Five LEGO Horizon Zero Dawn machines you can build right now

While we wait for LEGO 76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck to hit shelves, here are five fan-made machines from Aloy’s world you can build right now.

The LEGO Group revealed its first set in partnership with PlayStation yesterday, and it’s a doozy: the 1,222-piece 76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck weighs in at just £69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99, includes an incredible Aloy minifigure, and is situated on a display base designed to resemble the video game’s post-apocalyptic landscape.

That’s definitely a lot to look forward to, but two-and-a-half months is a long time to wait – especially when its source material will be available to play from this Friday, February 18. If you’re itching for a LEGO Horizon fix in the meantime, check out these brilliant builds from across the community, all of which include instructions for you to recreate them at home.

5 – Wayne de Beer’s Tallneck

Long before the LEGO Group came up with its own take on the neutral machines that roam 31st-century America in Horizon Zero Dawn, Wayne de Beer was putting together a brick-built Tallneck. In-game, machine hunter Aloy scales these mechanical marvels to reveal new areas of the world map. Wayne’s version comes in a little smaller than the official set, but is a fun stopgap until that arrives. Check out the instructions here.

4 – legofolk’s Sawtooth, Watcher and Thunderjaw

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While some of the machines on this list require either an extensive part collection or some serious investment to build, legofolk’s trio of models are a little more space- and budget-conscious. Their Watcher consists of just 117 parts, while their Sawtooth includes only 256 pieces. Their biggest machine is – naturally – the Thunderjaw, Aloy’s fiercest adversary in the original game, at 577 pieces. You’ll find all the instructions on Rebrickable.

3 – PedroBricks’ Corruptor

Against a backdrop of Thunderjaws and Watchers, Rebrickable user PedroBricks has assembled a lesser-spotted Horizon Zero Dawn machine: the Corruptor. A robot designed explicitly for combat – according to the game’s expansive lore – the FAS-ACA3 Scarab (as it’s known in-universe) is an all-black foe cleverly recreated here with spring-loaded shooters and a constraction weapon. Head here for the instructions. 

2 – Skargarim’s Stormbird

Not all of Aloy’s adversaries canter along the ground: some soar through the air, like the ferocious Stormbird. Skargarim’s LEGO version prioritises articulation, making extensive use of ball joints to replicate the movement of both the in-game beast and a real-life bird. You’ll need 259 parts to bring it to life for yourself, using the instructions available at Rebrickable.

1 – Nicola Stocchi’s Thunderjaw

This is it: the matriarch of all Horizon machines, realised at an awe-inspiring scale worthy of its name. This Thunderjaw weighs in at more than 4,700 parts, and would cost an estimated $700 to assemble from scratch. It’s so huge that it requires its own built-in support stand, and as a machine is likely top of most Horizon fans’ lists for an official LEGO set. Until that time comes, you can grab the instructions to assemble this version over at Rebrickable.

76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck will be available to buy from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores from May 1, 2022.

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