With LEGO becoming more expensive recently, fans may wonder how to get the most out of the tubs of bricks that they already have through alternative builds.
The brick-based company constantly releases exciting models, like The Legend of Zelda's Great Deku Tree or Wednesday's first-ever LEGO products. Still, the best part about the brand is that fans can turn what they have made into something entirely new.
From Star Wars to The LEGO Group's homegrown themes, here's a list of some of the best alternative builds for currently available sets spanning a wide range of price points.
The 10 Best Sets for Alternative LEGO Builds
Determining what to build from your collection can be daunting for builders.
Luckily, the website Rebrickable allows LEGO fans to look up the sets in their collection and discover new ways to rebuild them.
Deep Sea Creatures
LEGO's Creator theme has always been one of the best lines of sets for providing buyers with a variety of pieces that can easily be reused in completely different builds.
31088 Deep Sea Creatures is no different, as it is a small, affordable set packed with plenty of parts.
The base set already allows builders to choose between a shark, squid, or angler fish, but Rebrickable user bricksmartworkshop took the underwater theming one step further. The array of pieces that come with the set allows builders to make narwhals, dolphins, turtles, and more, all of which can look just as impressive as the ones conjured up by the original LEGO designers.
Optimus Prime
Hasbro and LEGO's collaboration on 10302 Optimus Prime already gave fans an impressive model of the Autobot leader, so much so that it led to his best bud, Bumblebee, getting the LEGO treatment.
However, the set did go through a few compromises to enable the build to transform into Optimus' truck form.
Without the restraints of needing to turn into a vehicle, Rebrickable user Ransom_Fern managed to design an even more detailed version of Optimus Prime. While this bot's build prevents him from rolling out, reworking the original set's hyper-blocky torso and limbs makes the new model all the more imposing.
501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack
LEGO Star Wars' battle packs are a great way to quickly accumulate an army of a given faction in the galaxy far, far away. 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack, one of the first Star Wars sets to release in 2023, allows fans to snag four Clones a pop, all of whom are part of Anakin Skywalker's elite battalion.
But what do you do when you have bought the whole shop's stock of 501st Battle Packs, assembled all your shiny new Minifigures, and are left with the remaining pieces?
You could convert them all into the turret intended for the set or transform them into another build entirely. As Rebrickable user dorianbricktron shows, the set can be easily converted into a speeder that can seat one of the 501st Legion.
Owning multiple copies of the set can open up even more possibilities, such as a bigger speeder fitted with a tank turret from two sets or a large dropship from four sets.
Viking Village
21343 Viking Village was one of the standouts from the LEGO Ideas team's 2023 lineup, providing fans with a stunning Norse homestead by the water.
For those looking to convert their current Viking set-up into a cozier configuration, look no further than Rebrickable's Gr33tje13, who converted the build into a compact port house.
Builders could expand their Scandinavian town by purchasing a duplicate of the Viking Village and using it for this alternate build, adding some dynamism to their display.
Hulkbuster
Formerly the biggest LEGO Marvel set ever released, 76210 Hulkbuster may also be considered the most disappointing set among many fans.
While it boasts a hefty piece count, the set arguably does not capture the source material well. The torso is strangely elongated and bulky, and the Hulkbuster's ankles could buckle at any moment.
Ransom_Fern strikes again with the perfect remedy, reconfiguring the pieces in the set to match the LEGO Hulkbuster's design far closer to how it appears in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The legs are more streamlined, the shoulder pads fully extend to the upper arms, and the new model avoids compromises by remaining compatible with the buildable Iron Man figure released in 2023.
The Hulkbuster's alternative build is not just a fun option but an essential conversion for those who own one of the most expensive sets that LEGO has ever released.
The Office
While LEGO's portfolio is always top-notch in terms of design and detail, one problem consistently crops up with many of its sets: size. Finding enough room to display builds is an age-old issue, and 21336 The Office is one of those sets that struggles with its large surface area.
Rebrickable user marderbrick figured out a method of showcasing what the miniature Dunder Mifflin has to offer, making vignettes out of the original set and stacking them on top of one another. This way, each office corner has a space to shine while enabling the set to be more easily placed on a shelf.
This version of the build can even be fitted into a picture frame, meaning that Michael Scott's madhouse can be hung up on a wall, free from the bounds of solid furniture. Take that, shelf space.
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Wild Safari Animals
It's no secret that LEGO Star Wars sets are expensive. Because Disney and Lucasfilm are involved, consumers are often forced to fork out a few more dollars than the average set for that sweet, sweet IP.
So, what can fans do to avoid the LEGO Star Wars tax? Well, it's LEGO. Make your own!
Plenty of sets will come with the right pieces to easily transform into your favorite vehicle, character, or creature from the Star Wars universe.
31150 Wild Safari Animals is just one of those. While the three advertised alternative builds will already give impressive models for an antelope, giraffe, or lion, Rebrickable's zengogobrick repurposed the pieces into an Ewok.
Ahsoka Tano's T-6 Jedi Shuttle
We can not always be strong, though. Sometimes, the LEGO Star Wars tax has to be paid.
Fortunately, 75362 Ahsoka Tano's T-6 Jedi Shuttle not only delivers in recreating the beautiful vessel from Ahsoka but also serves as a great springboard for making other ships from the franchise.
So, while fans wait for the next LEGO Star Wars sets to be released in 2025, why not remix a set that they already have?
Rebrickable's Wurger Bricks has an idea that can take set back to where Ahsoka got her start: Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The set has enough pieces to turn into a reasonably sized Republic Gunship, allowing the Jedi to relive her glory days. Alternatively, a B-Wing or a Mandalorian Starfighter are other iconic vehicles that can be crafted from the array of parts that the T-6 Shuttle comes packed with.
Galaxy Explorer
A throwback to the LEGO Classic Space sets of yesteryear, 10497 Galaxy Explorer is a remake of the beloved model of the same name.
Because it is a beefed-up version of that OG set, many pieces can be reused to recreate some older sets.
The Galaxy Explorer remake can also be used to make another new build under the Classic Space umbrella, as Rebrickable user Eclipse_ did with their build for a mining mech ready to drill into otherworldly ore or mineral.
Jim Lee Batman Collection
The LEGO Art line is arguably the most customizable set line. The majority of the sets are simply made of 1x1 LEGO studs, which can be rearranged into all manner of imagery.
31205 Jim Lee Batman Collection offers three builds for buyers, each focused on iconic characters in the Dark Knight's mythos: the Joker, Harley Quinn, and the Caped Crusader himself.
Buying multiple sets expands the options even more, allowing fans to build a tender moment between Batman and Catwoman when purchasing two sets or a larger portrait of the World's Greatest Detective when buying three.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been absent from LEGO's themes in recent years, but Rebrickable user KSZD has brought the heroes in a half-shell back into the fray with these portraits. As the set comes with so many different colors of studs, individual pictures of Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Donatello can all be rendered with just those pieces.
All of the instructions for these alternate designs and more can be found on Rebrickable.
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