Set ID: 75049 Snowspeeder
Number of Pieces: 278
Year of Release: 2014
Minifigs: 3
Purchased Price: About SGD 60
Having just recently completed the AT-AT shootout review, I was resisting the idea of having to do another shootout review for this new Snowspeeder. Part of the reason is because I have not built another Snowspeeder since completing the 2003 UCS version some time in 2005. Since then, there have been no exclusive Snowspeeder sets released and all we got were scene sets that include the Snowspeeders within.
The UCS set aside, Snowspeeder was first introduced in 1999 (set 7130) as one of the pioneer range of LEGO Star Wars sets. Not surprisingly, the early sets (including 4500 released in 2004) were a little primitive in design and building technique but sufficed to keep collectors happy. Being a rather small vehicle (around 200+ brick counts), there can be very little improvements or changes that can be made with every new release. In fact, I did a visual inspection of the pictures of the latest three Snowspeeders (sets 7666, 8089 and 75014) and had serious difficulties in telling them apart. It kind of reminded me of the "Spot the difference" game we used to play as children in the past and I derived some form of satisfaction with every difference I managed to pick up.
It is therefore perplexed to me why this set is released now, given that the Snowspeeder last appeared in the recent 2013's Battle of Hoth set. My only justification is to give it a "revamp" with the inclusion of spring loaded missiles. Other than that, I can't see the "why". I do not intend to do another shootout with the 2013's Snowspeeder as I just did one such review for the AT-AT. Instead, I shall review this Snowspeeder as if it is my first encounter with one.
The Exterior
From my research, it seems that there are two versions of Snowspeeder, one with rebel-orange stripes and the other in greys and whites only. This latest version is of the latter rather than the former, and is probably the first one without any trace of orange on it. The few stickers used provided the some nice detailed touches to the vehicle, especially the one on the nose of the Snowspeeder, showing traces of battle damage and scratches.
The Snowspeeder is piloted by two Rebel pilots, one forward facing and the other towards the rear. There are no joystick in the cockpit but each pilot has their own control panel which feature different details. The pilot seats have also adopted a new design, commonly found in Friends sets. Instead of sitting the minifig on 2 or 4 studs to secure the minifigs, this new design feature a T-bracket to slot between the legs of the minifigs so that they are able to sit on SNOT bricks. This dispense the need for the unsightly stud up seats found commonly in the past. The canopy of the cockpit can be opened entirely by hinging at the rear, or partially via the click hinge in the middle section.
The Snowspeeder is most famously known for bringing down the mighty AT-AT by tripping it using the winch and hook, masterfully executed by Luke Skywalker. The winch is well secured at the rear of the Snowspeeder but the hook and line cannot be deployed by simply pulling the hook it self. It is a rather tight mechanism which can only be operated by turning the gears. The engine exhaust at the rear are represented by a number of 2X1 grill bricks but I thought some touches of orange here will be nice to show an ignited engine.
Other than the pair of dummy twin cannons located on the wings, the arsenal of the Snowspeeder also include a stud-firing gun at the rear (presumably operated by the rear pilot), and a pair of spring loaded missiles found under each of the wing. These missiles are very well concealed and easy to fire off during play time.
Overall, the completed Snowspeeder feels very solid and there is no danger of loose parts coming off while swooshing around.
The set also comes with laser cannon operated by the Imperial ground troops. It is mounted on a tripod and has a magazine box attached via a whip-like feeding belt. The design of this cannon is very similar to that found in the 2011's Hoth Echo Base.
Building Experience
This set comes in a very squarish box that is rare in the Star Wars collection. While I like the rare departure from the norm, I do question the logic of the design of the opening end, which is located at the bottom rather than the top. There are a total of three packs of bricks, pack 1 for the fuselage while pack 2 and 3 are responsible for each wing. The three minifigs are also put separately into the three packs. Pack 1 contains most of the small bricks which made up the fuselage and cockpit but I was surprised to find lots of spares when pack 1 was completed. Why that generosity?
The other contents in the box include a instruction booklet and a sticker sheet. I mentioned earlier that the stickers are nice addition to the design but due to the fact that they are small, applying them on the bricks can be a challenge. Construction is easy, no major drama. What trips me was the winch and hook portion, where I have to tie the knots using the string. I have to admit I hate doing this part but its a necessary evil, isn't it?
I wasn't checking out the clock while building this as I was constantly distracted by the telecast of a World Cup match on the TV, but it felt like I took around 45 min to complete it. Kids will have absolute no issue to build this by themselves. Just help them with the knot on the winch...
Minifigs
Luke has evolved little from the version found in Battle of the Hoth set. From preliminary visual inspection, I can only see that the head piece is different. He comes with a dual sided printed head, one with the visor down and the other with the visor up. Both faces are also printed with chin straps which blend nicely once the helmet is worn. Talking about the helmet, the details printed on it are very movie accurate and I wonder if there is anything else the designer can do to make it better in the future? Luke's pilot outfit is also impressively detailed, printed on both sides. Check out the vest printing on the back of his torso, it has this organic feel to give it a more realistic look. The prints also extend to his leg piece with thigh pockets and straps. The bar on the quality of minifigs has been raised once again, I am now eagerly anticipating the next wave or next generation of Star Wars minifigs. Kudos to the designers!
Luke's co-pilot, Dak Ralter, is the second pilot included in the set. He shares the same torso and leg piece design with Luke so the only way to tell them apart is from neck up. His helmet has a blue theme as compared to Luke's. There are also lesser details but still movie accurate. I can't help but to laugh at his comical startled expression, a strong contrast to the happy one on the opposite side. His accessory is a small arm that can be kept in the cockpit area between the two pilot seats.
The Snowtrooper is new in the 2014 wave of Star Wars set but not new to me, as it was reviewed before in the latest AT-AT review. His inclusion is most appropriate for this set, to provide some resistance to the Snowspeeder. My favourite part of this minifig is still his helmet that includes a "fabric" face protector. Very detailed, very accurate. The only complaint I have is the "butt cape" that looks kind of weird but honestly, I can't think of a better way to represent it in the LEGO form.
Conclusion
Perhaps this is a typical demonstration of diminishing marginal utility (something that I learnt from the boring Economic lessons during my school days), or perhaps it's a matter of over supply vs under demand (another key principle from Economic lessons). Regardless the reason, I am hardly jumping over the moon with this set. With hardly significant improvements (please don't include the by-now default inclusion of spring loaded missiles), I would not be interested to pick this set up, if not because I am a die hard fan.
+ Snowspeeder will always be a classic
+ Nice detailed minifigs
+ Not too expensive (relatively speaking to other June releases)
- No major improvements to wow
- Dislike the tying of knots for the grapple hook (It's just me ...)
- How many Snowspeeders do we need?
P.S. Just realised that my blog review page has just crossed the 10,000 hit mark!!!
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| Small vehicle with low nick count = difficult to improve? |
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| David vs. Goliath |
The Exterior
From my research, it seems that there are two versions of Snowspeeder, one with rebel-orange stripes and the other in greys and whites only. This latest version is of the latter rather than the former, and is probably the first one without any trace of orange on it. The few stickers used provided the some nice detailed touches to the vehicle, especially the one on the nose of the Snowspeeder, showing traces of battle damage and scratches.
 |
| Just the good old grey and white |
 |
| Spring loaded missiles well concealed |
Overall, the completed Snowspeeder feels very solid and there is no danger of loose parts coming off while swooshing around.
The set also comes with laser cannon operated by the Imperial ground troops. It is mounted on a tripod and has a magazine box attached via a whip-like feeding belt. The design of this cannon is very similar to that found in the 2011's Hoth Echo Base.
Building Experience
This set comes in a very squarish box that is rare in the Star Wars collection. While I like the rare departure from the norm, I do question the logic of the design of the opening end, which is located at the bottom rather than the top. There are a total of three packs of bricks, pack 1 for the fuselage while pack 2 and 3 are responsible for each wing. The three minifigs are also put separately into the three packs. Pack 1 contains most of the small bricks which made up the fuselage and cockpit but I was surprised to find lots of spares when pack 1 was completed. Why that generosity?The other contents in the box include a instruction booklet and a sticker sheet. I mentioned earlier that the stickers are nice addition to the design but due to the fact that they are small, applying them on the bricks can be a challenge. Construction is easy, no major drama. What trips me was the winch and hook portion, where I have to tie the knots using the string. I have to admit I hate doing this part but its a necessary evil, isn't it?
I wasn't checking out the clock while building this as I was constantly distracted by the telecast of a World Cup match on the TV, but it felt like I took around 45 min to complete it. Kids will have absolute no issue to build this by themselves. Just help them with the knot on the winch...
Minifigs
Luke has evolved little from the version found in Battle of the Hoth set. From preliminary visual inspection, I can only see that the head piece is different. He comes with a dual sided printed head, one with the visor down and the other with the visor up. Both faces are also printed with chin straps which blend nicely once the helmet is worn. Talking about the helmet, the details printed on it are very movie accurate and I wonder if there is anything else the designer can do to make it better in the future? Luke's pilot outfit is also impressively detailed, printed on both sides. Check out the vest printing on the back of his torso, it has this organic feel to give it a more realistic look. The prints also extend to his leg piece with thigh pockets and straps. The bar on the quality of minifigs has been raised once again, I am now eagerly anticipating the next wave or next generation of Star Wars minifigs. Kudos to the designers!
Luke's co-pilot, Dak Ralter, is the second pilot included in the set. He shares the same torso and leg piece design with Luke so the only way to tell them apart is from neck up. His helmet has a blue theme as compared to Luke's. There are also lesser details but still movie accurate. I can't help but to laugh at his comical startled expression, a strong contrast to the happy one on the opposite side. His accessory is a small arm that can be kept in the cockpit area between the two pilot seats.
The Snowtrooper is new in the 2014 wave of Star Wars set but not new to me, as it was reviewed before in the latest AT-AT review. His inclusion is most appropriate for this set, to provide some resistance to the Snowspeeder. My favourite part of this minifig is still his helmet that includes a "fabric" face protector. Very detailed, very accurate. The only complaint I have is the "butt cape" that looks kind of weird but honestly, I can't think of a better way to represent it in the LEGO form.Conclusion
Perhaps this is a typical demonstration of diminishing marginal utility (something that I learnt from the boring Economic lessons during my school days), or perhaps it's a matter of over supply vs under demand (another key principle from Economic lessons). Regardless the reason, I am hardly jumping over the moon with this set. With hardly significant improvements (please don't include the by-now default inclusion of spring loaded missiles), I would not be interested to pick this set up, if not because I am a die hard fan.
+ Snowspeeder will always be a classic
+ Nice detailed minifigs
+ Not too expensive (relatively speaking to other June releases)
- No major improvements to wow
- Dislike the tying of knots for the grapple hook (It's just me ...)
- How many Snowspeeders do we need?
P.S. Just realised that my blog review page has just crossed the 10,000 hit mark!!!
I've found the biggest differences between the last three iterations of the Snowspeeder is at the back, how the harpoon/laser cannon is depicted and mounted. The 75049 is also larger than the two immediate predecessors.
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