Review: 75098 Assault on Hoth
Posted by CapnRex101,
Star Wars sets are notoriously mixed in their quality, with plenty of excellent sets alongside some rather disappointing offerings. However, no set that I can recall has ever received such an overwhelmingly negative response as 75098 Assault on Hoth and it is easy to see why. Not only does the set include few new models but the minifigure selection is fairly unimpressive and the play value is significantly lessened by the meagre Imperial forces.
Nevertheless, it would be unfair to dismiss this set as a total failure as there are some positive elements which must be acknowledged, although not nearly as many as one would hope for a set of this size and cost.
Box and Contents
I rarely comment on the packaging but the Ultimate Collector's Series labelling on the box warrants some discussion. I am not particularly protective of the 'UCS' label but there is no doubt at all that this set is not deserving of such a description, instead serving to besmirch the entire range as its weakest member. In addition, the box artwork does this set no favours as its front and back look rather messy to me, although the simulated shine of the Star Wars logo is a nice touch.
The instruction manual is a thick tome of almost three hundred pages, the first eleven of which are occupied by some information about the Battle of Hoth and interviews with the designers. Reading these pages irritated me further as the following comments appeared:
- "For LEGO Direct we have the opportunity to make even bigger, more challenging, models with special attention to accuracy and details."
- "Whereas the Slave I is one big model, the Hoth set consists of many smaller models, some of them with functions. It was more like designing several regular retail sets at once."
- "A new AT-AT just came out last year, so you can still replay the whole battle in style."
- "We just assumed every Rebel base had to have lookouts and we just don't see them in The Empire Strikes Back."
It speaks volumes about the quality of this set that the designer, Hans Burkhard Schlömer, likened the design process for 75098 to creating several smaller sets. I was also frustrated to read a contradiction between the attention to detail and accuracy which is, by LEGO's own admission, integral to the UCS range and Hans' comment regarding the lookout tower. Some artistic license is welcome but not at the expense of a model's appearance and this is particularly true of a UCS set in my view.
Most bemusing of all is the statement that one can complete the Battle of Hoth with the addition of 75054 AT-AT. Unfortunately that set was retired in November of last year so LEGO's failure to reprint the instruction manual with the correct information is astonishing as this is likely to lead to a great deal of disappointment, particularly since this set is obviously designed with children in mind. I realise that the set was intended for release last year, at which time 75054 would still have been available, but that is no excuse for this error which has presumably been made due to carelessness or in an attempt to avoid the additional cost of reprinting the instruction manual. Neither case is acceptable and I hope this will be corrected in future production runs.
Eighteen bags are included, numbered from one to thirteen, along with a pair of 6x24 plates and two rock elements which are loose in the box. I am not going to comment extensively on the build as there are very few notable techniques used and it certainly feels like lots of smaller sets have been cobbled together, akin to 60097 City Square.
Minifigures
Toryn Farr is one of only five new characters included and is arguably the most significant of them, which is testament to the insignificance of the others. Her torso and legs are new and both components are nicely detailed, although the printing on her chest makes no attempt whatsoever to match the parka she is seen wearing in the movie. Instead the design was created for two of the Rebel Troopers included and has simply been re-used here, which is rather disappointing.
Her head is printed with smiling and determined expressions which look fine but her hair is completely inaccurate. This is made even more frustrating as an ideal hair piece already exists and was used for 8831-4 Bride. It even includes a hole on top to attach a pair of headphones like those Toryn wears in the film. This kind of corner cutting is typical of the entire set.
My favourite of the fifteen minifigures is Major Bren Derlin, described on the packaging as a generic Rebel Officer. His head, which is complete with an enormous moustache, was first seen in 75131 Resistance Trooper Battle Pack but his torso is brand new and features a rank indicator as well as some pouches.
The Rebel Trooper helmet looks better than ever in white and is worn by seven of the figures included. The goggles can be placed above the brim or fitted over the face which looks a bit silly due to their size but is a welcome alternative. Derlin is armed with a blaster pistol.
Five Rebel Troopers are included, three of which wear the detailed uniforms first seen in 75146 Star Wars Advent Calendar. The designs printed on their torsos and legs look splendid but it is disappointing to see the same head used for one of the troopers as that in 75138 Hoth Attack, which might be considered an expansion pack for this set.
While those three troopers are equipped with rifles, two more come with blaster pistols. They wear the same uniform as Toryn Farr, with attractive printing on both sides of the torso as well as on the legs, suggesting that they are of a higher rank than the white-uniformed soldiers. One has a fairly rare head which is printed with a beard but the other uses the same head as one of the other Rebel Troopers. A total of ten different heads are used between the thirteen human minifigures included which is simply not good enough.
Luke Skywalker wears a similar uniform with a dark tan colour scheme although his has a belt and an additional rank indicator. His head is printed with a smile on one side and some wounds inflicted by the Wampa on the other, a new design which is pleasing despite being unnecessary in my opinion.
Luke is armed with a blue lightsaber and wears a white helmet like the Rebel Troopers, although the shape of the helmet leaves a tiny bit of his face exposed at the back.
With Luke included it is only right that Han Solo should be as well. A very similar figure, with a hood rather than hair, appears in 75138 Hoth Attack which greatly reduces the appeal of this one. However, the torso and leg printing is impressive while his head is printed on both sides with a smile and a frown. It is also worth noting that the printing on the back of the torso is exclusive as it shows the jacket with the hood folded down.
Han is armed with a blaster pistol but is without his hood which is slightly annoying as he spends a significant amount of time wearing it, particularly when rescuing Luke.
Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson fly under the callsign of Rogue Three at the Battle of Hoth, successfully toppling an AT-AT and escaping the field unscathed. This is the first time that Janson has been seen in a set and his helmet features new printing as one would expect but the figure is otherwise unremarkable, with the same head as Wedge and the typical Rebel Pilot attire which has been in use for a few years.
Wedge's only previous appearance came in 6212 X-wing Fighter but his helmet printing has been updated since then to be more faithful to the movie. It is frustrating that the same head, albeit double-sided, has been used for both pilots as the characters are sufficiently important to warrant new designs. This is yet another example of a corner which has been cut, something which I do not expect of a set costing so much.
K-3PO only appears very briefly during the Battle of Hoth but I am glad to get an extra droid to populate the base and the figure looks splendid, with plenty of printed detail on the torso and legs. K-3PO last appeared in 7666 Hoth Rebel Base but this figure is much improved, with a yellow highlight in each eye and intricate designs on the front and back of the torso.
I like the red spots on his chest in particular as these offer a welcome splash of colour which breaks up the primarily white colour scheme very effectively, as do the yellow eyes.
R3-A2 is equally impressive, due in no small part to the trans-black dome which looks great in contrast with the white and orange colours of his cylindrical body. I must mention that orange is not an ideal colour for the droid as the plating in the film is actually closer to flame yellowish orange but I am still pleased with this pair of droids.
Two Snowtroopers are included to represent the Empire, a pathetic number given the title of the set. Nevertheless, the minifigures are exceptionally accurate to their onscreen counterparts and I like the relatively new design very much. Each trooper is armed with a standard blaster as well as a fabric kama and a backpack. They share the same Clone Trooper face beneath their helmets which is fine, although I would welcome some variety.
The presence of the Wampa cave has been a point of contention but I am glad to see the Wampa appear again as it is several years since 8089 Hoth Wampa Cave was retired. The figure is scaled nicely beside a minifigure and the layered fur looks rather nice in my opinion, as does the printing for the face and nails.
I like the differing orientations of the arms too and the hands are shaped to hold a brick, minifigure or bar which is useful. The Wampa may have no place in the Battle of Hoth itself but it I think it is worthy of inclusion as it offers some additional play value and allows newer LEGO Star Wars fans an opportunity to add this figure to their collection.
No Hoth set would be complete without a Tauntaun so I am glad of its inclusion here. The element which forms the head, body and legs of the creature was first introduced in 2009 and it looks as good now as it did then, with accurate printing on the head and poseable arms. A saddle and reins accompany the Tauntaun which allow a minifigure to be placed on top. Alternatively, you can fit a brick into the gap left by the saddle but there is nowhere to store the riding equipment which is somewhat disappointing.
The minifigures are of a reasonable standard on the whole but several important characters are missing such as Princess Leia, Chewbacca, General Rieekan and Romas Navander, not to mention the lack of Snowtroopers. If we are to assume that someone purchasing this set has never bought a set based on Hoth before then these characters are vital and their absence is unacceptable.
The Completed Model
The distinct lack of Imperial forces has been a source of frustration for many fans and I must concur. An E-web blaster cannon and a speeder bike makes for a paltry assault and the play value is therefore hampered enormously, despite the fact that play features have been jammed in wherever possible. The speeder bike has only been updated by the addition of some stickers and it looks fine as a result, with room for a pilot to hold onto the handlebars.
The E-web, on the other hand, is laughably poor in its design. It is over ten years since the cannon first made an appearance in 4504 Millennium Falcon but this model is worse in every respect. Not only is it hugely oversized but it is more fragile, less accurate and now has an ugly stud shooter thrown on top. The charge pack is also far too big and the hinged top leaves an unsightly gap even when it is closed, although it is a satisfactory method of storing some extra studs.
A trench forms the primary defence for the Rebels and this is angled nicely to create some visual interest. From the front the trench looks quite impressive and offers plenty of protection for the troops but I am not keen on the light bluish grey highlights which are spread across the front. These would look far better in white as the trenches consist only of packed snow in the films rather than of rocks, although there is some exposed rock on Hoth.
The line of turrets is rather intimidating and each one is placed on a 4x4 space so you can easily swap them around to alter the shape of the defences if you wish. I like the heavy blasters mounted on the parapet and the DF.9 anti-infantry turret is a decent model too, although it also has some grey elements which look out of place. The access hatch on top is especially ugly and the spring loaded shooters look tacked on, with little attempt to hide them.
Perhaps my least favourite element of the entire set is the P-Tower turret, an anti-vehicle weapon which is seen extensively on Hoth. A near perfect rendition of the cannon appeared in 75014 Battle of Hoth but that superb design has been thrown away in favour of this shambolic creation, which scarcely resembles the actual turret. A six stud shooter has been jammed onto the front of the dish and it looks dreadful. The function works well but the mounting wobbles as it is turned and feels fragile as a result. Some extra ammunition is included but no effort has been made to hide them, with the instructions instead suggesting that you stack them up beside it, as shown above. This turret, like the others, can be rotated on its base and can be moved around to change the arrangement of the defences.
A second DF.9 battery can be clipped to the gateway which forms the core of the set and this turret can also be easily removed and moved around if you wish. The snowy base is lined with tan and dark tan plates which are intended to represent the duckboards and compacted snow seen in the trenches in the film and I think this works quite well despite the simplicity of the technique. However, I do not think that this second turret is necessary since 75138 Hoth Attack is already available should you want to expand the Rebel defences. Instead it seems like a rather dubious attempt to justify the price of the set.
Another clip is found at the other end of the entrance and this is used to attach the ion cannon. This and the shield generator are the only significant models included which have not been seen before and it is easy to see why in the case of the ion cannon. This is a huge emplacement in the film and it requires a larger model to really do it justice. This effort suffers as a result of its small size and the spherical shape has not been captured particularly well in my opinion, although it is certainly recognisable as the v-150 Planet Defender.
The interior is a little more impressive as there are some nice consoles and room to seat a minifigure which can be fully enclosed by lowering the hatch on top. I also enjoy the dual firing system which has been implemented to fire two missiles in quick succession, although this is at the cost of the gun barrel looking remotely faithful to the source material. There is space on either side for the spring loaded shooters which would have allowed a more accurate barrel to be fitted while the play feature remained but this opportunity has been missed and we are instead left with a model that looks awful.
Matters only grow worse though as the rear of the ion cannon is one of the worst aspects of the entire set. As you can see below, a jumble of colourful Technic elements have been left totally exposed and it looks dreadful. Unfortunately these pieces are also visible from the front if you raise the angle of the turret, making just about every aspect of this model a failure in my opinion. This is the final section to be constructed and it epitomised the entire building experience for me.
The other brand new model is the shield generator. An entire module is missing for reasons unknown and the snow which is packed around the generator looks disappointingly uniform, failing to give the impression of a structure which has been built into the snow and naturally covered by snowdrifts. The small size of the shield generator is not an issue in my opinion as a model of the accurate size would be enormous and this smaller version is sufficient. The unusual shape of the generator has been recreated perfectly and it looks fine from the front, but for the absence of the fourth module.
Poor finishing at the back of each model is fast becoming a trend for this set as an unsightly lever is fitted which is far larger than it needs to be. A few more pieces would resolve this issue and this becomes increasingly annoying during construction as more situations like this one arise.
However, I do like the exploding function activated by this lever. The three sections are not held in place by any studs and can easily be thrown into the air, although they are liable to wobble even when you are moving the model around. If only the AT-AT which causes the explosion were still available for sale!
From the outside I think the gates look quite impressive, with nice interlocking teeth on the doors and natural shaping of the snow on either side. There are some exposed rocks on Hoth but the sides of the entrance are covered with snow in the film so the dark bluish grey rock pieces which support the structure look out of place and should have been replaced with white ones. I am not keen on the top of the gateway either as it looks very flat despite the few slopes which are spread around. The turret mounting points on top are not accurate to the movie but they do not bother me too much as I appreciate the customisation which this allows.
In addition to the significant flaws which I have already described there are plenty of minor ones which are particularly frustrating since they could easily have been resolved during the design phase. The most notable of these is the use of a red 1x1 brick with a stud on the side which leaves a patch of red visible among the white pieces. This detracts from the appearance of the model to some extent and the required brick already exists in white so it could have been avoided.
While the front of the entranceway looks good, the back is absolutely appalling. Much like the ion cannon, a selection of colourful Technic pieces have been left exposed when they could easily have been covered. The liftarms are successful in strengthening the model but no attempt has been made to disguise them and they look terrible. Worse still is the reverse side of each door. These are pointlessly littered with light bluish grey parts which completely ruin the appearance of the doors from this side. The gear used to open the doors is painfully obvious too, although they move smoothly so I have no complaints with regard to their functionality.
Opening and closing the doors is very satisfying but flying the snowspeeder through them is not as there is hardly room to squeeze it through. Less than a half stud of clearance is left on each side and the craft can only just about pass between the teeth of the doors, as shown in the image below which has the doors opened as far as they will go. Flying it through without hitting the sides is almost impossible.
The lookout tower which is offset to the left of the entrance is an inexplicable inclusion. The designer claims that it is based on the towers seen on Yavin IV and that Hoth must have similar structures but we do not see them in the film. Evidently he was unaware that we do see lookout posts on Hoth in the film and they look nothing like this, instead consisting of trenches much like the main defences. Moreover, a minifigure looks ridiculous when stood on top, as shown on the box.
This is not a bad play feature but the method of lowering the tower is pathetically rudimentary and it cannot be hidden away entirely, spoiling the appearance of the model from the front and back. Evidently the "special attention to accuracy and details" which is given as a maxim of the Ultimate Collector's Series range was lost at some point during the creation of this set.
Separate modules can be fitted to the back of the gateway to form the interior. The first of these is also the least interesting, consisting of a crane and a Tauntaun pen, neither of which was really necessary in my view. The feeding station offers plenty of room for a couple of Tauntauns but is rather boring and I would prefer that this had been left out in favour of a medical bay or a larger command centre.
The rotating crane can be used to lift crates out of the cargo sled and it works reasonably well, although the tap at the end of the boom sometimes comes off as there is little friction between it and the Technic pin to which it is attached. A small fuel pump is included too and this is decorated with a sticker, complete with some Aurebesh text which reads 'alert.'
The command centre is fitted on the opposite side of the gate, leaving a space between the structures for a few vehicles and minifigures. As one of the most prominent sections of Echo Base, I had hoped that justice would finally be done to the extensive command centre when news of this set first emerged in December of 2014. The result is very disappointing though this version is smaller than the previous effort, with just one holographic display and two little consoles on the walls. The main display is decent and I appreciate the inclusion of some clips to store weapons but that good work is quickly undone by the two trans-red missiles which are haphazardly attached to the wall. It is bemusing that a better storage solution could not be found.
Behind the command centre is the Wampa cave. This little structure consists of white and light blue bricks which give the impression of ice. Luke can be suspended from the ceiling as he was in the movie and an attempt has been made to replicate the scene in which he pulls his lightsaber from the snow with The Force. This feature is borrowed from 8089 Hoth Wampa Cave but it does not work very well, only pushing the lightsaber partly out of the snow.
Lastly come the two Rebel vehicles, a cargo sled and a snowspeeder. The sled is very basic in its construction but is faithful the source material and has room for two crates as well as a driver. Wheels are found underneath which allow you to roll the model around and a hinged flap is attached at the back for loading and unloading. Two pairs of macrobinoculars are stored in one box while the other contains a couple of blaster pistols.
This is the seventh minifigure scale model of a snowspeeder and I think it is the best one yet, although very few improvements have been made since 75049 Snowspeeder was released. The angled armour plating of the craft is very difficult to recreate at this scale but the design has been improved significantly in recent years, most notably on the wings where the shape is almost identical to the vehicle in the film.
The harpoon at the rear can be let out by turning the gears on either side of the cable reel but it does not fire from the stud shooter. Instead a trans-red 1x1 stud is placed there to simulate a laser cannon. Two more projectiles are fitted underneath but these face forward to attack enemies head on.
There is room for two minifigures to sit in the cockpit, although it is a tight squeeze. Control panels are situated at both ends and there is a 1x2 jumper plate between the seats which can be used to store a blaster. The cockpit has remained unchanged since the first model of a snowspeeder was released in 1999 which is unfortunate and a new, more accurate, piece is required. However, I think this is the best that can be done using only existing elements.
The snowspeeder is one of the best parts of the set but its appeal is lessened slightly by its similarity to 75049 Snowspeeder which was released in 2014. The two models are almost identical in design, with the colour scheme and harpoon being the only apparent differences as the older one actually fired the harpoon rather than a stud.
It is a shame that no significant improvements have been made since the 2014 version as this is still not a perfect model but I like the new colour scheme very much and it is nice to have two snowspeeders that match.
Overall
This is an awful set. Almost every section is rife with issues and the minifigure selection does little to make up for this. Clearly the set has no right to Ultimate Collector's Series designation but more damaging in my view is the fact that the individual models are not very impressive. Most feel unfinished or are lacking in detail and some of the design choices which have been made are simply bewildering such as the absence of a fourth shield generator module or the lack of space to fit the snowspeeder through the doors. Corners have been cut all over the set and even the minifigure selection is fairly weak as the few new characters which are included are not particularly appealing and many important minifigures have been left out.
Furthermore, the price of the set is beyond what it should be. The numerous small models do not form a cohesive whole and it looks fairly sparse when laid out so I see little justification for the price of £219.99 or $249.99. Sometimes the cost of producing new parts can inflate the price but that cannot be the case here as no new pieces or elements in new colours are included. Even more astonishing is the lack of new printed designs for the minifigures. Only five new torsos have been introduced along with two new heads and this detracts quite significantly from their quality which is a shame.
However, this set was clearly designed with play value in mind and in that regard I think it succeeds to some extent as there are lots of features and most work quite well. The large number of Rebel personnel also increases the play value as there are plenty of figures to man every turret and vehicle with some left over as infantry. Furthermore, some of the models included are impressive and I would be pleased if the snowspeeder, cargo sled and doorway were included in a smaller set. Unfortunately, the playability is hamstrung by the lack of Imperial forces and the poor planning involved in the production of this set given that 75054 AT-AT is no longer available.
I do not recommend this set, particularly if you have already acquired some of the earlier models based on these scenes. If 75098 Assault on Hoth combined the best versions of each vehicle and structure seen on Hoth in one set then I would recommend it to LEGO fans who have not purchased previous Hoth sets but in its present state I think many of the earlier models are better than these. My initial assessment of the set was fairly critical and it is equally unimpressive in person. This is far from the worst set ever made but it is certainly a low point for the LEGO Star Wars theme in recent years. Hopefully it will bounce back with 75159 The Death Star.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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140 comments on this article
Yeah, nah, pass. Lego really dropped the ball on this one. Such a waste of an UCS slot. I'm sure we'd all have loved it when we were children, but from an/this adult perspective, it's a definite miss.
Absolutely dreadful. I think I hate this set even more than I did before, now.
Great review - i have no attachment to the UCS label at all but this does feel like terrible design and value in one set.
"The goggles can be placed above the brim or fitted over the face which looks a bit silly due to their size" - a bit silly?
Thanks for the review, it must have been frustrating going into such detail for an unattractive set. What a disgusting showing by Lego. Sloppy, inaccurate, and a complete waste and insult of the UCS label. Definitely not buying this set. I hope Lego tries harder to not squander the IP so carelessly in the future.
Harsh but fair review. There've been short moments that I've been tempted by this set, but this review has sealed my resolve to pass on it. Such a shame, Lego.
Can anyone post an LDD design of this set as it should be?
The Insult on Hoth
Very thorough review CapnRex. Thank you!
While I'd love to get my hands on those droids I agree this set is extremely disappointing. As I mentioned when Huw posted the highlights supplied by Lego, the main defense of this set seems to be it's "playability" but as a display piece it's extremely weak.
We've seen Lego make great UCS sets that have both play AND display value: Ewok Village, Sandcrawler, Death Star, etc. It's a shame they missed the mark here.
I agree with the constructive criticism of the set in this article, but for me the set is 50/50 and I for one will still be buying it. I agree that some parts are ugly from angles and this is maybe a tad on the expensive side. But i believe with some white base plates, my two AT-ATs and my snowspeeder will form a lovely diorama on one of my shelves. I will be going to the store tommorow to pick this up and am very excited.
Won't have a chance to read the review till later, but I'm already looking forward to reading 100+ comments throughout the day.
I'm under the impression that a lack of leadership is to blame. The company is well aware of just how important Star Wars is to its fans and to its own business; yet to see a product such as this pass the concept stage is worrying. The quality just isn't there.
I've been following LEGO, LEGO Star Wars and this site + its reviews for a while, and this is one of the first where you seem to have barely anything positive to say - and I can understand why.
Severely lacking everywhere, looks like the cut corners all over the place and why on earth this is UCS. It looks like they were trying to replicate their success with the Endor Village, and failed spectacularly.
"Assault" on Hoth is right. LEGO have assaulted the good name...
Pass.
If we're looking for positives here, at least it allows us to pause and look at some of the magnificent Star Wars sets we have gotten. Looking at my collection, Ewok Village, Slave I (UCS and 2010), Shuttle Tydirium (2015), Millennium Falcon (2009)....... I can't help but appreciate how great these sets are. We are spoiled a bit. LEGO certainly has more home runs than strike-outs.
I'm guessing this set will get some pretty crummy reviews across the board. I'm sure to the uneducated, this set might sell relatively well. But those in the know will probably avoid it. My question: Do you think this has the possibility of being sold at a reduced price a year down the line? (All of this assumes lots of stock due to poor sales.) Would you buy this if the price dropped to $200? $150?
And do they have to ruin everything with SHOOTERS?
Ouch - but well deserved from the looks of it. I had no idea how poorly designed the back of the ion cannon and hanger bay doors were. This is certainly not a UCS.
@high5debra
Under $180 I would buy 2 for a Hoth MOC. You need 2 for the shield generators and white pieces in general to do it, also extra trenches, cannons etc. So as a parts pack for a MOC it is not bad, but again price is too high for just a parts pack.
Good review, and I won't be buying at this price especially considering I have all the smaller sets which make up this one to begin with.
Now if somehow this gets discounted 50% like the UCS B-Wing did, then I would consider picking it up.
I wouldn't pay $50 for this set. Absolutely nothing about it appeals to me. And @Maxximus, I couldn't agree with you more! Shooters seem to be included next to every weapon on every ship ever, and they very much detract from the aesthetics of the model.
Agreed - this is disgusting. Even from the perspective of someone who would tear it all apart and use the pieces to MOC a better base, even that seems impossible ...
... This makes me miss Chima
... Almost makes me miss Galidor :P
Things that bother me about this set: The price. The cost-cutting. The fact that they added so many play features. So far I've mainly stuck up for this set, but there is no reason for these play features, because very few children will get it! Also, I know that the child version of me would not have used them anyway! As I've said before, they should have dropped the "assault" bit and the play features, and made the interior better.
However, the similarities between the Snowspeeder in this set and the 2014 version are not bad things. That means that they actually look okay next to each other, so you can have a grey one and an orange one that look like they came out at the same time.
A point I'm surprised no one has brought up is that this practically spoils the chances of ever having a good Battle of Hoth UCS set; since they almost never revisit their ideas (besides the Death Star) when this subtheme is concerned. If they could do the BoH justice, they would have showed us right here with this set. Quite a shame.
An excellent review of an appalling set by a real subject matter expert. That's why we have Chris on the team :-)
It's a set that should never have seen the light of day. The worst part for me was seeing the back of the spherical ion cannon. That's just totally lazy and unacceptable.
Way to overpriced for a bunch of facade's and mini builds. The skeletal back side is appalling. I'd only consider buying it if it was discounted by a hundered or a hundered fifty dollars...
I just wish Lego had focused on a real Echo Base model with larger doors, real command center, a medical center, etc. The trenches and what not are really superfluous, especially since there is a $25 set on the market now with the same stuff.
Big mistake by Lego to release this as a single expensive boxed set and then have the gall to call it UCS. I think the outcry has been heard and the sales will prove that LEGO isn't going to do this again in the future. Star Wars LEGO fans are not a group to be messed with lol.
Excellent review - it confirms my earlier thoughts, essentially a very expensive playset. I'd really expected more from a 'UCS' set considering the recent additions to the line (e.g. X-Wing, Sandcrawler, Slave 1 & TIE Fighter) which just seemed to raise the bar each time. However, this is nothing short of mediocre and the RRP is indefensible. The reverse of the ION cannon and blast doors look pretty feeble for a system-scale set, and I cannot understand how either was considered acceptable for this.
If there's a decent sale at some point, I'll grab one, otherwise I'm sorry to say that it's an easy pass for me. It's such a shame, I'm not too sure what's gone wrong here - but as you say the end result is awful.
I have gotten the 2013 Hoth Battle play set, 2014s Snowspeeder and ATAT,and the new Turret set. This will be a reasonable set as I have a good amount of imperial forces.
Brutal
I struggle even calling this a playset. How do you play this scene with only two storm troopers, no Leia, no AT-AT, heck... One of the most iconic scenes from Hoth are the gates closing and Chewbacca howling. If you are going to have the scenes that set that up, how can you not have Chewbacca? I think the lack of a substantial build and instead just small builds completely does this set in. I have to agree with the photo of the back of the entranceway. That is simply horrible and absolutely unacceptable for a UCS set. I can't think of any playset my kids have where the back of a build looks so bad.
Looks awful, but like high5debra said earlier: LEGO's spoiled us a bit with all those fantastic sets.
Just waiting to see what aftermarket prices will be for this...
A fair and (sadly) honest review of this set. I am saddened to see Lego Star Wars sink this low. I think we need an explanation on why the heck this set was allowed to be released this way. Lego Star Wars needs to pull itself together. Let's all hope and pray that the UCS Death Star is better. It won't be hard considering the horrible design of this overpriced hunk of ABS.
I have an 8 letter reaction to this set... P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C. It's unbelievable that they'd first release this as a UCS set, and then, on top of that, put a price tag of $250 on it. This is clearly a $130-$150 set. I share the sentiments about the "shooters", too. Really cannot stand those things. There is nothing major here that couldn't be cobbled together from a few other sets that are currently available at retail; and the cost would be fractional.
My two cents:
The Bad:
• UCS sets should first and foremost be about creating the best set possible without compromises. This doesn’t do that as there are compromises all over the place. Making the Ion Canon look like crap so a stud shooter can be included? A quarter of the shield generator missing?
• I hate BURPs in any set, but there should be absolutely no reason to have BURPs in a UCS set.
• The set is way too piecemeal. I’d consider it mainly to be an OK hangar door and a load of other bits that would end up in the parts bin.
• The set doesn’t really give us anything new or (more importantly) much better than we’ve had in the past).
• Assault on Hoth is sadly lacking in the “Assault”. “Snowtroopers Bob and Tim’s Suicide Mission on Hoth” would be more fitting.
• Any chance of turning this set into a true “Assault” went out the window when the Snowspeeder and AT-AT were retired last year. Why weren’t they all available at the same time?
• Currently the only way to expand this set is to buy the other smaller Hoth set. But that just adds a bit more of the crap we’re already getting in this set (and several times before). Plus your army of Hans will increase at the same rate as your army of Snowtroopers.
• Bad minifig selection: doubling up of Han; no Leia; no bacta tank Luke; only two imperials.
• High price considering the number of tiny and basic parts in the set.
• Not a great set overall even if it wasn’t carrying the UCS moniker.
The Good:
• Loving the updated white protocol droid (although shouldn’t he have a little color in his tummy wires?) and R2 unit is nice.
This really should have a been a standalone base which included a Snowspeeder, but with parking space for two more which could have been bought individually. Leave the “Assault” part of it for people to add themselves in the form of AT-ATs, and ideally Snowtrooper and Rebel battlepacks.
Recently Lego had an offer in store were you got a free $50 Ninjago Ronin R.E.X. set when you bought the $200 Ninjago Temple. Hopefully at very least there’s some sort of deal like this in the near future – or 50% off next May 4th like the UCS B-Wing – a set I thought was actually really good and worth its original $200 price tag. I’m going to really hate myself if I can’t resist getting this just for the two droids.
Also, LEGO, at least give us a crapload of white slopes etc in the pick a brick walls while this set is available so we can at least have an option to turn this into what it should have been.
carnage. but justified. Please, please here's praying the next Death Star restores the high standards set by Slave 1, Ewok Village etc.
Easy pass, so is the Batcave. I would rather spend the money on the new Porsche being my first technic set. Compared to this it's just amazing.
Oh dear, I was going to get this set and have kept thinking it can't be as bad as some previews made out.
Well now it isn't as bad, it's much worse. It would be expensive at half the price. How on earth did this set ever get authorised for production?!
I knew it was bad. But. Just. WHY, LEGO, WHY?!?!
I initially felt you were being a little harsh towards the ion cannon until I saw the back of it.
This review tempts me to get the Ewok Village tomorrow, as that at least looks like an awesome set at the same price.
Just looking at the box art, it doesn't look like a $250 set, nor does it convey that it uses over 2000 pieces. It really looks like a $50-60 play set not a UCS, which should have been an immediate red flag to LEGO that people were going to complain about it.
Brainslugged, your comment on the Snowtroopers made my day. Well done, good sir.
Thanks for the review. Amazingly, this set gets worse the more we see of it. Such a missed opportunity. For all of us Hoth fans, this probably ruins the chances of seeing an actual quality Echo Base set in the foreseeable future. So profoundly disappointing, incredible.
On the point of the Ion Cannon in particular, not only does it look unimpressive and have an unfinished back (and an unnecessary inner chamber), but in terms of play value, what is it going to shoot at? If the AT-AT is necessary to complete the ground assault dynamic, one needs a Star Destroyer for the Ion Cannon.
I have only one word to describe this set : botched...
@CapnRex101, Thanks for not pulling any punches with this review. It is interesting how many strange/bad decisions Lego has made in the last 6 months. Releasing this "fun pack" as a UCS set is just the latest in a string of misfires by Lego management...
Capn I would argue that this is not the weakest link in the UCS line, the chrome highlighted Naboo Star Fighter should take that prize.
"Capn I would argue that this is not the weakest link in the UCS line, the chrome highlighted Naboo Star Fighter should take that prize."
I disagree - it might be small, but it's perfectly formed and deliciously shiny! No, Assault on Hoth wins the wooden spoon, and by a country mile IMHO....
Darn, I'm not sure I'd buy this for even half the price. There's some neat bits and bobs (the heavy blasters on the trench, the cargo sled, cool droids and helmet prints), but that all drowns in a sea of bleh.
And of course Snarlyface strikes again...
Can someone photo shop the box art to change the name to @Brainslugged's brilliantly accurate alternative?
^ I may have just done something even better real quick... http://i.imgur.com/Itc45cd.jpg
No regrets. It's back to normal now, but you can see it in the changes on the set details page. XP
Wow it was really that bad? I just read this review, and now.....I have absolutely no intention of buying it, though I probably wouldn't have bought it anyway. Sigh.
EDIT: The worst part? Even the minifigures, which I expected to be good, are not perfect, which makes me just too sad.
I thought this set was going to be just an "ok" set, until I saw the back of the Ion Cannon, and the gate. Now the set, which I EXPECTED WAS GOING TO BE REVIEWED SCATHINGLY, is even worse than I thought it would be..........:(
@TheBrickPal - Hilarious!
Two battlepacks in the winter wave MUST be Hoth ones. I really want those new snowtroopers, and I am NOT going to spend 200 for just two snowtroopers.
I don't know. The quality of Lego is going down I think. We have sets that are top-of-the-line(FO transporter, Ghostbusters Firehouse, Resistance Transporter) and then we have sets like these, and it's worrying, especially as several sets that got bad reviews lately are Star Wars, and I only buy Star Wars nowadays.
EDIT: I feel sorry that Capnrex had to review this set. It looks like OT sets are having a bad time this year.
Did the Lego designers build this blindfolded????
Day 1 purchase for me :-D
Very, very disappointed by this set. I'll likely pick it up at some point (as I'm a UCS completist), but I'm certainly in no rush.
@SithLord196, definitely pick up the Ewok Village. Don't hesitate, even if you aren't a die hard Star Wars fan. It is a fantastic set all around; the structure, minifigures, and play features are what a set that size should be all about. The price comes largely from the number of minifigures, but man, it is a great set. It's what a Star Wars UCS set should be. It's pretty from every angle too.
I am flabbergasted that LEGO would even consider releasing a set that is so flawed, let alone one with the UCS label slapped on it! They should have released the Wampa Cave separately, and just cut the disgraceful Ion Cannon. Since when does playability trump looks in a UCS set of all things! Ugh, ugh, UGH!!
Thanks for the extensive and excellent review Cap'
It's truly dreadful, even worse than the horrendous bat-cave, so, so pleased I've just saved a hill of money
@monkyby87
I've seen the Ewok Village set in person but for whatever reason it just doesn't seem super impressive to me. I love the mini-figure assortment, and I think it does a good job recreating that part of the film, but I've been arguing with myself since it came out on whether or not I should get it.
Worst UCS set to date. If you can even call it a UCS that is...
Who cares about accuracy? Let's put working blasters on everything!
Wow. This is even worse than I thought it was. Here are my thoughts:
The Good:
-The Snowspeeder. They mostly managed not to screw that up.
-The two droids. That's not much, but they are really neat.
-The doors, from the front. They look really nice.
-The inclusions of a Wampa and a Tauntaun.
-Parts of the ion cannon--I kind of like the Lowell Sphere-like construction.
The Bad:
-Pretty much all the backsides of every single structure. BLEH.
-Stud shooters and spring-loaded missiles everywhere, which severely detracts from the appearance of all the weaponry.
-The Snowspeeder still has the same crappy canopy and now it doesn't even fire the harpoon.
-The rest of the ion cannon--the actual cannon part looks crap and it doesn't even have a backside!
-No Leia, Bacta Tank, Bacta Tank Luke, Imperial forces, or even Chewie!
-The inclusion of a speeder bike--those are barely even in Empire.
-The giant, flimsy mess of an E-Web cannon.
-The lake of care put into the instructions.
-The exorbitant price tag.
What a poor, insulting excuse for an UCS set. The rear selections of these "models" speak volumes to me.
Not caring much about SW, when I see Slave I or Ewok Village, I want to buy them and build them immediately. I have to struggle hard not to collect UCS thanks to those fantastic sets.
This one is horrible though. It never should have happened. The idea, that I might see more sets like this one in the future, simply frightens me!
Such a meh set. Also a perfect (emphasis on perfect) Ion Cannon could have been made using the Planet Series globe pieces - that's what I'd expect from a UCS in terms of cleverness/accuracy.
I think this is a classic case of "trying to do waaaaay too much and not doing any of it." On another point, have those macrobinoculars appeared in white before? I thought they were exclusively dark grey
It makes me wonder what all the reasons were for the change in leadership announced by TLG yesterday.
Down with this sort of set!
It's the combination of sub-average build and exorbitant price that make's this set very off-putting to me.
I'm thinking how easily could this be quite well accepted big playset if only several decisions have been made right in TLG:
1) Peeling off the UCS mark (along with omitting the UCS hype in announcement so everyone expected just a regular playset)
2) Calling it Hoth Echo Base (so the lack of imperial assault wouldn't be that striking)
3) Setting the price at $200 maximum (perhaps with help removing Wampas cave or some extra Ion canon...)
In such presence, I think the customer feedback would be slight disapointment at its worst. Like: 'Ummm alright, big Hoth playset, mostly revamps but who cares, ion cannon -not the prettiest but hey, at least we have one...- shield generator, finally! And 2K bricks for $200, not the worst deal in the world!'
Though, all these decisions have been made wrong and we have a (justified) hate hype instead.
My honest opinion is that there is no possible satifactory 'UCS Assault on Hoth' set. I simply can't imagine what would it (or should it) look like. If this set was to meet UCS standards, it would require UCS squality AT-AT (at least one) and UCS quality Echo Base plus about ten pounds of white bricks to make up for all the required snow.
Maybe I'm just missing something and there is a possible form for such set... but I doubt. For me it is the same chimaera as e.g. UCS Battle of Coruscant set (minifig scaled) or... actually any UCS set that represents some full scale 'battle'.
I wish that the different components were sold individually (I only want the Eco Base) that would have been a smarter move, though I guess Lego just wanted to slap the Ultimate Collector Series sticker on it!
Given the bad nature and design of this set and that it will likely not sell well, one has to wonder if it actually will become a collectors set down the road due to it's rareness.
Maybe this could be next Cloud City type set where they make very few (in this case due to lack of demand, which I am not sure was the case for Cloud City) and it skyrockets in value as everyone is waiting for it to be discounted by 50%, but then one day just gets yanked without discounts. Then the prices on the droids climbs to over $200 a piece and everyone will be kicking themselves for not picking one up when they had the chance....or maybe not.
I feel bad for Hans, he truly is a wonderful person and a great designer.
Sadly first impressions were spot on
@stank2k quite contrast to his work on Slave 1.........something has clearly gone on with the development of this set, not enough time, not really sure what they wanted, and this expensive mess has been the result
Getting this at $100 off maybe.
@AussieSamurai
Not exactly, the set was even worse than I expected it to be, and I already had low expectations.
I'm honestly afraid that the new Death Star will be the exact same as the old one but with improved builds, but still looking the exact same. Also, updated figures probably.
I was working on an ultimate Hoth set on LDD for Lego Ideas but stopped work after news came out about this set. I am so disgusted that I am going back and finishing that set. My version includes/will include an AT-ST, a proper shield generator, proper trenches, a proper base, and 1-2 snow speeders. I was still hopeful for this set when clicking into this review. That photo of the back of the entrance finally did for me. -1/10
Excellent review but a shame about the set. Hopefully the summer sets will make up for it and I look forward to reviews of those.
Wow. Only 2/78 comments are positive.
I hate this set.
Now it's 2/79.
2/80 now. So sad. This set could have been so much better than it was.
Lego has been pulling that nonsense with the bright multi-colored Technic pieces for a long time now and it really needs to stop. It's always an eyesore and always takes you out of the build.
They should have released the UCS Snowspeeder this May the 4th, then lost this down the back of the sofa.
Pretty soon they'll be labeling Microfighters as UCS...
Great review for a less than great set...
i will consider buying this if it's price drop to $100
almost 5c per piece is reasonable, because mostly white color bricks & small slope bricks
have to consider because i don't need that much white color pieces
Wow, i'm not sure what to make of it and its ridiculous price point, even for one who has never collected any parts of it in previous sets.
Imagine how expensive those exclusive droids will end up being though... Because nobody in their right mind would buy this set
I was on the fence about this one. I have last year's at-at, and I actually didn't mind this set when I first saw it. It looks decent from the front, but the flaws and the price tag took this off my list. Thank you for the informative review. It saved me $300.
There's a lot of inexcusable design flaws in the set . . . But could the price and some of the decisions be the fault of Disney? I'm sure they have some influence over what sets are produced and it wouldn't surprise me if the licensing is what led to the exuberant pricing and led to cut corners?
I have been trying to buy every single UCS set to come out, but I honestly think for the first time this is not worth it in the slightest. Hopefully next time....
@TheBrickPal, brilliant, absolutely brilliant! @StevieDaniels21, good idea on the ion cannon, anyone wanna MOC it up?
Also do you think the staff here at Brickset could MOC a proper Assult On Hoth? You know to give us an idea of what this set easily could've been.
......2/89 =-)
Well, they did a small fix for Wall-E's head right? Maybe they'd consider doing a small fix for this set that replaces everything completely with anything else.
Great review, Chris. This couldn't have been a fun review to write.
Well I can't add anything new to this, other than that I totally agree with the overwhelming sentiment. Not having many UCS sets, I SO wanted to want this but it’s a pass. It’s got me considering the Sandcrawler instead – anyone happen to have that set and have an opinion for me?
@jerjer, yeah, I wouldn't go much over $100 myself. It could be a good deal in brick count at $150 but I wouldn't really want most of it. The droids, animals and to some extent the door mechanisms are the desirable parts, and in my mind, acquiring all of that other stuff (so many gun emplacements) is a dead end.
@AgentblueX3 - I am intending to post an article about what I think the set should have been and might design some sections of it.
@MeganL - It was alright. A smile creeps across my face whenever I look at certain parts of the set so it definitely provides some entertainment.
@explodey - I wrote a two part review of the Sandcrawler in 2014 and stand by my thoughts there that it is a great set with some minor issues: http://brickset.com/article/11174/review-75059-sandcrawler-part-1
I would very much look forward to now seeing the LEGO fan community take over and either MOC-complete the set to the standards that it should have been released, or design their own version of what "Assault on Hoth" UCS should have looked like. Perhaps an idea for a Brickset competition?
Yikes. I would only consider this if it were $100 cheaper.
"Assault on Hoth"? "Stud shooter play set on Hoth" would be more like it. Permanent damage to the UCS name, bodgy rehash of old sets. Too expensive for all but the most spoiled kids to ever get, and little that any AFOL would want. Would pick one or two up only if it went well south of 50% off. Then MOC it into a reasonable version of the Hoth Rebel base.
I think personally the best way for this to be made is for it to be in midi scale. Most UCS sets are not minifig scale what so ever. At midi scale it could have been a sprawling diorama featuring all structures, landscape and vehicles at the same scale. A few exclusive minifigs on a stand with an information plaque would have given the scene some of the awe and class it richly deserves.
Great review, TLG can't get it right all the time and in a way I'm glad they were found out on this occasion. It shows a great deal of integrity to be provided with a set and then to still slate it. I find lots of reviews on various sites hate to say anything negative and I'm not sure if it's because they've been given a 'freebie' or that they think everything TLG make is wonderful. Well done brickset!
Gotta add something that other people said--for $100, I would actually buy this mess. If not just for the heaps of snow-y bricks and the Wampa... I don't have any Hoth sets, but that's mostly because they're all really big or boring. 75049 Snowspeeder I didn't get because it was $30, which is ridiculous for one little snowspeeder and three figures.
^Andrew85: You should see FBTB's review. They absolutely hated this set, and were very clear in saying so.
How did they even label this as UCS? I have no UCS sets but this must be insulting to the collectors.
I already have enough Hoth sets, the old Wampa cave with Snowspeeder, 2010 battle packs, and the 2009 Echo Base set. Plus a AT-AT microfighter, which I would pay $300 for instead of this. (Okay maybe not)
Wow, this looks amazingly bad.
WOW, currently 106 comments (mine included) and ONLY 2 in which person says he's going to buy this paying its full price.
@CapnRex101: thank you for this excellent & honest review! With all the horror of the product, at least reading this review offered quite a lot amusement about how badly this set failed in almost every regard. :-P
I will still be buying as I have none of the previous Hoth sets. By the time I buy them all on the secondary market it might be more than $300.
@magpie9 Spot on!
I wonder how long it'll be before TLG starts burying every single copy of this set somewhere in New Mexico.
After seeing this design maybe I shouldn't worry that the value of my NIB 10188 Death Star is going to drop in value after the new one comes out. Actually the reverse may be true.
Sad that 7666 (from 2007) was far better than this. It cost $50 back in 2007, so you could buy 5 for $250. You would get 10 Rebel Troopers, 10 Snowtroopers, 5 E-Web blasters, 5 snowspeeders, 5 turrets (that actually looked like turrets) 5 probe droids, 10 Rebel Pilots and 5 base parts that you could combine! If you still want a Hoth set you can find some right now on eBay for around $100...
OR for $250 you could have gotten 10 7749's. You would have gotten 20 of each trooper kind, 10 tauntauns, 10 base turrets and 10 trenches/fortifications. When you compare this to other sets, it just falls flat on its face.
Even if this were a perfectly executed set, the set's concept would already bother me because each part of the set could have just been its own cheaper set. I could have just chosen which elements I liked, or bought them over a long period of time. The advantage of the huge expensive sets should be that it gives an opportunity to build one large thing that could never just be the combination of smaller sets. This set should have just been a Hoth base that was one gigantic connected base. Make it 5000 pieces if need be. That's the point of having these huge UCS sets, no?
I dont know why everyone is hating on this set. Yeah, I read the review, this set is missing this, that, and the other thing. Minor in my opinion. I think this is a fantastic set and will be rushing out to get one.
In defense of the set, the rebels were in hiding and on the run from the empire. Did they really have the time or any reason to finish the backside of their gate? But ya, the backside of the ion cannon is hard to look at.
I will get this set (the minifigs, gate, trench and power generator are great IMHO) at some point but I'd rather not pay $300 Canadian. Maybe since everyone else hates it there will be a sale at some point? Double points and a good OT minifig polybag would seal the deal as well.
I really don't see the problem with this set, the only problem is the UCS tag. I don't count this or 10236, 75059 or 10188 as UCS. These are all large playsets. I don't have any hoth sets so will be getting this.
Why is everybody complaining about the price? Ewok village is only £20 cheaper and has 154 less pieces!
This set has an absolute ton of play value, sure aesthetics aren't perfect from every angle but this is a toy, Lego is still just a toy which is something us AFOLs seem to forget, an expensive toy but still a toy. Who can really complain about a toy offering a lot of play value? Reading the comments damning this set and Lego I think everyone needs to lighten up a bit. It's only a Lego set, not the end of the world.
This should have been six new smaller sets. The new Ion Cannon, and shield generator could have been one set with an ATST. A larger gate with a Snowspeeder and speeder bike could have been a nice set. Then a new ATAT with another Snowspeeder with a different color scheme. Then a Wampa cave with taun taun. Then an actual control center with a single hangar bay for Vader to enter. And finally a medical bay with hallway for Han and the Princess to chat. These all could have been done for the price of what this disappointment costs.
I will say that if this set ends up clearanced out for $100 or less, I'd buy it. :p
Anyone noticed there's a limit of one per customer at LEGO.com?
Who'd want to buy more than one?! :-D
After seeing the Ion Cannon I had a go at building one using the Death Star two part model which came with the small scale TIE interceptor. You can't put a minifigure in it, it has no shooter, but it will sits into a snowy base pointing a gun barrel at 45 degrees (resting on the dish of the Death Star's main weapon) and look just like the ion cannon from the movie.
I also thought making the Generator with three instead of four rings was a little disappointing.
@mrdoofa - "Why is everybody complaining about the price? Ewok village is only £20 cheaper and has 154 less pieces!
This set has an absolute ton of play value, sure aesthetics aren't perfect from every angle but this is a toy"
You've answered your own question. This is £220 'toy', marketed towards a mature audience, that is sub-standard compared to products of a similar price.
@Scott1
As well as 10 Han Solos...
Why does this set have playability?!?!
No other UCS has had any kind of playability!!! Isn't that the point of UCS?!?!
That is the only real problem, it shouldn't be designated UCS. 10236, 10188 and 75059 all have many play features and shouldn't be classed as UCS either. 10043 was the UCS Death Star not 10188. UCS sets are purely display sets.
Regardless of the target audience the set is priced pretty much in accordance with similar style playsets. The only other thing is they've gone a bit OTT with the stud shooters!!! The empire should have more representation, an AT ST would've been nice even though it only has a blink and you'll miss it appearance in the movie, a decent AT AT walker would've increased the piece count and put the price too high I expect. The set isn't perfect but I still really like it and will be getting it.
One thing that stood out to me is that the printing on that Han Solo figure looks slightly wrong, especially on his right leg and on the right side of his back.
I felt the reviewer was a little too harsh on the shape of the ion cannon. I totally agree that it looks awful from the rear, but from the front and sides it looks spherical enough that you know what it is. The weapon is awful looking, sure, but I think otherwise that model looks about what I'd expect from a LEGO version.
But this was a good review. Such a shame they wasted this opportunity.
When I was a kid (mid 80s) there were no licensed sets so I had to make scenes like this out of bricks and generic smiling yellow face minifigs. Yet, I LOVED it and it took nothing away from the experience. Now Lego is making Star Wars sets that are instantly recognizable and are super detailed compared to what I had as a kid.
Could the sets be improved? Yes. But we have lost nothing by Lego making this imperfect set which looks and plays a million times better than what I loved playing with as a kid.
@mrdoofa
You miss the point when comparing to other UCS sets, and in particular the Ewok Village. While I'm not "as" harsh on this Assault on Hoth as others are, the Ewok Village has far more going for it; tons of exclusive minifigures, a great all around build that looks great from all sides, and lots of play features while not detracting from the set in general.
Assault on Hoth is really just a combination of smaller sets that have been released in some fashion already. Ewok Village was brand new. The UCS tag isn't the only problem with this set, it's the uninspired build and lack of polish. I'm glad you like the set, and I hope you're happy with it, but compared to other sets of a similar price point and label, it falls very far from the tree.
The UCS label is extraneous as far as I am concerned, it is the objective quality of the set which leads me to question it. A few sections of it are good, some are fine but others are very poor and would receive equal criticism if they were included in a standard retail set.
I am not sure I would even pick it up if it was significantly reduced in price. Truly the community voting with its collective wallet should send a clear signal I feel. Why pay any type of money for something so unsatisfactory?
I'm excited about this set, but I wouldn't question the majority of negative things said about it. As someone who does not have a Snowspeeder or a Wampa Cave, I think it has a lot of appeal to that kind of collector. Nonetheless, I fully agree the 'UCS' label is unfair and that it's too much of a grab bag. LEGO's heart was in the right place, but it's mind wasn't.
There are only 3 issues for me - back of the Ion Cannon, back of the gate, price. Having a small boy I love stud shooters - I am not buying sets for shelves so play features like these increase the appeal for both of us. However the price is just too high. I would prefer omitting Wampa cave actually, Snowspeeder if needed (it can be bought separately).
The UCS label was a huge misscommunication from LEGO and will harm the company.
Thanks for the review.
But Lego, please don't do this again in the future. It really insult the UCS label on it.
I actually kind of like the modular design, but I see what you mean with the disappointments. Thanks for the review.
In Australia, they're pricing it at A$400, which is over US$300. Assuming they bother to import it at all, I reckon it'll be in the clearance bin within a month. Might actually be worth buying at 50% off.
i am sure this set will own the lowest rating of all time on lego.com
will be interesting to see legos responds. the usually respond to negative review on lego.com
Totally agree with the review. I saw this on display in Watford today and my heart sank. If I hadn't known about this set I would have guessed it was a few £20-30 quid sets thrown together for a diorama.
I am especially disappointed as a collector of the SW UCS sets, but will now not be a "complete'ist" owing to this set.
Still on the bright side I purchased the UCS 75095 Tie Fighter (along with the freebies).
No question that this is an Insult on Hoth and highly overpriced but...
If any UCS set ever deserved the tag "UCS" it is this one. ONLY "Ultimate Collectors" will buy this set! Either the price has to drop or, ugly as it is (for the UCS range), this will become a very rare collectors item in the future.
I saw the set in person over the weekend and this review is dead on. The Snowspeeder and some of the minifigures looked fine but the rest is shambolic and the price just hurts the set even further.
What frustrates me, is that I really wanted this set (before I saw it). I bought two AT-AT's (as they are my favourite) and was really looking forward to this set. Ah well, although my favourite theme is Star Wars, there are some other sets I am wanting to get (ie the money for this set, now goes to the Technic Porche).
Marketing: "Market research surveys suggest that we should make a Hoth set with a cost under $120 (retail $240) that kids can play with and has the following play elements."
Design: "We have this design that costs $160..."
Marketing: "Okay. Just rip off 1/4 of the pieces then. We'll make up for it by putting 'UCS' on the box."
IMO, this is a set that was created because marketing, design and management couldn't agree on what to make. The designer is clearly making a play set for kids, with "suggestions" of movie elements rather than the more sculpture-like designs that we expect from UCS. I think the review would have been a bit more favorable if the "UCS" moniker had never been printed on the box, but it was probably mandated by marketing due to the high set price. If this review had been written as if this were a $195 set with no UCS label, it would have been described as "A good value in terms of per-part cost, with a lot of playability and room for expansion. This set isn't trying to provide the ultimate design for any single scene element, but instead combines several suggestions of scene elements together in one set for a lot of play opportunities." The designs do cut corners - as with most Lego "play" sets - but this was a marketing fail. It happens.
Perhaps the juggernaught that is Lego Star Wars needs a hiatus for a while. One wonders why Lego continues to bother (apart from the licence sales) when such mediocrity is released, especially when it is supposedly UCS quality.
NEVER!! SUCH DEFEATIST THOUGHTS ARE TOO DEPRESSING TO BE BELIEVED!!!
(no offense to you, theodisc)