Review: 75100 First Order Snowspeeder
Posted by CapnRex101,
In our first review of a set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens we will be looking at 75100 First Order Snowspeeder, a set containing 444 pieces. This is a vehicle we have not yet seen in trailers or official images so we don't have much to compare it to in terms of film accuracy, but I think it strikes an appropriate balance between utility and sleekness.
The set is priced at £39.99 or $39.99, so in relation to the piece count it seems like a good deal. However, the official images provided by LEGO make the speeder look rather small, more like a set of half the price. In person the craft is much more impressive, but is not without its faults which will be discussed in the review.
Box and Contents
The box artwork is very striking, featuring the Snowspeeder crossing the plains of the hitherto unnamed ice planet which has appeared in both trailers. The brightness of the background looks great on the shelf, particularly with the stark contrast between that and Kylo Ren's imposing visage on the border across the top of the packaging.
The design of the back of the box has been updated for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and now features a gallery of the accessories included as well as shots of the set in action. I am particularly keen on the technical images in the corner.
There are four numbered bags inside along with a single instruction manual and a sticker sheet. The instruction booklet contains some nice advertisements as well as images of all 27 minifigures from the new range.
Minifigures
Three minifigures are included in this set, the first of which is a First Order Snowtrooper Officer. The figure is brilliantly detailed on the torso and legs, also wearing a brand new helmet which looks to be almost an exact match for the character in the film. This helmet reminds me very much of the Phase I Cold Assault Troopers from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while the insignia on the chest armour was inspired by Ralph McQuarrie's concept artwork for Snowtroopers on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.
In addition to the red pauldron which marks the Snowtrooper's rank there is also a backpack around the neck of the minifigure. This consists of a black neck bracket and a printed 1x1 tile which features some detailed designs. A fabric kama goes around the legs and the officer is armed with a black and white weapon which is made up of a standard pistol and a white lightsaber hilt.
The standard Snowtroopers are very similar to their commanding officer, with an identical helmet, torso and legs. All three minifigures have the same face which has previously been used for Clone Troopers. This is a bit disappointing as these soldiers are obviously human recruits in the film, but I suppose it was easiest for LEGO to include this generic face.
These two troopers are armed with blaster rifles and each wear a kama and backpack, much like Snowtroopers from the Original Trilogy. Two spare printed tiles are included as the minifigures are dispersed between bags one and three.
The Build
Given that the piece count is high in relation to the size of the model I expected construction to be fairly dense and intricate. Bag one suggests the opposite though as the main hull of the model is quickly built using layered plates, bricks and hinges. The simple angling of the speeder's armour looks great and very few studs are exposed on the outside so it is quite realistic in appearance, assisted by the combination of light and dark greys.
Next the sides are further built up as panels are fitted to each bracket. All eight of the stickers included are used in this section but they are all very easy to apply and add some attractive details to the model, so I have no complaints about their presence here.
The set is then turned upside down and Technic elements are assembled to form the mounting for a set of wheels underneath. This is a rather unsightly structure at first but it is later concealed by a pair of curved wedges which are added on either side, producing a far sleeker result.
The next structures to be built are the two side pods which each house a multi-stud shooter. These are plugged directly into the Technic section of the model and make use of some SNOT construction to create the flaps on the outside of each engine.
Radiator grilles are added at the front and back of the model, again with the studs facing sideways. The forward gun turret is the final part of the speeder to be built and with that the model is finished!
The Completed Model
The box artwork makes this set look very small indeed, so the first thing that struck me was that this is not a particularly small model when you see it in person. It measures 22cm in length, about the same as the width of 75082 TIE Advanced Prototype and is perhaps even too big for the minifigures! As mentioned at the beginning of the review, we have yet to see this craft in any promotional material for the film but I suspect it will be a rather lighter vehicle than this set suggests.
However, the size of the model has permitted the designer to include a great deal of detail and plenty of play features. Trans-clear wheels allow the model to 'hover' across the battlefield and are almost invisible from most angles, although you might have to display it on a lower shelf in order to totally obscure them.
The vent on the front of the Snowspeeder breaks up the colour of the model quite nicely but has not been incorporated into the bodywork very well as it should be set back further behind the slopes. To the side of the radiator is the sensor suite and above is the mounted deck cannon. This medium blaster is black and white in colour, the same as most First Order weaponry. It can be angled vertically but does not rotate which is unfortunate as it greatly restricts the arc of fire of the stud-shooter on top.
Additional ammunition for this stud shooter and those on either side of the model is stored in the three crates on the deck of the speeder. The multi-stud shooters on either side are presumably not going to be present on the vehicle in The Force Awakens, but they are a superb play feature and look good here in my opinion. Air brakes are also found on the engine pods which can be angled for tight turns.
There are two seats inside the speeder for the pilot and a passenger to sit. These are detailed with more heat sinks which are clearly going to be important for any craft which has been created for battle in cold or frozen conditions. The angled design of these seats looks great and there is a control panel for the driver as well as three clips to which you can attach all the snowtroopers' weapons.
Overall
This looks like one of the less interesting sets based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and I feel the same way even with the model in hand. However, I think that says more for the quality of the range than the weakness of this set, which is in fact quite impressive.
I like the design of the craft, although the absence of a windscreen in potentially blizzard conditions may be a flaw which the First Order will encounter. The LEGO version includes several play features and is an attractive display model too, although the lack of any opposition for the Snowspeeder in this set somewhat limits its play value.
Despite the fact that I quite like this set it is still one of my least favourites of the seven based on The Force Awakens. The three minifigures are excellent but I am not very keen on the price and some of the other sets are more aesthetically appealing. With a couple of Resistance minifigures to oppose the Snowtroopers I think this would be a very strong set but as it is I would recommend other sets over this one, unless you see it at a reduced price in which case it is worth buying.
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30 comments on this article
It does seem oversized compared to the action figure version of the vehicle, but other than that I rather like the look of it.
All the transparent studs do a lot to artificially inflate the piece count though...
Thanks for the review capn! I wish that they would stop using the angry clone head for all stormtroopers and other imperial/new order troopers! Also if they put a picture of the actual ship it's based off on the box then that would also be appreciated, it doesn't have to be really conspicuous on the front but rather on the back with all the play features.
Just wondering if anyone else with the set thinks the lightsaber part at the front right of ship causes extra pressure on the 1*1 holding piece as it doesn't sit fully because of the stud piece behind?
Photo with and https://flic.kr/p/yfqJyR and without https://flic.kr/p/xXevpr
@burkie yeah, it looks like they don't actually fit properly. I've noticed similar issues (of things not fitting properly) in a few other sets in the wave, especially on the x-wing's engines. I think the sets might have been rushed a bit
"...the absence of a windscreen in potentially blizzard conditions may be a flaw..."
I wondered at first why it was that the Rebels in TESB had a fully enclosed canopy on their snow speeders, and the First Order snow troopers had nothing on their snow speeder?
Then, after some Googling, I discovered that the each of the snow troopers here is wearing a helmet which effectively provides an individual windscreen to each person riding. On top of that the helmets provide a HUD that overlays tactical information to the wearer (biologically bonded apparently so that anyone else wearing it will not receive the benefit of the HUD), and their suits provide a heating mechanism that protects them from freezing.
Therefore, no windscreen or cockpit required.
Now, if you excuse me, I must really go and find that life that I so obviously need to go and get. :o)
@clone,
This is one of the few sets of this star wars line that has a great price to piece ratio (though, as Rob42 said, the transparent bricks do inflate the piece count a bit.) But can you imagine if this had the same markup other sets have? You'd be looking at around $55. As it is CapnRex101 didn't reccomend it at its MSRP.
I suspect this will sell very well. Snowtroopers, a nice big assault speeder, and it's only $40. It is kind of boring next to the TIE and X-Wing, though.
@Brick Belt: Actually, in the UK and US, almost every one of them has a good price per part ratio. The only one with a bad price per part ratio is the Tie Fighter.
I really like this, but my wallet screams in pain: "nooooo!!" Well I have to pay tuition anyway, so maybe I will get this once the price comes down
Anyway, did anyone else think of 40K when they first saw an image of this set? I know I did.
Seems cool but will wait for October maybe.
@deephorse
You're right, it does look very similar to the Landspeeder.
I'm shocked by the amount of room in this. It looks like you could fit approximately 6 or 7 minifigures inside.
Most of the First Order vehicles are very utilitarian, so I don't get the fuss about them being "ugly". No one called the Separatist ships ugly, (which they were.)
It's not a bad design, and even with the ridiculous amount of studs inflating the piece count it still is pretty good value for money.
But the designers of the new ships in this movie really failed to make anything really visually striking (besides Kylo Ren's shuttle), no unique designs like the Rebel snowspeeders, B-wing's, etc.
There's something super "generic Sci-Fi" about all the new content in Episode VII...especially Kylo Ren's lightsaber.
Since I just got the AT-AT last Christmas, I'll skip this one. I like the new original trilogy snowtroopers better than these anyway. These might be great to the source material, but I don't need any more of them.
The vehicle itself is neat. I like the trans wheels. That is a nice touch. The multi-stud shooters are fun, but not something I would need to order this set for anyway.
@pagani88
Not really, I'd say the only two with a good price to piece ratio are this and Rey's Speeder. Every other set is over 11 cents a piece in the US (and most that have previous models of the same ship are more expensive this time around, without being any bigger.) Yeah, there's some City sets this time around that are expensive, but other than that...Chima, Ninjago, Creator, Elves...They all maintain a ratio much closer to 9 cents per piece...And I'd say most of them offer more play value can content for the price, too.
TLG just phones in this SW crap now. All I want is that little orange ball droid. They can keep the rest.
Is that a new part that holds on the clips on the air brakes? Looks like a 1x2 tile with upright bar; I don't recall seeing those before.
I think these sets are one of the biggest shams ever pulled by TLG.
They KNOW we honor price per piece so what do they do... Add more of those tiny 1x1 round plates and small-ish common parts like tiles and plates to normalize the price per part price. It seems a re-evaluation of how to value a set is in order. Perhaps the value of price by weight? I challenge anyone to build a set, weigh it, then price it compared to other larger sets similarly priced. Factor in the pad printing and maybe rare part colors and that would be a better evaluation. This set was EASILY 29.99, those extra tiny pieces are a farce.
@rodiziorobs
I think that is part 2921 with plates on either side of it to place it in the centre to enable it to fold over the 2 x 3 piece.
@copperwonder96: Everybody KNOWS price per piece isn't a perfect measure of value, but if you think some other measurement like price-per-gram will magically show that LEGO is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes you're kidding yourself. According to Brickset, this set weighs 0.56 grams. According to Bricklink, is exactly what 7140 X-Wing Starfighter from 1999 weighed (http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?S=7140-1T=P), and that set ($30.00 when it was released) would cost $43.35 in today's money (http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%2430+1999+dollars+in+2015). What you've assumed to be corporate greed is actually nothing more than economic inflation, which the LEGO Group has zero control over.
And yes, this set's identical size and much higher piece count means parts are smaller on average than in 1999. But that's not just about making the set look more valuable to AFOLs, it's about genuinely making it a better set. The large, specialized pieces of the late 90s and early naughts were HATED by many LEGO fans at the time because they were seen as "dumbing down" the building process. These days LEGO sets have far better shaping and more satisfying builds thanks to the use of smaller and more versatile parts. It doesn't take a genius to realize that this set's use of hinges, Technic substructures, and sideways building to create the vehicle's unique shape is far more advanced than any part of 7140's build.
It looks like a flying runabout. Definitely more of a two person craft that what is realized here. I recall seeing a shadowy picture including this, but maybe it was just one of the other toy representations, anyway...made it look like a double wide speeder bike.
Maybe aanchir could update the brickset weights then? 0.56 grams is...not right. Are we weighing sticker sheets now?
After checking out the other toy images...
With a properly-sized Snowspeeder, this set could have been a $20 battle pack.
@Brick Belt: Most licenced themes have been more than 10p per piece or 11c per piece recently, and most Star Wars sets have been more still, so really we should be pleased about this. Themes like Chima and Ninjago are cheaper because they aren't licenced.
@Jedijon: I believe product weights on both Brickset and Bricklink are the weight of the complete set in-package. But I don't think the extra weight of sticker sheets or instruction manuals makes a huge difference. The only time I can see those weight listings providing a really inaccurate picture of the actual set's weight are sets that came in more elaborate packaging like many of the old Bionicle figures that came in plastic canisters.
Also, don't you have to be staff to update that kind of information in the Brickset database? :/ I recognize there is a lot of data missing from older sets such as product weights, recommended age ranges, etc. But I can see why the Brickset staff hasn't started any kind of campaign to fill in these gaps. Unlike a lot of the info from today's sets which can be sourced automatically from online shopping sites, info on older sets requires a lot more digging around.
Oops, my brother just pointed out that you were actually pointing out that I got my units wrong! I meant .56 kilograms, not grams. My bad!
@Teriyaqi
I have the feeling, that they have gone so retro, they used early concept art as guide, where the typical design has not been developed yet.
Certainly doesn't look like a $40 set to me.