Worth getting!
Box:
The box is simple, shows off the action scene and the play-features. This set was originally released back in 2003 with set 4482 as an exception, unlike all the other AOTC sets which were released in 2002 (when the movie was released). This set is available with 2 different box variations because it was released two times, unlike the AT-TE which was only released once and was only available in one box design. The black box (2003) and the blue box (2004).
This set has many parts that are decently rare and some that are unique to this set. You get some very nice printed tiles for the 2 blades on the fighter, also some ladder pieces which are located on either some of the cockpit and some round dish elements used for the Geonosian cannon. You also get the Geonosian's wing blades which have only ever been in this set and are worth heaps. The parts in this set is one of the reasons you may want to buy this set.
Build:
The build was very neat and both the starfighter and cannon were very enjoyable to build. I also liked some of the SNOT techniques they used on the starfighter, by putting the side panels on and making the middle hollow. This set took me approximately 20-25 minutes to assemble.
Characters:
- 2x Battle Droids: I can almost guarantee that each and everyone of you have at least one Battle Droid. But this is no ordinary Battle Droid. This is the Geonosian Battle Droid, which was only ever seen during the Jedi Battle on AOTC and has only ever been in this set. He does also have a 2x1 tile on the back which is supposed to be his back pack I'm guessing. They do both come with guns, which is also quite cool. Only difference between this and a standard Battle Droid is that this one is a little darker in all parts, kind of an earth orange.
- Geonosian: This figure only ever comes in this set, as well as all the other figures that are included. He is just like the other Geonosian that comes in this set, except for the fact that he doesn't own a pair of wings. He supposedly does all the work and labor in the Geonosian society and he is also the pilot of the Geonosian Fighter. He is also referred to as the drone.
- Geonosian Warrior (With Wings): This figure is very rare and is worth heaps on his own. He is identical to the other Geonosian figure we get, except for the fact that he has wings. The wings are very rare and pricey alone, this figure can go up to 20 to 30 dollars with wings and 10-15 dollars for just the wings. The wings are only ever found in this set and unlike any sort of cape, these are plastic and not fabric.
Set:
- Cannon: The cannon is very simple, but built quite nicely. The level of detail on it is quite nice and I can't really say if I like this cannon better than the one that was just released in 2012, set 9491. This one though I kind of like because it's smaller. Geonosian cannons aren't supposed to be that big as far as I know. You are to stand your Geonosian warrior on the little hinge piece and give him the 2 levers. A place for the gun is also required. I will do a full review on 9491 upon request.
- Starfighter: The Geonosian starfighter is a very strange design, quite similar to Dooku's Solar Sailer. I do own both of the fighters as well, so I'll be able to give you a quick idea on which one is better. The new one is just the fighter alone and it does not come with the cannon, the cannon is sold separately. This fighter is a bit smaller compared to 7959 in length, and the color scheme on the new one is a lot better, this one looks kind of messed up with the tan and printings. The new one is also a bit more structurally strong and better for display. This one though has better mini figures and the level of detail is tons better. The new one does also have the cockpit with the actual seat, vs this one which is just a bubble and the figure is crammed inside. This one also doesn't have the hatch on the bottom for the bomb. So kind of up to you, yes the new one is improved, but this one is also pretty cool. I will do a full review on 7959 upon request.
Summary:
At the end, I think this set is very nice, even though there are newer versions of both the cannon and the fighter. The fact of the matter is, both the cannon and the fighter are a lot more detailed in this one, but the newer versions are stronger and better for display. This set is also quite rare and very expensive, can lead up to $160-$300 for a brand new one, which is quite insane considering this set was only $20 retail. Buy it if you can.
PROS:
- 4 exclusive mini figures
- NO STICKERS! TONS of printed pieces!
- Both the cannon and the fighter have great detail
CONS:
- The Geonosian has to get crammed inside and there are no controls or levers in the cockpit.
- The colors on this are a little messed up compared to 7959 (not really a hug complaint though)
- Pricey
13 out of 13 people thought this review was helpful.
The Battle of Geonosis
This was my first Episode II set, and it has been one of my favorites ever since. Let's get to the review:
Box/Instructions
The box for the set is, as always, visually appealing and looks very nice. The insructions are set against a nice blueprint-like background, and are well coded for colors.
Parts
The set includes a great selection of parts in various colors, including the Burnt Orange and Sand Red pieces. There are also several new printed parts, and then there are the minifigures.
Minifigures
The set includes 2 Genonosians, one with wings and one without, along with 2 Sand Red battle droids. All the figures are exclusive to this set, and all of them are absolutely amazing.
The build
The build also showcases several interesting techniques, particularly in building the Geonosian fighter. The wings are connected in a very interesting way using technic pins. The cannon also uses a few interesting methods, and overall the build is very enjoyable.
The completed model
The finished piece looks great, and is very streamlined. The cannon easily gives the effect of a massive anti-aircraft sonic gun, which I like very much.
Summary
Overall, this is easily one of the best Episode II sets, with great minifigures, and a fantastic finished product. In comparison to the new Geonosian fighter, this one far outshines it, especially in the minifgure area. Highly recommended for any Star Wars fan, or LEGO enthusiast alike.
1 out of 3 people thought this review was helpful.
4478 - Geonosian Fighter
This set is really excellent in every way, the fighter and turret are wonderful, but the figures are even better, and are all exclusive to this set.
Box/Instructions
The box art for this set is quite striking, with the fighter flying over the turret and battle droids. The background is a shot of the Geonosian landscape with the sand red colour being the most prominent feature of the box.
The instructions were faultless, no mistakes and I had no missing pieces.
Parts
The parts in this set are good, as I mentioned earlier they are mainly in the rare sand red colour, which could make them desirable. There are also some exclusive pieces, such as the totally new Geonosian heads and the wings which fit on one of them. Unfortunately only one set of wings is included so the pilot will have to stay as the pilot, and not another warrior.
Minifigures
It is here that the set really shines. These Battle Droids are totally exclusive in the sand red colour and they include backpacks unlike most Battle Droids which is interesting. You get two Geonosians, one is a warrior, the other is a pilot without wings. The Battle Droids and the Geonosian Warrior both have megaphone blasters. Both have a huge amount of detail on their torso and legs, with lots of gold and red armour plating as well as their skeletal bodies. It is a shame that there is only one set of wings as it would be nice to be able to make two Geonosian Warriors but you can't have it all can you?
The build
The build is fairly good, but very easy, it took me about twenty minutes start to finish and uses some SNOT (studs not on top) building techniques.
The completed model
I love the model as a whole, the Geonosian fighter looks really nice and accurate to the film, the sonic turret is a decent addition to the set but it is the Minifigures that steal the show, as they are all exclusive. The colour is predominantly sand red but with hints of tan and dark grey. There is a cockpit which can be accessed through the removal of the translucent dome on top and a swivelling turret, mounted on a ball joint at the front between the two distinctive prongs. The turret on the ground is of little use, but could be included into a display very easily.
Summary
I am hoping the rumoured Geonosian fighter appearing later this year will get at least to this standard if not better! I would certainly recommend this to a friend to be used as part of a scene from the battle of Geonosis.
Overall - 9/10
13 out of 13 people thought this review was helpful.
Geonosian Fighter
In 2003 Lego released three more sets to their Attack of the Clones line up. These system scale sets would be the last of the AOTC sets that Lego would produce to this day. And so it is that AOTC system scale sets are very low in number, with only nine released during the 2002/2003 period. Maybe with The Clone Wars series, there is enough crossover material, as both the Republic Gunship and AT-TE walker both appear in the films and cartoons. But the film has been largely ignored by Lego for the past seven years.
It's a shame, as in my opinion, the 2002/3 Lego Star Wars line up had some very interesting sets on offer, and the AOTC sets really benefited from the new bricks, colours and building styles that Lego were using at the time. More such sets could have been produced.
Thankfully, the Geonosian Fighter was one such set that made it out of the Lego factory and onto shop shelves.Box And Instructions
4478 is presented in Lego's usual style and the box art contains an image of the fully constructed model and minifigures imposed onto a suitably rocky, Geonosian backdrop, complete with a red laser bolt whizzing by.
The front cover of the instructions has the same image as the box, but the back cover image is of the little green Jedi Master, Yoda, looking at the Lego Star wars website on his PC. The image pre-dates the Geonosian Fighter by three years, as it contains images of new items for 2000 and a small sneak peek of what's to come in 2001. In the left hand corner you will find web addresses for Lego.com and starwars.com.
The Instruction manual is of A4 size, and is folded in half in order to fit into the box. The instructions contain 24 pages, including the front and back covers, and are excellently laid out, as is expected from Lego.
Page 2 of the instruction manual starts with the assembly of the minifigures.Minifigures
There are four minifigures in this set - 2 Geonosian insectoids and two battle droids. What makes these figures special is their rarity. Battle droids? Rare? Bare with me.
The Geonosian minifigures are only found in this kit, so far. Based on a typical Lego figure, the Geonosians are probably a little too wide and squat to be truly accurate to their spindly on-screen counterparts. But I'm thankful that they are this way and not the single mould stick figures that were made to depict other non humanoid aliens such as Aldar Beebo and Sebulba, found in an earlier set.
The Geonosian minifigure has it's own unique head moulding. It's in scale with the figure's proportions and is nicely detailed. It could use a little paint to pick out some of the finer details and give the figure a bit more appeal, as the plain grey colour can hide some of the moulded details around the eyes and snout. I don't think grey is the right colour for a Geonosian warrior either. They certainly didn't look that grey in the movie.
One Geonosian warrior comes equipped with a pair of wings made from thin shiny plastic. The same material can be found on the wings of the glider in set 7139: Ewok Attack from 2002.
The battle droids found in this set are also unique. Unlike almost every other battle droid in Lego's minifigure range, moulded in tan, the Geonosian battle droids are moulded in sand red. I think this shows great attention to detail on Lego's part. I dare say that they could have put regular tan droids in the set and gotten away with it, but to actually inject the droid mould with a new colour just for this set shows Lego's dedication to getting things right. It's almost a shame that these sand red droids haven't made it into other sets, as I'm sure that many people would want an easy (cheaper) way to amass an accurate Geonosian battle droid army instead of having to use the abundantly available tan rendition.Geonosian Fighter
Like a lot of craft in the Star wars universe the Geonosian fighter is of a unique and peculiar design. It actually works quite well in Lego, and the model uses some unusual techniques in it's construction. You start off by building the base of the craft using various brown and grey elements. The most unusual part is found here - a 16x4 curved wedge (Peeron 45301px1) complete with full printing along the top and both sides. This piece makes up the front of the craft.
The middle of the craft consists of two small blocks assembled using many small Technic bricks and pins. Both blocks are finished with a 3 piece ball and socket assembly. The blocks are laid in line from each other down the centre of the fighter with their ball/socket assembly facing either end of the craft, front and rear. The front assembly is then fitted with a long laser weapon and the rear has a small translucent orange disc fitted to simulate an engine or exhaust port.
The sides of the fighter are then built using only four pieces each - 8x2 plate, 2x2 plate and a 2x1 plate, covered with a 6x4 curved wedge. The sides then attach to the aforementioned blocks, held in place with the Technic pins. It's a neat and sturdy construction that is a lot simpler in practice than how I've described it.
The instructions then move on to the top of the craft, which is an almost mirror opposite of the base, and is built in the same manner. The only difference is that the top has a removable access hatch made from a clear dish. This area serves as a cockpit for the wingless Geonosian minifigure, who slides down between the the two in-line blocks in the centre of the craft. From the box art, the fighter doesn't doesn't look like it has any space to contain a pilot. That it has is a nice surprise.Sonic Weapon
In addition to the fighter itself, 4478 also contains a weapon used by the Geonosian warriors during the arena battle in Attack of the Clones. It's a bulky construction and is well made. It shouldn't fall apart with normal use. The actual laser assembly consists of a series of large discs, skewered through the middle by a Technic axle. 2x2 Plates keep the discs nicely separated, and the last disc is fully printed on the face side. Further forward of these discs sit smaller discs and a small cone with some translucent orange pieces mixed in to suggest a high power weapon. This laser construction is then attached to a base via a small turntable and a click hinge. This means the laser model is posable and can face up, down, left and right. The laser also contains a small platform for the winged Geonosian warrior to stand on, as well as two handles to hold on to and aim the laser.Final Thoughts
The Geonosian Fighter represents a good effort by Lego to produce a faithful rendition of another craft that spends very little time on screen. It may not be as iconic as some other ships seen in Attack of the Clones, or any of the Star Wars movies, but it's still a nice addition to anyone's collection. Although a little wobbly in places, due to the slightly unusual building techniques used, the model is still quite sturdy once complete. The range of parts, whilst not huge in quantity, is varied and interesting and contains some specialized elements, not widely found in the majority of System based sets.
The colour palette is a little drab, mostly consisting of browns and greys, but this only helps to keep the model as authentic as possible. Any of the brighter colours (white and blue) are well hidden within the middle of the craft, with a little orange escaping to the outer surfaces, mostly to depict areas of high energy.
The unique minifigures are a nice touch and will certainly add some extra value to this set, even though it was very reasonably priced when first released and almost hit the magic price per piece ratio. The sand red battle droids will be of particular interest to anyone wanting to faithfully recreate the opening battle of the Clone Wars.7 out of 7 people thought this review was helpful.
Geonosian Fighter
INTRODUCTION : This is an amazing set with a huge amount of playability, there is so much you can do with it as you get items for your air battles as well as some figures and a large gun for ground battles. However, the best thing about the set is the fact that the minifigures are all exclusive.
MINIFIGURES : There are some great minifigures in this set: two Geonosian battle droids with backpacks and two Geonosians, one with wings and one without, which are absolutely brilliant. You also get three blasters.
THE SET : A mounted turret and a Geonosian fighter make up this set. While the turret is of limited use other than for recreating the Battle of Geonosis it is still very good, with an excellent range of poseabilty and a place for the Geonosian controlling the turret to stand. However, what really drew me to this particular set was the fighter. The laser cannon at the front and the engine at the back are both on ball joints which makes them moveable. There is a cockpit for the Geonosian pilot to fit in. The fighter is also extremely movie accurate and a lot of fun to play with as it is eminently swooshable. Although this craft did not play a big part in the films, it is still a brilliant model.
OVERALL : I would certainly recommend buying this set as it is a really good army builder and all of the figures are fantastic!
4 out of 4 people thought this review was helpful.
