September is here and LEGO has released a number of sets that you may have been eyeing. The Harry Potter 75978 Diagon Alley is one that we predict will be a favourite for the month and also includes the highly anticipated 75292 The Razor Crest that was first revealed back in February. The Advent Calendar sets for Star Wars, City and Friends are available. This is a good time to grab them, if you want to prepare early for Christmas, especially since the Advent Calendars tend to sell out early.
Luke Skywalker exclusive minifigure has been revealed to be issued with the Deluxe Edition of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars : The Skywalker Saga to be available in 2021. The Skywalker Saga will adapt storylines from all nine movies from the entire series. The last LEGO Star Wars game, The Force Awakens was released four years ago in 2016 under the same developers and this will be the 6th game in to date released under the LEGO Star Wars series of game titles by TT Games.
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When certain design elements dictate the look of the gritty Star Wars universe, it is best to stay within those constraints when designing new and different ships. That doesn’t mean make them same-y and boring, but rather different and unique enough to make sense. LEGO builder Librarian-Bot has struck the perfect balance (literally!) with a hybrid of the Millennium Falcon, the Ghost, and the Resistance Bomber. The Raging Comet flies with a unique wedge shape that combines the bulky nature of the freighters mentioned above. Despite a top-heavy structure, this ship balances on its tip by a stand or a singular landing gear. To achieve this feat, Librarian-Bot built this freighter with an airy but detailed interior to reduce the weight.
Many details also add to the characteristics of a starship from a galaxy far, far away. Starting from the top, there is an oversized sensor dish and on either side, familiar circular docking rings. In the front, a cockpit with an iconic conical shape, and lots of intricate angles and greebling between it all. These are a great homage to the Millennium Falcon, which set the standard for Star Wars ship designs. Four engines in the rear are different from what you would expect, but they do not look out of place. The entry hatch further down includes a foldable boarding ramp that some might find excessively long, its superfluous nature just screams “Star Wars!” Red highlights break up the monochrome greys, and a black and yellow checkerboard pattern give the impression of the Raging Comet being a fast smuggler ship.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its release, and LEGO is honoring the occasion with 75294 Bespin Duel available exclusively from the LEGO Shop and Target ($39.99 USD | $49.99 CAD from the LEGO Shop and $39.99 USD from Target). The set includes 295 pieces, with minifigures of Luke Skywalker and his dear dad Darth Vader, and will be available on August 27th, 2020.
Two years ago, LEGO’s first “Master Builder” set 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City included a scaled-down version of this same scene, but this version is more detailed and includes a stand with a commemorative plaque.
Unfortunately, this LEGO Star Wars set will only be available in the US and Canada. The set was originally designed as the exclusive set for Star Wars Celebration, originally scheduled for August 27th-30th. With the cancellation of nearly all in-person events in North America due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this set is being made available online, but only in the United States and Canada.
We all know the Millennium Falcon is the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. We’ve all heard the whole song and dance about it making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. But what we don’t get to see much in LEGO is the iconic ship blasting through hyperspace. Rui Miguel Anacleto has made it happen in all its stunning glory. The blue afterburner trails are a particularly good touch. I can go into detail about all the neat techniques used here or, better yet, you can build your own by following along with Rui’s instructions. It’s a better use of your time than watching some giant head yell on TV.
Hide your droids! Hide your ship! Or else the crew of this massive LEGO Sandcrawler built by Walter Whiteside will scrap and sell them in exchange for breakfast, maybe a nice mudhorn egg. As always, it is great to see a mashup between Star Wars and LEGO’s Classic Space theme. This time rather than a flying vehicle we have a brilliant blue Sandcrawler, but given its classic space look, I could see this mobile fortress making its way across a sandy and cratered moon.
The infamous Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978 ranks as the low-point of the Star Wars franchise for many fans, and for most of my lifetime Lucasfilm essentially refused to acknowledge its existence. But in recent years the made-for-TV special’s epic terribleness has gained it a cult notoriety, and Disney is ready to embrace it by reviving the Holiday Special in conjunction with LEGO, according to an announcement on Starwars.com. A new animated special is set to stream on Disney+ starting Nov. 17.
Staring Rey and BB-8 and set after The Rise of Skywalker, LEGO Star Wars characters from across all three trilogies of the Skywalker saga will gather to celebrate Life Day in an “endearingly irreverent way.” According to the press release, the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75279) that was announced earlier this summer will feature some of the holiday-themed characters from the special. The special will also undoubtedly serve as a promotion for the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga videogame that was announced last year. No official release has been given for the game yet, though it is still slated to be released this year.
With a new season of Disney’s hit streaming series The Mandalorian scheduled for this fall as well as the impending release of LEGO’s Razor Crest 75292 set, enthusiasm for the fan-favorite bounty hunter and his young green friend is not going anywhere anytime soon. Here in Dan Ko’s build that enthusiasm is scaled down, yet it still retains enough detail and gravitas to make any fan of the show absolutely delighted.
The twin engines are masterfully yet minimally recreated by combining various cylindrical elements with printed round 2 x 2 tiles that add the perfect finishing touch. Dan utilizes another round 2 x 2 printed tile for the escape pod area on the top of the iconic gunship.
Although this model is quite small, it still features the bay door in the back which opens and closes.
Overall the build is a wonderful micro-scaled version of the beloved ship and provides some eye candy for fans eagerly waiting for the return of the series to the small screen this October.
Black and Yellow, you know what it is – the 1980s LEGO Space theme “Blacktron” featuring a color scheme with heavy usage of black and yellow. In Nagisa’s build aficionados can get the best of two worlds – Star Wars and Blacktron as this design is a mashup of the two themes. Fusions of LEGO space themes with pop cultural icons are pretty common among fan-builders, but they are always refreshing to see nonetheless. Here we have the landspeeder from Solo: A Star Wars Story film which was already translated well into LEGO in set 75209, revamped in the style of Blacktron. Nagisa uses vintage control panel printed tiles and a newer curved yellow trans-clear 3x6x1 windshield to accomplish the signature aesthetic of the Blacktron faction. Of course, two fully decked out Blacktron minifigures accompany the speeder as pilots.
Nagisa offers a few configurations of the speeder which utilize different elements as thrusters – each offering a slightly varied look all of which are pretty sleek. Overall Nagisa does a great job of displaying creativity and ingenuity while still retaining the original concept of the vehicle from the Star Wars film.
The Nubian N-1 starfighter seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace wasn’t the only yellow starfighter that Anakin ever flew, but it was the first. In this model by Kit Bricksto there are a few nice details worth pointing out. First, there is the subtly angled area between the main fuselage and the wings, which matches up quite nicely with the canopy. Cheese slopes are used to create a near-circular engine, a very close match to the on-screen inspiration. Lastly, the shaping of the pointed rear of the craft is a great alternative to more common large sloped parts.
August has arrived and that means new LEGO sets! LEGO has launched 108 new sets and items available today. In addition to new sets like the Nintendo NES and Super Mario lineup, Ideas Grand Piano, Star Wars 501st Battle Pack and LEGO Art, fans in the US and Canada can finally celebrate the summer arrival of Harry Potter, Creator 3-in-1, City, and Ninjago waves that you’ve waited so patiently for. Nearly every LEGO theme has some new sets–it can be a lot to process!– so we have your complete guide right here detailing each and every new set and item. [EDIT: It appears that LEGO may have delayed the US & Canada release of some of these sets until September. We’ve asked for clarification.]
LEGO is also offering two free gifts-with-purchases at the start of August. The first is 30385 Super Mushroom Surprise, free with purchases of LEGO Super Mario sets more than US $40 through August 16th or while supplies last.
The second freebie is LEGO is also 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion with in-store purchases of the 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course through August 9th or while supplies last.
See the entire August 2020 wave of new LEGO sets now available
The Battle of Mimban was one of the greatest cinematic scenes from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Ever since we saw mudtroopers and stormtroopers slogging it out in the trenches, builders such as h2brick have dutifully recreated the chaos on both a large and small scale.
First off, let’s give h2brick credit for the bright explosions happening in this diorama. Fire is a detail hard to capture with bricks, but he’s managed to make it look like the mudtrooper nearest to the explosion is definitely convinced that it’s real. Adding to the detail are the layers of mud and rock that make up Mimban’s tumultuous surface. The nougat and brown blend well, as do the dark tan bricks oozing onto the grey concrete, making it look like the mud is encroaching on the Imperial camp.
Speaking of which, I love that h2brick included a scout trooper checking a hologram map. It’s the tiny things about this build that make it so fun to look at and want to build myself. For example, his design for the supply containers stamped with the Imperial insignia would be really simple to replicate. My only question is, what could be under the grating that the scout trooper is standing on? A forgotten wookiee, perhaps?