Space Troopers

As a kid, I always pored over the LEGO catalogs, looking at the dizzying array of spaceships, rovers, buggies, and astronauts on display, the colorful figures and ships beckoning the imagination toward adventure. My mind raced with stories and plans, grand adventures writ large against the backdrop of twinkling stars and more moons than I could count. Ten years and change after that first dive into the vast and timeless universe of LEGO Space, I had the chance to bring those childhood dreams to a large audience with my Space Troopers project on what was then LEGO Cuusoo, the forerunner to LEGO Ideas. Seeing so many people wanting to dive into that world again with me, and imagining grand adventures, battles, starships roaring past, and more was an experience I'll never forget.

And now, ten years after that and quite a few more miles down the road, I've had a few adventures of my own, and I've visited some of the places I'd always dreamed of going. But that longing for stories in the stars still persists, and so I'm honored and delighted to be part of the inaugural BrickLink Designer Program, with another chance to share the things in my imagination with others.

The original Space Troopers concept needed some tweaking for part availability, the right colors to match the palette, and the still-undecided minifigure selection, so I returned to the roots of the project for this opportunity. Bold colors, classic styling, and a spaceship stocked with rockets, lasers, scanners, and supplies took center stage immediately.

A from-the-ground-up rebuild of the original "Bulwark" gunship design of the Space Troopers project, the spaceship you see here is chock full of the developments of a decade's worth of building, yet remains sturdy and with a chunky simplicity that reminds me of what I'd have loved to play with as a boy. From the rear's double cargo doors ready to discharge rovers, troops, or scientists on an expedition, to the inner hatch and gunner's console with its cramped ladder allowing access to the cockpit, the hold is packed with scenes ripe for customization and exploration. Crew bunks and a tiny galley round out the hull, and the off-center cockpit rises up between a sensor array and two massive engines that can rotate up or down for flight.

The sliding cargo doors aren't just there for show; a sturdy mechanism just behind the wings allows you to attach the two included modules or design your own, dropping them off on some distant planet or opening the doors to allow for use in-flight. Two crimson hardsuits in the classic Space Troopers red are more than just my concession to the strictures of the brick—they're my homage to the classic sci-fi writers whose tales of adventure on far-off planets and dropships swooping from the sky have shaped my life. Deploying on two rails from a module that locks into place in the dropship's rear, the suits are chunky, bedecked with pistons and thrusters, and, most importantly, fit a minifigure snugly inside to allow for armored adventures.

The other module is a workshop/laboratory stocked with cargo containers and launch points for two miniature drones that can swoop ahead and scout out the craters of an alien moon. Although the minifigure selection has yet to be decided, I know that the seats, stations, and modules already have me thinking of just who might be taking the controls. 

All told, the Bulwark II is a little over 2,600 bricks, but the process of its design has gotten me back into the creative spirit I had in the original design. For that alone, I'm glad to be part of the BrickLink Designer Program journey, and I can only hope that you might be inspired to join me in it. 

Cheers! 

-Nick