MOC Madness Week 1 Recap

MOC Madness Week 1 Recap

The first week of MOC Madness brought an incredible lineup of builds from BuffaLUG members, showcasing creativity, nostalgia, technical skill, and storytelling. Here’s a look back at the featured MOCs from Week 1:

Day 1: Keith Rowe’s "Creepy Spider"

Kicking off MOC Madness was Keith Rowe’s "Creepy Spider," a throwback to our very first challenge—the Budget Build Challenge from 2021. Keith’s build was made with just $15.95 worth of LEGO, carefully selecting parts from three different polybags to create an eerie arachnid with its last victim.

Day 2: Connor McGrath’s "Crystal Coastline"

Inspired by the crystal minifigures from Ninjago, Connor McGrath designed a stunning fantasy diorama where crystal dragons roam a colorful, transparent landscape. His layering of blue bricks beneath transparent light blue tiles gives the illusion of shimmering water, bringing this magical world to life. "It took me about half a year... I mostly worked on one baseplate at a time," says Connor.

Day 3: Alan Gryfe’s "Fisher-Price Xylophone"

A nostalgic blast from the past! Alan Gryfe recreated the classic Fisher-Price xylophone (1964-1978 version) at a 3/5 scale. He used original LEGO wheels from the 1960s (without tires) to match the proportions, making this MOC both a faithful and playful nod to the childhood favorite.

Day 4: Jon Breidert’s "Sebastian’s Revenge"

Jon Breidert’s first-ever MOC, "Sebastian’s Revenge," was his winning entry for BuffaLUG’s 8x8 Crate Build Challenge in 2022. Inspired by Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, Jon created a daring crab-led rescue mission where ice-packed fish topple toward freedom. "I rebuilt it 4 or 5 times to get the ice just right. It’s still not perfect, but I think it shows motion."

Day 5: Mark Mancuso’s "Josh Allen Mosaic"

BuffaLUG’s Mosaic Master, Mark Mancuso, coordinated a community build of Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen. The massive portrait, made up of 160 16x16 stud baseplates, was assembled with contributions from attendees at an event, celebrating both the Buffalo community and its beloved team.

Day 6: Paul Paulin’s "Fort LEGO"

Inspired by his Army days and MASH*, Paul Paulin’s military base has grown over two years, expanding one MILS (Modular Integrated Landscaping System) plate at a time. Now covering 28 MILS plates, "Fort LEGO" features training centers, medical buildings, and a basic training graduation. "So many people have shared their service memories while looking at this display. I still have many ideas!"

Day 7: Ryan Conroy’s "Buffalo & Baby Buffalo"

Using BrickLink Studio, Ryan Conroy carefully crafted these buffalo models, balancing SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques with structural integrity. "The design took many months of trying to find the perfect SNOT combination to make it all work," Ryan shares. His baby buffalo mirrors the larger one’s features, making it a unique challenge to scale down. Want one for yourself? A donation to BuffaLUG gets you a model, with proceeds supporting club initiatives.

Week 1 of MOC Madness has set the bar high! Stay tuned for Week 2 as we continue to highlight incredible builds from BuffaLUG’s talented members.