Ki-Adi-Mundi

Thanks for this set preview. I am interested in everything OT and PT. Thus this might become an expensive but also rewarding wave for me. Let's see what the price policy and following sale developments have TLG led to...

Acquired 79003 An Unexpected Gathering. Most probably the only Hobbit Line set i will ever buy. I love LOTR and will continue to collect the line, but the Hobbit story and sets (especially those childish dwarf thingy) are way too silly for me. Even the beautiful Elven Figures and garments can't pursuade me. Would love to see some Wargs in a LOTR set though.

I would love to see Star Destroyer (might be a rehash of the 2006 version) playset (1000+ pieces): Named Imperial Captain, 2 Stormtroopers, Imperial Navy Trooper, black Protocol Droid Cloud City (similar to the 2003 version) playset (700+ pieces): Bespin Lando, Lobot, 2 Bespin guards, 1 Ugnaught, Bespin Luke, Bespin Leia. If it's a big set, it should be somewhat complete, Otherwise, it could be considered to make it smaller and release a second, complementary set with carbonite chamber, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, 2 Stormtroopers, 1 Ugnaught, Han and Chewie. Mos Eisley (300+ pieces) playset with small cantina, a market stand and moisture vaporator: Wuher, Greedo, Jawa and maybe some more aliens (Ithorian/Duro/Talz/Devaronian). Would be great to combine with the already existing Falcon and Landspeeder sets. TIE Interceptor (400+ pieces) playset in the new design and colour scheme (black/grey): TIE pilot, Imperial Navy Trooper, Imperial technician. Imperial Inspection (350+ pieces): I can only think of set 7624 which was released in 2005. It was plain perfect. Sadly, i wasn't collecting LEGO at this time. A Theed palace playset would be welcome - although this might be unlikely.

Last wave was a little poor for an OT fan. Just got 75003 A Wing Fighter. Considering to buy another one. To keep my Hoth collection complete, i bought 75014 Battle of Hoth. When prices get right, i will go for 3 each of the TOR BP and the PT BP.

Today Attack on 9472 Weathertop finally arrived, completing my collection of the first wave. Initially i was reluctant to collect a second theme but corrections on the retail prices (i cannot see any different reason for the constant sales of 20+% everywhere in Europe) did successfully affect my decision. Unlike the Hobbit wave, a continuation of the LOTR line might draw quite some more bucks from my budgeting. This means if the most recent pricing policy by TLG in Europe turns out to be an episode with lessons learned...

I - unlike my wallet - feel relief and positive expectation about the news of more LOTR sets in 2013. Only 'an unexpected gathering' of the Hobbit sets does really appeal to me. The rest is kind of nondescript to me. Thinking of Orthanc (Saruman's Tower), Ambush on Rohir plains, Fell Beast with the King of Angmar, Mumakil Attack and so much more, there's still so much more of LOTR for TLG to explore...

Thanks for this nice review! A beautiful set. Expensive (i don't collect City, piece to price ratio is good though) but a valuable collector's item. Will definitely go for it.

Sales going on everywhere... Got 9469 Gandalf arrives and 9470 Shelob attacks The LOTR line is almost complete - with only Weathertop missing. Ironically, this is the only set i was initially intending to buy...

Couldn't resist a good deal and got a second 9496 Desert Skiff.

Great poll and statistics! I don't like anything based on the animated series. This does not mean that i hate the CW era - just anything corpse or manga like. Stuff appearing in CW and PT alike are of course within interest. For as long as enough - and the right OT/PT sets - are being released, i don't care about the ratio between the themes. I.E. if there are 6 good OT/PT sets, i'll gladly see CW fans run into a frenzy about 44 CW sets coming to the shelves.

A big thanks to the contributors of the first pics regarding the upcoming wave. A long wait is about to be ended. Sets of interest (by content): - Clones vs. Droidekas: I'll have to take a closer look at the design of the Droidekas but this looks pretty much EP II. - A-Wing: At first glance the ship looks neat. While my Ackbar does not urge to get a twin, OT/PT aliens are always a welcome thing. Might we dare to hope for a camo cape for Han?! - Sith vs. Republic Troopers: Hard to explain but there's something special about it. Makes me want it. - Rancor Pit: Another of the rare Gamorreans, an adventurous cave as an addon to Jabba's palace and best of it - the mighty Rancor himself! All of the animated stuff is easy pass. Now let's hope for confirmed - and reasonable - prices. Considering the last line up, the Pit runs a high risk to get subject to LEGO budget shortages... Last wave, i only started getting sets after they got generally reduced by 20+%. Being a European and according to sales numbers known, i was in highly crowded company with this stance... I do not plan to change it if the overall level continues ascending to ever higher peaks.

Ordered the Orc Forge on a serious sale (27% off). Otherwise it would have been a pass. Might come in handy as a generic medieval mine - but of course we can hope to get Saruman's tower one day. The set would make much more sense then.

Well, having forgotten most of the details of the story itself, the sets don't mean much to me. They seem a little nondescript and i would wonder if the upcoming movie were to change that. Them dwarves with their fairy tale names and appearances are a little silly. Bag End however, is one beautiful set i'd like to have - for it's LOTR flavor anyway. It's nicely designed and has this 'innocent home' atmosphere around it. The gadgets are plenty and the set in general combines the best elements of the civil castle sets i like so much (MMV, MVR, KJ). Of the other sets i like only some parts - elves and say, the wargs.Let's wait for the prices. Some of them might find a generic purpose as a cantina, an elf living-tree or some other adventureous place.

Too bad they didn't include such one: Sith Warrior They were abundant in those times, so army building would not be much of a problem: Sith Warrior Squad This aside, the upcoming wave is not about to offer very much for my taste. I'll most probably get a bunch of A-Wings and maybe one Rancor cave (on sale) and that's it. While i personally do not spend any blink of an eye on anything CTW or comic related, i do not actually hate them sets coming. Basically the CTW fans getting their much desired thingies seems ok to me. Winning more young customers who like animated stuff might sound reasonable. Hopefully TLG will also do something EP I to VI exclusive not yet announced. A Cloud City or Imperial Inspection anyone?

You are damned right with this one, sir. But fun aside, i really have no imagination for wise master Yoda to be almighty and also outmanouvre some dogfighting hotshot with elaborated, fancy flying, spinning and rolling in the depth of space. While i seriously think that such would destroy the pursuasive image of a withered Jedi Master like him, i also have to admit that i would not wonder at anything this corpse show called TCW might produce blossoms of (please take note TCW fans: this is NOT directed at you!).

Huh? The only thing i actually can think of is this one i know from one wotc rpg ship. A similar thing already had appearance in WEG galaxy guide no. 6 of their respective rpg which i started playing in some 1987. What wonderful memories... Would you be so kind to enlight us on the inspiration you took the idea of?

Very good MOC Hull shaping and interior have a nice design. A real privateer's ship that very well fits into the expanded universe. Nice background story, too.

Thanks for the info! Good to know how this can be done properly. Ah, these are exactly the same sets i own, too. Hopefully TLG does read this to scramble ideas for their upcoming castle lines.

I fully agree. A PT battle pack would very much have interested me - especially if it contained some much sought after Droidekas and some EP II or EP III clones. It also were nice to get a Sith warrior/acolyte with the TOR BP. Sith fighters were abundant in those times so army building via BPs would not have been an issue with them. For the time being, the A-Wing seems to be the only interesting news. Be it 'trapped' Ackbar or some nondescript Mon Cal pilot - it's always nice to get more SW aliens. And the Calamarians are a rarity. I have high hopes for Han to have EP VI clothing with the camouflage cloak. A-Wing and Calamarians only appear in this episode. Considering the size of an A-Wing in ratio to the other starfighters, the set might be in the lower price range. At least i hope so. It would be a little stupid to have system A-Wings of different sizes, after all.

Ah, thank you for the reminder. My memory failed me - the depiction in the set is perfectly right. There still was the airspeeder Anakin had used to reach Palpatine's rooms on my mind.

Thank you for this very good review on this great set. It features one of the most crucial scenes of the PT and luckily isn't any clone-warified. I got it a little cheaper and think it's worth the money. There's not too many stickers and the fighter even looks good without them being attached. I only wonder on the colour scheme of the ship itself. Wasn't Anakin's ETA-2 Actis Interceptor yellow? The ship he used to get to Mustafar had this dark green, yes, but IIRC it more looked like the ship in 9526?

Thank you for this very detailed and nicely written review! I especially like that you have shown every section of which this set contains quite a few. Great use of angles, light and shadow in your shots! I bought the set on the May, 4th promo, too. Actually, on the spot it was released - i knew that i would have to go after it. While it is sad that the castle kingdoms line was dropped (for at least a while to the end of granting LOTR sets evermore USP), this one is great in many regards. It has this civil touch i like so much and contains many adorable sections. I guess that the playability mainly is on creating scenes with the minifigs. No flickfire and lever play which would have seriously lowered the aestethical value. The set is expesnsive but of great value. I, too would recommend it to every LEGO collector. Regarding interior, gadgets and minifigs, this is far superior to every other castle TLG has designed, i think. I'd not call it a successor to MMV - but hope that once upon a day there will be one. This is more of a complementary set, a real gem to add to a village. Finally, two questions: - what light source do you use and where exactly do you recommend to place it for such a review? - How about turning around the small sand blue building by 180 degrees on it's base plate? This would make more sense in regard of the inner/ outer wall setting, doesn't it?

Thanks for your insightful review. I like your written descriptions which explain a alot on the details of your shots and also give comparisons etc. Since release, this set is on my wish list. Despite it's small overall size at a high price, you have shown it's advantages in a good way. There's quite a bit of interesting building techniques or use of parts, respectively. Too bad it's not commonly available over here and thus was not part of summer sales. I'll keep my eyes open. The set has a good selection and design of minifigures and the scene itself is a great standalone worth a place in LOTR fans' collections.

Great applause for an outstanding review on a pretty average set. If not for a serious sale, i would not have gone after it. But your review is as hilarious as it is of informative value. A big thanks - and please continue to do what you have come to do with the minifigs. Especially your inclusion of FRIENDS minis do really add loads of fun to your crystal clear shots of minifig and their prints. Keep that up!

Just grabbed the Mines of Moria. At 27% off, i could overwhelm myself and swallow a quadrillion of nasty stickers. BTW, I just stumbled across Hinckley's respective review. It is once again one hell of fun to read.