Review: 75171 Battle on Scarif
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Imperial Military Complex on Scarif forms an integral part of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 75171 Battle on Scarif is therefore an appealing set. Not only does it include some of the most important characters from the film but it also offers an impressive model which looks unlike any other from the LEGO Star Wars range in recent years.
As a result I have been very excited to take a closer look at the set and am delighted to report that it does not disappoint! Please note that this review is spoiler free and I would ask that the comments are kept similarly free of spoilers as a courtesy to those who have not yet seen the film.
Minifigures
The first teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story concluded with a shot of Jyn Erso wearing an Imperial Ground Crew uniform and she appears sporting that same attire in this set. The printing on her torso and legs is identical to that of the Imperial Ground Crew in 75154 TIE Striker but it looks great and a helmet is included to complete the disguise so she is completely indistinguishable from other Imperial personnel.
However, removing the helmet reveals Jyn's double-sided head which features a determined grimace on one side and a neutral expression on the other. This reddish brown hair piece is not ideal for the character as she appears in the film but it is certainly the best choice without the creation of a new element.
The back of the torso includes printed holsters for a pair of traffic wands but Jyn is instead equipped with a standard blaster which is cast in black to match other Imperial weapons, contrasting with the pearl dark grey colour of most Rebel armaments.
This is the second appearance of Cassian Andor in the nine Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sets which have been released to date. The figure found in 75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter is considerably more detailed than this one but the simple attire worn here is faithful to Cassian's Rebel Alliance uniform in the movie. His rank is denoted by an indicator on the jacket and the legs are also printed with an accurate holster design.
Cassian's head features some brown stubble on both sides and can be reversed to reveal a smile. The back of the torso is decorated with a continuation of the jacket and he is armed with a pearl dark grey blaster rifle for eliminating Imperial targets. It might have been nice to see Cassian sporting a stolen Imperial Officer's uniform, as he does in the film, but this clothing is more versatile as he wears it on several different planets during the movie.
Shoretroopers protect the vital Imperial facility on Scarif and two guards are included in this set. Their design differs from that of the Shoretrooper which appears in 75154 TIE Striker as they wear ammunition pouches on their right thigh and their armour is not decorated with the sand blue markings which designate a captain.
The torso and legs are highly detailed, with intricate armour designs as well as some minor scuffing around the edge of each panel. The helmet piece is shared by these figures and the Imperial Hovertank Pilot from 75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank so the shaping is not perfect but I think it looks pretty good on the whole and the accurate inclusion of a red symbol on the crown of the helmet is particularly pleasing.
Each trooper is armed with an E-22 blaster rifle, represented here by a double-barreled pistol with a pair of binoculars placed over the muzzle in an effort to recreate the dual barrels of the rifle in the movie. They look great when assembled into a squad and I will certainly be looking to purchase some more of these troops next year.
The Completed Model
Landing pads are scattered across the landscape which surrounds the Scarif Citadel and one such location forms the focus of this set. These sites are much larger in the film but the model is impressively detailed and I think it looks brilliant even at this scale. The combination of light and dark bluish grey panels is quite effective, especially given the attractive contrast with the surrounding beach.
A control station is attached to the edge of the landing platform and this includes a large red button alongside a lever and a 1x4 tile which is printed with some dials. The terminal plays a vital role in the film so I am pleased to see it included and it also serves to add some extra detail to the model.
Tabs are hidden on either side of the control panel and these can be lifted to unlock a tray which slides out, revealing storage for a pair of blasters and a thermal detonator. This is a tremendous use of the space beneath the landing platform and the model remains sturdy even with the storage area removed.
Another function is hidden closer to the doors. Pushing down on the dark bluish grey Technic beams will cause the platform to explode, as shown in the image below. It is pleasing to note that the source of the explosion, two thermal detonators, can be discovered beneath the light bluish grey panels and the feature works very well.
Olive green foliage surrounds the bunker and this includes a large palm tree which is constructed using Technic elements topped with some leaves. The smaller fronds are mounted on reddish brown taps which have only previously appeared in 71040 Disney Castle and these shrubs provide protection for troops on the ground.
The doorway is reminiscent of the shield bunker on the Forest Moon of Endor and uses many of the same sloping elements which appear in 8038 The Battle of Endor. The control panels on either side of the doors are represented using stickers and the yellow markings on the landing platform also make use of several stickers, some of which are quite large. They are easy to apply but printed elements would have been preferable.
A communications tower is mounted to the right of the door and this can be knocked down, unlocking the doors and allowing you to open them for access to the bunker. They slide along channels in the floor and are securely held in place so cannot be pulled all the way out accidentally.
This entranceway leads to a rail transport system in the movie but here it opens to reveal a section of the Citadel. The interior is the most disappointing aspect of the set as it is very small, although the level of detail is quite impressive. I like the exposed mechanical details at the base of the doors and printed control panels are fixed to the wall alongside a clip for storing an accessory.
Another terminal is found on the opposite wall but this one is more important as it contains the plans for the Death Star, represented here by a printed 2x2 tile which previously appeared in 75136 Droid Escape Pod. The plans are found deep within the Imperial complex in the film but their inclusion here offers great play value and it would be unrealistic to expect a much larger interior given the price of the set.
Orange crates litter Imperial facilities across the galaxy and they provide perfect cover for troops during the Battle of Scarif. This crate is identical to that in 75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank and is cleverly constructed to ensure the greatest possible accuracy to the movie, with an octagonal shape as well as black handles at either end.
The lid can be removed to reveal limited space for accessories inside. However, the detailed exterior more than makes up for this in my opinion and I am pleased to be able to fill the cargo bed of 75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank which has room for two crates but only includes one.
Overall
The first wave of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sets was very impressive in my opinion and I am glad to say that 75171 Battle on Scarif continues that trend. It represents an ideal play set in that it is packed with fun features but is also faithful to the location from the film, despite the reduced size of the landing platform. The minifigure selection is quite impressive and it is nice to see the two main characters included, although K-2SO would have made a splendid addition to complete the trio and an alternative uniform for Jyn Erso would have been appreciated too.
Nevertheless, I certainly recommend this set and would even consider purchasing more than one in order to expand the Imperial bunker if the set becomes available at a reduced price. £54.99 or $49.99 seems expensive considering the 419 pieces included but many of these elements are quite large and the final model feels just about worthy of such a cost to me, particularly in comparison with the somewhat similar 75139 Battle on Takodana and 75148 Encounter on Jakku from last year.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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38 comments on this article
It does look great and is very reminiscent of the film; however, it does seem that between this, Encounter on Jakku, and ( as mentioned) Battle on Takodana that the $60 Star Wars sets are getting a lot smaller. Thankfully I got both Force Awakens sets at a price of half off or more, so I will wait for the same sort of discount before I grab this one.
I really don't like those Technic palm trees. What was wrong with the ones LEGO used back in the 80's, 90's?
@CapnRex101 I'm wondering if the two clips on the inside of the bunker by the control panels are meant to hold weapons, or if there might be a second set coming that this one will attach to?
@gmonkey76 - I had not considered that and it is certainly a good idea but a blaster is shown attached to one of the clips in an official image of the set so unfortunately I suspect there is no expansion planned: http://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/75171-1/75171_alt4.jpg
I agree that it would have nice to get more build behind the doors but (and this isn't a spoiler) in the movie the doors are not the entrance to a building - they're more of a gateway to a transport system. I therefore feel the build is pretty accurate - I'd live to see someone moc this up with the transport rails behind it!
Thx for this review, I juste too much hesitate to buy this but after seeing the movie and loving it, i would definitly buy this set, because the scenes on scarif were juste Epic !! Its certainly better than the Takodana ruins which looks really like a mess ...
^^ Now I really want to see a giant MOC of the entire imperial facility on Scarif...
@DragonLord56 me too! That would be great.
Eesh, this isn't worth $60 by a long shot. They should've included a tiny version of the Imperial Cargo Shuttle (sort of like the chibi Quinjet from the airport battle set) that could fit on the landing pad if they wanted to charge that much for it. I may make a pass at designing a little Rogue One shuttle myself but I'm not picking this up until it goes on a major sale.
I would have preferred Cassian in his Imperial officer disguise (not a spoiler, it appears in the second trailer) along with K2-SO or maybe some more shoretroopers, but it's a very nice and accurate set (although not at the price). Takodana bothered me with its lack of interior, but this doesn't bother me since it doesn't really have one in the film. The only thing that makes me sad is that I doubt they'll ever make any more sets of the base proper. Too bad.
If you take the minifigures from the new battle packs, you can make a larger battle between the Rebels and the Empire. I already have the battle packs, and will probably pick this one up soon, so I can recreate the battle from the film.
That 2x2 tile wil the printed Death Star on it will be a hot commodity in the aftermarket.
@MattJek82: There was nothing wrong with the old palm tree pieces (at least, not that I'm aware of). They probably just weren't usable for enough sets to justify either keeping them in production or bringing them back for this or last year's Pirates sets. One nice advantage of these Technic palm trees, though, is that you can use their connection points to attach a frog, crab, or other creature to them, like last year's Pirates Chess Set actually did.
Does anybody here from the UK know if argos reduce the prices of lego sets during the post-Christmas sale, as I may finally pick up the u-wing if it's reduced.
Why did Lego get rid of the old brown palm tree pieces? I hate seeing technic pieces used for palm trees.
I just wish they would release these in the U.S. already. We've waited long enough Lego!!
A recommendation (I agree with) that you probably won't want to buy the set at full price is an ongoing trend now for most reviews, particularly in Star Wars but also in other unlicensed themes. At least this set is 'almost' worth the full price though - the actual finished pad is relatively large, the design of almost all the elements is good and there are plenty of play features squeezed in.
I too wish the set came with different or more minifigures - Battle on Takodana had 5 including 2 Stormtroopers, so I'd have thought we would find K-2SO here as the 'Kylo Ren' but that's not the case. Encounter on Jakku only really had 3 minifigures though so I guess this is some sort of an improvement as a playset since them.
Nice set, I really prefer buildings with locations instead of vehicles. Although, to be honest, I don't like that Jyn wears a disguise while Cassian wears his rebel clothes. In the movie they use their disguises twgether and change back to their clothes simultaneously. Also, a K2SO would be an amanzing addition to this set.
Why is it that only the $60 seem to be getting smaller?
Thanks for the review. And "thanks" also to the person who couldn't resist spoiling a scene from the movie...
Thanks for the review. Think I might actually want this set, along with other rogue one sets next.
This is one of the best ones I've seen, considering that Star Wars is mostly ships and vehicles, I actually like them making battle grounds. Have a Merry Christmas all (or whatever you celebrate) and I hope to do more reviews before next year
cya soon
Ninja
I'll probably get two if the price lowers to $40 or less at some point.
Thank you for avoiding spoilers as I won't see rogue one until late today
I think it's a great looking set. I love the playsets. I have held off on buying any Rogue One sets because I'm the type that has to get them all if I have one of them.
As to the discussion on Palm trees. I've read that the trunks were prone to cracking and the connection point for the leaves were similarly weak. Now, I've none of these issues on original Pirates sets. If it is a structural problem, I'm guessing that "budgeting" is what keeps them from updating and reinforcing the design. The were so much better than the ugly technic pieces.
^^Those are some nice two cents.
Spot on review, great set
As others have said I find this set amaizing but I am going to wait for a discount.
Good set, as others said I like Star Wars location sets.
I was able to grab this set for £50.00 on Amazon. If anyone's wanting to get this for a slightly cheaper price, I recommend that you buy it there.
I think I'll use this as a base to my Scarif MOC. But I'll try to pick it up on sale.
For my birthday, i will be asking fpr this set and the new Y-Wing, can someone get a review for the Y-Wing now?
If the Y-Wing review is good, ill hope to get two of them.
Also that depends on prices in Canada. Any ideas in Canadian money?
Impressive set, especially considering that I thought it was terrible when I first saw it.
@RogueOne, I suspect it's going to be 75 CAD based on the Battle on Takodana.
It funny how similar the Battle on Takodana is to this, same price, destructive play features, great minifigures... even the parts count and names are similar!
What a great set of a great scene in the movie. I think the price is a little high though, unfortunately.
CapnRex101 Just as a question, Can the Death Star plans fit into the orange crates? If you could find out, that would be really nice. Thank you in advance.
@Legofan2623 - Unfortunately not, the 2x2 tile is too large.
Does anyone know when this set and 75172 will be available in North America?