the enigma that is badger

Congrats to everyone who contributed!

Hard to say absolutely, but at this time, Will doesn't have any specific plans to produce the U-Mag. Still, there's certainly subject to change in the future should Will think it'd be a good addition to the BrickArms line-up.

Happy to say I'll be able to make it to Brickfair this year!

I've had the wonderful opportunity to test out these stands during their development, and they're truly awesome work. All the fits are perfect (just the right amount of clutch power), and there's just something visually-striking about a fig mounted on one that really adds to the presentation. Add that to the number of interesting ways you could potentially incorporate them into MOCs, and I think the HX2S and HX4S Stands are truly definite fun, useful, innovative custom items.

Glad to have you on the board, Catsy!

The small ears on the inside of the Saddle Drum let it clip over top of the ammo slot with the perfect amount of grip such that it's easy to attach and remove but still won't fall off. This design allows the MG34 to be compatible with all the other tabbed BrickArms accessories, and the Saddle Drum to be attached to many other BrickArms accessories, in particular the MG42.

Based on fan feedback on the Sten Gun prototype as well as the continued interest in additional accessories feature the tab-slot system Will's incorporated into several BrickArms accessories, Will decided to update the Sten Gun design for the production version as is seen above. I personally love the updated design. The Sten takes on really interesting vibes when different tabbed accessories are attached to it, and the Sten magazine really adds something neat when it's plugged into weaponry like the BrickArms MG42 and MG34. Those accessories are all still in development, but should Will decide to take those items into mass production, they would be part of a future BrickArms release. We'll just have to see, but folks letting Will know those are items they'd like to see produced is definitely feedback he'd be interested in hearing!

They've been in development for awhile, but I'm happy to announce that the BrickArms Musket and Flintlock Pistol are now available from all official BrickArms resellers worldwide: The barrels of both the Musket and Flintlock pistol are grippable from the top, bottom, and sides, allowing builders to add attachments, including the BrickArms U-Clip and Bayonet, in numerous ways: A big thanks to the Eurobricks/Classic-Pirates community for all their feedback and interest in these items, especially the Musket; I can guarantee that support was a critical factor in Will deciding to take these items into mass production. Hope you all like the results!

Just a quick bump at World War Brick starts today!

With the start of summer, BrickArms heats things up with the release of 20 brand new custom accessories! All accessories in the first image are available in Black and Gunmetal, while those in the second are available in Brown. Future releases will see these accessories available in additional colors. You can find all these accessories at all official BrickArms resellers worldwide Look for more from BrickArms as 2012 continues!

I've always truly loved what LEGO does with animals. With how strong their recent work has been (new dinos, chickens, pigs, goats), I'd definitely love to see more! As for five I'd like to see: - Rhino - New Elephant - Lion (perhaps with a removable soft plastic mane for gender variety) - Sheep - Gorilla (larger than a fig in scale) Bonus round: a Warg from the LOTR/Hobbit license. Given the large role they're likely to play in the Hobbit films, it's my personal hope there's a strong possibility one might find its way into a set or sets. EDIT: And just to add my voice to the chorus, a LEGO zoo theme would be something I'd definitely LOVE to see!

"Crowding" is definitely an understatement; as anyone who has attended Brickworld Chicago in the last few years knows, the space around the Brickmania/BrickArms booth tends to get extremely packed to the point of become a hazard. While it's absolutely wonderful so many attendees, both registered and public, want to make Brickmania/BrickArms part of their Brickworld experience, it was clear to Dan that more space was needed to ensure that everyone (attendees, the folks running the Brickmania/BrickArms booth, other vendors around the booth) had a positive experience. Unfortunately, with the size limitations of the Westin, the Brickworld coordinators could not offer any additional space, and with the options Dan had to consider, a complimentary event nearby seemed the best solution. It all depends on how this year goes! Nothing specific is planned for the moment, but should folks make it clear this type of event is something they enjoy, it's certainly a possibility!

Unfortunately, due to space limitations in the Westin Hotel, Brickmania was unable to participate in Brickworld Chicago this year . . . . . . so Brickmania, BrickArms, and GI Brick have coordinated to put on a complimentary event right down the street for everyone to enjoy! WHO Brickmania (Dan Siskind), BrickArms (Will Chapman), and GI Brick (Julie) will all be there with numerous military MOC displays as well as tons of custom minifig accessories and building kits to vend WHERE AMVETS post 66 700 McHenry Rd. Wheeling, IL 60090 The AMVETS hall is just a quick 2.5 mile drive away from the Westin (the location of Brickworld Chicago), and you can't miss it; just look for the tank parked out front! WHEN Friday, June 15th: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm Saturday, June 16th: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday, June 17th: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Admission is a fairly reasonable price: FREE! This not a convention but a show, and there is no registration for the event; just walk in the door to start the fun! Of course, everyone attending Brickworld Chicago, registered and public attendees, is welcome and encouraged to come by, and with both events so close, it should be a snap to enjoy both in a single trip or for registered attendees to swing by World War Brick at some point during the Brickworld convention to check out what Brickmania, BrickArms, and GI Brick have to offer. Everyone involved is currently working fun exclusives and premiers for the show. Most will be kept fun surprises until just before the event, but this image Will recently unveiled showcasing new exclusives for Brickmagic is a fun sneak peak of just a few of the new BrickArms items you'll find at World War Brick: More updates will be posted as World War Brick draws closer!

I definitely agree Titanium is an great color, and I can certainly see where Titanium warheads would be useful. I'll forward your suggestion to Will!

Another great review, White Fang! Like always, thorough, fair, and supplemented with amazing photography. Will definitely plans to make the artillery warheads available in a variety of colors, including the Gunmetal edition pack pictured above. Is there any particular color you'd most like to see in the future?

To be clear, neither Will nor myself have ever made any claim to the effect that LEGO approves of or encourages BrickArms in any way. To be sure, LEGO is more than well-aware of BrickArms, and LEGO and BrickArms enjoy a cordial, if distant, relationship as Will respects LEGO intellectual property by not creating any accessories or elements that infringe on LEGO IP, specifically avoids creating accessories in themes that LEGO historically has explored with their own products and is likely to continue to do so, and very clearly labels all BrickArms products as custom elements that are in no way associated with the LEGO brand. Again, LEGO has made clear that some themes do not fit how they choose to develop and market their brand. However, builders, especially teens and adults, are very much interested in exploring these themes as a means of self-expression and creativity. Through BrickArms, Will is happy to produce accessories for these themes to provides those builders with elements, particularly minifig accessories, that they might find useful in building in those themes. Again, as I've stated several times now, you are free to build or not build in whatever themes fit your personal beliefs. What troubles me is your argument that building in some themes is somehow fundamentally immoral and/or a tacit endorsement of a particular ideology. Choosing to build an accurate WWII-era squad of soldier or tank doesn't make a builder any more in favor of war or likely to condone violence than building Dungeons & Dragons-based MOCs implies an individual is a disciple of the occult (and apparently unfit for service in the Israeli army). LEGO produces bricks and other elements. Those items are packaged into sets which are LEGO chooses to produce in certain themes and market in particular ways to best reach their core audience. That you choose to only build in those themes is your decision, and if you enjoy doing so, I'm glad you do. However, the bricks themselves have no theme or market; working from their own imagination and creativity (along with whatever other elements they choose to incorporate), builders of all ages are constrained only by their imagination and inspiration in what they can create. What I'm encouraging you to consider is that even if you personally find some themes unacceptable to explore, you should respect those that do choose to build in them and give them the courtesy of the ability to share their work without judgements or inferences about their moral character for building MOCs in those themes.

The reason why Will first started designing and producing BrickArms accessories is simple: there was and continues to be a strong demand in the community for modern, WWII, and scifi weaponry, and LEGO has made it clear on numerous occasions they do not plan to ever create such accessories. However, LEGO also has also stated that conflict-based play and building is a key component of childhood development particularly for the male core audience: (From the 2011 LEGO Progress Report) While LEGO does not choose to extend their accessories and other products to some aspects of conflict (particularly modern warfare), their rationale is equally valid when it comes to BrickArms: building and play with LEGO produces supplemented by BrickArms accessories helps younger builders process historical and contemporary events and how to handle conflict and issues of moral agency. Of course, many AFOLs also find BrickArms invaluable in their building as many wish to add a greater degree of accuracy and detail to their displays in regards to minifig weaponry and headgear. Ultimately, Will has been truly honored that so many builders of all different ages enjoy his work and find ways to incorporate BrickArms accessories into their builds. The answer to why BrickArms doesn't focus on other themes is again simple: Will feels those are themes LEGO has made clear they explore with their products. BrickArms exists to provide builders with elements LEGO will most likely never produce, namely accurate and detailed historical, modern, and scifi weaponry and other accessories. In this way, Will seeks to compliment and add to the building experience in a manner that in no way infringes on what LEGO already creates or may possibly create. The designers at Billund have truly been an an exceptional roll the last few years when it comes to the quality and quantity of minifigs and minifig accessories they've created, and it makes little sense to Will for him to try to compete! If you're not fond of a given theme of building, you're obviously not obligated to build any MOCs in it. That's your prerogative. However, it's also the right of every other builder to create MOCs in the themes they'd like to explore in their creations. Building is an artistic means of self-expression, and while you don't choose to build anything with a conflict-based theme, you should respect that others choose to do so. The balance between detail, abstraction, and playability is something Will gives considerable attention to in designing every BrickArms product. Ultimately, Will tries to capture the caricature nature of the minifig aesthetic along with the added details and accuracy that BrickArms accessories the distinctive products they are (again, Will has no interest in copying LEGO or infringing on their design aesthetic) but in a way that still allows them to fit seamlessly into LEGO builds. It's a difficult process (for every builder that thinks less detail or abstraction should be featured in a give item, there's almost always someone that feels the opposite!), but the overall feedback on Will's design aesthetic appears to be "just right"

I don't if there is any specific thread on Eurobricks regarding this matter, but discussion about the use of custom elements and clone brand parts in MOCing has been going on for many years now. No, you are far from alone in thinking that MOCs should only feature unaltered LEGO-produced elements. That's usually referred to as "purism," and it's an accepted ethos in the building community. However, it's from from the only perspective individuals have when it comes to approaching the hobby; many others readily modify LEGO parts and/or incorporate custom and/or clone brand elements into their building, and that's equally as valid a way to build. You might not "understand" why someone chooses to build with elements not produced by LEGO, but ultimately, there's no innate right or wrong way when it comes to building. The only real critical matter is that you enjoy how you build and extend that right to everyone else.

Definitely great news! The Western theme was truly one of my favorites, and I'd love to see LEGO revisit it with these types of sets. Fingers and toes crossed it passes the review!

Always love your reviews, White Fang! Perfect blend of great photography, thorough writing, and more than a bit of fun to make it a great read. Glad you like them, and thanks for taking the time to review these items! To answer the question before it's asked, the M16 variants and the M110 Sniper Rifle are not currently available from BrickArms resellers in Gunmetal but will be in the near future. However, all resellers do have those accessories in Black.

That's something Will has often heard from builders, and while it's still in the development process (with several SW-inspired items at the prototype stage), certainly a possibility for the future! Definitely appreciated your interest in the Cricket Bat, but unfortunately, I'm currently unaware of any plans Will might have to run the mold containing the Cricket Bat cavities in Tan again and the entire initial run has been used for figure and packs. Again, another possibility for the future. One alternate way of getting a "firing" pose: the LEGO ice cream scoop!

Announcing the latest release from BrickArms for 2012: the multi-part MAAWS with Artillery Shells and Warhead, WWII and Modern Combat V3 Pack, and Black Minigun with Brass Ammo Chain! MAAWS (Multi-Purpose Anti-Armor Weapons System) and artillery rounds The BrickArms MAAWS includes: MAAWS Launch Tube MAAWS Venturi Exhaust 3 Loadable Shell Casings Red HEAT Warhead Blue HEDP Warhead Green KINETIC Warhead Cross-section to showcase how the Artillery Shell with any warhead fits perfectly inside the MAAWS Launch Tube and is kept inside by the MAAWS Venturi: The two parts of the MAAWS: the Launch Tube (right) and the Venturi Exhaust (left) Both the front end of the MAAWS Launch Tube and the back end of Venturi can grip a LEGO stud: The front end of the Venturi can grip a standard LEGO bar, allowing for some neat building options: The Artillery Shell can grip a LEGO Bar both in front and in back and is the same diameter as a Technic 1/2 pin: WWII Pack Includes 30 BrickArms WWII accessories and a random BrickArms Russian WWII prototype. Distribution of prototypes in packs: 1:5 = SVT-40 1:4 = Mosin Nagant PU Sniper 1:10 = Overmolded DP-28 Also available in a sealed case of 10 packs Modern Combat V3 Pack Includes 25 BrickArms accessories perfect for modern combat! Black Minigun with Brass Ammo Chain Update of the classic BrickArms Minigun with the Buildable Ammo Chain now featured in the color Brass. All of these items are now available worldwide from all official BrickArms resellers, and look for more exciting news from BrickArms as 2012 continues!

GI Brick, an official BrickArms reseller, recently unveiled this fun limited edition premium pack that fans of the walking dead might enjoy: the Anti-Zombie Loadout Pack! Pack includes: - Black BrickArms SABR prototype - 2 Red and Brass overmolded BrickArms prototype Shotgun Shells - Brown BrickArms Baseball Bat - 2 Flexible Black BrickArms prototype Spike Rings - Bloody Printed Silver Bloody Combat Knife - Custom printed minifig zombie head by EclipseGRAFX

Glad you like everything! As for the shrinking differences in crispness and detail between BrickArms prototypes and production items, Will invested in a more precise CNC machine awhile back, and combined with a mechanical injector, he's able to cut and cleanly-inject some truly precise prototype molds.

When I said "Look for more releases from BrickArms as 2012 continues!" above, I meant it; Will currently has many projects in development, including items that the community has been anticipating . . . and more than a few fun surprises as well! There are a few reasons why these accessories went from prototype to production so quickly, not least of which is the fact Will designed this production mold himself and worked with a new US tooler that had the mold cut and ready for production runs in record time. However, while that mold was being cut, other production molds were also in development, and Will continues to work with his tooler and molder preparing for future releases as well designing new accessories. I'm going to assume by "people are anticipating items that have been in the 'prototyping' stage for at least a year", you meant "I'm still personally very interested in seeing the BrickArms Kar98 as a mass produced item." In that case, this news might interest you ;)