Review: 75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack
Posted by CapnRex101,
Certain troopers are particularly suited to Battle Packs and the Imperial Commandos introduced in The Mandalorian season three are a fantastic example. These commandos feature interesting armour and they are deployed in great numbers, so they seem ideal for army building.
75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack includes two of these commandos, alongside a pair of unique Mandalorians. The minifigures are thus quite appealing, but I am less satisfied with the model included.
Summary
75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack , 109 pieces.
£19.99 / $19.99 / €21.99 | 18.3p/18.3c/20.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The minifigures are excellent, but the model is lacklustre, even for a Battle Pack
- Good minifigure selection
- Neat flying function
- Repetitive Mandalorian designs
- Extremely bland model
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Two generic Mandalorians are included. These are welcome, although their shared blue and dark blue colours are repetitive and provide little opportunity for swapping elements to create new figures. On that basis, I would have preferred to see Axe Woves and Koska Reeves in this set, perhaps listed without names, as their armour is undoubtedly generic enough for army building.
Nevertheless, the male Mandalorian Warrior is brilliantly detailed, with various metallic silver scratches on his helmet and armour. These give the minifigure some personality and I like the intricate reddish brown belt design, which is shared by the Mandalorian Nite Owl. Once again, the battered armour looks superb, but Mandalorians do exist in colours other than blue!
Both warriors are equipped with rangefinders, jetpacks and blaster pistols. Submachine gun pieces work well as these blasters, mirroring the angular shape of Mandalorian WESTAR-35 blaster pistols onscreen. However, the figures feature plain black heads beneath their helmets, which is a little disappointing because generic faces could have been used instead.
The two Imperial Commandos are much more interesting, each wearing a new dual-moulded helmet. The printed visor and breathing apparatus look splendid on the front, although the chin section of the helmet is arguably too pronounced. I think something closer to the proportions of the existing Mandalorian helmet would be more successful.
In addition, the sand blue undersuit on the torso looks odd. I can understand why the graphic designer chose this colour, as this area of the undersuit seems lighter than the arms and legs onscreen, but sand blue takes this difference in colour too far. Otherwise, the armour captures stunning detail and the provided jetpacks are excellent as well, finished with printed 1x1 tiles on the back.
The Completed Model
As well as using their standard blasters, the minifigures can grab a thermal detonator from the crate included, or take control of the stud shooter. An identical container appears in 75386 Paz Vizsla and Moff Gideon Battle and matches the hexagonal boxes seen in the background in The Mandalorian season three, so this is useful scenery.
Unfortunately, the rest of the set is less impressive. This structure is inspired by Moff Gideon's underground base, but building such a small section leaves the model almost featureless. The grey and dark tan colours are rather bland and the only recognisable detail is a simple doorway, which is decidedly underwhelming.
The rocky texture looks reasonable, but I am sure these elements could have been devoted to something more interesting, providing some play value. However, the model does make clever use of a trans-clear curved support, which is connected to a ball joint and allows a minifigure to fly around on their jetpack.
An extra blaster rifle is attached behind the rock wall, but this side of the model is otherwise as featureless as the front. I am sure the designer could have included some consoles or clips for more accessories, especially because the doorway suggests this side of the structure is inside the Imperial base, where an armoury or control room could be found.
This model is designed to connect with 75386 Paz Vizsla and Moff Gideon Battle. I am always happy to see such continuity between sets and the combined battle scene is quite fun, but that relates more to the minifigures than the scenery, in my opinion. Nevertheless, the shared colour scheme is effective and this arrangement looks better than the alternative, shown in my review of the larger set.
Overall
Minifigures are paramount in Battle Packs and I think 75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack fares quite well, in that regard. The white-armoured Imperial Commandos are excellent on the whole, while the Mandalorians are very detailed, despite their limited appeal for army building. As mentioned, I think Koska Reeves and Axe Woves would have been preferable.
The accompanying model is very poor, however. Options are obviously limited in Battle Packs, but an original LEGO vehicle could provide far greater play value than this scenery, potentially inspired by the repulsorlift langskib used by Mandalorian survivors onscreen. With such a poor model, the price of £19.99, $19.99 or €21.99 seems rather expensive, but the minifigures alone will be worth that for many fans.
108 likes
29 comments on this article
I'd consider this just for the Mando figures if their armour had a different colour: there's still no regular red or gold or black Lego Beskar armour, despite those colours being very symbolically significant in Mandalorian culture (at least in Legends, I don't follow Canon).
As is, this holds no appeal for me.
I am delighted, that there is not another useless speeder as a sidebuild, but a bit of terrain - which connects to another set! And if the Mandos were Koska and Ax there would be criticism, that the figures are not armybuilders. So everything's fine.
@shirhac said:
"I am delighted, that there is not another useless speeder as a sidebuild, but a bit of terrain - which connects to another set! And if the Mandos were Koska and Ax there would be criticism, that the figures are not armybuilders. So everything's fine."
These two Mandalorians are not really army builders either. They are both based on specific characters, albeit unnamed ones. If anything, Koska Reeves' armour is actually more generic and therefore better suited to army building than the Nite Owl provided, as her helmet lacks the silver emblem on the forehead. Axe Woves, meanwhile, would add some variety because his armour mixes blue and dark grey, rather than sharing Koska's exact colours.
If the Mandalorians portrayed in this set had lines of dialogue in the series, or even names, would that make them any better or worse for army building?
I disagree. I think the substantial build here actually provides really good value for $20! Sure, perhaps it could've benefitted from some control panels and whatnot inside, but a large terrain segment and two extra builds? This is what LEGO Star Wars battle packs should be at this price.
That little skeetshooter is kinda cool.
Oh I already know what I am going to be doing with this set and the other one.
I really like this set. Am I the only one who can see Beskar Troopers' helmets used as Republic Commandos' maybe in something like Bad Batch battlepack? I mean that mould would be good for this.
I would take a pile of rocks over a fake Lego vehicle any day of the week. At least the pile of rocks is in the show.
I actually really like the cavern doorway. It’s the mandalorians that bring it down for me. I wish they were a little more novel and different from each other.
May the Force be with you, Cap'n... always!!
Happy 4th, everyone!
I'm thankful LSW has provided us with cool, new helmet molds and new Mando designs. I also appreciate the inclusion of the curved posing stick which is absurdly expensive on PaB. The Imperials are kick ass!
However, I agree with the Cap'n completely. That lump of pieces is uninspired, lazy, and not good for children to play with... or me.
The Mando designs are also lazy and largely redundant of what has come several times before. Different characters or unrepresented factions of Mandos would be much more fun.
The use of all black heads is sooo f%$ing cheap!! Where's your sacred diversity, Disney n Lego??!! You could have given us so many different opportunities to represent different Lego users. Instead... bupkis!!
Why does it feel like Lego is marshalling their LAN to defend the indefensible about the crappy SW products? I hope you all choke on your ambitions (and free Lego).
On this, most holiest of days, I just want to reiterate how much I appreciate Brickset and, most importantly, the excellent work of our esteemed Cap'n. He has true Jedi insight!
@Emmafofemma said:
"I would take a pile of rocks over a fake Lego vehicle any day of the week. At least the pile of rocks is in the show. "
Lame! Soooooooo... lame.
'Go kick rocks.'
I mean, it's LITERALLY slang for 'lame.'
@StyleCounselor said:
"May the Force be with you, Cap'n... always!!
Happy 4th, everyone!
I'm thankful LSW has provided us with cool, new helmet molds and new Mando designs. I also appreciate the inclusion of the curved posing stick which is absurdly expensive on PaB. The Imperials are kick ass!
However, I agree with the Cap'n completely. That lump of pieces is uninspired, lazy, and not good for children to play with... or me.
The Mando designs are also lazy and largely redundant of what has come several times before. Different characters or unrepresented factions of Mandos would be much more fun.
The use of all black heads is sooo f%$ing cheap!! Where's your sacred diversity, Disney n Lego??!! You could have given us so many different opportunities to represent different Lego users. Instead... bupkis!!
The price increase is just the worst. Pure Lego greed. At that price, we deserve heads! We deserve arm printing on everything! Of course, it's mitigated by the fact that I won't pay it, and that these sets are readily available for 20% off within a short time.
Why does it feel like Lego is marshalling their LAN to defend the indefensible about the crappy SW products? I hope you all choke on your ambitions (and free Lego).
On this, most holiest of days, I just want to reiterate how much I appreciate Brickset and, most importantly, the excellent work of our esteemed Cap'n. He has true Jedi insight!"
Don't try to frustrate us with your sorcerer's ways, Counselor. Your sad devotion to this anger has not helped us conjure up better new sets, or given you clairvoyance enough to find value in the Rebels' hidden fort Yavin 4+ play set.
@yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"May the Force be with you, Cap'n... always!!
Happy 4th, everyone!
I'm thankful LSW has provided us with cool, new helmet molds and new Mando designs. I also appreciate the inclusion of the curved posing stick which is absurdly expensive on PaB. The Imperials are kick ass!
However, I agree with the Cap'n completely. That lump of pieces is uninspired, lazy, and not good for children to play with... or me.
The Mando designs are also lazy and largely redundant of what has come several times before. Different characters or unrepresented factions of Mandos would be much more fun.
The use of all black heads is sooo f%$ing cheap!! Where's your sacred diversity, Disney n Lego??!! You could have given us so many different opportunities to represent different Lego users. Instead... bupkis!!
The price increase is just the worst. Pure Lego greed. At that price, we deserve heads! We deserve arm printing on everything! Of course, it's mitigated by the fact that I won't pay it, and that these sets are readily available for 20% off within a short time.
Why does it feel like Lego is marshalling their LAN to defend the indefensible about the crappy SW products? I hope you all choke on your ambitions (and free Lego).
On this, most holiest of days, I just want to reiterate how much I appreciate Brickset and, most importantly, the excellent work of our esteemed Cap'n. He has true Jedi insight!"
Don't try to frustrate us with your sorcerer's ways, Counselor. Your sad devotion to this anger has not helped us conjure up better new sets, or given you clairvoyance enough to find value in the Rebels' hidden fort Yavin 4+ play set."
I'm demoted already?! Fine. I suppose I deserve it.
I never did get that the Grand Moff was 'holding Vader's leash.' I did love that line, though.
It just goes to show you. You can become a big bad Sith Lord. But, who holds the real power? The bureaucrats!!
The commandos look cool. Which would be the main reason for me picking it up, if I do.
If not, my friend, who is a massive Mandalorian fan certainly will.
@StyleCounselor:
Ep1, Palpatine is a powerful Sith lord. What does he seek to do? Depose and replace a bureaucrat!
@CapnRex101 said:
" @shirhac said:
"I am delighted, that there is not another useless speeder as a sidebuild, but a bit of terrain - which connects to another set! And if the Mandos were Koska and Ax there would be criticism, that the figures are not armybuilders. So everything's fine."
These two Mandalorians are not really army builders either. They are both based on specific characters, albeit unnamed ones. If anything, Koska Reeves' armour is actually more generic and therefore better suited to army building than the Nite Owl provided, as her helmet lacks the silver emblem on the forehead. Axe Woves, meanwhile, would add some variety because his armour mixes blue and dark grey, rather than sharing Koska's exact colours.
If the Mandalorians portrayed in this set had lines of dialogue in the series, or even names, would that make them any better or worse for army building?"
In a few scenes in season 3, several of Bo-Katan's Mandalorians share identical paintwork to these, so they are in fact more army-buildable than Koska or Axe, who do have one-of-a-kind paint, at least as far as I could tell from analyzing the background characters.
I absolutely understand why some might find the scenery build a wee bit boring, but as a child, I would have been delighted by it! I feel like the desolate scenery would have sparked my imagination more than any vehicle could have:
It conveys the atmosphere perfectly and creates a world to play in. The flying function, the "hidden" rifle, the storage container and the heavy stud-shooter gun are great storytelling hooks. And if you want to change the scenery, you can easily build a guard tower or a bunker or what have you out of the pieces, and if it looks a bit crappy, that's okay - it's all ruins anyway! Vehicles can be a bit harder to convert into alternative builds of a similar quality as the original one, I'd say.
But I certainly share the sentiment regarding the modularity/connectivity of the set - I love it! I was wishing for something like that for years as a child, because it makes it easier to build up what feels like a substancial, complex scenery over time and on a pocket-money-friendly budget. Happy to see they're adopting this approach across several themes such as HP and the news jungle sets!
Very dissapointed there’s no lamp post in this one. Easy pass.
@Reventon said:
"Very dissapointed there’s no lamp post in this one. Easy pass."
Get 75386. It has one!
@MZ_1 said:
"I really like this set. Am I the only one who can see Beskar Troopers' helmets used as Republic Commandos' maybe in something like Bad Batch battlepack? I mean that mould would be good for this."
Well, these are Imperial Commandos, which were originally thought of as what Republic Commandos would become under the Empire, so it would make sense.
Really wish Rebels had done well enough for us to get some Mandalorian Battle Packs. Some Imperial SUPERcommandos and Clan Wren Warriors, at least, wouldn’t have been amiss. Or, you know, if the writers could stop killing off all but one or two named Mandalorians between every era they appear in, they could have been in a set like this. As opposed to generic Blue Mandos 18 and 19 or whatever.
I am surprised b the complaints about the heads being black. They never remove their helmets, they're Mandalorians. In the 75386 review it said that the black heads made sense because Paz never removes his helmet, but I thought no true Madalorian did, so wouldn't the black heads be equally suitable here? Also it might not have been a Lego Group decision, but possibly a decision from Disney. Personally I am happy not to see printed faces.
This is the way.
@Reventon said:
"Very dissapointed there’s no lamp post in this one. Easy pass."
Very disappointed the rock wall has no waistcape.
Easy pass!
Hopefully Impreial Commando will be included in the magazine as gift in the future, I wouldn't want to buy more than one of this set.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor:
Ep1, Palpatine is a powerful Sith lord. What does he seek to do? Depose and replace a bureaucrat!"
Too true.
In fact, you could argue that his most powerful Sith force actions were quite bureaucratic:
"Do it!"
"Do what must be done"
"Execute Order Sixty-six."
@Chopstix89 said:
"I am surprised b the complaints about the heads being black. They never remove their helmets, they're Mandalorians. In the 75386 review it said that the black heads made sense because Paz never removes his helmet, but I thought no true Madalorian did, so wouldn't the black heads be equally suitable here? Also it might not have been a Lego Group decision, but possibly a decision from Disney. Personally I am happy not to see printed faces.
This is the way."
"Not removing their helmets" is a rule just for the more orthodox clans of Mandalorians. Death Watch and Nite Owls (that Bo-Katan was/is leader of) did not have that rule. So yes, Paz not having a printed head makes sense. For the Mandalorians here, it doesn't. Not to mention Imperial Commandos.
Stormtroopers nowadays get a wide variety of faces despite not really removing their helmets all that often, so I don't see why any figure with helmet should be excused with anything else than just cheapening out.
@sipuss said:
" @Chopstix89 said:
"I am surprised b the complaints about the heads being black. They never remove their helmets, they're Mandalorians. In the 75386 review it said that the black heads made sense because Paz never removes his helmet, but I thought no true Madalorian did, so wouldn't the black heads be equally suitable here? Also it might not have been a Lego Group decision, but possibly a decision from Disney. Personally I am happy not to see printed faces.
This is the way."
"Not removing their helmets" is a rule just for the more orthodox clans of Mandalorians. Death Watch and Nite Owls (that Bo-Katan was/is leader of) did not have that rule. So yes, Paz not having a printed head makes sense. For the Mandalorians here, it doesn't. Not to mention Imperial Commandos.
Stormtroopers nowadays get a wide variety of faces despite not really removing their helmets all that often, so I don't see why any figure with helmet should be excused with anything else than just cheapening out."
It might make some sense if you have no idea what’s underneath. Gideon was into Dark Troopers and cloning, so who knows what horrors might have been lurking under his commandos’ helmets? It’s like how Marrok from Ahsoka just had a plain black head.
As for the two Mandos, I feel like if you really want to give them faces you can hunt down your own heads. If using a black head helps Lego give us helmet, torso, and leg printing we haven’t seen before, I for one won’t complain.
Faces should have been included instead of bland faces. Other than that, awesome set in my opinion! My hopes were high and I haven't been disappointed (but for the bland black heads).
@MZ_1 said:
"I really like this set. Am I the only one who can see Beskar Troopers' helmets used as Republic Commandos' maybe in something like Bad Batch battlepack? I mean that mould would be good for this."
Initially I had the exact same thought, but Lego would need to update this mould slightly, to at least round out the chin section. Other than that, yeah, I could see that working
At the inevitable 40-50% off this will be quite a good deal.