Review: 8128 Cad Bane's Speeder

[Inconspicuous]

After being tipped off by ILikePi that this set was available in my area, I started a quick treasure hunt. In the end, I found a Target with the set in the backroom, and I had it specially brought out. I don't believe that even had a place for it on the shelf yet. I was a bit unsure about buying it just for the minifigs, but the awesome box art reassured me, and I paid the expensive $50 price tag. Was the purchase worth it? Let's find out as I review this set, 8128 Cad Bane's Speeder.

BASIC INFORMATION:

Set Name: Cad Bane's Speeder

Set Number: 8128

Number of Pieces: 318

Minifigs: 5: Cad Bane, Shahan Alama, Senate Commando, Senate Commando Captain, and Assasin Droid.

Price: 49.99 USD, 44.99 GBP

Theme: Star Wars / Clone Wars

Year Released: 2010

RESOURCES:

Brickset

Bricklink

Flickr

(All pics are clickable for a larger version)

THE REVIEW:

BOX:

Front:

First up is the flashy box, featuring the new Captain Rex logo. The box art is action packed with blasters firing everywhere and even a small explosion. Since the minifigs are a big part of the set, they're featured prominently with a red logo telling us which are exclusive to the set. Also present is a large Special Edition logo.

Back:

The back of the box, doesn't show much; only an alternate view, the two set functions, and ads for other sets of the wave. Not as flashy as the front, but still nice.

Side:

Along the side of the box are actual-size pictures of the minifigs. Simply gorgeous.

Box:: Thoughts: A nice box with cools colors and good designs.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Front:

The instructions feature the box art on the front, only with fewer logos and less information.

Minifig Page:

The minifigs get their own page, and assembling them is a cinch.

Random Page:

On this random page, you can see that piece call-outs are present, and fairly useful for a set this size. In the upper right corner is a Darth Vader helmet, which for some reason doesn't appear on every page. Otherwise, the instructions are pretty drab.

Back:

The back has the now-prevalent Win logo.

Instructions:: Thoughts: Nothing to complain about, but nothing to jump for joy about.

CONTENT:

DSS:

The DSS (Dreaded Sticker Sheet for those who don't know) has eight stickers on it, which aren't that bad with the exception of the triangular ones. I strongly dislike stickers that go on the side of wedges. I dislike stickers anyways, but even more so to ones like these.

Bags:

The meager 318 parts are spread between five bags, with no sub-bags in the larger ones.

PIECES:

Small Pieces:

Here are the contents of the smallest three bags, sorted for your viewing pleasure. Mostly grays, but touches of dark blue and black. There's a surprising amount of odd colors, like the yellows, trans-yellows, and white studs which get placed deep within the model. (You can click it for a larger version)

Larger Pieces:

And here are the contents of the last two bags, again spread out. Here, light bley takes the lead over dark bley, while the other random colors are mostly gone.

Pieces of interest:

Last here are some of the more interesting pieces of the set. Some funky Technic pieces which are new to me, as well as some nice slopes. The yellow square piece is quite odd, and not hid very well, so I have no idea why it's here in this color.

Pieces:: Thoughts: Not the greatest colors but there are some interesting types.

MINIFIGS:

Front:

Drum roll please..... it's the minifigs! Five, count 'em five of these amazing little guys. We get an Assasin Droid, Cad Bane, Shahan Alama, a Senate Commando, and a Senate Commando Captain (named Jayfon, but I don't really care that much). Bane and the Senate Commando are only available in $120 sets; the printed Senate Commando and Alama are exclusive to the set. Look at all those torso prints, all the guns. I mean, there are more guns than minifigs!

Back:

Only the Commandos and Alama have back printing. I particularly like Alama's design.

Favorites:

And one last shot of my three favorites. Bane's face print is lovely, Alama has a golden arm (presumably robotic) and the Senate Commando has great white markings. Feast your eyes!

Minifigs:: Thoughts: The minfigs were one of the only reasons why I bought this set, and they certainly don't disappoint!

THE BUILD:

Build:

And in 50 small steps, the set is completed. I was a little surprised at the building process at first, but in hindsight it makes sense. First, the base is built up, leaving room for Technic supports, then the top is finished. Last, the bottom is built up and attached with the help of vertical Technic poles. Also, if you guys don't plan on applying stickers, this is what it would look like. The rest of the photos in the review have the sticker applied.

Extras:

A fair amount of extras for a medium-sized set. But nothing mind-blowing.

Build:: Thoughts: I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. There's not a lot of repetition, and it's not anything like the sets I'm used to building.

COMPLETED PRODUCT:

The Whole Set:

And we have our completed set! A little strange, but pretty sleek overall. Let's take a closer look.

Front Angled:

The ship has three headlights on the front, two drivers' seats, four passenger seats, a cargo hold in the rear, and two engines at the back. I'll take them bit by bit, but first, some overall shots.

Back Angled:

The ship looks quite sleek from the back- I love the way the engines seem to form from the edge of the ship! You can also see that there are studs on the turbines themselves. I've never encountered this technique, but I think it looks good.

Side:

I this low-angle view, you can see some of the side detailing, like the big SNOT canisters. You can also catch a glimpse of the infamous flick-fire headlights.

Front:

I really like the way the three front headlights look. The middle one is especially cool.

Front:

The very front (I guess you could call it the hood) is sloped downwards, but blends in pretty well. I'd say this part of the model is pretty good.

Driver's Seat:

The drivers' seats feature the only printed piece in the set, and a tantalizing blue button. What could it possibly do?

Driver's Seat:

My favorite part of this section is the detailing behind the seats. Such a cool idea!

Passenger Seats:

The middle passenger area is nice too. The dividers are sleek, and the chairs are nicely placed too. I have no idea what the blue things are- drink holders?

Gun Rack:

The gray clips are gun holders. There's enough for the Pirate and the Droid, but everything else will have to go in the cargo hold.

Engine:

As I mentioned before, the engines blend in pretty well. I think the stickers make them look pretty nice.

Bottom:

The bottom view is much uglier. That yellow square really sticks out. Pretty much everything you see has to do with the opening mechanism. The clips help stop the hatch, the black Technic piece is the hinge.

Open:

When opened, the cargo bay actually looks pretty nice. There are some good curves in there, and quite a bit of space.

Inside:

Unfortunately there are some ugly Technic pieces showing. But hey, it could be worse. The hatch attaches to the curved brick you can see.

Opened Side:

When opened, the engines pivot downwards, without touching the ground. Pretty effective in my opinion.

Blasters:

The cargo bay is great for storing guns, since there are so many of them in this set.

Firing Mechanism:

And last, here's the infamous flick-fire headlight function. I was expecting it to be easy to use, but it's actually pretty hard. Look how close it is the the main body of the ship! The missiles don't come out very easily either. A fail of a function.

Video:

A quick video showcasing the two features. The headlights aren't useless, but still hard to use.

_______________________________________________

Totals:

Design: 7/10 It's not great, but certainly doesn't deserve all the bashing it's been getting. It's pretty sleek, fairly accurate, and sturdy. This is out first vehicle like it, and it's not bad.

Parts: 7/10 The colors are drab due to the nature of the set, but the selection isn't bad. The random colors make the set lose points, especially the yellow square.

Build: 9/10 I actually had a lot of fun with this. It takes some time considering the size of the set, and uses some interesting techniques.

Minifigs: 10/10 Minifigs are the reason I bought this set. Simply astounding prints and pieces on these guys. Sure, they could have given use Aurra Sing, but I'm happy with what we got. Alama and the Droid are actually two of the more important bounty hunters in the episode anyways.

Playability: 9/10 Two opposing sides, lots of blasters, and a swooshable ship. It lost a point for the flick fires- if they're gonna include them, they might as well work.

Price: 3/10 $50 is too much for 318 pieces. There aren't too many large pieces, but come on. The last Target Exclusive was only $40.

Total: 45/60 A pretty solid grade. It's not the best of sets, but has great minifigs and playability. If you don't like the ship, don't buy the set, because most of that $50 is actually going toward the ship. I liked it more than I thought I would. Please share your thoughts about this set. Do you like it more after the review? Less? I'd love to hear your opinion.

Parting Shot:

Thanks for reading!

-Inconspicuous

[Orcasek]

Good review, I'm probably going to get this for the minifigs and a good transport vehicle it seems. Can the ugly square be replaced by like two 1x4 and two 1x2s though?

[prateek]

Great review! I like the speeder a lot, and the figs are really cool

Edited July 21, 2010 by prateek

[ThatGuyWithTheBricks]

Well that sure was fast! I'm unsure of the set, but can you confirm that the guy's arm is pearl gold?

[ZO6]

Thanks for this review Inky. Oh and lovely photos

I admit that I know nothing about this ship or basically any of the characters (I don't watch the show). I therefore found this a particularly interesting and thorough review. The ship is an interesting design. I've seen plenty of similar ships in the background of the prequel films, so it's neat to come across a character who uses one to call his own. As you pointed out, the biggest draw with this set is the figs. Again, I don't know any of these guys, but I admit they look pretty cool. It would have been cool if the ship had a more complex play function thrown in (I honestly don't know what) as a cargo area and deadly headlights is kind of disappointing. In your video, the headlights look pretty effective, but you mention that they are pretty useless - I'm guessing that most of the time they just fall out instead of shooting out?

Anyways, thanks again for the review! (Has anyone told you recently how nice your photography is? )

[David Thomsen]

Has that wide-brimmed hat been in anything else? I have very little interest in Star Wars sets otherwise, but... that hat. Must have it.

[GIR 3691]

Nice review.

Can you take a picture of Bane's breathing apparatus on its own?

[Orcasek]

Has that wide-brimmed hat been in anything else? I have very little interest in Star Wars sets otherwise, but... that hat. Must have it.

It's been in the Clone Turbo Tank.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Orcasek

[Clone OPatra]

Superb review Inky!

You've actually made me appreciate this set more than I did just from the boxart. This ship itself isn't so small, and its detailing is very nice. Unlike the Pirate Tank, which was kind of bare, this looks sturdy and full.

I guess the premium is added on for all of the figures. It's like you pay $30 for the ship, $20 for the figs. Which isn't all that bad, but of course it's hard to think about it that way. Still, four awesome figures is quite a lot for a Star Wars set these days (Battle of Endor is of course another like it), so hopefully this set will last as long in production and Target will start putting it on sale next summer.

[lightningtiger]

Scream like a little girl !

Oh, yeah.....I have been waiting for a great review of this set.....the main one I want this year......Cad Bane ROCKS !

That hat of his is his alone I believe, plus I just wish Indi would keep his hands to himself !

I can't wait for this set to appear in Target hopefully down under real soon !

I'm a conformist! !

[The Legonater]

That's an amasing. Now I'm not sure wheather to get this or the Slave 1....

I just realized the potential of that hat for a Mexican MOC.

[Smack]

Thanks for the great review Inconspicuous! I actually like the speeder a lot as it is different than what is the usual Lego release. The minifigs are spectacular and are the highlight of this set. Plus, $50 is a much cheaper way to get a Cad Bane than the CTT which is at least twice as much. Thanks again and keep up the great reviews!

[Brickdoctor]

Nice review. It makes the set look a lot better than I'd thought it would.

EDIT: By the way, the Vader logo is from the 2007 30th anniversary of Star Wars releases; looks like TLG decided to reuse some old, unused instruction paper.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Brickdoctor

[skiizim]

Great Review!!! I have a question though, do you happen to have the Target DPCI number so it might be easier to locate.

[SWfanny]

One thing I never ever ever can except is the TLC's Star Wars flick fire things! They often turn stuff into flick firing things! Like the headlights, the AAT's guns...... Nice review! Oh BTW, the price is really unacceptable!

[user]

I personally think tat the actual set is pretty crummy but those figs are just awesome! But I was disappointed to see that the price for this set was $50.00 for 300 something parts. I really think that if you compare it to the pirate tank which is the same price this set looks pretty lame compared to the pirate tank and the awesome sets in this wave. But thanks for this review.

Edited July 21, 2010 by computerbug

[LegoGarlicBread]

Flick Fire Missle headlights? That hat though....

[Inconspicuous]

Can the ugly square be replaced by like two 1x4 and two 1x2s though?

It can't, but I think that four 1x2 corner plates should work. Either way, it will be less sturdy.

I'm unsure of the set, but can you confirm that the guy's arm is pearl gold?

Yes, it actually is. It's weird, isn't it?

It would have been cool if the ship had a more complex play function thrown in (I honestly don't know what) as a cargo area and deadly headlights is kind of disappointing. In your video, the headlights look pretty effective, but you mention that they are pretty useless - I'm guessing that most of the time they just fall out instead of shooting out?

(Has anyone told you recently how nice your photography is? )

I agree. Although I have no idea what. Maybe a better missile launcher, that's no disguised as a headlight? My video took several tries to get right. Actually, the problem is that the missiles don't want to come out. I've never had the problem with flick-fires before. At least they don't keep falling out, as you out it.

Oh, and thanks for the compliment about my photos. About halfway through, my usual camera stopped working, and I had to borrow my brother's. His is probably better.

Has that wide-brimmed hat been in anything else? I have very little interest in Star Wars sets otherwise, but... that hat. Must have it.

Yeah, it's only in the Turbo Tank, and quite honestly, I don't think they're going to use the mold again.

Can you take a picture of Bane's breathing apparatus on its own?

Sorry for the odd lighting and colors- it's dark here right now.

Unlike the Pirate Tank, which was kind of bare, this looks sturdy and full.

It's like you pay $30 for the ship, $20 for the figs. Which isn't all that bad, but of course it's hard to think about it that way.

That's one of the reasons I got this set, and skipped the Pirate Tank.

An interesting way of looking at it. I guess it's worth it from that perspective.

.....the main one I want this year......Cad Bane ROCKS !

I'm with you there. This was the only set I really wanted that badly from this year's Star Wars sets.

I just realized the potential of that hat for a Mexican MOC.

The Collectable Minifigs Series 2 has a Mexican minifig with a printed sombrero, so I don't think Bane's will be used too much for that purpose.

Plus, $50 is a much cheaper way to get a Cad Bane than the CTT which is at least twice as much. Thanks again and keep up the great reviews!

Very similar to my thoughts. Bane and the regular Commando only come in $120 sets; two more are exclusive, and the Assasin Droid was my first.

EDIT: By the way, the Vader logo is from the 2007 30th anniversary of Star Wars releases; looks like TLG decided to reuse some old, unused instruction paper.

Huh. That's interesting.

Great Review!!! I have a question though, do you happen to have the Target DPCI number so it might be easier to locate.

Grr, I had it written down, but I never got my paper back when I was getting the set from the back room. If I recall correctly, it ended in -00-0605, but I can't be certain.

One thing I never ever ever can except is the TLC's Star Wars flick fire things! They often turn stuff into flick firing things!

That's one of the most infamous parts of this set.

Thanks Svelte for the frontpage, and thanks to all for your nice comments!

[LegoDad42]

Wasn't sure about this ship but the more I see it, it grows on me.

Just an excellent, thorough review... Love the new figs and the ship design is quite nice. I like it alot!Love that it has 6 seats for passengers and the clips for guns and trunk space is always a plus with me. Def. want to pick this up but $50.00 has me a little gun shy. $35.00 to $40.00 would be fair I guess.

...good shootin' on that mini-fig!Nailed it on the first try?

[ILikePi]

Ooh, now this is a cool set! I have to admit that I never hated the ship, and your review reinforces that. It complements the Separatist Shuttle nicely (any chance of a comparison pic?), and is quite roomy, too! Six seats is quite a lot for a Star Wars speeder. It's also got some neat details, like the 'cup holders' and side greebles. But most of all, the minifigs! They're simply amazing. We finally get Cad Bane (and in a cheaper set), a Senate commando commander with printing, a third Weequay, and a normal Senate commando in a cheaper set. It's a bit odd how HELIOS-3D and Jayfon aren't named in the set when Zev Senesca is named in the Rebel Trooper Battle Pack, though (as mentioned by other EB members) Nevertheless, I think I'll sit on this set until it goes on sale for $40 or less. It's a bit too pricey just for the minifigs, and I prefer set playability over minifigs.

Thanks for the review, and thanks for the mention (glad I could help)!

Here are a few things I'd like to point out:

Drum roll please..... it's the minifigs! Five, count 'em five of these amazing little guys. We get an Assasin Droid, Cad Bane, Shahan Alama, a Senate Commando, and a Senate Commando Captain (Jayfron?).

Jayfon.

This link is broken - you added one extra "http://" Edited July 21, 2010 by ILikePi

[XimenaPaulina]

Great review Inconspicuous! Thanks for sharing this with us. This just validates that this is a must-get set for me this year. The minifigs are just awesome, but the speeder itself is aso pretty decent - I love the sleekness of the top part, never mind the bulkiness of the lower bottom. And the spaciousness of the speeder, which can actualy seat 6+ bounty hunters/passengers plus additional cargo at the back, sets it apart from other speeders which have limited passenger seats.

[Inconspicuous]

...good shootin' on that mini-fig!Nailed it on the first try?

I took 5 videos, three of which failed. This one happens to be the fifth attempt.

Thanks for the review, and thanks for the mention (glad I could help)!

Here are a few things I'd like to point out:

I saw your picture on fbtb.net. Otherwise, I wouldn't have guessed the set was out. Also, thanks for pointing out those errors!

And the spaciousness of the speeder, which can actualy seat 6+ bounty hunters/passengers plus additional cargo at the back, sets it apart from other speeders which have limited passenger seats.

Agreed! One thing to note is that the Assasin Droid can't sit in a seat if there's a gun in the gun rack in front of him. But you can always shove him in the trunk.

[XimenaPaulina]

Agreed! One thing to note is that the Assasin Droid can't sit in a seat if there's a gun in the gun rack in front of him. But you can always shove him in the trunk.

Just let the Assasin Droid stand, anyway it doesn't tire like organic beings do. It would really be great to see the whole speeder filled up with Cad Bane's gang of bounty hunters (Shahan, Aurra, Assasin Droid, the fish guy, did I forget someone?)

Edited July 21, 2010 by KielDaMan

[Inconspicuous]

It would really be great to see the whole speeder filled up with Cad Bane's gang of bounty hunters (Shahan, Aurra, Assasin Droid, the fish guy, did I forget someone?)

That would be cool. I think the "fish guy"'s name is Robonino. I think there are supposed to be some Commando Droids with him. Wouldn't that be something to get?

[Brickus]

Thanks for the review.

On the box where does it say the parts are made.