Willsy

Just received the V-19 today and it’s definitely my favourite play scale Star Wars set of the year. Fantastic minifigure lineup, a great build which was thoroughly enjoyable and looks very faithful to the source material, and a price point that isn’t too ridiculous. Between 2008 and 2025, the latter absolutely takes the win for me. The original’s wing function was fun in principle but caused the ship to look very janky and oversized. I think they made the right call with how they approached it this time around. I’m hoping we get an updated TCW S1/2 Anakin next year to accompany Obi-Wan because that minifig in particular is very well done and it’s probably the best version of Kenobi we’ve received to date.

The nose of the ARC-170 looks really off, but the rest of the build is pretty good and the minifigs are great. Interested to see the wing mechanism, seems like the actuator moves sideways going by the box art pics? Which could potentially look a bit off

This is incredible, definitely will be doing this mod when I’m a bit more flush with cash! Thanks so much for sharing!

It’s a fantastic set, even more so if you’ve never owned a Star Destroyer before. Just all around a great build.

Finished building the Star Destroyer yesterday, and what a fantastic set it is. The build was very enjoyable throughout and it looks immaculate. It's definitely my favourite set of this year, and that's even discounting the Cal minifigure.

Decided I'm going to pick up the Star Destroyer from my local LBR today. Seems like a great set all-round. I am hoping that we see the Mantis sooner rather than later. They don't even need to void the exclusivity of the ISD version of Cal, they could base the Mantis version off his look in Survivor.

Hello Eurobricks! I'm aware that this set has been somewhat controversial/overlooked due to its focus on the uglies feature (as well as the high price point), however upon initial reveal, I felt that both models had real potential to be accurate depictions of the source material. For instance: The X-Wing having the tapered nose angles, as well as using the proportions of the 2021 set with the more accurate engine intake size. It also features rear landing gear for the first time. The TIE Fighter using the (in my opinion, superior) TIE Bomber cockpit window design and rounding off the back with the curved wedge pieces. However, there are certainly issues which made both vehicles feel somewhat 'off'. The huge gap between the wings and the fuselage on the X-Wing as a result of the transformation feature was the main issue, however I also noticed that the sloped pieces alongside the cockpit were slightly recessed compared to the cheese slopes leading to the nose. The fuselage was also a bit thin. As for the TIE, the omission of the printed dish harmed it a lot aesthetically, and the spring-loaded shooters looked a bit goofy. I wanted to tap into this potential, and see just how I could improve on the foundations that the set already made while remaining true to the overall design ethos of the set. So I present to you, the resulting mods X-Wing A big change here was to the overall profile of the wings. The point of opening for the S-foils was originally too far out, causing the intakes to stay in place (which wasn't accurate). Now the intakes hinge open with the rest of the wing. The landing gear is now recessed within the bottom engines, and fold neatly towards to the back of the craft with the feet tucked behind the thrusters. Additionally, the fuselage has been modified to have a cleaner, more finished look. Of course, I had to add the age old t-shape into the intakes! I wish there is something I could do about the front gear's positioning, however due to the way the nose is designed, I'm not sure it would be possible at this scale. TIE Fighter I believe I actually had to spend more time with the TIE despite the X-Wing alone being the original goal for this mod. I'm not the biggest TIE Fighter person, but in the end I think it turned out to be my favourite part of this mod. The brief for the TIE was simple: bring back the printed dish. This was easier said than done, however, due to how compact the cockpit bubble is and the amount of structure that had to be sacrificed for the rounded off front and back compared to other TIE sets. As such, I had to compromise and trade off the hinged cockpit. In its place is a clip to ratchet hinge connection for the front canopy, which allows it to simply slide out allowing access to the interior (which in turn has been upgraded to add more detail). The stems between the wings were also resigned entirely for a cleaner look and sturdier connection. This thing is pretty solid and can withstand a lot of swooshing! In the end, fun Overall, I'm quite pleased with how these turned out. I think the set itself provides some pretty solid renditions of these ships along with some new design methods which iterate over older versions nicely, and I'm sure the uglies feature would be a lot of fun for kids. But on top of that, I feel there is definitely a very strong foundation for modding here, which is often half of the fun of LEGO for me!

I'm currently working on interior sections for the rear of the ship, as they seemed like the prime locations for a minifigure-scaled interior. I've chosen to depict scenes primarily from the Siege of Mandalore arc from TCW, including a segment of the command bridge, the tactical room with holo-table and Palpatine hologram, the medical bay, a corridor and the detention block with a place for Maul's holding cell from 75310 (when the panel is open due to height constraints). Also wanted to include a turbolift on both sides to give the impression of connectivity. I would still like to do another physical mock-up to make sure they will fit before making BrickLink orders, but I'm fairly sure they will based on my findings so far. The blank panels on the wall, the turbolifts and the arches will all use stickers from the Dark Trooper Attack as well. The command bridge section is supposed to go in the right wing of the ship, with the medbay/holding cell in the left.

Got the Coruscant Gunship and the T-6 today. Built the gunship first and it’s a play scale gunship alright. It surprised me just how compact it is relative to the 2013 one, but I think they got the scale closer to what it should be than past iterations. The colour scheme is gorgeous and I still appreciate that they went with a totally different iteration to what we’re used to. The main issue is just the lack of accessories, such as something to go in the front compartments. The lack of split doors is also not great. The figures range from great to good, with Fox falling into the latter. He’s flawed but ultimately I do like the figure and there are easy improvements that can be made. Padme, Palpy and the shocks are all wonderful however. Overall I don’t think it’s a downgrade over the last one so to speak, but it’s not an upgrade either and that’s the issue as it’s been a decade since the 2013 set. It’s not last year’s AT-TE but I’m still glad I own it, and I say this as somebody who has the last version.

I really don't mind the fact that the LAAT is a variant. We've had 3 play-scale regular versions and a UCS rendition using that livery. I see it as a win all-round: it's unique enough that long-time collectors who might already own past versions can justify it more, and gives newer fans who don't already own a gunship a chance to do so. The primarily dark red colour scheme should also look gorgeous, based on how the guard one looks in-universe.

Isn't the Interceptor vs Fang Fighter supposed to be revealed today? I seem to recall hearing that from somewhere.

We're missing the Death Egg Robot which appeared in the teaser, so perhaps Knuckles could show up there (unless that set has been cancelled).

These are fantastic, even the gimmick sets. I'm shocked. Tails' Workshop is probably my favourite, though we're still yet to see full pictures of the Death Egg Robot set.

Apparently 2 sets will be officially unveiled at Celebration in 6 minutes.

Seems like the Rex minifigure featured in Skywalker Saga might indeed be what we get in the Venator: the face print has the bandage from the inhibitor chip and the kama is printed, as well as being the only character in the game to use the new Phase II Clone helmet. The printed arms also lend to this being a UCS minifig.

Perhaps I need to see more pictures of it when it's officially unveiled but merciful Zues that X-Wing looks kind of rough. The big gap between the wings when closed simply should not be there, especially at this scale. R2 is comically small and sits way too low. The nose looks excessively chunky, and there's too much use of dark bluish grey for weathering on it. The larger engines look nice, however as does the back. Overall though sometting just seems off about it from first impressions, but I suppose it makes saving for the Venator easier. Disappointing though as I've been wanting a UCS X-Wing for a while and was expecting them to hit it out of the park given other recent UCS sets.

332nd in the Swamp Speeder isn't that outlandish to be fair. Existing prints can be used, and Vaughn was requested by fans and fits in with other figures that can use said existing prints. LEGO seem to like the 501st as well, which lends itself to this.

The last two playscale gunships were oversized relative to minifigs interestingly enough, and modern building techniques could reduce piece count. For example, the front of the fuselage could be done using a technic frame and studs of the side cladding, as opposed to vertically stacking regular bricks. I'm on team real. I can't see Promobricks risking their credibility for the sake of an April Fools joke.

Picked up the Golden Idol Temple and the Lost Tomb this morning and they really don't seem to be pushing these, even in LEGO stores. Stock seemed low and shelf space was relegated to a corner of one of those small island shelves in the middle. Add in the fact that the line is Smyths exclusive in the UK (and other regions having a similar situation) and it's pretty clear the confidence isn't high in these sets performing well (though what actually happens remains to be seen if they are selling out quickly). This still remains a botched launch in my opinion, even discounting the Temple of Doom situation, and one of the strangest moves I've seen with a high-profile LEGO theme. Such a disappointing blemish on a revival to a theme that I'm highly nostalgic for

It's worth noting that a lot of Sonic merch uses locations from the classic games but with the modern characters. Jakks Pacific had a Green Hill playset a few years ago for example but with a Modern Sonic figure. The modern cast are probably a bit easier to market towards younger audiences too. With that in mind, I personally expect modern characters. The Ideas set would continue to have exclusive Sonic and Eggman variants as well. I also can't see them not having Shadow as a selling point in a larger set.

I was planning to get the AT-AT this year but just had to pull the trigger on the Razor Crest. I think this might just be my second favourite UCS set ever, behind only the Falcon. Can't build it until Christmas though as it's a gift. Got double VIP points and two freebies too so definitely not complaining! Think I'll use the points on BD-1 when payday hits.

This looks fantastic! Any ballpark on how much Bricklinking the pieces would cost? This would be a perfect complement to the new AT-TE!

The printed kama feels like a giveaway to me. The detail in general looks simplistic enough to be an actual production minifigure.

Oh my gosh, what if the 501st captain is actually Jesse? Any ideas what the $70 set is yet? Fingers crossed we get Rex there!

Guessing a new Rex minifig won't be far behind (or ahead?) then! I don't think we've had a single helmet that hasn't reflected a presently available character.