jdubbs

I would definitely ask that this and the 2016 topic no longer be sticky. There are now so many threads to scroll past just to get to anything of substance...

Rereleasing the Death Star so quickly also made sense in a way that an immediate rerelease of the Ewok Village does not... we had the Death Star-centric Rogue One hitting theaters and the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars just around the corner. God willing, there will be no Ewoks in Episode VIII (or any other property) that would keep the Ewok Village top-of-mind and thus on stores shelves.

Yes, but if you discount a website solely because they've reversed themselves or posted incorrect info, then you'd basically have to ignore everybody — even the first post in this thread, which as we all know listed a Yoda's Hut initially. Sure, the Rebel Hanger may have been the new A-Wing (incorrectly identified), but it's just as likely that there were always two separate sets planned, which got conflated into one in the initial rumor reports. Just as it's entirely possible that the UCS Snowspeeder— a holdover from last year — was an incorrectly identified UCS Assault on Hoth (which does, after all, include a snowspeeder) that has been stuck in a feedback loop. So, I don't think any of us can safely say we "know" the 2017 UCS sets will be the Falcon and the Snowspeeder. Until we start seeing pictures, there's really no confirmation of anything... and even pictures may end up being misleading, given we had photos of a Yavin 4 set years ago that never materialized.

Brickset isn't credible? http://brickset.com/sets/75179-1/Rebel-Hangar

My guess is that the next UCS Falcon (whether it comes this year or next) will be downsized considerably. I think it will will fall in between 2015's System scale build from TFA and the original UCS set, at around 3000 pieces... making it available for ±$350 US. Probably with an interior this time to appeal to kids and to differentiate from the previous UCS set. While the original UCS Falcon is beyond impressive, most adults (let alone kids) don't have the money or space to display a 5000-piece, 3' x 2' model that can't be lifted, requires so much internal structure that a playable interior is near-impossible, and costs $650+, adjusting for inflation. All the signs seem to point toward a UCS Falcon this year, but I still think next year would be a better fit given the Han Solo movie coming in 2018. And, I worry that if we don't get a new Tantive IV this year of all years (given the synergy of Rogue One, Rebels, and the 40th anniversary) it won't ever happen.

Brickset has it listed as a separate set (independent of the Lando A-Wing) in the Summer 2017 wave: 75179 Rebel Hangar. They had it listed for a while as a named set, then took the name down, then put it back up last week when they added details on the second wave of battle packs.

Brickset lists three additional unnamed sets (75176, 75177, and 75179).

100% agree. But, corporate synergy... LEGO has some kind of ownership in the show, and likely pays Lucasfilm less for sets based off it versus canon properties like the movies, Rebels, etc. And, Freemaker sets help promote the show... which helps promotes sales of the sets... a vicious circle. I want a UCS Falcon too, but I have a feeling the price will be prohibitive. The 2007 UCS Falcon cost $500 US at its release. The 2008 Death Star playset was $400 US when it was released, and its price increased 25% when it was re-released this year (with a comparable piece count). So realistically, a comparably-sized 2017 or 2018 UCS Falcon would be $650. My guess is this would price it out of most buyers' reach. (Still, better than $5k on eBay...)

To me, the logical choice for a 2017 UCS would be the Tantive IV. It's the first thing you see in Episode IV (making a nice 40th anniversary tribute), the last thing you see in Rogue One, and it's featured frequently in Rebels. There have only been two Lego sets of it: a very early UCS that doesn't really live up to today's standards (held together with rubber bands, if I remember correctly), and a smaller set that's almost a decade old, with pre-pupil, barely-detailed minifigs. I think this makes a lot more sense than a UCS Falcon, given the last UCS Falcon is much more recent, there's a system scale Falcon still on the shelves, and there'll be a great opportunity to promote a UCS Falcon in 2018, to support the Han Solo movie. But, logic doesn't always enter into the equation...

I was wondering the same thing. Though I would happy with either (or both).

LEGO just put 3-4 UCS sets on end-of-life a month or so ago, so the rest are most likely safe for the next 6-12 months. If it follows the pattern of the last wave of outgoing sets, at some point Amazon, Target, etc. will start discounting it by 10-12%, which is the first sign it's on its way out. Then a larger 20-25% sale follows, at which point it'll be gone in 4-6 weeks.

There are still several unknowns in that list: 75166 & 75167 (battle packs), 75176 & 75177, and 75179 Rebel Hanger (which could easily be the Yavin hanger from Rogue One/A New Hope).

Jang did a comparison of the two sets' minifigs in this video:

I would love to see an Ewok battle pack, esp. if it came with a glider or catapult. But I don't think it's all that likely, since the minifigs would not be generic enough to warrant collectors buying multiple packs (which I have to assume is built into the battle pack sales model)... even if they are 4 all-new or repainted Ewoks, they'd still be distinct enough that you wouldn't want 2-3 of each. I'd also like to see a new Endor bunker set, but with the (very similar) Scarif bunker coming for Rogue One, I doubt we'd see a second bunker any time soon.

I would love to see both of these, but I think the AT-ACT is more likely given we've just had Krennick's shuttle, preceded by Kylo Ren's shuttle, preceded by the Endor shuttle... all of which are still on the market. It's been ~4 years since the last AT-AT, and the AT-ACT has been much more heavily featured in marketing.

Brickset has a separate listing for a Rebel Hanger set (75179), distinct from the A-Wing (75175).

The issue isn't that repeats are bad. It's that there are others more deserving of a refresh. TIE Bomber, TIE Interceptor, Twin Pod Cloud Car, Imperial Landing Craft, Yoda's Hut, Cloud City, etc. are all way overdue for a refresh. The design and build of the most recent versions of each of these don't come close to current standards. By comparison the Landspeeder, Skiff and A-Wing had more recent releases with modern minifigs and builds.

As some old ghost once said, it depends greatly on our own point of view. Part of the frustration I (and perhaps others) feel is that with a new movie out every year (yay!) and two animated shows on the air, there are fewer and fewer slots for the classic/prequel trilogy sets many of us want to see modernized. So far in 2017 there are just five sets that aren’t tied to Rogue One, Rebels, or The Force Awakens… and it’s unlikely we’ll see more until 2018. Three of those five are redo’s of sets that were released in the last several years, that are readily available on eBay for semi-reasonable prices, and that arguably didn’t yet need (or receive) a new design/build. The fourth is yet another Jedi Starfighter, and the fifth is this year's Carbon Freezing Chamber ('nuff said). Consider all the sets that legitimately do need a rerelease (classic TIE Fighters/Bombers/Interceptors, Twin Pod Cloud Car, Yoda’s Hut, Rebel Blockade Runner, Imperial Landing Craft, even Kylo Ren’s shuttle); the gaping holes in the lineup (Bespin); not to mention the sets that have yet to be announced for the current movie/TV properties (AT-ACT, First Order Star Destroyer, whatever that 4-winged shuttle is in Rogue One). Several of these could have taken the place of the Landspeeder or Skiff or the umpteenth Jedi Starfighter. Personally, I think LEGO is doing a great job with the design and build of the sets they are releasing. I will happily buy the Scarif and Y-Wing sets, and possibly the A-Wing or Skiff even though I already have the older versions… at the least minifigs are mostly new. I just wish there were more to buy. On your earlier point about all the griping, I tend to agree with you. I couldn't care less what shade of the blue is used on the stormtrooper helmet’s vents, whether Thrawn’s rank insignia has the correct combination of tiny blue and red dots, or whether Lando’s vest should be creamy beige instead of sherbet orange. It is disheartening that so much of the discussion here devolves into these petty gripes, as it drowns out feedback that I think LEGO should actually hear. If anyone from LEGO really is sifting through page after page of complaints about these minuscule details (unlikely), they’re no doubt left with the impression that we’re all a bunch of misanthropic whiners who will find fault with anything.

The Scarif set looks a lot more substantial in the video review than it did in the photos. I'd say the opposite is true of the Y-Wing. I like the new mechanism for loading bombs, but it seems like basic landing gear would have been a better addition than the yellow artillery loader.

The Carbonite Chamber (at the same price point) included 4 figures, if you count Han in Carbonite. So it's reasonable that the Vader Transformation set would as well, especially if there is less environment/structure in the playset. It seems reasonable it would include Palpatine, Vader, 2-1B, and Crispy Anakin.

I suspect the TIE Advanced/A-Wing set was prematurely put to pasture to make way for But that said, the Rebels show looks to be winding down, with Dave Filoni moving on to other projects and Ezra's storyline reaching maturity. From reports I've read, there is at most another full season in its run. I doubt you'll see new Rebels sets much beyond 2017.

How far down the list are we likely to see, once the photos appear? Up to and including the Desert Skiff? Any chance the Quadjumper would be included, or is that more likely a summer set?

Reps from Hasbro said they have some special things lined up for the 40th anniversary in various interviews following their presentations at SDCC, NYCC, etc. No specifics at all. And, I wouldn't read a lot into it. Their focus is now on 5POA figures and out-of-scale, overpriced vehicles loaded up with Nerf blasters. There's very little left that is collector-oriented, though they've been teasing the return of the Vintage Collection for years now... my guess is that the 40th would be the optimal time to make good on that promise. But don't expect coordination between Hasbro and LEGO for the 40th. They've never coordinated before and they seem to be diverging in the markets they serve.

I would as well! Though it would need to include two pilots, rather than one. Have you thought about landing gears? I guess it doesn't really need them, but the original Kenner toy had them so I tend to think of them as part of the ship's design.

75138 is a nice enough set, but if you already have or are planning to purchase the Assault on Hoth UCS set, I don't think there's much reason to buy it. I have it paired with a snow speeder, Tauntaun, and a few extra rebels/snowtroopers from older battle packs and it makes a decent little Hoth scene. Note that the turret is nowhere close to the proper scale, but it is kinda cute... and I still prefer it to the comparably priced Carbon Freezing Chamber, which is only really useful for the Ugnaught.