Review: 75189 First Order Heavy Assault Walker
Posted by CapnRex101,
Star Wars: The Last Jedi has now been released around the world so we are reviewing one of the larger sets from the first wave, 75189 First Order Heavy Assault Walker. The prodigious All Terrain MegaCaliber Six walker, more commonly known as the AT-M6, has been prominent in marketing for the movie, inexorably marching across the barren, salt-covered mineral flats of Crait.
I therefore have high expectations for this set, although its price of £129.99 or $149.99 seems rather high given the inclusion of just five minifigures. The proportions of the model also look slightly strange in my opinion, as though the troop bay is set a little too far back in relation to the positioning of the legs. Nevertheless, I have been looking forward to building this set as I like the design of the vehicle in the movie and it features an exclusive Rey minifigure.
Please note that this review is spoiler free.
Minifigures
Rey travelled to Ahch-To in search of Luke Skywalker at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hoping to enlist his aid against the First Order as well as learn a little about the Force. It is therefore fitting that the character dons Jedi robes during Star Wars: The Last Jedi, although some features of her existing attire from Jakku remain. For instance, I love the light bluish grey strips of cloth crossing her torso and legs which are secured by a reddish brown belt, much like on the original minifigure.
The dark brown hair piece has also been updated for this minifigure as it now features some layered texturing which matches Rey's hairstyle in the movie perfectly. Her head is decorated with the standard smiling and determined expressions which is a little disappointing given that we have seen the same element so many times before, although I like the printed freckles. A blue lightsaber with a metallic silver hilt completes the figure.
This version of Captain Poe Dameron is also exclusive to 75189 First Order Heavy Assault Walker, although a similar minifigure appears in 75202 Defence of Crait. His black hair piece features a wavy texture and I like the double-sided head which includes some stubble with a smile on one side and an angry expression on the other. Like Rey, these facial expressions appear on every rendition of Poe Dameron so something new would have been nice.
The torso certainly fulfils that criterion as Poe sports a black jacket over a grey shirt during Star Wars: The Last Jedi so this minifigure wears the same attire. I like the seams on the front and back of the torso but printing on the legs would have been beneficial. The Resistance Trooper fighting alongside Poe does include a little printed legs which match those found on a soldier in 75177 First Order Heavy Scout Walker.
However, the printing on the torso is unique, featuring a detailed chest rig and a large pouch. I love the design of these Resistance Troopers as they all feel very realistic and the variation between figures is superb. The olive green helmet includes a hinged chin guard and a trans-yellow visor but no printed designs so is again new, as is the bearded face underneath! This soldier carries a pearl dark grey rifle into battle while Poe is armed with a blaster pistol.
The AT-M6 comes with just two crew members, the first of whom is a First Order Walker Driver. The combination of white and light bluish grey on his uniform is reminiscent of an Imperial AT-AT driver, as is the life support pack attached to the chest. However, the helmet features a distinctive dark bluish grey stripe over the right eye and a wider visor than the First Order Flametroopers with whom this helmet mould is shared.
I love the light bluish grey jumpsuit worn beneath white chest armour which protects the driver from impact damage as the AT-M6 rocks back and forth. Interestingly, this is almost identical to the armour worn by the First Order Stormtrooper, although his continues to cover the lower half of the torso along with the arms and legs. The details around the waist look splendid and I like the thermal detonator fitted to the trooper's back too.
The Stormtrooper's shiny helmet is also highly detailed, featuring black lenses and some subtle light bluish grey vents. A standard Clone Trooper head with black eyebrows and an angry expression is found beneath both helmets, as we have come to expect for generic minifigures like these. The First Order Walker Driver is equipped with a small blaster pistol and the First Order Stormtrooper wields a black rifle.
The Completed Model
AT-M6 walkers are instantly recognisable by their unusual gait and enormous size, almost double that of the Imperial AT-ATs from which they take inspiration. This model stands 35cm in height and measures 35cm long so is reasonably large, although an even bigger rendition could really have distinguished this set from 75054 AT-AT and other AT-series vehicles which have been released before. However, that would have necessitated a higher price point so I can understand why the scale was restricted.
The vehicle is controlled from the articulated head which is bristling with weapons and features narrow windows through which the driver can view the battlefield. Unfortunately, these windows are opaque, consisting of black plates on either side and trans-red tiles placed over dark bluish grey plates at the front. Being able to see the driver inside would have been ideal and I think the shaping of the windows at the sides could be improved too. They are shown to be sharply angled in the movie but look rather messy here in my opinion.
I think the head section looks much better when viewed from the front where its angular profile is most apparent. This angle also reveals the range of weapons available to the driver, including poseable laser cannons on either side, twin blasters which are mounted on hinges and two spring-loaded shooters slung beneath the head. There are a few gaps visible between the panels though as these angled plates do not fit together very well when compared with earlier models such as 75054 AT-AT.
The cockpit also feels less spacious than on past walkers, containing a seat for a single driver but no room to stand on officer behind them. However, it does include a printed 2x2 inverted tile which looks rather nice and I like the hinged roof. A cylindrical neck connects the head to the walker's troop bay and includes two points of lateral articulation, giving the head a good range of motion from side to side but no vertical poseability.
Dark bluish grey dominates the model and I think that was a good choice when compared with the source material. I like the combination of studded and smooth surfaces on the exterior and the light bluish grey details look splendid as well. It is therefore a shame that the sloped armour at the rear is too short in relation to the panels nearer the front. The gradient should continue almost to the forward legs but instead terminates at the centre which looks very awkward to me. This inaccuracy may be a result of the limited material available to LEGO set designers during development of the film but it is still disappointing.
Moreover, the model may be large but the space inside is very limited. Small hatches on either flank open to reveal a crate and stacks of extra ammunition for the turbolaser on top of the AT-M6. There is room to stand a couple of minifigures in the rear section but this is primarily devoted to the Technic frame of the model along with storage for a wrench and extra missiles. Fortunately, the frame is very sturdy so the model is easy to play with, although a little more room for figures would have been ideal.
I love the asymmetrical details on the vehicle. These include an armoured housing around the forward hip joint on the right hand side as well as some minor mechanical details. The angled Technic panel which protects the hip restricts the articulation of the right leg in relation to the left, although you can move it forwards by two ratchet notches which is perfectly adequate given the motion of the legs in the film. However, it would have been nice to see a little lateral motion at each hip joint as the AT-M6 can splay its legs for braced firing.
Nevertheless, I think the poseability of the limbs is very good on the whole. The hips and knees are all ratchet joints so remain very sturdy while the feet are are attached using Technic pins and include rods to represent rams, much like those found on the AT-AT. You can recreate the animalistic walking motion of the vehicle quite easily but the weight of the troop bay means that all four feet must be placed on the ground for display.
The rear legs are fairly similar to those seen on an AT-AT, consisting of a rounded footpad with four toe flaps, but those at the front are very distinctive. They are heavily armoured and include a row of vents alongside small rams which look as though they are helping to support the knees. This area of the set is very detailed and I like the curved shape of the footpads, although I wish the armour plating extended a little further and covered the Technic pieces that connect the lower leg to the foot.
The All Terrain MegaCaliber Six is named for the MegaCaliber Six turbolaser cannon mounted on its back so it makes sense that this is one of the most significant functions in the set. A six stud shooter surrounds the barrel at the centre of the weapon and this can be activated by turning the black gear towards the rear of the model, unleashing a fearsome barrage of all six studs in fairly quick succession.
Furthermore, the cannon is fitted to rails so you can alter its pitch using the same control stick with the gear at the end. Pushing the Technic axle forwards causes the cannon to move forward and elevate. Moving it backwards will then retract the weapon between the armour plates, as shown in the image above. Controlling the cannon remotely is a lot of fun and I am very pleased with how it works, although this feature does spoil the appearance of the model to some extent which is a shame.
A row of four canisters are fitted to the rear of the vehicle. I like their rounded shape at either end and they are each attached using a single Technic pin so can be removed very easily. These may be simple storage cylinders but the official set description seems to suggest that they serve an offensive purpose, in which case it is a shame that there is no deployment function. A rolling conveyor belt which ejected the canisters would have been fantastic.
Overall
I think the AT-M6 has a great deal of potential as a LEGO set so am a little disappointed with this rendition. The articulation is brilliant and I like many of the functions but there is room for considerable improvement with regard to the proportions of the model. The troop bay has not been positioned correctly in relation to the legs and the angled armour towards the rear is too short when compared with the smaller sections at the front. I think the designer could have improved the shaping around the head too.
The exclusive Rey minifigure is certainly a significant draw to this set but including a total of just five figures seems insufficient to me, particularly on the side of the First Order. An officer or some additional Stormtroopers would have been very beneficial and might have helped to justify the price of £129.99 or $149.99. This set offers considerable play value and those who particularly like the AT-M6 in the movie will undoubtedly enjoy it but certain areas of the model are not as detailed as I was hoping and I think it feels rather expensive too.
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.
Please remember to keep your comments free of spoilers as a courtesy to those who have not yet seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
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21 comments on this article
Very nice review. This set is on my "wanted" list, but I have to agree that the troop compartment looks awkward and should extend forward of the front legs. This set looks like the designer chopped it off instead of finishing the body.
The mini figures are quite cool, and help me overlook the mistake on the walker.
Looks ok but I'll save some money and get the microfighter version instead;)
I think that the 2014 price of the AT AT would have been sufficient for this set. Sadly this set like all the Last Jedi sets seem to be overpriced.
Great set, horrible price!
OK set. Like the canisters on the back which makes it more interesting.
$150 for something the same size as the last AT-AT (which was only $110) with less functionality, less accuracy, and the same number of minifigures makes this set a horrible deal, even if it's not actually a bad model.
To be honest I'd rather have a remake of Kylo Ren's shuttle, which was very prominently featured alongside these walkers in the film.
I think the Poe with the new "headphones hairpiece" would make it more worth it.
I just got back from the movie, I say this is an accurate representation of the walker.
I don't often do this to canon Star Wars models but I strongly felt the need to mod the horizontal cross beam in front of the Megacaliber Six - if you take the width away there, and sub in some of the plating from the dark bley panels, the armour can be folded in so much tighter so it doesn't look so 'wide open'.
The film accuracy of this is great from a visual perspective - I'd say even the general dark bley colour scheme too. It's just a shame it's pretty much identical in size to my 2014 AT-AT that's standing right next to it!
Having seen the film I'm quite interested to see what Lego might have in store for future sets - hopefully a comment vague enough not to be branded a spoiler - because I would've said the same about Rogue One. Still waiting on the 4 wing Imperial Transport, Hammerhead Corvette or TIE Reaper from that film!
A few of these comments could stand some moderation given the timeliness of the subject matter.
Wherever I see pictures of this set I see the limbs bending the 'wrong' way - at least I think it is. All the stills show the elbows bending backwards and the knees bending forwards, like a gorilla, unlike the AT-AT where all four bend forward. Can the model actually support itself in that position?
I don't think they should have had Rey and Poe in this set, especially as Poe comes in the Defense of Crait set. There are two more prominent characters in the scene with the walker who would have been better for recreating the movie through play.
Great review of a decent, but way overpriced set. It's on my wanted list, but so are hundreds of other sets. I'll pick it up on a really good sale, otherwise I'll wait a few years for the next and improved version.
I think they were limited to what figures could have been included. The figures that should have been included would have been a huge spoiler. They stay away from that in the sets which release before the film.
Considering I got the set at a deep discount, I'm quite happy with it, but I agree with many that the set is a bit overpriced at full retail. It does however look great standing among my other walkers and I like the play feature of the gun on the top.
The minifigs are impressive but personally for the price this set doesn’t seem worth the money.
I love ATATs and I really wanted to get this set, its just too ugly for me, whether visually representative of the movie or not. Thanks for the review, as I was unaware of the canon or canisters and that was a nice surprise, but i wouldn't want this ugly monstrosity on display, unless it was availble for a far better price
This looks great but I hope so much for an At-ATC in the next few weeks to be announced along with a Rogue One ship.
The set looks amazing. But idea of the vehicle is stupid, Ctrl+C The Empire Strikes Back
I enjoyed the build. I agree it is a bit pricey, but it looks impressive once it's ready to go. My biggest issue is the head build. It's very fiddly, and I needed to modify it a little so my boys could play with it without the top regularly popping off.
Seeing how large the cockpit was in the movie, this set's cockpit should have been large enough to seat two figures at a minimum.
I love some of the earlier AT-AT sets, but this one is a pass for me. I have never liked the front legs, which look like it is knuckling under and about to fall forward. Weird reason, I know...