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Edited to reflect that. Thanks!

If you've missed the previous editions, definitely get this one!

So, as a follow up to my first ever review of 9493 X-Wing, I present to you the new 9495 Y-Wing! This was purchased from Lego retail at Westfield, Stratford City for £49.99. Name: 9495 Gold Leader's Y-Wing Starfighter Theme: Star Wars (Episodes IV-VI) Year: 2012 Pieces: 458 Minifigures: 3 Price: £49.99 RRP For context, here are some of the previous editions of the Y-Wing (taken from Google) http://farm4.static....6dcfd7b36_o.jpg - 7658 http://www.setechnic...le/10134/02.JPG - UCS The front of the box follows the new 2012 guidelines, with Darth Maul in the top right and our new minifigs underneath. The rest of the box is taken up with a shot of the Y-Wing in action, flick-fires a go-go! The rear highlights the play features, has two action poses and the finished model from a few different angles. Nothing too exciting here - but note the box is designed to have one end flap opened (ie: destroyed) for those who keep any boxes. Opening the box reveals the DSS, which is thankfully only two large stickers for the engines (and no STAMPs). Three numbered polybags split the build into fuselage, cockpit and engines. The instructions again have a page of play features towards the back... As shared with the other 2012 sets there is also a list of all the new sets and minifigs. Bizarrely, the Y-Wing is missing from thing, as well as Anakin's ETA-2. Is this because they are both Limited Edition/exclusive sets? The instructions also have an advert for an online game. I won't even wonder why the Falcon would be fighting Darth Maul's Interceptor... Parts list Random page! Like all Lego sets these days, most steps are very short comprising of a handful of pieces. Minifig instructions. Is that a new R5 I spy? Yes it is! We have three new minifigs in this set - Leia in her ceremonial garb from end of A New Hope, Gold Leader and R5-F7 using the new R5 design. Again, I love the new R5 units as they bring a bit of variety to the endless R2 units, and the printing is superb. Leia also has a reversible head... So this is the end of bag one, with the fuselage basically completed. It's nothing special, with a basic technic frame and block/greebling on top. In a way it's almost like the UCS Y-Wing scaled down... No new pieces either, but the astromech slot is again orientated in the 'wrong' direction - but the box and instructions show you're supposed to turn R5's head round to face the front. End of bag two! Now this is beginning to look a bit more like a Y-Wing. There's a nice use of coloured parts to create the yellow pattern, and the nose cannon are finally repressed underneath the nose cone. The entire cockpit is a flatter shape than the previous System scale Y-Wing (7658), which is a definite plus for accuracy. Overall, it's an improvement. End of bag three! This bag is a little tedious as you're doing steps eight times for the engine pylons, but when I realised how clever the connection technique was, I forgave everything. Thankfully the old golf-ball domes on the engines are gone, replace with nice smooth domes, although I do wish the stickers were greebling. Dead Y-Wing I dislike the blocks we have for landing gear, but that leaves potential for modding... The base is pretty plain, but it's what I was expecting from the set. Left overs So, the new Y-Wing. Overall, it's not vastly different to previous System scale sets, particularly from the end of the cockpit and backwards. There has been an improvement in greebling, inspired by the UCS Y-Wing (the use of brown piping in particular), and the improvement and existence of pieces such as cheese slopes. The cockpit is much better, with the flatter shape being far more screen-accurate. I wish the cockpit accurately represented how a Y-Wing should open, rather than just using the X-Wing canopy, but I think this is a pipe dream. If you own the previous System scale Y-Wing, this may not be worth purchasing (unless you're a completeionist). However, I feel that much like the new X-Wing, this is the best rendition yet from Lego, so if you're without one, it's well worth the buy. The minifigs are nice, new additions to the range, and firmly establish the set in the A New Hope era. Design: 8/10, improved cockpit but generally much of the same as previous editions Parts: 7/10, nothing especially new beyond minifigs Build: 8/10, little bit repetitive for the engine pylons, but otherwise trouble-free and fast. Few stickers. Minifigs: 8/10, another new R5 unit, new pilot and Leia. 3 is possibly a little mean. Playability: 9/10, it's definitely fun to swoosh, but the bombs fall out as usual. Flick fires get their usual removal. Price: 8/10, I was pleasantly pleased about this one, expecting a £59.99 price tag based off other country's prices, but no! It's still pricey though. Overall: 48/60, a good set but is an evolvement of the line rather than a complete overhaul

There is an Open Circle fleet circle on the cockpit canopy. It's small, but definitely there.

Exactly. This current X-Wing makes use of new pieces to achieve its 'better' look (such as http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/85970) which wasn't around when the 2006 X-Wing came out. Pieces will also be worth different amounts five years down the line.

I'll be reviewing the new Y-Wing on Saturday/Sunday though! (Well, if my local-ish Lego store has them that is)...

As I've already posted, I do own all the previous iterations of X-Wing, but my new flat is too small to hold my entire Lego collection (every SW set since 2004, plus stacks of modulars/trains), so I only have late 2010 and onwards here. I may be able to fetch the 2006 version in late January, but no promises. Sorry!

Hopefully this will pop up in the Lego retail stores in the UK soon, along with the Y-Wing. One question, can you do a close up of the astromech slot?

The BP sets have already been reviewed. I did take some of the TIE Fighter under construction, so I might see if there's enough for a review. Sorry, I won't be able to up any images of this X-Wing alongside the previous iterations as all my older Lego is in storage due to my new flat being too small - I only have late 2010 onwards here. Totally agree on the sticker for the squadron markings - it was previously printed, so why go backwards? I'm probably going to get some off Bricklink and tweak it. As for the astromech slot, changing it to the correct orientation is likely to mess with the construction a lot. It's one of the areas where Lego have used upside-down building techniques, and a 4-wide transverse slot is also going to break up the white tiles on the very top of the hull that help hold some bits down (cockpit hinges for one). If somebody can do it I'd be rather impressed.

Any chance you can change the set number on the title? I can't seem to do so on the edit I have access to. Thanks for blogging it!

Having now built the 2012 TIE Fighter, I agree totally. The TIE is a lower piece count, with simple bricks, and not much to say for it beyond being a good rendition. It's £10 too expensive, or £5 at the very least. The new Y-Wing is apparently going to be £59.99 as well! I'm really looking forward to the UCS B-Wing, but I'm now a bit worried about the price tag it will hold - we've not had a UCS starfighter for a long time...

Sorry, I didn't include the shot of the DSS in the original review as it wasn't really in focus. However, here you go: 4x engine intakes 4x wing stripes (1x4) 4x wing stripes (1x1)

Cost! If you can't see the piece Lego will generally make it in a colour that costs them the least to produce. It's why a lot of sets have this - even the 10030 ISD has a white technic frame, simply because it can't be seen.

The 1x1 is unfortunately a sticker :( (so is the 1x4 next to it), so it's going to be pretty hard to get hold of.

The wings touch at the bases, with a length of 5 at the front, 8 at the rear. The rest is two plates. As for the droid...turn the head round? The astromech minifigs have always been too fat anyway, as the legs add way too much thickness. I'd agree that if you own the '06 model, this one is a slightly harder sell, but it's still the best rendition so far with a better figure selection.

So today I took a trip to the shops, and ended up buying a lot of the new 2012 wave of sets... So, here's the front of the box for the 2012 X-Wing - it's rather large, as usual for Lego, and has Darth Maul in the top corner despite being OT... Inside are 5 numbered bags, the instructions and a small DSS. Parts list Rear pages with small comic and all the minifigs from this wave. Minifig instruction page The four in their glory. R2-D2 is nothing new, but Luke has his new helmet as seen in the current AT-AT, and we also get two brand-new minifigs - Porkins and R5-D8. Porkins is a great addition to the Rebel pilots, and finally means Luke isn't flying every X-Wing out there, and his helmet has benefited massively from new printing techniques allowing fine details. R5-D8 is probably my favourite out of the set, simply because it's an end to the limitless R2 units we've had since time began. Random instruction page Small mistake on this page, as the technic bar is already in place in Step 8 before it's added again in Step 9... End of Bag 1 - some interesting techniques being used, namely the technic support for the nose, and some upside-down building at the rear. In a change from the older X-wing models we're having to construct the technic gearing for the wings manually, rather than using the single block method of old. Still, the principle is roughly the same, with the two protruding T-shapes acting to lock the S-foils in attack position. Close up of nose construction Close up of upside-down construction and technic gearing End of Bag 2. Porkins inspects his new X-wing, and thinks even he can fit in the cockpit...though he definitely wants to turn the gravity up... End of Bags 3 & 4 - wings! Porkins tries out the astromech slot for size... Spares... Completed X-Wing in her glory So, the immediate question is whether this is the best rendition of the X-Wing yet? In my opinion, yes, Lego have nailed it with this one. It looks sleeker than the last, helped by the detailing around the cockpit, the guns are better and more accurate, the engines now have a sticker to provide some missing detail, and the wings are a massive improvement. The entire opening mechanism is concealed within the wing construction allowing the foils to actually touch when in cruise mode. We get better figures, with more variety than the standard Luke, Han, Leia & Chewie, including R5. Downsides? The exposed rubber bands at the rear, the very rough movement of the technic components to open/close the wings, clip-on proton torpedoes (but they're not flick-fire, so is that a plus?) and the cost in the UK of £49.99 RRP. Still, I'm happy to accept all those for what is the best system-scale representation of the most iconic fighter of the galaxy. Design: 9.5/10, slight minus points for exposed rubber bands at rear Parts: 7/10, nothing especially new Build: 9/10, some repetition in wings, but generally fast and easy. Only a few stickers, no STAMPs. Minifigs: 10/10, fantastic new R5 & Porkins, plus a more detailed helmet for Luke Playability: 10/10, possibly the most swooshable thing ever and includes a landing gear. Moving S-foils. Price: 7/10, Star Wars Lego is expensive Overall: 52.5, buy buy buy!

Well, after several years of contemplating, I finally ordered the parts to build one of these bad boys. However, I've run in to a snag. Bricklink simply doesn't have the large 16x6 modified plates (studs on edges) from 10030, and neither do Lego Customer Services. Nor can I source enough quantities of the inverted 2x2 magnet holders (in any colour). Anybody got any ideas on where to get these parts (10x plates, 14x magnet holders), as without these the build will go nowhere.

Where did you hide the PF reverser in the loco? I'm trying to double-motor my front Maersk at the moment.

Well, my two copies from S@H UK shipped today, despite being told by customer services that it would be backordered until May! Really happy :)

Yeah, I hope it becomes available faster - I've got three units that need motorising, and AAA battery boxes are just tedious en-masse.

Yeah, and even if you ordered before this change was made you may not get your order. Mine went in hours before the stock status changed, yet S@H just emailed me to say "By May".

I picked one up from retails, but alas, my UK S@H order is showing "Contact Customer Service", and the delivery date has been pushed to May...so I bet I won't be seeing that order turn up. Useless! EDIT: Apparently out of stock, despite ordering when they were in stock. Sigh.

Absolutely beautiful. I still can't quite get my head round the tumblehome technique either.

I generally work the same - facings determining the regiment. That said, I've recently started to use redcoats as line infantry with bluecoats as artillery/engineers, against the pirates. As for what Lego think, the new soldiers are clearly the same "faction" as the old, just updated. I split new/old into companies of each, as uniforms within regiments did vary according to how long one particular company had been on station (ie: uniforms faded over time, got "customised" and bits got lost).

The facings on British redcoat uniforms depended upon the regiment - such as blue for the 8th Regiment of Foot, scarlet for the 33rd Regiment of Foot, yellow for the 44th Regiment of Foot and buff for the 3rd Regiment of Foot. An attempt at standardisation was made following the Cardwell Reforms of 1881, with English and Welsh regiments having white, Scottish yellow, Irish green and Royal regiments dark blue. However some regiments were subsequently able to obtain the reintroduction of historic facing colours that had been uniquely theirs.