Review: 75313 AT-AT
Posted by CapnRex101,
The enduring Ultimate Collector Series includes numerous extraordinary subjects, although one revered vehicle has been continually overlooked. The menacing AT-AT was introduced during The Empire Strikes Back and demonstrates amazing battlefield dominance.
75313 AT-AT successfully presents that strength, overshadowing comparable models and capturing fantastic detail from the onscreen vehicle. Additionally, this walker includes an extensive interior which comfortably accommodates the correct number of Snowtroopers, while maintaining absolute balance and ample articulation.
Box and Contents
75313 AT-AT includes 6785 pieces and the box is accordingly substantial. However, this box is smaller than those containing 75192 Millennium Falcon and 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer, for instance. The vehicle is displayed from various angles across the packaging which is welcome, although its stance on the front appears awkward because these walkers are rarely shown with multiple knees bent onscreen.
Graphics continue inside the box, including screenshots from The Empire Strikes Back and a badge displaying Imperial operations on Hoth. Four separate boxes are stacked inside, which contain fifty bags that are numbered between one and eighteen. Their consistent designs look marvellous, although other shots of the attacking AT-ATs are perhaps more famous.
The four instruction manuals are divided between the internal boxes, focusing upon different stages of construction. I appreciate how these booklets are numbered in the style of Imperial lighting, with information about the subject and the development of 75313 AT-AT appearing in each manual.
That information is particularly enjoyable here, acknowledging the continued demand for an Ultimate Collector Series AT-AT and the associated design challenges. Nevertheless, Henrik Andersen has overcome such difficulties, with assistance from LEGO Technic Design Master, Markus Kossmann. As anticipated, stabilising the legs and ankles was the primary challenge and required the introduction of one new element.
Eight stickers decorate this model, predominantly inside. Several are reasonably large which makes applying them more difficult as air bubbles and dust can become trapped underneath. Nevertheless, the designs look splendid and I appreciate their avoidance across the exterior, where mechanical detail is instead cleverly constructed.
Minifigures
Nine minifigures are included, beginning with Luke Skywalker. This important character has accompanied several AT-AT models, integrating an accurate helmet and double-sided head. However, recent depictions sport X-wing pilot attire rather than authentic Snowspeeder pilot fatigues, distinguished by black gloves and flares which decorate Luke's right leg. The flares should be omitted, while the gloves should be white instead.
This issue returning here is disappointing, especially since Rogue Group members produced before 2017 featured the correct uniform. General Veers appears impressive though, closely resembling the minifigure from 75288 AT-AT. This helmet includes outstanding moulded detail alongside printed goggles, which correspond with the onscreen officer.
General Veers' head looks excellent too, including neutral and smiling expressions that return from 2020. The torso also remains unchanged, so displays the appropriate rank indicator and armour, while dual-moulded legs replace the dark bluish grey legs which appeared previously, This minifigure therefore improves upon earlier versions and carries a pair of macrobinoculars. Luke, meanwhile, wields his lightsaber and a thermal detonator.
Two armoured AT-AT Drivers accompany Veers, also remaining essentially unchanged from earlier minifigures. Their enormous helmets include extensive detail which reflects the source material, although the drivers' heads are partly exposed when viewed from behind. Removing the helmets reveals different heads underneath, including a new female example.
Presumably this element was designed for another character, especially since both drivers of Blizzard One, commanded by General Veers, are male onscreen. Nevertheless, new designs are always appealing and I look forward to seeing where else this medium nougat head might subsequently appear.
While sand blue and light bluish grey are imperfect colours when comparing these drivers to their onscreen counterparts, these shades look attractive together. The life-support pack and surrounding hoses are completely accurate though, with the ejection harness continuing onto these drivers' legs. Both minifigures include blaster pistols.
75054 AT-AT provided an exclusive Snowtrooper Commander, distinguished from standard Snowtroopers by their rank indicator. An updated minifigure appears here, featuring the same colourful chest decoration, but omitting the backpack and fabric kama which were worn during 2014.
The four accompanying Snowtroopers also feature printed backpacks and kamas, matching those released since 2019. While the previous minifigures were probably more accurate, they struggled to interact with furnishings. The modern version avoids that issue, which is definitely important here because the AT-AT contains seats for these Snowtroopers inside.
Moreover, the decorated legs and matching torso look marvellous. The helmet features great detail too, achieving appropriate distinction between solid and softer sections of the onscreen costume. However, the dark tan hands should have been replaced with white equivalents and their continued inaccuracy is bewildering.
Continuing the trend established last year, Imperial personnel feature varying heads beneath their helmets. These four Snowtroopers and their commander therefore display a selection of male and female designs, including two from 75311 Imperial Armoured Marauder and another which is new! The female reddish brown head appears perfectly cruel for the Galactic Empire. Naturally, each minifigure carries a blaster rifle.
Construction
While designs and construction techniques have varied, assembling LEGO AT-AT models has traditionally followed the same order of operations. 75313 AT-AT maintains that convention, as construction commences beneath the body. Three separate Technic structures are arranged in layers, comprising an impressive frame which maintains absolute rigidity.
Several brackets and 2x2x2 elements with studs on the side create two rows of inverted studs underneath the Technic structure. They support mechanical detail across the underside, which integrates various plates, tiles and curved slopes to create diverse textures. The curved slopes are particularly successful as some are angled, forming smooth cylindrical shapes.
Assembling the legs is inevitably rather repetitive, although their construction in three sections alleviates this repetition to some degree. Technic elements dominate the internal structure and these are enveloped by plates, drawing comparisons with 75192 Millennium Falcon and 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer. While such construction methods are sometimes unpopular, these are consistently effective.
In fact, the only sections of the vehicle without internal Technic support are the footpads. They are instead constructed using curved slopes and tiles that are attached sideways, surrounding brackets and bricks with studs on the side. Much like the aforementioned cylinders fixed below the body, these footpads capture an impressive rounded design.
The repetition becomes more noticeable when assembling the lower legs, which are relatively complex. Once again, layered plates and tiles surround Technic components inside, achieving superb strength. Furthermore, accurate ankle joints are present because new 6x6 curved gear racks have been developed, resembling those introduced with 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator.
Connecting the lower legs is surprisingly simple. These can be attached upside down and are each secured using two Technic pins, before reinforcement with plates which encompass both the upper and lower legs. The knee joint design avoids completely separating segments above and below the knees, instead overlapping those structures around the rotational joints.
The substantial troop compartment is constructed separately, again beginning with a Technic frame underneath the floor. While these building methods are commonplace, the angled floor sections are ingeniously secured using hinge bricks and ball joints. Wedge plates align neatly with the neighbouring panels, so feel absolutely secure.
Standard bricks and Technic beams support the upper deck, which incorporates construction methods from the lower level. Angled sections are again attached using hinge bricks with ball joints, while another layer of Technic bricks is situated beneath the floor. The interior therefore feels surprisingly strong, despite being predominantly hollow and proving ample space for the minifigures.
Beyond the ankle joints, the neck presents another substantial challenge when constructing a large-scale AT-AT. Supporting the head is certainly difficult, especially when articulation is also desirable. Nevertheless, the designer has included 16L linkages which anchor the head on the body, passing through four wheel hubs. One flexible tube connects those wheel hubs, allowing reasonable flexibility in the neck.
The troop compartment is mounted on the leg assembly using studs and some Technic axles, which seems incredibly simple. The resulting connection feels secure though, especially after covering the axles with layered plates. These conceal the entire Technic structure and feature magnificent texture, matching the studded and smooth surfaces across the legs.
While the head is substantially smaller than the troop compartment, both structures comprise similar building techniques. The head therefore includes another Technic frame, which begins beneath the floor and continues around the roof to create an accurate shape. However, unlike the body, the cockpit must open upwards, so this frame is not completely enclosed.
Enormous body panels are secured on either side, each comprising five sections. The smaller angled panels are assembled primarily using plates, with tiles and contrasting dark bluish grey ingots decorating the exterior. These are linked to the central panels with clips and click hinges, which are extremely important because the complete armour panels are only supported by two Technic hooks.
Despite appearing consistent with the surrounding panels, the doors are assembled sideways using bricks. Such building methods are common, but the smooth integration of these opening doors is particularly impressive as bricks with studs on the side unite sections in four directions, thereby presenting distinctive rounded corners.
Approximately sixteen hours after starting construction, three roof panels complete the AT-AT. Once again, they are simply assembled using plates and tiles, interrupted only by mechanical details. Two speeder bikes, an E-Web blaster cannon and the requisite information plaque are the final additions, furnishing this majestic Imperial walker with its accessories.
The Completed Model
Ultimate Collector Series models traditionally benefit from increased size and accuracy when compared with their conventional equivalents. 75313 AT-AT exemplifies such advantages and looks absolutely spectacular! Beyond its dramatic size, this model displays superb proportions and sensational detail, significantly improving upon previous renditions of the famous Imperial walker.
Nevertheless, the scale should not be overlooked. The vehicle measures 62cm in height and 69cm long, towering above 4483 AT-AT and 75288 AT-AT, among others. In fact, those AT-AT models can pass comfortably between the legs of this design, as demonstrated below. These measurements arguably exceed minifigure scale, but the AT-AT looks excellent beside figures and other vehicles.
Assuring stability is challenging when designing LEGO Star Wars walkers, usually becoming more difficult as their scale increases. Fortunately, the structure feels remarkably strong here, exploiting Technic elements to brilliant effect and securely linking different sections. The latter feature is particularly useful as apparent weaknesses, such as the ankles, hips and neck, are reinforced.
The footpads certainly provide a strong base for the AT-AT, spreading its considerable weight and integrating rubber tyres underneath for grip. Moreover, their rounded design corresponds with the original vehicle and the protruding toe flaps look accurate, despite lacking articulation. Some motion would have been ideal, but their appearance and strength are paramount.
Fortunately, the ankles balance these factors with appropriate movement, incorporating new gear racks. These arches present an obvious potential weakness which has affected smaller renditions of the AT-AT and necessitated additional support. The curved gear racks avoid this issue, instead passing between gears and runners inside each leg. The resulting mechanism matches the source material, so conveys incredible realism.
3x3 round tiles represent maintenance panels above the ankles, lining up beautifully with the gears inside. The adjustable linear actuators also appear authentic, even though they cannot actually confer lateral movement. Splendid detail continues across the legs, including smooth and studded surfaces which present the impression of heavy armour.
However, the legs should become narrower above each ankle, instead of remaining relatively consistent throughout their whole length. This inaccuracy is perhaps disappointing, although I understand that broadening each leg strengthens them too. Additionally, the round knee joints remain appropriately pronounced and integrate accurate texture.
While the traversing ankle joints move with relative ease, the enormous knees and hips need significantly greater reinforcement. They remain fixed in position until inserting a device which resembles a screwdriver, connecting to the worm gears located inside each leg. Turning those gears gradually adjusts the joints, each providing an impressive range of movement.
Such extensive movement permits countless options for display, exceeding my expectations. Almost every stance seen onscreen can be recreated and the model is surprisingly balanced, despite its enormous scale. The instruction manual advises positioning the feet directly below the troop compartment which seems sensible, although much greater motion is possible. The foremost consideration is distributing the weight evenly.
Exposed studs become gradually fewer around the hips, although splendid texture continues. Unsurprisingly, the horizontal structures that fasten the hips to the troop compartment are not functional, although their shape and position correspond with the onscreen AT-AT. The angled hull panels protecting them look excellent too, integrating deep notches where these vehicles connect to their landing barges.
Marvellous detail continues behind these layers of armour, including mechanical texture that adorns the underside. This space becomes visible when Luke ascends underneath an AT-AT, throwing a thermal detonator inside a vulnerable hatch. The vehicle therefore incorporates an opening hatch, among curved slopes and tiles. Connection points for Luke's ascension cable are provided, naturally.
Cylindrical structures situated underneath the troop compartment represent the primary drive motors, slotting neatly between the legs. These include accurate proportions in relation to the source material, while the fuel slug tank is correctly situated towards the rear. Elaborate detail adorns this tank, contrasting alongside smooth 3x3 arch bricks and 3x3 wedge slopes.
The complex mechanical detailing above the fuel tank appears impressive too, interrupted by several armour panels that correspond exactly with the onscreen AT-AT walkers. Furthermore, this combination of dark bluish grey and black accents which contrast against the predominant light bluish grey armour looks brilliant, demonstrating amazing attention to the source material.
These contrasting highlights are appealing, although the different textures across the armour seem equally significant in creating detail. Once again, the integration of studded and smooth surfaces is excellent and maintains an exceptional standard of accuracy, as several ingots are distributed in exactly the correct locations to represent exhausts and ventilation systems.
Substantial deployment hatches are positioned on either side, potentially appearing awkward among the neighbouring studs. The curved corners look especially conspicuous, although the designer has ingeniously integrated 4x4x2/3 tiles which feature similar rounded corners. While the smaller hatches cannot open, they complement the primary hatches perfectly.
Opening those deployment hatches is incredibly satisfying. Each door slides outwards, along Technic rails, before folding upwards and remaining in place. The dark space inside contrasts effectively beside the exterior and continues inside the doors. Unfortunately, no mechanism to deploy Snowtroopers is provided, presumably because this system has never been portrayed within canonical sources.
The mammoth panels on either side are easily removable, revealing remarkable detail inside! Ultimate Collector Series models have sometimes included an interior, although never one as extensive and accurate as 75313 AT-AT. This design takes obvious inspiration from Star Wars: Complete Vehicles, distinguished by the seating arrangement and their sand blue colour.
Imperial installations and vehicles traditionally feature dark colours inside. The majestic AT-AT continues that trend, consisting primarily of black elements within the troop compartment. This colour is complemented by dark orange 1x1 round plates along both decks, with stickered light panels inside the deployment area.
Reference works describe the AT-AT providing capacity for forty Snowtroopers and this model therefore contains forty seats. They are divided across two decks and passengers could move between rooms, as doorways and a ladder are present. Furthermore, superb mechanical detail continues inside, particularly above the main seating compartment.
Perhaps the most surprising feature of this entire set is the presence of two angular fuel cells above the speeder bike garage. They could definitely have been omitted without substantially detracting from the design, but their presence is welcome. The white conduits surrounding the cells are particularly appealing.
Moreover, removing the panels on each side reveals four fuel tanks within, displaying colourful stripes associated with Octan! These are certainly a welcome surprise, particularly since Octan has never been represented in LEGO Star Wars before. Subtle references like this example are always appreciated.
Two speeder bikes are located inside the garage, occupying simple storage racks. Light panel stickers decorate the wall and these 74-Z speeder bikes stand out within the dark environment. Their design remains nearly unchanged from the bike which accompanied 75288 AT-AT, but no significant alterations were required because I think the existing model was impressive.
Nevertheless, the vehicle now includes air brakes behind the engines and the handgrips have been reversed, which seems strange as they were already ideally positioned for minifigures to hold. The neighbouring garage area could accommodate two additional speeder bikes, but the racks instead remain unoccupied. However, the AT-AT does contain an E-Web blaster cannon, which has not been updated since 75288 AT-AT was released.
The neck comprises four motorcycle wheel hubs, faithfully recreating the ribbed texture which appears onscreen. The resulting structure looks excellent and reasonable lateral movement is possible, controlled from inside the troop compartment. However, the dial is awkwardly located beside the seating, so I prefer adjusting the head manually.
Unfortunately, the neck noticeably strains under the substantial weight of the head. While this connection feels secure, sacrificing articulation to strengthen this structure might have proven worthwhile. Nevertheless, this downward angle matches the onscreen vehicles, which destroy countless ground-based targets during The Empire Strikes Back.
The cockpit section displays fantastic detail, comprehensively improving upon smaller designs Accurate repeating blasters are mounted on either side, featuring rangefinders with impressive texture, while the angled armour behind those blasters appears marvellous. However, the head seems disproportionately narrow when viewed from particular angles, which is disappointing.
Furthermore, conspicuous gaps are visible between separate panels surrounding the cockpit. Including additional connection points towards the front could have reduced their significance, although such problems are overshadowed by the brilliant trans-red viewport. Angular armour envelopes this structure and employs some unusual construction methods.
Beyond its enormous size, the most threatening feature of the AT-AT are undoubtedly the twin heavy laser cannons. These devastating weapons are capable of tremendous destruction and their reciprocating motion is cleverly replicated here. Moreover, the atmospheric intake located between the laser cannons looks fantastic, but floodlights should also be mounted underneath the cockpit.
The interior provides generous room for multiple minifigures, corresponding with the onscreen vehicle. Seats are included for the AT-AT Drivers, while General Veers stands at the command station behind them. These furnishings look great and the minifigures' weaponry can be stored throughout the interior, occupying clips or hollow studs between the seats.
Several decorated consoles are included, alongside the stickered viewport which displays the frozen Hoth landscape and the Rebel shield generator. The holographic projector where Darth Vader communicates with General Veers is also visible. Unfortunately, the retractable targeting scope is missing, even though attachment points are available across the ceiling.
While removing the side panels provides an adequate view of the interior, placing minifigures inside becomes substantially easier after raising the roof. Moreover, the circular access hatch matches that within the troop compartment and includes lovely texture, perfectly formed using the common 6x6 dish with lattice element.
Information plaques accompany nearly every Ultimate Collector Series set, including this one. Their design has remained consistent since 2010 which is brilliant, hence this plaque features the traditional blue highlights. Furthermore, the plaque contains no factual mistakes which has become unusual, although I would query the classification of the footpads as weapons!
The plaque is appropriately angled and includes two supports underneath, corresponding with other Ultimate Collector Series models. Additionally, these supports cradle the aforementioned device for adjusting the legs. While this accessory remains partly visible behind the information plaque, its integration is clever and I appreciate the storage solution.
Overall
Following consistent discussion and anticipation, the Ultimate Collector Series AT-AT appears spectacular! 75313 AT-AT captures the shape and proportions of the imposing Imperial walker with extraordinary accuracy, featuring incredible details from the onscreen vehicle. The interior seems particularly remarkable, exploiting the enlarged scale to incorporate features which are portrayed beyond the movies.
Furthermore, the ingenious joint mechanism has exceeded my expectations, providing great articulation without compromising the strength of this AT-AT. However, the model is imperfect, exhibiting noticeable gaps between armour panels and fragile external details. The price feels expensive too, reaching $799.99 or £749.99 which compares rather unfavourably with 75192 Millennium Falcon.
Despite such issues, I am delighted with 75313 AT-AT. The model looks magnificent on display and achieves phenomenal accuracy, arguably surpassing even 75192 Millennium Falcon. That alone demonstrates the quality of the AT-AT, which certainly belongs among my favourite LEGO Star Wars sets.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group, but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
253 likes
134 comments on this article
I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy.
What an expensive set (but super cool).
Now can I please get a USD $799 classic castle? Just one big 7000 piece castle
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
How many white ones did you see?
Amazing. Certainly way out of my budget, but I shall envy this set for sure.
Wow! Great review!
When I heard there would be a UCS AT-AT set I was slightly skeptical. I wasn't really sure if it'd benefit that substantially from the increase in size and detail, and was worried that on the contrary the increased size might force it to be a totally static model (sacrificing articulation for the necessary stability to support a model of that weight). But seeing this review I'm blown away by how effectively it has been realized, with sturdy, well-concealed joints and pretty much perfect detailing (even going so far as to include the exact right number of seats for snowtroopers).
Of course, considering I don't really collect Lego Star Wars anymore I have neither the space nor budget to commit to a set of this magnitude. But for the most hardcore Star Wars fans, they can hopefully save up for this set with the confidence that it will probably never end up being outclassed by any future AT-AT set.
This model is incredible and I wish I had a place to put it. I can't wait to see someone put this thing in a Hoth landscape with obligatory Snowspeeders and tow cable. The engineering here is most impressive.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
You haven't seen any white ones yet either.
Thank you so much for the fantastic review. Day 1 purchase for me, assuming my local store will have plenty of stock.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male."
Well it certainly didn't take long for this garbage to pop up.
@SendBrickPics said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
How many white ones did you see?"
I remember a time when Lego fans were begging for more reddish brown female faces, since we had just two or three of them total in existence. While there were no female Imperial trooper extras in the original trilogy, its a helmeted design... so its not like you can see the face anyways once the helmet is on. Furthermore future works included women in the stormtrooper corps (think like Iden Versio in Battlefront II) so while it might be a bit of retroactive continuity, both men and women serve in the stormtrooper corps in canon. So yes, I would gladly take more new face prints over "film accuracy" in this case.
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male. Not a big deal since they have helmets but kind of annoying since a UCS set should at least attempt to be movie accurate. "
Sounds like somebody is scared of women. Who cares who is beneath those masks. They’re troopers, they have a mask on.
A true minifigure-scale AT-AT with the correct number of seats for troops and spaces for speeder bikes. Flat-out amazing. Pretty cool that it's designed by the same person who designed the 2004 and 2020 (first and most recent) playscale AT-ATs. I gotta get me an AT-AT ASAP!
"Presumably this element was designed for another character, especially since both drivers of Blizzard One, commanded by General Veers, are male onscreen."
Ehh, that's debatable. Moreover, while one driver has been given a name in canon (Lastok), the other has thus far remained unidentified ( https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TK-5187 ) but was named after a female member of the SW fandom, so the head choices for the driver minifigs certainly make sense!
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male. Not a big deal since they have helmets but kind of annoying since a UCS set should at least attempt to be movie accurate. "
As somebody who will be buying at least one of these and more likely two, I can tell you that I care more about representation than about "accuracy." Society has made progress in the 38 years since I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater (was a bit too young for Empire) and it is more than appropriate for toys to reflect that progress.
Any one complaining about female or non-white stormtrooper minifigures should probably re-examine their priorities and personal biases.
Nothing is diminished by adding a little diversity to a handful of the likely millions of stormtroopers.
It's especially worth pointing out that in the original trilogy you are never shown a storm trooper without their helmet and most if not all storm trooper dialogue was provided by a single person.
Also when providing info to licensees in 1977 George Lucas did indicate that there were females in the stormtrooper corp.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
There's precedence with characters like Iden Versio.
I really appreciate that screwdriver idea and how it is stored. Fantastic looking set that checks all the necessary boxes
Hey everybody, can we talk about the frikkin huge AT-AT model and not the minifigure heads that you don't even see because they're covered by helmets?
This one's gonna be the blacksmith shop review all over again huh
@CapnRex101 said:
"I would query the classification of the footpads as weapons"
Tell that to Dak Ralter!
I couldn’t get a good feel for the size until I saw the comparison shot against the other models. Wow, very impressive.
Well these comments took a predictably tedious turn
Wow. Completely unexpected to me. So big so accurate, so beautiful to the SW fan I am! And far to expensive for me to get it of course. But for the Snowtroopers who could have been doubled in number, this set is amazing IMO.
Lets talk about the sex and colour of the troops...
Although obviously incorrect for classic Star Wars releases as they were all male white (sign of the time) its nice that the progressive nature of Lego allows for these changes in todays society... and rightly so. As a white male I cringe at the obvious lack of diversity in a franchise I love (except for eps VII, that was just aweful). So I say, whether classic or new, diversity in Lego Minifigure is ONLY a good thing. Thank you Lego for saving my generation.
I've been revisiting the review and images all morning and while it is an incredible model the price is really hard to swallow, especially (as Rex mentions) compared to the MF. I know is a fool's errand to compare the price and piece count from one set to another but when you're being asked to lay out $800 it's hard not to. This even makes the Titanic look relatively affordable. I wish they could have found a way to hit a slightly lower price point.
Also chuckling at the challenge / taunt laid down by all those empty trooper seats. Lol
Great model at a questionable price but I'm sure it will walk right off the shelves.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
You're really gonna kick off the comments with that garbage? Classy.
Imagine seeing a set like this and the one thing you get hung up on is Lego trying to circulate more diverse heads.
kind of interesting how 80% of the comments under an UCS set review is about minifig heads, as if that was the most important thing in the world to care about :D they are under helmets, so you cannot really see it and therefore does not contradict canon, if you like it, be happy with it, if you don't, just swap the heads, this is LEGO, so you can do that without any problem :D there are so much more meaningful and nice things in the world to care about than this ideological hodgepodge
(incredible build by the way, definitely would get it if I were a billionaire :D)
The Empire was notably xenophobic, not particularly sexist or racist.
The amount of detail in the model is amazing. Even the undercarriage *ahem*
@CDM said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male."
Well it certainly didn't take long for this garbage to pop up.
"
Garbage to say that the Nazi based villains were sexist?
@Cooliocdawg said:
" @CDM said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male."
Well it certainly didn't take long for this garbage to pop up.
"
Garbage to say that the Nazi based villains were sexist?"
Stop. Focus back on the actual model.
@kingalbino said:
"Lets talk about the sex and colour of the troops...
Although obviously incorrect for classic Star Wars releases as they were all male white (sign of the time) its nice that the progressive nature of Lego allows for these changes in todays society... and rightly so. As a white male I cringe at the obvious lack of diversity in a franchise I love (except for eps VII, that was just aweful). So I say, whether classic or new, diversity in Lego Minifigure is ONLY a good thing. Thank you Lego for saving my generation."
Thank you for speaking on our behalf - that of darker skinned ex-subjects of the British Crown - oh English master. I’m what one would describe as having a ‘swarthy’ complexion, and yet I have zero problem with stormtroopers being all white as they traditionally were. White guilt is funny, but I can understand it. Just be aware that even a comment like yours, perhaps unknowingly to you, comes across as condescending to other, darker-skinned people.
A fantastic set that is also fantastically out of my price range. I look forward to admiring it from afar, though. Great set!
I mean at THAT price... Especially with that p/p ratio and vast majority of pieces being gray (obviously)... They really should have included 40 snowtroopers. I'm not saying I expected them to, but I think they should.
Excellent review.... and model.... shame about the price.... especially the hike in the UK. Just wondering if there is a same or similar scale Snowspeeder to fit this set ? Maybe have its legs bow......I have just finished 75288 and was trying to see if I had one that may fit that too ?
This thing makes the Gunship look like a joke. I mean, it’s perfect.
“although I would query the classification of the footpads as weapons!”
Luke’s airspeeder might disagree
@Lego34s said:
" Just wondering if there is a same or similar scale Snowspeeder to fit this set ?"
75259 comes to mind but I haven't scrutinized it. Hopefully there is a post on this subject forthcoming *hint hint*
For all of you guys complaining about the color and print on the face, would you have rather had five more Angry Clone heads in your collection?
That thing is MASSIVE woah. Is this the tallest lego star wars set so far?
I don't understand all these people getting upset about the minifigure heads. Clearly the thing to be upset about is the lack of motorisation!
Seriously though, as a non-SW Lego fan, I liked the black heads of the old days. Really made them anonymous troopers.
What a magnificent model in both engineering and final look.
Now then, do I pay the mortgage this month, or buy this?
Great review as usual I will be getting this beastie but the mention of noticeable strain does concern me, I hope in six months time it is not either looking at the floor or snapped off.
This set is $1065 CAD after taxes in Canada. $1065. For a plastic toy. The only justification for that is pure greed, either by Lego, Disney or both.
Of course it's a "spectacular delight" when you get a free review copy, but the pricing for the latest Lego sets is starting to get out of hand, and I think reviewers should be more critical of that for final scoring ("feels expensive" is a bit sugar coating it if you ask me).
I don't care about Star Wars, so this specific set is irrelevant for me, but today it's SW and tomorrow it's a theme I like.
Rant over :)
Spectaculat set. I'd pick it over the MF any day. If I were willing to shell out the money that is. Alas it is goinf to be tied up in a Resistance Bomber moc of similar size.
Love that pic with all the little older brothers. This is MASSIVE.
>although one revered vehicle has been continually overlooked.
Yeah, where's my UCS Nebulon-B??
@sirventricle said:
"Yeah, where's my UCS Nebulon-B??"
That one lost the vote to the gunship
Thanks for the review CapnRex, great looking model but will it resolve the big question: ATAT or 8080? I am old school and for me this is a UCS ATAT. Appreciate the comment too around the not insignificant price (and related value). Much as I love AT-ATs and the sight of them lumbering over Hoth was a childhood joy when I first saw them if I had to choose I would go for the MF first.
@Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male. Not a big deal since they have helmets but kind of annoying since a UCS set should at least attempt to be movie accurate. "
Seriously?
I am the last one to clamor for more diversity/representation as I am a middle aged white male of the stereotypical kind every woke person today seems to hate. (Not that I care!)
But your comment regarding the ethnicity or sex of said stormtroopers makes no sense at all, movie accuracy is still absolutely achieved because we never (or hardly ever) saw who was under these helmets anyway. So it was up to your imagination who it might have been. For all we know it could have been androids, replicants, rogue Wookies, hell even displaced Ferengi or Bajorans from another universe.
Main point, who cares?
The set is awesome, yet highly overpriced. That's far more worthy of discussion imho.
By the way, @CapnRex101, apart from my thanks for this great review, I love that outdoor shot from beneath the AT-AT. Awesome. Looks so much better than any of the official publicity shots.
Thanks for the detailed review and the wonderful picture of the army of AT-ATs. Love the inclusion of the interior. It's too expensive for me but great for those who can afford. Glad to hear it's pretty stable too!
@TeriXeri said:
" @sirventricle said:
"Yeah, where's my UCS Nebulon-B??"
That one lost the vote to the gunship"
Still salty about that.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
5 minutes of Googling would show you that there were both males and females under the helmets in the original trilogy. There are even interviews with them.
There's also a picture showing the unmasked stormtroopers from the Special Editions and they are quite diverse.
If you add The Mandalorian to that, they also had a diverse range of stormtroopers.
$800 for a pair of female troopers!? …Why is LEGO gouging us like this?
@MainBricker said:
" @SendBrickPics said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
How many white ones did you see?"
Considering that the films were made during 1970s and 1980s Britain I would hazard a guess that all of them were white and male. It also fitted the Hollywood stereotype of well-spoken white British villains for all of the maskless villains (but stormtroopers did have American accents)."
Your guess is at least partially wrong, as this behind-the-scenes photo from 1976 makes plain as day: https://i.imgur.com/VV19vEM.jpg
Here's another from 1996 during the additional shooting for the Special Editions: https://i.imgur.com/DDP7drn.png
Admittedly, I have no idea what the Snowtrooper actors from "The Empire Strikes Back" look like under their costumes, but it'd be a little ludicrous expect the same skin tone on all the Snowtroopers based on a mere ASSUMPTION that the actors were all white.
I mean, if none of us can actually tell from the actual movie footage what the Snowtroopers looked like under their helmets, why would we expect LEGO to know or care? That'd be like expecting the R2-D2 minifigure to have a Kenny Baker minifigure stowed inside.
Anyway, I've gotta say, I'm astounded by how impressive this set is. I have many fond childhood memories from the early days of the LEGO Star Wars theme of looking at Star Wars "Incredible Cross-Sections" books with my brother @Lyichir to try and MOC some of the vehicles that hadn't been introduced as sets yet. And even back then, I remember thinking that a full-size, minifig-scale LEGO AT-AT with cargo capacity for two speeder bikes and seating for 40 snowtroopers would be pretty much impossible.
My subsequent experience building Bionicle MOCs and other articulated figure MOCs has also given me plenty of insight into how difficult it is to create huge articulated creations that can reliably support their own weight without their leg joints buckling from the pressure, and without the balance being thrown off by the occasional wobbliness that even sturdy Technic builds can be subject to.
After all, real people and animals can intuitively adjust their pose anytime their balance starts to feel a bit shaky. A LEGO model doesn't have that advantage. And these issues can become even more difficult to deal with when the legs of a particular creation are only a few modules wide, with minimal room for elaborate locking techniques or support structures!
So imagine my astonishment to see that not only did LEGO manage to release an accurate minifig-scale AT-AT as an actual set, but with functional articulation in the legs and neck! It's a beauty beyond anything I could have imagined. I'm looking forward to seeing designer videos or interviews, and hoping to hear a bit more about just how long it took the designers to perfect a model of this magnitude.
Now, I've never been a fan of worm gears in a posable model — even in the much simpler Slizer/Throwbots sets from the late 90s, I felt that adjusting the figures' poses for play or to fit them in their storage containers was unnecessarily tedious, and I greatly preferred the smoother movement of the action features in later Bionicle sets. But for a model this size, they're a very effective way to allow builders to adjust the legs while still ensuring they'll continue to hold a fixed pose when on display.
Certainly, nobody's going to be actively role-playing the AT-AT's slow, trudging forward march when each individual joint requires several turns of a tiny screwdriver to adjust. But conversely, having a way to articulate the legs with this much precision also has me hoping that some very skilled and EXTREMELY patient builder might be able to treat their fellow AFOLs to a stop-motion animation of the UCS AT-AT in action!
(continued in next comment)
(Continued from previous comment)
Obviously, this scale allows for a very authentic level of detail on the model's exterior, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see how detailed and authentic the interior is, down to the arm rests of the drivers' seats! The biggest compromise I can see is the lack of a corridor connecting the head and body of the AT-AT, but that's more than understandable — even at this size, I can't imagine the neck being sturdy enough to support the head AND realistically articulated if the center had to be hollowed out enough to accommodate a minifigure. The Octan fuel tanks hidden in the onboard fuel cells are also just the sort of delightful, unobtrusive Easter egg that I love to see in any set.
I have no idea whether I'll be adding this set to my collection, but I'm actually very strongly considering it — especially since these days my wife is a much bigger LEGO Star Wars fan than I am, and a set like this would probably be lots of fun for us to build together. There are a few other sets on her wish list right now that we might want to get first, but I can definitely see us picking this set up at some point before it retires. Hopefully our two cats won't be too intimidated by having to welcome a new four-legged roommate! ^_^
A very impressive model, the shot of it towering over all previous AT-ATs is hilarious. It's also very fun to see how closely they matched the interior from the cross sections book.
As for the colours of the driver's uniforms, they're pretty close actually. The helmets and armour were painted a light grey colour that looks surprisingly close to Lego's light grey in photos of the original props. They come across lighter on screen, but ESB is notorious for colour issues like that (just see Han's parka).
The sand blue is perhaps a little less accurate to the costume, though still the best choice from Lego's range of colours.
@Rob42 said:
"A very impressive model, the shot of it towering over all previous AT-ATs is hilarious. It's also very fun to see how closely they matched the interior from the cross sections book.
As for the colours of the driver's uniforms, they're pretty close actually. The helmets and armour were painted a light grey colour that looks surprisingly close to Lego's light grey in photos of the original props. They come across lighter on screen, but ESB is notorious for colour issues like that (just see Han's parka).
The sand blue is perhaps a little less accurate to the costume, though still the best choice from Lego's range of colours."
I think sand blue and light bluish grey are probably the most appropriate colour choices from LEGO's currently available selection, but two shades of light grey would be ideal.
The lack of a mechanism to raise Luke is unfortunate, and he is again inaccurately dressed in his X-wing outfit instead of his Snowspeeder outfit. But other than that, this set is quite incredible, though it should've been around €/$ 700.
I think the whole forced diversity aspect of media these days is ridiculous, but I welcome these new head prints. It's much better than Angry Clone and it shows that Imperial troopers are just regular conscripted people and not clones. Though I question the choice to make one of the drivers female as I believe they are both male in the movie but I could be mistaken. Not that important of course. Though I wish both AT-AT drivers had a light-bluish grey balaclava so the back of the helmet didn't look so exposed.
You mentioned almost every leg position shown on screen can be recreated in the model. Can it do the one where it falls forward on its face after getting tangled up in the wires?
TIL Octan is an inter-galactic corporation dating back to "a long time ago"
IMO too expensive for what you are getting. Part count aside.
@MainBricker said:
" @SendBrickPics said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
How many white ones did you see?"
Considering that the films were made during 1970s and 1980s Britain I would hazard a guess that all of them were white and male. It also fitted the Hollywood stereotype of well-spoken white British villains for all of the maskless villains (but stormtroopers did have American accents).
Only with the sequels have we seen more diversity with the villains. I believe (could be wrong) that we only saw black rebel alliance members in 1983's Return of the Jedi, don't recall seeing any female soldiers."
I seem to remember several female rebel soldiers, such as Leia ;)
@Terreneflame said:
" @MainBricker said:
" @SendBrickPics said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
How many white ones did you see?"
Considering that the films were made during 1970s and 1980s Britain I would hazard a guess that all of them were white and male. It also fitted the Hollywood stereotype of well-spoken white British villains for all of the maskless villains (but stormtroopers did have American accents).
Only with the sequels have we seen more diversity with the villains. I believe (could be wrong) that we only saw black rebel alliance members in 1983's Return of the Jedi, don't recall seeing any female soldiers."
I seem to remember several female rebel soldiers, such as Leia ;)"
and there were female rebel pilots in ROTJ, one was cut and the other was voiced over to be a dude, the one flying the a-wing that follows lando and wedge into the death star.
In the 80’s i made at-at’s with bricks for my kenner sw figs. Oh how time flies! This looks like an official prop for the movies. What a great set!
Wonderful model. Glad so many folk have so much disposable income. That is nearly 3 months of my mortgage. The pricing is getting pretty daft for plastic these days.
In perspective, it is a season ticket for my favourite football club and a playstation 5.
@CCC said:
" @illennium said:
" @Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male. Not a big deal since they have helmets but kind of annoying since a UCS set should at least attempt to be movie accurate. "
As somebody who will be buying at least one of these and more likely two, I can tell you that I care more about representation than about "accuracy." Society has made progress in the 38 years since I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater (was a bit too young for Empire) and it is more than appropriate for toys to reflect that progress."
Will you be putting udders on one of the AT-ATs? For representation rather than accuracy. "
What makes you think the AT-ATs aren’t female to begin with? After all, unless you count the lower-ranking Snowtroopers, they don’t appear to have any privates.
This amazing ! Expensive, but amazing !
I love it, but my wallet doesn’t agree :(
Also, I love how they’ve ditched the angry clone face. As a supporter of flesh faces, this is quite welcoming.
@CCC said:
" @illennium said:
" @Eaglefan344 said:
"What is with all the female figures? Literally every imperial in the OT was male. Not a big deal since they have helmets but kind of annoying since a UCS set should at least attempt to be movie accurate. "
As somebody who will be buying at least one of these and more likely two, I can tell you that I care more about representation than about "accuracy." Society has made progress in the 38 years since I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater (was a bit too young for Empire) and it is more than appropriate for toys to reflect that progress."
Will you be putting udders on one of the AT-ATs? For representation rather than accuracy. :-)"
That would be udderly ridiculous!
Seems like a great build that looks truly impressive!
Just two pretty obvious things I really don't like: the price, and how does Lego has the guts to cut corners with stickers instead of prints in a $800 set. Luckily there's just a few and just on the inside, but that doesn't make it any less shameless.
I really like this set, because of the interior -most UCS vehicles are nice as display pieces but don't fit well with minifigs, and to me Lego SW is mostly about minifig scale sets. Very tempted by this, even at list price!
Awesome looking set, love the interior. I am wondering though, is it possible to fit another minifig standing behind General Veers in the cockpit like the cross-section book shows with the Snowtrooper Commander?
Beautiful but too expensive - I did not hesitate to spend 800 Euros for the MF 75192, but I will pass on this one and stick to my little 75054 ;-)
Looks like a great build, will probably try to get it day one. Not happy about the figures though. We always need more minifigures with dark skin tones and female prints… the parts should be in battle packs for everyone to buy, not in $1300 sets at the expense of accuracy.
Edit: and the amount of idiots slinging insults at the people who share my opinion in this comment section is astounding. No wonder people push back against this stuff when the people in support of it are so rude. We all want more diverse minifigures and we all want the expensive sets to be as accurate as possible to the source. Put diverse figures in cheap sets so we can stock up on the parts and give the collectors the accuracy they want!!
Impressive, most impressive.
(But my heart still belongs to my faithful old 10178, just because it can actually walk. Even though I discovered last time I needed to reposition the legs, it actually can't anymore - probably left the batteries in too long - but the old girl still had pride of place on the Hoth slice of my shelf.)
I love the design of this set. It's extremely impressive and I especially love the leg articulation solution! However, I don't understand what makes this worth $800. The Millennium Falcon already seemed slightly overpriced at that price point and this one should be a good $200 less. I really want this, but won't be purchasing it unless I can get it for under $600 USD. At $800 it should have included a full army of 40 Snowtroopers.
I echo other comments here: This is an amazing model, but feels a little too overpriced.
Thank you for the review!
I just finished getting all the parts for TJs lego rooms ATTC huge moc, and now I gotta shell out for this lol. They will look epic next to each other tho!
I never expected to see "Octan" mentioned in this review. Are fuel tanks actually labelled as Octan as an Easter egg or was that just a joke by @CapnRex101 ?
Another notable difference between X-Wing and Snowspeeder flight suits is that the latter have parkas, which include a big puffy collar. Check the torsos with light-colored hands and you’ll see that they included that in the print, where X-Wing torsos have a strap across the throat.
Regarding the Snowtrooper hands, if you look up photos, the cloth parts of the outfit are more of a cream color than pure white like the armor, and the gloves can look even darker, depending on the specific shot.
If I'm not mistaken, in Original Triology all members of the Imperial Army without a completely closed helmets (all officers, all Death Star troopers, etc.) were male and white, and all voices of Stormtroopers were male. It's logical to assume that Imperial units with closed helmets also had the same kind of soldiers. UCS sets should aim for as much accuracy as possible regarding the content seen in the Star Wars movies, so including so much diversity in Imperial ranks looks very forced to me. Star Wars is a story that happend "long time ago in a galaxy far, far away", it is not a documentary about our society (it is not even about our galaxy!).
What a superb and detailed review @CapnRex101 ! It's clear a lot of work went into the review and also for shooting and editing all the photos. I get a very good sense of this set now from your review. Thank you!
For me this set is a pass however - as I feel the minifigure scale MOC offerings of the AT-AT (or even Cavegod's version) are much better, less exposed studs and better accuracy. I'll buy instructions and the parts to build a custom one day.
But I appreciate that Lego have done a great job with this, particularly the technical elements for the Legs and the detailed interior. I think Star Wars Lego fans will be very happy with this.
Well I may have to try and talk my wife into this one.
I love collecting AT-ATs. I’m pretty sure I have all five. I know I have the 2003 one in pieces, plus the walking one and two most recent ones are currently menacing the Town, thanks to my son.
But $800 is a lot of dollars.
@Lenzie said:
"What a superb and detailed review @CapnRex101 ! It's clear a lot of work went into the review and also for shooting and editing all the photos. I get a very good sense of this set now from your review. Thank you!
For me this set is a pass however - as I feel the minifigure scale MOC offerings of the AT-AT (or even Cavegod's version) are much better, less exposed studs and better accuracy. I'll buy instructions and the parts to build a custom one day.
But I appreciate that Lego have done a great job with this, particularly the technical elements for the Legs and the detailed interior. I think Star Wars Lego fans will be very happy with this."
Proper MOCs will always be better in almost every way than official sets. As much as I agree with you, I'd rather get this than source the parts for a AT-AT MOC and I'm probably one of the few people who are fanactical about choosing custom MOCs over sets. The issue is the parts. Right now, there's only one excellent minifig scale AT-AT MOC in the market (RichBoyJhaes) and a lot of the pieces for that are pretty rare and difficult to get now. That also will undoubtedly increase the price.
Besides, with the accuracy flaws in this set (that head needs a upgrade), you can always mod it to your liking :)
Great review. Outstanding set. Wonderful subject matter. Ultra heavy price that's tough to swallow, considering it nets you just this one model. But I have to appreciate that the designers overcame the engineering challange of making it posable!
@iwybs said:
"A true minifigure-scale AT-AT with the correct number of seats for troops and spaces for speeder bikes. Flat-out amazing. Pretty cool that it's designed by the same person who designed the 2004 and 2020 (first and most recent) playscale AT-ATs. I gotta get me an AT-AT ASAP!"
There's a Hoth version coming on January first
@CDM:
Nah, this time it’s different. Consider who the SW Imperial forces were patterned after, and that the EU established that the Emperor is just as bigoted, even to the point that Thrawn was the only non-human (excluding slaves) allowed to serve in the Imperial Navy (but only in the most backwater posting they could find). Fanboys aside, if they bring back the Indiana Jones theme and make more sets based on Raiders and Last Crusade, what do you think the general public response would be if they do the same thing with the German soldiers?
There are times when you can send exactly the wrong message by introducing diversity. I’ve noted for years that since Michael Jackson filmed The Wiz, the only literary classic that anyone films with a black cast is The Wizard of Oz, a story about a dirt-poor family (which has now been extended to include the musical Annie, about a poor orphan). Nobody ever films Treasure Island with a black cast. Marvel Studios got called out for the fact that Black Panther had a production crew that was entirely black, which doesn’t seem bad until you realize that they hadn’t hired a single black person to serve in those roles for any previous Marvel film.
Why, why, why Lego?? Why cant you show even a LITTLE appreciation for the Prequels? This makes the Gunship look like a kids toy! When do we get this quality of set based on a vehicle from the Prequels? Sometime? Maybe? Never? You tricked us with an amazing sounding Gunship, let us down, and then walk this bad boy out for your precious OT fans who deserve every possible set from the trilogy! Come on Lego, what happened to: mINifIguREs ArE a bOnuS?? How come you got the box art right on this set? The Lego co. sucks! (I dont hate the OT, or its fans, in fact, it is the best SW trilogy by far, but whats with this great set to add to the OT UCS line and only four PT UCS sets? I dont personally like this set, its just kinda gray and expensive, but I know for a fact that its a better set than the Gunship. And I know why. The Lego co. hates the PT. But this is a great set, and everyone who likes it should absolutely buy it! Thanks for the great review!)
Awesome. Absolutely awesome. IMO a much better value for money than the UCS MF. Far out of my price range, but I'm not the target demographic, and I'm not going to presume to judge whether a true Lego SW fan will consider it money well spent. Well, actually, I don't see why one wouldn't--it's an incredible engineering job as well as a labor of love visually!
Great review as well, Cap'n Rex. Especially the photography...and mama elephant protecting all her little babies...such a sweet image! (Sweet and AT-AT in the same train of thought? This is a day of wonders!) Thank you so much!
@DarthNox:
It’s not just in the book. We see Veers order a Snowtrooper to begin the ground assault, so there were four people in the cockpit at that moment.
@thatStructVector:
I know of two people who MOCed minifig-scale Millennium Falcons before 10179 was announced. I’ve seen pictures of the first, and the second in person. Aside from the fact that the former had self-retracting landing gear, and both had detailed interior sections, the official set blew them both away in terms of the external design, and the second version did the same to the first set. I’ve also met AFOLs whose MOCs look like pre-minifig sets, while official sets have shown over four decades of improvement since then. Not every MOC is better than every set.
I like how literally everyone has been asking for over a decade for Lego to use more than one head/face type for stormtrooper minifigs, and now that they’re finally doing it people are whining about it.
Lego fans sure are a fickle bunch.
Now we need a minifig scale AT-ST, unless the recent offerings are considered that. I guess when Chewie popped out of the top of one in ROTJ it did seem pretty small.
@gorf43 said:
"Why, why, why Lego?? Why cant you show even a LITTLE appreciation for the Prequels? This makes the Gunship look like a kids toy! When do we get this quality of set based on a vehicle from the Prequels? Sometime? Maybe? Never? You tricked us with an amazing sounding Gunship, let us down, and then walk this bad boy out for your precious OT fans who deserve every possible set from the trilogy! Come on Lego, what happened to: mINifIguREs ArE a bOnuS?? How come you got the box art right on this set? The Lego co. sucks! (I dont hate the OT, or its fans, in fact, it is the best SW trilogy by far, but whats with this great set to add to the OT UCS line and only four PT UCS sets? I dont personally like this set, its just kinda gray and expensive, but I know for a fact that its a better set than the Gunship. And I know why. The Lego co. hates the PT. But this is a great set, and everyone who likes it should absolutely buy it! Thanks for the great review!) "
The UCS sets that come with 1-2 minifigs are representing ships that would be too small or way too big to be minifig scale. Look through the history of UCS sets and it's a consistent logic, with maybe a few exceptions. The sets that have a lot of minifigs are usually minifig scale or more of a playset.
The comments section on a lot of the content here isn’t as fun as it used to be. These comments, arguments…can be such a bucket of cold water on otherwise genuinely passionate moments of discovery in a hobby I’ve enjoyed for a long time.
The review is fantastic by the way. Thanks for all the great pics that went with it. Felt like there were some extra.
I’ve never actually built an AT-AT. Not a one. Owned a few over the years, wanted to build one, but I kept hoping, wishing for this day, and it’s here. I wanted this to be the first one, the only one, that I ever put together. It looks awesome. Yeah, sure, I’ve got some nitpicks. I’m a fan, it’s what we DO. But minor is all they are.
Those nitpicks will be quickly forgotten when I’m cozied up this winter building this wonderfully amazing hunk of raw joy…stretching it out for as many days as I can. :)
@gorf43 said:
"This makes the Gunship look like a kids toy!"
But we did buy it at the toy store…
Very impressive set. Certainly not a toy. I wish I could get one but mega sets are beyond me at this point.
It looks tremendous, I just can’t justify the price tag. I bought the Falcon and it was fun to build but I still don’t think it was £650 worth of fun. Adding £100 on top for this is pushing even me to say thanks, but no thanks.
If there’s a decent deal in the future then I’ll seriously consider it but it’s not one for me to get at full price.
@gorf43 said:
"I dont hate the OT, or its fans, in fact, it is the best SW trilogy by far, but whats with this great set to add to the OT UCS line and only four PT UCS sets? I dont personally like this set, its just kinda gray and expensive, but I know for a fact that its a better set than the Gunship. And I know why. The Lego co. hates the PT. "
do you really believe that a huge company like this is emotionally involved in any of the trilogies? :D these big enterprises has the most precise market researches on the world, because they are highly profit-oriented, so there is a very high chance that they are producing what will sell (not considering wild attempts to innovation like Vidiyo) - meaning there is currently a much higher demand on the market for the classic OT vehicles than for the PT ones, even 22 years after the Phantom Menace (which is kind of understandable for me since I think the OT is far more superior from every possible aspects that makes a movie lovable, memorable and iconic (even though the PT came out during my childhood), but that is strictly my personal opinion, so you don't have to agree with it :) )
Somehow the smaller AT-AT sets are more appealing to me. Even though I'll not buy any of them because I'm not a star wars fan.
I find the largest version not so appealing and that's simply because, from a design perspective if one makes an object which is originally big and bulky into something bigger and bulkier.. it kind of lost the attractiveness of it. That's just my personal opinion. :) Would go for the UCS Millennium Falcon if I'd like to buy one of it.
@CapnRex101
"... although its stance on the front appears awkward because these walkers are rarely shown with multiple knees bent onscreen."
The AT-AT probably felt it wouldn't completely fit on the box at its photo shoot otherwise.
@Lion_knight said:
"If I'm not mistaken, in Original Triology all members of the Imperial Army without a completely closed helmets (all officers, all Death Star troopers, etc.) were male and white, and all voices of Stormtroopers were male. It's logical to assume that Imperial units with closed helmets also had the same kind of soldiers. UCS sets should aim for as much accuracy as possible regarding the content seen in the Star Wars movies, so including so much diversity in Imperial ranks looks very forced to me. Star Wars is a story that happend "long time ago in a galaxy far, far away", it is not a documentary about our society (it is not even about our galaxy!)."
As if this discussion isn't tedious enough, it becomes even more tedious when we're repeating the same talking points over and over again - which in this case have already been disproven several times earlier in the comments. Not only is there plenty of Canon material apart from the films that prove the existence of non-male, non-white members of the Imperial Army, even George Lucas himself confirmed female stormtroopers in frickin' 1977:
"George Lucas, when composing background information for licensees in 1977, stated that females did exist in the Stormtrooper Corps, although there were few stationed on the Death Star. He suggested that they were numerous in other units." (from the SW wiki on Stormtroopers)
Regarding the set itself: The AT-ATs might be the only sets in the world that don't look super bland in almost entirely light grey - even at this size, it only requires few dark highlights to look splendid! But @CapnRex101 if you say the neck is straining from the weight of the head, would you say it might damage the beams in the long term? That would be quite an oversight from TLC.
@LuvKernow said:
"So, will the neck become a problem after displaying for a while? Will it develop a bend a la the first UCS Star Destroyer? That, apart from the ridiculous UK pricing, is whats turning me off this a wee bit."
I had the same question about the neck. Being forced into a continuous downward angle seems like it’s definitely going to strain SOMETHING over time.
@LuvKernow said:
"So, will the neck become a problem after displaying for a while? Will it develop a bend a la the first UCS Star Destroyer? That, apart from the ridiculous UK pricing, is whats turning me off this a wee bit."
@FlitzerMitDerPizza said:
"Regarding the set itself: The AT-ATs might be the only sets in the world that don't look super bland in almost entirely light grey - even at this size, it only requires few dark highlights to look splendid! But @CapnRex101 if you say the neck is straining from the weight of the head, would you say it might damage the beams in the long term? That would be quite an oversight from TLC."
While I cannot say for certain, the Technic 16L linkages inside the neck are relatively flexible which should prevent damage over time. In fact, the fourth instruction manual contains the following comment on this subject:
'The challenge here was to replicate the design faithfully while allowing the neck to move like the movie model. Standard cross axles were not stable or flexible enough, but Henrik [Andersen] and Markus [Kossman] discovered that crane arm elements (long cross axles with LEGO Technic holes at each end) were just pliable enough to achieve the desired snake-like movement effect, and strong enough to hold the weight of the head.'
From the review, removing the controversy over the minifigure HEADS, each of the minifigs seem flawed - all have incorrect hands, or markings, or colours, or something!
Surprised No1 else has mentioned this in the comments, and based on SW Lego fans’ fickleness, you’d think that would be a deal-breaker for at least some of them!
My personal thought: amazing set, ridiculously overpriced!! ($1,300 here in Australia!!)
@PurpleDave said:
"Fanboys aside, if they bring back the Indiana Jones theme and make more sets based on Raiders and Last Crusade, what do you think the general public response would be if they do the same thing with the German soldiers?"
The soldiers weren't masked, so I don't think this is a scenario worth considering.
@CapnRex101:
The issue is less about what elements support the weight, and more about how they do so. For the forward end of the original UCS ISD, and, as I discovered, for the mandibles on 10179, the issue is that long Technic bricks were used to cantilever the weight without any sort of bracing or cabling to help support the weight at the far end. Given how unsuited these linkages would be as cantilever supports, I’d guess they’re used more like cable stays, in which case the weight is pulling along the length of the linkages, rather than being perched on the end. If that’s the case, it will support the load until it outright fails, by starting to stretch, or outright snapping. I’m not sure the weight of the body is enough to do that, but for sure the head isn’t that heavy.
The AT-AT models in the original Empire Strikes back film were about the same size as shown here http://www.sciencefictionarchives.com/en/collections/136/original-at-at-ilm-model, which TLG have done a great job translating into bricks.
Looking at the photo with the smaller AT-ATs reminds me I have no space for this, and would prefer to spend £500 on a UCS Rebel Alliance Echo base on Hoth for my smaller AT-AT's to attack.
The set looks absolutely incredible! However, as someone poised to make a large UCS purchase, I feel there are too many choices currently on the market. I wonder how many consumers pick up *each* UCS set as they come, versus those like me who can only justify such a large purchase every so many years. Given that I own none of the UCS sets currently available, I am torn on whether I should buy this (my favorite) or one of the older ones before they're retired. Had the Falcon, ISD, and AT-AT not overlapped each other, there's a better chance I could buy more than one of them.
@Orange_Jooze said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"I would query the classification of the footpads as weapons"
Tell that to Dak Ralter!"
In fairness, Dak was already dead even before the speeder hit the ground, never mind the Walker foot hitting the speeder. But still, AT-AT feet have long been considered part of their weaponry, it’s true.
__________________________
What an amazing set! Going to be darn tough to buy six to recreate the Battle of Hoth, though. :p I will acknowledge the priciness, and I’ll further add that for this sort of cash outlay I think all the decorated elements should be directly printed, not stickered. I really would also hope they’d gotten the minifigures a little more right, like an appropriately Hoth-attired Luke as a speeder pilot, with the lighter gloves and all. The diverse heads under the trooper helmets are welcome, though. But I do miss the backpacks on the snowtroopers (and really, I’m just tired of them redesigning perfectly good uniformed troops of a given type for seemingly every second set that comes out that uses them; I want my uniformed troops to actually look uniform). And yeah, I’m torn between recognizing this is more minifigures than it could easily have come with, and that at the same time for this much money it could actually have filled all those seats.
But minifigures are just dressing, as they say; the AT-AT itself is the important thing here, and it’s fantastic. I think the gearing solution for the legs is ingenious, and appreciated. I just wish I could afford six of them.
@lemish34 said:
"From the review, removing the controversy over the minifigure HEADS, each of the minifigs seem flawed - all have incorrect hands, or markings, or colours, or something!
Surprised No1 else has mentioned this in the comments, and based on SW Lego fans’ fickleness, you’d think that would be a deal-breaker for at least some of them!
My personal thought: amazing set, ridiculously overpriced!! ($1,300 here in Australia!!)
"
A quick google search shows that a common Snowtrooper design is a dark tan glove with a white armored element (armor people, chime in here with the correct term) on the top of the hand. I don’t know if this style is canon, if it’s in the movie (we all know costumes in movies are sometimes inconsistent scene-to-scene) or if it was a design that evolved over time in various other Star Wars media. So I wouldn’t necessarily count those as wrong.
@Lion_knight said:
"If I'm not mistaken, in Original Triology all members of the Imperial Army without a completely closed helmets (all officers, all Death Star troopers, etc.) were male and white, and all voices of Stormtroopers were male. It's logical to assume that Imperial units with closed helmets also had the same kind of soldiers. UCS sets should aim for as much accuracy as possible regarding the content seen in the Star Wars movies, so including so much diversity in Imperial ranks looks very forced to me. Star Wars is a story that happend "long time ago in a galaxy far, far away", it is not a documentary about our society (it is not even about our galaxy!)."
So you have enough imagination to suspend the disbelief of reality to enjoy a story about space wizards defying laws of physics … but imagining them taking on a wider array of gender and skin tones than white and male is just too much for you to handle?
@Brikkyy13 said:
"Looks like a great build, will probably try to get it day one. Not happy about the figures though. We always need more minifigures with dark skin tones and female prints… the parts should be in battle packs for everyone to buy, not in $1300 sets at the expense of accuracy.
Edit: and the amount of idiots slinging insults at the people who share my opinion in this comment section is astounding. No wonder people push back against this stuff when the people in support of it are so rude. We all want more diverse minifigures and we all want the expensive sets to be as accurate as possible to the source. Put diverse figures in cheap sets so we can stock up on the parts and give the collectors the accuracy they want!!"
You have exactly 0% confidence of what any of the actors under those helmets look like. Your insistence that they must have all been white males in fact underlies assumptions that reveal exactly the kind of person who you are.
It’s laughable that you bemoan a lack of cordiality from the people who disagree with you and then call them idiots. Again, it appears that your priorities are preserving a worldview that your assumptions of race and gender remain fixed in a children’s fantasy built on imagination presupposing the existence of complete nonsense Such as space wizards and faster than light travel.
An inability to amend your views on included race and genders, beyond the lack of evidence to even support your position, in a fandom that has routinely been retconned to add in ENTIRE NEW ALIEN RACES AND GHOSTS into the actual film canon, once again demonstrates your priorities are shouting down anyone who calls for diversity in public media. That is what is important to you.
You also share the opinions of some of the worst actors on this comment board. CCC is well known for writing bigoted, anti-LGBT and misogynistic, racist nonsense. I thought that account was shadow banned. Who you choose to ally yourself with also speaks volumes about your true values.
In short, we all see directly through your transparent hand-wringing about the problem being impoliteness of those of us who do not tolerate bigotry and discrimination, and who value a world that is more diverse, rather than your actual reluctance to accept this change. Otherwise, you would embrace those values and model more polite ways to make those points.
You are fooling no one.
I think the conversation regarding these minifigure heads has gone far enough. I hoped it would naturally end, but unfortunately not. Any comments published about the minifigure heads after this one will be deleted.
I know this is a cliche, but please remember that we are all here to have fun!
As far as the set goes it looks great: love the shaping throughout and the sheer breadth of scale and detailwork is astounding. some of the techniques used to keep such a massive model upright and stable as well as create the requisite angles are immensely impressive and if i had $800 i'd preorder a purchase right now. as is it's a great model; shame about the bizarre complaints with the troopers, and hoping we don't see a repeat of that when the hoth battle pack and hoth at-st drop.
time to stock up on some extra UV-blocking glass, boys and girls...
@MrBob:
I like how every time one subgroup of AFOLs has been asking for something, and another subgroup complains when they get it, a third subgroup complains about how “literally everyone” wanted something, and complained when they got it. Most people just treat it as white noise, and rarely pay attention to the names at the top of the posts. If you were to go back and check, I’d be shocked if it’s all the same group of people who were complaining about no UCS AT-AT, and are complaining again about what was delivered. Some might fall into both groups, but if this isn’t what they were hoping for, they now know that it’s likely to be a decade or longer before someone else takes a crack at designing a new version in this scale.
@CCC:
The Gunship may be the first penguin off the iceberg. If it does well, I would expect them to follow it up with more prequel craft. If it gets devoured by an orca, any prequel UCS sets will probably get put on the back burner again for a few more years before they give it another try.
@Blondie_Wan:
Luke might be a better person to ask. He could have simply gotten out of the way, but then he would have lost vital gear. He went back for that gear, and barely had time to dive out of the way before being turned into a large, red stain on the snow.
Regarding the damage to your pocket, I’ve got bad news. There’s a new reference book called “Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy” that reportedly establishes that Blizzard Force consisted of a full dozen AT-ATs. I know at least one AT-ST is seen racing forward in the distance on Hoth, but I’m not finding any sort of official count for how many there were. Still, twelve of this beast will set you back nearly $10k.
@B_Space_Man:
I don’t know that there is a term for that bit of armor. It’s really just a small trapezoid or armor stuck to the back of a glove. In full plate, Europeans would have worn gauntlets with articulated armor over the fingers. Samurai in Japan had a “han kote”, which was like European vambraces (forearm armor), but with a plate that extended over the back of the hand, which I don’t believe had any armor protecting the fingers. That extended bit is the closest I can think of to this floating armor plate on Snowtrooper gloves.
But as for the film depiction, as I noted previously, some shots show tan garments under the armor, and others make them look almost as white as the armor itself. I even found one still with Vader in the middle of the pack where the Snowtroopers on the left side of the frame look like they have khakis on, while the ones on the right side look like the whole outfit is one consistent shade.
"The price feels expensive too, reaching $799.99 ... "
Oh boy, seems like getting a free copy for review lets the (ridiculous) price appear to be just a minor detail...
I don’t see how the pricing is ridiculous. It’s expensive. It’s also a niche luxury item. All of which are by definition expensive and “overvalued” compared to the sum of their inputs.
I think it’s quite a fair way to pose the question. It’s not like it’s twice as expensive as it should be. It’s at most 10-15% “overpriced.”
Price out buying all these pieces either from Bricks and Pieces or Bricklink and see what you come up to. Do you feel all LEGO is ridiculously priced? If so, why do you still participate in following it?
This was an incredible review and I just don’t understand why backhanded comments to the phenomenal work undertaken here are warranted.
Absolutely beautiful set, though I am still disappointed that Disney does not see the significance of the Empire as an allegory for racism and fascism. I would far prefer to see increased diversity in Rebel or Jedi sets, than the notoriously xenophobic Imperial forces.
@thilo said:
""The price feels expensive too, reaching $799.99 ... "
Oh boy, seems like getting a free copy for review lets the (ridiculous) price appear to be just a minor detail... "
The price is obviously significant, but does not require extensive discussion in the review, As stated, I think the price is slightly too expensive, particularly within the UK. However, I would have purchased this set at the first opportunity had it not been provided for review because I love the model. What more could I say about the value?
Perhaps I am unusual in feeling this way, but I prefer to consider prices relative to the quality of each set, rather than as an independent factor. I would much rather buy something that I think is excellent, but too expensive, than something that offers good value but I consider a weaker product.
@B_Space_Man said:
" @gorf43 said:
"Why, why, why Lego?? Why cant you show even a LITTLE appreciation for the Prequels? This makes the Gunship look like a kids toy! When do we get this quality of set based on a vehicle from the Prequels? Sometime? Maybe? Never? You tricked us with an amazing sounding Gunship, let us down, and then walk this bad boy out for your precious OT fans who deserve every possible set from the trilogy! Come on Lego, what happened to: mINifIguREs ArE a bOnuS?? How come you got the box art right on this set? The Lego co. sucks! (I dont hate the OT, or its fans, in fact, it is the best SW trilogy by far, but whats with this great set to add to the OT UCS line and only four PT UCS sets? I dont personally like this set, its just kinda gray and expensive, but I know for a fact that its a better set than the Gunship. And I know why. The Lego co. hates the PT. But this is a great set, and everyone who likes it should absolutely buy it! Thanks for the great review!) "
The UCS sets that come with 1-2 minifigs are representing ships that would be too small or way too big to be minifig scale. Look through the history of UCS sets and it's a consistent logic, with maybe a few exceptions. The sets that have a lot of minifigs are usually minifig scale or more of a playset.
"
I admit I was unclear and you are right to say what you did, but what I meant was a particular fan of AT ATs gets in this set literally EVERY minifig they could possibly want. (excluding forty Snowtroopers lol) Correct me if Im wrong, but is there a single minifig you think should have been included? Lego ASKED us what minifigs we wanted in the Gunship and STILL managed to screw up! I didnt expect ten clones in the set, but what I at least expected was Jedi Bob. But no. We get ANOTHER Mace Windu and a well detailed but somewhat boring clone commander. To you guys who love AT ATs its like getting, say, Yoda. Yeah hes in the same movie and hes a nice minifig, but you dont want him in your UCS AT AT. How can Lego get so much right in one set (besides price. Yikes!) but so much wrong in another?? Most of this isnt directed towards you, I just got carried away lol
@gorf43:
I want a minifig of Dak in this set...or at least a sticker of him that can be applied to the bottom of the front, left foot.
I LOVE that picture with this new AT-AT with all the much smaller previous models underneath. It's like Mama AT-AT with her baby AT-ATs hahaha!!
It really gives perspective on how massive this thing is. Amazing! Way out of my price range, but it's still awesome.
@Tyrell_Archer said:
"I would far prefer to see increased diversity in Rebel or Jedi sets, than the notoriously xenophobic Imperial forces."
Haven't we already seen a lot of diverse Rebels, though? Especially in the Rogue One sets 5 years ago. I'm just happy we've gotten away from "angry clone" face.
@domboy:
I was actually a little disappointed that the Micro Fighter AT-AT was left out. It could have had one foot resting on the big foot, and the head looking upwards. The microscale versions would have been nice additions, too.
@PurpleDave:
I missed the other AT-ATs in that photo too. I can see why they weren't included, but still. The picture in the open air is my favourite.
Thanks for the review! I was really looking forward to this set. I have bought aftermarket UCS sets in the past and those are actually the ones that are too expensive, so I might try to get this before it's gone again. No set will ever be perfect, but all things considered I think this is a pretty good one!
@CapnRex101:
"However, the legs should become narrower above each ankle, instead of remaining relatively consistent throughout their whole length."
I went and compared it with some stills from the battle. It seems the legs do remain relatively consistent in width throughout their length. It's ankles are almost 1.5x as wide though. Even wider are the tops of the footpads; about twice as wide as the ankles.
It seems the legs are way too wide compared to the on screen vehicle. But of course they need to be in order to support the weight and maintain balance.
@MusiMus said:
"I haven't yet seen female or black stormtroopers in the original trilogy."
read some SW canon books! Twilight Company has a side story of a Female stormtrooper on Sullust.
I love the interior but the price is insane and outrageous but then again it is a UCS set
@Drzhivago138 said:
" @Tyrell_Archer said:
"I would far prefer to see increased diversity in Rebel or Jedi sets, than the notoriously xenophobic Imperial forces."
Haven't we already seen a lot of diverse Rebels, though? Especially in the Rogue One sets 5 years ago. I'm just happy we've gotten away from "angry clone" face."
In that case I'd like it to continue or even double down. It just really bothers me that such an important theme is being ignored by Disney in favour of blindly throwing "diversity" at a subject. By the time of Episode VI, it was clear that the Rebellion gained strength from its diversity - different genders, different ethnicities, even different ages were represented by the Rebel heroes. Meanwhile, the Empire lost in large part because it didn't trust anyone but the stuffy white male military and social elite. It rankles me every time I see the evil, despotic Empire demonstrating acceptance and diversity among their ranks.
Having said that, I admit it's difficult for Disney to demonstrate its commitment to diversity through a single set with a limited number of characters in it. I just wish it was done with a little thought and appreciation for what had come before.
@morvit said:
"What an expensive set (but super cool).
Now can I please get a USD $799 classic castle? Just one big 7000 piece castle"
Agreed!
Great review, Rex, detailed and I appreciate the honesty when talking about the issues you found.
That being said this is a Day 1 buy for me. I’ve only bought a few SW sets the last two years; most new sets released are rehashes off sets I already have.
But this is a set I’ve been waiting to see for years! Excited to see it in person.
Personally I think this is a great set, even if Luke is still inaccurate as ever.
Especially with the brick-built screwdriver too! I can see future sets applying this new mechanism and I do look forward to it!