Built for Round 1 of Biocup 2023.
Primary Theme: Biomes
Subtheme: Tundra
During the 1980’s, a group of figures known as Technicians (or Technic Figures/Guys) launched an exploration mission to the arctic. They got more action than anticipated and requested the creation of an emergency and rescue force to be stationed on the frozen circle. In 1986, the first Arctic Rescue Base (ARB/MRB) was established and emergency operations launched smoothly. Though it would be the last MRB to ever be stationed in the arctic.
For reasons unknown, the ARB was abandoned in 2000, with all Technician operations ending by 2002. Rumor has it that lack of interest and funding was the primary cause. The ARB was old, so its occupants were forced to come home sooner than the rest. But that is not the story I believe.
I believe they were attacked. Unexpectedly.
Around the early 2000’s, Minifigs from Lego Town were doing their own arctic exploration. They were looking for some meteor fragments, maybe hoping for some rare minerals. But something went wrong. Rather than minerals, I believe they contained aliens - monsters. And lacking emergency services of their own, they called the old Technician base.
Being the good and helpful figures they were, they went to rescue the Minifigs. And, somehow, one of those monsters got brought back to their base. Maybe it hitched a ride, maybe someone brought one of the meteors. However it played out, monsters got in and destroyed everything. Their only option was the flee and everyone covered it up.
Oh sure, Lego City has resumed arctic research, but they avoid specific areas. No one, not a single one, has gone to the old Lego Town bases or any of the Technician ones. It’s like they’re doing it on purpose!
But everyone will know the truth soon enough! I will head their myself and explore that wasteland! And when I find it. . . Everyone must believe me.
Too many options
I am definitely not indecisive. Totally.
Spin Around:
Wreckage Closeups:
Landscape:
Arctic Rescue Base:
Arctic Rescue Unit:
Helicopter:
Snowplow:
Look at me ma! I’m a missile truck now!
Monsters:
Designer’s Madness: Short version, these are two of the old Technic Arctic Action sets, but long abandoned, in ruins, and home to monsters. If you’d like to know more and the journey for how we got to my build, please see what’s below.
Long
Yo. So, this was a nightmare. I had very few ideas for what to do with Tundra and I decided that the most fun would be a modern remake of the Arctic Rescue Base set from the Arctic Action subtheme. That was a mistake.
I have a difficult time understanding/visualizing scale. So I figured that, what, the base probably only would take maybe two panels at most alongside the windows? Maybe the floor would take two, maybe three at most. Oh no, it can take about six of the largest flat/straight Technic panels for the floor. And the most I have (or had, we’ll get to that) of those panels in one color is four. Oh no.
Yeah, I don’t have to use just panels, I can use beams as well. But a lot of my beams are in black. Within the first week, I bought as many white panels, beams, and some other parts in the closest location I could, hoping they were arrive a day before my holiday weekend. But since I couldn’t rely on it arriving on time, I needed a new plan.
With the modern remake of the base, it was going to be mostly one-to-one. Changes here and there to match closer to the current Technic set style. I say closer, because I wanted to use my solar panel parts on the top. And because just having the base wouldn’t be good enough, it needed some twist. Thus, the base was going to be abandoned, in a wreck, and haunted by a monster. But I couldn’t build at that size, so it was time for math.
I needed to know the size of the original and the dimensions of each section. Once I had those, convert from stud measurements to more friendly Technic beam lengths. And half the size, hopefully keeping the relative proportions of the sets accurately. Stud.io is so nice for showing lengths, much faster than counting studs from set photos as I was doing during lunch breaks. And if you’re wondering about those, you can have it here:
numbers
Note: These measurements aren’t perfect. I was using LDraw models taken from Technicopedia, but some of the model angles makes things a bit deceptive. Primarily with the plow, but I didn’t have the time to correct its positioning.
Ski: 4 x 37 x 4 studs
Ski Legs: 1 x 2 x 4.2 studs
Red Gate/Elevator: 18 x 14 x 8 studs
White Gate: 15 x 16.7 x 13.8 studs
Base Height in total: 26.5 x 38 x 23.6 studs
Base Exterior size: 26.5 x 31 x 17.4 studs
Base Interior size: roughly 21 x 26 x 15 studs
Internal floor: 16 x 24 x 0.6 studs
Roof: 18 x 24 x 14.6 studs, 3 stud overhand on each side with windows, so 24 x 24 studs
Window Placement in Walls: 1 stud inside exterior wall, extends out 2 studs away from exterior wall/support beam, 4 studs between each window units, roughly 2.5 studs beneath the ceiling at height, level with the floor.
Window Units Total: 4 x 8 x 11 studs
Lower Windows: 4 x 8 x 5 studs
Upper Windows: 1 x 8 x 6.2 studs
Computer: 4 x 8 x 5.8 studs
Gearbox: 6 x 6 x 6.2 studs
Helicopter Total Size: 9.5 x 27.2 x 14.5 studs
Tail: 2.5 x 13 x 4.6 studs
Primary Rotor: 1 x 21 x 1.5 studs
Body: 8.5 x 15.8 x 10.3 studs
Rescue Unit Total: 14.9 x 26.2 x 19.7 studs
Back compartment: 12.9 x 11.4 x 12.1 studs
Cab and hood: 12 x 13.9 x 12.4 studs
Tire frame: 13.4 x 20.4 x 7.7 studs
Plow: 8 x 13.3 x 8.6 studs
Plow body: 8 x 8.9 x 8.6 studs
Plow Blade: 8 x 3.1 x 4.1 studs
Pistons: 1 x 5.8 x 4.3 studs
…And I ended up largely ignoring much of it due to part limitations. Because I didn’t have parts I thought I did and definitely didn’t order. Ha ha ha. . .
Oh, and the mission expanded a bit. Since the base was now smaller, I could potentially afford to build other things. Like the Arctic Rescue Unit, though a very broken version of it, to include as part of the landscape. Because there was going to be a landscape now.
Around this time, I remembered I have the last Mindstorms set, but hadn’t opened it yet. There were plenty of white panels in that. So after cannibalization my poor robots, and with the order arriving, and had enough to finish the base and build the landscape. Which means that it was entirely possible I could have replicate the base at a larger scale…but oh well. Future project.
For the landscape, I was trying to replicate the box and set instruction art for the subtheme. I was going to do that with System, using a lot of giant rock parts and using random white pieces to style it…But that didn’t look smooth enough, at least with the parts I have, so that was thrown to the curb. And I instead grabbed what panels I had remaining to build up the more ramp-like mountain. So it’s almost pure Technic, from the floor to all landscaping details.
I had considered using some Bionicle/CCBS for detailing, but I hadn’t decided on what the creature would look like yet. Figured for a more consistent look, the Bionicle stuff would be alien and clearly the thing that shouldn’t be here and what caused the destruction. In early versions, the vehicles had swords going through them rather than the ice spikes. But I couldn’t decide on a color and didn’t want to do another black/void/in the shadows monster. Or orange, like with the Bed’N Monsters. And due to the rock colors available, that left it as either trans-orange or trans-light blue. Obviously, went with light blue.
I always thought the monster would end up being more tentacle filled. Never thought I would go a more cute bug route, but eh, here we are.
Alright, but that’s enough out of me. Criticisms and comments are always welcomed.