Review: 9496 Desert Skiff

Set ID: 9496 Desert Skiff 

Number of Pieces: 213

Year of Release: 2012

Minifigs: 4

Purchased Price: About SGD48

The desert skiff is a hovering craft which often forms part of the entourage of Jabba the Hutt. In a classic scene in Episode 4, Luke was held captive by Jabba and was about to be sacrificed to the gapping beak of Sarlacc in the sand pit, before he was rescued by Lando Calrissian and his timely use of the "Force". This set attempts to recreate the scene, less the majestic Sail Barge, and plenty of sand.

The desert skiff is not new to the Star Wars range, making its debut in 2000 with the very simple Desert Skiff (7104) and as part of the Jabba's Sail Barge set, launched in 2006. With every revision, the skiff is always improving in details (and size) and this latest addition is of no exception. Longer and wider (by a width of 2 studs), this new desert skiff can accommodate the minifigs more comfortably, even offering space for a dedicated cockpit. The luxury of space even allows a storage to be built in in the middle of the skiff to safe keep a couple of laser guns belonging to the guards.

Hidden storage onboard

Retractable plank

Luke was supposed to walk the plank, which swivels out from the bottom of the skiff and can be tucked neatly away when not in use. It is stud-less for most part of the plank except for 2 studs near the edge of it, where Luke stands and look down at the sand pit. Underneath the skiff, you can also find a flick missile and a number of transparent 2X2 round bricks to prop up the skiff, simulating the hovering effect.

Sarlacc having lunch

In the movie, much of Sarlacc was concealed in the sand and all I could see was a tenacious looking mouth with sweeping tentacles around it. This new Sarlacc is definitely a more improved version, with larger beaks and a pair of tentacles that can be posed in various directions. In fact the beak is so large you can place a minifig in it with room to spare! With a mouth like this, I wonder why is there a need for Sarlacc to chew his food at all. A row of teeth around the edge of the creature completes its menacing look.

Building Experience

View from cockpit

I cannot even qualify building this set as building experience. You can almost finish building this within 3 commercial breaks of a typical soap drama on TV. 30 min should be the maximum time you need to spend on completing the 3 packets of bricks. Packet 1 is solely for Sarlacc and the other 2 are dedicated to the skiff. There is only 1 booklet of building instruction included in this set.


















Minifigs

Luke carries his green light saber in this set. He now wears a grey vest as compared to the full black outfit in the last 2 desert skiff sets. On first sight, Boba seems to be the same old design so I was struggling to figure out what the "new" features are. Not being able to locate the minifigs of the older versions of Boba, I made some quick references on the net and finally found the subtle difference that makes this new Boba unique. Guess what? He actually has a pair of painted toe caps! Nice touch!

If I have not mistaken, Kithaba should be making his debut in this set. Being partner in crime with Boba and operating under the leadership of Jabba (it rhymes!), Kithaba comes with a very menacing expression and a stretch of ammo pouches across painted across his chest. He has his own blaster pistol but he is also free to choose from other weapons tucked in the storage compartment in the middle of the Skiff. Lando attempts to conceal his identity by dressing up as one of the skiff guards. The very detailed full face helmet does help to achieve this objective. I do like the silvery part on the chin strap of the helmet, which gives a more metallic feel to it.

Conclusion

The desert skiff can never be considered a well recognised classic Star Wars vehicle, especially if you pit it against the other high tech war machines featured in the films. As such, do not expect this set to appreciate too much over the years with the luke warm demand. Off hand, I cannot even think of a good excuse to collect this set unless you are a die-hard fan or have space to spare on your display shelf.