75098 Assault on Hoth

[Forresto]

I hate to be super negative, but everyone who doesn't like this set, should rate it just to send a message.

Hey it must be done if only to make TLG realize that much for a set of this price that's so badly done is unacceptable to the consumer. Lego seems to take so few missteps it's necessary to let them know what we all think.

I sort've hate doing this, as I don't own it, but I have to down vote it based on the numerous pectoral reviews i've seen.

[merman]

That is what amazes me too. My review wasn't much more negative than the ones up there...

[slenos]

They must be feeling the negative reviews, they increased the buy limit up to 5.

[nymmerod]

As a new collector of just 1 year, I didn't have any Hoth sets, so this was perfect for me. It has more bricks and minifigures that Ewok Village of the same price point. It's not close to perfect, but it's a darn good start. And since it's an offiical UCS, I had to have it.

Me too. I didn't have the previous sets that 75098 borrows from. Mine has just arrived and I will be building it tonight with much joy. I simply bricklinked a few of the minifigures that were missing like Reeikan, Leia, 2-1B and Han sans parka. I think it is almost as good a set as the ewok village, which isn't totally complete as people are saying. There is no new version of Luke with his poncho, plus you'd need to get the shuttle tyderium set. I also bricklinked a few extra minifigs for that like Paploo. I don't understand all the hate the 75098 set has been getting but I will enjoy mine.

[brick-fu]

Judging by the fact that the purchase limit has been increased to 5 already, and the rating is an abysmal 2.8....I think Lego is already learning their lesson here. I hope if they have any similar sets on the drawing board, they delay them until they can be redesigned or improved upon. It really is mind boggling that the same company that gave us the ghostbusters firehouse, temple of airjitzu, helicarrier, ewok village, sandcrawler and Death Star, even let this piece past the concept phase. How can anyone look at this and say "yeah, that'll sell like hot cakes!"

[slenos]

Probably they figured they could push it through with all of the new excitement from force awakens and rogue one, hopefully they learn their lesson and the new death star is nothing like this.

[brick-fu]

You are probably right. Lego fans are loyal, and we will part with our hard earned money......but we are not fools! Awful execution of what could have been an epic set.

[nymmerod]

What were people expecting this thing to be? What makes it so awful of an execution? Is it the reused builds? Is it that it comes in several mini builds rather than one large build? Is it the missing Leia? I can't for the life of me imagine what TLG could have done to appease all of you on this set aside from not making a hoth set in the first place. They couldn't exactly build an entire snowy mountain landscape. They couldn't include AT-ATs. They couldn't make the entire Echo base layout. I don't see much difference between this set and the ewok village except that EV is a single building. I see a lot of complaining about the price, but it's practically the same number of pieces and minifigures as EV at the same price. I saw several people in my Lego Store with this thing under their arm this week, so it is not universally distasteful among Lego fans.

[slenos]

Honestly they could have just finished it, for a set that is labeled ucs it shouldnt have technic showing on the back of the ion cannon or the atrocious look of the back of the blast door. I don't think there is any problem with having high expectations for a ucs set. And regardless of a few people buying it in store look at the reviews on lego shop. I think those and the fact that they will let you buy 5 speak for itself.

[lanesteele240]

If they had tied up the shelf space with rehashes of each of the original sets and not put out the upcoming summer sets, would you be more or less happy?

Im happy that they did this set the way they did. If you want it fine. Dont fine. New sets coming soon. If they had chosen a different set name, not called it a usc and charged 25 less it would have went over as a wash for everbody.

Honestly they could have just finished it, for a set that is labeled ucs it shouldnt have technic showing on the back of the ion cannon or the atrocious look of the back of the blast door. I don't think there is any problem with having high expectations for a ucs set. And regardless of a few people buying it in store look at the reviews on lego shop. I think those and the fact that they will let you buy 5 speak for itself.

Can anybody post a review or do you have to buy it to review. If anyone can post a review then i dont put any faith in it. Kinda like trashing out a buisnes that you have never visited on yelp because they did somethings aginst your political views.

[slenos]

Ya you don't have to buy it to post a review so that may be true. But the fact that they let you order 5 already says something about how it is selling.

[Japanbuilder]

I liked Jang's take on the negativity surrounding this set.

He pretty much condensed it into what a lot of us have been saying about this set. But also took into account what the actual LEGO demographic would think of it and I think he pretty much has it right there too.

Basically, for kids this is awesome. A huge good-guy play set complete with action features and fun figures.

For older fans it is an incomplete experience and most certainly not a UCS set.

As a play set it is an incomplete experience as it is lop-sided in the negative towards the assaulting team.

Price aside, since we can all accept LEGO is an expensive hobby, this thing is a bruising learning experience for LEGO. I am sure they are already setting systems in place to doubly-triply check anything coming down the UCS pipe for the next time.

[TeriXeri]

I don't own this set, and am not a Star Wars expert at all, and also not trying to defend this set, but without changing the piece count, aren't people like expecting too much?

Without adding pieces I don't think they couldve made a bigger attack force or a much bigger interior, it would end up as a door with an AT-AT or something.

It likely would have been received better as seperate sets so people have easier way to get just wampa or tauntauns or snowspeeders etc. And give people choice to wanting specific parts.

Minifig Selection I can understand concerns about no Leia.

The set doesn't seem UCS worthy just because it is 2000+ pieces.

The fact there's no current AT-AT on shelves doesn't help this set at all. I hope for the people that want one, that there will be a "Rogue One" movie AT-AT release, since it was so prominently shown in the trailer and potential box art.

Edited May 6, 2016 by TeriXeri

[analogkid81]

I have kids and I can't see myself spending $250 on a Lego set for them. The most I have ever spent for my kids was $180 on a set. Even then I got flack from my wife for spending that much ;)

This set should have never existed. They were better off releasing smaller Hoth sets like they have been. At least then it would be an easier pill to swallow. So they want kids to spend $250 for this and then another $110 for the AtAt (if only it were still in production) to complete the assault?? I think they are a little out of touch here and have forgotten what the UCS line is all about.

Edited May 6, 2016 by analogkid81

[bootz]

The reused builds certainly don't help it's case. I've said from the start that the set in almost cynical in that it's essentially a collection of previews sets, taking the "Ultimate Collector Series" title far too literally. Then you factor in that it's missing figures that are frankly inexcusable to omit, and the fact that the name "Assault on Hoth" is totally misleading considering only two Snowtroopers are included, and it's pretty obvious why people are upset with TLG over this set. Frankly, I'm amazed that people can't grasp why others might be disappointed. I can certainly see how this would be valuable to someone who has no Hoth sets, but for "ultimate collectors" who have been collecting already, there is very little here worth the price of admission, and definitely no builds challenging enough to warrant UCS branding. To me though, the most glaring mistake is the reuse of the same basic snowspeeder design we've had for over a decade. An updated design would have at least justified it's inclusion, otherwise we just got essentially the same build in a smaller set not long ago. And that's to say nothing of it being kinda useless as a parts pack, small white bricks aren't as desireable as all the brown that came with the Ewok Village.

[brick-fu]

Not to mention how unfinished the backside of the hangar and the ion canon are......they just look awful. I would be much happier if Lego would have provided a molded base with the set, perhaps one where the trench is a few inches lower than the hangar, and where everything would have a spot to snap into. Also, there isn't even a floor in the hangar. How hard would it be to have included a large white or gray tile for the floor? There is basically no play value inside the hangar......if this is going to be the ultimate hoth set where is the bacta tank at least? A friend of mine actually bought the set, and I went over and looked at it after he got it together........just horrible. I think he's gonna try to moc something out of it.

[PicnicBasketSam]

Just visited shop.lego.com... Assault on Hoth has about two stars on the rating thingy under each product description. Typically, you don't see many negative reviews on S@H. I wonder if LEGO will do something about this... maybe a WALL-E style service pack with all the pieces to complete the builds, Leia, Chewie, a parka for Han, and an AT-ST. If they bumped up the price to $260 and added that in... maybe they'd be on to something.

[analogkid81]

Just visited shop.lego.com... Assault on Hoth has about two stars on the rating thingy under each product description. Typically, you don't see many negative reviews on S@H. I wonder if LEGO will do something about this... maybe a WALL-E style service pack with all the pieces to complete the builds, Leia, Chewie, a parka for Han, and an AT-ST. If they bumped up the price to $260 and added that in... maybe they'd be on to something.

Lol doubt that. I think they want to forget about this set and move on. I hope it is discounted at some point, then I might consider it.

[brick-fu]

I can say that I don't own any of the previous Hoth sets, but I still can't bring myself to buy this thing.

It would be nice if Lego would offer up some expansion packs for this set. Perhaps a "hangar interior" set, or an expanded imperial assault force. But, alas I think they will want to distance themselves from this bomb as soon as possible. You will probably see it discounted sooner rather than later in hopes of boosting sales. I'm sure this has caused quite a few marketing/ design team meetings at Lego.

I generally have a lot of faith in lego's designers. They have given us some awesome sets over the years. I almost wonder if what we ended up with was not the original set the designers submitted? Perhaps an originally awesome, tied together set was whittled down by bean counters to meet a certain price point?

At any rate, I have faith that Lego will redeem themselves in the future. They are too good of a company not to. If you like this set, great. If like me you hate it, just chalk it up as a loss and wait for the Death Star.

[HawkLord]

Can anybody post a review or do you have to buy it to review. If anyone can post a review then i dont put any faith in it. Kinda like trashing out a buisnes that you have never visited on yelp because they did somethings aginst your political views.

Not quite. We all know Lego bricks. Pieces in one set are the same as in another and if someone doesn't like the piece assortment of what it builds they certainly know and understand the product enough to provide a review. Unless a set is built with all brand new pieces, a lot of people here will have enough point of reference to provide a review.

[L E G O]

I think Chewbacca summed it up perfectly:

[BigEl]

The biggest bummer for me is still on what this set is focused on. Its a bit of everything and doesnt do any of its parts justice in UCS standards.

They should have just named this Hoth Base instead of Hoth Attack, leave the vehicles and the imperial stuff out and focus on the god damn base.

Hell the command center of the last Hoth Base was miles better than the one from this UCS, which cant even be called "command center". They should have taken the decent main gates and build everything around that with a proper and accurate command center, a proper Ion Cannon and a shield generator.

Everything else is just completely unnecessary and takes away parts that could have been made into seperate smaller sets that could served as a way to enhance your display focused UCS set with play features IF you so desire. Not forcing this on the consumers and deliver a product that has barely any demand because it doesnt fit in any of the traditional lego buyer categories.

[nymmerod]

I just finished building the set. My opinion still stands that the set is not as terrible as everybody is saying. It's not as iconic as say, my sandcrawler or slave I. But I think Echo base in general is just not iconic. The real icon of Hoth is the AT-AT.

I guess it was a great set for me since I didn't have the wampa or tauntaun and my Hoth collection was very Imperial heavy. I already had the 2014 AT-AT and snowspeeder and a gaggle of snowtroopers so now my Hoth scene is pretty rounded out.

[JPN366]

Me too. I didn't have the previous sets that 75098 borrows from. Mine has just arrived and I will be building it tonight with much joy. I simply bricklinked a few of the minifigures that were missing like Reeikan, Leia, 2-1B and Han sans parka. I think it is almost as good a set as the ewok village, which isn't totally complete as people are saying. There is no new version of Luke with his poncho, plus you'd need to get the shuttle tyderium set. I also bricklinked a few extra minifigs for that like Paploo. I don't understand all the hate the 75098 set has been getting but I will enjoy mine.

I ordered a Paploo and bought a Tokkat for my Ewok Village.

If anyone can find a way to merge the Hoth Echo Base set with Assault On Hoth set organically, then I think it would be much more "complete." Like I said before, I think AOH is the exterior and HEB is the interior.

[Mutant Orc]

Jang posted this -

so it seems like he's got something going on maybe..?