We’re not as frequently treated to large-scale wheeled vehicles in the Neo-Classic Space tradition, despite plenty of non-flying vehicles to take inspiration from among the original Classic Space sets of the 70’s and 80’s. Alec Hole corrects this trend with his monstrous MCU Rover.
See more photos of the monstrous MCU Rover
We hope that everyone who wanted to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi on opening weekend was able to do so. Many of us at The Brothers Brick have seen the movie (some of us twice already), and we’ve been furiously discussing little factoids and pieces of trivia from the movie that affect our understanding of details in current and forthcoming LEGO sets based on characters and vehicles in the movie. I’ve also been poring through the official reference books from DK, the Visual Dictionary and Incredible Cross-Sections for further insights.
Based on the movie and Lucasfilm-approved reference books, what have we learned about the LEGO sets? What did LEGO get right? What errors are in the LEGO sets?
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! Find out what we’ve learned about LEGO Star Wars sets from The Last Jedi
2017 has been a fantastic year to be a LEGO Star Wars builder and collector. As we celebrate the release of The Last Jedi in theaters today, we’re asking ourselves what the best LEGO Star Wars sets released this year have been. Since several of the sets in our best LEGO sets of 2017 list were Star Wars sets, a couple of these won’t be a surprise. LEGO released dozens of Star Wars sets this year, and although we’ve only reviewed about 10 sets so far, we have built many of the rest. For sets we haven’t reviewed here on TBB yet, we’ll include a brief mini-review. Let’s dig in!
The excellent minifig-scale 75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter set included a pilot minifig who wore a standard Rebel pilot helmet. However, the U-wing pilots in Rogue One actually wore unique helmets reminiscent of helicopter pilot helmets. So, for a paltry $9.99, you can buy 75160 U-wing in Microfighters form and pick up the one accessory that should’ve been in 75155. Still, this is a wonderful little set on its own merits, with a fantastic minifig (I believe I’ve already mentioned his headgear…) and a nicely miniaturized U-wing built from a mere 109 pieces.
LEGO is notoriously stingy about doling out unique characters in large sets, while the Battle Packs have mostly been army builders with multiples of tertiary characters (like generic clone troopers or stormtroopers). However, 75167 Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike Battle Pack includes a fully redesigned Bossk, brand new 4-LOM, and a new printed piece for IG-88. Oh, and Dengar, for some reason. Despite my criticism of the inclusion of old Mr. Head Wound, stud-shooters for weapons, and the basic design of the non-canon vehicle, this set really is a fantastic way to get several iconic minifigs plus a handful of azure parts (125 pieces overall) for just $14.99.
See the rest of our top 10 best LEGO Star Wars sets of 2017
With the releases of The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and now The Last Jedi, it’s cool to love Star Wars again. LEGO builders have been inspired by the Star Wars universe for years, but it seems like 2017 has seen a resurgence of stellar work from creative builders all over the world. As those builders head to theaters to see the latest movie today, let’s take a look back at the amazing creations LEGO fans have shared this year.
UT-60D U-wing gunship from Rogue One by Joshua Brooks:
Jedha street fight by Dunedain98:
See more amazing custom LEGO Star Wars creations after the jump
Vespa scooters are a frequent subject of LEGO builds, including a white LEGO Vespa by Lucie Filteau and the minifig-scale Vespa by nieun we recently highlighted (complete with instructions). George Panteleon just posted what might be my favorite LEGO Vespa yet — a curvaceous beauty in red with white-rimmed tires. The whole build uses some serious Studs Not on Top building techniques, with rear wheel wells built studs-out and the foot rests built studs-forward, plus some wonderfully odd angles on the seat.
It’s exceedingly rare that we highlight the fact that a LEGO build has been submitted to LEGO Ideas (so please don’t ask us to promote your project), but I think this wonderfully original LEGO creation deserves an exception.
My co-author and I will be at Bricks & Wheels in Bellevue, WA this Saturday, December 16 to sign copies of our DK book Ultimate LEGO Star Wars. We’ll be there from 2 PM to 6 PM, so swing by with your books (the store will also have copies on hand for sale) to say hi and ask us some questions.
Bricks & Wheels sells both used and new LEGO sets, and they also accept trade-ins. Last year, I traded in my original UCS Falcon and picked up a Midi-scale Falcon in exchange — and I didn’t even know last January that LEGO would be releasing the new 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon. Good deal!
TBB Editor-in-Chief Andrew Becraft trades in his 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon for a Midi-Scale Falcon.
A bit more about this weekend’s event from Bricks & Wheels:
Come meet the authors of the new DK book Ultimate LEGO Star Wars, Chris Malloy and Andrew Becraft. Chris and Andrew are LEGO builders who are also two of the editors of The Brothers Brick. Bricks & Wheels will have books to purchase, but you can also bring your own copies to have them signed by the authors and ask a LEGO Star Wars question or two!
As a holiday gift to our readers, The Brothers Brick commissioned talented LEGO artist Tyler Clites to design a LEGO model that everybody can build. This custom “Outlaw Spaceship” should make any sci-fi fan’s heart twinkle like a firefly in the depths of space.
Our simple, step-by-step instructions and parts list will help you assemble this unique model unveiled for the first time here. It’s full of LEGO building techniques you won’t generally see in an official LEGO model, so it’s also an opportunity to learn a few tips and tricks. Let us know in the comments if you like these instructions, and we may do them more regularly in the future.
See the step-by-step instructions and parts list for our Outlaw Spaceship
All official LEGO BrickHeadz sets until now have represented characters from movies and comic books, including Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and The LEGO Ninjago Movie. With the unveiling of 70270 Valentine’s Bee, LEGO is highlighting the potential of non-IP BrickHeadz (in other words, BrickHeadz not inspired by a licensed intellectual property like a movie or comic book).
The back of the box also reveals five more LEGO BrickHeadz seasonal characters for 2018. If you prefer to be surprised by seasonal sets, consider this a SPOILER warning. If not, hit the jump and check out the rest.
See all six 2018 seasonal LEGO BrickHeadz characters
Although most of the major LEGO themes for January 2018 have now been fully revealed, there are still a few product lines that continue to see a trickle of new sets throughout December. Today’s LEGO Star Wars news brings us, via the Toys R Us website, official images of the latest incarnation of that “wretched hive of scum and villainy,” 75205 Mos Eisley Cantina. Refreshing my memory with the handy LEGO Star Wars reference book that Chris and I wrote (shameless plug), this is the third version of the cantina, though this version is unique in several ways.
The set includes 376 pieces with 4 minifigs (Han Solo and Greedo, of course, along with Wuher the bartender and a Sandtrooper. TRU lists the retail price as $39.99, which may or may not be the actual MSRP given TRU’s penchant to jack up prices when they list products first.
See more photos of LEGO Star Wars 75205 Mos Eisley Cantina
The LEGO Star Wars line is finally getting its own BrickHeadz characters, starting with the NYCC-exclusive 41498 Boba Fett & Han Solo in Carbonite, along with 41485 Finn and 41486 Captain Phasma. While it currently remains a Target exclusive, we recently picked up the double-pack 41489 Rey & Kylo Ren Limited Edition Collector’s Pack, which retails for $19.99 and includes 249 pieces.
Unless you’ve been living on a forest moon, you know that Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters this week. TBB’s own Iain heath takes aim at what some fans are worries might be the next ewoks of the Star Wars universe, the feathered creatures known only as porgs. In this diorama, Iain features a pair of our favorite furry teddy bears hunting an unsuspecting, wide-eyed bird-thing. As always, Iain’s eye for the elemental details in characters remains flawless, capturing the essential form of both creatures.
The “Cyclops” mech appears in the Halo Wars real-time strategy games, reproduced in excellent LEGO form by ZiO Chao. While it may appear rather tiny in the game, seeing it at minifig-scale helps emphasize what a big stompy thing it really is. With an overall dark gray or olive-drab color scheme like most UNSC vehicles, I particularly like the pop of color from the yellow cockpit canopy. ZiO’s build features custom-printed tiles for the UNSC logo and other details, and it’s fully poseable. Armed with a massive cannon on its arm, the Covenant better beware!
