Random set of the day: Imperial Landing Craft
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 7659 Imperial Landing Craft, released during 2007. It's one of 17 Star Wars sets produced that year. It contains 471 pieces and 5 minifigs, and its retail price was US$49.99/£48.95.
It's owned by 7,297 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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35 comments on this article
Great set with decent interior room for playing. This was one of my most-played with Star Wars sets as a kid!
Only now am I noticing the red and black missile being shot by this set. Apparently it came in a decent amount of Exo Force sets in the same time-frame
I don't own this set, although it is in my possession. A friend of mine had to move suddenly about a year ago and I've been holding onto his stuff until he has the space to have it all sent his way, but I've gotten to handle sets I missed out on, and this is one of them.
It's Awesome!
The functions are great, and the design is weird because it's inaccurate to the Imperial Landing Craft in Legends, but matches more what we saw in Canon from Rebels because they just stretched out a standard Shuttle and cut into the dorsal fin for the most part, and LEGO just came out with a Landing Craft set not too long ago that matches more of the Legends design, but it looks awful in my opinion. It's just an interesting thing I noticed that roughly every seven years, something of note happens with the Imperial Landing Craft.
I also wouldn't know about this ship if it weren't for this set because it was retroactively added into A New Hope when the Stormtroopers are investigating the Escape Pod R2 and 3PO got away in. I think it's originally from a video game or something definitely expanded media, but it was neat enough that when George saw it and was making the Special Editions, he threw it in there. Not an egregious addition, but also wholly unnecessary, but I like what George was going for in trying to make the world that was outside of his own headcanon still congruent with all the additional stuff from the late 80s and early 90s made in the Expanded Universe. Well, at least the stuff he really liked or thought didn't conflict with his world.
The canopy part used for the early Imperial Shuttles is a really great element in general, but it looks awful when the unprinted version is used for this kind of ship.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"The canopy part used for the early Imperial Shuttles is a really great element in general, but it looks awful when the unprinted version is used for this kind of ship."
Even stranger because the printed version used in the Imperial Shuttle was used 2 years previously and 4 years before that so would have been available for production if they weren't trying to keep the set cheaper to produce.
No wonder those Storm and Sandtroopers look so panicked, not only are they being shot at, but their ride is dropping bombs on them.
Oh great, another skyhopper.
@MCLegoboy : Some things that were designed for the Special Editions made their first actual appearances in Expanded Universe material. George didn't see this and say, "Hey, that's cool! I should put that in a movie!" as it had already been designed. (Although that is what happened with Aayla Secura. He saw her in a comic and liked her design.)
I can’t believe I didn’t pick this up.
And my reasoning at the time was I thought $50 was too much!!!
All those curved panel pieces, though. Dang.
Sigh. I still wish I had bought it. What a mistake I didn’t. The canopy and those curved panel pieces are so cool.
I can’t even remember if I own any version of this ship, but I don’t think I own this one. Especially if it wasn’t the first version.
@TheOtherMike:
Ki-Adi-Mundi came from Dark Horse Comics, as did Quinlan Vos (used in one of the animated series, I believe). I’d never heard that about Aayla Secura before, though.
There was someone in the pod,
the tracks go off in this direction...
Look sir, Droids!
I got this set as a kid and it's still one of my favorites, even though the cockpit isn't remotely accurate. Besides the windshield piece though it's a really great set, and I'm always tempted to MOC a better cockpit. It has loads of well-executed play features, including "bomb" dropping, the old-style spring-loaded shooter and a relatively huge accessible interior
Another of my longtime favs still on the shelf.
Great roomy interior for troops and I love that it can detach.
Fun to have a full container of troops to drop off and pick up.
@MCLegoboy said:
"I don't own this set, although it is in my possession. A friend of mine had to move suddenly about a year ago and I've been holding onto his stuff until he has the space to have it all sent his way, but I've gotten to handle sets I missed out on, and this is one of them.
It's Awesome!
The functions are great, and the design is weird because it's inaccurate to the Imperial Landing Craft in Legends, but matches more what we saw in Canon from Rebels because they just stretched out a standard Shuttle and cut into the dorsal fin for the most part, and LEGO just came out with a Landing Craft set not too long ago that matches more of the Legends design, but it looks awful in my opinion. It's just an interesting thing I noticed that roughly every seven years, something of note happens with the Imperial Landing Craft.
I also wouldn't know about this ship if it weren't for this set because it was retroactively added into A New Hope when the Stormtroopers are investigating the Escape Pod R2 and 3PO got away in. I think it's originally from a video game or something definitely expanded media, but it was neat enough that when George saw it and was making the Special Editions, he threw it in there. Not an egregious addition, but also wholly unnecessary, but I like what George was going for in trying to make the world that was outside of his own headcanon still congruent with all the additional stuff from the late 80s and early 90s made in the Expanded Universe. Well, at least the stuff he really liked or thought didn't conflict with his world."
There seems to be two styles in the Expanded Universe. The one seen in the film is bit of a chunky monkey compared to one in The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels.
I really want to get this, and mod it into a Loader Shuttle from Rogue Squadron.
@Murdoch17:
“We ain’t found…” Whoops, wrong movie!
@Jo3K3rr:
The one seen in the film is canon, because it was in a film. Unless Disney has started discarding Lucas’ own work, now.
This was my first big boy purchase when I first got a real job at 16 or something. It was great. I've rebuilt it a couple times over the years, and modified to be more solid, with a better interior. Never bothered to get the other version, this one was just fine for me. Thought that cockpit definitely doesn't look great.
Can't argue anytime you get 4 stormtroopers in a set, right? AND a Shadow trooper!
It currently isn't built. all that white is useful for Blacktron.
I was quite close to getting this second hand. Can’t remember why I didn’t, but it’s not a bad set overall.
What happened with the article about the new Avatar set? Why is it gone?
And this ship is cool. Very much mcQuarrie vibes (i don’t know if he actually made designs for this or someone else was trying to work in his style)
@Brickodillo said:
"What happened with the article about the new Avatar set? Why is it gone?"
My guess would be that Walmart messed up by posting the set too early (with a "thief" word printed on the image!) and TLG asked reputable sites to take it down until they're ready to announce.
...but the (blue) cat's out of the bag.
@PDelahanty:
Blame Disney, not TLG. Disney probably has an exclusive media contract with some organization that can spend circles around Bricklink without batting an eye, and even the LEGO sets have to be unveiled there first.
I'm glad I own this one, it's a good set! :)
Yeah, this set was great! A proper chunky, armoured dropship instead of just the flying chairlift we got in the battle pack :D
First Star Wars set I ever bought. I think its first appearance was in the PC game Jedi Knight.
@Brickodillo said:
"What happened with the article about the new Avatar set? Why is it gone?"
Darn, now I'm gonna have to try and remember how I worded my comment so I can re-type it when the "official" reveal article comes.
Due to a pricing error I got a copy of this set for $7. And let me tell you, that err... gave me some unrealistic expectations of how often that sort of thing happens
@PurpleDave
Yes, this is the first version. Yes, a Spaceballs reference is always hilarious and appreciated!
@legoDad42
Yes, this version is great because of the reasons previously given, lots of figs, lots of fun features, and space for more figs.
I can't compare this one to its descendant because I've yet to get the later model out of the box. This one is great.
@ElephantKnight
The figs in this are nice. But, that isn't a Shadow Trooper. It's just the early lazy-Lego version of a Tie Pilot before they gave them their own mold instead of just a black Stormtrooper version. Compare 7664. I could easily be wrong, but I think the first unique Tie Pilot mold was for the 8087 Tie Defendor. Still one of the best SW ships ever.
A great set.
This is the only Shuttle where you actually can move both wings together. In all other Shuttles, even the UCS one, you can only move them separately. This makes this a standout shuttle for me
@PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17:
“We ain’t found…” Whoops, wrong movie!
@Jo3K3rr:
The one seen in the film is canon, because it was in a film. Unless Disney has started discarding Lucas’ own work, now."
Yes it is Canon, but also Expanded Universe. The ship first appeared in Shadows of the Empire. And it was then included into the Special Edition of A New Hope. One of those few things from C-canon that made it's way into G-canon. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/5e/Sentinel_btm.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/640?cb=20080319173833
I think this is a screenshot from Shadows of the Empire.
This is one of a number of sets I have that I’ve yet to open and build; I have a stockpile of still-sealed sets waiting for a rainy day. It doesn’t seem like I’ve had it that long, but I got it not that long after it was released, and I see now that was a good decade and a half ago (!)…
I've wanted Lego to release a set of this vehicle for years before they released this one. I always loved more obscure SW vehicles (I own three 7119 Cloud Cars!) and I loved the concept of this particular vehicle that could only be seen for one second in ANH.
When they finally released this set I was about to enter my dark ages and so it did not come much further than "shortly eyeing it at the store" for me. Luckily I got one a few months ago for a really good price, and I love it. Couldn't help myself placing some white tiles on those exposed Technic bricks though. And it would have been nice if there would fit more troopers in there, I still need to find a system scaled vehicle to put my excess stormies into. My daughter love the shooting mechanism though, so it was kinda worth it.
i dug this one out a few months ago, but then the kids wrecked it and I can't find all the pieces. A great illustration of the "star wars tax" in action, to compare this one to the newer version.
Really wanted it at the time of release but found it waaaaaay too expensive - picked it up about a decade later as an adult. Glad I did too, terrific set even if the spring-loaded shooters waste valuable interior space.
They don't make them like they used to....