Willsy

I'm currently working on interior sections for the rear of the ship, as they seemed like the prime locations for a minifigure-scaled interior. I've chosen to depict scenes primarily from the Siege of Mandalore arc from TCW, including a segment of the command bridge, the tactical room with holo-table and Palpatine hologram, the medical bay, a corridor and the detention block with a place for Maul's holding cell from 75310 (when the panel is open due to height constraints). Also wanted to include a turbolift on both sides to give the impression of connectivity. I would still like to do another physical mock-up to make sure they will fit before making BrickLink orders, but I'm fairly sure they will based on my findings so far. The blank panels on the wall, the turbolifts and the arches will all use stickers from the Dark Trooper Attack as well. The command bridge section is supposed to go in the right wing of the ship, with the medbay/holding cell in the left.

Got the Coruscant Gunship and the T-6 today. Built the gunship first and it’s a play scale gunship alright. It surprised me just how compact it is relative to the 2013 one, but I think they got the scale closer to what it should be than past iterations. The colour scheme is gorgeous and I still appreciate that they went with a totally different iteration to what we’re used to. The main issue is just the lack of accessories, such as something to go in the front compartments. The lack of split doors is also not great. The figures range from great to good, with Fox falling into the latter. He’s flawed but ultimately I do like the figure and there are easy improvements that can be made. Padme, Palpy and the shocks are all wonderful however. Overall I don’t think it’s a downgrade over the last one so to speak, but it’s not an upgrade either and that’s the issue as it’s been a decade since the 2013 set. It’s not last year’s AT-TE but I’m still glad I own it, and I say this as somebody who has the last version.

I really don't mind the fact that the LAAT is a variant. We've had 3 play-scale regular versions and a UCS rendition using that livery. I see it as a win all-round: it's unique enough that long-time collectors who might already own past versions can justify it more, and gives newer fans who don't already own a gunship a chance to do so. The primarily dark red colour scheme should also look gorgeous, based on how the guard one looks in-universe.

Isn't the Interceptor vs Fang Fighter supposed to be revealed today? I seem to recall hearing that from somewhere.

We're missing the Death Egg Robot which appeared in the teaser, so perhaps Knuckles could show up there (unless that set has been cancelled).

These are fantastic, even the gimmick sets. I'm shocked. Tails' Workshop is probably my favourite, though we're still yet to see full pictures of the Death Egg Robot set.

Apparently 2 sets will be officially unveiled at Celebration in 6 minutes.

Seems like the Rex minifigure featured in Skywalker Saga might indeed be what we get in the Venator: the face print has the bandage from the inhibitor chip and the kama is printed, as well as being the only character in the game to use the new Phase II Clone helmet. The printed arms also lend to this being a UCS minifig.

Perhaps I need to see more pictures of it when it's officially unveiled but merciful Zues that X-Wing looks kind of rough. The big gap between the wings when closed simply should not be there, especially at this scale. R2 is comically small and sits way too low. The nose looks excessively chunky, and there's too much use of dark bluish grey for weathering on it. The larger engines look nice, however as does the back. Overall though sometting just seems off about it from first impressions, but I suppose it makes saving for the Venator easier. Disappointing though as I've been wanting a UCS X-Wing for a while and was expecting them to hit it out of the park given other recent UCS sets.

332nd in the Swamp Speeder isn't that outlandish to be fair. Existing prints can be used, and Vaughn was requested by fans and fits in with other figures that can use said existing prints. LEGO seem to like the 501st as well, which lends itself to this.

The last two playscale gunships were oversized relative to minifigs interestingly enough, and modern building techniques could reduce piece count. For example, the front of the fuselage could be done using a technic frame and studs of the side cladding, as opposed to vertically stacking regular bricks. I'm on team real. I can't see Promobricks risking their credibility for the sake of an April Fools joke.

Picked up the Golden Idol Temple and the Lost Tomb this morning and they really don't seem to be pushing these, even in LEGO stores. Stock seemed low and shelf space was relegated to a corner of one of those small island shelves in the middle. Add in the fact that the line is Smyths exclusive in the UK (and other regions having a similar situation) and it's pretty clear the confidence isn't high in these sets performing well (though what actually happens remains to be seen if they are selling out quickly). This still remains a botched launch in my opinion, even discounting the Temple of Doom situation, and one of the strangest moves I've seen with a high-profile LEGO theme. Such a disappointing blemish on a revival to a theme that I'm highly nostalgic for

It's worth noting that a lot of Sonic merch uses locations from the classic games but with the modern characters. Jakks Pacific had a Green Hill playset a few years ago for example but with a Modern Sonic figure. The modern cast are probably a bit easier to market towards younger audiences too. With that in mind, I personally expect modern characters. The Ideas set would continue to have exclusive Sonic and Eggman variants as well. I also can't see them not having Shadow as a selling point in a larger set.

I was planning to get the AT-AT this year but just had to pull the trigger on the Razor Crest. I think this might just be my second favourite UCS set ever, behind only the Falcon. Can't build it until Christmas though as it's a gift. Got double VIP points and two freebies too so definitely not complaining! Think I'll use the points on BD-1 when payday hits.

This looks fantastic! Any ballpark on how much Bricklinking the pieces would cost? This would be a perfect complement to the new AT-TE!

The printed kama feels like a giveaway to me. The detail in general looks simplistic enough to be an actual production minifigure.

Oh my gosh, what if the 501st captain is actually Jesse? Any ideas what the $70 set is yet? Fingers crossed we get Rex there!

Guessing a new Rex minifig won't be far behind (or ahead?) then! I don't think we've had a single helmet that hasn't reflected a presently available character.

Edit: wrong thread, apologies.

It's the phase 1 version, with the pins.

I ordered a Clone Army Customs sun visor and jetpack for Cody, as well as the Series 2 Marge arms, and wow he looks absolutely fantastic, an already great figure made near-perfect in my opinion. Definitely recommended and doesn't cost much to source them either.

Just finished building this and wow what a fantastic set The build was super enjoyable with some very creative and interesting techniques, and the number of features and details is considerable. The rear bay for the buggy is admittedly a lot of fun to play with! The retractable gear is masterfully implemented as well, the underside of the ship looks pristine. I think the Explorer itself is perfect, I just wish an extra astronaut or two were included (perhaps a blue or black one?). Overall I think this is my favourite set this year, which I really was not expecting. £90 for this is very good value for money. I grabbed a second Benny's Space Squad from eBay to fill out my classic astronaut ranks a bit more.

My Smyths Toys pre-order is being prepared for shipping!

The 212th visor prints in official images look wider as well, more in line with the 2014 versions. I wonder if the print in the final set is a prototype version that they accidently put into production. If so I hope they'll ship out new helmets to those who own the set. Also, regarding Obi-Wan's Starfighter, any ideas as to how to close the gaps on the wings, besides falling back on hinged plates? I really cannot look past them, they were distracting on Anakin's CW Starfighter and they are just as distracting here. It's quite a notable blemish on an otherwise beautiful looking set.

Very much here for a UCS Razor Crest. Even with the absurd price point I think I will have to cave on it. Also it's not an OT UCS model, which is great to see.