Set ID: 75021 Republic Gunship
Number of Pieces: 1175
Year of Release: 2013
Minifigs: 7
Purchased Price: About SGD 200
The Republic Gunships played a big part in the rescue of the Jedi knights in Episode 2. Faced with a closing circle of Battle Droids, the Jedi were outnumbered and facing certain death. In come a swarm of Republic Gunships into the execution arena, led by Master Yoda, swopping down on the Droids and eliminating them by the dozens. That scene alone gave me a thumbs up impression of the Gunships, looking bulky but yet, deadly. The LEGO version did not disappoint either, preserving its good impression with me.
Two earlier versions of the Gunship were released by LEGO in 2002 and 2008. As I am not a Clone War sets collector, the only other version I have in my possession (not physically with me now but somewhere buried in my LEGO storehouse) is the 2002's 7163. It has been some years since I have built that older sibling so there is little recollection left of how that experience was. More than a decade later, LEGO finally decided to re-launch the set, throw in close to 500 more bricks, double the price (inflation notwithstanding) and created a much better and playable set. At first sight, this is indeed a good looking set. Even my ageing father also commented how good it looks standing beside the Droid Gunship that I just completed last week.
The completed Gunship feels heavy and solid, with exception of a few loose parts near the nose of the cockpit. To enhance mobility, this Gunship comes with an in-built C-shape carrying handle that can be tucked away when not required. Having said that, it might still not be easy for a younger child to be carrying this Gunship by the handle, given that it weighs close to 2kg. Its huge wingspan contributes to an intimidating presence (and more space occupying on the shelf) and its height dwarfed most sets that I have recently constructed.
The Gunship is controlled by two pilots in the elevated cockpits. On the tip of both wings, you can find a huge bubble canopy each (presumably for the gunners / co-pilots) with pretty luxurious space within and an elaborate stickered control panel. Two more canopies can be found hinged to the mid body, allowing the Trooper to stand guard with panoramic view of the surrounding, while executing the extraction manoeuvre.
Playable Features
A well designed chamber below the cockpit conceals a rack of flick missiles, accessed by two hinged doors. How those missiles can be deployed still baffled me though. Another two hinged cabin doors can be found towards the rear of the Gunship. Opening them reveals a spacious interior and a parked Trooper Bike for recon missions. These doors are rather stiff to move and could not be completely closed by the use of the in-built hinged lever. Manual intervention will be required to flushed the doors against the side of the Gunship.
A couple of nice playable features can actually be found at the rear. A secret compartment is found above the hinged ramp. Its a nice little touch but IMHO, unnecessary. Should you desire, the light sabers and blasters can be stored here, but who will want to do that in the thick of action in Geonosis? The ramp provides an exit for the Trooper Bike, which can be secured in place by a couple of grooved 4X1 bricks while in flight.
Despite its overwhelming size, the Gunship is not as heavily armed as I thought it should be. However, the lack in numbers are more than made up by the versatility of the few guns, mounted on ball-and-socket joints, providing a good range of firepower against the enemies. Two rows of flick missiles stuck out like a sore thumb on top of the Gunship. Very unlikely to be deployed even during play time as they are rather difficult to "flick". Funny though, that I am not able to locate these missiles in all the pictures that I researched online. But upon close examination of the Episode 2 clips, I finally caught a glimpse of those missiles in one of the scenes. However, they were shown as concealed rather than sticking out like what's on this LEGO version.
Building Experience
This is one of the biggest sets of the green box / Yoda series. Unfortunately, the opening of the box requires the perforation of parts of the box. As much as I always try to preserve the state of the box whenever I open one, such design made it impossible to. Once opened, I was greeted with nine packs of bricks and a pack of 2 instruction booklets, supported by a hard card board. Also included is a very impressive double sided poster, one of the 2013 minifigs and another of the Gunship itself in battle. As much as I would like to display the poster in my room, the thought of its subsequent disintegration discouraged me to do so.
As I had suspected, there were a fair bit of Technics parts and techniques required in the building process, especially for the lifting mechanism and the attachment of wings to the fuselage. Putting those long technic pins into a series of cross-hair openings is never going to be an easy task, even for myself. But once you get the "click" sensation, you know these parts are together for good.
There are a fair bit of stickers applications for this set, and the sizes of the stickers vary widely. Despite knowing that they will curl up in the months ahead, I proceeded with the application as they truly enhance the look and details of the Gunship. The whole construction took around 2.5 hours, with some tolerable repetitive steps for the wings and sliding cabin doors.
At the end of the building process, I could not help but to notice that the extra pieces were more than just the normal single-stud bricks. There were a few struts that were four amongst the extras, which prompted me to do an extensive revisit of the instruction booklet to ensure that I did not miss out any step. I didn't. So it must be due to the generosity of LEGO.
Minifigs
Other than the Super Battle Droid, the rest of the minifigs are unique to this set. At 7, the headcount is rather impressive, BUT I am still lamenting the exclusion of some minifigs that would compliment this set greatly, namely Yoda or Mace Windu, who have a lion share of air time in the movie scenes involving the Republic Gunship. Not too sure how much the price will inflate if my wish comes true though.
Anakin Skywalker - I hate this Anakin minifig, for a sole reason - the hair. Yes, in the movie, Anakin's hair was indeed combed back but not to the extent that it looks like a helmet rather than a hair piece. Even the color was wrong! His 2 expressions are difficult to tell apart and I am not sure if those additional lines on his cheeks are supposed to give him a more defined profile, or is it completely redundant? The details of his tunic prints on both sides of the torso piece still impresses, although it is hard to see his braided hair found on his right shoulder. His long tunic extends to the leg piece, with the prints up to the knew level.
Pademe Amidala - Three words. Oo la la. LEGO is getting closer to getting this minifig closer to Natalie Portman than ever. The resemblance can be seen by the inclusion of a couple of trademark moles found in the movie character! The lipstick color has also been toned down to avoid making Amidala more like a Moulin Rouge entertainer than a heroine. My favourite details on this minifig is still the battled / scratched torso prints on both sides, a result of her close shave with death in the execution arena.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - This Obi-Wan comes with a new hair piece that looks less symmetrical and more natural. He comes with a double sided head, one with an intense expression and the other a calmer one. There are little improvements to his torso prints, with both sides printed with his trademark earth coloured robe. It's worth noting that his belt is also printed on both sides of the torso. What sets this Obi-Wan apart from his predecessor is the extension of printing to his leg piece, a better representation of his long robe.
Clone Pilot - There are many variations of Clone pilots in my collection but this is new and unique to the set. He shares the same helmet mould with the accompanying Clone Trooper Captain, but just with a different paint work and colour tone (yellow). The details on the helmets are impressive but pale in comparison to that found on the torso piece. The prints on the torso do exude a sense of depth rather than the conventional 2-dimensional printing in the past. It will only get better, I hope.
Clone Trooper Captain - The Captain has a slightly more elaborate helmet design, although the face within is a homogeneous 2014 Clone Trooper version. The maroon colour tone can also be found in his sleeves and chest plate design. While his front torso sets him apart from the Clone Trooper, they both share the same rear torso print. His plain white leg piece looks rather naked in comparison to all the impressive designs above waistline but I guess in time to come, it too will be invaded with prints.
Super Battle Droid - Formidable and impressive when viewed from the front, empty and disappointing when viewed from the back. Period.
Conclusion
One of the more impressive sets launched in 2013. Its playability and minifigs (most of them at least) score high with me, while I do hope to see more remarkable improvements to the design if LEGO ever wants to launch another version few years down the road. Its substantial weight should also be noted if you want to give this as a present for a kids < 8 years old.
+ Handle for carrying around and playtime
+ Lots of playable features
+ Sleeker design compared to previous versions
+ Details on bubble canopies
- Loose parts / hangar doors
- Flick missiles on top looks out of place
- Could have included a Yoda or Mace Windu's minifig
Two earlier versions of the Gunship were released by LEGO in 2002 and 2008. As I am not a Clone War sets collector, the only other version I have in my possession (not physically with me now but somewhere buried in my LEGO storehouse) is the 2002's 7163. It has been some years since I have built that older sibling so there is little recollection left of how that experience was. More than a decade later, LEGO finally decided to re-launch the set, throw in close to 500 more bricks, double the price (inflation notwithstanding) and created a much better and playable set. At first sight, this is indeed a good looking set. Even my ageing father also commented how good it looks standing beside the Droid Gunship that I just completed last week.The completed Gunship feels heavy and solid, with exception of a few loose parts near the nose of the cockpit. To enhance mobility, this Gunship comes with an in-built C-shape carrying handle that can be tucked away when not required. Having said that, it might still not be easy for a younger child to be carrying this Gunship by the handle, given that it weighs close to 2kg. Its huge wingspan contributes to an intimidating presence (and more space occupying on the shelf) and its height dwarfed most sets that I have recently constructed.The Gunship is controlled by two pilots in the elevated cockpits. On the tip of both wings, you can find a huge bubble canopy each (presumably for the gunners / co-pilots) with pretty luxurious space within and an elaborate stickered control panel. Two more canopies can be found hinged to the mid body, allowing the Trooper to stand guard with panoramic view of the surrounding, while executing the extraction manoeuvre.
Playable Features
A well designed chamber below the cockpit conceals a rack of flick missiles, accessed by two hinged doors. How those missiles can be deployed still baffled me though. Another two hinged cabin doors can be found towards the rear of the Gunship. Opening them reveals a spacious interior and a parked Trooper Bike for recon missions. These doors are rather stiff to move and could not be completely closed by the use of the in-built hinged lever. Manual intervention will be required to flushed the doors against the side of the Gunship.
A couple of nice playable features can actually be found at the rear. A secret compartment is found above the hinged ramp. Its a nice little touch but IMHO, unnecessary. Should you desire, the light sabers and blasters can be stored here, but who will want to do that in the thick of action in Geonosis? The ramp provides an exit for the Trooper Bike, which can be secured in place by a couple of grooved 4X1 bricks while in flight.
Despite its overwhelming size, the Gunship is not as heavily armed as I thought it should be. However, the lack in numbers are more than made up by the versatility of the few guns, mounted on ball-and-socket joints, providing a good range of firepower against the enemies. Two rows of flick missiles stuck out like a sore thumb on top of the Gunship. Very unlikely to be deployed even during play time as they are rather difficult to "flick". Funny though, that I am not able to locate these missiles in all the pictures that I researched online. But upon close examination of the Episode 2 clips, I finally caught a glimpse of those missiles in one of the scenes. However, they were shown as concealed rather than sticking out like what's on this LEGO version.
Building Experience
This is one of the biggest sets of the green box / Yoda series. Unfortunately, the opening of the box requires the perforation of parts of the box. As much as I always try to preserve the state of the box whenever I open one, such design made it impossible to. Once opened, I was greeted with nine packs of bricks and a pack of 2 instruction booklets, supported by a hard card board. Also included is a very impressive double sided poster, one of the 2013 minifigs and another of the Gunship itself in battle. As much as I would like to display the poster in my room, the thought of its subsequent disintegration discouraged me to do so.As I had suspected, there were a fair bit of Technics parts and techniques required in the building process, especially for the lifting mechanism and the attachment of wings to the fuselage. Putting those long technic pins into a series of cross-hair openings is never going to be an easy task, even for myself. But once you get the "click" sensation, you know these parts are together for good.There are a fair bit of stickers applications for this set, and the sizes of the stickers vary widely. Despite knowing that they will curl up in the months ahead, I proceeded with the application as they truly enhance the look and details of the Gunship. The whole construction took around 2.5 hours, with some tolerable repetitive steps for the wings and sliding cabin doors.At the end of the building process, I could not help but to notice that the extra pieces were more than just the normal single-stud bricks. There were a few struts that were four amongst the extras, which prompted me to do an extensive revisit of the instruction booklet to ensure that I did not miss out any step. I didn't. So it must be due to the generosity of LEGO.
Minifigs
Other than the Super Battle Droid, the rest of the minifigs are unique to this set. At 7, the headcount is rather impressive, BUT I am still lamenting the exclusion of some minifigs that would compliment this set greatly, namely Yoda or Mace Windu, who have a lion share of air time in the movie scenes involving the Republic Gunship. Not too sure how much the price will inflate if my wish comes true though.
Anakin Skywalker - I hate this Anakin minifig, for a sole reason - the hair. Yes, in the movie, Anakin's hair was indeed combed back but not to the extent that it looks like a helmet rather than a hair piece. Even the color was wrong! His 2 expressions are difficult to tell apart and I am not sure if those additional lines on his cheeks are supposed to give him a more defined profile, or is it completely redundant? The details of his tunic prints on both sides of the torso piece still impresses, although it is hard to see his braided hair found on his right shoulder. His long tunic extends to the leg piece, with the prints up to the knew level.Pademe Amidala - Three words. Oo la la. LEGO is getting closer to getting this minifig closer to Natalie Portman than ever. The resemblance can be seen by the inclusion of a couple of trademark moles found in the movie character! The lipstick color has also been toned down to avoid making Amidala more like a Moulin Rouge entertainer than a heroine. My favourite details on this minifig is still the battled / scratched torso prints on both sides, a result of her close shave with death in the execution arena.Obi-Wan Kenobi - This Obi-Wan comes with a new hair piece that looks less symmetrical and more natural. He comes with a double sided head, one with an intense expression and the other a calmer one. There are little improvements to his torso prints, with both sides printed with his trademark earth coloured robe. It's worth noting that his belt is also printed on both sides of the torso. What sets this Obi-Wan apart from his predecessor is the extension of printing to his leg piece, a better representation of his long robe.Clone Pilot - There are many variations of Clone pilots in my collection but this is new and unique to the set. He shares the same helmet mould with the accompanying Clone Trooper Captain, but just with a different paint work and colour tone (yellow). The details on the helmets are impressive but pale in comparison to that found on the torso piece. The prints on the torso do exude a sense of depth rather than the conventional 2-dimensional printing in the past. It will only get better, I hope.
Clone Trooper Captain - The Captain has a slightly more elaborate helmet design, although the face within is a homogeneous 2014 Clone Trooper version. The maroon colour tone can also be found in his sleeves and chest plate design. While his front torso sets him apart from the Clone Trooper, they both share the same rear torso print. His plain white leg piece looks rather naked in comparison to all the impressive designs above waistline but I guess in time to come, it too will be invaded with prints.
Super Battle Droid - Formidable and impressive when viewed from the front, empty and disappointing when viewed from the back. Period.
Conclusion
One of the more impressive sets launched in 2013. Its playability and minifigs (most of them at least) score high with me, while I do hope to see more remarkable improvements to the design if LEGO ever wants to launch another version few years down the road. Its substantial weight should also be noted if you want to give this as a present for a kids < 8 years old.
+ Handle for carrying around and playtime
+ Lots of playable features
+ Sleeker design compared to previous versions
+ Details on bubble canopies
- Loose parts / hangar doors
- Flick missiles on top looks out of place
- Could have included a Yoda or Mace Windu's minifig
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