Reviewer’s log, stardate -297548.10*. A curious missive appeared on the bridge today: a new Starfleet vessel has been sent to us for appraisal. Its designation? LEGO Icons 10365 USS Enterprise. This is not a starship in the conventional sense. It consists not of tritanium or duranium, but of plastic bricks – 3,600 of them, in fact. For such a large ship, it has an impressively small contingent: nine minifigures, representing one of the finest Next Generation crews ever to journey the cosmos. Naturally Starfleet doesn’t auction off its ships, but we’re informed that back on Earth, this particular model costs US $399.99 | CAN $489.99 | UK £349.99. Its maiden flight takes place on stardate -297491.25 (or November 28th, depending on your timeline).
We’re also informed that this is the first time its manufacturer – LEGO – has entered the Starfleet fold. Hans B. Schlömer and Crystal Marie Fontan from the design and graphic design teams, respectively, briefed us with some classified information and insights, which we will distribute as we go along.
LEGO Icons 10356 Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D | 3,600 Pieces | Available November 28 | US $399.99 | CAN $489.99 | UK £349.99
*There are a few different ways of working this date out – this is the calculator I used, for reference!
The box and contents
At first glance the box seems like the same familiar black background that we see on so many sets these days. But look closely, and you’ll see there’s actually a starfield behind the Enterprise. It’s like a scene straight off the telly!
I’m surprised more sets don’t do this, to be honest – it’s hardly the first space set we’ve seen with 18+ packaging. The rear is much more conventional.
Inside, 31 bags, the first 15 of which are in a separate box. So, too, are the instructions and sticker sheet.
Yes, there’s a sticker sheet. It’s not too busy, though.
One thing that Managing Editor Jake pointed out was that the box didn’t make any use whatsoever of the distinctive Star Trek: The Next Generation graphics. Well, Jake, I’m pleased to report they have at least been recognised in the instructions’ preface which is modeled on the LCARS interface.
And as evidence that the team behind this set are indeed Trekkies through and through, the facts scattered throughout the instructions include a profile of each and every minifigure. So at the very least, they’ve done their research!
Now that I’ve given the game away as to what bag 1, step 1 is, let’s build a starship…
The build
Our build starts off with the engineering section at the back of the ship. It doesn’t look like much to begin with, and there’s so much sideways building it’s difficult to get your bearings.
But once we start attaching some of the many curved slopes around the outside, we can get a clearer picture of what we’re making. The sticker for the shuttle bays – which you can see on the right – help to confirm the orientation.
The supports for the engine nacelles make use of curved bricks, and rounded 1×2 plates are used to fill in some of the gaps.
The rear section caused some real headaches for designer Hans. Throughout our interview, he referred to it as ‘the turkey’ – partly because of its shape, partly as it’s split down the middle, like a carved roast bird. This idea to split it in half was hit on pretty early. But how on earth do we attach these two halves securely?
Eagle-eyed readers may have already sussed out the answer: a couple of Technic axles, and a trio of tow-ball joints! There are a few other tricks which we’ll come back to later to really shore it up, but these are the main structural components. Note also that the starboard shuttle bay sticker is, correctly, bigger than the port side.
The curvacious shape of the engineering section is fleshed out further with some panelling. This is still largely done in halves. You can see the third ball joint on the underside here, too – they’re all covered up by the end.
We heard Hans’ biggest obstacle – what was graphic designer Crystal’s? Easy, she says: these blasted deflectors! Two printed canopies are used here – but the printed side is not the important one, it’s how it looks from underneath. And trying to figure out the correct level and colour of printing was a long, drawn-out period of trial and error that apparently had poor Crystal tearing her hair out!
Not only that, but the printing extends further down than is usual for these elements, so the production team had their work cut out for them too. The good news is that it was worth the trouble – I think it looks terrific. One of the early ideas was brick-built, apparently; I’m intrigued to see how it was made, although I’m not sure it would’ve been as faithful a recreation as the eventual solution.
And speaking of interesting ideas, let’s get back to linking the two halves of the turkey together. The only studded connection between the two halves is some 1×4 tiles going across jumper plates on each side. This perplexed me at the time, but Hans explained the thinking: using plates would have technically been a so-called ‘illegal’ technique, as it places undue stress on LEGO components. So why does that matter?
Well, jumper plates don’t actually have a round inner anti-stud – it’s effectively an octagon, with four diagonals providing the clutch power. This tiny difference was nevertheless enough to make the tile-and-jumper solution meet LEGO’s legality rules! When this was mentioned during the interview, I had to grab a jumper plate to confirm that it was in fact the case. That might be one of my favourite insights ever gleaned from a designer interview. Thanks, Hans!
Anyway, back to the build. Our turkey is nearly cooked now, after ten bags of parts. There was an unexpected surprise at step 262 – I knew the Enterprise was powered by matter/antimatter reactors, but I didn’t realize they were supplied by Octan!
A brief bit of respite from all that grey for a second to make the stand. The angled stand was a conscious decision to both make the ship look more dynamic, and to show off the underside that would otherwise have been hidden by the enormous dish. I think all big spaceships should have angled stands, to be honest.
Number two, with me! We’ve got two engine nacelles to make next – two pairs of hands will make short work of this. The construction is pretty simple in principle: two curved plate assemblies the bread in a studs-not-on-top sandwich. The core is surprisingly parts-intensive, though.
Oh hey, more Octan references in the nacelles. This truly is a set after my own heart. I love the trans-red 1×4 curved slopes used here too.
The purpose of those tan bars becomes apparent when we connect the propulsors to the ship. We’re probably about three-fifths of the way done now.
Now to make arguably the defining feature of the many ships to bear the name Enterprise: the massive dish at the front. And this one really is massive. It doesn’t start off dish-shaped at all, though!
As well as a gold dedication plaque (just like the ‘real’ thing), we have a fun detail in the form of a tiny Type 15 Shuttlepod. And in news that may shock franchise purists, this was an idea suggested by a Star Wars designer! We’ll expand on the actual circumstances later, but suffice to say that Hans realised thereafter that two pieces would be enough to create a scale-accurate shuttlecraft.
So far it’s all been very ‘on-grid’, but the introduction of some hinge plates ensures that won’t stay the case for long. At this stage, we have three struts poking out on either side, and we can get a feel for which way is up or forward.
You may have noticed a few stickers going on here and there, but the Enterprise’s full designation is printed on a 6×10 tile, taking pride of place at the top of the dish.
The dish isn’t quite finished, but it’s complete enough for us to be able to attach it to the rest of the model. It’s already pretty heavy at this stage, so we need a nice strong connection. To start off with, though, we don’t connect it at all. That 4-wide protrusion on the dish slots into the gap on the body, and can actually stay there of its own accord.
But we’re not leaving anything to chance. A Technic axle will keep it locked in place – and originally, this was literally just a Technic axle. This is when a passing Star Wars designer pointed out to Hans that a shuttle might disguise it better, and so the present solution was devised.
The gaps we’ve got will gradually be filled in by panels on hinges to create the ’round’ shape. It’s a technique that raised some eyebrows when this set turned up at TBB Towers, and judging by the roundtable discussion, we’re not the only ones to think that! According to Hans, it was clear pretty early on this flat panel idea would be the best one. The question was also asked if more segments than the 8 present had been considered, and the answer was yes – but here, the building experience won out. Building these was already repetitive enough; doing twice the amount of work would’ve been downright boring.
The domed area on the underside is smaller than the top, so we have a few more flat panel assemblies to attach here. And yes, I did remove the dish to be able to photograph it better.
Right at the twilight of the build, we have a new element! This is a 1x10x5 curved slope, and it, like its smaller 1×8 counterpart, gets some printing for the Enterprise’s windows. The real thing is absolutely littered with windows, either lit up or not depending on how early on in the series you are. In this instance, having unlit windows was the best compromise for Crystal and the graphics team.
Our final act after spreading these around the outside is to connect a couple of flex tubes, which help to drive home the roundness of the dish.
The minifigures
There are hundreds of minifigures you could have included in this set, even from TNG. But here we have nine, with all the main characters correct and present. I’m going to say it right out the gate: every one of these figures rules.
Let’s look at them more closely, starting with Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Ten Forward barkeep, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg, of course). Deanna is probably the least convincing of the lot, but I do love her holopad analysis of a LEGO brick!
According to Crystal, most of the figures are based on Seasons 2-5 (which, among other things, explains the absence of Lieutenant Tasha Yar, who only lasted one season). There is an exception in Wil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher, though, whose jumper and miniature tractor beam are straight out of season 1. His mum, Dr. Beverley (Gates McFadden), is the only member of the blue-shirted science division present as Jellico hasn’t showed up yet to get Deanna in uniform.
If you’re wondering why she doesn’t have her coat, it’s so that the torso can be repurposed for your own sig-fig – another conscious decision by the designers, and particularly Crystal, who donned a blue shirt during the set reveal and interview!
My division of choice would be Operations (engineering, security) – in fact I’m sure I have a TNG engineering badge somewhere. It’s well represented in this set, with three members: Lieutenants Geordi La Forge, and Worf, and Lieutentant Commander Data the android, portrayed by LeVar Burton, Micheal Dorn and Brent Spiner respectively. Worf’s custom headpiece is perfect. Spot the cat is the honourary fourth member of Operations. Engineers love cats.
In Star Trek: the Original Series, the red shirts were engineering, and yellow was reserved for command. By the time of TNG, these had been reversed, so Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William Riker – portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes respectively – are at the top of the command chain here. Riker comes equipped with a marvelous brick-built jazz trombone, and he’s playing it so loud he rocked my camera. Dammit Riker!
Every head gets an alternate expression, with the exception of Captain Picard, for obvious reasons. They do all have back printing too, even Deanna Troi.
The finished model
So let’s take a look at the finished model. I have to say, my first impressions on seeing the box were not great. Happily, it looks much better in person – I’ll do my best to try and get that across in the photos!
Nowhere is that more true than with the saucer. When you’re able to see its full volume, the faceted design becomes less apparent, especially once you get used to it.
I don’t think it’s the weakest part of the design; for me, that’s the front of the engineering section. As great as the repulsor is, the shaping of the area around it doesn’t really do the original justice, in my view. It doesn’t seem bulbous enough around the outside.
That isn’t to say the designers haven’t tried to remain faithful to the original design, though. That’s evidenced in plenty of places, from the auxiliary reddish orange thrusters to the graphics in and around the engines and shuttle bays.
Speaking of shuttles, while I think the shuttlepod to lock in the dish is cute, it’s a shame that you essentially need to display the model with it flying in. Well, you could always shove a shorter Technic axle in there, but good luck getting it out to do this afterwards:
That clip does show one of this model’s defining features: it is heavy. I don’t have a set of scales to be able to weigh it but it must be in the realm of 3 or 4 of kilograms, most of which is concentrated towards the front. You can see this when you put it on the floor without its stand.
I haven’t been brave enough to swoosh it for that reason, but other fan media spoke to its swooshability during the roundtable. Jens has apparently taken it on a few test flights around the LEGO design office – and on one occasion he dropped the prototype (albeit with minimal damage, reportedly). Even experienced LEGO designers aren’t immune to accidents. Always swoosh responsibly, folks!
Conclusion and recommendation
The Enterprise-D is a fiendishly difficult beast to capture in LEGO. All those smooth curves don’t lend themselves particularly well to such an angular medium. And bearing that in mind, I think the designers have done a remarkable job of capturing her likeness. On the whole, I really like it. Can the accuracy be improved? Probably – but not within the confines of an official LEGO set. I’m intrigued to see if and how the community mods this set. I’d love to see a lighting kit for it.
As for the rest? No notes. The minifigures are pretty close to perfect; we could’ve had more (Yar, Miles O’Brian, Dr. Pulaski, Q, even the Traveler), but it doesn’t feel like anyone is missing. And crucially, the price feels pretty OK. Trekkies will definitely want to pick this up, particularly if – like me – TNG is your Trek of choice. If you’re a more casual Star Trek fan, you may want to try and see it in person to see if it sways you, perhaps at your local LEGO store.
LEGO Icons 10356 Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D | 3,600 Pieces | Available November 28 | US $399.99 | CAN $489.99 | UK £349.99
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Would have bought one, if it was the original series. Bummer.