Believe it or not, I actually feel that it IS possible to over-report on LEGO-centric phenomena. However, this 60,000-piece LEGO diorama portraying the epic battle at Hoth is a miracle of modern block-building.

The thing took four years to build and cost creator Mark Borlase $3,000 for all the various blocks, figures, and even “a remote controlled mechanism that deploys troops from the AT-ATs,” according to The Brothers Brick.

The countless hours and monetary investment seem to be worth it, though, as Borlase’s diorama took first prize in a recent Star Wars LEGO competition and has been featured in LEGO Magazine.

Here’s a Flickr set with more photos.

[Brothers-Brick.com via Gizmodo]