noticing.

That’s the limit of our Star Wars knowledge though, so we’ll leave this to the proper blogs at this point. Until they pick this up you can see of Rubblemaker’s brilliant creations on Flickr. Click the link above to pod race in Classic Space.

Not a Car

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The Lego Car Blog Elves have been remarkably on-point lately, bringing back actual cars and trucks for around the last fifty posts! We’re not sure any of this newfound laser-focus is of their own doing though, with the current Eurobricks Small Car Contest and our own Lock-Down B-Model Competition supplying them with plenty of wheeled creations. Not that you can’t build a B-Model spaceship of course.

Anyway, not entered in either of those contests, and also not a car, is this ‘BT-87 Allied Avenger’ Blacktron starfighter by Flickr’s The Brick Artisan. Not only is the build really rather excellent, the presentation is stellar too, and there’s more to see at The Artisan’s photostream. Click the link above to jump to hyperspace.

Oh, Go On Then

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FebRovery really is over… (isn’t it Markus Rollbuhler and Chris Perron?). Luckily Markus and Chris’s building skills are significantly better than their timekeeping, so here are two more rovers before we really will get back to posting cars. Probably.

Markus’s effort (above), entitled ‘Stardust Snooper’, harks back to LEGO’s earliest space themes in its purpose, being solely an exploratory rover. A living space and research lab support the crew of two and there’s more to see on Flickr by clicking here.

Today’s second rover comes from Chris Perron, whose Blacktron ‘Surface Scout’ is also apparently an exploratory vehicle. Just one with a giant double laser cannon thingy on the roof. Four wheel steering and a beautifully built cockpit for one feature alongside the ginormous death ray and there’s more to see of Chris’s build on Flickr.

And here endeth the FebRovery Rovers. Unless someone uploads a cool one tomorrow. Now let’s find some cars…

Sci-Fi Spectrum

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Febrovery continues apace and today we have two builds from the annual nerdfest to share with you, one which looks like it could be an actual lunar rover in the not too distant future and one which… doesn’t.

First up (above) is Ivan Martynov‘s ‘SOL 317’. We assume that by the use of those little 1×1 figures that Ivan’s design is for a rather massive machine, but increase the scale about ten times and it could easily be one of the small robotised vehicles that mankind is so fond of for current planetary exploration. Whichever it is it’s a great build and you can see more at Ivan’s photostream via the link above.

Today’s second rover throws realism out of the emergency airlock and arms the space villains Blacktron with an enormous rocket, which has got both your Mom and TLCB Elves excited for different reasons.

Shannon Sproule‘s Blacktron ‘BRUTE’ missile launching rover involves ‘towing a nuke onto the battlefield, launching it and then hiding in the observation tower to record the destruction’ according to the builder’s mildly unhinged description. Apparently he’s working on one twice as big too…

Stand well back and shield your eyes at Shannon’s photostream via the link above.

Harvest Time

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Well this is a bit more sinister than baskets of bread at the front of the church…

LEGO’s classic space themes have been getting increasingly serious of late, thanks to the slightly warped minds of you lot. Today it’s Blacktron’s turn, courtesy of previous bloggee ZCerberus and his spectacularly evil-looking ‘Harvester’. Enormous spider-like legs support a 360 degree cockpit mounted upon which is a huge cannon/rail gun/laser arrangement. Well, we’re assuming it’s not a telescope…

If that wasn’t terrifying enough Z’s Havester mech is equipped with a pair of equally monstrous smaller mechs, which are giving the Elves nightmares. We’d better return to cars…

Until then you can see more the Blacktron Harvester at ZCerberus’ photostream and you can check out its real-life equivalent (minus the cannon/rail gun/laser) by clicking here.

Basic Blacktron

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LEGO’s Classic Space themes have gotten increasingly kick-ass over the years as builders have become ever more ambitious (see here, here and here). Much as we love these elaborate and slightly terrifying builds, there’s something nice about seeing a classic theme built, well… classically.

Case in point; this Blacktron Scout is in all likelihood a pretty pointless machine (future mini-figures have conquered space but still need to drive around on the surface to find stuff?) providing no discernible use whatsoever, but it’s so harmlessly cool that we can’t help but like it. George and Anthony here are off on a journey across the planetary surface to look at rocks or something, whilst the on-board computer flashes lights and makes booping noises. It’s all so delightfully meaningless!

There’s more to see of this ‘Blacktron Scout’ courtesy of Krzysztof Cytaki of Flickr – click on the link to look at rocks or something whilst a computer flashes lights and makes booping noises.

Lucky Wolf

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We’re not sure why this is a wolf, or how it’s lucky, but as has been well documented on these pages we know nothing about sci-fi and the builder behind this is called ‘spaceruner’, so we’ll defer to their superior space knowledge.

A mini-figure/droid crew, glowing crystal thingy, hefty cargo container, and folding ‘wings’ all feature, and there’s more to see (plus a host of other ace classic space models) at spaceruner’s photostream.