Algernon

WOW! What a fantastic lineup! I'm particularly fond of the diver and conquistador! LEGO is after my wallet this year.

What's surprising to me is how near-final they look. I remember reading that there was a second wave for Alien Conquest in development, but it was ditched because there was no room in this year's line-up. For LEGO to release a second wave of sets a full year after the first wave would be highly unusual. I wouldn't get too optimistic here. Still, they certainly look to have had potential!

The Rancor itself is nice but the structure is incredibly unimpressive. I get that it's supposed to be an add-on but I feel like there should be a little... more. Bag-End however...

Bag-End is outstanding!! :oh: I'm seriously blown away at how great it looks! So many awesome figs, so much rich detail, and so many great pieces! I've kind of been waiting for a must-have LotR set in my price range, and it looks like it's finally arrived! Absolutely stunning! A great way to get all of those dwarves, too! LEGO is really knocking it out of the park this year. Do we have a price yet?

Somehow, your render looks quite a bit better than the official model.

Stunning! A very impressive collection of minifigs you have there. I love the vibe, story, and overall look of this model. Great stuff.

I have my doubts about that rumor. I can't imagine an "Ewok Village" working very well as a set. What's the appeal here? Have people really been clamoring for more Ewoks?

Isn't there a giant index of set reviews with links to year-old topics like this one..? Why have that at all if necro-bumping isn't allowed?

Has there ever been a LEGO Rancor? I don't remember ever seeing one.

I would buy four of each of those.

Now that is an attractive model. I really love the smooth, solid look to everything. It almost doesn't even look like LEGO at first glance. Superb.

^ good lord is that impressive. I want your life.

Uhm... that seems weird to me. When I decide to buy a LEGO set, I go home, open it, and pour myself over it for a few hours. Then, depending on how enamored I am, I either display it with my collection or break it down for parts. That's my LEGO life cycle. I would only buy an extra, sealed copy of a set if I intended to sell it later.

That's a nice comparison shot. It really does look accurate, even more so than some past UCS sets (like the Snowspeeder). The canopy doesn't look that bad, but it's definitely the least aesthetically pleasing part of the model. I'll probably be getting this come October.

Just under 1,500.

Looking at those hi-res pics, the set is growing on me! $200 is a bit of a stretch, but it looks great and I might just have to pick it up.

By that logic, I might as well just buy the parts to the set individually, and then assemble it myself. When you're judging the value of a set, you're judging what's included with the set. If all I cared about was owning a large B-wing in some form, I would just design my own. LEGO's trying to sell this particular B-wing to us, so if there's no minifigures included, it will affect my perception of the set's value. ... Next.

That's like my entire Summer's LEGO budget... that's really a quiet month for you?? Every time I think I spend too much money on LEGO, this forum makes me feel better

Yes, I'm pretty sure this is the case. I don't see any reason not to include minifigures in a set like this, considering how appropriate it seemed for the Imperial Shuttle. Did anyone complain about that? The only real plus to the fig-less B-Wing is that it may keep the cost down.

My thoughts exactly, word for word. I like the set, but I'm not sure how much I like it yet. I need to see some tasty hi-res photos and a price tag before I judge it.

It's really gonna come down to cost. I'm not forking over $350 for this thing, especially without any figs. But if it's priced reasonably, then who knows... I do quite like the B-wing fighter, and this seems like a faithful representation.

Wow that thing is massive!! I'm not sold on the cockpit, however. It seems a little sloppy compared to the rest of the ship. Also, no exclusive figs? I want to know what this thing is going to cost...

That's true. If I'm wrong (and I hope I am) that's the only real way I can see a complete second wave getting released. There would have to be some new twist on it, though. If not new villains, than what?

Got to be one of the best polybags in some time. I'm guessing it's a promo for the haunted house? Either way, it's fantastic. Thanks for the review.

I know we're getting a UCS version, but I would really like to see a minifig-scale B-Wing fighter to go along with the new X-wing and Y-wing. Another A-wing would be great, too.