Droid Escape (#9490)

This set comes to us 11 years after the original version of the Droid Escape (#7106). For some reason, I never picked this one up when it came out the first time.

The escape pod looks fairly basic and is more movie accurate with the cone-shaped pieces than 7106 was with the straight cylinder pieces.

C-3PO and R2 get to sit in relative comfort. The top comes off very easily and isn't actually secured in place. Normally this could be a problem, but since it probably won't see very many aggressive flight manoeuvres, the droids aren't really in danger of falling out.

Speaking of 3PO, he gets a new torso design this time. The colorful wires look very nice, as do his colored eyes.

The real draw for me was the new stormtroopers. The set comes with two (the orange shoulder pad and the light tan), the other two were purchased off Bricklink. The little speeder bike in the back didn't really add much too the set and wasn't in the movie, so it'll probably end up in my spare parts bin. I'm very impressed by the detail Lego put into the stormtroopers. They have printed legs (previously only available in the #7264 Imperial Inspection set), and I really like the sand discoloration on the armor and helmet. And, like the new TIE fighter pilot, these guys actually have faces under their helmets.

A couple more new stormtroopers and I'll have a full load for the Imperial Landing Craft (do I need to say it's not included with the set? I hope not...).

So, the model itself isn't really anything special, but the minifigs are the real selling feature on this set. It's a very nice suppliment to your Imperial army, and the droids are a nice touch too.

Y-Wing (#9495)

Continuing Lego's "year of third versions" is the newest Y-Wing. Owners of the prior version (#7658) are probably wondering what was changed and whether it's worth upgrading. If you have the original Y-Wing (#7150), by all means, grab this one while it's available. I'll let the 7658 owners decide for themselves.

Here's the new 9495 on the left and 7658 on the right. 9495 isn't quite as long as it's older brother, but has the same width. My biggest gripe with 9495 is the nose design. 7658 may not have been perfect, but was a lot more movie-accurate than 9495's boxy look. I do like the new forward guns, but they could be easily retrofit onto 7658.

Here they are from the side view. 9495's gun turret doesn't come off like 7658's tends to do during play, but it also doesn't go up and down either. Oh well, can't have everything. Technically, the single-seater Y-Wings had a fixed turret, but that would make it very difficult to open the canopy on this model. One of these days I'm going to make a 2-seater modification...

Here's a view of the two cockpits. 9495 on the right is a bit more roomy than 7658. I also like that it has two studs to hold the minifig in place, where 7658 just has a flat tile piece. I'm not much of a fan of having the pilot wiggle around during evasive manoeuvres.

Here it is from the front. As I mentioned before, I don't really like the nose design. It should be tapered like it was before.

Here's a photo of how the Y-Wing looked in Episode IV. See what I mean about the nose section? 9495 is way too squared, but that's something I need to deal with on my own time.

Group photo... This one comes with Dutch Vander (aka Gold Leader. Zev Senesca's head with a different helmet), R5-A7 astromech droid, and Princess Leia in her ceremonial outfit (a nice addition, especially if you have the ceremonial Luke and Han from the Encyclopedias.. which I don't).

A closer view of the rear section. The greebling is a bit closer to the movie model and looks pretty good. The hole in the middle is for loading the bombs.

The engine pods. They got away from some of the detailing used in 7658 by using stickers. I know some of the "purists" out there will complain about the use of stickers, but if it keeps the cost down by not having to use printed pieces I'm fine with it.

The rear view. I'm not sure if I prefer the rocket fin pieces or the grey cones from 7658. You may notice I took out the flick-fire missile launchers from the back...

The underside. I liked the use of the car chassis for the astromech slot, seemed like the easiest way to get it done. You can see the bomb hatch on the bottom. I like this one more than I did the last one (which I eventually covered up on both sides), it doesn't get in the way if you aren't using it.

So,  there you go. If this is your first Y-Wing or you're moving up from 7150, go for it. If you have 7658, you'll have to decide how badly you want Princess Leia and/or the new astromech droid. Aside from the nose, the minor differences between the two models would be pretty easy to retrofit after a trip to Bricklink. 

TIE Fighter (#9492)

I know I say it quite a bit, but I wasn't sure about this one when the first photos hit the internet. I should learn to just embrace the new models because I end up liking them anyway. This is the third generation of TIE fighter designs. 7146 was the first in 2001, and 7263 in 2005 had only minor changes. But this one is almost a complete redesign.

The set comes with the new TIE pilot, Imperial officer, Death Star trooper, and R5-J2. To Lego's credit, they are including more minifigs with the models now. Yes, it has flick-fire missiles, but I think I'm going to cover the back ends so they can't be flicked.

Here it is next to its predecessor on the left. The original 7263 was done in black and blue, which annoyed me, so I swapped out the blue for light grey. Anyhow, back to 9492. The "wings" are about 5 studs taller than 7263 and it doesn't feel fragile when you hold it. It's tall enough it won't fit on my "Imperial" shelf. I'll have to stick it on the shelf with the Rebels and see if they notice. If you look at the larger photo (just click on this one), you'll notice our pilot gets a seat now too. The Empire must be redesigning the fleet with pilot comfort in mind.

They used the helmet from the TIE Defender set, which was a nice move. It looks much better than the old helmet.

Lego also decided to give the pilot a face, which was also very generous (and about time). The new stormtroopers also get faces, but that's another review.

The canopy is round this time instead of the old style. The wings on 7263 were quite wobbly, but 9492 has (mostly) fixed this issue. There's a tiny bit of wiggle room, but they used an axle piece to help keep the wings stable.

The side view looks much nicer, and movie-accurate.

Rear view. The wings are clearly thicker than the old version. The whole design looks cleaner and more thought-out than the other one did.

Is it worth the $70 to upgrade to the new version? It was for me. If you want a cheaper alternative, you can find the fighter on Bricklink for $30-$40 without the figures. No self-respecting Imperial fleet should be without this one...

Anakin's Jedi Interceptor (#9494)

I got pretty excited when Lego announced this set. I even went online and preordered it as soon as they would let me. In retrospect, I could've picked it up at Toys R Us two weeks sooner, but what can you do...

These fighters are so darn swooshable, I had to move it away from my desk so I could get stuff done. I like the green/grey color scheme. I'm not sure why they put in the two light tan pieces on the wing. I'll be replacing them as soon as I can get dark green tiles in from Bricklink.

Here's a photo of the complete set. Personally, I like the lava droid and platform. I think they're a fitting addition to the set. Nute Gunray, although he also belongs with this set, really needs to have legs. The printed skirt look just doesn't work for him.

Here's Anakin and R2 standing beside the fighter. I wasn't sure at first if I liked the idea of a full R2 mounted in the wing, but they seem to have made it work. And no, Anakin is not force-choking R2...

The cockpit has been redesigned slightly. This time we have clips to hold the lightsaber blade and hilt. Plus, the canopy doesn't flip open whenever you roll the fighter. This is a good thing. It's difficult to intimidate the enemy when your canopy keeps flipping open, although it's a good way to keep your cockpit clean.

Rear-view, the engines are slightly larger than those on the previous versions.

Aside from the "Nute Gunray in a dress" gripe, the only other complaint I have with this model (and the other recent models) is how sloppy the underside looks. Like the new Millennium Falcon and the Sith Infiltrator, the underside seems to be an after-thought. This one isn't as bad as it was out-of-the-box because I've already swapped out some pieces. While I'm not a fan of the flick-fire missiles, they do keep things balanced.

Here's Anakin and Obi-Wan duelling it out. This is what happens when Padme "Likes" one too many of Obi-Wan's Facebook posts. Awkward.

Here they are again, posing for the photo. Anakin has "Sith eyes" and Obi-Wan looks like the Clone Wars counterpart.

They both have alternate expressions, which I thought was kinda cool. These are apparently their "duelling faces". Can't you just hear Anakin saying, "You underestimate my power!"

I give this set a strong 9/10. It would've had full marks if Nute had legs and if the design department would 1) stop using the light tan pieces as filler, and 2) make the underside look like "we meant to do that" instead of "no one looks under here anyway". 

Echo Base (#7879)

The latest set in the Hoth line, Echo Base. There are a lot of play features for such a basic set design. If Lego got smart, they'd modularize these Hoth sets so they'd fit together. I'm still trying to figure a smooth way to get the Hoth Playset (#7666) to connect nicely to this one.

Here it is from the outside, including the two snowtroopers. Don't waste your time looking for the snow speederbike in Episode V, you won't find it, and after a few battlepacks you'll probably have more than enough of them already. The heavy blaster cannon is a nice touch though.

View from the inside. A nice area for the tauntaun to hang out, with a rack to hold the saddle and reigns. More on him later... Han & Chewie in the bay area (which needs a door somehow). The red droid is R-3PO, which apparently has two brief cameo appearances in the movie. I'll have to go back and watch to see if I can spot him.

The command center with a swivel chair for Leia (she has an alternate expression on the back of her head, but I didn't get a photo of it). The falling "icicle trap" on the left is a little annoying and may not last very long.

The medical bay under the care of 2-1B, complete with bed and bacta tank for Luke.

The tank opens up for easy access...

And Luke gets to lay down on the bed (notice his alternate expression). The weapon storage area behind 2-1B...

...folds down for access from the outside, which may come in handy if one of your rebel troops forgets to bring a gun of his own and happens to be outside.

Here's the outside view of the tauntaun pen, along with the swivel turret out front and the two flick-fire missile launchers along the top. Seriously, a door would help improve security.

The gate lowers to get the tauntaun in and out.

It seems nearly everything on this set does something, which means lots of playability. Eight minifigures (two of them have alternate expressions), one vehicle, one animal, and lots of room for imagination. This is a great addition to your other Hoth sets. I'd give it a 9/10. Full marks would've been given if it could link somehow to the other sets, as I mentioned before. 

X-Wing Fighter (#9493)

I've been patiently waiting all month for the new 2012 sets to hit the shelves. As soon as they were available for preorder, I went online and bought Anakin's Jedi Interceptor. I think it is sad that Toys R Us and Walmart get the new sets before the Lego Store does. Something is seriously wrong there.

Anyhow, I went in to TrU and picked up the new X-Wing fighter set. I had some in-store credit and a $10 coupon, so I didn't have to pay any of my own money for this one.

This seems to be Lego's year for third versions. We've already seen the third Slave I, the third Millennium Falcon, and now this is the third X-Wing, and the third Y-Wing is also out.

Let's start off comparing this to the 6212 version (on the right). If you already have the old version, you may be wondering if it's worth upgrading. Two of the biggest differences: 1) The internal gear mechanism has changed so opening the wings is much faster on this one than 6212, and 2) the storage compartment from 6212 is gone (nowhere for Luke to put his lightsaber on 9493).

The wingspan on 9493 is wider and the body is slightly longer than its predecessor. It's also more streamlined than the old one. I would've preferred to have R2 sitting forward instead of sideways though. The guns are more movie-friendly on this one and the nose section seems to blend in better.

The back looks cleaner than the old one too.

6212 came with six minifigs which were clearly fillers. I never really understood why Han, Chewie, and Leia were included in that set, although it was nice to have Wedge and the option to change the wing markings. This time we get to choose between Luke and Jek Porkins, who even has his own astromech droid (not sure why Wedge had to borrow R2). Things don't end well for our friend Porkins during the first run on the Death Star.

Luke doesn't quite have as much room in the cockpit that he did in the last one. He'll have to do without the "joystick" and rely exclusively on the computer panel. The long curved pieces on the side work much better than the wedge pieces from 6212, and accommodate the proton torpedoes on either side. I'm just happy they're not actually flick-fire missiles this time.

Even though they are just stickers on the round tiles, I like the new engines. The wings are all stud-side out this time too, which is nice. Makes more sense to have the wing markings on the outside and makes for an easier build.

Foils locked in attack position... The wings open faster on this one (6212 involved a lot of twisting to get the wings to open), but they also seem to be a bit harder to open. It might have something to do with both elastics being on the back, instead of having one on the front and one on the back. Since the wings rest on the shelf (or floor, or on whatever flat surface you choose to place it), this one shouldn't suffer from the saggy bottom wings like 6212 does when the elastics get weak.

So, is it that much better than 6212 to justify upgrading? Some may disagree, but I say go for it. It's not like you can't use two x-wings in your fleet. Give the old one to Porkins and let Luke have the new one. When you're making the trench run on the Death Star, you want to make sure you have the best equipment possible. The planet Yavin wouldn't have its fourth moon right now if the rebels decided they already had an x-wing and didn't need another one. Just sayin'...

Republic Frigate (#7964)

When I saw this one on a Clone Wars episode, I figured it wouldn't be long before it made its way to a Lego set. My one complaint with these larger sets is the scarcity of the minifigs. This one comes with Yoda, Eeth Koth, Quinlan Vos, Commander Wolffe, and a Wolfpack trooper. That's it. No pilot, no extra crew. I would gladly trade in Eeth Koth for another Wolfpack trooper (don't worry, I have already ordered one off Bricklink).

Profile view. That's Yoda and Quinlan Vos with their green lightsabers. That might not be a big deal for many of you out there, but it's nice to finally have the right color.

The front view... I like the design of these cruisers/frigates. There's something about them which is just fun. This one is well-armed and ready for battle. The double-turrets on top swivel, but the ones on the bottom are stationary.

The rear view, not much to see here.

There is a seat for the rear gunner. Fortunately, I still have a few gunners left from the Clone Wars battlepack. The guns double as flick-fire missiles, which doesn't excite me. They still work as guns, so I haven't swapped them out yet.

The cockpit. This clone is a stand-in until I can get another clone pilot.

Another gunner in the weapons bay. There are bombs which can be dropped by pulling on the black lever sticking out.

There's Eeth Koth and an ARF trooper (not included) in the command section. It doesn't show up well in the photo, but the little blue cylinder in the middle is a hologram of the chancellor.

This one has a nice little handle which slides down out of the way when not in use.

The escape pod. Only the two clones with blue markings actually came with the set. The others are from battlepacks. Comfortably seats five, perfect for when you want to take the clones on a little planet-side excursion...

Here it is next to the Republic Cruiser (#7665) for comparison. It's not quite as long and doesn't have as much cargo/crew capacity as the cruiser, but it has more weapons.

In short, I love this set. Excellent playability, it's sturdy, and has room for extra figures. I'd give it a 9/10. With a couple of extra clone minifigs, it would've been a solid 10/10.