Tag Archives: Clone Trooper

LEGO Star Wars 40557 Hoth Rebels & 40558 Clone Troopers Minifigure Accessory Packs [Review]

LEGO Star Wars has been around for more than 20 years, and for the first time LEGO is producing Star Wars accessory packs. They’re effectively the same as the boxed Battle Pack sets, but packaged in the minifigure-shaped clamshells that are used on a variety of other themes. 40557 Hoth Rebels Minifigure Accessory Pack contains 64 pieces and includes three Rebel troops in Hoth outfits plus some defenses, and will retail for US $14.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £12.99. 40558 Clone Troopers Minifigure Accessory Pack has 66 pieces (a foreboding number) and includes three Clone Troopers and a few bits of gear, and should retail for the same  US $14.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £12.99. Both sets will be available starting Jan. 1.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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The Star Wars Clone Wars unfold on a massive light-up Naboo diorama

Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, Naboo is a planet that everyone agrees is beautiful. Inspired by its appearance in 2017’s Battlefront II videogame, Belgian LEGO Star Wars YouTuber Axidroid spent eight months building a Clone Wars battle scene in the streets of Theed. With 121 minifigures, with most of them being from the popular 501st Battlepack, there are also custom vehicles such as the Gunships, AAT tank, and AT-RT walker. While large Star Wars dioramas are not uncommon, the 140cm by 77cm size dwarfs the largest LEGO Star Wars set, the UCS Imperial Star Destroyer, which is 110cm by 66cm.

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While the size of this build is impressive, the real kicker is at nighttime. Using Christmas LED lights inside the buildings and street lamps, Axidroid lights up the Theed plaza into a lovely atmospheric scene. The battle droids and clone troopers now look like they’re lined up for an evening festival, and bring the Mediterranean setting of Naboo even closer to home.

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Axidroid even documented his 8-month long build process in a YouTube video series. In the finale below he shows off all the details in the expansive build.

Explore more builds of Naboo here.

Do what must be done

Any time I see LEGO creations relating to Order 66 from Revenge of the Sith, I feel the emotional tension rising. As painful as it is to see clones turn on their former Jedi comrades, you have to admit that builder First Order Lego does a painstakingly good job at depicting the ultimate betrayal.

“Knightfall” Jedi Temple Order 66

From the clones’ march into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to the younglings hiding in the background, this build perfectly captures the epic darkness of the moment. The only word I have for the level of detail, especially in the Holocron bookcases and the statue work, is beautiful.

Oh, and did I mention that this build is literally lit?

Colors of Knightfall

Wait, a not-grey Star Wars spaceship?

I love the LAAT gunship from Star Wars, so when I saw it was a candidate for an upcoming UCS set I was thrilled. Better known as the Republic Gunship, it is probably my favorite Clone Wars ship. It has great blasters, a refreshingly not-grey color scheme, an interesting shape, cool doors on the sides; it’s essentially a cross between a UH-1 Huey, an A-10 Warthog, and a spaceship. And I love it. This rendition by Thomas Jenkins is awesome, with elegant curves and smoothly-transitioned angles. Because that’s the trick with the LAAT; there are so many different curves and angles that fitting them all in while maintaining a solid model is exceedingly difficult. But this one succeeds, and even appears to include Jedi Bob.

Modified bricks with curved tops make for some smooth curves, improving the square edges of all the official LEGO renditions. Also a major improvement is how Thomas made the wings and doors of bricks rather than plates; this allows them to be smooth and solid without needing a ton of tiles, which always looks a bit off due to the slightly rounded edges of tiles. The interior looks smooth, too, and big enough for minifigs without being excessively large. If LEGO does release a UCS version of this ship, I hope the designers borrow some design elements from models like this one. I would buy one in a heartbeat. Did I mention I love it?

War beast of burden

It was only seen briefly in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but the sight of the All-Terrain Open Transport lumbering through the forests of Felucia was not one to be forgotten. Builder Mr. Idler went to painstaking length to incorporate every ounce of detail into the clone troopers’ favorite method of transport. Each leg is articulate, with ankle joints and toes adding to the sense of an ancient war elephant.

AT-OT

This is probably the closest LEGO version of the AT-OT that can fit the same amount of clones as shown in the movie. Don’t worry about finding a spare seat: there’s room for everyone!

AT-OT with minifigs

Detail abounds in this Clone Wars LEGO diorama

This epic creation by Ben Cossy takes me to a galaxy far, far away. The use of white and dark gray bricks to create the landscape is incredible. I’m also impressed with the way the Republic base was incorporated into the snowy cliffside, and notice the Death Star parts used as the fuel storage tanks.

See more of this huge LEGO Star Wars diorama