Richpepperell

Oh good grief - of course they will *slowly shakes head

Thanks for all the positive feedback! @Robianco - you are. Right about the tunnel... I'm currently playing around with a tunnel and room with the large round window that Luke flys/is sucked through. Then it'll be the landing platform, then the dining room...

Hi all. Have finally found the time today to finish the claws and top section. I'm actually really pleased with how it's turned out. There's a lot of technic beams in the mix and I actually quite likje some of the exposed sections as it maintains the 'industrial' vibe of the scene. The top section now easily slides and clicks into place, but can be easily removed for access without compromising it's stability. Check it out (there are load more pics in the Flickr album here https://www.flickr.com/gp/richpepperell101/MM672U) The top section is free standing... The small clip inside the claws grabs Han in carbonite to lift him from the chamber. The top can be flipped back for easy access. Put him in! Luke's just sneaking up the stairs... I also discovered that by removing a single layer of bricks, my previous Cloud City Duel MOC fitted right onto the door. I'm really chuffed as this is one of my favourite MOCs I've done - hence it's still in one piece! Bearing the UCS Hoth in mind, I think I'll call the three separate builds UCS Bespin! As I say I'm really happy with the finished article - it can be played with by careful kids, the separate sections all work well alone, but also combine (taking up most of my display space!) Enjoy - all comments welcome!

Cheers for your thoughts Lobot - great minds think alike as I've already removed the larger claws and only left the smaller side claws. It looks much better and a bit less cluttered. The final duel is definitely worth picking up at that price - if only to extend the original final duel set!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richpepperell101/

Like most people I was pretty excited when 75137 Carbon Freezing chamber was first announced. Like most people, I was also pretty disappointed to see the 'finished' set, which looks decidedly unfinished to me. After getting the official set, I started playing around with a few modifications with the bricks I had to hand with a view to extending the set to at least half the octagon. Although this added to the scene, it was still well below par in my eyes. I was lucky enough to find an eBay seller with two sets available without minifigures. They saving a postage meant that I managed to get the sets for £6.50 each so I was pretty pleased with the bricks I now had to work from... 3 complete sets. My first effort kept the original (and pointless) lowering mechanism in place, which meant that two hinged sections had to be included. I made the folding sections the segments with the control panel on. I also ditched the lift immediately. With the two control panel segments, it was possible to flip them out and lower Han, but the segments did not sit totally flush when closed, so I decided they had to go! From the pictures I found, the chamber does have dual control panels, and I also picked up another cheap Ugnaught, so the panels stayed. The completed octagon now does not open but is massively more sturdy because of it. Completing the octagon drew almost exclusively from pieces included in the 3 x original set, with only a couple of additional pieces (namely a few smaller plates, tiles and a couple of 6054852s). I decided to include a rising staircase - famous as the starting point for the Father-revealing duel - but also included 2 additional staircases as this is one part of the original set that actually looked pretty good. Some pictures... Of course I had to check it out with a few of the OT faces filling the platform (biggest problem here... no Lando or Bespin guards, but at least the advent calendar should help with that problem). The next issue was the fact that the freezing platform no longer worked via the original mechanism and I now had limited room inside to rework it. After all manner of lever systems and rack and pinion set ups, i finally just decided on a simple sliding trapdoor style mechanism. By simply pulling on the original shaft, the platform (which is on a tall pedestal) simply drops down through 2 steps. You have to raise it again by hand, but it enables perfect poisitioning for recreating the scene with what could be described as a 'play feature'. My final issue with the set is the lack of the clamping claw that brings the carbonite block up. This section is still a WIP but I thought I'd share my progress so far. I didn't want the roof and claw section to actually be attached to the set as I felt it would hamper access a bit, so I designed it to be free-standing. The main issue is that it's extremely top heavy, but I've finally got a stand with a Y-shaped base that works, it just needs a bit of tidying up. The top section folds up to allow access when it is in position, the clamps open and close and the whole thing also spins. I'll update photos when it's done and does require the hand to hold it in place! Best of all, from the original sets, I still have all this left over! All comments and suggestion happily received! Thanks for looking!

Finally got round to updating my imperial officers to match the officer that came with the ISD (who I'm presuming from the side burns is General Bast). The main issue is the old-style vs the much improved new-style hat. The problem here is that the hat has been very hard to get hold of in the correct colour on bricklink, and actually still is... individually. However, The imperial technician minifigure from the ISD is only a few pounds on bricklink and comes with the correct hat. I grabbed 2 extra technicians to go with the one that I got with the ISD and bingo - new hats for the officers! Now with new hat! From left to right Captain Needa, Admiral Ozzel, Amiral Piett, Juno Eclipse and General Bast. I'm sure you'll agree, they look a lot more commanding! Of course this now left all the technicians without hats. Kuckily, with the inclusion of the Imperial Crew minifigure in the recent battlepack, the black version of the hat can be picked up cheaply from Firestar - all my crew, my extra ISB agents and Juno Eclipse now have the correct black hats, ready to make up a Death Star scanning crew etc. I've got some more bits on the way to update some Hoth minifigures - pictures to follow.

I loved the planets! The minifigures were fantastic (TIE bomber pilot, At-ST pilot, Lobot, Sebulba), some great printed pieces and the planets themselves can be pretty useful. I had to pick up the final series (Endor, Hoth and Alderaan) from eBay, but it was worth it for the complete set - and the mini Tantive IV is brilliant. As for using the planets, The Death Star makes for a brilliant Ion Cannon (much better than the new brick-built version) and I picked up multiple Bespins to be used as domes on Tatooine buildings. The planets still have pride of place in my dining room too!

Finally got around to watching the designers video - even the two designers don't seem to be too sure about this set!

I really liked the look of these snow trooper legs and to my amazement they were available for pennies on bricks and pieces today - ordered 20 sets! Also did a bricklink order, a firestar and an arealight order today - will post pictures when it all arrives my imperial forces will be much updated!

What he said. :)

Speaking of pricing - I've just noticed the Eclipse fighter (you know, the bricks that come with Dengar) is listed as £34.99 on brickset. That's a mistake, isn't it? 2 minifigure? It's a mistake... Surely!?!

I'll say one thing for this set - it's made me suddenly appreciate 75138 a lot more. In fact I might even pick it up now although I had no intention of doing so before!

From the back of the box it looks like the wings rotate - not sure why but you can see it in the jedinews gallery http://www.jedinews.co.uk/images/galleries/ustoyfair2016/LEGO/default.asp

Anyone got any ideas what sort of time we might start seeing NY toy fair images?

One thing I really wish they'd done with a hoth set is make the trench section an actual trench rather than a snow wall. I know it would take a lot more pieces, but it would be cool to have a low section below ground level rather than a barricade style section.

I realise the piece count is appropriate, but the sum of the parts just doesn't say £199.99 to me. I'm a bit underwhelmed, but would have happily paid just for the hanger door section without the wampa cave, 'trench' etc. Maybe more images will be more complementary, but at the moment I'll be saving for the Death Star.

I know we're also getting the luggerbeast etc with this set, but I already get the impression this is another set you'd have to get multiples of to recreate something worthwhile. I feel this is a bit of a trend lately, with the carbon freezing chamber and the takodana castle.

The imperial crew minifigures from the battle pack are basically the same as the scanning crew. Look forward to seeing the photos!

A quick poll - to my dismay I'll be hitting my milestone 40th birthday this week! Upsetting as that may be, it does offer me a rare chance to 'go large' in the present stakes and I'm planning on picking up my first UCS set. Here's the dilemma - I love Boba Fett, I love Slave 1 but it seems to me that I might be getting more brick for my buck with the sandcrawler. I'm also bi on dioramas recreating scenes from the OT and I feel the sandcrawler might offer more in this department. Minifigure wise, I already have the new Carbon freezing Fett, and they'll be a Bespin guard in the advent calendar. I'm also considering picking up the older slave 1 then Moding it up to more closely resemble a mini-UCS. Help me out! Ps. I'll be getting the new Death Star regardless!

Before the RO pictures even came out, there was information released (can't remember where) where it was stated that the RO shoot was repurposing many sets and props from TFA, with the troop transport being one of them. Maybe it'll be recoloured/altered but I think they are the same thing. Sorry, this is nothing to do with any future sets... Yet!

I'd really go for a tusken raider battle pack (with the head from the sky hopper set) and a bespin battle pack with 2 or 3 bespin guards and an extra ugnaught!

I tried it. It did indeed make me feel a bit weirded out.

Check it out - http://makingstarwars.net/2016/01/rumor-the-largest-cameo-in-star-wars-rebels-chistory/

The colour scheme of the A-wing looks like it matches the one Sabine was piloting in this weeks episode of rebels "The Protector of Concord Dawn". Maybe she'll adopt this as her ship - would certainly explain her inclusion in the set. As, rumours for Rebels season 3 I've seen today suggest we might see Thrawn - that would be thing to look forward to in next years sets!