Review: 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Imperial Star Destroyer is a real favourite of many fans, and it is therefore no surprise to see that LEGO have at last returned to this iconic vehicle by releasing 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer. The last edition in a similar playset style was 6211 from 2006, and despite the fact that the two are based on the same source material, they vary enormously. This new version is priced at £119.99 or $129.99 and contains 1359-pieces, so although the piece count is very similar to the 2006 edition, the price has gone up enormously.
75055 is certainly not a perfect set and there is plenty of room for improvement, but there are undoubtedly plenty of improvements which have been made over the original version.
Box and Contents
The box is as large as one would expect for a set of this size, and displays the Imperial Star Destroyer in action around the Death Star II, which is perhaps surprising since I believe this set is based on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, given the display on a monitor inside the vehicle. On the back, the set is shown with all the panels open to reveal the interior, and a number of the features are demonstrated. The ever-present blueprint style shots of the model are also found here, which are a relatively recent addition that I love.
In the box are three instruction manuals, a large poster and a sticker sheet, which are cardboard backed and therefore kept in pristine condition. There are bags numbered one to ten, although several pairs of these contain an identical parts selection but for a few reversed wedge plates.
The poster shows the Imperial Star Destroyer battling B-Wings (set 75050) on one side, and a gallery of all the Star Wars Minifigures from 2014 on the other. As usual, the exclusive Minifigures such as TC-4 and Darth Revan are absent, but other than that the poster is complete.
Minifigures
There are seven Minifigures included in this set, which is a couple less than I would have liked. However, the quality of the figures is excellent and although a few more would have been nice, I am satisfied with this selection, particularly since they are almost all new.
The first, and perhaps most popular of these, is Darth Vader. This is a character which has undergone relatively few major updates since 1999, becoming gradually more detailed over the years. The helmet design has remained constant and is as brilliant as ever, unlike the head which I think is worse for being tan on this Minifigure. The audience's brief look at Vader's scarred head in Episode V suggests that his head is both tan and grey, which is presumably the basis for this design, although I prefer the grey overall. The printing on both the front and back of the head does look great though with a weathered appearance, as does the new torso design. There is no back printing which is a shame, although it would be obscured by the black cape anyway, so this is easily overlooked. The torso design continues onto the legs for the first time, and Darth Vader is equipped with his red lightsaber as usual.
My favourite Minifigure in this set is the new Imperial Officer, which has also been updated since its last appearance in 9492 TIE Fighter. His hat is a brand new mould, which is much more accurate to the design in the film than the old kepi. It is only printed with a spot of silver to represent the code discs placed on the hat and belt of officers, but this is sufficient to yield an accurate result. The head is printed with a rather disdainful expression and a brown mutton chop hairstyle which looks lovely. I cannot pinpoint which particular officer this is based on (if any), but it is certainly a design representative of the sneering arrogance of Imperial personnel in the films, which is excellent as I like to see some character come across in a Minifigure's design. The torso is printed with a double breasted tunic, a belt and a rank indicator, and the design is continued onto the back of the figure, while the legs are left plain.
The Imperial Crew Minifigure shares the same hat as the Imperial Officer which is accurate to the film I believe. The head appeared for the first time earlier this year in 75034 Death Star Troopers with an open mouth and a headset, and I love this use of the design as he looks suitably nervous for a lowly crew member. The torso is printed on both sides with a simple light bluish grey shirt and a black belt. The hips and legs are printed similarly with some crinkled fabric, and he comes armed with a blaster pistol for close engagements. I would have liked a second one of these to be included as there is plenty of room for crew members to be seated inside. As it is, we have to make do with one.
In addition to the Imperial Crew, the Imperial Star Destroyer is also manned by an Imperial Navy Trooper. His helmet is moulded with some lovely details, and the head is printed with a headset, dark eyebrows and a serious expression. Both the torso and legs are printed almost identically to those of the Imperial Crew Minifigure, although in black on this occasion which looks rather menacing. He is armed simply with a blaster pistol. Although none of the parts are new, this is the first time this particular combination of components has appeared in a set, and it looks superb to me.
A pair of new Stormtroopers are included which is both a blessing and a curse in my opinion. These Stormtroopers are probably the most accurate ever released by LEGO, although it is not long since they were last redesigned in 2012, and I would have liked the chance to build a larger army with the previous edition. Even though I might argue that this is an unnecessary update, I love the new helmet and torso designs, which are almost perfect recreations of the armour from the films. Both have only been altered in a fairly minor way, but I think they look far better for it. The head used is that of the live action movie Clone Troopers which have appeared in a number of sets in recent years. Personally I favour the head which was printed with a body glove that appeared in 2012 and 2013, but this is a minor quibble. The legs however have a more serious defect. Although the printed legs are a welcome addition, the design is cut off at the knee which looks strange to me. The legs included on the Sandtroopers in 9490 Droid Escape, with the dirty design removed, would have been ideal. Nevertheless, I quite like these figures, and they each come equipped with a blaster.
The final 'Minifigure' included is a simple Mouse Droid. This little brick-built model has been included in 6211 Imperial Star Destroyer and 10188 Death Star before now, and since there is no need to fix what is not broken, the design has not changed. This is a nice addition, although I would happily have forgone it had another Stormtrooper or Imperial crew member been included in its place.
The Build
I would estimate that construction of this set takes between two and three hours, and although there are a few nice techniques used, including plenty of SNOT and an interesting combination of Technic and System parts, my enjoyment suffered a little as a result of the symmetry of the design. This is unavoidable of course given the constraints of the ship's design in the films, and the building techniques used vary sufficiently to maintain one's interest so I cannot criticise the build of the set too much.
I think this would make an excellent large set for a younger builder to have a go at. At no point is the build particularly fiddly despite the use of some fairly complicated techniques, and there are plenty of purely brick-built sections with which those fairly new to LEGO Star Wars might be comfortable.
So the build is by no means revolutionary, but it is still fairly entertaining in my opinion.
The Completed Model
The most obvious difference between 6211 Imperial Star Destroyer and this model is the size. The 2014 edition is significantly smaller than the previous version and side by side, 75055 looks positively small. Although the model is smaller, it is equally heavy and it feels nice and bulky in your hands, much more so than the older one which was hollow and felt fragile in places.
While the size of the new set is rather smaller, its quality is far greater. This model is filled with features and nice details both inside and out. From the outside the almost entirely uniform colour scheme looks very slick and the dark bluish grey highlights serve to break up the otherwise light bluish grey hull very nicely. The angled panels around the edge of the lower half of the Star Destroyer give the appearance of a wedge shape on both the top and bottom, although in reality the vehicle is flat bottomed to allow for easier placement on a surface. The hinges are visible but the plates go about as close to forming a sharp edge as one could hope for given the limitations of the scale.
The four turbolaser turrets down either side of the command tower are a lot of fun and swiveling them back and forth in unison is very satisfying. This is done using two levers at the back of the vehicle, with one controlling the four turrets on the port side, and the other controlling those on the starboard. The barrels on each gun can be raised and lowered independently of one another, although there is no mechanism for this purpose and it must be done manually. The stepped area up to the command tower includes a couple of the spring-loaded missiles which were introduced at the start of this year. These are very effective and can fire as far as three or four metres of the model is held at a reasonable height.
Holding the model is very easy thanks to the inclusion of a carrying handle which is located just in front of the bridge section. It extends far enough to get a good grip even with large hands while also folding away fairly seamlessly, almost to the extent that one might not notice just by looking at it. The command tower is considerably more accurate on this model than on 6211 as it is a little shorter and smaller in comparison with the main body of the vehicle. However, there is no bridge area inside on this model, just a small sticker on a 1x4 tile which represents the viewports. There is some attractive greebling in this area and I am pleased to see that both the communications array and shield generator domes have been included atop the tower. Behind this is a hatch in which one can place the two spare trans-neon green missiles included. I like these kinds of features as I prefer to keep spare guns or ammunition with the set they come from, which is of course made much easier when there is a devoted place to store them.
The seven engines on the back of the ship are fitted using Technic pins, and each one features a trans-light blue dish or Technic weapon barrel to give the impression that they are active. To me, the engines look about the right size although I think they are a little larger on the 'real' Star Destroyer based on screenshots.
Inside, the model is far more detailed than 6211 was, featuring a bridge area at the front and another large room containing a hologram table, a holographic display screen and a weapons rack, towards the back.
The bridge section is fairly accurate, albeit simplified a little on account of the size constraints. There is a walkway running down the middle with a crew pit on either side as in the films, and in each of the crew pits there is a liberal smattering of control panels (which are stickers). This is a nice representation of the bridge and although it is not entirely correct in its proportions, it is nevertheless a brilliant inclusion.
The space at the rear is significantly larger and contains various things. A pair of control panels are found along the back wall along with a holographic display showing areas of the Death Star, complete with a coffee mug. The weapons rack can rotate and stores two weapons, so is functional despite looking a little bit strange to me. There can be no doubt however that the highlight of this area is the hologram table, which includes a fantastic Microfigure of Emperor Palpatine in holographic form. It takes a similar form to that of the trophies which have appeared in the Collectable Minifigures line, although includes some of the Emperor's notable features such as his hooded robe. For me this is an enormous draw to the set and I recommend picking one of these up on Bricklink if you can should you not wish to purchase the entire set.
Overall
No set has yet captured the Imperial Star Destroyer perfectly in my opinion, and unfortunately this set is no exception. The size of the model is a drawback as it simply does not feel large enough to represent such a gargantuan ship. The price therefore seems quite a lot to me as although the price per piece ratio represents good value, the size of the model does not.
Other than that however, this is an excellent set. The Minifigure selection is superb, although I would have liked another couple to fill out the set ideally. From the outside the model is just about perfect and there are some nice touches inside which provide some play value. If you are a fan of the Imperial Star Destroyer then this is naturally going to be a must-have, and on sale I think it should be one for every fan of the Original Trilogy.
- Minifigures: 5 - There may not be as many as I would like, but the seven we do get are excellent, but for the printing on the Stormtroopers' legs.
- Parts: 4 - There are plenty of grey panels as you might expect which could be useful, although some of the Minifigure parts and of course the new hologram piece are probably the highlights.
- Building Experience: 4 - Construction is quite entertaining, although there are few new techniques for the more seasoned Star Wars builder.
- Playability: 4.5 - There are a lot of features and this model is eminently swooshable, so I reckon there is plenty of fun to be had with this set.
- Value for Money: 3 - On a decent sale this set would be great, but as it is I think it is a little bit on the expensive side. £99.99 would have been perfect.
Final Score: 4 - Despite its flaws this is a good set overall. The price may be high and the model is certainly smaller than I would like, but the Minifigures, features and appearance of the set have won me over to an extent, and I am fairly happy with it.
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41 comments on this article
Nice review, have not opened mine yet.
Do the Research Institute review next, also, I hope we see that hologram piece on more sets in the near future.
Great review :), was tempted to get this set a while back but got the new AT-AT instead. Totally agree on the price, does seem over priced, also shame there are no Imperial Guards, 6211 is still at the top of my wanted list but this might fill a gap in my collection until I get find a half decent 6211 for a semi sensible price.
i love this set. Built it a couple of day ago and i had a blast.
I made a review for this set and it has been popular so far.
The Stormtroopers appear to be wearing very low-slung suspender belts. I'd expect that to lead to severe disciplinary procedures although perhaps that would be right up their street.
I'm really not a fan of when minifigs have a cloth cape/robe/etc. AND have their cape/robe/etc. printed on the fig. Because of that Darth Vader looks silly, I can't un-see his double capes.
@DanRSL, take a look at the Real Vader again, you might have forgotten (as I think a lot of people have) but Darth Vader actually has 2 capes! one low one that wraps the waist to ankles, and then the main shoulder cape. and since there is no waist cape currently the leg printing is the next best thing I can think of.
@GallardoLU I just checked and you're right. Although it looks like it rarely hangs in front of his legs, but I guess the fig actually isn't inaccurate. Thanks for pointing that out.
I only really want the holographic microfig from this set.
I'm guessing the mutton chopped officer is General Bast - memorably played by Lesley Schofield in A New Hope. He was actually seen on the Death Star, but I'm sure he'd been on a star destroyer at some point. He also played Jonny Briggs' dad in the 80s kids TV show.
Still deciding whether I should sell my 6211 and replace with this...
^^ Definitely Johnny Briggs' dad... The sideburns are the giveaway!
>"the price has gone up enormously"
Inflation strikes again, in this case! Even over as short a time frame as eight years, $100 in 2006 is worth $118 in 2014. When you think of it that way, 10 real dollars is a lot easier increase to swallow than 30 nominal ones (this argument doesn't work quite as well with GBP, as the nominal price increase was even greater between the two editions, but your prices are always ridiculous anyway :P)
I don't mind at all that this set is smaller than 6211. I want it to be in 'scale'/style with 10188, which it is - minifig-scale interior, accurate looking exterior. It fits between 10188 and the twenty-stud-long Millennium Falcon I made to go with it. Now I just need to make a thirty-stud Tantive IV...
It would be nice if there were more minifigures in a set this size. Kind of weird that Mos Eisley, a mid-sized set, is the most heavily populated of the Star Wars wave this year. I'm just dying for them to do another Stormtrooper battle pack, as my Imperial ranks are highly anemic, and having to divide them between this set and 10188 won't help matters.
I have the set and it looks great on my shelf! I also think it's too pricy for the size of the ship
This review made me want to get this set. :P
Huw - I don't think anyone else has pointed this out, but aren't there six minfigs, not seven (as stated in the review)? I was eagerly reading the review trying to work out which guy we got doubles of other than the stormie, but was left disappointed. Haven't finished reading it all yet so apologies if you're including a mouse droid or something in the seven.
Edit - Balls - just got to the mouse droid part - apologies for doubting you :)
I've been on the fence about this set because of its size and price, but your review has sealed the deal for me. I'm definitely picking one up. The details, the interior, and the mini figures are a must for me; especially the Imperials with their new caps and the hologram Emperor.
@Brainslugged - I counted the Mouse Droid as a Minifigure since it is a bit tricky to place anything about it elsewhere in the review.
Sorry to build your hopes up!
@CapnRex101 - No problem - and sorry for calling you Huw :)
Thanks for the review, this is waiting in my closet as an exercise-for-30-straight-days prize. I'm a fan of the Star Destroyer and this is the first one released since the end of my dark ages. Looking forward to it!
Great review as we've come to expect @CapnRex101, photography is wonderful too.
I think it's fair to count the mouse droid as a figure as it is with the Death Star and the Gonk droid in the Sand Crawler, although it's not a figure as such it's still character none the less.
^ Agreed. I think I'm out of a job!
Nice review but I'm a little disappointed that you talked about how significantly smaller it is compared to 1366 but didn't show us an image.
Great review, of this years SW sets, this was the only one that I went out and bought immediately. Looks great on the shelf and terrific playability as my 3 year old will attest.. One of my favorite sets visually, especially when you stick the fleeing (and almost perfectly to scale) Tantive IV from 75011 under the bow..
How about a side by side pic?
10030 is still the definitive model of this ship, IMHO.
Oh man - look at Vader's wall-eyed face....
"Are you a (wizard) Jedi?"
^^That one is only definitive in the way of looks. It's infamously more fragile than practically every set in existence.
Well, this is a very nice review, but the ship itself doesn't have enough depth to really seem worth the $130. I would much rather spend that on a Spaceship! and Exo Suit or Infearno Interception. Vader's face is overdone.
My real complaint with the set is that this is about the worst case I can think of Technic's multicolored pins really screwing up a set's aesthetics. The whole interior looks like a huge mess because of the red pins sticking out EVERYWHERE. And they make the whole rest of it-- which is quite nice-- blend in. A pass.
@PicnicBasketSam: definitely not a play set, but it does look great on display in my home theater.
@PicnicBasketSam - That's a good call about the red. This review has encouraged me to pick up this set sooner rather than later, and your comment just made me get together all those red Technic parts but in black. Apparently the set also has eight red 2x1 plates with pin thingies on the side. I can't see them on any of the pics, but I've also gathered those together in light and dark grey. I'm sure the set will look a lot better without all the distracting red parts.
^Those parts are used within the gun turret mechanisms, I'm not sure they're all that visible if at all when the set is built.
The only place I disagree with the review is with the interior. I suppose it's not bad and better than previous efforts, but it all feels like the designers were left with a cavernous interior space and just haplessly plonked a couple of bits in to add some play value. The bridge area is kinda neat but looks truly pathetic compared to the section in the Super Star Destroyer. And the back sections are dreadful, just a few printed screens on the side, a computer screen at the back, and some (admittedly very nice) 4x4 mini-build in the middle of the empty space. (I guess the mouse droid is included to take messages between the minifigures, they're so spread out and isolated! :P)
Considering how much we see of the inside of star destroyers so much could have been done. Yes, it would mess with the piece count and weight, but what we have feels like it should come with a post it note saying sorry, we haven't finished this bit yet. I wouldn't be so harsh on it if the folding hull plates that give you access didn't work so wonderfully and invite you to open her up!
Still, I'm treating this set as a display piece, ignoring the strangely sparse looking inside (and the really cool folding hull flaps!) and building elements like the display screen and cool hologram into a hangar bay vignette where a good number of my imperial troops are displayed. Best of both worlds! :D
Great review of a very good set. I've had it for little over a month now myself, and am still pleased with it. There were some disappointments, however, the biggest being no bridge area at all. And, as almost everyone else points out, the size was somewhat disappointing, especially next to 10198 Tantive IV. That being said, I really like what it is and might just get another, depending on what the next wave of Star Wars sets turns out to be.
I have the original 6211 and was looking forward to receiving the updated model. However, I was decidedly underwhelmed once I had finished building it. The set is much smaller than 6211 and is missing the bridge altogether. Given the price, I think TLC has missed an opportunity with this set.
I too would like to see a side by site photo to compare the two. Please!
eh, i think i'm going to stick with the 2006 version, bigger and with more blasters on the outside, and more room inside.
Nice review, but I would have like to have seen a comparison shot with 6211.
"I find your lack of a comparison disturbing". Needless to say, a comparison would have been nice, but you can really see the size of it if you compare it to the minifigures sided by it. I love the original trilogy, but probably won't pick this one up. I'm leaning more towards Marvel's Phase Two sets lately. But this is an amazing review, Cap'n! Keep up the good work.
Why do we not need a comparison with 6211? Why is there no question that this set is better?
6211's bridge!
The size of it, the angles, the horrifically ugly open front. It kind of sees 6211, no matter what else the set has going for it, disqualified!
Still, here's a video of them side by side if you disagree. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WxZ33uFSPA
Thanks for the review. I don't plan on picking this up since I don't care for most ships. However, the minifigures do look nice. I understand WHY LEGO changes minifigure prints all of the time, but it is frustrating too.
I do like the new Vader and will definitely pick him up separately if I can. Although I was hoping his helmet was a new mold. I hate the undergap that you can see. It really needs to be lower OR his face needs black similar to the troopers, which would then ruin his actual head...And with that said, I am surprised they don't release shoulder paldrons for their waist in black to mimic his waist cape instead of printing..crap, I just gave them an idea for another updated version of Vader!!!
The actual set looks decent, but not one I need for my collection. I really only have a few from 2012 and called it good.
After seeing them side-by-side, I'm totally sold on the new version. I had already sort of decided that I'm going to sell my 6211, which I just rebuilt and took apart recently.
Without physically having built the new model, I can say that I vastly prefer the new one. It's a little smaller, but I'm fine with that because the new model looks far more sturdy and visually appealing. I like that it's shorter and doesn't have an oversized tower to accommodate minifigs, and the build of this model looks like it's more fun. The 6211 model while great for its time, is just not as cool looking as this one, and the new model fixes some of the gaps and ugly parts of the old one, such as the back wall around the engines.
I love the new Star Destroyer model besides the fact I don't think I see Vader's meditation chamber and the minifigs. I'd sooner buy it online without figs, as crazy as that might sound.