voltio

I'm not really thrilled with non-human Castle factions, so I had to vote for Forestmen (provided that the peasant cowl and "Robin Hood" hat return). Forestmen would integrate well with the existing factions: they could steal from the Crown Knights and Dwarves, and be attacked by the Trolls.

CC Voltio to VBBN: LOP's departure will only increase our opportunities to gain glory and honor for the Empire. Our missions will be more difficult, however, now that we are fewer.

CC Voltio to General Casewindu: I have returned as well, sir, and await further orders.

*Now that the 501st has successfully boarded the Relentless, Voltio escapes the heavy turbolaser fire and returns to the thick of the battle.* Voltio to General Casewindu: "Sir, I don't see many X-Wings on my scopes; some may have retreated to their hangars, but many have been destroyed as well. We have an opportunity to cripple the remaining Mon Cal with TIE bombers before it jumps into hyperspace."

But tell us what you really think. :-P All kidding aside, I think this set is OK. I own the 1:10 Technic F1 Ferrari from 2004 as well as the Model Team System Ferrari from 1998 (?), so this set will look good in my collection. I wonder about the price, though. The 1:10 Technic version cost $70, so this one may cost about the same.

Voltio to VBBN & LOP: "We can't do anything to help our Dropships against those Rebel turbolasers, but we can pick off some of Renegade Squadron to facilitate their boarding attempt. I need you here now." *Voltio and two nameless TIE pilots zoom towards the Imperial landing party. He and his wingmen kill one X-Wing with a laser bolt through the cockpit, but turbolaser fire cripples a wingman's fighter. He ejects in time.* "I'm one fighter down, with one pilot EVA. It's getting hot out here!"

Voltio to VBBN: "I've got your back, I just had to take care of some Rebel fighter jockeys a few km back. They won't see this coming!" *falls in behind the Rebel fighters and disables one X-wing's engines. Another X-wing, its deflectors already depleted from battle, is disintegrated by my lasers* "VBBN, I see six Y-wings on my scopes headed directly for our position. Now that one of their Mon Cal cruisers is KIA, they must be trying to take out an SD with their ion cannons. We must engage them now."

These look to be better than Alpha Team: Mission Deep Sea and Alpha Team III, but did Lego really need to release a new "spies" theme? I remeber AT2 and AT3 selling like cold cakes and going on 50% off clearance. Castle, City, and Star Wars are all red-hot right now, and Lego already has an "action" theme in Mars Mission (and Bionicle). At least it will give us new hairpieces and more SW blasters. :-/

[as the landing crafts carrying LOP, VBBN, myself, and the troops fly over Coronet] Voltio: Now for the demolition of the hangar. It's all yours, CC VBBN. (VBBN activates the triggering mechanism. His skill is evident, since rather than a fiery explosion, there is only a dust cloud as the hangar collapses inward on itself.) Voltio to VBBN: Excellent work. Hopefully, we will be able to use our firepower against live Rebels in our next mission.

CC Voltio to VBBN: We've extracted all we can from this hangar complex. The Rebellion or local Corellian thugs might still be able to salvage and refurbish it once our units depart, however, so we need your explosives expertise again. I can handle the Black Sun corridor, since it is already unstable, and should not require many thermal detonators to be demolished. I'll lead four of your troopers and wire that corridor while you take care of the hangar's weak points. We can trigger the explosion from orbit once the last Imperial is clear. To General Casewindu's ISD: I am requesting one final transport to pick up VBBN, LOP, myself, and all remaining troopers still in the hangar. The setup of the explosives should be brief, sir, and we do not expect delays. Voltio out.

CC Voltio to VBBN: I've ordered the squad of fifteen that accompanied you originally to gather all evidence from the Black Sun hideout. Excluding the R3 units, they have packed approximately 300 kilos of relevant material, which is waiting for pickup in the main hangar. They have also attached an independent power supply to the stasis pod, and have readied it for transport to the ISD. Imperial Intelligence and General Casewindu can decide what is to be done with it there. Voltio out.

I'm in awe of those old train cars...I was not even aware that Lego was producing trains in 1969. :-$ Thanks so much for the amazing photos. I am a little confused as to why you used as few of the original bricks as possible when building the train cars, however. Are you protecting them from sun damage?

The castle princess is the most *wub* minifigure since flesh-tone Leia from Jabba's Sail Barge, so I voted for her as 2007's best. For worst, I picked the mini Toa Mahri, though I think the mini Barraki are just as bad. Minifigure-scale Bionicle is just scary. 8-|

I definately would go back and retrieve it, Piranha. The Bat-tank was available for a fairly short window of time, unlike earlier sets such as the Batwing or Batcave, so secondary market prices will not dip below $30. I love my Bat-tank, even though I paid full price.

There are several complaints, valid or not, that people have made against the 7664. The TIE Crawler is from an Expanded Universe storyline, and first appeared in a Star Wars comic book. Fans who had only seen the films or disliked EU in general were, therefore, unimpressed. 7664 cost $50 USD, and more internationally, a far higher price point than previous TIE vehicles. Some felt that the number of minifigures (two) was insufficient for a large set. While it has a good parts/price ratio, the high amount of Technic tread links inflated the parts count somewhat. Like many other sets, the 7664 contained a much-derided flick-fire missile. I myself think it's an OK set. It certainly has a lot of playability, but the lack of minifigures in a $50 set is troubling. The 7659 Imperial Landing Craft has 5 figures, and the Jedi Starfighter with Hyper Ring includes the rare Kit Fisto figure. By contrast, the 7664's Shadow Troopers are readily available in this year's battle packs. Overall, the 7664 was a middling set in a stellar year for Lego Star Wars.

I use plastic wrap (saran wrap, the thin, stretchy product used to cover food) to encase all of my big models on display. My 10030 UCS ISD and UCS Boeing Dreamliner have been encased for two years, and have attracted zero dust. The plastic wrap looks a little pathetic, but you can still see the model inside. Plus, this technique is very affordable. I use 1x1 plates to attach the wrap. For serious cleaning, nothing works better than a WaterPik water-jet toothbrush. It's basically a miniature power washer, and its strong jet of water blasts away any dust or dirt.

I am also disappointed that steering is absent from this model. Yes, it is a collectors' model meant for display, but that didn't stop Lego from designing a steering rack into the old Model Team sets, or into the Creator 4896 Roaring Roadsters ( *wub* ), which cost less. The colors of this VW are nice, though.

*passes spanner* CC Voltio to Jax: If this does turn out to be a smuggler base, that by itself is valuable intelligence. The illegal spice trade would explain how the Rebels paid for this installation here, and equipped the recruits. We can track down the smugglers collaborating with the Rebellion, and shut off their supply of credits. CC Voltio to CC VBBN: Whatever explosives package you decide on, it needs to be precise. Since this corridor is likely smuggler-built, it can't withstand a typical blast. CC Voltio to General Casewindu: I apologize for the delay in completing our sweep of the base, but we require at least five more hours before extraction, sir. CC Voltio out.

CC Voltio to VBBN: Jax, LOP, and myself are 1.4 km ahead of your position. Judging by the high levels of ozone and cables running along the walls, we have arrived at a command center of some sort, but we're separated from it by another door. Rebel scum! Jax has so far been unsuccessful in hotwiring the door controls, and so it appears we will need your explosives expertise. I suggest that you send some of your troops in search of any materials you may need.

To VBBN on comm channel: We need your assistance. Pilot Jax has already hotwired the hatch open, and LOP and myself have progressed 0.7 kilometers down the corridor. It is longer than we expected, slopes heavily downward, and is structurally unsound due to typical Rebellion engineering shortcuts. Use caution...it wouldn't take more than a blaster bolt or two to trigger a cave-in down here, and what lies at the end of this corridor is sure to be of value.

Clone Commando Voltio to Jax (over comm channel): Pilot Jax, your transmission was disrupted by surface interference. From what came through, I understand that you have been injured. Meet me on Level 1; it is not far from your present location, and there is serviceable Rebel medical equipment there. General Casewindu will shortly send a transport to extract us, along with commando LOP, at which time you will receive better medical treatment. *picks up captured R3 units, places them on a hovercart, and sets off for Level 1* To LOP: There is a sealed corridor on Level 2 that is not on the building schematics; I would have entered it, but the Rebels heavily damaged the hatch during their evacuation. While I attend to Pilot Jax, you could investigate.

Clone Commando Voltio to LOP: It's good that you arrived. I have found no more Rebel stragglers here besides the astromech droids I mentioned earlier, but perhaps we together can find additional intelligence. Both of the droids I found are advanced R3-series models, capable of holding significant information, but their data is encrypted. It is certain, however, that Imperial techs can crack the encryptions.

I agree with you that the general public won't stop buying Lego after the license ends (hopefully a long time from now), but considering how much shelf space LSW occupies at Target, TRU, Walmart, etc., I think TLC would have to work diligently to find another license or space theme to fill SW's shoes. Plus, from my own personal experience since 2005 in America, Star Wars sets go on clearance far less regularly than do other themes, and some stores (like TRU :-| ) deliberately exclude SW sets from their before-christmas sales. I think it would be an error for Lego to walk away from such a hot-selling line...perhaps as much of an error as abandoning Pirate in 1997.

Clone Commando Voltio to General Casewindu: I'm receiving a faint signal from the tracking device installed in pilot UA after the amputation of his arm. He is en route to Corellia and is currently near Cato Neimoidia. I cannot be sure, but it appears that his vital signs are erratic and his body temperature is above normal. I suspect that he contracted an infection before or after the operation, which may be affecting his judgment. I have found two damaged astromech droids in the rubble of the hangar. They may hold encrypted data. I will continue to search for information here until I receive further instructions.

Clone Commando Voltio to General Casewindu: My transport landed too late for me to arrive at the rebel hangar in time to prevent their evacuation. Stormtroopers stationed in Coronet's blue sector intervened, but were unsuccessful and suffered several casualties. I am at the remains of the rebels' hangar now, searching for any left-behind intelligence. Their evacuation was hasty, so they may have left a datapad or droid behind. Please advise me of any further orders, sir.