Review: 75016 Homing Spider Droid

Set ID: 75016 Homing Spider Droid

Number of Pieces: 295

Year of Release: 2013

Minifigs: 4

Purchased Price: About SGD 65

The Spider Droids are not new to the Star Wars range. The Dwarf Spider Droid made an appearance in the 2008 set 7670 besides the Hailfire Droid (in both Clone War and Classic Trilogy packaging), while the full size Spider Droid was launched in the same year in the set of 7681 (Separatist Spider Droid). There is little scope for the Dwarf Spider Droid to evolve much in this new release but the new Homing Spider Droid did come across as a much better representation of its movie counterpart. 

I am being anal here but strictly speaking, a spider is an arthropod with eight legs, so I will never totally agree with naming these Droids "Spider" Droids. Maybe in the era of Star Wars, spiders do exist with only four legs. You never know. Anyway, the completed Homing Spider Droid is made up of a spherical pod with four skinny legs. Two laser cannons can be found on the top and bottom of the sphere, responsible for annihilating enemies in the air and below it. On hind sight, the top laser cannon is actually a flick missile, which like most other flick missiles, will hardly be fired. A cluster of three "eyes" can be located on the rotating north hemisphere, allowing it to scan for targets 360 degree around.

The skinny legs of the Homing Spider Droid may look flimsy but their design seems to do wonder in keeping the Droid upright always. You can pose the four legs in any configuration and as long as their foot plates are on a flat surface, the Droid will NEVER topple. Give it a try if you don't believe me. As an engineer (ex-engineer actually), this feat will never be achieved by chance, but instead through meticulous calculation of the CG (center of gravity) and angle of inclination of the legs. Very impressed. Very.

Check this out! Impressive balance!

In comparison, the Dwarf Spider Droid is much less impressive (but "cuter"). Its body is also spherical with a free rotating sphere in its core. A 2X2 round transparent brick found at the bottom of the sphere seems a little redundant given that its four legs are stiff enough to support the body. A pair of red eyes mounted on the front completes its 'cute' look. Honestly, the completed Dwarf Spider Droid looks more like a pet than a menacing droid. 

Building Experience

This set comes in a box that is appropriate for a set of this magnitude. The artwork on the front of the box reflects the sandy battle scene where the Spider Droids were in full action. As for the back, the various graphics found there showcase the playable features of this set. There is one instruction booklet and the bricks can be found in three separate packages. A separate ring (used for the body of the Homing Spider Droid, same as that used for the cockpit construction of the UCS B-Wing) can also be found in the box.

Contrary to my initial belief, the construction is not as boring as I thought. Although there were a fair bit of "4X" moments, thanks to the legs of the droids, there were a few interesting techniques deployed when building the body of the droids. There are also parts that I have not seen in other sets before, including my personal favourite - the spring looking silver tube that are sleeved over the legs of the Homing Spider Droid. 45 minutes were all it took for me to complete the construction. There are quite a number of extra bricks included. Double checked the instructions but I am certain I did not missed out on any step. Not complaining though.

Minifigs

The minifigs in the new 2013 Star Wars range excite me. There are quite a number of brand new unique minifigs that have never appeared before in this range that are worth collecting. In this set, the Stass Allie minifig scores a perfect hit, a home run. Subtle details such as her utility belt, the Tholoth headdress that she dons and, check this out, the purple colour of her eyes! Her hair piece is made of rubber and was individually wrapped, presumed that it was manufactured out of the LEGO factories. Nonetheless, it will require a brand new mould that will unlikely be used for another minifig any time soon. By the way, Stass Allie comes with a green light saber.

The Clone Trooper (a dime a dozen) and two Super Battle Droids are included in this set. Whilst the Clone Trooper is nothing too special, his weapon was. Using the standard long laser blaster as a basic weapon, it has an extended muzzle which makes the overall length longer than a minifig itself. A sniper in modern warfare would have been proud of such armory. The Super Battle Droid looks good from the front, but from the back, it exposed the multiple voids in the torso piece (don't expect the torso to be solid though). Hopefully this will be addressed in future release.

Conclusion

The Spider Droid is really an ugly machine. This is no fault of LEGO as they are merely trying to emulate the actual droids found in the movie. But from engineering and design point of view, I am most impressed. Throw in an exclusive minifig in the form of Stass Allie and I am sold. 

+ + Special non toppling design of the Homing Spider Droid

+ Vertical presence of the Droid 

+ Nice, unique minifig - Stass Allie, with plenty of accurate details

- Can't think of any, but if I have to, then it will be the Dwarf Spider Droid. 

  

Review: 75000 Clone Troopers vs. Droidekas

Set ID: 75000 Clone Troopers vs. Droidekas

Number of Pieces: 124

Year of Release: 2013

Minifigs: 4

Purchased Price: About SGD 25

It's 11.30 p.m. now. Knowing that for the remainder of this month I will be pre-occupied by (1) my relocation back to Singapore (Bye bye cheaper LEGO) and (2) drooling over the new 2013 summer collections of the Star Wars and LOTR range, I resorted to review a mini set instead. Building it = 15 minutes. Writing about it = Depends on how much longer I can keep my eyelid up. 

Unlike some other collectors, I do not intend to buy a dozen of such small sets to form a battle scene, although I must admit it is an attractive temptation. This is a 'first' set released in 2013 (based on its set number) and the 'first' one to be using the 5-digit set number. For that reason alone, it deserves a place in my already overspilling collection.

The command center holds a clone trooper and a clone sergeant, battling against the two accompanying Droidekas in this set. Due to its size, the command center does not come with much playable features. Separating the two Clone troopers is a control panel printed (yes!) on a sloping brick. There are also a couple of round slots behind the troopers where they can keep their laser blasters. 

Building Experience 

Inside the small box holds two packets of bricks and a thin instruction booklet. Most bricks are standard  but one brick did catch my attention. I believe it is new to the brick inventory and it is a 2X2 flat bottom  brick (as seen in the picture). As for the actual building process, I can't really write about something that is hardly challenging or stimulating, lasting only 15 minutes. 

Minifigs

There were a few versions of Droidekas released before but I personally like this version best. The curved brick on its head provide the much needed contour in the event the Droideka retract into a wheel for easy traveling. The three spiky legs look very close to its movie counterparts. A pair of double barreled blasters complete the arsenal of this menacing droid. There are several hinges in this Droideka which will allow some level of freedom to strike different poses. My only complaint of this Droideka is that its arms are a little too short. It should be at least a stud longer to look better.

Both Troopers share the same head piece and thus expression. Guess fighting Droidekas is hard work and these troopers are showing it all over their faces. The common Clone Trooper wears a totally white helmet, with exception of the black "T" across the face and down the bridge of the nose. His torso is printed on both sides with a lot of details printed. As for the Clone sergeant, his difference in rank is shown by the additional green theme on his helmet, arms and torso design. 

Conclusion

This set will hardly make an impression amongst those big players and UCS sets. But for a kid who might be getting his first (of many future) Star Wars set, this can be a good start. 

+ Droidekas. This is as close as you can get to the movie version 

+ Two additional Clone Troopers to a "Trooper Addict Collector"

+ Very affordable

- Lack of 'wow' factors

- Can't really find the actual picture / footage of how a control center look like to make a comparison 

Review: 10212 UCS Imperial Shuttle

Set ID: 10212 UCS Imperial Shuttle

Number of Pieces: 2503

Year of Release: 2010

Minifigs: 5

Purchased Price: About SGD 470

LEGO Star Wars fans like myself will always look forward to the launch of the UCS sets released each year. They do cost a bomb, but it comes with a lot of details, lots of fun building it and well ... takes up lots of space. From time to time, LEGO does get their act together and come up with UCS sets that are really worth waiting for. This, to me, is one of them. It is not without its shortcomings but the fact is, I could not wipe off that smile on my face upon the completion of the set says something about how much I like about it.

Best viewed display angle

To start with, the Imperial Shuttle is a beauty by itself. In almost total white, it has a strong contrast with  the black Darth Vader and the red Imperial guards accompanying him on his work trip. It has the word "Triangle" written all over it, from the shape of its wings and cockpit, to its profile during flight. Its oversized dorsal fins and wings made it one of the more recognisable vehicles in the Star Wars Series. And because it is "triangular", its aerodynamic design does exude a sense of speed when it ferries its occupants through space.

Mini sets aside, there was only one Imperial Shuttle set released so far. In 2001, the 238 piece Imperial Shuttle made its debut, with a much smaller size and lesser details. In contrast, this 2010 release is a monster, with slightly more than 2500 pieces of bricks and most impressive of all, built to scale for the minifigs. The only other UCS set that was built with such scaling is the UCS Millennium Falcon, the current record holder for brick count and size in the entire LEGO collection.

UCS sets are meant more for display (i.e. flaunting) than for playing, therefore explaining the lack of playable features in this set. Both wings can be posed in various position, adjusted by turning two knobs at the rear of the Shuttle. Both wings are independent of each other and therefore is not easy to get a totally symmetrical profile. Due to the sheer weight of the huge wings, the gears responsible for lifting them do struggle a little when they are in action. I will need to assist by lifting the wing tips off the ground before the gear can do the rest of the job.

As this Shuttle is built to scale relative to the minifig, the cockpit is large enough to accommodate FOUR minifgs inside, with space to spare! There are five control (all different stickers) panels inside the cockpit with a couple more panels for the occupants to meddle with. The cockpit is hinged near its nose and can be opened by tilting the canopy forward. A separate hinging piece of canopy completed the profile of the entire cockpit. The Shuttle's armoury include four pairs of front facing laser guns and another pair at its rear. 

The shuttle's fuselage resembles a flat box, concealing a complex gear box system in its belly. Part of the gear system can be seen from the top, turning as the wings fold up / down. The Shuttle can be displayed in two ways - (1) mounted on the display stand and (2) mounted on its undercarriage. The Imperial shuttle is best viewed and appreciated on the cross-shaped base display stand. Once the shuttle is elevated on the high display stand, its wings can be folder downwards to form the triangular profile.

What a ride?

There is little worry about loose pieces on the completed model. In fact, it can take a few light knocks and nothing will have come off. Very solid indeed. Do not expect to lift this model and zoom around in your room, its hefty weight will limit its playability and confine it to the display shelf in your collection chamber, that is, if you can afford the space for it. 

Building Experience

There are 2500 bricks in this set, so expect to set aside some time to embark on this building journey. Add some more time and difficulties during a rebuild process and it totaled to around 6 hours to complete this shuttle. When dismantling my version 1, I sorted them into 12 packets, mainly segregated by shapes. From the completed model, it seems that there are nothing but white bricks. The truth is, there is a good assortment of other colours, contributed by the large number of Technic parts which are largely blue and black.

The box is huge, and I remembered attracting some attention as I ferry it home. Once again, I like the way the box is opened without any perforation or damage. Four thick instruction booklets can be found in a pack, supported by a cardboard backing. The 1st booklet documents the step to build the gear system and most of the fuselage and part of the cockpit. Booklet 2 continues with the ginormous dorsal wing and undercarriage. Booklet 3 is for the other parts of the cockpit and the left wing while the last booklet completes the construction with the right wing and display stand.

The construction process is not without its challenges. First, you have to be really meticulous in reading the instructions right, especially when it comes to finding the pegs with the right length. There are at least 4 types of Technic pegs with various lengths and the best way to determine that you have the correct one is to make a quick comparison to the to-scale drawing in the instruction page. A mistake here can result in much frustrating and laborious backtracking.

The pegs are instrumental in keeping the 3 wings in shape. Weaving through the bricks, they provided the much required horizontal support to hold the bricks together and preventing sagging in the massive wing structure. Contrary to my initial fear of a boring building process for the wings, the good mix of different brick types and shapes made the building a lot more fun than it looks. My big challenge eventually came at the the critical juncture of fixing the wing to the fuselage. They are attached by piercing 4 pegs firmly into the cross-haired apertures. A slight misalignment will prevent any of the peg from total penetration. Brute strength and some trial-and-error will be necessary in these steps.

Minifigs

This is one of the few UCS sets that comes with minifigs. I must say the accompanying minfigs are nothing to shout about. This is Darth Vader's shuttle so there is no surprise of his inclusion. Taking out his helmet will reveal a battle scarred grey face with a rather serious expression. A stormtrooper, an imperial commander and an imperial pilot completes his entourage. Frankly I will like to see more of his entourage thrown in but the cockpit is designed to carry four only and there is no space at all in the fuselage. A smiley Luke Skywalker is also included in this set.

Conclusion

I placed the completed UCS Imperial Shuttle beside the UCS B-wing that I have recently constructed and I must say it was a non-competition. This Shuttle simply beats the latter hands (or wings) down, in terms of design, size and yes, poise.

+ Solid model. No problem about moving the set around at all
+ Versatile display options
+ Spacious cockpit to accomodate 4 minifgs

- Gear mechanism of the wings not adequately designed to lift the wings
- Quite difficult to fix the wings to the fuselage