[LDD MOCs] Brickdoctor's 2012 Star Wars Advent Calendar

[Brickdoctor]

It's December 1^st, and that means it's time to start opening those advent calendars. (provided you resisted the urge to tear open that box of shiny new LEGO and build the whole thing the day you got it) But if you're like me, you've noticed some shortcomings in the Star Wars advent calendar. Those teeny miniatures that may or may not look like the vehicles they represent. Those 'filler days' with equipment racks.

The solution? Remake the entire advent calendar.

I did this last year, but here's a refresher:

The Advent Calendar Remake is my challenge to myself to remake every day of the official advent calendar, one model a day, every day, from December 1^st to December 24^th. Every day, I remake that day's model from the official advent calendar and post it in this thread. (a mini-index of the posts containing the models is added to this first post)

Christmas is all about giving, so I share the LXF file for each model at the same time. Every model is built in LDD with legal connections, and using Bricklink and Peeron as reference, I use only pieces in colors that have been released by TLG, so you should be able to build every model for yourself with physical bricks. (do note that these are LDD models, so I can't promise that a model will be strong enough to hold itself together; I'm also no Aanchir, so there might be slight errors with the availability of the colors)

So, without further ado...

Weesa give yousa Day One!

Da speediest way tooda Naboo tis goen wit da Midi-scale Tribubble Bongo.

Wow, talk about a challenge to start with! The Gungan Sub is one huge organic, curved mass, and reference material is not the easiest to find. I built the whole thing based on this image of the ERTL kit. I wasn't sure how to approach the build, but I had an idea of how to do the orange dome at the end where the propeller meets the hull, so I started with that and let it dictate the scale and shaping. I decided to go with a basic SNOTed outline of the hull, and then added a layer of plates and some curved and sloped bricks to certain areas to give it the illusion of being more curved. The model did turn out slightly short, due to the limitations of the curved bricks I was using for the hull, and I took some artistic license with the shape of the diving fins in the front, but ultimately I'm satisfied with it. I was dreading figuring out how to do the bubbles, but a simple solution turned out to be the best. The front portion of each side of the hull is attached by a lone stud to the cockpit bubbles, but I added some long tiles on the bottom that should brace them nicely, and I think the model should be stable as a display piece.

Tribubble bongos were bio-engineered submersibles used by the Gungans of Naboo... Read more.

2012SWAdvent_Day1.lxf

[Wedge09]

Great project Brickdoctor, I follow it carefully :thumbup:

I really like this first model :wub: and I think the next will not be outdone

[Legofin2012]

Will be following this too, last years was great!

[sparta342]

I just opened today's model , I wish your Advent was for sale .

[Metallic11]

That's looks really nice. I am going to have to follow this.

[Brickdoctor]

Thanks, everyone.

I wish your Advent was for sale .

That is one of the main concepts behind my advent calendar remake: I provide the LXF files, and if you like the model, you can buy the parts from Bricklink and/or build it yourself. (with tweaks to the internal structure, if necessary - that's usually impossible to predict with LDD)

[Cutcobra]

Can't wait for future builds . I read what you said in the first build with Jar Jar's voice

[Kristel]

Great start! I'll be following this one too.

[Ceroknight]

I was hoping you would do this again, great start!

[Oky]

That's great, Doc! I'm glad you're doing this again! And the first model definitely doesn't disappoint! Great work. Looking forward to the next 23 days!

[Masked Builder]

I was hoping you'd do this again Doc, and you don't disappoint! Guess I'll have to go look up the rest of the calendar to see what's coming.

[Brickdoctor]

Oyi, mooie-mooie! Day Two!

Meesa called Miniland-scale Militiagung! Meesa your humble servant.

This is a case where I started with the Miniland figure done by the Master Builders at LEGOLAND not because I couldn't think of another way to do it, but because I actually think they did a good job capturing the Gungans in Miniland scale. Nevertheless, I ended up completely reworking the neck area because I wanted it to start sloping in a different place to look more like the way Jar Jar's head sticks forward. (and I know that the movements are more exaggerated in Jar Jar's case, but I think that the slightly exaggerated look in this case helps make it more clear what this model is in a building style as blocky as Miniland) I also redid the patterns in the chest area to look more like the 'real' Militiagungs' armor.

Militiagungs were soldier Gungans that had joined and been trained in Gungan Grand Army... Read more.

2012StarWarsAdvent_Day2.lxf

[M<0><0<DSWIM]

This was fun to follow last year and I'm glad you've continued the idea this year. Love the peopellors and SNOT work on the body of that sub (which I believe is the world's forst Lego Midi-Scale Gungan Sub?)! I'm also diggin the parts usage on the Gungan's head, as well as the "fabric work" of his outfit. Can't wait for more!

[Wedge09]

Great work, it resemble perfect the real Jar Jar :thumbup:

I continue to follow this great project

[Metallic11]

Once again a fantastic build! Keep it up!

[Only Sinner]

I love the Gungan's groovy bellbottoms; far out, man. But waiting in suspense for the next one. Every day is a surprise!

[Brickdoctor]

It got deleted with the database issue, so here's Day 3...again.

Miniland-scale Kaadu Cavalry

Again, I started with the LEGOLAND version here. I reverse-engineered that, but it was evident that there were some inaccuracies in proportions. I shortened the neck by a couple studs, smoothed out the legs which originally used an ugly combination of slopes and staggered bricks, made the tail a bit bulkier and got rid of any extra studs I could. I tiled it over not just because I don't like unnecessary studs, but also because I think it helps the blocky Miniland look of the model.

Oh, what, you were expecting weapons and a tiny catapult? Well, I felt that those filler days were disappointments last year, so I'm improvising this year. It's still an accessary to the figure, but I'm not going to build something that's going to be a letdown when the entire idea behind this project is to give people alternatives to the models they might find disappointing in the official calendar.

2012StarWarsAdvent_Day3.lxf

[Metallic11]

That's awesome, well done again!

[Oky]

Very nice! But I for one wouldn't have minded a nice miniland-scale rendition of the Gungan energy catapult. Oh well, this is great too.

[Only Sinner]

Well, you just can't go wrong with a good ol' kaadu duck-donkey brick beast. Sure beats the pants off some stupid filler crap anyday.

[Brickdoctor]

But I for one wouldn't have minded a nice miniland-scale rendition of the Gungan energy catapult.

That was my first thought - the result was... less than satisfactory.

[Brickdoctor]

I saw it! I saw it! Day Four, coming right at us.

Check the deflector shield! Well, we can still outmaneuver Midi-scale Imperial I-class Star Destroyer.

Ah, the first OT build of the calendar. I honestly didn't intend for this one to be so big. I started with the bridge, and then used that to determine the length of the hull, and before I knew it, I was building a 40-stud-long model. However, I really liked how the proportions turned out, and I decided not to fiddle too much with it. The toughest part was probably the base of the superstructure. There are so many half-plate offsets in there to get the right shapes of the layers, and then I also had to make sure the two halves were close to touching at the top of each layer. But it was definitely worth the effort; I think the layers turned out perfectly compared to the studio model I was looking at.

Speaking of reference material, I used these photos of the Devastator.

The one thing I couldn't do that I wish I could've is build the ship a proper Technic skeleton to support it. I started with Technic, but I couldn't get the beams to line up at the right angles in LDD. (I was going with the same basic design as the triangle of Technic inside TLG's Midi ISD, but with studless beams) I think that can be fixed in real life, though. I'm considering building this one for myself with physical bricks.

The Imperial I-class Star Destroyer... was an iconic class of warships designed by Lira Wessex and built by Kuat Drive Yards. The Imperial-class Star Destroyers, along with Imperial stormtroopers, represented the might of the Imperial Military throughout the galaxy during the reign of the Galactic Empire... Read more.

2012StarWarsAdvent_Day4.lxf

[Only Sinner]

Now, that's an ISD what is an ISD. Just look at the perfect proportions, If anyone don't like this, they need to quit smoking the bantha scat. Even the smallest Star Destroyer can be properly intimidating if it's done right.

[Lobot]

Now that is beautiful :wub: :wub:

Excellent work Doc! I'm really looking forward to seeing your version of the AT-AT.

[Mr Man]

Absolutely gorgeous ISD Brickdoctor.