Villainous Intent: Round 1 of Bio-Cup 2023

It's that time of year again, every constraction builder’s favorite time, Bio-Cup! Whether you are watching or participating, it is always a show full of incredible builders both known and new to building. As happens every year everyone participating has really taken their skills to the next level and brought their A-game to the preliminary round.

This year the preliminary round theme was villains. This is a very open-ended theme which really allows for creative original takes on the theme. On top of that, countless villainous characters have appeared in digital media, books, and video games over the years which have provided some builders with exactly the inspiration they needed. Let’s see where a few went with the theme.

Zim - _Monopoly_

To start, this is a very accurate representation of Zim from the TV show Invader Zim. There are some amazing part uses here to create the fun cartoon shapes of the original character. Two Galidor parts find their place as one eye and as the front of the torso.

Adding to the wonderful shaping of the lime head too is the lower jaw which is a Nuva Chest Armor. And finally using the rounded socket connections of Mata Hands to create the gooey-looking teeth of Zim is just perfect. What a way to start the villain preliminaries!

Systeminator - Tino Poutiainen

Two of the most recognizable animated characters have made their debut this Bio-Cup thanks to Tino. Dr. Doofenshirts has created his latest inator the systeminator, and as expected turned Perry the Platypus into system bricks. This is a very creative way to reimagine this duo while sticking to their same storylines in the TV show but giving it a very LEGO spin.

Mordred Deschain - Nuhvok_mok

Onto an enemy from a book instead of TV, Nuhvok has recreated a Mordred Deschain from The Dark Tower series. Nuhvok has really nailed the creepiness of this creature by adding so many eyes and sharp mandibles in such a small area. Not only is the actual face scary, but the Bionicle Ruru Mask acting as a human face adds to the unsettling feel of the build.

Cruella De Vil - DanielBrickSon

Switching gears again, this time onto an iconic Disney movie character, Cruella De Vil has never looked more villainous before. DanielBrickSon not only matched the colors but also the shaping and posing of the original character. The coat in particular really completes the whole build. With CCBS (Character and Creature Building System) shells creating the thick fur trim, it really looks like it has some weight to it.

Penguin - Panuvara

Another iconic character making their appearance this Bio-Cup is the Penguin from Batman, but with a creative twist. Instead of his popular top hat, Panuvara decided to give him an actual penguin head. With the rest of the character already looking like a penguin what better way to complete the look? To achieve this look, parts were used in creative ways, such as the combination of the Bionicle Rau mask and CCBS shoulder armor as the beak. And hidden as the umbrella, you can see the back of a Buzz-Lightyear’s buildable figure head.

The Lich - micr_omeg

Coming full circle back to cartoon villains, micr_omega has created the Lich from Adventure Time. This build is full of small details that really bring this build so much life. Having one broken horn and one tightly twisted horn, the brown whips recreate veins, and the small neckpiece holds up its cape.

Jenny vs Vexus - gk 733

And finally, we have Jenny and Vexus from My Life as a Teenage Robot. They are two wonderfully expressive characters brought to life by gk 733. Medium blue can be a tricky color to work with in constraction building, but some creative part uses make it seem like a piece of cake. With the Ben 10 Spidermonkey head being used as Jenny's hair and the Technic panels as boots, the NPU is spot on. And not to be overlooked, the small background build really helps add to the setting and scale.

This year has seen 150 entries into the preliminary round and the competition is just getting started. There were too many to cover this first round but here are a few others that caught our eye:

Penumbra - Ezreel
Oni Lloyd - Woomy World
Omnidroid - Aiden.Builds
Prince of the Void - calcifer_project
Aurgelmir, Lord of Frost - Bionic Supreme
Witch Doctor - Evil Psychiatrist - Dan V
Jonah & the Scrimshawed God - Benjamin Anderson
The Royal Vizier - alex_ mocs

Make sure to visit the Bio-Cup 2023 Flickr group so you can see all the other amazing builds and watch as future rounds unfold. Round 2 can’t get here fast enough!

How would you have interpreted the villainous theme? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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