Bellicose

I'm really looking forward to this. I don't like the price point either, to me it's 50-100 USD too high, but I blame Disney and their license fees and their logo on the box for that more than anything. Fortunately I have a healthy VIP points balance and can bring it down to an acceptable level... I've had the Death Star set for some time, and have enjoyed adding to it here or there and adding minifigures to the vignettes as they become available (although I did miss out on Admiral Yularen, I should track that guy down). So modifying and enhancing and adding improvements to an already impressive display piece, that's been a bit of fun for me. I think I'll do the same with this. I think I wish it had one more level, particularly in the carbonite freezing area - there's supposed to be platforms and pits below and all sorts of stuff, as well as a service tube connecting it to the location for the Luke v Vader final confrontation. Anyway I look at this and I'm kind of inspired on how to add to it. It should be fun.

Does anyone else find that the new sets and designs are ugly? Looking right at you, new AT-ST horse-walker. I will say that these sets haven't had the benefit of multiple revisions like the main Star Wars line has. How many Y-Wings have we had, 5? 6? It took until now to get the definitive product. The TFA X-Wings don't count as much as they were better than the regular X-Wing thanks to finally getting a purpose-moulded canopy piece. Much better than the big blocky Y-Wing canopy. I will say, the only two sets that don't appear ugly to me are the TIE Silencer and the Star Destroyer. And talking about pricing, that AT-M6 is significantly higher than it should be, by $50 or so!

Completely agree! The only reason I'll pick it up will be for the minifigs and any new parts...but otherwise the previous minifig scale was a much better representation, and frankly I'd hoped the build techniques from the UCS B-Wing (specifically the 'mirroring' of the vertical wing) would be put to use here. My biggest disappointment in this one? Well besides that it's still asymmetric/studs one way, but the S-foil wings should fold flush against the vertical wing when stowed. There's a gigantic gap now! Frankly this way it looks like the original b-wing release way back when. That's not good.

Just out of curiosity - what is the average total cost in USD of going with this method? I have a decent budget as well, but I cannot justify paying much over the original retail price of the set, and I certainly don't need one in collector's shape - I just want the ship.

Do the runways and paved surfaces have to be entirely constructed of baseplates and tiles? As an aviation enthusiast (and professional), this is something I've wanted to do for a long time - something resembling an accurate airport. I was even buying tons of 1x8 black tile plates at the Pick a Brick boxes whenever I got a chance...thinking working with similar white tile plates, you could make a realistic runway, using the white pieces as the markings and stripes/numbers on the runways. But since so many lines in life aren't square, 90 degree angles everywhere (taxiway markings curve all over the place) and due to the expense of it all, I've been considering making a plywood/painted base area much like an electric train set layout, and then saving the bricks for the buildings, hangars, planes, etc. And yes obviously the road base plates are out as they're far too narrow even for GA runways, plus they're marked wrong.

Wow, am I alone in wanting to see more of the airport display? That's a pretty amazing terminal they built (same for the rocks and crashing surf for the coast guard sets!), and LOVE the LED airfield lighting... It's funny, having worked in aviation for some time now they've made a fairly accurate loading scene, LOVE the belt loader for the packages into the aircraft, and the ear pro for the ramp workers. Great point on the cop torsos. The new great vehicles fuel trucks from this current cycle will be perfect for airport scenes...more accurate for airports than the preceding trailer model. Different theme but that dragon from the Castle line looks great!

Well we're definitely getting a mini one in the advent calendar!

Remember, this is City! They only do front facades of buildings, no way you'd get the entire thing.

I find it really funny so many are objecting to the size of the new cargo aircraft, when it really just looks like a new (green!) version of 7893... As for the wing being grey, that wing has been grey in the last, what, 3 models its been released in? 4?

Close, but it's actually the HH-3/S-61R...a derivative of the Sea King.

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi...that might explain the surge of related products (Battle pack, UCS B-Wing, A-Wing, Skiff and Sarlacc, Jabba's Palace, Sailbarge and Rancor pit...)

It's actually an HH-3. Brother of the Sea King. Oh, and don't forget the CH-54 copy for the Dino Hunters helicopter. I don't think adapting these current models for inspiration is such a bad thing...happy to see something beyond the stereotypical City helicopter.

We're certainly due, it's been a long time since a TIE Int came out and build-wise you could use the ball cockpit of the current TIE without any modifications (the only difference is in the wings/radiator panels). I've been wanting to do a MOC combining the cockpit with 2 of the 3 wings of a TIE Defender to make my own Interceptor, but I've been too lazy to see it through. A TIE Interceptor or Bomber are fairly likely in the near future, I think. And remember there was an Interceptor (a red one) in that LEGO design room photo. As for Pong Krell, there's a four-armed minifig in the Ninjago 9446 Destiny's Bounty set...I wonder if they'll make him similarly. Nothing all that wrong with that really since he's very tall, taller than his clones. And looking at it I can see why one would confuse the clone Z-95 with the ARC-170, they're actually very similar in appearance.

Tout cela métonne! Genial! Seriously this is extremely impressive.

My cats tend to attack the trains, mostly by taking paw swats when the opportunity presents, etc. It certainly gets their interest, at first they're scared but stay transfixed and relax after awhile.

The post office roof doesn't have nearly enough snow on it. Time to start hoarding white plates and tiles!

Hopefully they remember to give 'gloves' (black, brown or grey hands) to people playing outside in the snow. It is a winter set...it's supposed to be cold outside...

How did you get the imperial insignia on the JSF cockpit piece instead of the open circle fleet insignia? Stickers?

Ditto! I did the same exact thing.

Wondering why the canopy from the Jedi Starfighter was used, instead of the cone part used for the cockpit of the current Millenium Falcon, the salon/escape pod of the current Republic Frigate and the hammerhead of the Tantive IV. Seems like that piece would be the proper size and shape... At that price point I think they really missed the mark by not including an exclusive minifig. My personal preference would have been for the whole model to be minifig scale like the shuttle and UCS MF, but as soon as the designer said "I did the UCS X-Wing" I immediately thought internally 'guess that means no way it'll be minifig scale'. On the plus...there have been two B-wings previously, both minifig, and the first model was wildly inaccurate. The second was closer but still left some to be desired...a sort of kit-bash between that one and this UCS model might be the way to go. From a sculpture/display model point of view, getting past it being too big for minifigs, I think it looks great. Only area I don't like is the cockpit area. I love how they say "the laser guns are non-functional." Well yeah...they don't shoot actual lasers...

Hoth Bricks claims a 200 Euro price, and the USD price has been the same (numerically at least) as the Euro lately so...$200 USD. Hmm. I do like it and will buy, I guess I'd hoped for 200 it'd have a minifig or two, I figure 180 for a no-minifig is fair. Oh well that's what VIP points are for! Hey, isn't October usually a double VIP points month? I can't remember.

I think LEGO is laughing all the way to the bank with this one. I know I'm laughing at the hoarders...

I just built my set up last night and already I'm combing the internets for mod inspiration, as certain parts of this set are really lacking...I like what you've done here! I'd like to clean up the technic mess under the ship; the beams are nice for structure but they're awfully naked and I'd like them to be a little less visible. Guess I need to find a ton of inverted slopes in light bley... Unfortunately, as said, there just isn't a whole lot that can be done about the cockpit.

My only complaint about modulars is what to do with them afterwards! They're big, so they take up lots of limited display space, and they're also such interesting/complex builds that I don't have the heart to take them apart and put them into storage. And I haven't even yet tracked down a café corner or green grocer.

Even at that rate, it's a return on my investment so I'll take it. I'm just glad I didn't buy 8 unlike some other fools I saw...