This is it, folks. We're down to the last three builders of Bio-Cup 2023 after a jaw-dropping Round 3 full of amazing builds. Before we get to who they are, we need to take a look the competition everyone was up against. This round’s theme was punk, broken up into three subcategories: Steampunk, Dieselpunk, and Cyberpunk.

Steampunk

Starting with steampunk, we have a super creative take on the category from Pierthviv. They recreated the iconic Lofi Girl scene in LEGO and steampunk themed. This build has so much to take in, from the many different Bionicle masks used in the background to the impressive shaping achieved by mixing System with Bionicle on the man in the foreground. It really makes you think.

Instead of being relegated to the background, this steampunk city is the focus of the entire build. Student Scissors has brought to life a fantastic walking steampunk city. He made sure to include everything iconic about steampunk, too, from airships, to trains, to brown chains on the feet. I also can't pass up the chance to point out the excellent part usage of the giant Turaga Dume mask from the Bionicle playsets as the base for the entire city.

To finish off the steampunk theme, we switch from the city to its occupants. Eero Okkonen does what he does best and has created three outstanding characters. Each has their own unique shaping and personality, dramatically captured in their posing and facial features. Eero also continues with great part uses on his characters with Gadunka heads, the new worm gear, and minifigure scuba helmets.

Dieselpunk

Taking a sharp turn now to Dieselpunk, we have the embodiment of just that. Djokson has created an actual diesel punk with the engine on its head and the fuel can in its hand. The great eyebrow expression, spiked shoulder pads, and the chain belt bring the punk aspect to light.

We have another punk-like character from Alex_mocs, but this one has a much more serious look to it. A master of detail, Alex has added many different things in such a small area like minifigure backpacks and satchels across the chest and arms, and legs, tubes, and exhaust pipes in the chest. The worn metallic silver on the mouth is a fantastic use of a part that often may get looked over for being in used condition.

Finally, we have Ryan's build which is another great spin on the dieselpunk theme. I love the consistent round shaping achieved using many larger panels and cone pieces. All the smooth edges help the character come off as friendly yet serious, with minimal facial expressions to show any emotion. Each build in this theme used a diesel canister in some way, whether it be the Duplo one or an upscaled version of it, and each builder did an excellent job implementing it in a unique way.

Cyberpunk

Now onto the future and into the world of cyberpunk. (Sorry, New Hashima was last week. This is something completely different…) Katsu has created a wonderful scene with both robots, a building, and of course a giant robot. Such an uncanny face and terrifying posing brings everything to life, as if you're face to face with this beast. The smaller robots and ship set the scale perfectly for the main feature to shine.

Onto an extremely different kind of build… not a character or robot, but a machine. Tino has graced us with another great entry that uses both types of dark gray that LEGO has released. In addition to the colors, I love the slight gap between the Technic liftarms; it captures a more industrial vibe that fits perfectly with the rest of the build. The white humanoid figure in the middle makes us ponder the potentially dark purpose of this machine.

To wrap up the bracket and entire round is VB with another stellar creature full of guts and tubes. This build has such an unsettling vibe with the realistic look of all the innards paired with the mechanical detailing around them. Looking past the creepiness, though, you can find some excellent part usage on this build, such as pink seaweed in the mouth area and boat masts as the forearms.

And The Winners Of Round 3 Are…

To get straight to the point, the winners of each bracket were: Eero, Alex_mocs, and VB.

So those are your three contestants moving on to the finals this year! Each builder has had an incredible run so far, so I know many people will be eagerly awaiting the final battle. The final round theme is Sports. The round ends on August 1st, so make sure to watch all three builders in the meantime to see what they can create.

Have you been following the Bio-Cup competition? Were you totally unaware? Are you now totally impressed? Let us know in the comments below. Seriously, please leave a comment. We’re actually interested.

Do you want to help BrickNerd continue publishing articles like this one? Become a top patron like Charlie Stephens, Marc & Liz Puleo, Paige Mueller, Rob Klingberg from Brickstuff, John & Joshua Hanlon from Beyond the Brick, Megan Lum, Andy Price, John A., Lukas Kurth from StoneWars, Wayne Tyler, LeAnna Taylor, Monica Innis, and Dan Church to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more.