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Review: Jedi Starfighter and Vulture Droid 7256

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Since I can never be first with a new set :pir_bawling: I'll continue to fill in the holes I can in the review index.

Set#: 7256

Name: Jedi Starfighter and Vulture Droid

Theme: Star Wars

Year: 2005

Pieces: 202

Minifigs: Anakin Skywalker

Price: I paid 5,500 yen, which was too much.

MSP: $20, £14.99

Peeron

Brickset

Bricklink

7256-1.jpg

From Amazon

Anakin Skywalker fights the greatest space battle of all, as he confronts the power of the Vulture Droids in his Jedi Starfighter. Only a master of the Force can defeat these powerful opponents, but does Anakin have what it takes to win. It includes Anakin Skywalker figure and 202 LEGO building pieces.

Fore-warning

I bought this a little after the Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring set, which has 60% the same build, and a vulture droid, which I got a far superior build of in the Naboo N-1 Starfighter and Vulture Droid set, so I think this would have gotten far higher marks if I'd gotten it in 2005.

The Instructions/ The Pieces

About 40 minutes, a 40 page small book, with a sheet of stickers. Not a set for sticker haters, 3 pairs on the one little ship, and 4 pairs on the second littler ship.

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Anakin, in that short period of flesh color, but no big eyes.

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Lot's of prints and stickered pieces.

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The variety of pieces.

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The Build

The base without the wings or cockpit, 10 steps in.

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19 steps in. Everything is finished up to the cockpit, and Anakin's inside. The rest of the steps are for the wings.

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The Finished Product

Flaps closed.

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And open.

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Back view

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Side view

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Nice looking wing details

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And the cockpit opens with a pivot piece on the back

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The Finished Product Part 2

Vulture droid front view

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Back view

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And side

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and in walking mode

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Overall

Design: 6/10 It looks decent and all, but it isn't all that special, and in a few places (the wings in particular) it's a little flimsy. Not bad, not special. The vulture droid particularly suffers in that it is far inferior to the 7660 set. I might mod this one to work as smoothly as that one does. The two pronged fighters are sort of interesting, and I'd like to get the red one from the 7283 Ultimate Space Battle, but I like the triangular ones better overall, like 7669.

Build: 6/10

Nothing special, it's a set that has been repeated. Took 40 minutes.

Playability: 8/10 There are no actions going on, without unlocking vulture droid bricks, but a kid would have fun with it.

Minifigures: 6/10 Anakin with long hair. Probably this is an interesting figure, since it is a 'middle' figure, after flesh was being used instead of yellow, but before the cartoon eyes were brought in, so maybe there's a little collectability here. The ship has an R2 head that physically makes no sense with the build (where's his body stored?). I think the set would have been much better if it threw in a body for R2 outside the ship. That was a little lame.

Price: 4/10 I bought it three years late in Japan, so I paid probably double the original price. If it was new in the States, I'd give it an 8/10, but with each year, the satisfaction goes down, since this is a set that TLC has reworked and improved. I appreciate that they did that, but it makes an older set like this seem kind of rusty.

Overall: 7/10

This was my first Lego set I kind of questioned myself about. If you find it cheap, I think it's alright, or you're a rich collector, it won't phase you. But for the average Joe, it generally sells for more than it's worth, and is overshadowed but much cooler descendants. I don't regret buying this, but it was the first set where I started to think I had to think about the older sets I bought a little more.

Cheers all.

Edited by def
indexed and poll added

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Great review!! But this set somewhat disappoints me because of the inclusion of the vulture droid...

I'm sure TLG could have just released the star fighter and Anakin for $10+ usd :sceptic:

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A good review, its a pity they couldn't find a way for R2D2 to be in a full piece instead of just the head.

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Nice review !

I really liked the ep III jedi starfighter (I got two yellow ones, one red and one blue from Jedi Starfighter and Vulture Droid, Ultimate space battle and jedistarfighter with hyperdrive) and I think Lego did a great job making them.

The droid 's problem is more a Star Wars one : how a droid can fit in a wing that is not enough large. It is not the unique set Lego only put a droid head.

The vulture droid is worse than the 7660 but was a great improvement from the 1999 vulture droid (ref 7111).

I hoped we would get some sets with only vulture droid to make some big battles : it is a pity they always come with a more rare fighter.

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Thanks for reviewing this def.

A great JSF in my opinion, but I have and will never like those droid fighters (and yes, that includes the new Hyena Droid Bomber).

Poll added and review indexed.

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Thanks for the review. I like this version of the jedi starfighter much more than the Episode II triangle one. If they put out the full rainbow spectrum of them I would get them.

I don't think the blue one from the hyperdrive ring set is any better. It just has a couple of changes for compatibility.

The vulture droid is worse than the 7660 but was a great improvement from the 1999 vulture droid (ref 7111).

I hoped we would get some sets with only vulture droid to make some big battles : it is a pity they always come with a more rare fighter.

Maybe Lego remembers 2000-2003 (and even later) where you could find the old vulture droids at 3 for $10. To be honest, I'm hoping the Hyena Droid eventually ends up on clearance like that or at least 30% off. Yes, I'm being a scavenger waiting for the Hyena to be dead. Apropos, no?

-Tohst

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Thanks for the review, but I really have to disagree with you on the scores. I think that this is an outstanding set, especially for only 20 USD. I know that you had to pay more, but try not to be biased in your reviews. :wink: This great set gives you a neat (if flimsy...) Vulture droid, a yellow JSF (the set that all of the kids would look forward to when Ep.III came out), and one great figure that is somewhat rare to find, since it was only in a few sets. I agree that the design on both ships could be better, but both were good first attempts.

Sadly, my 7256 set is now in pieces, with most missing. This was one of only four sets in my dark age (2004-2007), and I still hope to rebuild it some day. :thumbup:

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This set brought me out of my dark ages so it obviously holds a special relevance for me.

i agree 100% that it was "a decent set that's a victim of design evolution" but the vulture droin seems much sturdier than than the naboo fighter one, the neck is a little loose and the winds can't close together properly

I didn't like the side guns, they fell off to easily.

Thanks for another great review!

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Thanks for the review, but I really have to disagree with you on the scores.

If I factor out the ridiculous, three years late Japan fee, than it can be bumped up to 7/10

I must admit, the image of these style ships captivated me, I really needed to buy this one (and still want the red one from the Space Battle), but I just wasn't so excited when it was built. I think every owner here has their personal relationship with their ships though :pir_yoda:

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Average Score: 6/10

This was my first Lego set I kind of questioned myself about. If you find it cheap, I think it's alright, or you're a rich collector, it won't phase you. But for the average Joe, it generally sells for more than it's worth, and is overshadowed but much cooler descendants. I don't regret buying this, but it was the first set where I started to think I had to think about the older sets I bought a little more.

Personelly I think it is very reasonably priced, nice review either way.

But I got to say I regret not getting this set because when I saw it at my cousins place I thought it was pretty cool :thumbup:

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This was my first episode 3 lego set. I loved it. And I still do.

Anyways. Good review. :thumbup:

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This was my first episode 3 lego set. I loved it. And I still do.

Anyways. Good review. :thumbup:

Same here. I really love this set and I still have it complete!

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I remember when I got that set. *flashback* Those were some great times. I actually got two of that set because the first one had a misprint Anikin and there wasn't a headset on him. That is such a great set.

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I believe that one of my friend has this set but I am not sure on that. This is a set that I am sorry that I did not get :pir_bawling: There is something that I love about the older Jedi starfighters :wub:

Good review def :thumbup:

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Nice review, the starfighters are on my list of old sets to get, I'd love the ultimate starfigter battle set with all of them.

Great review

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