Review: 75202 Defence of Crait
Posted by CapnRex101,
Crait is the site of a climactic battle between the Resistance and the First Order in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and has already formed the basis for a couple of LEGO sets released last year, both of which were primarily focused upon the First Order's intimidating ground forces.
75202 Defence of Crait redresses that balance to some extent, including a large model of a V-4X-D ski speeder as well as some of the fortifications seen in the movie. These fulfil an important role for play but the ski speeder is definitely the highlight of the set from my perspective. I love this craft within the Star Wars universe and have been looking forward to building LEGO's rendition, particularly as the model looks very impressive in official images!
Minifigures
Captain Poe Dameron leads a squadron of just thirteen V-4X-D ski speeders against the First Order on Crait and this minifigure looks brilliant. The torso, which also appears in 75189 First Order Heavy Assault Walker, includes a black jacket with a stitched pattern but lacks the Resistance logo on the shoulder. Such minor details are often restricted to Ultimate Collector's Series sets but should be standard across the theme in my opinion.
Poe's head is printed with some stubble and two expressions. Something new would have been nice as the same faces appear on every Poe Dameron minifigure but these designs do feel appropriate for the character. Fortunately, the combined hair and headset component is brand new and looks magnificent, including wavy hair and detailed dark tan printing on the sides of the moulded headset. Poe carries a blaster pistol, just in case he should need to abandon his speeder and fight on foot.
General Ematt is incorrectly identified as an admiral on the packaging for this set but his rank badge is accurate and this high standard of detail continues across the minifigure. I like the pouches strapped to Ematt's chest and the olive green uniform looks superb, including subtle creases as well as a tan belt on both sides of the torso. The printed reddish brown trousers also look good but dual-moulded legs would have been even better.
However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of this minifigure is the printing on the head. I love the combination of white and grey in Ematt's beard and the wrinkles look great too. In addition, the stern expression is ideal for a character who has been fighting with the Rebel Alliance and the Resistance for over thirty years, although a second face would have been welcome. General Ematt is armed with a pearl dark grey rifle and a pair of macrobinoculars.
A single Resistance Trooper is also included. This is not sufficient to properly man the turrets and the lookout tower, although similar minifigures appear in several other sets so expanding your Resistance forces is fairly easy. Ammunition pouches are strapped to the minifigure's chest and his uniform feels quite familiar but this is actually a new torso, distinguished by a medium nougat belt and unique placement of the straps.
The legs are printed with a simple design and have been used in two previous sets but they do not look out of place here. I also like the helmet which includes a folding chin guard, a trans-yellow visor and two stripes that appeared on some of the figures in 75131 Resistance Trooper Battle Pack, although their helmets were dark tan rather than olive green. Removing the helmet reveals a double-sided head with a smile on one side and a grimace on the other.
First Order Snowtroopers are typically deployed in cold environments but can be adapted for service on more temperate worlds, including Crait, by deactivating their heating units. These figures are highly detailed, wearing white armour plates over a padded suit which is most clearly visible on the legs. The printed designs match the movie perfectly and I love the white kama fitted around the waist of each trooper.
The Snowtroopers' helmets look fantastic in relation to the source material, featuring a narrow visor which reduces the glare from reflective surfaces. I like the metallic silver nozzles on the chin and the black band around the back of the helmet looks marvellous. It is a shame that the Clone Trooper head remains in use on Imperial and First Order soldiers but this does little to detract from the figures, both of whom are equipped with black blaster rifles.
The Completed Model
The Rebel Alliance established an outpost on Crait prior to the Battle of Scarif but it was abandoned a few years later, leaving behind a network of defensive fortifications and some discarded ski speeders which are deployed by the Resistance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The fortifications in this set consist of a laser cannon turret, a small trench and a lookout tower which is actually based upon another kind of artillery emplacement seen in the film.
I like the curved design of this lookout tower and its colour scheme of light bluish grey and orange is very striking. The omission of the laser cannons is unfortunate, although I suspect this might have been intentional as the fortifications already include one kind of turret, as well as a mounted stud shooter, so building a second would perhaps offer little extra play value. I am therefore fairly satisfied with the command tower in the context of this set.
The tower is open at the rear, allowing you to place minifigures inside with ease. An armoury occupies the ground level and includes two pearl dark grey blasters on a rack along with some tools and two spare missiles. The next level is more confined but the space has been used efficiently to house a battle analysis computer with a printed trans-clear display! This element could prove useful so I hope it will soon appear in other sets. There is also room for a minifigure on the roof, although they look rather exposed in that position.
A clip at the base of the tower allows you to attach the trench. This is constructed on a dark red plate which represents the mineral surface and is partially covered by white pieces depicting a layer of salt. I like this colour combination and the stickers on the front of the trench look superb, although the rear is even more detailed with a ladder and a stud shooter turret that can also be mounted at the top of the command tower. The second turret has been scaled down when compared with the movie but it feels appropriate for this set, including a spring-loaded shooter and a seat for a minifigure.
I love the design of the V-4X-D ski speeders in Star Wars: The Last Jedi so had high expectations for this model and am delighted to report that it is even better than I had hoped! The speeder measures almost 40cm wide so is larger than I was anticipating and it includes tremendous detail throughout. Furthermore, the model is remarkably sturdy so feels very tactile, reminding me of the excellent 75172 Y-wing Starfighter released in 2017.
The cockpit module looks fantastic, featuring a canopy with a new printed design which matches the movie perfectly. I like the combination of smooth and studded surfaces and the light and dark bluish grey colour scheme works well, with a smattering of dark red and tan in certain areas. The kinetic shield projector is fitted beneath a panel on the left side of the cockpit and there are two laser cannons slung underneath. These were not present on Poe's speeder in the film but they might have appeared on some of the other craft.
The interior of the cockpit is equally detailed, including a reddish brown seat with an angled back, two stickered control panels and a printed console. Once again, a black bucket handle is cleverly used to represent a control yoke and there is space to seat one minifigure. The shaping of the rear is superb, using curved slopes and jumper plates to create a lovely rounded profile which is accurate to the film.
Sturdy outriggers connect the cockpit and laser cannon modules to the engine at the centre of the ski speeder. These are assembled around a Technic frame so they remain absolutely rigid and I love how small areas of the Technic structure are visible through gaps in the armour, much like the absent panels which expose mechanical details in the movie. Stickers are also used to depict wear, although these can be left off if you prefer.
The engine housing is heavily armoured so looks a little more complete than the outriggers. A series of black grille tiles form the heat exchanger grille that dominates this area of the vehicle and there are two light bluish grey globe elements in the centre representing the twin turbine drive motors. These should really be a little larger but must also nestle within the heat exchanger grille so I am satisfied with the current design.
A section of the grille can be removed to reveal the engine. There is little detail to be found inside but this feature does not detract from the appearance of the model at all and it feels appropriate given the need for frequent maintenance on these aging craft. It is worth noting that the engine includes eleven pearl dark grey 1x1 plates which are only available in two other sets at the moment and might prove very useful for other creations.
Thrust is directed through a vector ring mounted behind the engine and a rudder grants exceptional manoeuvrability. The Technic support structure would appear out of place in many sets but I think it looks splendid here, suiting the worn appearance of these vehicles in the film. I like the black control cables too and was pleasantly surprised by the strength of this entire structure as it looks very fragile. Four more stickers are used on the rudder and each section can be angled to the left and right, as one would expect.
Lifting the speeder off the ground deploys the halofoil mono-ski from beneath. This is a vital feature of the vehicle and it works perfectly, although a trigger mechanism would have been ideal as we see that the mono-ski can be retracted during flight. It looks marvellous though, making excellent use of a dark bluish grey propellor blade as well as a couple of printed turbines. It is a shame that the set does not include a stand on which to display the speeder with the mono-ski deployed but I think it looks good even when landed.
A second outrigger links the engine to a laser cannon module. This includes twin laser cannons as well as a pair of spring-loaded shooters which are extremely well hidden but can still be activated with ease. Additional stickers represent a rusting air intake above the laser cannons and power couplings towards the rear. The quantity of stickers is unfortunate but they are very easy to apply and look brilliant, nicely completing a tremendous model.
Overall
This is definitely my favourite Star Wars set of the January 2018 wave. I absolutely love the V-4X-D ski speeders in the movie and this rendition of the vehicle is truly magnificent, featuring extensive detail across the entire model and offering considerable play value as a result of its sturdy construction. I could not resist flying the speeder around as soon it was complete and I think it looks equally impressive on display, particularly when elevated on a stand.
The Resistance fortifications feel rudimentary by comparison but they are an important within the battle and look good. I am somewhat disappointed by the minifigure selection, although including the most significant absent character would have constituted a major spoiler so their exclusion was perhaps necessary. It is also important to mention the price of £74.99 or $84.99 which feels rather high in relation to the content of the set. Nevertheless, I am delighted with 75202 Defence of Crait so would highly recommend this set, especially once it has been discounted.
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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29 comments on this article
Great review as we've come to expect! It's kind of funny that the Snowtroopers are actually called Snowtroopers and not Salt-troopers, considering they made a very specific point of a soldier tasting the planet's white surface and finding out it's salt. I assumed that was a "Oh look it's Hoth 2.0 - but this time there's salt!" moment.
Overall seems like fair value, I agree that the fortifications are rudimentary but I appreciate the detail such as the control console and trench walls. I feel the ski speeder on its own would have cost at least £50 so £25 for extra fortifications is about right, just courting being a bit steep.
looks cool
I love the vehicle, even though it looks a bit like a trimmed down B Wing
Brilliant speeder, shame you can't replicate the moment poe's foot goes through the floor, that was my favourite moment of the crait bit. The detail looks incredible, and this is my favourite poe minifig. I hope we get finn and rose with the headset.
Awesome job, as always! I would love to get this, but that price point... There's a lot I love in this set, though. The Ski Speeder is amazing, of course, although I actually wish it was a bit smaller, especially considering how massive the AT-M6s were in the film, but that's more s an issue with the Gorilla Walker than this. I also quite like the control tower and heavy laser turret, they give the set much more interest than if they were forgotten. And the level of detail! Battlefront II added Crait as a map for free, lately... and all the details they get right in this are pretty remarkable! I wish we had a few more trenches at least, or some other parts of Crait that are interesting... perhaps some of those Crystal Foxes, or the large red crystal spires on the inside of Crait? Ah well, I'll try and nap this on a discount, by all means necessary! Thank you Cap'n!
I don't really like the fortifications. They look ugly and just increase the price of the set.
Personally, given the scale model, I feel that the speeder is way too wide. While it may be screen accurate, it just looks off to me given the size of the minifigures and the scale of other sets in the range. I'd have liked it to be a good 10cm narrower at least.
I also think they got the scenery wrong... We should have had more trenches and the turret built into the tower.
Otherwise, I agree, though do feel that this set should be closer to the £50 mark. So many of the last jedi sets have had a high price per piece count, while this is one that's close to the 10ppp mark for what you get it still feels overpriced in my opinion.
I’m surprised that more reviewers aren’t picking up on what I see as a fairly major issue - the huge difference in scale between the speeder, the trenches etc and the separate walker. You’d want to buy this set and the walker set to make a Crait display or play the battle. But I can’t see either really working, as the scales are so far off.
A mostly good set for a bad price.
@StattoCampo - That is certainly an issue but I think it relates more to the design of 75189 First Order Heavy Assault Walker than to this set, something which was mentioned in my review of 75189 last month: https://brickset.com/article/32741.
Great review and decent set.
Personally, I thought the vehicle in the film was ridiculous. I can't imagine anyone ever designing such a bizarre mode of transport. But I think the LEGO set looks very good in comparison to the film.
I'll wait for a decent discount and buy two :)
I love this vehicle if you can't afford the set Hasbro's vehicle is excellent
I think they should re-do Poe's face. He is darker with thicker eyebrows. They should also do his determined face with the mouth closed like how he looks when he is saying the "spark that will light the fire" thing
Thanks as always for the superb review, I too am enamored with this set. However, I really wish it was Finn piloting rather than Poe, as Finn had an important moment while at the controls of the speeder and we already received this version of Poe in the AT-M6 set.
Amazon has it at $67.99, seems much better than $84...
^About a week after I bought the set I saw that sale
@StattoCampo and CapnRex101: The walker though is relatively in scale with the rest of the sets. If they were to make it true to the movie scale, it'd be nearly twice the size. The speeders however, were barely as wide as the walkers head, soo in lego are massively too wide.
As said, I think slimming the speeder would have helped a lot.
Is it me or are basically all more or less recent sets of speeders are oversized? This, Grievous Speeder, The FO Speeder...
Thanks for another great review Captain! There are many aspects of this set that I really like; the details, the defense models, The Poe and Ematt minifigures. However I really don't like the price, and I think they could have done a more in-scale, smaller and yet still detailed version of the speeder for half the cost. Definately on my Wanted List, but as with most of the new SW sets I'll wait for a deep discount.
I don't think the V-4X-D ski speeder is oversized. The vehicle measures 11.50 metres wide in the film but discerning its exact scale beside a person is difficult as such a comparison is not shown on screen. I therefore like to use the Disney Store's figure and vehicle sets as a point of comparison. They typically give an accurate impression of scale and on that basis I think the LEGO model looks almost perfect.
That having been said, I agree that a smaller version of the speeder would be better suited to play alongside other sets in the range. This model feels a lot like a minifigure-scale Ultimate Collector's Series set to me!
Well too lazy to look up the official measurements so I'll take CapnRex101's as accurate, If 11.50 metres is the width, and the average person is 6ft tall, so 1.8 metres.. that means the span should be about 6 and a half persons... Translate to mini-figs where that means just over 5 studs is one person.... and the speeder should be 35 studs wide give or take. (I'm rounding for simplicity here).
That's equal to just over an average baseplate at 32 studs.. or just over 25cm. Give this model is 40cm wide, as stated, if it was to scale its at least 10cm too wide.
@CapnRex101 that was my first impression too, that the speeder looks more like a UCS scale model. But the issue here then is that the fortifications are out of scale with the speeder.
And I agree with @GrizBe's calculations - speeder is too wide even for UCS scale.
I agree with comments about the speeder being too wide. I would have preferred a set with two smaller speeders piloted by Rose and Finn, and with a jet cannon instead of this turret.
The more I see this set the more I think it is just so horribly overscale. It could almost be a B-wing rather than a speeder.
Great build, but waaay too big and therefore way too expensive. It looks the same size as the resistance troop transporter. Will get this if it goes on half price (we seem to be getting a lot of quick and steep discounts now that the retail prices have gone up).
@Atbricks: Actually, unless I'm mistaken, the troop transporter is smaller.
Loved building it. Asymmetrical ships are the best, and I really like all the detail with the wear and tear. Really sturdy too with the technic frame. Swooshable!
That price is awful. I long for the days of mid-size SW sets under $40.
Like many others have mentioned, the speeder seems too big, even though this would actually be perfect minifig-scale. The comic proportions of minifigs makes slightly undersized vehicles work better for them.
When I first heard about this set I pictured something along the lines of a bigger 75014 with a small ski speeder and a decent trench with turrets. I was somewhat disappointed to see that the set is mostly speeder with some mediocre side builds. Also, the MSRP for this is rather high, making this a very average set IMO.