Lego Set 20 — Centurion

I think it was either 2016 or 2017 when I started looking for a wargame that was both cheap to acquire and to get into. At the time the large wargaming channels in YouTube were starting to gain traction (due to the unveiling of Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition). I wanted to know if I would enjoy such games and if I could draw friends into the scene. As I searched the Internet I came into contact with Mobile Frame Zero, a simple wargaming system in which your models were made with Lego.

This was the start of the path that would lead me to my BattleTech-inspired models and this very blog.

I started with the models contained within the MFZ manual but soon started creating my own, using the amazing backlog of community-created builds as a reference. Seriously, the MFZ community is amazing and has some of the most creative Lego builders around. They are also an enthusiastic and welcoming bunch, and I really appreciate the people I’ve met because of this game.

But one thing that I really wanted to do was to have thematic teams. At first, I went the Warhammer route, but I wasn’t to be. Then, the BattleTech videogame from Harebrained Schemes came into the scene. It reminded me of this wonderful setting I loved so much since childhood and featured revamped models of the old clunky mecha designs. It dawned on me — I could make my MFZ models based on BattleTech!

Thus, I broke down my prior models and got busy. After some attempts in getting the scale and the shapes right I managed to do it — my first model. A yellow Davion-themed Centurion CN9-A medium Battlemech.

This picture is from my DeviantArt account because I like it so much.

Maybe because it was the first, this model incorporates more parts than it is heavy in the specs, with a whopping 58 parts. Nowadays I make Mechs considerably bigger with as many parts, but I was learning back then.

I saw the Centurion as an absolute success and thus decided to make my entire lineup from BattleTech-inspired designs. The equipment lists on these builds are meant to work with MFZ, hence why they may seem weird for BattleTech fans.

This fact also lead me to get involved with the BattleTech community again. Enters Magestrix Riley, an amazing content creator and very active member of the community. Around a year ago, she created a Discord channel (Battletech Barracks) and invited those interested to join in, and so did I. It turned out to be an incredible community. These people also added to the others from MFZ who asked me to share instructions for my builds. I finally conceded and tried to learn Stud.io, which was the origin of this blog.

Part of Riley’s creations is Riley’s Rangers, a mercenary outfit within the fiction setting of BattleTech. A funny bunch, they have their own paint scheme. The Centurion instructions you see above are meant to emulate and homage the Rangers, now that the community is one year old. It’s my entry to the celebrations. Hope you like it, Riley.

Thank you guys, all of you, for the support and enthusiasm. It means the world.

I truly hope these communities will keep existing and growing for many years still.