Welcome back to the ToroLUG Member Feature series!
I’m joined this time by RandoBuilds who agreed to answer my questions.
-Thank you RandoBuilds. To get started, why don’t you tell me about your relationship with LEGO and its history?
Thanks for having me! I don’t remember a time where LEGO wasn’t a huge part of life. LEGO has provided me with a creative outlet, retail therapy, and with the LUG- a social outlet as well! It’s really become a huge part of all aspects of my life. A bucket of system bricks was how I got my start at an early age, but what I remember most about my earlier LEGO history is playing with Bionicles. This was my favourite theme up until its eventual retirement, but I also have fond memories of Exo Force, Power Miners, and LEGO Star Wars.
In addition to building the sets, I’ve always had a passion for creating. I would spend a lot of time building spaceships, Star Wars inspired walkers, or cars to race. Being a big Bionicle fan, I had naturally made my own Bionicles as well.
I don’t think I’ve had a LEGO dark age, but if I had to say so, it would be between maybe 2010 (the end of Bionicle) and 2013. It’s a very soft dark age though, since I never truly fell out of it, and two/three years off is probably comical to many others reading this! I just had less interest in LEGO in that short period of time. In 2014, I got the LEGO Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer, 75055, which really reinvigorated my love of LEGO!
-Do you collect sets? Is there a theme you prefer?
I am pretty theme agnostic when it comes to collecting! I really like Brickheadz, Speed Champions, and I enjoy the midi scale Star Wars ships. I also have Friends sets, Minecraft, Botanicals, you name it. If I think the set is cool, then it’s fair game! The only theme/IP I have completed is Transformers, which will inevitably come to an end when they release a set outside of my price range.
-When did you start creating your own MOCs and what do you like to build? Where do you usually find inspiration? What does your creative process look like ?
I was creating MOCs as early as I can remember… Like I alluded to earlier, I built lots of spaceships, cars, Bionicles, and more. I was really inspired by my favourite movies and themes like Star Wars, Transformers, and even the Wachowski Speed Racer film, so I built a lot of different stuff. If I could go back and look at my earlier builds, it would have probably been a very eclectic mix.
Nowadays I’ve been mostly building based off of existing characters and locations as opposed to things out of my own mind, but my inspiration coming from my favourite media and interests hasn’t changed. I’ve always preferred free building and letting the bricks guide me, but I refer to pictures on Google so I can accurately recreate details and such.
-Several of your MOCS are based on videogames: Genshin Impact, Fortnite… Do you play a lot of videogames? What are your favorites?
Yes! I love Genshin Impact, but my all time favourite game franchise is Halo- mostly for its multiplayer. I also like to play the occasional Call of Duty, Minecraft, or single player experiences like the more recent DOOM games. In terms of story driven games, my favourite would be Portal 2. That being said, I wouldn’t actually consider myself to be much of a gamer- I’m not well read up on all the latest games, and I’ve never dabbled with indie titles. I kind of just keep to my larger “blockbuster” games.
Halo and Portal are great choices, and also some of my favorite video game franchises. In addition to games, you also like music. Having a passion for both LEGO and music, how do you combine the two? Do you listen to music while building?
I see you’ve done your research by checking out my YouTube channel haha. I don’t think this has been a common topic of conversation in my LEGO circles. I am a big fan of electronic dance music: house, techno, dubstep, etc. I have a DJ MOC that I made which was inspired by the LEGO Ideas Jazz Quartet, and I would love to make a midi scale model of the CDJ3000 at some point, which is one of the industry standard media players DJs use. A lot of my work during my bachelors degree was actually music based, so it was a big part of my school “art practice” if you will, though I haven’t really implemented it into my LEGO work. Maybe one day!
When I build, I generally listen to podcasts or music, but I like to create in silence too! I think it’s important to be able to disconnect from all the layers of stimulation, and focus on just one thing.
-You have several Transformers MOCs. I’ve been binging the movies and animated movies recently. What’s your favorite Transformers movie/cartoon/comic? Who’s your favorite character? Any upcoming MOC related to the franchise?
I absolutely loved the latest Transformers: One movie! I also have a soft spot for the Bayformers films as much as they are just… not very good. The action and CGI are next level if you can get past everything else being generally atrocious. I also really like the video games, Transformers: War for Cybertron, and the sequel, Fall of Cybertron. They’re great games with amazing stories! I don’t think I have a favourite character, though I think Shockwave and Soundwave are really cool looking. I have no upcoming Transformers MOC in the roadmap unfortunately, however I’d love to do my own take on Optimus Prime someday!
-I’m glad to see we agree on Transformers: One. I didn’t get a chance to play the games you mentioned, but I’ll keep them in mind. More generally, is there a MOC you’re especially proud of? What makes it special to you?
My MOC of Lumine from Genshin Impact is one that I am really proud of. It was the first MOC that I displayed publicly, at Anime North 2025. I didn’t even think I was going to be exhibiting at the event, as I had joined the LUG not long before. I didn’t feel prepared, and had doubts that it would be “good enough”. I realize that’s a really silly thought since you can display at any skill level, but it was a big jump from me just building purely for myself. I was glad to see people at the show recognizing the character. This build is special because it marked a departure point from myself as a private builder to the public, as well as gave me the confidence to expand that style of building into other characters from Genshin Impact and beyond.
-What challenges have you encountered when building MOCs? Have you ever abandoned a MOC?
Parts availability! I’m cheap haha. I don’t always want to make PAB orders, so I generally try to work with what I have, which often decreases the scope of my projects. Totally self imposed though.
Aside from that, I find starting to be hard. For example, my Megatron build was something I started and stopped so many times because I just couldn’t get the body how I wanted, but once I figured out a solution that I was satisfied with, the rest came together fast. Once I get going and am confident that the level of fidelity I want can be achieved, I can run with it, otherwise I kind of just hit a roadblock. Ultimately, I abandon MOCs all the time, but if that was the case they never made it very far to begin with.
-What are you working on right now?
More anime characters! My most recent projects are Columbina from Genshin Impact, and I am planning an Itachi Uchiha character build from Naruto. I also have a Halo model in the works.
Tentatively, The Path, and Deep Sea Collaborations with ToroLUG are builds I am also excited to be a part of. I have some ideas for each of them but nothing concrete yet.
-Has your building style changed over time?
I’m not sure if I would consider it to be a building style necessarily, but I think that I have continually tried to focus more on storytelling in my MOCs. Each time I make a character, I try to put them in a setting from their respective IP. Even if it’s a static display, I try to think about what is going on in the scene to really tie together the model. For my Lumine MOC, something as simple as a tree with yellowed, autumn leaves will tell a Genshin Impact fan that the scene takes place in the in-game region of Liyue, and the existence of a Seelie (the blue flying thing) implies there’s treasure to be found outside of the slice that I’ve created. So there’s more than meets the eye with this one. If I had to sum it up, I’d say I try to be more intentional with each element and imply a greater narrative.
-What are your goals for the future as a MOC builder? Some aspects you’re trying to improve?
I think my main goal would be to build bigger. So far, my largest MOC covers a 16×16 area. They’re sort of like bigger habitats I guess. I would love to build a scene for my character builds on a 32×32, or even 48×48 baseplate- something that is more substantial and visually impressive.
Aspirationally, I really want to offshoot my MOC building into something larger than RandoBuilds. I see RandoBuilds as kind of a “social media” brand, where I build things based on pop culture and themes that I enjoy, but are also recognizable and crowd pleasing. I love this style of building, and will continue to do so, since it’s really the roots of my passion for LEGO. However, what about Tyler as an artist? It would be really cool to build things that are uniquely me, perhaps leveraging stuff like projection mapping, lighting, or even adding interactivity to elevate my LEGO building in a way that is more novel. This is just what I aspire to do at some point. It could be in a year or it could be in ten; I haven’t really thought too hard or put any bricks together, but that’s kind of the gist of it haha. For now I will likely stick to my gaming characters.
-How did you first discover ToroLUG, and what made you decide to join? What do you enjoy in the group?
I actually have no clue how I discovered ToroLUG! I knew LUGs existed, and that ToroLUG was a thing, but I don’t remember when I first heard of it. My best guess would be coming across the ToroLUG booth at Fan Expo, Anime North, or at Bricks in the Six as a public viewer, but it was BrickinNick and Shawn Mcleod (HFXBRX) in April of 2025 who told me more about it and encouraged me to become a member since I had a chance connect with the two of them around that time. Aside from that I had never really interacted with the broader LEGO community outside of public viewing.
I can’t speak to what really sets ToroLUG apart from other communities since I haven’t really been a part of other LEGO communities like this one. What I can say is that I’ve really enjoyed the club, and getting to meet people who speak my language! I have a bunch of friends who love LEGO like I do, but they don’t really build MOCs, so ToroLUG really filled that gap with so many people also being builders. Everybody has been super welcoming to myself, and newer members alike. It’s really been a treat and I am always excited for the next event that I can attend.
-What would you tell someone who’s thinking about joining Torolug?
Join! The people are great, and there’s plenty of ways to get involved. It’s not even just about the LEGO, it’s also a nice way to socialize and meet people. There’s a lot of stuff to get involved in like collabs, and going to events to volunteer around the displays or even exhibit yourself.
-When displaying a MOC, what do you hope people take away from it? How does it feel to see people reacting to your builds at conventions or public events?
One of my favourite parts about displaying my MOCs is seeing the crowd reaction, whether it be people pointing at it, or verbally calling it out to their friend(s). It gives me great pleasure to see that I’ve built something that people recognize or resonate with. I think the ultimate goal would be to have the public get more interested in building their own custom models after seeing the creativity on display from the LEGO community at any public event, whether it be Bricks in the Six, or Fan Expo. LEGO is much more than the sets themselves!
-Any advice for Lego fans who don’t know how to start their first MOC?
Start! Just put the pieces together and enjoy the toy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple car made using 3 plates and some wheels, or a large house on a 32×32 baseplate. Just build with what you have and really explore your style and interests.
-What’s your favorite Lego part?
My favourite part has got to be 3386, Brick, Round 1x1x2/3 Half Circle Extended with Stud on Side. Or just the D Snot piece… I use it all the time since it’s low profile.
-Sorting by color or by part?
Generally, I sort by part type, or similar part types. When I’m building, I think about what types of parts I want to use first, and if I don’t have it in a certain colour I will pivot. Generally, I dislike searching through a sea of the same colour with various parts. When I want a 1×4 plate, I always know where they are in my system. On the flip side, if I need it in a certain colour then I have to still dig around for it. There will always be tradeoffs.
There are some instances where I do separate a block of colours. For example, I have more 1×6 plates than my system can support, so I’ve separated them into two: grayscale and everything else. The way I organize is always changing though. Like all of us, our systems were probably much smaller than what we have now. As I expand, it gives me more opportunities to sort a bit more specifically each time. I would love to be able to sort by colour more, but it doesn’t make sense for my space at the moment.
-Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and giving us a peek into your Lego world. Do you have any last remark?
Can I plug my YouTube channel? Go check out RandoBuilds on YouTube! I haven’t found the time to post a lot, but I think my videos are pretty good (Not biased at all).
Lastly, Victoria shared her cats on her spotlight (which you should check out if you haven’t!), so here’s my two cats, Chloe (Calico) and Lucy (Black)!
Thanks for having me!
You can find RandoBuilds’ YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@RandoBuilds and see more of his creations at https://www.instagram.com/randobuilds/