Pigs on the Wing: More rule clarifications and Entry Grids

First up, the fun stuff: I just posted the starter Entry Grids. We're still clarifying rules, but there are already 10 examples to look at - some in compliance, some with a defiant spirit that refuse to be constrained by anyone's rules, and some inbetween.

Speaking of rules clarifications, here's what I hope to be the final words on the subject of "What is an Animal". I was going to go to the extreme of listing out all the LEGO part numbers, but, really, that's a bit much. I think the following shows what you can use freely - and where you're taking a risk.

From the rules page:

• The pilot must be a LEGO animal
  
  • Brickforge and other custom built animals are allowed
  • Megablok and competing major brands, however, are not allowed.
  • When wondering if a particular item counts as a LEGO animal, ask yourself "Does this figure look like a human wearing a costume"? If the answer is "yes", then odds are you're going to lose some points. If the item looks like the animal as you'd see it at the zoo, you're fine.
  • Monkeys are allowed, but be warned: The judges consider their use "too easy" so your build will have to be pretty spectacular to impress them! (Monkeys must be mounted as a "traditional" cave racer - they hang from a pair of handlebars by their front limbs.)

Yes, that's a flip-flop on Monkey use for those of you paying close attention. Since the animal-pilot twist was my contribution to this sub-theme, I figure I'm allowed to change my mind once early on. (Besides, having a Monkey-themed Prize doesn't make a lot of sense if you can't have monkeys in the contest, y'know?)

Anyway, that's it for now. Happy building!

Pumping Iron: Grid Update and Rules Clarification

The Entry Grid has been updated with all models submitted so far. We're up to 30 models at the moment - and there's some really creative work in there!

I have received a few questions wanting clarification on the rules. My fault, as I wasn't very clear in my restrictions. Let me try and rephrase things:

As long as your creation looks like it's armor designed to be worn by a mini-figure (or whatever scale) you're good to go.

You don't have to build around an actual mini-figure unless you want to.

Or, to phrase it yet another way: If you were to pretend your final model was completely hollow, a person of the same scale should be able to fit inside. Like a suit of armor.

If in doubt, email me with a description of what you're looking at building and I'll give you a thumbs up or down.

In the meantime, I've posted a clarification to the rules page as well.

Remember, you have until 2:22am Eastern Time on May 3rd to get those entries in!