If you’re anything like me (a 33-year-old man-child) then you’ll be creaming your Jedi robes over Rogue One’s tinkering with classic Star Wars design concepts. Death Troopers, U-Wings, TIE Strikers… a development beyond the parameters of the original films, but instantly familiar – and a perfect fit for that galaxy far, far away.
True to form, LEGO has tantalized even further with its new Rogue One range. And with a bit of Jedi mind trickery, we’ve managed to get our hands on a few of the most exciting models.
First off, it’s worth noting that unlike other LEGO sets released pre-movie, these are mercifully spoiler-free (we’re looking at you Captain America Airport Battle w/Giant Man, you big spoilery git). And while the big draw of licensed LEGO products is the mini figures, they’re supporting players with these, firstly because the vehicles are so good, and secondly because we’ve got no bleedin’ idea what any of the characters do in the movie.
(Although I can’t deny a disturbance in the Force – particularly in the pants region – when I unpackaged the LEGO Director Krennic. Being played by Ben Mendelsohn is good enough for me.)
Here’s a rundown of the sets we played with… sorry, reviewed. Ahem.
AT-ST WALKER
A fan favourite from Return of the Jedi, the AT-ST – or Scout Walker as we used to call them in the good old days – is an easy win. The design hasn’t been altered and it comes with a classic AT-ST pilot (along with a generic rebel trooper and rebel leader Baze Malbus). This one’s a relatively quick build, just taking a couple of hours, but slightly repetitive and fiddly on the legs.
The cockpit/head thingy uses some nice hooking techniques to hold together and keep the distinctive shape – the downside though, is that it’s fairly brittle. It will look an absolute peach on your desk or shelf, but needs constant rebuilding when the kids get their hands on it (sacrilege, I know).
The head also rotates with the switch on the back, which is a nice feature, and does recall the original 1983 Kenner toy. It’s a shame there’s not a stampy walking action too, but you can’t have it all, fan boys. If you want to go full geek – and I know that you do – a couple of these AT-STs next to an AT-AT would be a shelf display to lightsaber someone to death for.
REBEL U-WING FIGHTER
This is my favourite of the new sets. As an old school Star Wars fan, I was fascinated at getting a closer look at the ship’s design. Unmistakably the cousin of the classic X-Wing, there are some similarities, but it has some cool features of its own – a compartment in the belly of the ship with doors that swing open, a transparent floor that gives the impression of a 360-degree cockpit, and the wings themselves, which swing back into an aeroplane-style design or lock forward to create the “U”. Discovering these bits and bobs makes it a fun build – and once it’s all put together and opened out, it’s a big piece of kit. I have a feeling that once we’ve seen the ship in action in Rogue One there will be even more secrets revealed – making this set even cooler.
It comes with five mini figures, including Felicity Jones and Diego Luna’s rebel heroes, Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. Also included is a rebel trooper and giant-headed alien Bistan. For me though, the star figure is the U-Wing pilot, who’s rocking a blue variation on the classic X-Wing pilot clobber.
KRENNIC’S IMPERIAL SHUTTLE
Last, but certainly not least, is the personal transport of Rogue One’s big bad, Director Orson Krennic. This one’s being touted as the big one for Christmas and for good reason. It’s a huge model with slick features and a tasty selection of figures – Krennic himself, Bodhi Rook, alien Pao, droid K-2SO, and two Imperial Death Troopers (honestly, it’s ridiculous how excited I get over classic character designs just done in a different colour).
As with the other models, it comes with the standard spring-loaded canons. The wings are also fully articulated, and the whole cockpit section opens up as the front and sides shunt forward and down on hinges. It’s cracking stuff – and surprisingly robust. In fact, this and the U-Wing are both well sturdy, and will withstand a fair bit of intergalactic warfare.
Just like the movie version of this ship is based on the Imperial Shuttle from Jedi, the design of this is based on its Lego equivalent – which means, just like the Imperial Shuttle, it’s an absolute bugger to build. The design is impressively intricate, based around Technics methods, but tricky and laborious (especially when you’ve got a four-year-old trying to “help”). Worth it in the end of course, but you’ll need to put a day aside for it – worth remembering if you’re are buying it for Christmas. You’ll be a rebel hero for pulling it our pre-made and ready for action – and save yourself a day of Christmas misery by trying to make it when you’re half-cut and stuffed to the gills.
