Bringing the magnificent mechs of Lancer to the tabletop in LEGO [Feature]

Lancer is a tabletop RPG about piloting mechs that focuses on human-scale stories in a distant future. Builder Dane Erland has given the distinctive mechs the LEGO treatment with a mix of scales and factions to capture the deep lore of the gaming sourcebook. First up is the IPS-Northstar “Tortuga.” Dane does a fine job capturing the hyper-dense armor of the source, with excellent color blocking to break up the dark grey tiles. The Technic pin shotgun shells on the ground are a nice touch.

The IPS-N “Blackbeard” is a Berserker-type melee unit. I love the contrast of the spindly limbs and a massive two-handed sword. Dane has an innovative solution for the nimble fingers, using minfigure hand to add an extra joint. Battle Droid heads look great on the mech’s feet.

The Horus “Pegasus” is a very different design, giving off strong Evangelion vibes with its cadaverous carapace. Being unfamiliar with the Lancer universe, I don’t know this Mech’s full story, but considering its arsenal is considered “esoteric” and one of its armaments being a floating black blob of energy, I would guess this faction doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the mechs above. Coral accents look fabulous against the white and dark-grey base. The hand design is creepily good, with those cartoon-like fingertips. Doubly creepy that the hands and feet are the same design.

The Smith-Shimano Corpo “Death’s Head” is a heavy artillery mech armed with a powerful railgun. As with the Blackbeard, I really appreciate the unconventional mix of brute force and nimbleness that gives the design such personality. I can see why Dane was so inspired by the Lancer source material. A minifig helmet sunken in the front serves as the face.

Next up are a trio of half-size frames: the IPS-N “Caliban,” HA “Kutuzov,” and  SSC Dusk “Wing.” The Kutuzov stands out with excellent tile patterns on the armor, a distinctive triangular head design, and technic pin exhausts from the shoulders.  The Caliban is an impressive hardsuit at basically minifig scale.

Finally, we have the Harrison Army “Tokugawa,” Dane’s first build of the series and the mech that he first wanted to play in the RPG. It’s designated a Spearhead Melee unit and wields torch blades to help it lead the charge as it cuts through any defenses. On Dane’s version, the panels on the back swing open to reveal a pilot’s seat that fits a minifgure. It’s my favorite design of the bunch, truly the best of all worlds with a lithe and posable frame housed in imposing yet elegant armor. Like an EVA fused with a tank.

Dane’s excellent LEGO renditions have made me curious to know more about the Lancer RPG. With four distinct factions represented in Dane’s models, I appreciate how much range and personality the setting brings. Being more of a video gamer than tabletop player, it makes me long for a fresh take on mechs like this, as after Titanfall went on ice and Anthem‘s failure to launch, there haven’t been many human-scale mech options out there. Maybe the best way to get in on the action is try try building a mech like Dane’s.

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