Theme review: Spyrius

[Algernon]

Theme Review

Next in my series of LEGO Space theme reviews is the sinister Spyrius faction! If you missed my review of Ice Planet 2002, check it out here. Again, this series was inspired by BerndDasBrot's excellent M-Tron theme review. Hopefully you'll agree with us that both of these themes were hallmarks of LEGO Space!

Spyrius, like Ice Planet, is one of the more controversial themes in the LEGO Space fandom. The unusual (and slightly inconsistent) color scheme threw some fans off, and some people felt that the general "mood" of the theme was erratic. For example, the main base was the perfect spy hideout, with a minimalist structure and a "fake" mountain that opened up to reveal a missile/satellite. Then we have the Robo-Guardian, a giant ten-wheeled robot armed to the teeth and often seen attacking Unitron and Space Police in large numbers. Not very subtle! Despite this, Spyrius made excellent enemies to our friends the Space Police, and I think it was one of the most inspired themes in LEGO Space. Read on to find out why!

Table of contents:

1. Background information

2. The Spyrius collection

3. Best set award

4. The minifigs

5. Unusual elements

6. Catalog shots

7. Spyrius MOCs

8. Trivia

9. Sources and credits

10. Closing comments

1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Spyrius was released in 1994, right alongside Unitron and just after Ice Planet 2002. They were the first "bad" theme to succeed Blacktron- who left some very big shoes for Spyrius to fill! However, though Spyrius followed Blacktron in terms of release, both Spyrius and Blacktron were seen in conflict with Ice Planet, and one could hypothesize that these evildoers coexisted. The two factions had some important differences, though: Spyrius played a slightly more specific role than Blacktron, namely to spy on the unwitting Ice Planet folks and steal valuable technology from them. Whereas Blacktron seemed to be waging a full-scale war against the galaxy, Spyrius seemed content to lurk in the shadows and quietly monitor their enemies, thieving and pillaging when they can. They were more like space vikings than anything else! Make no mistake, however- that doesn't mean they can't hold their own in large-scale combat:

Here we see Spyrius attacking Unitron... and they seem to be winning! Clearly these spies are no pushovers.

Spyrius was discontinued in 1996, beginning LEGO Space's slow decent to obscurity. Although new factions trickled out in the following years, most of them lacked the inspired designs and functionality of the factions released prior to 1994. By the time Robo-Force was released in 1997, Space was utterly exhausted, and the later factions had little to no connection to the epic universe LEGO had created. Of course, there are a few exceptions- UFO, in my opinion, was a well conceived theme with excellent minifigs and at least a few great sets. Exploriens, the last "civilian" faction in LEGO Space, wasn't as good as M-Tron or Ice Planet, but it wasn't at all worthless. There are also always those folks who insist Insectoids is worth a second look. To be sure, there was still some fun to be had with Space, but Spyrius was the last faction to really reach the greatness that Space is known and loved for. In my opinion, 1996 was the end of the golden age of LEGO Space.

2: THE SPYRIUS COLLECTION

Spyrius consisted of 9 sets, including the various releases of the Surveillance Scooter as well as an unnamed flyer that was included in a Castle value pack. Without these excess sets, Spyrius had five main models.

Apologies in advance for the scarcity of pics. I was only able to re-assemble several of the sets in my collection for photographing. But, fortunately, I got the most important ones, and I can still review the others from memory.

(click the images to go to the corresponding Brickset page)

6939 Saucer Centurion [1] [2] [3] [4]

Spyrius wasn't very interested in maintaining a Space fleet, it seems- they lack a capital ship of any kind. Instead, we've got a very nice medium-sized saucer with some good construction and cool features. I really like the dual cockpits, which in my opinion are much more interesting than the trans-green quarter-circle windows of the UFO theme. The Saucer Centurion has an extendable claw, lots of firepower, and a deployable rover that the ship releases by -get this- splitting in half! Weird or what? Nonetheless, it works very well and the ship remains stable despite being severed in the middle. It has a very cool look to it, and the general design is excellent. No big flaws to mention here- any self-respecting Space fan should own this set! Includes two minifigs.

Score: 9.5/10 Outstanding

6949 Robo-Guardian [1] [2] [3]

This is one of those sets you have to see in real life to appreciate. Tall, intimidating, and durable, this model is a rolling fortress with two deployable mini-scooters (including the head) and a compartment for the droid. Spyrius brought us LEGO's first mechs, and I've yet to see any of their descendants live up to the creativity seen in Spyrius robotics. Those arms look like they'll just flop around when you look at the box art, but in reality a clever gear system keeps them locked into whatever position you move them to. All ten wheels will move when you push the robot around- the four on the top aren't just space wasters. It has some awesome printed tiles (and a sticker), and aesthetically it's very impressive to behold. It's not a perfect model, however- the arms appear very disproportionate to the rest of the body. I would have preferred something that flowed better with the rest of the design. Also, it's very lacking in terms of hands. But besides that, it's still a testament to Spyrius's greatness, and a must have for any collector. Includes three minifigs.

Score: 8.5/10 Excellent

6889 Recon Robot [1] [2] [3]

I love this thing. Study construction, good aesthetics, jointed arms, and cool decals shape this up to be one of the best small-medium sets around. Everything is well concieved and works beautifully- there are no glaring weaknesses in the Recon Robot. This is the kind of standard I'd like to see Robo-Force live up to, or even Exo-Force for that matter. If I had to get picky about this set, I'd probably say that the arms need another joint at the elbow, since they're built into a 90-degree angle. But this is a minor flaw, and in most respects this set is a gem! Includes one minifig.

Score: 9/10 Outstanding

6879 Lunar Launch Site [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

The Spyrius base isn't genius, but it fits the theme very well and introduces some cool concepts that really help to define Spyrius. It only has one very small building on it, but it comes with some neat vehicles and the mountain in the center of the base splits in half to reveal a satellite! I think this feature really goes well with the Spyrius theme and helps define them as an extremely advanced, sinister, and powerful faction. According to some catalog translations, they hide pirated technology inside mountains and guard them with giant robots. Neat. Unfortunately there's not much else to say about this base- it's got some good minifigs and a trap door, but it's only about as remarkable as the box art. Spyrius won't go down in LEGO history for having a great base. Includes three minifigs.

Score: 7/10 Decent

6898 Saucer Scout [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

I don't understand this set. There's no obvious propulsion, unless you count the tubular additions to the wings... which would spin the ship around in dizzying circles. Also, the pilot appears content to stare fixedly at the camera atop the cockpit rather than where he is going. The least that can be said is that it helps ground Spyrius's tech into the realm of saucers and robots, since we have two of each. An interesting combination, to be certain, but it's a shame this baffling model fails to deliver the idea effectively. I'd only recommend this to collectors. Includes one minifig.

Score: 6/10 Passable

1954 Surveillance Scooter [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

We have WAY too many flying planks like this, and the idea wasn't very interesting to begin with. This is one of the better renditions, though, since it actually has propulsion and some frontal firepower. Plus it's an easy way to collect the minifigs. Still boring. Includes one minifig.

Score: 5.5/10 Mediocre

1714 Surveillance Scooter (polybag) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Same set as 1954, only it comes in a polybag. Includes one minifig.

Score: 5.5/10 Mediocre

3013 Space Jetter [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Oddly enough, Ice Planet wasn't the only theme to see a strange a re-release of an unremarkable set. The Space Jetter is identical to the Surveillance Scooter, except it came out in 1998 with the Space Diver. It's anyone's guess as to why. Includes one minifig.

Score: 5.5/10 Mediocre

1704 (unnamed) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Spyrius was provided with an extra flying vehicle in the form of a value pack. This set is unremarkable, straying from the saucer/robot theme of the faction, and showcasing some sloppy construction. Only an obsessive collector should consider this set. Includes one minifig.

Score: 5/10 Mediocre

3: BEST SET AWARD

And the winner is...

6939 Saucer Centurion

Spyrius had a lot of great sets, and it was hard to single out any one of the sets as the best in theme. In the end, however, the Saucer Centurion was the most solid of the Spyrius line. I know a lot of people liked the Robo-Guardian, but in my opinion the wonky arms hold it back from being the best of the best. The Saucer Centurion, on the other hand, has no glaring aesthetic issues to speak of. I'd have to REALLY nitpick to find anything wrong with it, and under close enough examination just about any set could appear flawed. For this reason, I think the Saucer is very deserving of this award!

This saucer is very heavily armed. Even the Space Police didn't have this much weaponry.

The cockpits seat a Spyrius pilot and an android. (sorry for the blur)

But wait- the android isn't actually seated on the ship! It's sitting on a rover of some kind!

The rover is ejected from the cockpit when the ship splits in half!

Close up of the splitting function. The halves don't move more than 1 stud apart.

Here's a neat extendable claw. Very cool little piece that works well.

The rear end of the ship.

The Saucer in all it's glory.

Size isn't everything. I think this set holds it's own against classic capital ships such as the Galactic Mediator and the Deep Freeze Defender. The Saucer Centurion is one of the most inspired and functional Space sets around- Dual cockpits, cool rear engines, lots of firepower (or tracking antennae of some kind, up to you), and one of the coolest ways to deploy a rover in Space history! What's not to love? The rover itself is a little lacking, but it was pretty standard in 1994 when the Saucer was released. Everything works great with the Spyrius theme- mysterious, high-tech, and powerful. It's small size means you get a great set for a low price!

Final grades:

Color scheme: 9/10

Functionality: 10/10

Build: 9/10

Minifigs: 8/10

Execution: 10/10

Overall: 9.5/10 Outstanding

(overall grade is not an average)

4: THE MINIFIGS

Spyrius had some good minifigs, with a nice variety of faces and a cool droid. Personally, I prefer Ice Planet for minifigs, but these red and blue spies still impress. Apologies for the bad pictures here, my camera doesn't zoom very well.

A standard Spyrius trooper. The helmet isn't printed here, but some other figs have prints. Apparently, Spyrians work out.

And here's the droid! This little bot is wonderful. Cool face and printed legs. The Spyrians are clearly experts at robotics!

Here's a few different troopers with their helmets up. For some reason, the I get French vibes from the mustache guy. Maybe the Spyrians are descendants of the French? Could be!

Spyrius has some cool minifigs, introducing the first ever LEGO droid. However, after all is said and done, I don't think they'll go down in history as legends. Quite a few of the later (and even earlier) Space factions had more impressive minifigs than Spyrius, and I don't believe that this is a strong point of the theme.

5: UNUSUAL ELEMENTS

Unfortunately Spyrius didn't have too many noteworthy exclusive parts, save a few printed tiles shown below:

6: CATALOG SHOTS

Here are some great shots of Spyrius from some old LEGO catalogs! Click on the images to view the larger versions.

1994:

1995:

1996:

Some rough translations from the above shots:

Edited January 1, 2009 by Algernon

[CP5670]

One thing worth noting is the two somewhat different color schemes used here. Both are black and red, but the transparent colors are different. The robots use red with neon green accents while the saucers and base use almost all blue, with some neon green accents but used very sparingly. We saw this sort of color division again with Roboforce a few years later. The Robo Guardian also inexplicably had some dark gray, which was the first time that color was seen in a space set.

Almost everything after these sets had trans-neon green as a prominent accent color. That color had probably become overused by the time space died out.

I don't agree with you that Spyrius was the last good theme, although it was one of the few to have uniformly good sets across the line (among both earlier and later themes). The Saucer Centurion is definitely one of my top five or so space sets among any theme.

These guys always hated Unitron, although TLG hadn't actually created Unitron as a theme yet. I don't think Spyrius had any connection to the earlier themes like Ice Planet, as they are always in a different diorama in the catalogs.

The Lunar Launch Site has some strange box art that shows the commander opening the trap on the robot. The Unitron monorail also has the robot seemingly helping out the other guys. I think TLG themselves had not decided at that point what side the robots belonged to.

Here's a few different troopers with their helmets up. For some reason, the I get French vibes from the mustache guy. Maybe the Spyrians are descendants of the French? Could be!

Actually, I believe the UK catalogs had a Russian name for the commander. I don't remember it now though.

Unfortunately Spyrius didn't have too many noteworthy exclusive parts, save a few printed tiles shown below:

The two computer slopes in the Robo Guardian's head were also first introduced with this theme.

Edited January 1, 2009 by CP5670

[ReZourceman]

Fantastic review and thread. Excellent brilliant work. I would love the saucer!

[Spacefan]

Awesome review, obviously you put alot of time and thought into this, thanks alot.

The Saucer Centurian looks awesome too. Although not a true capital ship, it proves that size matters not when it comes to great set design and altogether coolness.

Spyrius were technically a Blacktron 3 with a different a name and some different ideas. But it was a truly great theme by the looks of it, though I was well within the midst of my Lego dark-age during the time it was out. And its sad LEGO Space would descend into obscurity not long after this theme ended. Though Exploriens, UFO or Insectoids weren't altogether worthless like you said, the later themes just weren't fully realized.

Lets all hope Space Patrol or Space Police 3 lives up to the legacy Spyrius and its preceding Space themes have set.

[Pencoin]

Great review but you are a bit wrong about somethings:

There were many large robots before Spyrius came along.

[BrickPoor]

Thank you, I love seeing theme reviews of old themes.

[Lord Santos]

It is a very nice theme but it introduced the <insert that tiresome argument> taste with the 6879, the wingow piece is huge...

A nice review, I think that it should be on the frontpage news.

[Algernon]

One thing worth noting is the two somewhat different color schemes used here. Both are black and red, but the transparent colors are different. The robots use red with neon green accents while the saucers and base use almost all blue, with some neon green accents but used very sparingly. We saw this sort of color division again with Roboforce a few years later. The Robo Guardian also inexplicably had some dark gray, which was the first time that color was seen in a space set.

I noticed this, but I forgot to mention it. I'll add this in- thank you very much. :D

The Robo-Guardian was the first Space set to have dark gray? This would be hard to prove...

I don't agree with you that Spyrius was the last good theme, although it was one of the few to have uniformly good sets across the line (among both earlier and later themes). The Saucer Centurion is definitely one of my top five or so space sets among any theme.

Like I said, UFO and Exporiens were both decent themes, but as the years went on Space kind of lost it's strength. The themes that followed Spyrius began having very little connection to the galaxy LEGO had created.

These guys always hated Unitron, although TLG hadn't actually created Unitron as a theme yet. I don't think Spyrius had any connection to the earlier themes like Ice Planet, as they are always in a different diorama in the catalogs.

I believe Unitron was released in 1996, though I'm not sure, and Spyrius was ending as Unitron was beginning. Also, Spyrius has a lot of connection to Ice Planet through descriptions on the boxes. Check out some of the translations to see what I mean.

Lets all hope Space Patrol or Space Police 3 lives up to the legacy Spyrius and its preceding Space themes have set

Amen.

There were many large robots before Spyrius came along.

What the heck is that thing?

Anyway, as I said, I'm talking about a full realized theme here. Spyrius was the first to have a real focus on robots.

It is a very nice theme but it introduced the <insert that tiresome argument> taste with the 6879, the wingow piece is huge...

A nice review, I think that it should be on the frontpage news.

I certainly hope so!

The Spyrius base is a little bare, but otherwise the window appeared in just about every base prior to Spyrius.

[Zarkan]

Thanks for the interesting summary of one of the more overlooked Space themes, Algernon.

Honestly, I'm split on this theme. One the one hand, I like the large saucer and the base a lot, as they both have some great features and design techinques. On the other hand, I'm not fond of either of the robots, mainly due to their propulsion system. I mean, come on - wheels on robots that are extremely vertical and narrow? These machines would probably have trouble just going up a small hill without tipping over and wasting millions of credits. This is the same reason I don't like the Robo-Force theme - the propulsion these robots are using is just downright silly.

Oh well, at least they have a nice saucer.

There are also always those folks who insist Insectoids is worth a second look.

Speaking of which, I own a fair amount of Insectoid kits and was recently planning to do reviews of all of them. Anyone interested?

[Algernon]

I'd love to see a review of Insectoids, something I wasn't planning to do. If you have the time I'm sure you'll have a lot of interested folks.

Also, when it comes to silly propulsion, nothing can beat the Saucer Scout.

[CP5670]

I noticed this, but I forgot to mention it. I'll add this in- thank you very much. :D

The Robo-Guardian was the first Space set to have dark gray? This would be hard to prove...

At least I can't think of anything before it, and I know all the space sets by heart.

Dark gray was in the same category as green back then. It existed but was hardly ever used. The only places I can think of before the late 90s were some BURP/LURP pieces, a few electric Technic components, and the dock buffers in the town seaports.

Like I said, UFO and Exporiens were both decent themes, but as the years went on Space kind of lost it's strength. The themes that followed Spyrius began having very little connection to the galaxy LEGO had created.

I believe Unitron was released in 1996, though I'm not sure, and Spyrius was ending as Unitron was beginning. Also, Spyrius has a lot of connection to Ice Planet through descriptions on the boxes. Check out some of the translations to see what I mean.

I think you're right about the Spyrius box descriptions. Unitron was 1995 though (1994 for the monorail). That theme for one was certainly connected to Spyrius, as is apparent from the dioramas and the S@H catalogs from that time. They seem to have been the main "good" faction fighting Spyrius.

It's true that Exploriens and the later themes sort of existed in their own universe, although that doesn't make them bad themes.

Also, when it comes to silly propulsion, nothing can beat the Saucer Scout.

It might make sense as a holonomic ship. Maybe only two of the engines are active at one time, but it can move in any direction due to the way they're located.

I think the worst sets in this respect are anything from Space Police 1. They had no engines at all, unless the jail stands somehow doubled up as thrusters.

[Algernon]

Dark gray was in the same category as green back then. It existed but was hardly ever used. The only places I can think of before the late 90s were some BURP/LURP pieces, a few electric Technic components, and the dock buffers in the town seaports.

Interesting. That's hard for me to conceive, since dark gray is so overused now.

I think you're right about the Spyrius box descriptions. Unitron was 1995 though (1994 for the monorail). That theme for one was certainly connected to Spyrius, as is apparent from the dioramas and the S@H catalogs from that time. They seem to have been the main "good" faction fighting Spyrius.

It's true that Exploriens and the later themes sort of existed in their own universe, although that doesn't make them bad themes.

I know I'm right- I can prove it. And yeah, Unitron was 1995- my mistake. Space Police were still involved at the time, but they seemed to be taking a backseat to Unitron. Shame Unitron seemed so sloppy, it would be nice to get a worthy successor to Space Police.

It doesn't make them bad themes, but it's a shame to see LEGO abandon such a great concept. I plan on doing a review of UFO though.

It might make sense as a holonomic ship. Maybe only two of the engines are active at one time, but it can move in any direction due to the way they're located.

Yeah, but wouldn't that tear the ship apart? :P Oh well, LEGO hasn't been known for it's realism.

[CP5670]

Yeah, but wouldn't that tear the ship apart? :P Oh well, LEGO hasn't been known for it's realism.

I meant the engines on opposite sides of the ship, so they would be pointing in the same direction.

By the way, this catalog shows the name I was referring to. It's Major Kartofski. This page also has the English version of the theme text you posted.

Edited January 1, 2009 by CP5670

[Iron Moose]

It is a very nice theme but it introduced the <insert that tiresome argument> taste with the 6879, the wingow piece is huge...

The same piece was used in the Message Intercept Base... are you contending that that set was <insert that tiresome argument> as well?

[Algernon]

I meant the engines on opposite sides of the ship, so they would be pointing in the same direction.

By the way, this catalog shows the name I was referring to. It's Major Kartofski. This page also has the English version of the theme text you posted.

Ah. I guess that makes a little more sense, but I'm still gonna have to say the propulsion isn't very clear.

Wow, Major Kartofski? Maybe the Spyrians are Russian!

[zero1312]

Ahh yes, good old Spyrius. I still have the Guardian on my shelve.

Nice review.

[Algernon]

Thanks.

[Strakk]

I've got most of these sets and I agree with you in choosing the three best sets.

I played a lot with them when I was little.

[Algernon]

I've got most of these sets and I agree with you in choosing the three best sets.

I played a lot with them when I was little.

Yeah, the base and Saucer Scout seemed a little lacking to me. Somehow, the robo-guardian makes a better base.

[maiq the liar]

The theme seems worth a look! your review was incredibly thorough!

[Algernon]

The theme seems worth a look! your review was incredibly thorough!

Thank you. :) I think this theme is excellent, definitely worthwhile to Space fans.

[legotrainfan]

Thanks for this brilliant review! I enjoyed reading it!

I gave this theme 4 of 5 possible points. It's a gerat theme but not perfect. I loved the space themes that preceded Spyrius much more. I find Spyrius' space precedessors more appealing. Anyway, it's still a very nice theme. I like those two big robots a lot though I have neither. I only have the Saucer Scout. I got it from a friend as a birthday present. He let me choose a small LEGO set, and I chose the Saucer Scout. Maybe I'll buy one of the two robots sooner or later. It would be a shame if I only had the Saucer Scout of that theme.

[The Cobra]

Thanks for this excellent review.

Yet I only rate this theme 2/5. I like the robot finifigs and a couple of small sets, but that's it.

[Algernon]

I gave this theme 4 of 5 possible points. It's a gerat theme but not perfect. I loved the space themes that preceded Spyrius much more. I find Spyrius' space precedessors more appealing. Anyway, it's still a very nice theme. I like those two big robots a lot though I have neither. I only have the Saucer Scout. I got it from a friend as a birthday present. He let me choose a small LEGO set, and I chose the Saucer Scout. Maybe I'll buy one of the two robots sooner or later. It would be a shame if I only had the Saucer Scout of that theme.

I'm a sucker for Space Police II and M-Tron like everyone else, and I'd probably agree with that assessment. But, this theme is often overlooked, and I do think it's one of the better ones.

Thanks for this excellent review.

Yet I only rate this theme 2/5. I like the robot finifigs and a couple of small sets, but that's it.

It's not for everybody. Thanks!

[M'Kyuun]

I have a difference of opinion on this theme. The base is the best set of the theme (I have it and the Saucer), IMHO. I'm a huge fan of robots, but the robots in this line and Robo-Force just underwhelmed me completely, then and now (the sets, not the figs...robo-figs are excellent! ). Exo-Force, to me, was a big step in the right direction, but still not quite there. If they could make sets that look like something out of Armored Core, or Steel Battalion, now that would be something, not to mention Full Metal Panic or, even better, Macross.

UFO doesn't seem to be that popular, but i loved the theme and the figs. It was so different from anything TLG had ever created up until that time, and it had some great playability and features. Space Police, M-tron, Futuron, Blacktron, and the like are easy to love...they were just awesome eye-catching themes. UFO was a little different, but i loved it anyway.

Edited January 5, 2009 by M'Kyuun