Another Star Wars day retrospective for Lucas-fans… Over the years we’ve seen many great Star Wars themed fan LEGO creations of all shapes, sizes and styles. They run the gamut from vast minifigure based dioramas, to brick-built characters, and of course many fine ships and vehicles. But my personal favorites are probably these microscale dioramas by Rob Gillies (2 Much Caffeine).
On this May 4th, let’s not forget some of the often overlooked but nevertheless very important characters from the Star Wars universe. I speak of course of Jabba’s keyboard player and occasional restauranteur Max Rebo. So I present to you my Star Wars Day Definitive Guide to every known LEGO version of everyone’s favorite azure non-elephant:
IMAGE CREDITS (in order): Millie McKenzie (Leda Kat); Larry Lars; our very own Tim Gould (Gambort); Flickr member SIMAFOL; Flickr member kae_ae; and Eric Druon (baronsat).
Apparently May the 4th is Star Wars day! And if you don’t get why by now, then you must have been living on Hoth for the past five years. Anyway, Tyler Clites (Legohaulic) gets us into the spirit with this version of the iconic logo – which he serendipitously built using the seed part from the Iron Builder contest currently in progress.
Once again LEGO® Shop will be celebrating the unofficial Star Wars™ holiday of May the 4th with a number of exclusive promotions over the 3 day span of May 3rd thru 5th. In addition to these great offers, May 3rd marks the launch of the brand new set, 75059 – Sandcrawler™.
All offers valid May 3-5th only. Offers apply both to the Shop At Home website and participating LEGO stores. Also check with your local LEGO store for other exciting Star Wars day events!
All offers are combinable on qualifying orders. Click any of the links below to get started on your LEGO Star Wars weekend spending spree. And may the fourth be with you!
3 Days Only! LEGO Star Wars Sale and Exclusive Darth Revan Promotion. Valid 5/3/14 thru 5/5/14
Markus1984 is displaying this massive diorama of the Battle on Endor during Star Wars Days in LEGOLAND Germany. It’s built in 5 months from about 40,000 pieces and measures 57 X 39 inches. You can see more photos on Flickr.
Lego Star Wars Z-95 Headhunter was released in August 2013 and contains 373 pieces. It retails for $49.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a video review and my remarks regarding the set.
Pros:
Cons:
This is a typical Star Wars set that exemplifies the continued price-spike on Lego products from this licensed franchise. Like most other Star Wars sets today, this set is priced high, short on new elements, and relies on exclusive Star Wars minifigs to enhance its appeal. It’s long since 2005-2006 when Star Wars sets hovered around the $0.1 price-per-part ratio. The reason I purchased this set was because it was on sale during the holidays for half off, and even then I wasn’t excited about parting out the set because of its bland pieces. I can’t justify spending $50 on this set unless there’s a compelling need to have Lego’s version of the Headhunter.
Lego Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge was released in August 2013 and contains 850 pieces. It retails for $119.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a video review and my remarks regarding the set.
Pros:
Cons:
LEGO’s second version of Jabba’s Sail Barge is a neat little model that carries a big price tag. It’s an iconic Star Wars vehicle well deserving of some shelf space. I wouldn’t pay the full price on this model, and luckily Amazon currently has it on sale, and 26% off is a good enough deal. The model’s interior can be fully exposed to allow easy access, but there’s not much room after accounting for Jabba’s presence. The barge rolls on inconspicuous wheels underneath and also features a concealed cannon in the front that’s a hassle to fire. Overall, I recommend this model at a price tag less than $100.
The Lego Star Wars AT-TE was released in August 2013 and contains 794 pieces. It retails for $89.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a brief video review and my remarks regarding the set.
Pros:
Cons:
This is a set of a popular model from the Clone Wars, so it’s no surprise that it’s also the 3rd time LEGO produced the set. Unfortunately it does not have significant play features or include many minifigures. However, fans of the series will probably still be interested in obtaining a copy as it make for a decent display model. If you’re a builder, then this set does not have much to offer in terms of part variety besides the standard grey parts. Overall, I don’t recommend getting this set at MSRP, but Amazon currently has it for 25% off, which I think is an acceptable price to buy it at.
The Lego Star Wars Corporate Alliance Tank Droid was released in August 2013 and contains 295 pieces. It retails for $19.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a brief video review and my remarks regarding the set.
The tank droid is a decent Star Wars set. It contains 60 tread pieces, which is the best way to get them other than Bricklink. Jango Fett is the only unique minifig in this set. Unlike the previous version of LEGO’s tank droid that retails for $25, the new version costs less and includes more parts. The only drawback is the lack of printed dish part, but an unprinted piece will provide more options for building. This is a good pickup especially when it is on sale.
Pretty much everyone I know loves the original Star Wars Trilogy, and by extension I assume that the same should apply for the parody version: Spaceballs. Kristi (custombricks) is one of those people and has created this fantastic version of Lord Dark Helmet:
And if you haven’t Spaceballs, it should be available both on Amazon Prime and Netflix right now… go watch now, I’ll wait.
Lego Star Wars General Grievous’ Wheel Bike is one of the new Star Wars sets released in March 2014. This set retails for $24.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a brief video review and my remarks regarding the set.
Pros:
Cons:
This is well-rounded set in terms of minifigs, parts, looks, and playability. The model captures the gritty look of General Grievous’ wheel bike yet rolls easily. The parts selection is average, but the high parts count helps sell the set to builders. The new white version of General Grievous will surely be popular and is guaranteed to be popular among collectors. It’s one of the best Star Wars sets in the low-medium price range.
Lego Star Wars Vulture Droid is one of the new Star Wars sets released in March 2014. This set retails for $24.99 and is available on Amazon. Below is a brief video review and my remarks regarding the set.
Pros:
Cons:
After 3 renditions of the vulture droid, LEGO finally made one to minifig scale. It features a sturdy and simple transformation feature and can hold a pilot droid. The spring loaded launchers add great playability to the model. Unfortunately there aren’t notable minifigs in this set if you’re looking for non-generic characters from the Star Wars universe. As a parts pack, it is not the best due to the higher than average price-per-piece ratio. There are a few sand blue parts, but they can be obtained on Bricklink once they become more prevalent.