REVIEW: Set 8016 Hyena Droid Bomber

[DarthPineapple]

I was just saying that my prizes are different that his...

[KimT]

I was just saying that my prizes are different that his...

I know all too well.

The problem is that talking about the prices often lead to the unforgiving rant on LEGO pricing and price differences around the globe. The topics are then sidetracked and without any real essense anymore.

Eurobricks is a global site and thus discussing the fairness of regional prices is without interest to many members.

I couldn't care less if the prices are on the rise in the US or not - and I'm pretty sure the US members don't care that the EU pays double the US price for any given set.

The above is the reasons that we don't discuss such matters on EB. Except for the discussion in the Ambassadors' Forum on pricing. And I strongly suggest anyone who'd like to discuss such matters to go there.

Now excuse me, I have to go pay double price for an RGS

[SWMAN]

I am not a big fan of this set. The whole idea of the two heads feels dumb to me. It is nice that they included some unique BD's.

[mutley777]

I am not a big fan of this set. The whole idea of the two heads feels dumb to me. It is nice that they included some unique BD's.

Ah. If he had put the stickers on you would see it only has one head.

[A Cross]

The "utterly useless" piece can make a better sized wheel than the old technic HailFire Droid wheel for the Juggernaut on Kashyyyk.

[Millacol88]

I have updated the pictures and made other improvements in accordance with the standards of the Reviewer's Academy. Enjoy the improved quality!

[kaka1987]

i thought there is no need to discuss the price here since everyone might have different prices at their own place.

like, australia's S@H hv 50% off for twilight, do i still need to argue about the prices form other places?

but i have to say, if you really like that set, the price is not a real problem. 7676 is expensive( :P for sure), but i ididnt wait till discount period and use 160 AU to buy it. and i thought it's worth it. like somebody thought dooku sailor is freaking expensive, but there still someone would like to have one of those.

get back to the topic.

personal opinion, this set is the worst (sorry, but i have to say so) SW set i find from the Clone war series. no printed part!( heavy relies on sticker means i have to put extra care on those part with stickers, especailly after 2 or three years), i thought at least, TLC should try to place some printed part. that is fatal reason to explain why the sale of this set sucks!

maybe an extra Clone war figure(at least not just "droid" ) inside this set might attract a lot more people considered about this set.

[Oky]

I recently got this set for $15 and I'm rather disappointed. The design is mediocre at best, and as you say, there's not really anything special about it except those rocket droids. I'm growing tired of TLC's overuse of that big quarter disc piece because most of the time it's not the piece they should be using and is just a way for them to cut down on costs. The model is one of the most inaccurate ones I have seen in a while. Just compare:

The wings should have been bigger, the heads should have looked differently, and the front should have been much less round. And the walker mode is even worse:

Very little resemblance IMO. They could have done a much better job on this if you ask me.

The only good thing about it is that it's a nice parts pack with an acceptable price/parts ratio, especially when on sale.

[Darth Legolas]

Despite the fact I already have this set, I think this great review makes me feel likes it more worth having it!

Congratulations on your gold tag!

[Millacol88]

Despite the fact I already have this set, I think this great review makes me feel likes it more worth having it!

Congratulations on your gold tag!

Thanks for reviving this old review of mine. Brings back memories of feverishly retaking pictures while the experts told me they were still too dark and blurry.

Thanks for the congrats, it was long road, but I'm glad I made it.

And, Oky, those are some interesting insights you had. It really does underline how half-baked this set was.

EDIT: Oky did you search for this review and revive it just to bash on it some more?

Kidding!

[ILikePi]

Thanks for the review, Millacol. I won't be getting this set any time soon, but I like the colors of the rocket battle droids.

Also, thanks for the comparison pictures, Oky Wan. I never knew that LEGO messed up the design of this set that badly. I can't believe that put all that dark blue, when it is clearly grey-ish. Also, most of the stickers don't even look like the real thing. The same goes with the body of the bomber, the wing size, and how it looks when it's in walker mode.

I voted average because of what I said above.

Edited April 24, 2009 by ILikePi

[Millacol88]

Thanks for the review, Millacol. I won't be getting this set any time soon, but I like the colors of the rocket battle droids.

Also, thanks for the comparison pictures, Oky Wan. I never knew that LEGO messed up the design of this set that badly. I can't believe that put all that dark blue, when it is clearly grey-ish. Also, most of the stickers don't even look like the real thing. The same goes with the body of the bomber, the wing size, and how it looks when it's in walker mode.

I voted average because of what I said above.

Let the revival continue! I'm pretty sure thats what I voted too, although it is a little hard to remember. Off-topic, Ilikepi, you've got to get yourself a sigfig, or at least an avatar! It's just a dead space above your name!

[daxflame680]

Wow, I wasn't aware of how badly they ducked up this set. I guess I won't get it now.

Edited April 25, 2009 by KimT
wow I wasn't aware you needed to hit enter so many times! Sheesh!

[ILikePi]

Off-topic, Ilikepi, you've got to get yourself a sigfig, or at least an avatar! It's just a dead space above your name!

Yeah, I'll post a picture of a shadow trooper or something soon...

I want my sig-fig to just be a regular snowtrooper, since they look cool, but I have to wait for the summer to get a snowtrooper minifig.

Or, I might use my Royal Guard (removed from keychain ) instead...

Edited April 25, 2009 by ILikePi

[Millacol88]

Yeah, I'll post a picture of a shadow trooper or something soon...

I want my sig-fig to just be a regular snowtrooper, since they look cool, but I have to wait for the summer to get a snowtrooper minifig.

Or, I might use my Royal Guard (removed from keychain ) instead...

Great. Anythings better than nothing. You should make a custom decal with the pi symbol on it and use that on some random figure. That would be cool.

Oh and Daxflame, sorry to minimod, but try to avoid swearing, and entering a bunch of times only to put a frowny face at the end is a good way to get harassed by a mod. Namely a danish one with a santa hat and a chip on his shoulder.

[ILikePi]

Great. Anythings better than nothing. You should make a custom decal with the pi symbol on it and use that on some random figure. That would be cool.

Yeah, I'll try that. Thanks for the idea!

EDIT: Oh, I know what I can do! I can put the pi symbol on a Imperial insignia or something.

Edited April 25, 2009 by ILikePi

[Millacol88]

Yeah, I'll try that. Thanks for the idea!

Really, wonderful.

And I'll only charge a small fee for using my trademarked idea.

[ILikePi]

Okay, I got an avatar up.

Here's an enlarged version of it:

I just did a search for "pi sign" on Google, and used the first picture. I then resized it, printed it out, use a compass to make it a circle, colored it silver and blue with colored pencils and glitter gel pens, then attached it on.

For the leg, I just drew a pi sign on a piece of black cardboard and taped it on.

So, what do you think?

More pictures here when moderated:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=380342

EDIT: I might make more of these "decals" some other time, and start a 314th Squadron (or Pi Squadron).

Here's the scene I used (blurry):

There's a rebel pointing a gun at a stormtrooper in the background, and the other stormtroopers are just watching him.

Edited April 25, 2009 by ILikePi

[KimT]

And this would be far enough to go off topic here.

"Stay on target!"

[ILikePi]

And this would be far enough to go off topic here.

"Stay on target!"

Sorry.

So, does anyone think that the Hyena Droid Bomber is better than other $20 sets (like Echo Base, since it's only a trench thing... )?

I still really wish that LEGO would remake this to make it more accurate to the real thing...

Hmm...I'm almost a knight...

Edited April 25, 2009 by ILikePi

[Millacol88]

Sorry.

So, does anyone think that the Hyena Droid Bomber is better than other $20 sets (like Echo Base, since it's only a trench thing... )?

I still really wish that LEGO would remake this to make it more accurate to the real thing...

Hmm...I'm almost a knight...

Echo base will most likely blow this one out of the water. I hope to be the first to get that one reviewed as well.

KimT, forgive me: That's a very nice avatar/decals you've got there, Ilikepi, glad you got some use out of my idea.

[ILikePi]

Echo base will most likely blow this one out of the water. I hope to be the first to get that one reviewed as well.

KimT, forgive me: That's a very nice avatar/decals you've got there, Ilikepi, glad you got some use out of my idea.

Yes, but if the minifigures were worthless, Echo Base would be a rip off set...

By the way, I mentioned you in my signature.

[daxflame680]

Yes, but if the minifigures were worthless, Echo Base would be a rip off set...

But the minifigures aren't worthless, and you get a taun taun, plus the model actually has resemblance to the real thing, and Hyena Droid Bomber would be a rip-off set with or without the figures.

BTW, at the Toy Fair it said that the Hoth set would cost $25, and I still vote for the Hoth Set, even though it has about 80 pieces less and costs $5 more.

[Oky]

Yes, thanks for reviving this, Darth Legolas! Apparently my comparison went unnoticed until now.

Oky did you search for this review and revive it just to bash on it some more?

No. I looked for this review because it's the only one of this set, and I thought I should get that comparison out there. If there wouldn't have been a review, I would've made one, but since there was, I just posted in it.

Besides, you made this review before there was any reference to the "real" bomber, so there is nothing I could say against it. But now that you know, how about updating the review with a comparison like mine?

I can't believe that put all that dark blue, when it is clearly grey-ish. Also, most of the stickers don't even look like the real thing.

Well, to be fair, most of the set is grey, and it's only dark blue at places where the real bomber has dark markings, so that's actually okay IMO. But your right about the stickers. According to the reference, the stripes on the body should have formed a kind of sunshine pattern, and the zigzaggy pattern on the wings should have been much bigger.

I voted average because of what I said above.

Really? I voted below average because it looks so crappy and inaccurate. I mean, just look at that walker mode! Seriously, I am so disappointed with the design of it that I might sit down someday and mod it so heavily until it's accurate, just in order to set things right!

So, does anyone think that the Hyena Droid Bomber is better than other $20 sets (like Echo Base, since it's only a trench thing... )?

Well, as daxflame has pointed out, Echo Base isn't a $20 set, so you can't compare them. Besides, Echo Base is more meant to be a large BP instead of a set.

Anyway, looking back at the last few $20 sets, I would choose almost any one of them over this one. The only exceptions would be the AT-ST (because I don't like OT too much) and Anakin's JSF (because it has no exclusive figures and because it's yellow ).

Oh well. Let's just hope they wont mess up a set this badly ever again.

PS: I'm waiting for summer to make my sigfig too. He needs a proper jetpack if you know what I mean.

[KimT]

STOP NOW!