Masked Builder

Review: 7959 Geonosian Starfighter

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35 members have voted

  1. 1. How Do You Rate This Set?

    • 1- Not Even Space-worthy
    • 2- Below Average
    • 3- Average
    • 4- Above Average
    • 5- Soarin' High
  2. 2. Which Geonosian Is Better?



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Click here to see the high-res photo.

When I first heard about this set I couldn't wait. You guys know me, I'm all for Commander Cody, and new minifigures too. :tongue: (I really am turning into a mini Clone O'Patra!) Okay I like my starfighters too, I guess that doesn't show though, I don't have any of the Jedi Starfighters. But when I saw the picture I was very pleased with the way the minifigures were designed and how well the starfighter looked. I had missed the first one so let's see what I think about this one!

Name: Geonosian Starfighter

Set Number: 7959

Pieces: 155

Price: $29.99

Ages: 7-12

Minifigs: 3

Theme: Star Wars

Year of Release: 2011

Bricklink

Peeron

Brickset

S@H

Flickr Set

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Take on the Geonosian Starfighter™ in a Clone Wars battle!

On the desolate surface of Geonosis' date=' Clone Commander Cody and Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi prepare the Clone Army for another assault on the Separatist droid factory. Suddenly, they spot a Geonosian Starfighter speeding towards them. Can they defend themselves against the Geonosian pilot, armed with a powerful turret-mounted cannon and proton torpedo launcher? You decide!

* Includes 3 minifigures: Ki-Adi-Mundi, Clone Commander Cody and Geonosian pilot

* Features opening cockpit, rotating laser cannon and proton torpedo launcher

* Lower the hidden compartment and fire the proton torpedo!

* Measures over 10” (25cm) long and 3” (7cm) tall[/quote']

Box:

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Okay now too the box! Here we have all three minifigures and the ship interacting in a nicely edited picture, characteristic LEGO box art. In the lower left hand corner, we have the little blue box showing us the minifigures, as well as their names, and a little button telling us that all of the figures included in the set are new ones. And the blue Rex box art has appeared again here.

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The back of the box has the cockpit open, and the minifigure interacting a bit more with the ship. The Geonosian is climbing out of the ship, Cody is trying to shoot him, and I have no idea what Ki-Adi is doing walking in the opposite direction! :laugh: We also have the usual ads for other sets from the summer wave, and a few pictures showing the functions of the ship.

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The top of the box has all three minifigures pictured but on their sides. Probably because there's not enough room to put them right side up. And I noticed that Ki-Adi-Mundi's lightsaber handle is upside down. (At least too me) I find it kind of odd that they call Cody "Clone Commander Cody."

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When I first got the set box out of the shipping box I thought, "Wow the box is tiny!" I had expected it to be about the same size as the Alien Conquest box you see here. As you can see, it is several inches shorter in height, and a few inches shorter in length.

Contents:

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Inside the box we find three baggies, two loose parts, and one bent up instruction manual. I was very happy to find that this set didn't come with any stickers. I was surprised that the manual wasn't encased in a plastic bag on cardboard.

Manual:

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The manual, as usual, features the same art as the front of the box. LEGO has removed the set information so you can see the picture a little bit better.

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First up, we have the minifigures. As always, LEGO has a nice box showing you how to assemble them. Ki-Adi's lightsaber is the right way up here. Go figure. :tongue:

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In the upper left hand corner LEGO has put the Darth Vader mask that has been present for several years now. It's almost a cartoonish drawing really.

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Here we have ads for four of the Summer 2011 wave sets. Now I find this odd because LEGO put all of the new set releases in the Winter waves set manuals. Why LEGO chose not to do it here is a mystery to me.

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On the last instruction page, LEGO has put the function for the set in a nice little box showing us how to operate it. I find this page really nice; I don't really know why I like this. I just do.

Minifigure:

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Ah the minifigures. I'm very excited to have all of these in my collection now. As I mentioned before, I missed Cody so it's good to have the second chance to get him. All of the figures have new torso print as well as head printing. Really all of the new torsos are quite well designed and look really nice. Mundi's torso is quite different from other Jedi torsos.

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And all of the minifigures have back printing! If you notice Ki-Adi's torso has an almost hood like print there. The Geonosians neck is very long looking, and those lines on the back of Mundi's head look kind of weird.

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Here's a close up picture of the minifigures heads. Nothing special about Cody’s face, he just has the usual clone face. (Thank goodness he's looking forward!) The Geonosian almost looks like he's an old guy and trying to squint to see! :rofl:

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LEGO hasn't quite gotten Cody quite right yet. He still needs an orange visor. I bought mine from Arealightcustoms.com. It works very well with the LEGO minifigures, and the orange color is a perfect mach. And since Cody and Rex interact so much, I figured it be cool to show them together!

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Now for a comparison picture. The first thing that jumps out at me is the fact that he head is so large. It just looks too big for me. Other than that I'm very happy with the minifigure. LEGO has done a great job with the torso print and head print. Contrary to popular belief, he doesn't have two brains. He has a large brain so he requires two hearts, typical of his species, so that's why his head looks so weird.

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The Geonosian doesn't look so bad either. LEGO has gotten the head right, including the squint, the armor looks good too. The color of the actual Geonosian, and LEGO's is too hard to compare. There really isn't a good picture of them. I would have loved LEGO to include some wings for this guy though.

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Now to compare the new to the old. (Thanks Slayerdread!) Now I know that the new one is for the TV show and the old one is from the movie, but I still feel like the new one is better. The head is way better, as well as the torso printing.

Parts:

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Okay now we've made it too the new parts. I've very excited about the new orange colored bricks, the 2x1 with the clip was introduced this year and it works quite well too, the 2x4 tile is another fairly new part, the large dark brown curved bit is a new color for this set, and the cockpit piece is also a recolor. The cockpit piece was, aside from the ship and minifigures, part of the reason I wanted the set. The reason I want the cockpit piece will remain my secret for now, though I will tell you that you can expect a starfighter MOC from me in the near future.

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Here are the extra parts! The ARC gear doesn’t really count as extra parts in my book but since I haven't used them they shall appear here. Nothing super interesting here really, though we do see the light blueish gray ARC gear appear again, apart from that there would only be one extra piece!

The Build:

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The first 15 steps or so, have you mostly complete the bottom of the starfighter. No special techniques just yet. All studs up building so far. Though we have used quite a few of those lovely new orange bricks.

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Steps 15-30ish get you though the bottom half of the starfighter, as well as building the gun and the engine. This is where it starts to get a bit interesting. LEGO has us use some of those axle bricks to connect the two sides. Good idea there.

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The last set of steps has us complete the starfighter. The top is basically a copy of the bottom but with a spot for the cockpit. A simple click and the fighter is complete!

Complete Model:

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LEGO hasn't done a bad job of matching the fighter to the real one at all. They got the prongs right, as well as the whole in the middle between the engine and the gun. The shape is about right, okay a little less curvy but what did you expect? Curves are hard to do in LEGO.

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Here's a frontish view. The gun only swings side-to-side and I would prefer it to be able to swing up-and-down too.

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And here we have a backish view. The engine can swing in almost any direction though. Using the cup-and-ball socket piece from the old fighter.

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The Geonosian fits snugly into the cockpit. As in, his head rubs the cockpit. But really that's okay with me. It means he can't fall out of his seat.

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And here I've pulled out the Geonosian to try to give you a sense of the scale of the fighter. LEGO certainly knows how to make 155 pieces go the distance. Really the fighter is a bit too large but LEGO is kind of hard to get exactly the right scale.

Functions:

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See this little hatch here? Well open it and the little "bomb" drops out. Now I know what you're thinking, "Where's the flick fire missile!" Well my only guess can be is that LEGO has decided that the nice little feature would be better than flick fire missiles. Personally I think it works very well, though the edge of the missile can get caught on part of the "door".

Final Thoughts:

Now that I've built this am I still happy with my purchase? I guess I am. This set really feels like it was worth the $29.99. The minifigures weren't designed quite the way I had expected but I'm happier with the way they are now. The fighter is better than I had expected. I had thought that it would be smaller but it’s quite large. And did I mention that I’m very happy with all of the new colors in the set? Well I m. I’m always glad to get more orange parts. So in the end this is one of my favorite “The Clone Wars sets.”

Ratings:

Playability: 9/10 The little bomb function is great and I think it works very well for this small set.

Design: 10/10 Very well designed. LEGO certainly got the shape right as well as making a very nice function model. So swoosh-able!

Price: 9/10 While I don't usually pay attention to the Price-per-piece-ratio, this set only having 155 parts, I still feel like I got my money’s worth out of this. Great minifigures, and the ship was bigger than I had expected.

Minifigures: 9/10 While Cody is a recycled minifigure, I hadn't gotten the Clone Gunship, so I'm glad LEGO decided to include him here. The other two minifigures are new and both are extremely satisfying. (Though ugly)

Parts: 8/10 There are a few new parts here, though not too many. The recolor’s of the parts are what stick out too me. LEGO always manages to work with the parts they have in most instances.

Total: 45/50 An amazing score for one of my favorite "The Clone Wars" sets of this year.

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Hole? What hole? This is supposed to be here!

Want to learn to make excellent reviews like this one? Then join the Reviewers Academy!

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Another stunning review! I've already seen this in your flickr stream. :grin: I'm hoping to get this one soon. I do really like that Ki-Adi-Mundi, though.

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Another stunning review! I've already seen this in your flickr stream. :grin: I'm hoping to get this one soon. I do really like that Ki-Adi-Mundi, though.

Thanks! Yeah I considered keeping them private but I decided not to. Don't worry I'll be back to MOCing soon! I do too. One cool figure. :grin:

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Great Review! I really like the character comparisons, as they are the winning point in this set for me.

I almost wish you hadn't shown me that custom visor because it looks too good not to get.

The set for me is kind of blah, but your review made it look good.

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Nice review. I haven't got this set yet, perhaps due to the taunting price tag but this is the only set which I can get hold of the Ki-Adi-Mundi. I also wished it comes with more of the Geonosian pilot or warrior. This is the only set to get both of these minifigures and inside the Clone Wars cartoon in Season 2, the Geonosian war was an important plot but unfortunately it was restricted to this set.

Thank you Masked Builder for this review.

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Thanks for the great review. It's actually nice to hear someone's opinion that the set is worth the money. I don't know how I feel about Ki-adi, but I want him and the Geonosian. The price has been the only thing holding me back, but your review probably convinced me to go ahead and get it.

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Excellent review :thumbup: This was the only set I thought of buying this year but the huge price tag and the fact I don't really care about the figs (except the geonosian) made me not to buy this.

This is the only set to get both of these minifigures and inside the Clone Wars cartoon in Season 2, the Geonosian war was an important plot but unfortunately it was restricted to this set.

What about the Battle for Geonosis set with the Proton cannon droid? That is also a Geonosis set right?

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I love your reviews! You always get pics to compare the set to the real thing. I just built this set too. I like it. :)

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One thing that amazed (and slightly irritated) me was the amount of gaps inside the ship and the complete lack of 1x1 studs!

I think I only own two sets that don't include studs (obviously not including technic...) and it just seems weird to have a set this big that doesn't have any. There are a lot of little gaps that seem a bit lazy and I was crying out to be filled by little round studs. One little downside in an otherwise good set.

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What about the Battle for Geonosis set with the Proton cannon droid? That is also a Geonosis set right?

And also that "rumoured" Geonosian Cannon set for 2012. So there's at least three Geonosis sets.

PS: Great review by the way, Masked Builder! :thumbup:

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What about the Battle for Geonosis set with the Proton cannon droid? That is also a Geonosis set right?

Yes, fair enough but you can't find a Geonosian warrior in there apart from this starfighter. It's supposed to be affordable for one to build a decent Separatist fleet.

And also that "rumoured" Geonosian Cannon set for 2012. So there's at least three Geonosis sets.

Ohhh. I didn't noticed about this upcoming rumoured set yet. :blush:

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I bought this set only really because I wanted Ki-Adi. The Geonosian was going to be the first thing I hocked off on eBay, until I saw it and loved the detail on it. Yes, wings would be much better, and is certainly a flaw, but other than that I thought the set was fairly spot on. Bring on more Geonosians (though hopefully with wings!)

Thanks for a great review!

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Great Review! I really like the character comparisons, as they are the winning point in this set for me.

I almost wish you hadn't shown me that custom visor because it looks too good not to get.

The set for me is kind of blah, but your review made it look good.

Thanks! Yeah that visor really does add to the character.

Nice review. I haven't got this set yet, perhaps due to the taunting price tag but this is the only set which I can get hold of the Ki-Adi-Mundi. I also wished it comes with more of the Geonosian pilot or warrior. This is the only set to get both of these minifigures and inside the Clone Wars cartoon in Season 2, the Geonosian war was an important plot but unfortunately it was restricted to this set.

Thank you Masked Builder for this review.

You're welcome!

Thanks for the great review. It's actually nice to hear someone's opinion that the set is worth the money. I don't know how I feel about Ki-adi, but I want him and the Geonosian. The price has been the only thing holding me back, but your review probably convinced me to go ahead and get it.

That's good, I think. :tongue: Thanks I'm glad you liked it.

Excellent review :thumbup: This was the only set I thought of buying this year but the huge price tag and the fact I don't really care about the figs (except the geonosian) made me not to buy this.

Ah. Well I got it on sale so it wasn't too bad of a deal.

I love your reviews! You always get pics to compare the set to the real thing. I just built this set too. I like it. :)

Thanks Starstreak! I'm glad you like that bit.

PS: Great review by the way, Masked Builder! :thumbup:

Thanks!

I bought this set only really because I wanted Ki-Adi. The Geonosian was going to be the first thing I hocked off on eBay, until I saw it and loved the detail on it. Yes, wings would be much better, and is certainly a flaw, but other than that I thought the set was fairly spot on. Bring on more Geonosians (though hopefully with wings!)

Thanks for a great review!

You're welcome! It's a great set.

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That's good, I think. :tongue: Thanks I'm glad you liked it.

That is good. There are some people on these forums with really strong opinions, and it nice to see someone buck the trend and stand up for an opinion that not all agree with. :thumbup:

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When I saw this set on my Target's shelves, I also thought the box was tiny. :tongue: Though what can you expect with 155 pcs. :hmpf_bad:

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That is good. There are some people on these forums with really strong opinions, and it nice to see someone buck the trend and stand up for an opinion that not all agree with. :thumbup:

Oh I get it now. :tongue:

When I saw this set on my Target's shelves, I also thought the box was tiny. :tongue: Though what can you expect with 155 pcs. :hmpf_bad:

Yeah. But look at the box for the Swampspeeder. It's normal sized for about the same number of parts. :wacko:

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Yeah. But look at the box for the Swampspeeder. It's normal sized for about the same number of parts. :wacko:

But that was back when Lego made their box's huge for some sets. Lego's reducing box sizes to become greener. Though in my opinion, I like smaller box's because you see the model built and think it's huge compared to the box size. That's why I didn't buy last years Swampspeeder because it looked really tiny. It still is pretty small though for $30.

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But that was back when Lego made their box's huge for some sets. Lego's reducing box sizes to become greener. Though in my opinion, I like smaller box's because you see the model built and think it's huge compared to the box size. That's why I didn't buy last years Swampspeeder because it looked really tiny. It still is pretty small though for $30.

True true. I was half interested in it but never got it.

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True true. I was half interested in it but never got it.

The best part was Barriss Offee. Luckily she's supposedly coming back next year.

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Great review Masked. You nailed all of the opinions I have about this set too.

I do not buy many Star Wars sets anymore, especially not on impulse, but this one I did. Even though it has less pieces than both $25 sets in this wave, it does feel worth the money. The ship itself is nicely designed and excellent for swooshing. Obviously the minifigures help justify the price, but that's how it always is with a set this size. I'm glad I picked this up.

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Great review Masked. You nailed all of the opinions I have about this set too.

I do not buy many Star Wars sets anymore, especially not on impulse, but this one I did. Even though it has less pieces than both $25 sets in this wave, it does feel worth the money. The ship itself is nicely designed and excellent for swooshing. Obviously the minifigures help justify the price, but that's how it always is with a set this size. I'm glad I picked this up.

Thanks Cloney O'. Yeah I notice that. I do like the ones that you do get and review. Those are exactly my thoughts about the set too.

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Thanks, Masked, for the detailed review! You've shown the ship off well.

I'll probably end up getting this for the figures, but I'm sure the ship itself will go the way of the Solar Sailer into the parts bin. Those dark orange parts look nice, though!

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Thanks, Masked, for the detailed review! You've shown the ship off well.

I'll probably end up getting this for the figures, but I'm sure the ship itself will go the way of the Solar Sailer into the parts bin. Those dark orange parts look nice, though!

You're very welcome. :sweet:

Very cool. I may have to steal a few parts off this myself!

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