Review: 75284 Knights of Ren Transport Ship
Posted by CapnRex101,
The menacing Knights of Ren have appeared in various previous sets and 75284 Knights of Ren Transport Ship completes the group, containing two exclusive minifigures. These villains include outstanding detail, matching the earlier figures which have proven impressive.
Furthermore, the Night Buzzard looks excellent throughout the official images and appears to compare favourably with the onscreen vessel. Unfortunately, constructing the set reveals some disappointing issues, presumably resulting from design compromises that were necessary to satisfy the modest cost of £64.99 or $69.99.
Minifigures
Four different Rey minifigures have been released since 2015 and this example returns from 75250 Pasaana Speeder Chase. The white robes include realistic texture and seem accurate when compared with the onscreen character, especially when viewed from the reverse where Rey's folded hood is visible. The reddish brown belt around her waist looks superb too.
Dual-moulded or printed arms would have improved this minifigure, recreating the distinctive bands worn around Rey's wrists. Nevertheless, the head looks great, featuring freckles along with smiling and determined facial expressions. The dark brown hair piece is similarly detailed and this minifigure includes a blue lightsaber. Strangely, its colour has returned to the standard trans-light blue instead of the cloudy shade from 75250 Pasaana Speeder Chase.
The enigmatic Knights of Ren have appeared across the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker range and 75284 Knights of Ren Transport Ship completes the team. Kuruk pilots the Night Buzzard so his inclusion seems appropriate, wearing a unique helmet with metallic silver and black highlights. The pearl dark grey colour scheme looks splendid and I like the black stripes across his jacket.
Cardo wears another new helmet which appears relatively simple, corresponding exactly with the source material. His pearl dark grey jacket features similar texture to that worn by Vicrul in 75273 Poe Dameron's X-wing Fighter and two grenades are strapped to his waist alongside a pair of plasma bolt shells. One shell has already been removed from the holster which is a fun detail. Both characters feature plain black heads beneath their helmets.
Each minifigure is equipped with their unique weapon, corresponding with the movie. Kuruk carries a blaster with twin barrels, only loosely resembling his onscreen blaster, while Cardo includes an arm cannon. Ideally, this would be integrated directly with his arm but that would probably have required another new element and I think this design is reasonably successful. The red highlight is particularly welcome, matching the other Knights' weaponry.
Gathering the entire Knights of Ren together certainly looks impressive, capturing their varied appearances but consistent menace! The four sets that include these characters cost £319.96 or $369.96 which is exceptionally expensive, although I think their distribution across the range was inevitable because they needed four new helmets and that cost was divided between three waves. Of course, this also encourages the purchase of multiple sets.
The Completed Model
Befitting their sinister appearance, the Knights of Ren travel aboard an intimidating Oubliette-class transport, known as the Night Buzzard. This model definitely recreates the shape of the original vehicle, featuring prominent engines at the stern and angular armour that protects the entire vessel. Moreover, this rendition of the Night Buzzard is relatively substantial, measuring 30cm in length.
Unfortunately, turning the Night Buzzard upside down reveals how the designer achieved that impressive size, despite this set only including 595 pieces. The vehicle is almost totally hollow, consisting primarily of black plates which cover a Technic frame! I do understand why this was necessary, given the modest price point, but the model should certainly have included a proper interior with space for the six Knights of Ren.
The exterior is fairly detailed though, featuring accurate sensor gather plates across the front and an appropriate combination of smooth and studded surfaces. Two spring-loaded shooters are found beneath the armour and they are launched by pushing Technic axles further towards the rear. Several articulated laser cannons are also mounted in the correct positions.
Black dominates the external armour, although dark bluish grey and dark tan details are also present. The onscreen vehicle is wholly black but I think these accent colours are reasonably effective, giving the impression of dust from Pasaana. Furthermore, I like the dark bluish grey wedge plates which are integrated near the front, imitating shapes from the original craft.
While dark bluish grey and tan complement the black colour scheme, the pearl silver hoses appear too bright in my opinion. The texture is marvellous but black or pearl dark grey would have been more suitable than pearl silver. Moreover, narrow gaps appear between the hoses and the fuselage which is disappointing as those should have been filled.
Elevating laser cannons are accurately located above the hoses, although they cannot rotate. Hatches open behind each turret, allowing two Knights of Ren to sit inside as though they are controlling the cannons. However, the hatches cannot close above the minifigures. In fact, the only enclosed internal space is a small prison cell with room for two characters.
Two additional laser cannons should be positioned at the stern but these have been omitted, unfortunately. The engines look fantastic though, featuring trans-orange tiles and several 1x2 rounded plates which create brilliant texture. Their connection to the fuselage is slightly wobbly, although they cannot become detached accidentally. The sensor dish feels very sturdy though and the shaping of the fuselage is perfect here.
Overall
Taking its price into consideration, 75284 Knights of Ren Transport Ship has been executed reasonably well. The exterior features excellent shaping and texture, faithfully replicating the source material, while the new Knights of Ren are outstanding. Even so, I think some further minifigures should have been included and Chewbacca would be especially appropriate.
However, the most significant issue is undoubtedly the absence of interior space. This model should feature a cockpit alongside ample room for the Knights of Ren and their weapons. The price of £64.99 or $69.99 did not give the designer much opportunity to include such features which is frustrating as I think the Night Buzzard offers considerable potential for an impressive LEGO model.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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44 comments on this article
I "need" those 2 last Knights of Renn, but will wait for a consequent discount to get the set. Like the shape of the ship though, even if it is otherwise far from being reprensentative of its on-screen counterpart (total lack of real interior space and cockpit) . Your opinion confirms that of other reviewers. Thank you for it.
The exterior looks nice, and the Knights of Ren got new molds. I'm not really interested in ST sets, but I think it's one of the better models of this wave.
I knew the interior space would be lacking (as has been the trend in most <$100 Star Wars LEGO ships for years now), but this almost takes the mickey out on interior space altogether. No discernible cockpit? A compartment that can't even be closed when the minifigure is in it? Man, I really empathize with the design constraint of making a set for the USD $69.99 price point, but I still can't help but feel a little disappointed.
Definitely a good purchase, though, for even a minor 20-25% off sale. Maybe I'll get lucky like I did that one time with "Battle at the Black Gate" and find it already discounted on release at Target. A LEGO maniac can dream.
Looks more like something Batman would ride.
Someone mentioned (I can't remember where...) that maybe Lego designed this based on prelim images thinking it was a tank/land vehicle. That could explain why there's no way to put the Knights inside and they just sit on top. It's pretty unfortunate though...
This has got to be one of the ugliest SW sets to date. Looks like a Batmobile where several important bits have fallen off.
Cool figures, but the rest is totally Meh for me. Easy pass.
So.. there's really no functional interior.
This review is pretty forgiving for how seriously messed up the design of this is. I suppose it looks okay from above and the minifigures are good but I've never seen LEGO put out an empty, half-built shell of a spacecraft like this before. There are six Knights of Ren and this interstellar transport ship has space for two of them to stand on the outside, and a little plain box that could maybe hold two more; the only action feature to be found is a couple of shooters that have been standard-issue in this line for over six years at this point. People complain about Star Wars sets having unfinished undersides a lot but this is by far the worst case of that I have ever seen; with only three minifigures and a shockingly bad design $70 for this is absurd. Even $50 seems steep, honestly.
It would’ve been especially nice to get a Republic Gunship size minifig area but flatter. Quite disappointing.
Great set on the top and the sides but not the best from underneath.
Yet another disappointingly under-scaled vehicle in the Star Wars theme. As a SW Lego completist, I'll get it...but I'll be waiting for a steep discount.
Still can't get over the lack of proper interior
As far as I have heard, it was meant to go on top of 75201: First Order AT-ST, as Lego designers nowadays don't manage to design fully playable vehicles anymore - in spite of asking 69.99 $ for it! This set is as disappointing as the sequel trilogy on the whole. I don't know what to say further about this obivous cash grab move by Lego.
@PicnicBasketSam said:
"This review is pretty forgiving for how seriously messed up the design of this is. I suppose it looks okay from above and the minifigures are good but I've never seen LEGO put out an empty, half-built shell of a spacecraft like this before. There are six Knights of Ren and this interstellar transport ship has space for two of them to stand on the outside, and a little plain box that could maybe hold two more; the only action feature to be found is a couple of shooters that have been standard-issue in this line for over six years at this point. People complain about Star Wars sets having unfinished undersides a lot but this is by far the worst case of that I have ever seen; with only three minifigures and a shockingly bad design $70 for this is absurd. Even $50 seems steep, honestly."
2008's Rogue Shadow is a good contender for wasted space. Cockpit only seats 1, the rest of the ship is hollow missile compartments and weapon storage, that all flies open exposed if you flip it upside-down. This new set is giving me a lot of flashbacks to the Rogue Shadow.
Not too impressed as seems to be just a tortoise shell. I wonder to meet the $60 budget if they shrunk the ship there would be some pieces left over to make an interior floor. Seems people are more interested in the figures than the ship, which doesn't quite feel right.
At the moment when comparing spaceships (and not figures), I think most people would rather go for the just released 75293-1: Resistance I-TS Transport, as it seems an extra $40 gives you twice as many pieces which are really needed to finish off the inside properly. Any chance of a review soon?
ha the model accurately represents the sequel trilogy - all style, no substance!
unbelievable that lego released just a shell like this. thought that half an AT-ST was the worst, but this takes the cake
Unpopular opinion: I really liked the Sequel Trilogy; it had real emotion.
This weird little horseshoe crab of a craft is a mistake though. Who thought releasing this was a good idea...? I feel sorry for whichever hamstrung designers had to come up with it.
This set is a disappointment for the most part. Luckily for me I don’t collect sets outside of Episodes IV-VI. However, the new leaked Harry Potter CMFs are significantly less disappointing. Looking forward to their official announcement here on Brickset soon :-)
This set's an excellent metaphor for the Knights of Ren in the films - really cool-looking on the outside, yet completely devoid of any substance once you get past that...!
Wait, it's $70 for a shell of a ship?!?
I thought the ship at least looked kind of nifty and didn't care so much for the minifigs, so managed to snag a version that was just ship for £20. I'd consider that a fairer price for something thats a few flaps and hoses on a frame
@shirhac said:
"As far as I have heard, it was meant to go on top of 75201: First Order AT-ST, as Lego designers nowadays don't manage to design fully playable vehicles anymore - in spite of asking 69.99 $ for it! This set is as disappointing as the sequel trilogy on the whole. I don't know what to say further about this obvious cash grab move by Lego. "
I agree that the set is not great, but this seems a bit harsh. The price was pre-set for the designer, who did the best they could from preliminary concept art. As for the AT-ST, it's a recreation of a very specific scene and its design, while disappointing, is I think justifiable. This set, however, should have been about twenty dollars more expensive and included a full interior, as well as more minifigures.
So... the Knights of Ren Transport Ship... can't actually transport any Knights of Ren! I see so many wasted pieces in this design: all those Technic parts that attach the angled nose. Use hinge plates, get rid of the front landing gear, and use the space and the part budget to put an interior there, with the roof removable to put all six Knights inside. The whole thing seems designed to look good only in photographs, and only from certain angles.
Not really into the ST but this set looks nice until you flip it.
I find this quirky vehicle really appealing.
Usually its the minifigures that incentivise a purchase of a set like this, but this time the craft itself with all its odd surfaces and details that have intrigued me and held my interest.
Talking about the minifigs, they’re OK but not spectacular. But to be honest, none of the Knights of Ren have grabbed me in the same way that Stormtroopers and other Imperial troops do. Its a solid rendition of Ren though.
Not sure to buy one. The upper side of the ship is quite good but it's definitely too like a skeleton of the ship.
$69.99 a "modest cost"?!?! Well in light of the UCS costs, I suppose so.
I feellike they always over price the $60-70 sets by about $20, I mean look at Snokes throne room, Major von Regs tie, the Solo Tie, and many others but the only reason people buy them is for the neat minifigures.
I enjoyed the sequels and the Night Buzzard is the ship from ROS that I wanted to see as a LEGO set the most.
The scale is bizarre though and I don't get why the review calls the size substantial. This isn't a one person fighter but a massive ship, and it's been made at an extremely small scale compared to other sets. The ship should've been twice as long, THEN it would've been a cool set.
The set may become popular for the minifigs but I think LEGO could've gotten a lot more if the price limit had been doubled.
From the viewpoint of a kid who didn't grow up with that much money, this is overpriced and kind of cruel to kids.... I can imagine a kid saving up for months to get this only to find that it doesn't even hold troops..... Cool looking ship though. I love the shaping and the exterior design.
I simply don’t understand how Lego could release a set like this. I have never seen a ship that wasn’t meant to be played with. What is the point of something that is just a facade? If the constraint was it had to cost $70, then it should have been an awesome set, instead a microfighter version of this ship for $10 would be much more desirable. I’m an adult and I find this set to be a total waste, but if a kid got this set just imagine how upset they would be. This is a very expensive set for a kid, yet it would offer them nothing to play with.
My big complaint with the Tantive IV is how it has very little space for the minifigures, but at least it has space and it is a very solid model. A TIE may be massive yet only have a tiny cockpit, but that is what a TIE is and at least it gives you a place to put the pilot and looks good all the way around. This set is just inexcusable.
I rather enjoyed the sequel trilogy, and have been trying to collect all the characters, but it looks as though I will have to give the Knights of Ren a skip unless they start popping up in cheaper and better sets.
In the past we had buildings, then open buildings as it would be easier to play and now we have just one wall (41426 Heartlake City Park Cafe)
Seems like this is the beginning for Star Wars.
In a few years we have three brick half police helicopters and four brick half fire trucks.
Thanks for the review. I had intended buying this set but having read your review I’ll be getting something else instead. Very disappointing!
What?! You really think $70 for this shitty ship it's ok? Hell no! It should have at least 100 pieces more.
On the positive side, Lego has made a really cool looking roof.
$69.99 is a "modest cost"? And we're getting a shell of a ship? LOL
I'm disappointed with the upcoming sets. They're all too expensive with not enough minifigures.
I usually buy almost all the Star Wars sets every year, because I'm a collector, but I'm frankly considering skipping a lot of these upcoming sets. It's highway robbery.
@bananaworld said:
"
Unpopular opinion: I really liked the Sequel Trilogy; it had real emotion."
True: it gave me anger, depression and a headache. But to be clear: I don't hate on the people that liked it. It's just that I'm from a different generation that saw the OT as a kid and Disney Star Wars was kinda rough for me to watch.
Which means I won't be picking up this set. Not even if it was from the OT or the prequels. 2020 proves to be an odd year for Lego too. Many disappointments among the new releases. I really don't understand the reason for this design.
@PicnicBasketSam said:
"This review is pretty forgiving for how seriously messed up the design of this is. I suppose it looks okay from above and the minifigures are good but I've never seen LEGO put out an empty, half-built shell of a spacecraft like this before."
I found the 2012 Darth Mauls Sith Infiltrator to be just as lacking. The sphere section was as one would expect but the sloped front arrow head is just a plate with technic bricks to keep the slope in place and the underside looked just as bad with holes and nothing but the upper cover.
Overall, I should have expected the model to be bad after that Infiltrator. It works for display purposes but I wouldn't want a single kid on this planet to buy it just to be disappointed by having to play with his 70$ Lego set as if it were a microfighter, not at all working like a real transport ship as the name suggests.
I have to commend Legos dedication to get all of the Knights of Ren out though. They skipped out on many figures these last few years that I would have declared essential to the new movies and shows but managed to at least make right with the only good new concept of the Sequels even if the Sequels haven't been able to utilize them at all. Really unbelievable that Lego turned from being the least character heavy line to the best toy company in terms of character variety after Hasbro cut back so much that they might as well just cancel their entire line. I dislike the emphasis on pearl grey parts though when they should have been mostly black. At least there are alternatives available to this.
@Legorides said:
" @bananaworld said:
"
Unpopular opinion: I really liked the Sequel Trilogy; it had real emotion."
True: it gave me anger, depression and a headache. But to be clear: I don't hate on the people that liked it. It's just that I'm from a different generation that saw the OT as a kid and Disney Star Wars was kinda rough for me to watch.
"
Funny enough, I hear this sort of reasoning often though I already called myself a Star Wars fan before the special editions were a thing (though I am young enough that the special editions were the first time I saw Star Wars in the cinema). And, while I have a lot of gripes with the sequels, I do still enjoy them a lot.
Star Wars fans truly come in all shapes and sizes.
@Judge_Fudge said:
"I have to commend Legos dedication to get all of the Knights of Ren out though. They skipped out on many figures these last few years that I would have declared essential to the new movies and shows but managed to at least make right with the only good new concept of the Sequels even if the Sequels haven't been able to utilize them at all. Really unbelievable that Lego turned from being the least character heavy line to the best toy company in terms of character variety after Hasbro cut back so much that they might as well just cancel their entire line. I dislike the emphasis on pearl grey parts though when they should have been mostly black. At least there are alternatives available to this.
"
Oh yeah Hasbro's line-up is increasingly a joke. I don't follow them to closely since my fandom has always been focused on Lego, but it seems in my local Wal-Mart there are hardly any Hasbro Star Wars products on the shelves at all. Lego Star Wars is the dominant Star Wars toy on the shelf here.
@bananaworld said:
"
Unpopular opinion: I really liked the Sequel Trilogy; it had real emotion."
I agree. My main emotion was "OH MY GOD THESE MOVIES ARE CRAP!"
Eh, I actually really like the set, and it fits 4 figures so it's good enough
Yeah... The Knights of Ren were thrown away in story, and their visual design is to generic. So not springing for a star that somehow burns coal.
It is an accurate reproduction, but... Just... no. If the movie hadn't been bad, maybe
@PicnicBasketSam said:
"This review is pretty forgiving for how seriously messed up the design of this is. I suppose it looks okay from above and the minifigures are good but I've never seen LEGO put out an empty, half-built shell of a spacecraft like this before. There are six Knights of Ren and this interstellar transport ship has space for two of them to stand on the outside, and a little plain box that could maybe hold two more; the only action feature to be found is a couple of shooters that have been standard-issue in this line for over six years at this point. People complain about Star Wars sets having unfinished undersides a lot but this is by far the worst case of that I have ever seen; with only three minifigures and a shockingly bad design $70 for this is absurd. Even $50 seems steep, honestly."
Brickset reviews are always too forgiving. It's just the business side of things, they try to stay in the middle ground to satisfy both fans and haters of a particular set, while maintaining positive relationship with LEGO.
Do I like it? No.
Does it matter? No, I can see for myself what a hack of a set this, I don't need Brickset.com to tell me it's just a cash grub emty shell do dislike it.