Slave I (#8097)

I should not be allowed to go into Toys R Us unsupervised. The one in North Calgary has a clearance table where they have returns and opened packages at discount prices. It is conveniently located near the hotel where I usually stay, which makes it even more tempting to visit. Well, I gave into temptation on Monday night and they had the new Slave I on the table. The box had been resealed with packing tape and it was on for a huge discount because pieces were missing. I can deal with that, I know where I can find replacement pieces if I don't already have some. It turns out that someone had kindly removed the minifigures and returned the set... Oh well, I know where to get those too...

If you were wondering whether it is worth going from #6209 to the new version, let's compare side-by-side.

Here's a profile view with 8097 on the left and 6209 on the right. They are pretty much the same dimensions, the biggest difference between them is the subtle change in color scheme (dark red instead of red-brown, dark green instead of light green).

Front view... 8907 has a few stickers on the canopy and a few other pieces. Cool, yes. Essential, probably not. 8907 uses rounded bricks along the top instead of the angled bricks. The "wheel-wells" on the sides are also curved, which does look better.

I like the rear guns a bit better on this version. There's also a pull-out container where you can store the new mini-pistols which usually come with the clone troopers.

I also prefer the cargo hold on 8097. It is more movie-accurate than it was on 6209, and the "Han in carbonite" brick always seems to get itself wedged in 6209 which made it difficult to open the hatch and pull it out again.

These missiles work a lot better than the 6209 missiles did, and they even point in the right direction too. It is supposed to have a flick-fire system in the center, but I took it out. If you liked the missile launcher on the Republic Attack Shuttle, you'll like this one.

So, aside from the new figures (photo courtesy of Lego.com)...

... I'm not sure there's anything in this new release worth the normal hefty pricetag ($110 CDN). If you don't already have 6209, then yes by all means, I would whole-heartedly recommend this set. However, if you do have 6209, spend about $10-$15 on Bricklink to get the parts needed to upgrade if you want any of the new features. I'll probably troll Bricklink and eBay to see if I can pick up the figures at a reasonable price. The new Boba Fett looks very good (the blaster is a bit cheesy though), I've always liked Bossk, and the new Han in carbonite is just cool.

Imperial Shuttle (#7166)

Modifying the Imperial Shuttle has been on my to-do list ever since the Republic Attack Shuttle (#8019) came out. I was never really happy with the notched hinges for the wings, the little notches get worn off and the wings eventually don't stay up anymore. So when the Emporer's Shuttle (#8096) was released, I figured it was time to start working.

Here they are, the modified version on the left and the original on the right. I made the body a bit wider on the bottom. The cockpits are pretty much the same. My modified version is serving as the Tydirium from Return of the Jedi and I'll keep using the original for the Imperials. If you look close, you can see Luke piloting on the left.

I swapped out the notched hinges for the "Technic" style axles, wheel hubs, and lift-arms (inspired by #8019 and #8096). I made the wings a bit wider and put more reinforcement on the back so they're more solid. I took out a lot of the grey pieces and replaced them with white.

A view from the back, gave it some rounded edges on the sides. As soon as I can find a way to incorporate the retractable landing gear from #8096, I can get rid of the black stands underneath. I'm also thinking about having a removeable top like the other two shuttles, which would give me more room inside for minifigs.

Inside the shuttle... The same pull-out tray for the minifigs, I'll have room for Han and Leia as soon as I get extras (the ones I have now are both in the Millennium Falcon). I'll need to find a way to fit C-3P0 in here somehow too...

Closer view of the front. The little guns on the front of the original were a little annoying because they kept falling off.

So there it is, until I modify it again somehow. I think my next project will be a red version of the Clone Wars Y-Wing fighter...