Review: 75382 TIE Interceptor
Posted by CapnRex101,
Last year saw the introduction of 75355 X-wing Starfighter, which paid deliberate tribute to one of the two original Ultimate Collector Series sets, 7191 X-wing Fighter. The old-fashioned 7181 TIE Interceptor receives similar treatment this year, updated as 75382 TIE Interceptor.
The original design is remarkably dated, but its modern equivalent looks fantastic in official images, aiming to replicate the TIE Interceptor's spherical cockpit more faithfully than any other TIE-series model. Furthermore, the designer has paid particular attention to detailing, which has definitely proven worthwhile.
Summary
75382 TIE Interceptor, 1,931 pieces.
£199.99 / $229.99 / €229.99 | 10.4p/11.9c/11.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Accuracy is essential to the Ultimate Collector Series and 75382 TIE Interceptor delivers!
- Unparalleled level of detail
- Outstanding accuracy
- Impressive interior
- Ideal model for display
- Some unsightly gaps
- Mediocre minifigures
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box and Contents
Whereas certain subjects are ill-suited to dark 18+ packaging, I think the TIE Interceptor looks fantastic. The angle is attractive and I like the red glow behind the vessel, mirroring the control consoles inside. Opening the box reveals 22 numbered bags, the instruction manual and fifteen stickers, which surprised me because no stickers are apparent in official images.
Minifigures
Naturally, the TIE Interceptor is accompanied by an exclusive TIE Pilot, much like 75095 TIE Fighter from 2015. While the printed arms are unique, the helmet has appeared twice already and looks good, featuring white Imperial insignia alongside some metallic silver highlights. The head underneath is partially exposed from behind though, so I would love to see the TIE Pilot helmet updated.
The torso and legs are familiar as well, returning from the same two sets and decorated with creases on the undersuit and accurate buttons on the chest-mounted life support unit. These details are effective and I like the metallic silver accents on the belt, although the printed arms are obviously the primary draw for this minifigure.
As expected, these arms are very similar to those on the minifigure from 75095 TIE Fighter. I like the Imperial emblems and pouches on both shoulders, while the colourful communication pad only appears on the left arm. The buttons on this pad have been marginally updated since 2015 and the minifigure looks excellent overall, albeit not hugely exciting.
Ultimate Collector Series sets usually contain two minifigures nowadays, so I wonder whether Moff Jerjerrod would have been a suitable inclusion here. Instead, we receive a Mouse Droid. These ubiquitous droids are available in numerous sets, but this example is unique, as its body is elongated to include command order trays on top. While very oversized beside a minifigure, the droid is quite detailed.
Reference
Source - starwars.fandom.com
The Completed Model
The classic TIE/in Interceptor is renowned for its dagger-shaped wings, which are translated brilliantly into LEGO form. The proportions between the solar array wings and the cockpit are accurate too, while the black and light bluish grey colour scheme remains consistent with other TIE-series sets. Arguably, sand blue would be more appropriate than grey, but honestly, I am accustomed to the established colours.
75095 TIE Fighter is a natural companion for this model on display and they are pretty close to being in scale, as the TIE Interceptor measures 39cm in length. However, this vehicle is placed at a significantly steeper angle than most Ultimate Collector Series models and its display stand cannot be adjusted without modification, which I find surprising.
Of course, there is a dramatic difference between 75382 TIE Interceptor and its predecessor, 7181 TIE Interceptor. The original design was perhaps a bit dated even when it was released and contains a mere 703 pieces, compared with today's 1931-piece design. Among numerous substantial upgrades, the new model is therefore much heavier than the previous version.
The display stand remains quite similar between the two TIE Interceptors, however. 75355 X-wing Starfighter also recreated its precursor's display stand as faithfully as possible and such continuity is fun, particularly because both renditions of the TIE Interceptor were developed by Henrik Andersen! The new display stand does accommodate the provided characters though, alongside a printed brick for the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars.
Although the style of the printed plaque remains identical to other modern sets in the range, the 8x16 tile has actually been updated with the same shiny finish as other LEGO tiles, rather than the standard matte surface. This is more susceptible to scratches, unfortunately, but otherwise looks superb. The information on the plaque was clearly sourced from an older book, giving an armament of four laser cannons instead of six, but either is probably fine.
The cockpit and attached wing pylons are absolutely rigid, which is important, since the solar array wings are fairly heavy. The need for strength has not compromised the external design though, as the detailing is exceptional and I think the general shape looks impressive as well. 75095 TIE Fighter used a relatively basic combination of slopes for its cockpit, but this module seems more rounded.
Panels are attached in multiple directions and removing a couple reveals the great complexity inside. Various brackets support the major panels, while smaller sections above and below the windscreen are connected with clips. The cockpit sphere is anchored to Technic bricks on either side using 1x2 Technic bricks with axle beams, so the whole assembly feels strong.
Fortunately, the bright colours are concealed once the wing stanchions are complete and they are stunningly detailed. The texture looks excellent and I love the angled reinforcing structures on the top and bottom, even though they are slightly oversized. In addition, the sensors outside the cockpit are cleverly represented by dark bluish grey video game controllers, recreating the source material well.
I think the size of the printed viewport is reasonable, improving on minifigure-scale versions of TIE-series vessels in that regard. However, there are some gaps around the windscreen. They are minimal and likely unavoidable when assembling a sphere like this, but noticeable. Also, the distribution of studs between the cockpit and the wing pylons is rather imbalanced.
The hatch on top is accurately decorated and even includes a tiny bump on top, taken directly from the onscreen fighters. The opening mechanism is simple and reveals extraordinary detail inside. On that basis, it is a shame the hatch is so small because it is difficult to view the interior properly without any disassembly.
Nevertheless, looking from above shows the seat inside, featuring a series of black 1x2 ingots for padding. The interior walls, meanwhile, are covered with 2x2 triangular tiles, each including stickers to form diagnostic displays and controls. The lights on many of these panels are red, so I like the matching red brackets behind the stickered tiles.
As well as the triangular tiles, three-sided signs with clips are positioned in the corners of the cockpit, again decorated with stickers. These are particularly difficult to see, but I am pleased that such detail is included. On the other hand, using fifteen stickers for control and diagnostic panels does seem excessive!
The most important controls are obviously those directly in front of the pilot, which seem to be inspired by their arrangement in Star Wars Squadrons. Once again, these are hard to see with only the canopy open, so I have also removed a segment of the roof to show the navigation and vehicle status displays below. These are appealing and flank a final sticker on a 1x1 round tile, featuring an X-wing in the TIE Interceptor's sights!
Curves from the front of the cockpit are repeated on the back, albeit with the TIE Interceptor's compact thrusters on this side. The engine housing is constructed in eight sections around the hexagonal exhaust neutraliser grid, consisting of alternating wedge plates and slopes to reduce the size of any gaps.
A couple of dark bluish grey slopes are integrated among the light bluish grey elements, again showing amazing attention to detail, as darker panels are found in the same places on fighters from the movies. However, perhaps the most outstanding detail of all is the Technic pin situated above the exhaust grid, which recreates a miniscule mechanical feature of the onscreen craft.
The central section of the TIE Interceptor is outwardly identical to normal TIE Fighters, but the solar array wings are unique and instantly identifiable. Their angular shape looks stunning and these structures strike a clever balance between smooth panels and intricate mechanical detail, exactly as presented in films and television series.
75375 Millennium Falcon introduced a new 2x4 slope, although I assume the component was created for this set, appearing along its wings. These angled inner frames are perfectly faithful to the source material and I love the accurate pipes on the outer frames. Henrik has mentioned using photos of the filming models for reference when designing sets and it definitely shows!
Laser cannons are mounted on each wingtip, putting double-barrelled laser guns to ingenious use as braces, as the texture on these accessories is identical to charging coils on the original starfighter. The laser cannons are notably fragile though, as they are only attached to the wings with a single stud each.
Advanced targeting sensors are positioned inside the wing cutouts. Yet again, the attention to detail is extraordinary, as the targeting sensors are correctly asymmetrical. The higher sensor extends further on one side and the lower sensor is longer on the other. Furthermore, shovels form accurate sensor shrouds, precisely as they did on 7181 TIE Interceptor.
The texture behind the mechanical sensors is impressive, attaching 1x2 jumper plates upside down and using train wheels as power converters. These are new in light bluish grey and look superb. The solar array panels themselves are simply constructed with plates, so the studs are exposed. I think this works well, given the panels are not completely smooth onscreen.
By this point, it should be clear that nothing from the TIE Interceptor has been overlooked. The inner surfaces of the wings are no exception, where roller skates, welding torch cables and the tops of hinged bricks provide even more detail. When viewed from a distance, this model looks quite simple, but closer examination is rewarding.
Overall
Any comparison between 7181 TIE Interceptor and 75382 TIE Interceptor shows how LEGO designs have advanced since 2000, as expected. However, I was not expecting the model to make more recent Ultimate Collector Series sets, such as 75095 TIE Fighter, appear outdated, which it does! This recreation of the TIE Interceptor looks spectacular from all angles and the standard of detail is unmatched.
Unfortunately, a few details are rather fragile and those inside the cockpit are not as visible as they deserve to be. Also, the exterior does feature some gaps and occasional bulges, but I am not convinced they were avoidable. Based on the size of this model alone, the price of £199.99, $229.99 or €229.99 seems slightly expensive, although I am more satisfied with its value after actually building the TIE Interceptor.
175 likes
81 comments on this article
I like the attempt at making the cockpit more spherical, though it has a few too many gaps. Still looks good on the whole. The interior detail is unmatched (unfortunate about the stickers though) and the pylons and wings look great. It is also reasonably priced compared to other UCS sets and especially compared to the UCS TIE Fighter from 9 years ago. It's a shame that the stand cannot be angled differently, I don't like how far up the ship is pointing.
I’ve steered clear of UCS models, as I prefer my LEGO sets to function as toys rather than mere display pieces. That said, models like this one are undeniably appealing.
Every UCS re-build makes me wonder how many of the new one you could trade up the old one for!
It looks a lot nicer. Though the bright blue print on the display tile rather glaringly contrasts with the complete lack of colour on the model. Ironic really, as the box art of the older model used a black & white image that didn't show any of the blue outlining. Fantastic details on the new one though. Makes you realise the old one was just a regular kit built bigger, rather than a new level of detailing.
In my opinion this set is just perfect. Minifigure is also good, I like classical helmet and printed arms are great. Construction is, as I sad, perfect and there are not too many stickers. It's a shame that the UCS X-wing is so poorly made, they would look nice together.
It's a good looking set. Though a bit bulky where the struts meet the cockpit.
And the latest version of the Incredible Cross-section book only lists the TIE Interceptor as having 4 laser cannons. I believe the old EU established that there could be different load outs. Not sure about the new continuity.
One day, Lego will finally start using sand blue on the TIE sets.
All my homies hate stickers on 1x1 tiles
(Seriously, if it's that small, just print it!)
I thought LEGO didn't sticker 1x1 tiles (round or otherwise) anymore? Also, now we must ask the question of 'when are we getting the big driving wheels in light bluish gray?' The inverse question is also applied to the dark red train drivers from Mario: 'when are we getting the smaller train wheel in dark red?'
Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL
I think sand blue could have made a nice change to the 'traditional' LBG. As for the stickers, no comment.
Overall a very nice model which will grace my shelves.
great review, thanks !
Thank god there is an error on the plaque! We can't have LEGO just putting out faultless plaques all of a sudden. Love the model and it makes my UCS TIE Fighter look pretty outdated. A well, here's hope to a fresh UCS Bomber design.
The cockpit looks a bit bulbous, I'm not sure I like it. The rest is excellent. The problem with introducing sand blue at this stage is it'd break continuity with all the fighters they've released since they stopped using blue back in about 2010 or so, even though sand blue would make these models pop a lot more.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL"
the easily scratched plaque is obviously very upsetting. It just isn't the standard you'd expect from a $230 UCS set.
@capnrex101 I would disagree that 4 Vs 6 laser cannons is an error, or outdated information. While the chin guns are seen being used in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots in ROTJ, everything that's made a deliberate effort to show the Interceptor in detail (Squadrons, Rebels) shows 4 cannons. I'm not 100% sure what the Mandalorian did though, I haven't checked. At best I think either 4 or 6 is a valid answer, which seems to be the state of cannon canon right now.
Also what a gorgeous model! I love that it's from the same designer.
@MisterBrickster said:
" @capnrex101 I would disagree that 4 Vs 6 laser cannons is an error, or outdated information. While the chin guns are seen being used in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots in ROTJ, everything that's made a deliberate effort to show the Interceptor in detail (Squadrons, Rebels) shows 4 cannons. I'm not 100% sure what the Mandalorian did though, I haven't checked. At best I think either 4 or 6 is a valid answer, which seems to be the state of cannon canon right now.
Also what a gorgeous model! I love that it's from the same designer. "
I agree it is not a significant issue by any means, but six is the number given in new reference books* because there are visibly six in Return of the Jedi. Some sources have mentioned the possibility of different weapon configurations, but without wishing to get too into the weeds, I find that dubious because it conflicts with Imperial military doctrine, which normally favours uniformity over specialisation.
*In response to @Jo3K3rr above, the cross sections books almost always retain information from the original book published in 1998, including essentially all the data for Original Trilogy vehicles.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL"
Ya know I really liked watching his videos, but after the UCS gunship and the helmet holes were introduced, it just seems like every video is "How can I find even more problems with lego?"
Can I just say that lego tried using sand blue for the bad batch shuttle and EVERYONE hated it. I would expect the same response if they did that to tie fighters as well.
@YoungB1ood said:
"Can I just say that lego tried using sand blue for the bad batch shuttle and EVERYONE hated it. I would expect the same response if they did that to tie fighters as well."
Wasn't the main problem with the shuttle that it was just an ugly set in general, not the color choice?
@YoungB1ood said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL"
Ya know I really liked watching his videos, but after the UCS gunship and the helmet holes were introduced, it just seems like every video is "How can I find even more problems with lego?"
"
FR FR
The only thing bothered me with the first design was the shape of the wings. Other than that, I'm ok with what I got. This, although looks much better, can live without.
“Should we attach these guns with more than one bolt?”
“Nah, it’ll make the hardware easier to recover in case some shielded-up X-wing drives right through the cockpit.”
First day buy for me—dont care about the problems, I need this set
A substantial upgrade over the original, unlike the X-Wing that never seemed to improve much.
Interested, however does anyone know if the pilot proportionally fit in the cockpit?
@YoungB1ood said:
"Can I just say that lego tried using sand blue for the bad batch shuttle and EVERYONE hated it. I would expect the same response if they did that to tie fighters as well."
I loved it FOR the Sand Blue!
I'd like to recolor my TIE Bomber to Sand Blue, but too many parts don't (yet?) exist in Sand Blue.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @capnrex101 I would disagree that 4 Vs 6 laser cannons is an error, or outdated information. While the chin guns are seen being used in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots in ROTJ, everything that's made a deliberate effort to show the Interceptor in detail (Squadrons, Rebels) shows 4 cannons. I'm not 100% sure what the Mandalorian did though, I haven't checked. At best I think either 4 or 6 is a valid answer, which seems to be the state of cannon canon right now.
Also what a gorgeous model! I love that it's from the same designer. "
I agree it is not a significant issue by any means, but six is the number given in new reference books* because there are visibly six in Return of the Jedi. Some sources have mentioned the possibility of different weapon configurations, but without wishing to get too into the weeds, I find that dubious because it conflicts with Imperial military doctrine, which normally favours uniformity over specialisation.
*In response to @Jo3K3rr above, the cross sections books almost always retain information from the original book published in 1998, including essentially all the data for Original Trilogy vehicles."
A little more complicated actually. Wookieepedia lists the CD Star Wars: Behind the Magic from 1998 as the source of the armament of 6 laser cannons. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels from 1996 only lists 4. The NEW Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels list 6 cannons all total. (4 blaster, 2 laser.) And the TIE Interceptor wasn't added to the Incredible Cross-section books until the 2007 Complete Cross-sections. Listed of course with 4 laser cannons. (But it's noted that it has space for two more.)
But yes, often times data is just copy and pasted. (However the TIE Interceptor's length has been revised since the 2007 book.)
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL"
Every time I give him a view, I regret it… lol.
What a great looking model. I've never caved for a UCS set before, but this one might be the one to make me do it.
@Jo3K3rr said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @capnrex101 I would disagree that 4 Vs 6 laser cannons is an error, or outdated information. While the chin guns are seen being used in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots in ROTJ, everything that's made a deliberate effort to show the Interceptor in detail (Squadrons, Rebels) shows 4 cannons. I'm not 100% sure what the Mandalorian did though, I haven't checked. At best I think either 4 or 6 is a valid answer, which seems to be the state of cannon canon right now.
Also what a gorgeous model! I love that it's from the same designer. "
I agree it is not a significant issue by any means, but six is the number given in new reference books* because there are visibly six in Return of the Jedi. Some sources have mentioned the possibility of different weapon configurations, but without wishing to get too into the weeds, I find that dubious because it conflicts with Imperial military doctrine, which normally favours uniformity over specialisation.
*In response to @Jo3K3rr above, the cross sections books almost always retain information from the original book published in 1998, including essentially all the data for Original Trilogy vehicles."
A little more complicated actually. Wookieepedia lists the CD Star Wars: Behind the Magic from 1998 as the source of the armament of 6 laser cannons. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels from 1996 only lists 4. The NEW Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels list 6 cannons all total. (4 blaster, 2 laser.) And the TIE Interceptor wasn't added to the Incredible Cross-section books until the 2007 Complete Cross-sections. Listed of course with 4 laser cannons. (But it's noted that it has space for two more.)
But yes, often times data is just copy and pasted. (However the TIE Interceptor's length has been revised since the 2007 book.)"
Yes, I put a whole document together for LEGO about the errors on plaques back in 2021 and well remember chasing the sources for the TIE Interceptor. I had forgotten it was not in the original version of Incredible Cross Sections, but it is all flooding back now! Still, I think it is fair to say that almost all current sources list six laser cannons, including the TIE-series bible: the Haynes Workshop Manual. We can see them in Return of the Jedi and they are present on the filming models, presumably because they re-used the cockpit and pylon modules from TIE Fighters for TIE Interceptors, so that is good enough for me.
It is not a big deal though, as I mentioned. Of the many Ultimate Collector Series plaques, this is among the more accurate ones!
I won't pretend to be a Star Wars UCS expert or collector, but IMHO this is a fantastic-looking set. I think an argument can be made that this is the best-looking UCS ship yet. And given the Star Wars tax, I also think 11.9c per part is quite reasonable.
I do agree about the stand angle being a little steep, and I'm not entirely thrilled with the plaque being right smack in the middle of the model. But if wanting to mod the stand and plaque location is the biggest problem with a set, it's doing pretty well!
I'm probably going to get this set in 2025.
Who else?
@Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
@CapnRex101 said:
" @Jo3K3rr said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @capnrex101 I would disagree that 4 Vs 6 laser cannons is an error, or outdated information. While the chin guns are seen being used in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots in ROTJ, everything that's made a deliberate effort to show the Interceptor in detail (Squadrons, Rebels) shows 4 cannons. I'm not 100% sure what the Mandalorian did though, I haven't checked. At best I think either 4 or 6 is a valid answer, which seems to be the state of cannon canon right now.
Also what a gorgeous model! I love that it's from the same designer. "
I agree it is not a significant issue by any means, but six is the number given in new reference books* because there are visibly six in Return of the Jedi. Some sources have mentioned the possibility of different weapon configurations, but without wishing to get too into the weeds, I find that dubious because it conflicts with Imperial military doctrine, which normally favours uniformity over specialisation.
*In response to @Jo3K3rr above, the cross sections books almost always retain information from the original book published in 1998, including essentially all the data for Original Trilogy vehicles."
A little more complicated actually. Wookieepedia lists the CD Star Wars: Behind the Magic from 1998 as the source of the armament of 6 laser cannons. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels from 1996 only lists 4. The NEW Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels list 6 cannons all total. (4 blaster, 2 laser.) And the TIE Interceptor wasn't added to the Incredible Cross-section books until the 2007 Complete Cross-sections. Listed of course with 4 laser cannons. (But it's noted that it has space for two more.)
But yes, often times data is just copy and pasted. (However the TIE Interceptor's length has been revised since the 2007 book.)"
Yes, I put a whole document together for LEGO about the errors on plaques back in 2021 and well remember chasing the sources for the TIE Interceptor. I had forgotten it was not in the original version of Incredible Cross Sections, but it is all flooding back now! Still, I think it is fair to say that almost all current sources list six laser cannons, including the TIE-series bible: the Haynes Workshop Manual. We can see them in Return of the Jedi and they are present on the filming models, presumably because they re-used the cockpit and pylon modules from TIE Fighters for TIE Interceptors, so that is good enough for me.
It is not a big deal though, as I mentioned. Of the many Ultimate Collector Series plaques, this is among the more accurate ones!"
I'm here for the 'cannon canon.' Fantastic!!
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @YoungB1ood said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Just watched MandR's review of this. Already knew he'd find every excuse possible to trash-talk it LOL"
Ya know I really liked watching his videos, but after the UCS gunship and the helmet holes were introduced, it just seems like every video is "How can I find even more problems with lego?"
"
FR FR"
Yeet, skrt.
For the love of God, please, no! We accept any language here... except Dorkanese!!
Ya know I loves you, ACE.
@Joefish said:
"It looks a lot nicer. Though the bright blue print on the display tile rather glaringly contrasts with the complete lack of colour on the model. Ironic really, as the box art of the older model used a black & white image that didn't show any of the blue outlining. Fantastic details on the new one though. Makes you realise the old one was just a regular kit built bigger, rather than a new level of detailing."
I think the original was definitely a step up in level of detailing compared to the standard sets of the day. While I like the aesthetic of those blocky early sets, they were most definitely toys and not something for display. 7181 was most definitely more for display and (along with 7191) was an exciting hint at the potential for what Star Wars Lego could become.
@stefwaffles said:
" @Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
"
No, the Tie's were blue but got painted over with grey because the issues with the blue screen, but the blue shines truth hence they look sand blue.
Great review! This is an excellent model.
Love that the plaque is still consistently wrong.
More importantly, the figs are so, so, so, soooooooo sad. Boo, Lego SW!
If you haven't noticed by now, SW fans are crazy for the story, for the characters. Yes, ships and locations are important. But, that doesn't drive the essential story. It's the characters.
Likewise, Lego's only claim to intellectual property is also the minifig. This should be a match made in heaven. How can you screw this up over and over?!
A mouse droid???!!! Are you trolling us?
They should of included the Coruscant stripper pole, instead. That's the most symbolic minifig of the current SW Lego team.
Sigh... as usual, seeing the new one side by side shows me how much the old one really has aged. Hold out for Bomber, or add it to the wishlist, decisions, decisions... (And weren't we supposedly getting a Bomber soon?)
A definite buy from me. This is my fave vehicle from the SW Universe. I've been waiting years for them to update this UCS set.
I think the minifigs are fine, as they relate to the vehicle, and are seen in the film. I dislike when LEGO decide to put random figures with sets just to please hardcore fans.
I really like the look of this set.
If the RRP was 30 Euro cheaper it would be a no brainer for me. As it stands I will wait for a substantial discount before I pull the trigger.
As for the stickers I will not apply a single one. After all, none of them can be seen without partially dismantling the set anyway.
And again it just goes to show how much more satisfying it is to put together the Star Trek vehicles, where every single piece of decoration is printed, whether on the outside or the interior.
So it isn't Baron Soontir Fel after all. *Sad Face*
Great review, and it looks pretty good, but UCS sets aren't for me unfortunately.
The details on the outside are great but the interior is simply spectacular!
They really tried with that ball. And they really didnt succeed
@wcrosby said:
"Interested, however does anyone know if the pilot proportionally fit in the cockpit?"
Uh...sure. Pilot minifig has plenty of room to lounge around inside that spacious cavern of a cockpit.
@CapnRex101:
They did a teardown manual for TIE Fighters?
@stefwaffles:
Typically the way they've been depicted by other companies, the original TIE Fighter and Vader's TIE Advanced are a neutral grey, while the TIE Bomber and TIE Interceptor are typically more blue. I don't know how accurate this is to the films, but it's what I've been seeing since Star Wars: Just Star Wars toys hit the market.
I feel like this is a missed opportunity to have an official version of Black 2 Mauler Mithels helmet. The imperial cog just has a quarter cut out of painted over with black, but it is the only variant Lego hasn't done yet short of going into the EU with characters of the 181st like Baron Fel. That would be the kind of inconsequential character variant Lego could easily firewall behind an out of scale UCS set.
Would have also made more sense in hindsight for them to include a regular TIE pilot or Mauler in the standard TIE, then have the helmet with the tear lines in this set because Turr Phennir was the one TIE Interceptor pilot visible during battle in ROTJ.
@TRY said:
" @stefwaffles said:
" @Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
"
No, the Tie's were blue but got painted over with grey because the issues with the blue screen, but the blue shines truth hence they look sand blue."
This explanation makes no sense, all TIEs in ANH are clearly light bluish gray and all TIEs in TESB and ROTJ are sandblue. The coat must have worn off over the years which I also doubt they just kept. From what I remember from a documentary they have repainted them to be closer to their original vision because they wanted them blue in ANH but couldn't.
That was an excellent review, thank you. The passion and attention to detail really shines through.
@RaiderOfTheLostBrick said:
"So it isn't Baron Soontir Fel after all. *Sad Face*
Great review, and it looks pretty good, but UCS sets aren't for me unfortunately."
Honestly, I like the idea of not sticking a highly desirable character exclusively in a set like this. You could have made an argument for sticking the Second Sister in here, though I know a number of fans didn't care for her flying an Interceptor due to timeline issues.
"This fictional thingummy is the wrong colour!"
"That fictional doohickey is the wrong shape!"
"There are too few/many of these fictional wotsits!"
The eternal strife of LEGO Star Wars fandom....
Beautiful set.
Stickers on a UCS continues to be disappointing. The minigfiure is always a nice side bonus in a UCS sets, but never the main focus for these beatuiful builds.
@TRY said:
" @stefwaffles said:
" @Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
"
No, the Tie's were blue but got painted over with grey because the issues with the blue screen, but the blue shines truth hence they look sand blue."
So they were intended to be gray but bad paint job gave it a blue hue. If you ask me, that just makes it a cool gray rather than a proper blue. Even still some of them do have a better paint job and are a warmer gray. People that don't like the color should just pretend this is one of the warmer ones.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic2.wikia.nocookie.net%2F__cb20120113232215%2Fstarwars%2Fimages%2F2%2F2b%2FPincer5.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=b15de8dd8b9156fede734a7bf8242a7c624b9218c9efbbe1eec8719f25515b33&ipo=images
@Zink said:
"Ironically a lego set from the worst star wars movie does it best: 75154 has a little bit of sand blue in it. The first few lego TIEs were entirely black and blue which also looked badly balanced. One day lego, one day you'll get it right!"
How is Rogue One the worst Star Wars movie? For me, that is probably at no. 4, behind V, IV and VI.
@CCC said:
" @Zink said:
"Ironically a lego set from the worst star wars movie does it best: 75154 has a little bit of sand blue in it. The first few lego TIEs were entirely black and blue which also looked badly balanced. One day lego, one day you'll get it right!"
How is Rogue One the worst Star Wars movie? For me, that is probably at no. 4, behind V, IV and VI."
Concur, though V, VI, IV, RO.
When comes to the color of the TIE. As understand it. They were painted a light white/gray in ANH. For the subsequent films they were painted a bluish/gray.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexternal-preview.redd.it%2F8WdWe0xsgdVz4SZYuW8teL43EP9K5FhhF4Mi3xJ9Mpk.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3De3f23394a27bce2828043f077ef79261fd7c7bca
https://modelermagic.com/tie-fighter-studio-model/
Blue and black?! I thought they were white and gold!
Not going to lie. Really really like this. Way more than I thought I would. Now I’ve a sudden desire to get this. Would look awesome paired with last year’s X Wing. Only problem (aside from obvious cost) is size for me. It is a little big, so would struggle for display space in my house.
@CCC said:
" @Zink said:
"Ironically a lego set from the worst star wars movie does it best: 75154 has a little bit of sand blue in it. The first few lego TIEs were entirely black and blue which also looked badly balanced. One day lego, one day you'll get it right!"
How is Rogue One the worst Star Wars movie? For me, that is probably at no. 4, behind V, IV and VI."
It’s not the worst.
There are no Star Wars films that are worse than 8 & 9.
Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!
@blogzilly said:
" @CCC said:
" @Zink said:
"Ironically a lego set from the worst star wars movie does it best: 75154 has a little bit of sand blue in it. The first few lego TIEs were entirely black and blue which also looked badly balanced. One day lego, one day you'll get it right!"
How is Rogue One the worst Star Wars movie? For me, that is probably at no. 4, behind V, IV and VI."
It’s not the worst.
There are no Star Wars films that are worse than 8 & 9. "
1,2 and 3.
@Anonym said:
"I feel like this is a missed opportunity to have an official version of Black 2 Mauler Mithels helmet. The imperial cog just has a quarter cut out of painted over with black, but it is the only variant Lego hasn't done yet short of going into the EU with characters of the 181st like Baron Fel. That would be the kind of inconsequential character variant Lego could easily firewall behind an out of scale UCS set.
Would have also made more sense in hindsight for them to include a regular TIE pilot or Mauler in the standard TIE, then have the helmet with the tear lines in this set because Turr Phennir was the one TIE Interceptor pilot visible during battle in ROTJ.
@TRY said:
" @stefwaffles said:
" @Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
"
No, the Tie's were blue but got painted over with grey because the issues with the blue screen, but the blue shines truth hence they look sand blue."
This explanation makes no sense, all TIEs in ANH are clearly light bluish gray and all TIEs in TESB and ROTJ are sandblue. The coat must have worn off over the years which I also doubt they just kept. From what I remember from a documentary they have repainted them to be closer to their original vision because they wanted them blue in ANH but couldn't."
Postproduction for ESP and ROTJ made them more bluish.
This was done because the Original Idea was indeed to have blue Tie Fighters.
The original Models for Filming came in many colors and size, that's why they looks all different in the movies.
E.x. smaller models were painted darker to look even smaller and farer away an so on.
@Block_n_Roll said:
""This fictional thingummy is the wrong colour!"
"That fictional doohickey is the wrong shape!"
"There are too few/many of these fictional wotsits!"
The eternal strife of LEGO Star Wars fandom...."
No, sorry but this is just model making...
And they are not fictional, they are real Model props used for filming.
Which we want to have rebuilt in lego..
@TRY said:
" @Anonym said:
"I feel like this is a missed opportunity to have an official version of Black 2 Mauler Mithels helmet. The imperial cog just has a quarter cut out of painted over with black, but it is the only variant Lego hasn't done yet short of going into the EU with characters of the 181st like Baron Fel. That would be the kind of inconsequential character variant Lego could easily firewall behind an out of scale UCS set.
Would have also made more sense in hindsight for them to include a regular TIE pilot or Mauler in the standard TIE, then have the helmet with the tear lines in this set because Turr Phennir was the one TIE Interceptor pilot visible during battle in ROTJ.
@TRY said:
" @stefwaffles said:
" @Zink said:
"Not having any blue in these models is such a miss. They are clearly blue in the movie. Why so drab and grey? This looks incredibly unappealing. Sadly, another miss :( Great review!"
Isn’t the whole blue thing to do with the colour cast from blue/green screens, and the actual props are grey and were intended to be grey on screen? Maybe I’ve seen too many behind the scenes documentaries, but I thought this was a widely accepted thing?
"
No, the Tie's were blue but got painted over with grey because the issues with the blue screen, but the blue shines truth hence they look sand blue."
This explanation makes no sense, all TIEs in ANH are clearly light bluish gray and all TIEs in TESB and ROTJ are sandblue. The coat must have worn off over the years which I also doubt they just kept. From what I remember from a documentary they have repainted them to be closer to their original vision because they wanted them blue in ANH but couldn't."
Postproduction for ESP and ROTJ made them more bluish.
This was done because the Original Idea was indeed to have blue Tie Fighters.
The original Models for Filming came in many colors and size, that's why they looks all different in the movies.
E.x. smaller models were painted darker to look even smaller and farer away an so on."
Actually off the shelf diecast Kenner TIE fighters were used as background ships in ROTJ. They were white. https://vintagestarwarsdiecast.co.uk/index.php/the-toys/o-tie-fighter
@Paternoster_Lift said:
"Blue and black?! I thought they were white and gold!"
I understood that reference!
Thanks for the great review!
I also prefer printed parts over stickers, especially in expensive sets, but I think it's a plus that none of them are visible (aside from the plaque) from the outside. That way you get the same display piece without applying them.
I feel that more and more details are put into sets these days that are only visible/knowable if you've built the set, seen the review or the manual. Or at least more sets that have such a detail. And I really like those details! For me, they enhance the building experience and appreciation for the model. To me, all the control panels in this set are in this category. Or at least the fact that they are so plentiful and detailed, but mostly invisible from the outside. They contribute to the overall accuracy of the model.
@CapnRex101, isn't the shiny finish on the tile better in the long run? I'd expect stickers to stay on longer on a smooth surface. However, when using the tile without the plaque sticker, I can see how a matte finish would be preferable.
I'd have to see the finished set in the flesh to judge whether the angle the ship is positioned in is too steep for my liking (I don't think it is), but I can see how the plaque and paraphernalia are better visible this way.
Over all, I like this set very much! And even though Star Wars is my favourite theme, I find my buying habits shifting to other themes more and more each year. Only because I get more bang for my bucks. So I don't think I'll be getting this UCS either. Now I come to think of it, it kind of makes me sad; if money weren't an issue, I'd be getting a lot more sets from my favourite theme and a lot less of other themes.
@iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
Millions of voices suddenly cry out in terror.
@Block_n_Roll said:
""This fictional thingummy is the wrong colour!"
"That fictional doohickey is the wrong shape!"
"There are too few/many of these fictional wotsits!"
The eternal strife of LEGO Star Wars fandom...."
I always thought it was so funny when fans and/or the company retcon technical details for the thing that Joe Blow from FX built on the fly with duct tape and baling wire. They must find it very amusing when that painted soda bottle bottom turns out to be some intricate sensor denoted on a shiny LEGO tech specs plaque 40+ years later.
@iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
You’re lucky Brickset doesn’t allow users to un-like a comment that they haven’t first liked.
@Galactus:
They stopped using stickers on the plaque. Those are now printed, as of maybe a year or two ago. Regarding the angle of the stand, I do remember modding the first one because it does look way steeper than I liked, especially when plonked down next to the X-Wing that I got on the same receipt. If this one really is the same angle, I’d definitely change it. However, given the design of the fighter, I suspect that was done to significantly reduce the chance this thing’ll do a nosedive off a high shelf. With the X-Wing, you can just find the COG and plug the stand in a little forward of that. With this, there’s not much real estate that can accommodate the stand, and the wings stick way forward of that point. Can’t just make the stand longer, as that will simply exacerbate the problem if someone sticks it on a shallow shelf.
@yellowcastle said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
Millions of voices suddenly cry out in terror."
Billions.
This set looks great! Really like the interior details even though stickers are used. Will definitely be picking it up as I missed out on the original version.
@PurpleDave said:
"They stopped using stickers on the plaque. Those are now printed, as of maybe a year or two ago."
I didn't know that. I vaguely remember seeing an employee explanation that they couldn't print it because of the moulding pip in the middle, but maybe I'm mixing things up. Or did they create a new mould? Anyway, I can see how that affects the smoothness of the tile issue.
@PurpleDave said:
"Regarding the angle of the stand, [...] given the design of the fighter, I suspect that was done to significantly reduce the chance this thing’ll do a nosedive off a high shelf. With the X-Wing, you can just find the COG and plug the stand in a little forward of that. With this, there’s not much real estate that can accommodate the stand, and the wings stick way forward of that point. Can’t just make the stand longer, as that will simply exacerbate the problem if someone sticks it on a shallow shelf."
That makes more sense than my argument.
@iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!
Great review and a fantastic model. Will definitely be picking this up.
Even happy with the colour - I always thought TIE's were grey anyway. And there are WAY too many parts to get them all created in sand blue.
@iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
"Everything you just said, is wrong." ;)
@Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
I am Spartacus!
@MegaBlocks said:
" @blogzilly said:
" @CCC said:
" @Zink said:
"Ironically a lego set from the worst star wars movie does it best: 75154 has a little bit of sand blue in it. The first few lego TIEs were entirely black and blue which also looked badly balanced. One day lego, one day you'll get it right!"
How is Rogue One the worst Star Wars movie? For me, that is probably at no. 4, behind V, IV and VI."
It’s not the worst.
There are no Star Wars films that are worse than 8 & 9. "
1,2 and 3."
Solo to Episodes 1 and 9: “Hold my beer….”
@Galactus:
That _was_ the official story, but then someone realized it was only an issue if they attempted to print over the pip (and then it was one heck of an issue). If they strategically ban any print from that patch of real estate, problem’s avoided. So that’s the new story. The issue that forced this change appears to have been that applying a plaque-sized sticker is a massive Pain In The Anterior, and many people probably have to request replacements when they completely guff it.
@Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
No. That’s good news. If there were enough people to actually form a team, _that_ would be a problem.
@ForestMenOfEndor:
Solo was the one shining example of mediocrity that showed Disney didn’t have to lay a steaming pile on the world’s doorstep with every Disney Wars film.
@ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
I am Spartacus!"
I am Batman!
@AustinPowers said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
I am Spartacus!"
I am Batman! "
Tony: I am . . . Iron Man!
Cap: I can do this all day.
@PurpleDave said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor:
Solo was the one shining example of mediocrity that showed Disney didn’t have to lay a steaming pile on the world’s doorstep with every Disney Wars film."
Maybe from a certain point of view . . . but I would contest that Disney should be saying "sorry about the mess" regarding both Solo and Episode 9.
Perhaps if Solo was a standalone movie, I might have enjoyed it. As an origin story, it was pure Banther Boodoo (as @StyleCounselor would say).
@ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
I am Spartacus!"
I am Batman! "
Tony: I am . . . Iron Man!
Cap: I can do this all day."
...I am inevitable. - Thanos
@Murdoch17 said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @Brainslugged said:
" @iwybs said:
"Eh, I'm on team TLJ. I like that one!"
I have bad news... That's not a team. That's just you!"
I am Spartacus!"
I am Batman! "
Tony: I am . . . Iron Man!
Cap: I can do this all day."
...I am inevitable. - Thanos"
I am the Senate! - Palpatine
"Accuracy is essential to the Ultimate Collector Series and 75382 TIE Interceptor delivers!"
Aside from, you know, using gray where it should be using sand blue.
But then, Lego are also still making the stupid wrong white OT X-wings that they should have stopped making 19 years ago.