Nine of the most repetitive LEGO sets ever – including two revealed this week

As two LEGO sets revealed this week seem to require a lot of repetitive steps, we're looking back over some of the more tedious LEGO builds ever.

To create some of the most eye-catching or symmetrical LEGO displays, the build process sometimes needs to be made up of repetitive steps. That's often the case in architecture-focused models, or anything with towers or repeated sections.

It's an unavoidable issue, but often pays off with an impressive display at the end. With the reveal of 31220 Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies and all its rods, and 40955 Maersk Dual-Fuel Container Vessel and its various (thankfully printed) containers this week, we're taking a look back over some of the most repetitive LEGO builds ever to hit shelves.

10261 Roller Coaster

We're kicking off with 10261 Roller Coaster, a 4,124-piece theme park model that features a working 44-piece track made up of seven different rail elements. It's a LEGO engineering feat – but putting it together requires a lot of steps. Plus, the chain that makes the entire mechanism possible is made up by no less than 203 links, all of which you of course need to connect yourself.

10276 Colosseum

Just looking at 10276 Colosseum screams repetition. There are dozens of repeated sections both inside and out, with only some slight variety where sections of the structure have collapsed over time. The 9,036-piece set is made up of various identical steps, with some repeated as many as 40 times.

10253 Big Ben

Another build that is repetitive by nature is 10253 Big Ben, with repeated windows and architectural features virtually from start to finish. Perhaps the most egregious examples is the 1x2 plates with door rails that form the outside of the Elizabeth Tower, of which there are more than 250 throughout the model. Thankfully, the shape of the building and tops of the roofs offer some variety to the build experience.

10307 Eiffel Tower

As one of the biggest LEGO sets ever, 10307 Eiffel Tower is often touted as the most repetitive build ever. Several steps are repeated dozens or even well over a hundred times – including one step that requires the placement of 144 tiny studs.

The lattice structure that makes up the vast majority of the model is another example of tedious repetition, with many people who have built the set preferring to split the build up into smaller sessions of one or two bags at a time to make it more manageable.

10256 Taj Mahal

The famed symmetry of the real-life Taj Mahal spawned another repetitive LEGO set in the form of 10256 Taj Mahal. From the very beginning of the process, the early steps of lining up rows of headlight bricks and 1x3 arches at the bottom set the tone for the rest of the build. While it might not have the same number of steps as some others on this list, the fact that the two halves are identical means that you know you're going to need to do every step at least twice.

31203 World Map

The mosaic-style nature of 31203 World Map means that, aside from creating the frame and base itself, every other step is virtually identical. Add to the fact that you need to carefully make sure the colours are all going in the right place and the building experience of all 11,695 pieces of the LEGO Art set has transcended from repetitive to mind-numbing for many.

21332 The Globe

Although 21332 The Globe doesn't include the same high piece count as some of the other repetitive sets we've mentioned, the structure of the 16 panels that make up the spherical globe are near identical in the early stages of the build – as well as being incredibly fiddly to attach securely.

31220 Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies

Although 31220 Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies isn't out yet, many future builders are already eyeing those rods clicked into place throughout the build with trepidation. The colourful set features a wide variety of tiny pieces, impressively recreating the texture and style of Monet's original piece well – but it's sure to be a mission to complete.

40955 Maersk Dual-Fuel Container Vessel

Last but certainly not least, 40955 Maersk Dual-Fuel Container Vessel was revealed earlier today in all its tiny printed container glory. By our rough count, there are 180 visible in the product images, so we'd anticipate dozens of repeated steps at least for those planning to pick up the brick-built Maersk tribute.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by buying your LEGO sets using our affiliate links. Thanks!