Mainman's official unofficial building contest advice!
No, the Furball dio has not been rebuilt. This is my unofficial contest tip line for the 2012 Military Building Competition, which I’m co-judging. Please note, there is no formula to guarantee a win in any contest. These are just a few tips that I have discovered through experience and/or observed in others’ successes. Some of these are generalized, while others are more specifically slanted to one category or another.
- Be patient! This seems to be especially problematic for the younger builders out there. Rarely does a masterpiece come together quickly. And don’t take this to mean only large MOCs. Minor details (or lack thereof) will shine all the brighter on a small build. It will not be perfect the first time around! In fact, even if it looks good to you after you finish, your thoughts might not be the same the next day. I recommend setting your MOC aside for a couple days after you complete it. Build on something unrelated, or read a book, or go for a hike. Then come back to your MOC and re-evaluate. Try to remember your goals from when you started. Did you meet them? Did you exceed them? Most of all, are you still satisfied? If so (and it may be precisely so) then take some pictures and post it! What we see too much of, however, are mediocre MOCs being posted mere days after the contest announcement, because people got over-excited to put it out there. You’ve got two months. Use em’!
- Quality over Quantity! We all admire someone who can build prolifically (I certainly wish I could), but your chances don’t improve merely because you enter every category. The devil is in the details, and detail can be hard to achieve if you’re rushing to build more entries than you’re able.
- Speaking of details, try to include details you don’t expect anyone will notice! I’m not joking here. Your viewers may indeed not detect them, but if they do, it will reinforce the fact that you worked hard and put a lot of thought into your build. How often do you see a note on some tiny feature of a MOC pointing out how amazed people are that it was included and/or achieved in Lego form? Often it is the minutest details that separate a great MOC from a good one.
- Don’t be afraid of new scales! You’ll notice that only four of the ten categories say they must be built at minifig scale. Middle-East Aircraft, Drawing Board Armor, and Forced Perspective can all use minifig scale or, if you so choose, abandon them entirely. You may notice my dio above includes nothing remotely near minifig scale. Nor (arguably) does –infomaniac-‘s recent masterpiece, while great builders like Ralph often go larger than fig-scale to maximize detail. Minifigs have a special place in all our hearts, but they can also be constraining. I’m not trying to discourage fig scale, but rather to encourage more variety and maybe a little outside-the-comfort-zone experience. I didn’t expect the feeling when first I tried microscale, but abandoning the minifig can be surprisingly liberating (yeah, yeah, insert bra joke here). So toss your figs aside and join the movement!
- Microscale doesn’t necessarily mean small! This is a common misconception for those still struggling to break the bonds of the minifig. A successful micro build often won't fit in a quaint 8x8 footprint - in fact it may not feel micro at all by the time you're done. It took me a while and some very mediocre micro MOCs before I actually internalized this lesson. The real trigger for me was building at a set scale. Now when I build a micro aircraft, I know I want it to conform to a 1:100 scale, which means my parts selection is dictated by the scale, rather than the scale being dictated by the parts I happen across. I know this sounds a little silly, but I think it’s a mindset that helped me. Note that I’m not trying to dictate a scale to others; I know some builders who are just as comfortable at 1:80. And if you’re going for a Spruce Goose, 1:150 may make it more manageable. Just realize, the smaller scale you work with, the harder it is to duplicate telltale details. Find what works for you.
- Don’t lean on your Brickarms! We all know and love the cute little weapons, but they net you precisely zilch if you try to center your MOC around them. This is a building competition, after all, not a display-custom-parts competition. Brickarms will do nothing to prop up a weak build.
- Hire a landscaper! No, I don’t mean someone to trim the hedges while you build. Diorama MOCs live and die by their terrain. Throwing a bunch of figs and mechs on a baseplate will not win you any acclaim. Lego is a visual medium, and when it comes to dioramas, the eye tends to be pleased by changes in elevation – especially changes of the not-so-rectangular variety. I know this can be parts intensive, and every time I build a dio, I feel like I’m scraping the bottom of my bins, but it’s always worthwhile. It also takes some planning, especially if you’re creating "negative elevation" (foxholes, trenches, etc. - Pepik’s MOCs always spring to mind), but again, this goes back to the note on detail – everyone will know you put a lot of work into that sloped landscape with a 4-brick-deep bomb crater blown in the middle.
Another way to look at it: try to beat the Castlers at their own game. Castle MOCs usually have to stand on the basis of their terrain and structures, rather than action. Build a dio on par with a great castle builder, and then add your action, and you know you’ve done something great!
- Don’t be afraid to rebuild! This is another habit I had to ease myself into. It seems to be especially true of vehicle MOCs. You’ll invariably notice some deficiency in your build that requires a change somewhere deep in its core (especially annoying when that’s a technic frame). You know the new detail (again with the details!) will necessitate an utter dismantling of the MOC to make room. So this time rather than just shrugging and saying “oh well,” take some reference photos (or if your collection allows, build a parallel core) and rebuild. 99% of the time, the result will be a markedly improved MOC.
Whew, all that sounds like a lot of work! Well, it probably should. After all, your fellow competitors are working hard to beat you. Sun Tzu wisely said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” A winning builder sees his successful model in the early stages of building.
Ok, enough philosophy. Feel free to ask questions, either here or in the official FAQ thread. My last, and perhaps most important piece of advice – despite my tl;dr essay about hard work, frustration, and challenges – is to enjoy yourself! Lego building is about having fun!
Mainman's official unofficial building contest advice!
No, the Furball dio has not been rebuilt. This is my unofficial contest tip line for the 2012 Military Building Competition, which I’m co-judging. Please note, there is no formula to guarantee a win in any contest. These are just a few tips that I have discovered through experience and/or observed in others’ successes. Some of these are generalized, while others are more specifically slanted to one category or another.
- Be patient! This seems to be especially problematic for the younger builders out there. Rarely does a masterpiece come together quickly. And don’t take this to mean only large MOCs. Minor details (or lack thereof) will shine all the brighter on a small build. It will not be perfect the first time around! In fact, even if it looks good to you after you finish, your thoughts might not be the same the next day. I recommend setting your MOC aside for a couple days after you complete it. Build on something unrelated, or read a book, or go for a hike. Then come back to your MOC and re-evaluate. Try to remember your goals from when you started. Did you meet them? Did you exceed them? Most of all, are you still satisfied? If so (and it may be precisely so) then take some pictures and post it! What we see too much of, however, are mediocre MOCs being posted mere days after the contest announcement, because people got over-excited to put it out there. You’ve got two months. Use em’!
- Quality over Quantity! We all admire someone who can build prolifically (I certainly wish I could), but your chances don’t improve merely because you enter every category. The devil is in the details, and detail can be hard to achieve if you’re rushing to build more entries than you’re able.
- Speaking of details, try to include details you don’t expect anyone will notice! I’m not joking here. Your viewers may indeed not detect them, but if they do, it will reinforce the fact that you worked hard and put a lot of thought into your build. How often do you see a note on some tiny feature of a MOC pointing out how amazed people are that it was included and/or achieved in Lego form? Often it is the minutest details that separate a great MOC from a good one.
- Don’t be afraid of new scales! You’ll notice that only four of the ten categories say they must be built at minifig scale. Middle-East Aircraft, Drawing Board Armor, and Forced Perspective can all use minifig scale or, if you so choose, abandon them entirely. You may notice my dio above includes nothing remotely near minifig scale. Nor (arguably) does –infomaniac-‘s recent masterpiece, while great builders like Ralph often go larger than fig-scale to maximize detail. Minifigs have a special place in all our hearts, but they can also be constraining. I’m not trying to discourage fig scale, but rather to encourage more variety and maybe a little outside-the-comfort-zone experience. I didn’t expect the feeling when first I tried microscale, but abandoning the minifig can be surprisingly liberating (yeah, yeah, insert bra joke here). So toss your figs aside and join the movement!
- Microscale doesn’t necessarily mean small! This is a common misconception for those still struggling to break the bonds of the minifig. A successful micro build often won't fit in a quaint 8x8 footprint - in fact it may not feel micro at all by the time you're done. It took me a while and some very mediocre micro MOCs before I actually internalized this lesson. The real trigger for me was building at a set scale. Now when I build a micro aircraft, I know I want it to conform to a 1:100 scale, which means my parts selection is dictated by the scale, rather than the scale being dictated by the parts I happen across. I know this sounds a little silly, but I think it’s a mindset that helped me. Note that I’m not trying to dictate a scale to others; I know some builders who are just as comfortable at 1:80. And if you’re going for a Spruce Goose, 1:150 may make it more manageable. Just realize, the smaller scale you work with, the harder it is to duplicate telltale details. Find what works for you.
- Don’t lean on your Brickarms! We all know and love the cute little weapons, but they net you precisely zilch if you try to center your MOC around them. This is a building competition, after all, not a display-custom-parts competition. Brickarms will do nothing to prop up a weak build.
- Hire a landscaper! No, I don’t mean someone to trim the hedges while you build. Diorama MOCs live and die by their terrain. Throwing a bunch of figs and mechs on a baseplate will not win you any acclaim. Lego is a visual medium, and when it comes to dioramas, the eye tends to be pleased by changes in elevation – especially changes of the not-so-rectangular variety. I know this can be parts intensive, and every time I build a dio, I feel like I’m scraping the bottom of my bins, but it’s always worthwhile. It also takes some planning, especially if you’re creating "negative elevation" (foxholes, trenches, etc. - Pepik’s MOCs always spring to mind), but again, this goes back to the note on detail – everyone will know you put a lot of work into that sloped landscape with a 4-brick-deep bomb crater blown in the middle.
Another way to look at it: try to beat the Castlers at their own game. Castle MOCs usually have to stand on the basis of their terrain and structures, rather than action. Build a dio on par with a great castle builder, and then add your action, and you know you’ve done something great!
- Don’t be afraid to rebuild! This is another habit I had to ease myself into. It seems to be especially true of vehicle MOCs. You’ll invariably notice some deficiency in your build that requires a change somewhere deep in its core (especially annoying when that’s a technic frame). You know the new detail (again with the details!) will necessitate an utter dismantling of the MOC to make room. So this time rather than just shrugging and saying “oh well,” take some reference photos (or if your collection allows, build a parallel core) and rebuild. 99% of the time, the result will be a markedly improved MOC.
Whew, all that sounds like a lot of work! Well, it probably should. After all, your fellow competitors are working hard to beat you. Sun Tzu wisely said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” A winning builder sees his successful model in the early stages of building.
Ok, enough philosophy. Feel free to ask questions, either here or in the official FAQ thread. My last, and perhaps most important piece of advice – despite my tl;dr essay about hard work, frustration, and challenges – is to enjoy yourself! Lego building is about having fun!