Ah, both builders are making sure judging isn’t getting any easier here in season 7! I feel this round had some of the best back-and-forth banter in Iron Builder history. Thank you for the many chuckles along the way.

Parts Usage
Ironically, even though this is the first category I’ll be addressing in my notes here, it was certainly the last one I was able to pick a winner for! The builders were stuck with another extremely difficult part - one that has no clear connection points outside a small handle. Yet, they were both able to turn it into something special. For Jonah, it’s the shutter release button on his Interstate 10 camera (which I want to press so badly), and the perfect tails of the swallowtail butterfly. The giraffe’s horns of “The Getaway” are also a spectacular use of the part. Maxx came out swinging though with several brilliant uses in “The Carpenter” and subtler incoporations of the part, like the oven rack in “In the Kitchen” and the joysticks on “Arcade Cabinet”, just make my heart happy. Both builders did a great job of making the seed part an integral pieces to most their builds, only compounding the difficulty of this decision. In the end I give this category to Jonah. His builds just used the part a bit more seamlessly, making it feel like this unusual element was meant to be in them all along.

Build Quality
Unsurprisingly, both builders have brought excellent creations to the table. Models that especially stand out to me include Jonah’s “Interstate 10 is really backed up today.” and Maxx’s “Bunnybot”, one of the most unique and memorable mechs I’ve seen in a good while! I’m giving the point to Jonah, who consistently delivered not only really clean and well polished builds, but also had creative presentation for every MOC.

Performance
As I wrote earlier, this truly was such an entertaining round. Dr. Corgi vs. the kitty was incredible to watch unfold. But even beyond that, there was always a great level of self-awareness and humorous banter throughout the round that will certainly make this one to remember. I can say with confidence though that Maxx wins this round for his quick wit and sheer variety of builds. From characters big and small, vehicles, to scenes, mechs, and movement, he really put it all on the table and proved himself to be an incredibly fierce competitor.

Thank you both for such a great round. I can’t wait to see what you both create next.

Thank you contestants for this wonderful round! It really felt like an intense battle between two titans.
I love the baseball bat piece, but all of mine are of the plain, unprinted variety, so I was never able to fully explore the potential of this element. It's a fun element to work with, and I'm glad you've come up with some of the most impressive Iron Builder MOCs!

Parts Usage
The seed element is a fairly minimalist design - no wonder many of entries relied on iterative use of the baseball bat, and sometimes builders unintentionally echoed each other. While I absolutely loved Maxx's acknowledgement of the seed part's metallic colour scheme, which has allowed him to spice up his builds with impressive furniture, cooking appliances and small mechanical details, I must admit that Jonah's skyscraper and turnstile gate, as well as all the subtle knobs and rivets that populate his builds, steal the show.

Build Quality
Both builders flawlessly displayed their skill in this round, and both produced functional models - which, needless to say, were a nice surprise! It was a difficult choice between the two, but I've decided to give the win to Jonah: "Fall of an Empire" was an incredibly impressive first course, and the "Interstate 10..." that followed shortly after has only cemented my final decision.

Performance
As always, it's somewhat difficult to pick a clear winner in this last category, so forgive me if it boils down to subjective thinking. What I have to mention about this round is the sheer amount of interaction between the opponents: while Sandro and Gerrit schemed in secret, strategically revealing their masterpieces one-by-one, Jonah and Maxx made sure to toy with each other's ideas with amazing ingenuity. I think Maxx wins this category, as I really enjoyed the "easter eggs" in his builds which, while seemingly insignificant, added a lot to the overall impression.

Congrats to you both!

Intro:
What a round! Maxx’s Pinhead bust was as inspiring as it was creepy, while Jonah’s selection of toys made for a fantastic game of spot the seed part. Other highlights include both builder’s cute critters which used the seed part for everything from ossicones to teeth to whiskers.

Part Usage:
With the exception of some stand-out builds (toys, skyscraper), Jonah tended to let single context part-use shine (temple columns, dog tie, lighthouse beam). Not a bad strategy as those entries feel focused, intimate and purposeful. However, I feel Maxx juggled things more successfully, employing subtle uses to liven up ensemble scenes (kitchen, photo room, carpenter) and saving limited use for higher-impact builds (Pinhead, bunnybot).

Build Quality:
This one was very closely fought but in the end goes to Maxx as well. A bunnybot with Dr eggman torso head and orca jaw pelvis is simply the greatest non-seed part NPU this round (perhaps ever). Jonah’s cheeky use of an obscure cereal box car is a close third though! And I’d be remiss not to stress how much I enjoyed Jonah’s skyscraper build too, so beautifully composed and presented.

Performance:
For performance, look no further than the mid-round barrage of cat vs dog builds. Jonah’s Silly Cat was a hilarious final blow and the definition of tit for tat. It successfully tipped the scale for this category.

Congratulations to both contestants for once again making the task of judging just as nail biting as the rounds themselves are to watch!