If your kids are mad about army toys but also love Lego, then building a Lego Army seems the next logical step to take.
Unfortunately Lego does not make this easy for you, preferring to keep children playing in fantasy scenarios than realistic types of war game.
There are a few readymade Lego army sets for sale online, such as the army vehicles you can find in the Lego Creator range and the Toy Story Army Lego Men on Patrol set for youngsters. Alternatively you can find Mega Bloks Probuilder military sets for older children and adults. (Please click HERE for more information on all of these options).
Luckily though, the world of custom army Legos is quite vast. Although quite hard to find, once you track it down, you will find a diverse range of Lego army soldiers, tanks, other vehicles and teeny Lego guns to use to stage great battles.
Whilst these custom military Legos are not endorsed by the Lego company, they are made using their bricks and will therefore work nicely with any existing brick collections.
Battles can take place in the past, future or present and Lego enthusiasts can build the most customized battle they desire. From military ambulances to army bomber planes to properly outfitted soldiers, thousands of custom items are sold to complete a Lego army.
Obviously you can build anything you like with Lego bricks, but kids often need a bit of a helping hand to kick start their imaginations. A collection of Lego army figures complete with weapons may inspire them to build some vehicles from scratch, or you could buy the instructions for custom builds to help them along or even custom sets complete with instructions and relevant bricks.
Where to start
Building a basic Lego military involves soldiers, guns and vehicles. By starting with these three basic facets, you will be well on your way to a great collection.
Lego Soldiers
Known as mini figures, or “mini figs,” Lego army men are available to replicate soldiers from the US, Germany and the UK. There are World War and modern day soldiers from the marines and other branches of the military. Some of the military mini figs available include U.S. sergeants, riflemen, mine sweepers, and medics.
Most are custom built and come in different colored uniforms, including grey, black, white, green and tan. They come with removable helmets, uniform detailing and sometimes one or more weapons.
They cost from around $6 singly or you can find them bundled as custom Lego army toys sets. For example, 3 minifigures and a base camp set including weapons will cost between $35-40. Full platoon units can be purchased for around $80, which includes six figures and two Jeeps.
Things to watch out for when purchasing include how the uniform is printed onto the minifig. Direct printing on both sides is the best as this will not scratch or rub off. Some minifigs though just come with decals (stickers) on one side. You could buy these decals yourself to add to your own plain minfigures. They cost around $6 for 15 decals.
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As well as weapons you can purchase individual helmets for your soldiers. These include modern combat helmets, brodie helmets, steel pots and German Stahlhelms. They often come in a variety of colors and cost $2 each.
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Minifig stands have two studs and are designed to keep your Lego soldiers upright in battle. Whilst not a necessary accompaniment, they can be well worth the $1 price tag.
Lego Guns
Precisely detailed using computer aided design, Lego weapons are amazingly intricate, tiny, yet integral, battle accessories for your minifigures. As they are made from the identical plastic that Lego uses they blend perfectly.
Guns, swords, grenades and other weapons cost around $1 each, and can be customized to any war era. A high caliber sniper rifle can be purchased in eight different color choices for $1.50 each. Weapons can be bought in packs for about $10, which include an assortment of shotguns, handguns, U-clips and more. Choose from high caliber sniper rifles, assault carbines, grenade launchers and heaps more, to really rev up your army with these pieces of minifig weaponry.
Why not stock up your Lego army tank with some Lego grenades too. The iconic and highly detailed fragmentation grenade can be added to your arsenal to send your enemies fleeing.
Offering superb value for money, why not treat your soldiers to a weapons pack. These come in three colors, cobalt blue, silver, and black, and include such things as precision sniper rifles, tactical PDWs, assault carbines, combat SMGs and bipods.
The variety of Lego military gear available makes sure your army is ready for both close quarter combat and long range attacks.
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Lego Tank Toys & Other Army Vehicles
Kits for building Lego army vehicles are available for both World Wars and the modern military. Tanks are hugely popular although a couple of fighter planes, jeeps and Humvees are also available.
Lego tanks include models such as the Sherman and Panzer. You can find instructions for building these custom tanks from your own collection of Lego pieces available to purchase online or buy complete kits that comprise the pieces and the instructions.
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Tips For Improving Your Army Lego Sets
- Make sure you opt for distinctive attire between armies. This can be done with decals, helmets and weapons.
- Consider what era your war is set in and choose minifigs, helmets and weapons that are suitable.
- Assemble your Lego soldiers into squads, such as groups of snipers, close combat army men and artillery units.
- Identify some ranks within the squads, say one officer to every 5 infantryman.
- Make use of some custom Lego military vehicles.
- Build an army base with normal Lego for your army to defend.
- You will probably need at least 20 Lego soldiers and a couple of vehicles to achieve a realistic battle scene.
The level of detail in army Legos is immense. It is recommended that you start slow with a few basic pieces to include a few soldiers, a vehicle and some weapons. Once you decide what you like to build best, customized kits with hundreds or thousands of pieces can be purchased.