|
|
|
Sets: Mods and Reviews
One of the nicest things about LEGO is that even if you are satisfied with one of LEGO's sets enough, there is always room for modifications. LEGO is limited to bricks, so the price is set, and they make bricks odd colours, so they will be easier to find. I have made some modifications in this manner to some of my sets, and possible, more will follow. I have also taken it upon myself to review the new sets I get, as a 2006 thing. I won't bother to go back and review LEGO's countless sets, but no doubt you probably have them anyway. I will review new sets.
Set Modifications:
-Y-Wing Starfighter
-Jango Fett's Slave 1
-Imperial Theta-Class Shuttle
Set Reviews:
-B-Wing Starfighter (Remake)
-ARC-170 Starfighter
|
|
Set Modifications: Y-Wing Starfighter
|
 
 
Here are my modifications to the Y-Wing Starfighter that was included in the set "TIE Fighter & Y-Wing". This was an idea inspired by a fact that sometimes, the Y-wing has a second seat for a gunner, who operates the rotating ion cannon, like in some comics and the game Star Wars BattleFront, but it is never obvious in the movies wether or not the second seat is there.
Anyway, this modification is very simple. You can see the bricks I added (on the left) and removed (on the right) in the fourth picture. I haven't as yet been able to find a place for the cool Rebel box that came with the set, as the second cargo area in the Y-Wing is too small. The second seat was made by putting a pilot in the box's cargo area, and surrounding him with a windscreen, walls and an opening roof which the ion cannon is mounted to. The first two pictures show close ups of the seat from different angles, one with cockpit open, and the third is a general overview of the model.
|
|
Set Modification: Jango Fett's Slave 1
|
 
 
Every Star Wars fan knows the Slave 1, Boba Fett's ship. It was seen in Attack of the Clones (where Jango fights Obi-Wan in an asteroid field) and in the Empire Strikes Back, following the Falcon out of a junk heap, and again taking off from a landing platform in Cloud City. My modifications are to LEGO's second official Slave 1 set, which was actually Jango Fett's Slave 1, and despite the fact that Boba Fett is clearly much cooler than Jango Fett, Jango's ship was a much better model than LEGO's set of Boba fett's ship.
My modifications to this set are fairly simple. I have put a door on the ship, something essential in space, which the ship was lacking beforehand, which was made from a 4x6 plate and some 2x1 hinge bricks. In the first couple of pictures you can see the door opened and closed. The third picture shows the whole ship, with the two 2x2 plates I put on the top in an effor to make this ship match Boba Fett's colour scheme. I don't have enough brown or green roof pieces to completely change the set. Finally, I have removed the cargo crate from the ship, whcih was far too reminiscent of the over simplistic "Jack Stone" range that had mutant minifigs that must have been affected by some kind of growth hormone. The gap in the hull was easily replaced with a 4x12 plate, which also gave the interior of the ship much more room for cargo. I also relocated the hyperdrive generator, or whatever it was, from the nose (where it is nowhere near the engine and far too vulnerable to a well placed blaster shot) to the large cargo area. The space it once occupied can now be used as sleeping quarters for Fett.
|
|
Set Modification: Imperial Theta-Class Shuttle
|
 
 
The Imperial Theta-Class Shuttle is the ship used by Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. It is basically a forrunner of the traditional Lambada-Class Shuttle, or simple, the Imperial Shuttle, the set which I have modified to bring you this. Yes, I know the real ship is grey, not white, but when the wing fell of my Imperial Shuttle, I just though I could make this Mod. Still, LEGO isn't afraid to make white versions of grey ships, *coughxwingandsnowspeedercough*.
Here are just a couple of pictures of this simple creation, I didn't really change much, as it is essentialy the same ship. There is the trademark, half a wing (I can only assume the designer ran out of money), and the cockpit, which is a different shape, more bulbous and rounded, than the Imperial Shuttle. Just to be different. Finally, I changed the engines colour, and stuck a Republic Logo on the back ,just so it wasn't a complete copy of the Original set.
|
|
Set Review: B-Wing Starfighter (Remake)
|
Well, I have read many humerous reviews, both from people on sslf, and from here, so I though that I would try my hand at it. plus, it gives me something to update my site with, heh. so anywa,y let's start with the B-Wing, my first set of 2006. Just in case you cared, here's the brickshelf.
#6208 B-Wing Starfighter
For a start, here's LEGO's juniorised, over-enthusiastic "blurb" on the B-Wing:
Powerful fighter of the Rebel fleet!
Build the Rebellion's heavy strike ship with this exciting set! Just like the classic Star Wars vessel, its wings can fold for flight or vertical landing. Challenge the forces of the Empire and use your launchers to save the day! Service tower doubles as a display stand for the fighter and can fold down for easy storage. Cockpit opens so you can put the B-wing pilot at the controls.
-Includes Rebel pilot.
-Fold the wings for landing or flight!
-Missiles launch!
-Service tower doubles as a display stand!
Very nice. and my review:
Well, here it is, in all its glory. that's everything you get, right here, minus the bags, box, instructions, spare bits, spare elastic band, whatever. Here.
First Impressions:
Well, I must say, what we have here is a pretty accurate version of one of the oddest and (therefore) coolest starships in all of Star Wars (unless you count all of Padmé's silver blobs). I thought it was really cool, and it is interesting to seee the new ideas that LEGO is incorporating into their sets.
Minifigs:
In this set, you get the B-Wing pilot from the priginal set, plus a Sullustian, which is a really good addition. LEGO seems to want to show him off - all the pics on the from of the set, and on the box, instructions, has the Sullustian piloting the ship. First of all - peach. Yes, it's here to stay. But luckily the pilot is easy to replace (Generic Smiley) which you can see above. And the Sullustian looks better in peach anyway. As for him - he has a plain brown Rebel Pilot hat, but there are no new "Alien" moulds here, like the Twi'Lek, Gammorean, Todaryian, Wookie deviations from human figs that we have seen in the past. he features a new face print, and a new torso print. As for the B-Wing pilot, he has a helmet print worth noting, and a Rebel Flight suit, but it is Red, as supposed to the luminous orange we have seen with the X-Wing, Snowspeeder and Y-Wing.
Design:
LEGO really pulled off a neat model with the design, incorprating a lot of new building techniques that we have not seen a lot in the past. they have used a lot of SNOT, with the abundance of studs at 90 degree andles to each other.
and with this front to the engine pod
I like the way that LEGO "Beefed" up this remake of the set too - let's just say that it is a lot "meatier". Another thing is that, in true, new LEGO tradition, the detail is all added with decals.
A wierd feature of this ship is that all the parts detact fro meach other. The cockpit comes away easily from the main body of the ship, the main wing detatches, and the weapons at each wing tip detatch.
It's like the pointless engine detatchment we saw with the Naboo fighter. I'm not sure whether or not it is to give the ship more function. The design is pretty much perfect, in my opinion, and there is not much to improve. The cockpit however, could have used a little more thought - a computer, a storage area. As it is, it looks like the controls have been made out of the spare bricks.
LEGO has also, in their true tradition, included an extra thingy to the set, like the maintainance vehucles in the X-Wing and A-Wing, the Rebel Command Gazebo in the original B-Wing, the gun turret in the Snowspeeder or the trees with the Speederbikes. Although, like the TIE Fighter before it, it is a display stand, which has been made to look like a docking station.
It opens like so, the B-Wing goes in, and you close it.
Excellent. Note that the two side supports are different, to account that the main wing is only "meatiefied" on one side. But they haven't make huge inverse slopes yet. There we go. Perfect. Only problem, is that it makes entering and leaving the ship a daunting process for the poor pilots.
This way's much better, isn't it?
Still, it's good to display the ship on your desktop, and they have taken the liberty of including tools, although they attatch rather shakily in the rack provided, which is comprised merely of hollow studs. I would have expected clips at least.
Function:
A nice thing about this set is the amount of ....ion packed into it. As LEGO would undoubtebly put it, it provides "hours of play". Just what I want. Anyway, the wings fold open with the clicky joints included, like the X-Wing.
The cockpit opens, in a way that doesn't leave a gaping hole in the fuselage (Llke the A-Wing) and with some function (Unlike the Naboo Fighter).
I'm not sure if the parts detatchment counts as a function... However, what I think is the most notable, and originally unexpected function is the inclusion of two "missiles" in the main engine pod.
To fire these, you pull back on the engines, which are connected to an elastic mechanism inside, and this in turn, directly "hits" the missiles out.
There's me, pulling the negines. And yes, it just hits them out. There is no hidden spring, or a technic part like in Boba Fett's Slave 1. As a result, the missiles do not fire very far at all.
Unique Parts:
This set features a number of parts that you cann't find anywhere else, and some that you might find elsewhere, but are with noting. The Sullustian head and torso and the B-Wing Pilot helmet and torso are unique to this set. Other bricks are black Star Wars cannons, the huge sloped bricks, and one brick on the main wing that I haven't seen before. The Shaded canopy is also seen with the ARC-170 Starfighter.
Accuracy:
In general, this set is very accurate to its movie counterpart. The wings fold out as necessary, and the cockpit rotates with the ship.
It has all the right weaponry, though in fact, the missile launchers are situated just above the engine pod, rather than in it. I did wonder what the two trans-orange circular 1x1s were doing at the end of the cockpit. Were there supposed to be guns there? I whipped out my trusty Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, and lo and behold - yes, there were supposed to be guns there. nice addition, LEGO.
Overall:
In conclusion, this is undoubtebly a great set, that I reccomend. there is nothing majorly wrong with it, and there is enough to keep you happy, with one of LEGO's best "new" sets.
 
|
|
Set Review: ARC-170 Starfighter
|
Here is my next Star Wars set of 2006, the ARC-170 Starfighter, which I have neglected to buy until now. Here's the brickshelf.
#7259 ARC-170 Starfighter
Here's what LEGO has to say:
|
Action with the ARC-170 Starfighter!
|
|
The ARC-170 Starfighter is on its most dangerous mission! Piloted by an elite crew of clone troopers, this sleek ship rules the spaceways.
- Features wings that open into attack position and "bombs" that drop.
- Includes 3 Clone pilots and an R2 unit.
Good stuff? Here's my review:
PENDING THE REPAIR TO MY DIGITAL CAMERA |
|
|
|
Site Navigation