It’s without a doubt one of the most animated types of LEGO building, literally helping you bring your displays to life. But how do you master the art of building with LEGO Technic, and robots in particular? To find out, we chatted with experienced Technic builder Jeremy Lloyd.
NOTE: Want to see Jeremy’s amazing LEGO robots in real life? Stop by the BrickResales Showroom on Saturday July 8! Jeremy will be putting on two shows (11am and 1.30pm), during which his amazing LEGO robots will each have their turn to destroy a LEGO Creator Car. You won’t want to miss it! Check out the action here.
How did you get into building LEGO robots? How long have you been doing it for?
It all started when I was five years old, when I was watching the original run of ‘Robot Wars’ on the telly. Loving that show was what originally got me into building LEGO combat robots (I wish I could dig up some old photos!). Fast forward fifteen years – during the pandemic, I got back into LEGO after a long sabbatical and was inspired by seeing other builders on YouTube building LEGO robots that could fight! I decided to buy the 4x4 Crawler set released in 2020 and used that as a base to build my first fully remote-controlled robot as an adult.
Tell us a bit about your previous MOCs/builds – what are some of your best LEGO robots?
So, all my bots are based on real life combat robots – mostly from the show ‘BattleBots’ in the US.
One of my favourite MOCS has to be Chomp, a four-legged walking robot with a rotating turret and an active hammer. You can see a video of here.
One of my other favourites is Hypershock, just due to its overall aesthetic and how fast it goes! Check the build and test video here.
I also built a replica of Australia’s own Deathroll (pictured right), a competitor in the latest season of ‘BattleBots’.
How long do these kinds of builds typically take you?
Usually three to four hours, but they are always revised and improved over time when tested in battle.
What is your dream LEGO robot build, and why?
I would love to build a 1:1 scale BattleBot. It would take a lot of LEGO parts as a fully sized BattleBot that you see on the television show weighs over 110kg.
What are your favourite sets for building or MOCing LEGO robots?
Anything with lots of motors and Technic parts – the Liebherr R 9800 Excavator 42100 comes to mind. BrickResales has been a source of many of the parts I have used to build up the robots.
What LEGO parts do you always have on hand to build robots?
Lots of technic frames, connectors and pins for sure!
Do you have a go-to method when building LEGO robots, or do you tend to make it up as you go along? If you have a method, what is it?
I usually build the weapon first and then design the rest of the robot around that. Getting the weapon working properly is always the hard part, so if you can get that going the rest should follow!
How do you find inspiration for LEGO robot builds? Are there any specific builders you admire?
There are some great builders out in the LEGO robot combat community. William Fong is an amazing builder from Canada who runs the Battlebricks YouTube channel and does live events at BrickCon. David Harrison is another builder who runs the LEGO Wars YouTube channel and does amazing work.
Where do you go for helpful information or instructions?
The Facebook community page LEGO Robot Combat dedicated to the hobby is always a great place for inspiration and feedback on designs.
What is your top tip for aspiring LEGO robot builders? How can they get started with this style of building?
Don't worry about what others build, just focus on what you can and don't worry if things don't work out exactly right the first time around. William Fong also has a very helpful article for anyone looking to start out. Check it out here.
Looking for more inspiration? Make sure you’re following Jeremy on Instagram! Click here to check him out.
