Flawless Cowboy

Same. Either the Scimitar or an N1 remake (sorely overdue).

Windex makes it easy, albeit time consuming

No skiff guards in the skiff set…who is supposed to try to push Luke into the pit?

Feel like the torso could have been done with hose pieces instead of stickers

They would never do that. The bunker on its own is nowhere near iconic enough to turn into a $400+ set. The facade and the control room would be more than enough.

Most of us don’t have/want to overpay on a decade-old set with brittle brown pieces no longer in production.

You’re missing some context. TandN has used vault photos to hint at future sets before, it’s a recurring theme. The caption is “redwood?”, which is a reference to the real world location Endor was shot in, Redwood national park. MBS Endor is a given imo, I just hope they include the bunker.

X-wing is stubby, and the transition from the nose to the fuselage is rough. I don’t know how we went from the tie bomber and tie interceptor cockpits to this new tie fighter. I know spheres are hard to replicate in Lego, but this might be the worst attempt since the original.

Falcon is a resounding meh, looks like they barely iterated on the 2019 design. Compared to the mini-UCS detail presented by the upcoming ISD, I was expecting better.

It’s only been done once! Sorely needing an upgrade. I think the Filoni movie would provide another opportunity for a Disney-era UCS set, whether it’s the Mando N1 (maybe, I’d rather Naboo), the ghost (doubtful, bigger than the Falcon), or the T6 (also a good choice).

Some of my predictions for 2025 May 4th UCS: Naboo N1 Starfighter or Anakin’s Jedi Interceptor In the same way that last year was the anniversary of the ROTJ, and this year we’re receiving two ROTJ UCS sets, I believe next year would be a great opportunity to refresh the iconic N1 while offering a reprieve from OT sets. The only downside to this is that it would mean three consecutive years where the may 4th UCS set is a “remake”, so my plan B would be Anakin’s interceptor. Less to do with the anniversary and more to do with the fact that there is a dwindling number of new OT ships they could make for $240, and Anakin’s interceptor is near the top of the list for prequel sets. Fall MBS: Battle of Endor With the Cantina retiring this year, and no apparent replacement, we’re almost certainly getting a new MBS, and Endor is the perfect choice. It’s suitable for display, as proven by Ewok Village, it’s been over a decade since any Endor playset, and I believe last year’s advent calendar builds were subtle hints at what is to come. It would also provide an excellent pairing for a potential stormtrooper battle pack or a playset AT-ST, which is a vehicle that doesn’t stay off shelves for too long, and the Hoth variant retired last year. Buildable droid: Grievous It’s just too tantalizing given the occasion. Dioramas: Palpatine’s Arrest, Anakin vs Obi-Wan, Duel of the Fates? First two to coincide with the anniversary, I added duel of the fates because I’m still gobsmacked over how they didn’t release such an obvious money layup this year. Starship collection: Mon Calamari, Lucrehulk, Ghost It’s now called the “starship collection”, so we can’t expect land vehicles as some have predicted. With the Executor being extended into 2025, I don’t see something aesthetically similar like a Star destroyer or Venator being made next year.

Very true, I think Yavin is an exception where too much detail was lost. I was thinking more so sets like the coruscant gunship which has a very clean, tiled off finish, and squeezed many more parts per square inch than its predecessors, but lacks any innovative interactive features, while still managing to look wonky with its jagged nose, protruding panels, and gaping carry handle hole, none of which were an issue in 2013. Sure, the snot techniques used to create the rounded front are more advanced than years past, and features a lot more pieces, but the result still looks decidedly worse.

Playsets have lost much of their charm as they attempt to be adult-lite display sets (while still managing to appear janky most of the time).

Being that it’s meant to pair with the UCS Barge, I’m sure it’ll be a lot more robust than the previous renditions.

Having a pristine uniform allows people to reuse the uniform for other custom minifigs. Also, live action thrawn should never have appeared as anything other than fit.

I think he meant as a UCS set, and UCS remakes tend not to stray from the most popular version of a ship or vehicle. The AT-ST is a big staple of Star Wars and has been available as a play set in some form every year since 2016, until the Hoth variant retired last year. I suspect the next version would be a traditional Endor variant, which we haven’t had since 2009. If I was a clever marketer, I’d release an MBS Ewok Village set next year, and sell an AT-ST/Bunker set to “complete” the battle of Endor, kind of like how this year the skiff and its characters complement the pricey Sail Barge. That way kids don’t miss out on an iconic vehicle being locked behind an expensive set.

Yeah I meant vehicles in general. The AT-TE is now up to four (five if you count Rex’s), and I think after the AT-AT it’s entirely possible for it to receive a UCS version. I didn’t consider speeder bikes because the smallest vehicle that Lego has given the UCS treatment is Luke’s Landspeeder. Never say never, but I don’t think Lego would ever reserve a $200+ slot for something like that. Luke’s speeder wasn’t very sexy but it certainly is iconic.

Watching Lord of the Rings receive another masterpiece of a location set has me yearning for an MBS even more. I really hope we get one next year, the Cantina will be retired. Perhaps all the Endor references in the last advent calendar were subtle hints at an Ewok Village/Bunker remake.

I’m guessing Andor, which is seen as a more mature show, was seen as less appealing to kids and thus received little attention in play sets. I agree that making non-canon side builds when so many canon builds go ignored is irritating. It’s Lego Star Wars, leverage the license we’re already overpaying for. Save the wacky stuff for other themes.

Well that’s simply not true, older sets retire, become limited, skyrocket in price, and remain static in building techniques/play offerings. Retired sets are available en masse for exorbitant prices on casual sites like Amazon. Lego releasing new renditions of sets has nothing to do with people not knowing how to buy retired sets second hand. Lego now owns bricklink and social media has rapidly increased its popularity, the “I don’t know how to use it” argument is much less valid, especially as we are talking about people who want to army build, who are far more likely to be into Lego and in-the-know. Plus, kids are far less likely to care about getting figures second-hand, that’s more so an adult issue.

Def thought about that one as well, didn’t include it because technically they’re different colorways, but as a vehicle it’s up there with Luke’s landspeeder in the number of releases. Next year would be an excellent occasion to do a UCS Anakin’s Interceptor.

Lego does consider the “special edition” set from 2002 a UCS set. Came with a plaque and everything. But it absolutely deserves a modern remake.

I used phase 1 clones as an example of a (currently expensive) figure whose inclusion in a battle pack would make it more affordable for kids. Most kids don’t buy their own sets with their own money, parents buy sets for them. Furthermore, most sets are purchased online now so this is a moot point. Kids who have actual allowances to spend on toys in-store is an increasingly shrinking, privileged demographic in this economy. So no, I consider bricklink to be perfectly viable (also do you really think a nine year old can’t navigate bricklink?) And since stormtroopers are cheap on bricklink, there is no need for a battlepack.

Eh I’d qualify the mandalorian, 332nd, 501st, and upcoming super commando bps as based on relatively recent media. Season 7 of the clone wars was 2019, and the deluge started in 2020. Phase 1 clones were available in an accessory pack, but these were very difficult to obtain, resulting in a high aftermarket price, around $9 new for a single figure in the US on bricklink, over twice what a modern stormtrooper would cost. I understand clone fatigue though and I don’t blame people for not wanting any more clone variants, no matter the source. Stormtroopers are ubiquitous. Anyone who seriously wants to army build them should have no issue buying them en masse for cheap (sub-$4 per figure) on bricklink. There’s no reason to waste a set slot on a figure that appears numerous times on multiple sets every year. It’s the same reason a battle droid battle pack makes no sense, and thankfully Lego chose to include three supers and only two B1s in this year’s set. On the topic of trends, is there a SINGLE ship that rivals the Sith Infiltrator in the number of releases without a UCS set? It has received five renditions now. I’m struggling to think of a ship that has had four releases without a UCS honor. Luke’s landspeeder broke its curse after a whopping six tries in playscale form.

I feel that battle packs have less to do with the major summer set and more to do with which figures are necessary based on recent media and which sets need extra figures. The UCS AT-AT needed snow troopers to fill 40 seats and so it got a battle pack, the same is true for the CGG, along with fan demand for new droids. I don’t think we need a stormtrooper battle pack, there’s plenty of ways to get them, one in the mech, two in the tantive hallway, and one in the upcoming ISD. A phase 1 clone battle pack would be more likely and more desired in my eyes.