Brick Warship MOC Blueprints: Picks and Build Guide

Brick warships are one of the most demanding and most rewarding subjects a builder can take on. Whether it is a vast aircraft carrier or a clean-lined destroyer, a well-built brick warship is hard to stop looking at. This guide rounds up strong brick warship MOC blueprints and walks through the whole process, from picking a design to finishing your own model.

Why brick warship MOCs are so appealing

The hull lines, the stacked superstructure and the weapon systems of a real warship pose genuine structural problems once you translate them into bricks. Brick warship MOC blueprints range from miniature models to very large scales, so there is something for every builder and every shelf. Military history fans and pure brick builders alike tend to find the subject deeply satisfying.

Selected brick warship MOC blueprints

Aircraft carrier blueprints

• USS Enterprise (CV-6): this brick warship MOC blueprint recreates the classic World War II carrier at 1:350 scale, with detailed deck aircraft, island and anti-aircraft gun mounts. Best suited to experienced builders.
• Liaoning: Chinese carrier projects have become very popular in recent years, and this blueprint includes a carefully modelled ski-jump deck and aircraft handling area.

Battleship and cruiser blueprints

• Bismarck: the brick warship MOC blueprint for this ship has stayed popular in the community for years, focusing on the twin 380mm main gun turrets and the bridge structure.
• Missouri: the highlight here is the stern helicopter deck and the Phalanx close-in weapon system, capturing how a modern battleship looks.

Destroyer and frigate blueprints

For newer builders, destroyers are a manageable size and make an excellent first attempt at a brick warship MOC blueprint:

• Type 055 destroyer: blueprints for this Chinese large destroyer are widely popular. The integrated mast and vertical launch system are genuinely challenging to model in bricks.
• Arleigh Burke class: smooth hull lines and clearly layered superstructure make this a good subject for practicing building technique.

Where to find brick warship MOC blueprints

Online blueprint platforms

1. Rebrickable: the largest MOC blueprint sharing site in the world, with a huge warship library and filtering by parts inventory.
2. BrickPlan (this site): curated blueprint resources, including PDF downloads of warship MOC blueprints that you can keep for offline reference.
3. Bricklink Studio Gallery: browse and download 3D model files uploaded by builders worldwide.

Choosing a blueprint format

• PDF: clear step order, ideal for printing and following along at the table.
• IO/Studio: Bricklink Studio 3D model files that rotate through 360 degrees and generate a parts list automatically.
• LDD/LXF: the older LEGO Digital Designer format, still used by some legacy blueprints.

How to design your own brick warship MOC

Set your design goal

Before you start your own brick warship MOC blueprint, decide which era of warship you are modelling, what scale you want and how much size you can afford. Common scales are 1:350, 1:700 and miniature.

Research and reference

Collect photographs, three-view drawings and line plans of the real ship. Pay closest attention to the hull profile, the layout of the superstructure and the placement of weapon systems. The more thorough your reference, the closer the final model will be.

Use design software

Two programs are recommended for producing brick warship MOC blueprints:

• Bricklink Studio 2.0: free and powerful, with a large built-in parts library plus rendering and animation. It is the mainstream MOC design tool today.
• LDD: LEGO's own design software, simple to operate and a good entry point for beginners.

Start with the hull

The hull is the foundation of any brick warship MOC. Begin at the keel and use SNOT techniques to mount bricks sideways so you can shape smooth hull curves. At the bow, combine hinge bricks with slope bricks to reproduce the sharp lines.

Refine the superstructure and details

Once the hull is done, work upward through the bridge and wheelhouse, the weapon systems, the radar and electronic gear, and finally the aircraft. Window bricks, tiles and transparent parts give you the fine detail.

Brick warship MOC building tips

Handling hull curves

• Use hinge bricks: connect hull sections set at different angles to model the change in hull shape.
• Step-back layering: inset each course slightly from the bottom of the hull up to the deck to create a natural curve.
• Combine slope bricks: fill the gaps in a curve with slopes of different angles.

Colour scheme advice

Navy grey is the base colour, and light grey paired with medium grey works well. Use dark grey or dark brown for the deck, and dark red below the waterline to reproduce anti-fouling paint.

Keeping it stable

Large brick warships tend to come apart when moved. Reinforce the inside of the hull with a technic brick frame, lock the key joints with cross axles, and build the superstructure in modules so it can be lifted off easily.

Closing thoughts

Brick warships are both fun and demanding. Whether you build from an existing brick warship MOC blueprint or design your own ship from scratch, every session is a chance to put your creativity to work. Hopefully the recommendations and techniques above help you get your own fleet under way.