When Lego doesn't work - Clone Brands?

[SlyOwl]

You don't need to read this bit -

Over half-term, my family and I did a house-swap to York. I quickly discovered their Lego box, and after removing the majority of the plastic soldiers, K'Nex, Jenga, bits of paper, crayons, military vehicles, some random sparkly stuff, miscellaneous... found a large infestation of clone brands (mostly Megablocks, but some Tyco). I discarded most of it into another pile, but some parts seemed useful.

This is the important(ish) bit -

Some of the clone brand parts I found could actually be useful in MOCs, as Lego doesn't produce the same parts in any form.

The first one is Megablocks - a double sided 2x2 plate. The studs are hollow on one side, and solid on the other. The middle is the same height as a normal plate.

The next is Tyco - an inverted version of the above. However, it is 1.5 plates high (it has to be, as studs - even Lego ones - are just over half a plate high, so they wouldn't fit in the middle of a 1 plate high version); therefore, when with a single plate attached, it has a depth of 1 brick. In the right-foreground you've got a regular Lego tile next to a Tyco plate, which is 1.5 plates high, for comparison. The design of the part reminded me of the bottom of a Lego 2x2 turntable...

Liquorice All-Sorts, anyone?

I'd be interested to know if you would use these in your MOCs if you had them, as they fill a niche that Lego doesn't.

I would use them, especially if the double-sided plate was in 1x1 form.

The inverted one is less useful at 1.5 plates high (except for complex SNOT, where it could be very useful), but I'd use it at 2 plates high, especially in 1x1 form.

[VBBN]

Apart from being a clone brand, these do look pretty useful Thanks for showing this.

-VBBN

[iamded]

I remember seeing that Megabloks part in one of my old sets. I do reckon it could be useful, but I'd never use it.

~Peace

[Zorro]

Personally, I NEVER use clone brands, I don't evn use customs (incl. decals) although I am tempted by the current Brickarms and co. Also that double sided/studded brick could come in handy for some MOCs.

[UniqueBuilder]

A very interesting topic with good pictures.. Bravo!

As for me, I'd dunk that junk in gasoline, light it on fire, and bury the remains deep in the woods. And then I'd piss on the "burial site". That's how I roll!

[Kliq]

I would love for LEGO to make their own versions of these pieces. Until then, no thanks!

[skinkfem]

since i already use megabloks and enlighten brick in my city as well as playmobil and warhammer on ocation i find no issue in using non-lego or custom pieces in mocs.

and i find the "i will burn them" crowd rather childish, ebay is there for a reason you know.

[Dennimator]

I would (and do) use the Megabloks part. I normally don´t like clone brands, but that part is reall useful.

Wish TLC could make similiar pieces (and 1 x 1 ones too)...

Guess that won´t ever happen.

[Fluyt]

I really like the double-sided 2x2 plate a lot. But I wouldn't use it since it isn't LEGO, but they should produce it (in various sizes).

[Guss]

I'll use these parts only if lego produce it, because when I make a moc, I want to be able to say " that's only lego" , and not " that's not exactly only lego, I used a megablock part to make something impossible with lego parts" , that's why I'll not use it^^

[KimT]

NO - NEVER!

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Well, except maybe for that double sided plate.

That one could come in very handy at some point.

Now where the Megablocklink.com sales page when you need it?

[CP5670]

That double sided plate could be very useful. I've been hoping for a while now that Lego would release something like it.

I am open to using some types of custom or clone pieces if the piece (or anything similar) does not exist in Lego. A few years I might have had second thoughts, but the thing is that Lego no longer has a clear-cut quality advantage over many of the clones, especially in certain colors.

[prateek]

i'll use them. apparently, i have more megbloks than lego because they got me a bucket when i was 4. i use them as support for the interior of models so you dont see them. its annoying when they break though, but ive seen more lego break than megabloks

[ikba]

Interesting, I'd probably use the double sided part (I actually made my own version of a double sided plate a couple weeks ago ), not to sure about the turntable based part though. I've done some experimenting with double sided plates and I've found some interesting applications (although I have been using my design which is somewhat different). For example, I figured out you can make hexagons using double side plates and cheese slopes

[escortmad79]

I'll admit to buying a collection a few years back that had the usual mix of Lego & other assorted stuff (K'nex & Megablox) & throwing all of the clone brand stuff in the bin with the exception of some of those double sided plates

[Clone OPatra]

@ikba, not that this isn't an interesting topic worthy of discussion, but how did you dig up this topic from 2008?

[didit_sunartio]

i have use megablok, only for special parts like double sided 2x2 plate. i wish Lego will make them too

[Faefrost]

I have a couple of the Megablocks double sided plates. While great in theory I must say they are ki,nd of useless in practice. I am not sure if it is a flaw in the part concept or design, or just Norma Megablocks quality issues, but the double stud plates always seem to put some weird pressures on a build, so much so that a model almost seems to be tearing itself apart under tension.

[Peppermint_M]

@ikba, not that this isn't an interesting topic worthy of discussion, but how did you dig up this topic from 2008?

Maybe it was in the index? Kim had a good whack at it back in my Queening days and I semi kept up with adding reviews here and there.

I can't recall really.

On current topic. Cobi/Character have some very nice parts, the plastic is good quality and not only are there 1x1 circular plates there are also 2x2 plates and 1x4 plates to use. Though I have so fare resisted using them.

[kpstormie]

From time to time I pick up a clone brand set to see if the parts are any good, I've only found a couple clone pieces that I can generally use. Kreo, being one of the best clone brands I've ever found, produces a really great variation of a 1x1 cheese slope with vents in the side. It's made in black and light grey and the light grey it's manufactured in matches the old Lego light grey, not new grey, very closely.

Here's an image if anyone is interested.

Edited December 1, 2013 by kpstormie

[fred67]

I mainly have LEGO, and admit to being a plastic brick segregationist, but to totally discount clone bricks as being... what? Untouchable? I think it's kind of ridiculous - if TLG isn't giving you what you need, you get it elsewhere. Maybe TLG gets the point and starts making the parts the LEGO fans want. By blindly insisting on only LEGO, you're enabling them to be a bit draconian about what they "give" us.

Thank goodness, IMO, for hobbyist parts from places like ME Models, Brickforge, Brick Warriors, Big Ben... hey, if it wasn't for Big Ben, we might never have seen a "real" steam engine like the Emerald Night.

Back to the discussion, there is one brick I really wish TLG would make... Megablocks has a gray brick that really looks like a chipped "stone" that would be great for castle walls.