This is the best LEGO X-wing to date and one of the greatest sets of all time. It delivers on so many levels, being a wonderfully accurate display model and a joy to LEGO and Star Wars fans alike.

Display value

The set looks amazing on display. The overall silhouette is extremely accurate and upon getting up close you notice a variety of minute details, including:

-differently coloured patches, the most impressive of which are the dark grey ones on the right of the fuselage. The one near the cockpit even includes a weird angular shape towards the top

-precise greebling and creative use of pieces to represent mechanical details

-fully decked out cockpit, including foot pedals!

R2 is not too small, but rather sits too low inside the fuselage. I'd suggest raising him up by 1 or 2 studs, it really makes a difference.

When closed, there is a gap between the wings. This can only be avoided by placing the model on the ground. The wings then sit flush, but the nose tapers towards the front due to the lack of landing gear.

Admittedly, the front section is too thick. The designer had to compromise some sleekness in order to achieve the hexagonal shape. However, the X-wing remains proportional and the thickness of the fuselage isn't too obvious from most angles.

The cockpit piece is the wrong shape. But it is integrated so well into the design, which makes use of some sand blue elements around its edges, that it feels appropriate.

The stand does a poor job at conveying the majesty of the X-wing in its default form, because the top is way too raised. However, you can place the ship sideways on the stand and get a dynamic flight pose. This makes a major difference and greatly improves the look of the set.

Play value

This set packs a lot of play features for an UCS model. The S-foil mechanism works flawlessly. It is quick and easy to set the wings to any configuration. The cockpit features a retractable targeting computer (although the canopy can only close when the computer isn't retracted). There is a way to place Luke inside, in front of the chair. That way, the cockpit can close with him inside. He is undersized, but minifigure proportions are wonky, and the head looks decently sized inside the cockpit. There's an opening storage compartment underneath the canopy, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back. I like storing Luke's lightsaber there.

Build

Building such a large and accurate X-wing was a joy. The angular main fuselage makes use of clever LEGO engineering. Towards the end, the build gets a little repetitive because of the four wings. However, the brick-built details such as the five red stripes provide interest. And I must say: placing tiles in between studs in an official set is an interesting feeling!

Minifigures

Luke is the most detailed rebel pilot to date and a welcome inclusion. Too bad the helmet doesn't feature more printing on the sides, as seen in The Skywalker Saga video game. However, this minifigure is still incredible. R2 thankfully features back printing.

Overall

This set is simply amazing. It has quickly become one of my favourites, surprisingly so. I was very skeptical when first seeing images online. However, thanks to my experience with LEGO box art, I realised the depictions on the box didn't do the set justice. After seeing more images from different angles and after seeing the model built in a LEGO store, the design grew on me. I did not let all the negative remarks online change my mind and I bought this set on release. I wholeheartedly recommend this X-wing. Next to the UCS Death Star (2008) and the UCS Millennium Falcon (2017), I consider this one of the greatest sets I own.

This is one of my favourite sets of all time, so this review might be subjective. Anyway, here are my thoughts on this set:

Play value

This A-Wing was released in 2013, one year prior to the introduction of stud shooters and spring-loaded missiles. As a result, the cannons incorporate four classic flick-fire missiles, whilst being aesthetically pleasing. Other play features include retractable land gear in the front and the ability to open up the cockpit and place a figure inside the interior space, albeit crammed. A very fun play feature is the fact that you can take out the vessel's engine, situated behind the cockpit. The included wrench helps simulate repairing the ship, but doubles as an item that can be stored in the engine compartment.

Display value

This A-Wing is relatively accurate for its time. Although the top is basically covered in stickers, they are optional and the model could still hold its own without them. That being said, they add quite a lot to the look of the set. The ones on the side faithfully recreate the battle damage present on this particular model, although the panel detailing combines other models. Some details have never been seen before, nor after on a regular classic RZ-1 A-Wing (For example, the straps around the cockpit or the red dots in the front). Some notable inaccuracies include the thickness and straight angle of the rear fins and the disproportionate gap situated in the front. However, for what they are worth, the details of this set are marvellous, considering it is, at the time of writing, almost 9 years old.

Build

There is nothing revolutionary about the build. It is very simple (brick on brick, in fact), but the shape of the final product is satisfying, although way blockier than the real thing.

Minifigures

I consider 2013 to be the beginning of the "Modern Era" of LEGO Star Wars minifigures. In 2013, LEGO began polishing their older designs and introduced new ones, some still in use to this day. Including 3 quite valuable figures in such a small set is uncommon, however welcome. The A-Wing pilot is spectacular. His torso and legs are very richly decorated and the quality of the white printing is better than some that comes out today. Admiral Ackbar is such a unique figure. His torso is also appropriately detailed, and I love the inclusion of a coffee mug - classic LEGO humour. Han Solo is particularly notable: the torso first seen here is still in use to this day!

Overall

My nostalgia might be blinding me, but I consider this set to be fantastic. It is certainly a classic and I recommend picking it up if you can find it at a reasonable price.

Video review

You can find a video review of this set on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEZiIySggBM&t=394s

I bought this set on release, since I previously only owned the mini Slave I that came with 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City. I was expecting a similar ship in size and level of detail, however my expectations were greatly surpassed.

Play value

This set is packed with play features. Two unobtrusive stud shooters are integrated into the hull. They are easy to access and function very well, as always. The black cannons in the front can rotate independently. The cockpit can comfortably fit one minifigure and the wings on the side lean with gravity. The model features the infamous cargo hold, where you can store a Gamorrean frozen in carbonite, included in the set. On the back of the ship, there is a Technic handle that can be folded into the hull. Upon folding it out, the ship can be held by it and thus it is very easy to fly it around. The speeder side build is a fun addition, however its main purpose is aesthetic (more on that later). The inclusion of two minifigures is welcome, and it allows for endless role-play scenarios.

Display value

As stated in the title of this review, this set doubles as a play and display piece. It is a far more affordable and compact version when compared to previous renditions of the Slave I, however it achieves comparable level of detail and arguably superior accuracy. I feel like this set features better proportions. Also, its shaping very closely matches what is seen on screen. The dark red base features intricate angular bricks that perfectly capture the shape. As this Slave I is inspired by its look in The Mandalorian show, some silver stickers and light bluish grey pieces represent the effect of painting having scraped off over time, with surprising accuracy. Attention to detail, proportions, correct shaping and colour placement are all strong in this model. Moreover, the speeder included in the set doubles as a display stand, so the ship can be posed in a flying position without using extra pieces.

Minifigures

Two rather special minifigures are included in this set. While the Mandalorian has been seen before, I appreciate this minifigure for its great amount of detailing. This design features arm printing and silver decorations all around, aside from the helmet, unfortunately. Boba Fett, as seen in the Mandalorian show, is the star of the set, though. He comes with arm printing as well. The decorations on his torso and legs flow smoothly and fit together. His clean armour and black garment make for an unique colour combination. Also, the head printing was a pleasant surprise, especially since the skin tone matches the one introduced with 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers. If you count the carbonite block as a figure, then it must be noted that its design, while using a sticker, reflects the original Han Solo in carbonite: SW0984, so that is a nice tribute.

Overall

This set is better than one might expect. While the minifigures included are amazing and certainly a highlight, the build must not be ignored. There is almost nothing more I could have asked for from a ship of this size, especially considering the fact that it can be displayed in a flying position. The only thing that could have been added would have been the ability to deploy a seismic charge, since this type of bomb has made a reappearance in The Mandalorian. But, all in all, this ship is packed with play features and details alike, so it is a great set suitable for all kinds of LEGO Star Wars fans.

I didn't watch the Clone Wars. I like the prequels, but I prefer the originals. That means I've only seen the 501st in Revenge of the Sith. Still, I find this set to be fantastic!

The Builds

I was surprised by the size and complexity of both builds. The box and the price pointed towards small vehicles, but that's not the case.

The BARC speeder is simply huge and very bulky, while still maintaining a sleek look. I love the design used in the front and the chair, alongside the handle bars. My only complaint with the speeder would be that there is no clip for the blaster of the driver. Anyway, that's no big deal. Oh, also, be careful when placing the stickers in the back :)

The AT-RT looks great. I love the mechanical detailing on the side, as well as the combination of brick-built and sticker decorations on the legs, which are posable by the way. The main section has those fins in the front, so you can adjust the overall size of it. The stud shooter in the front is a cool inclusion and it doesn't stand out. Also, it's on a Mixel ball joint so it has a great range of motion. The clone has a lot of space behind the panels and in the back you can see two antennas, as well as two clips, one of which is holding a pair of Thermal Binoculars. That means you can store the pilot's blaster this time!

The Minifigures

Of course, the main selling point of the set.

Three classic 501st Clones is very generous. Their design is fantastic and I like the new clone face. My only complaint would be their all-white arms. LEGO could have included some blue accents... Anyway, overall they look great! LEGO has done a really good job this time.

The Jet trooper is really nice. I may like his design a little more, maybe because of the blue arms and the more detailed helmet. It is also nice to get the jetpack piece in blue.

Two B1 battle droids are welcome, but it's high time LEGO improved their design. Still, good for army building.

Overall

I love this set. It isn't very expensive and it is a great army builder, though not listed as a battle pack. Huge thanks to MandRproductions for making this happen ;). I hope LEGO will do more of these in the future, with different Clone Legions or Imperial divisions.

So it was a Sunday afternoon and my family and I were about to go shopping. And it came to my mind that I wanted to build a new LEGO set! After analysing the others, I decided to buy this one. It was well after Christmas and I hadn't built a set in months.

I find it really cool that they include two instruction booklets, so that one can build the Escape Pod, while the other builds the Dewback. Or you can build both of them yourself, as I did ;).

Anyway, the builds are surprisingly good and I found them both very satisfying. I started with the Escape Pod, which features a SNOT technique. The way the two droids fit is just perfect.

The Dewback is very accurate, while still keeping the Microfighters feel to it. I missed the 2014 Mos Eisley Cantina and I very much regret that, so this is the only Dewback I have ever had. Unfortunately, the legs aren't poseable, but they look really good(actually, you can pose the feet a little and you can change their orientation - though it requires taking the legs apart - , if you like, so I guess that counts). However, both the head and the tail are on a Mixel ball joint, so they are very poseable.

As for the minifigures, I love the Sandtrooper. At the time of writing this, he is unique to this set. In my opinion, all the new Star Wars helmets( including the Snowtrooper, Darth Vader, Scout Trooper and Stormtrooper) look gorgeous and are far better than the previous. Yeah, I've got thousands of R2-D2s and C-3POs, but they are very appropriate for this set.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised by this set and I do recommend you picked it up.