Archer

I'm sure its been said enough already, but I still don't get the choice to go with so few figs in the shuttle with all three being very available in the last few years' sets. the two less expensive "scaled down sets" threw in new or rare figs to spice up the offering so why not the 70$. A new imp Officer or Death Star Astromech would have sold at least some amount of additional sets and required no new molds. Since about 2012 I've had enough funds to purchase nearly every Star Wars Lego set, and it does not take much to convince me to purchase a slightly better version of a set. Example i bought the 2019 AT-AP even though I own the 2014 model because the feet were correct. I bought the recent TIE even though I own the 2012 and 2018 TIEs because the Black droid had slightly different printing than the one from the Death Star. If you have the 2015 Shuttle and the figs this set offers nothing, which is rare for Lego if you stretch the meaning of what offering something new entails.

Building for 30 years and until about two years ago I’d have also claimed only one missing piece (big half dome in my at-dp) but in the last two years I have had quite a few missing pieces missing sticker sheets and misprinted parts/ sticker sheets.

At least in the TIE's case that piece is color locked. I agree though that lego often seems to have a requirement to include at least X number of different colors in a model. I'm all for the rainbow on the insides approach, but there always tends to be too many gray or sometimes tan accents on the outside of models.

That's why Obi-Wan's Starfighter w/ Hyper Ring was nice, there was a compartment in the ship specifically for R4's headless body. I agree that the whole droid should be included, It's why we don't have a full R4-G9 minifigure.

Many people have commented for and against super detailed lightsabers. I personally think we've received the molds for most of the really unique ones, Dooku, Ventress, Inquisitor, and I don't think a specific Luke / Anikan Lightsaber is necessary, but the molding they achieved with the sword of Griffyndor in the HP CMF series screams for a similar approach to be used on a better Kylo lightsaber hilt, heck the jewels on the sword are even trans red as if taunting us with the love and detail being put into HP at the moment while we get Crispy Ani and Crispy Obi in sets they shouldn't be in.

A CMF could also be a chance to see some crazy Chewbacca with C-3PO strapped to his back figure. I remember that was a very desired figure when rumors of the 2018 Cloud City began circulating. Especiallly for a character who is in 8 Star Wars films and only has 4 variants. Additionally When it comes to characters with little variety, it always struck me as odd that Lego went through the trouble of giving C-3PO a restraining Bolt in the UCS Sandcrawler, but not R2-D2, It's not like they don't constantly print new one time use astromech patterns. I can only assume R2 is the second most frequent minifig after Battle Droids , so maybe a restraining bolt R2-D2, or a new mold that better resembles his drink trays on Jabba's Sail Barge, or Blue flames printed on his legs (Ep II style).

Toys R Us sold multiple polybags, C-3PO, FO General, A-Wing Pilot, TC-4 but I believe they were not supposed to be selling them, they were supposed to be give aways. Either way, Lego never directly sold any of those.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time a set was scaled around the size of one existing piece. The entire recent UCS Star Destroyer was scaled off the dish used to create the reactor underneath.

It is speculated that the deals between Disney/ Lego and Disney/ Hasbro may have just changed, but until now it is VERY well documented that Lego was not allowed to sell individual minifigs of Star Wars figures outright. They attempted in 2000 and were quickly shut down because it breached the agreement Hasbro had to exclusively sell "action figures". Microfighters, GWPs, BPs, the Planets Series have all been in certain ways clever workarounds to these rules. Basically even if the deals have been altered it is probably a bit early for them to have any extensive analysis on a potential product that has been off the table for 20 years. The last several comments in the 2021 news thread are directly related to this subject.

I agree that in regards to scalpers and accessibility it would be a bad move. If they did ever do one I think they'd need to commit to doing no more than 3 main characters total per a series (excluding Padme whose elaborate wardrobe could really benefit from a CMF series). That being said I'm not suggesting a CMF series will happen only that conceptually it is a product that could fill the BP niche, albeit in a worse way for all the reasons you listed, but better in terms of CMF "limits" on printing and new molds being higher than regular sets. Just as easily they could do the Star Wars version of the city people packs, more sets like the 501st, or something as of yet unknown. All I'm saying is I'm trying to be optimistic that if BPs are actually done, they'll probably fill their spot with something similar, where figs are the selling point.

I think Lego is aware of this, which is why I choose to believe that the lack of listed BPs is a good sign of either a potential CMF, something that fills the same niche, or simply that the BPs are summer sets next year. I've got no evidence beyond my own observations, but i think the "desirable" BPs sold well. The only BPs I remember seeing tons of cluttering selves were the Clone/ Jedi, Bounty Hunter (BPs with named characters) and the First Order BPs (Not as popular with army builders as Imperials or Clones)

This may have been pointed out before, in fact I'm sure it has been, but does anyone else think the Will Byers hair from Stranger Things would be a better fit for Anikans Ep I hair than the Harry Potter Hair they have been using?

Completely inconsequential observation, but the distribution of pieces per numbered bag(s) is hilariously unbalanced in this set. there are a mere handful of pieces in with C-3PO then the entire Jawa shop and the house use only one number each. I really enjoyed how they spaced out the figs though, for something that has a relatively redundant color palate (especially when owning all the older cantinas, Jabbas palace, and all the Harry Potter sets), this build is never boring and never feels repetitive. As you pointed out in your review the clever use of texture really serves to interrupt what would otherwise be bland tan walls, and there is always the next minifig to assemble in the next bag. 10/10

So the stickers in my cantina are significantly off center, to the point that for a sticker like the droid detector with a solid background color and centered detail, I need to line the sticker up with the very edge of the piece to make the center detail almost appear centered (if that makes sense). I've had plenty of stickers that weren't perfect, but this may take the cake, especially when I spent $350. I can deal with most of the stickers, but that cantina sign is gonna bug me.

I feel like they should design a mannequin-esc blank "face" in black bricks that could be integrated into open faced helmet designs. I like consistency hence my desire for a uniform design for any open helmets. It would vastly expand the potential of this sub theme. Many have speculated at a royal guard as the third helmet, but I don't see that or the snowtrooper translating well into the current style. That being said they pulled off the TIE Pilots tubes very well so nothing is off the table.

I got one from my store and I'm glad to have it, but seriously who would pay more than $30 for this particular GWP? I think the shortage that happened earlier this year gave scalpers and resellers a bloated concept of resell value on things. While I can buy that sellers may stubbornly try to price the set that high, I can't imagine anyone paying that for a set that has one exclusive printed plaque and no other exclusivity beyond its packaging.

Has anyone tried to take the 2020 AT-At apart? The entire neck attachment point seems to be an "illegal" build where you can't get the technic pieces back out of the frame. Has anyone else encountered this or am I being stupid here? I can probably force the technic axles out with a pin, but I shouldn't have to damage my pieces to dismantle them.

What has everyone's experience been when trying to buy a new D2C set from the Lego Store day one? -Do they sell out in an hour or a few days? -Do stores even get the set for the VIP street date? (I plan to call this evening anyway) There is a ton of construction happening around my house and often packages take 2 or 3 attempts to get delivered due to inaccessibility, so I'd like to get this one in person.

Agreed. As some one who was 9 when this theme started, and 12 when AotC came out i was definitely into whatever looked cool from any episode back then. The 2002 Gunship was all I wanted until I saw the 2003 AT-AT, the only similarity there was they were both massive and cool looking.

And after purchasing the entire 2018 - 2020 line including Hogwarts and Diagon Alley in the last month I was consoling my crying wallet by telling it "Don't worry, there's only one wave of Harry Potter a year" Oh well, I'm not going to complain about more sets.

There are some hands on pics of the Cantina in a place. Imperial Spy is like a facial facade that connects under the neck like the lower half of Vader's helmet. I like it, I want to see if it can integrate with the old hood piece.

While he's easily made from existing parts, I cannot believe it's been over 20 years since we've seen an official Endor Luke. I made one from final duel Luke and an extra Leia Poncho, but Luke's poncho is really quite different than Leia's. The bike just got a significant update in the 2020 AT-AT, maybe something will come soon. If you look up the 1999 minifig line up the only figs to not be remade and updated (ignoring Pit Droid variants), are Endor Luke and Gasgano.

The individuals who broke the news say their info is based off leaked prices for January, so it is still entirely possible that this is the case (BPs in the second half of the year) as we have only been getting two of them a year for a while now.

I think the films can interesting in multiple orders on rewatch, but thats the key. First time viewing as many have said flows best if you see the narrative in release order. True of most series and franchises, what came before has an influence on what comes after.

There are a multitude of reasons, the easiest being it's a "Lego" collection, so people want real "Lego," To many using non lego is "cheating". But then it comes to looks and personal taste, even within the legit lego products there was some pushback when minifigs turned to flesh color, when guns got more realistic, when molds and prints got more and more detailed. Many, and I'd say most welcomed these changes but there will always be people who prefer the simpler stuff. That leads the fact that most custom stuff is hyper realistic, or overly detailed (when compared to Legos actual designs) which often sticks out like a sore thumb in a collection. Many of the custom clones have a ridiculous amount of fiddly cloth bits that just imo overcomplicate the figure, I'm collecting Lego, not the Hasbro Black Series. I will say though if anything is going to make me break my purist streak it will be the arealight Cody Helmet, area ight and firestar do seem to mostly try and match legos asthetic.