Brickbot Studio here with a look at the smaller Star Wars playsets coming to stores on January 1st. 2025 had Star Wars fans debating whether LEGO could still deliver good value with its galactic offerings. In addition to a pair of midi-scale vehicles and a new brick-built BB-8, LEGO is releasing a quartet of sets priced between $10-$23 based on The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars. Will this budget wave of sets win us over? Let’s have a look!
First up, we’re taking a look at TheMandalorian and Grogu’s Speeder Bike. This is a small and relatively inexpensive set, but one that clearly exists to get a pair of extremely popular characters back onto shelves in an accessible way.
First Impressions
At first glance, this set is fairly unimpressive. It’s small, simple, and not exactly packed with parts. That said, it does offer a cheap and easy way to pick up Din Djarin and Din Grogu ahead of their upcoming movie, which is likely the primary reason most people will be looking at this set in the first place.
The Minifigures
Din Djarin looks excellent here. His helmet appears to have received a subtle update, with additional silver printing on the cheeks that adds definition and improves the shaping quite a bit. It is a small change, but one that makes the helmet feel more refined compared to earlier versions. His torso and leg prints look fantastic as always, and the arm printing really helps bring the whole figure together. At this point, LEGO has dialed in Mando’s look very nicely, and this is one of the better executions we have seen.
Grogu remains unchanged, which is not necessarily a bad thing. He is still cute, green, and highly marketable. I do not dislike Grogu as a character, but I will admit that part of me still mourns what The Mandalorian could have been without the space wizard detours interrupting what I had hoped would be a tighter bounty hunter focused story. That is very much a personal gripe, though, and Grogu is doing exactly what he was designed to do.
The Build
The speeder bike build itself is straightforward and fairly clean. It goes together quickly and looks decent for its size. I like the overall shaping and proportions, and it reads clearly as a Star Wars speeder bike even at this small scale.
That said, I cannot help but feel like the Mandalorian could have splurged for a sidecar instead of stuffing his adopted son into what is essentially a saddlebag strapped to the back of his space motorcycle. It works, but it feels a little questionable from an in-universe parenting perspective.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is a perfectly reasonable way to pick up both the Mandalorian and Grogu for a low price, especially if you somehow do not already own these characters in minifigure form. The build is simple but serviceable, and the updated helmet printing on Mando is a nice bonus. For such a small set, it ends up feeling like a worthwhile pickup if you are a fan of the Mandalorian and his tiny green companion. It is not going to blow anyone away, but it knows exactly what it is and does that job well.
LEGO Star Wars 75436 The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Speeder Bike | 58 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 | US $9.99 | CAN $12.99 | UK £8.99
Next we are taking a look at Grogu’s Homestead, a set that features everyone’s favorite little green Mandalorian foundling, lovingly designed for the smaller hands of builders-in-training.
The Build
Aimed squarely at younger builders, this set includes a brick built rendition of Grogu himself, along with a frog catapult and a small section of scenery. The environment comes complete with a stew pot full of questionable tentacles, a couple of cookies that can be stored inside Grogu’s chest, and a marshmallow on a stick ready to be roasted over the fire. It is simple, playful, and very clearly designed with imaginative play in mind.
The Grogu build is cute and immediately engaging, with instructions tailored for inexperienced builders who are still learning how to follow steps and recognize parts.
While I doubt this set will appeal to many adult fans of LEGO from a building complexity standpoint, I can confidently say that my four year old absolutely loves it. The ability to launch a tiny brick built blue frog from a catapult has given my spawn a renewed lease on life, as well as a brand new perspective on what other household objects could theoretically be launched next. I have no doubt that we will be crafting a fully functional frog trebuchet in the near future. Yay physics.
Final Thoughts
While the build itself is intentionally unchallenging and a little goofy, it succeeds beautifully at what it sets out to do. This is a tiny, delightful build for a younger audience that is new to the LEGO system and still getting comfortable with following directions and experimenting with play features. As an entry point into LEGO Star Wars, Grogu’s Homestead will absolutely appeal to its target audience, especially kids who have already come to know and love Grogu. It may not be one for the display shelf, but as a first step into building and imaginative play, it does its job extremely well.
LEGO Star Wars 75443 Grogu’s Homestead | 107 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 | US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99
Next up is the Clone Shock Trooper Mech, the latest entry in the ongoing character mech lineup.
The Minifigure
The includes a single minifigure, a lone Clone Shock Trooper of the Galactic Republic. The figure’s printing looks great, although not a whole lot has changed since we last saw this particular trooper variant in the Clone Trooper & Battle Droid pack from 2024. That being said, the Shock Trooper still looks fantastic, with bold red markings clearly denoting his elite status within the Republic’s forces. The figure is armed with a long blaster rifle, which fits the character well and adds to the overall presence of the minifigure.
The Build
Like the vast majority of character mechs in this subtheme, the Shock Trooper Mech features largely static limbs, with articulation limited to the hips and ankles. While this does restrict posing and overall movement, the design remains effective and sturdy, especially for play. Personally, I am a big fan of proper knee joints, and I would love to see LEGO eventually move away from the single piece leg and arm system in favor of something like ball joints to allow for more expressive poses.
That being said, the completed mech looks quite good. The red highlights match the Shock Trooper’s armor nicely, and the printed chest plate tile is a welcome detail that helps the mech feel more intentional and less generic. The mech’s blaster is clearly meant to evoke the shape of a clone trooper’s rifle, though the proportions feel a bit off and the shaping comes across as slightly wonky. The stud shooter attached to the end functions well as a play feature, but visually it does not blend particularly well with the rest of the blaster and gives the weapon a somewhat strange overall look.
Final Thoughts
While I may not be a huge fan of the mech’s blaster design, this set remains an excellent way to pick up another Clone Shock Trooper at a much more reasonable price point than previous options like battle packs. As with all of the character mechs, it has its shortcomings, but it is undeniably useful for army builders and appealing to mech fans. For what it is, this is a solid addition to the lineup and an easy recommendation for fans of clone troopers especially younger builders inclined to play rather than display.
LEGO Star Wars 75448 Shock Trooper Mech | 151 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 | US $14.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £12.99
Last up, and likely of most interest to adult builders, we have the Siege of Mandalore Battle Pack. This is a very strong little set that includes four minifigures and pulls its inspiration directly from the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars, one of the most important and emotionally charged storylines in the entire series.
The set pits two Mandalorian Super Commandos loyal to Lord Maul against two troopers of the 332nd Division, representing the brutal street level fighting that took place as Ahsoka Tano and the clones attempted to wrest control of Mandalore from Maul’s forces.
The Minifigures
Let’s start with the Mandalorians, because they absolutely steal the show here. The two Mandalorian Super Commandos represent members of Maul’s loyalist forces, one male and one female, and it is fantastic to see these figures return after such a long absence. The last time we saw Mandalorian Super Commandos in a LEGO set was all the way back in 2013 with the Mandalorian Speeder (set 75022), making this a long overdue comeback.
The printing on both figures is terrific. I really appreciate the subtle stylized differences between
the male and female armor designs, which help them feel distinct while still clearly belonging to
the same faction. The color palette of dark red, grey, and black looks excellent and fits Maul’s
aesthetic perfectly. Both Commandos are armed with blaster pistols, with one choosing to dual
wield while the other carries a personal shield generator, which is a nice touch and adds some
visual variety.
Do not get me wrong, I absolutely love these two figures, but I would have loved to see a named character like Rook Kast included as well. I understand that this set is designed primarily as an army builder rather than a named character pack, but it still feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. One can dream.
The two troopers of the 332nd Division have not changed much since their last appearance in
set 75359-1 nearly three years ago. That said, they still look great. The stylized helmet designs
with Ahsoka-inspired markings remain some of the best clone trooper variants LEGO has ever
produced, and they continue to look fantastic in any formation.
The Build
The Mandalorian Super Commandos arrive in a small battle speeder that matches their dark red and grey aesthetic fairly well. The build itself is simple, as expected for a battle pack, but the use of angled slopes does give it some decent shaping and visual interest.
I do wish the nose of the speeder was not just a flat plate, but that also makes it a perfect candidate for modification if you enjoy upgrading your builds. A small turret mounted on the back allows one Commando to provide fire support while the other pilots the speeder, which works nicely as a play feature.
The clones, meanwhile, have assembled a rather questionable static defense barricade. This thing redefines the concept of cover and concealment down to almost nothing. Kamino must have been getting sloppy with training in the later years, because hiding behind what is essentially a screen door seems like a poor tactical choice when facing a group of elite warrior zealots armed to the teeth. That said, the build serves its intended purpose just fine. The clone turret is a fun play feature, and despite the many gaps in their cover, the scene it is trying to convey comes across clearly.
I made some small modifications with parts from my collection to make it a more convincing barricade.
An extra crate of blaster ammo in the form of 1×1 round tiles is also included, which adds a bit more environmental detail and helps flesh out the battlefield.
Final Thoughts
This set is not perfect, but it is an excellent army builder for fans of the Siege of Mandalore arc, and a much better price point for a Battle Back after the 327th Clone Trooper pack from last summer that offered little more play for more than double the price. The Mandalorian Super Commandos are easily the highlight for me, and I have already started upgrading mine to better serve Lord Maul in battle. The 332nd troopers are always welcome, but if I am being honest, I would have happily traded both of them for another pair of Super Commandos.
Even so, the price feels reasonable given the strength of the minifigure selection and the opportunities for customization and enhancement. For Clone Wars fans, Mandalorian fans, or anyone looking to bulk out their forces from this era, this battle pack is a very solid pickup.