Lobot

Hi Choops, this is looking very promising, great done! I hope you don't mind but I've updated the thread title for you

ESB was released in 1980 so perhaps they're doing a bit of 'future proofing' (e.g. planning on a lifespan of 4-5 years) so during that time there should be an additional sales spike when lots of new/old fans have a burst of nostalgia in 3 years, on its 40th Anniversary.

The original 10179 was very heavy and has a substantial frame, so it could be difficult for TLG to create something of a similar size with a full interior. I'd expect that the new set would be fractionally smaller overall, but with a partial interior (possibly the walkway from the cockpit, a central section, plus the hyperdrive). If they used small removable panels for each area it shouldn't create too many stability issues. Time will tell, but unless it exceeds £750 it will be a day 1 purchase for me

All they need to do is create a hybrid between an Ewok Glider and a Rathtar, it shouldn't be too difficult! And, there's also the potential for an extra selling point for the set - they could also include respirators for Han, Chewie & Leia

Thanks @Stash2Sixx - I can't wait If it's of a similar quality to the UCS Snowspeeder remake, I'll be a happy bunny! Hopefully Chewie will have a Mig welder and mask - and, yes, I've watched that scene far too many times..... I'm not sure how I'm going to get another UCS set past Mrs Lobot, but at least I've got 6 months to formulate a cunning plan!

Is that the one with the lightsaber being held by a rather attractive Jedi? I remember it well!

@KevinYoung - I'll merge this with the general Q&A thread (link) as it doesn't really need a dedicated one

Welcome back Stash - it's great to see you around again, the SW forum has missed you!

I'm not usually that bothered about exclusives, but that has a definite appeal, similar to the Space Slug from last year It's just a shame that they don't make them more widely available; it seems far more in keeping with the 40th anniversary than the R2 polybag for May 4th, which seems a bit lack-lustre to be honest. Perhaps TLG might do a nice VIP offer via the website one day for fans that don't attend conventions, or have LEGO brand stores within less than a 25 mile round-trip! Fingers-crossed that we'll get something nice and shiny in the autumn, assuming that we do get another UCS set in 2017....

As previously mentioned we already have a Star Wars Pricing Thread (link) so I'll merge this thread with it And, the simple answer for this is to wait for the sales... In the UK, you can usually get non-exclusive sets at 30-40% at various times of the year which can be very useful if you're intending to buy multiples of them. Last year I managed to buy several First Order BPs at 50% off from my local supermarket, so it's well worth looking around.

I'm surprised by the UK RRP for the Snowspeeder (£169.99) which is the original (pre-Brexit) price for both the Slave 1 & TIE Fighter. I'd initially expected that TLG would price it at their revised price point of £179.99, so it almost seems quite reasonable. The £ has remained fairly static against the US $ for the last 6 months, but risen against the € so perhaps the 'baseline' is calculated against that; I guess that's logical. I'll be happy to order one on 4th May unless there's a cracking deal on something else; I don't expect the 40% discount will be available for more than a handful of smaller sets, but you never know!

I was hoping that we might get something really special - possibly another chrome Darth Vader, or C-3PO, but I guess we mustn't complain - it's certainly an improvement on last year! It's just possible that TLG may have something else planned for the autumn, to coincide with the rumoured second UCS of 2017... time will tell. Perhaps @ChristopherLee would be kind enough to clarify what he was talking about, it all sounded a bit vague at the time

The UK price is confirmed on the LEGO website as £169.99 (link); it seems like great value at that price point, which I don't recall saying for a while!

Thanks again CopMike - you're the best!

Considering that LEGO have often released two UCS-type sets each year, I think you're being a little harsh! There are strong indications that they've got something really special planned for the autumn and, if the rumours are true, it will be very much in keeping with the 40th Anniversary. As I said in the 2017 rumours thread, this a great set and I'm sure that it will be well received by most AFOLS. It's certainly on my shopping list for 4th May

That looks beautiful! Well done, TLG! My faith in UCS has been restored in a single move; definitely a purchase for me on May 4th. Hopefully they'll do something equally impressive for the promo; I'll be interested to see what's on offer. According to the press release on Brickset the UK RRP is £169.99, which is £10 less than both the TIE Fighter and Slave 1 (following the post-new year/pre-Brexit price-hike). I guess it could be an error, but perhaps TLG have realised that the price adjustments hadn't been that well received by UK AFOLS! Finally a set that I'm actually looking forward to buying, and building!

My guess is that they're trying to delay the reveal of the UCS Snowspeeder until the last moment, to minimise the chances of it being 'cloned' even before it's released! Earlier this month a fake version of the new POTC Silent Mary appeared, and that was within 24 hours of the first images of the official LEGO set! It's pretty shocking to be honest, and I can see why TLG are being so cautious about leaks at the moment - hopefully the lawyers will eventually fix the problem

The Slave 1 is one of my favourite UCS sets and I think you'll be very impressed; it's a good size, enjoyable to build and looks stunning on display. The boxart is amazing, but you're obviously not worried about that The only downsides are that the lower dark-red slopes look a bit unfinished close-up, the greebling on the underside is a little sparse (compared to the actual film model) and there's also a couple of parts that have an annoying habit of falling off randomly!

I'm not sure what you're referring to? The underside of the old UCS Falcon is very detailed; especially the mandibles and the section immediately below the engine block. The quad cannons are also identical to those on the top, so what else are you expecting? Try removing the top cannons; you can then hold the internal frame without any problems. It worked for me anyway, although I'll admit that it's quite a bulky set! If they add an interior it will eat into the overall part count (and add to the weight!); if that happens it's likely to be considerably smaller overall.

Great post Robianco, which echo's my thoughts exactly! I'm really impressed by the new Snowspeeder and hopefully a sign that the next UCS set will be equally good. Personally I'd prefer a UCS Falcon in the autumn, but a Blockade Runner would also make an ideal Christmas present from myself!

The mechanism used in Vader's Transformation looks almost identical to the one in the Carbonite Chamber from last year; the top 'octagonal' design is also very similar albeit with a different colour scheme. The larger brick-built droid looks good, but it's a bit of a shame that they didn't re-use the 2-1B from 8096 though, but I guess you can't have everything. The more I see the set, the more I'm convinced that it will be a great seller for TLG - I'm assuming that the UK's pricing will be £20-£25... which seems reasonable for that sized set

Darth Vader's Transformation is the best of the wave, as far as I'm concerned. It looks a fun build and decent value for money, which seems quite uncommon these days. The Advent Calendar looks reasonable, but isn't in the same league as the 2016 version; most of the mini-builds look instantly forgettable but it includes a few nice minifigures. I'm quite impressed by the Rathtar Escape; it's always good to have something a bit unusual and it certainly is! I'll be interested to see the RRP - at 836 parts it could be in £90 territory so I could be tempted when there's a decent sale

Hi Redbird11, I hope you don't mind but I've embedded some of the photos for you Great work by the way, they all look brilliant!

The colour looks fine to me, I don't understand the reasoning for any negative comments about it. LEGO has a limited spectrum available and if you look at the film models they're part-way between white and very light grey - quite similar to the Imperial Shuttle so neither white or LBG are an exact match. Overall it looks like a great set, and the designer should be congratulated. If the rumoured UCS Falcon is of a similar quality I'll be a happy bunny!

That's a very nice looking set - I can't wait to see the full images of it. The cockpit does look a bit odd, and possibly a little out of scale, but that could just be the angle. I'm not too sure about the stickers on the front air intakes, but overall it looks like a vast improvement on the original. That's a first day purchase for me; TLG have finally redeemed themselves after a totally forgettable 2016