The first few minutes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi featured a group of large bombers attacking a First Order Dreadnought during the evacuation of D'Qar. Only one bomber; the Cobalt Hammer was able to deploy its payload of magnetically propelled bombs at the dreadnought before it was shot down by First Order forces. This Lego set is clearly based on the Cobalt Hammer and its crew. With five very attractive minifigures, loads of playability, and a cool design, the Lego model gives the MG-100 Star Fortress SF-17 a fitting tribute.

Figures

Paige Tico, is the older sister of Rose Tico from the Resistance Transport Pod set; and is represented here in full flight gear. Her helmet is a new mold with unique prints. The face print is also unique, with a double sided expression which shows her normal face on one side, and a rebreather over her mouth on the other. The torso is a print shared by the other two crew members included in the set, and is heavily detailed and in an attractive shade of subdued orange.

Nix Jerd, the bombardier of the Cobalt Hammer is also included. Sadly, his unique blast helmet from the film was not depicted with a new part; instead using the classic Rebel Pilot helmet that has been in the Star Wars theme since its inception. With that said; its a beautifully detailed paint job, which helps convey the shapes and functions of helmet seen in the film. I am sure his helmet will be sought out by Original Trilogy era MOC makers wishing to add some variation to their pilots. He also has a double sided head like Paige, with a rebreather on one side and an exposed face on the other.

Unidentified Resistance Pilot comes with the same new helmet that Paige uses but with a different print variation (I previously identified him accidentally as Finch Dallow when the movie had just come out and source material properly identifying who is who was not as plentiful). Like Paige and Nix, he has a double sided head. Another great figure, although there isn't much to say about him beyond what I have already stated about Paige and Nix.

Vice Admiral Holdo, One of the two figures included that weren't part of the crew of the Colbalt Hammer; Holdo all the same is a welcome addition. Her unique purple hued hair is a cool piece, and the print captures the costume seen in the film.

Poe Dameron, his antagonistic relationship with Admiral Holdo during the second act of the film,makes it appropriate we get him included in the set along with Holdo. This variant of Poe uses the same head and hair we have seen in the prior Force Awakens sets but comes with a new torso that is molded in a brighter orange than the other pilots in the set which matches the colors of his X-Wing flight suit. A nice rank insignia is printed on his chest, giving us some variation in Lego's Resistance officer figures.

Edit: January 2019 Its been over a year since I wrote this review but some recent developments have popped up. Recently Lego has begun replacing the figure I previously identified as Finch Dallow with the correct figure representing Finch Dallow. Lego has replaced figures late in a set's life before, such as the recent introduction of updated First Order Stormtroopers into older battlepacks and Snoke's Star Destroyer, but to replace a figure with a completely different character in a later batch is really rare. Why Lego has decided to replace the previous figure with a new one so late in this set's life is beyond me. An example of this updated minifigure roster is here on Amazon UK with Finch standing to the lower left of the bomber in the spot previously taken by the former pilot figure. The proper Finch looks like a great figure, with a new faceprint and a new helmet print and in my opinion, he is a better looking and more unique figure than the original pilot included. Its not enough to make me try and chase down a second copy of the set just to get the new figure, but its an interesting change none the less. It makes a great excuse for those who haven't bought this set yet to try and chase it down with a new figure out there. From what I have seen, so far this new Finch Dallow figure isn't listed on Bricklink yet.

The Model

The Resistance bomber is a stunning sight to behold once finished. The Lego model is somewhat downsized from the bomber seen in the film, however it still towers over many other Lego Star Wars sets with its large and top heavy build. A wide support platform built into the bottom of the ship, while not film accurate, helps to keep it steady on display. While not heavily greebled, there is plenty of detail parts on the front spine of the ship to complete the look of the model. The details on the sides of the central spine were the engines run out from are particularly good looking.

Opening the cockpit, center bomber's station, and ball turrets of the model makes it clear the SF-17 takes its inspiration from many real world bomber designs; particularly the American B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Super Fortress. What sells this in the Lego model is something FOLs have been clamoring for... seats. There are a total of six different seats for crew positions, two in the cockpit, one at the bombers station, one in the bubble canopy on top, and the two in the ball turrets. There is also enough room in the center bomber's station to fit an astromech droid on the floor. While not the most spacious Lego design, there is a lot of play space for the good old fashioned joy of moving different figures around to different compartments and choosing which figure gets to sit where in the vessel. The empty space is a good incentive to go buy some other Lego sets to get figures to fill all the seats... and I hope we get more Resistance bomb crew figures in future waves.

This bomber is also "armed to the teeth" with two stud shooters covering the aft section of the ship, two forward mounted spring loaded shooters hidden under the wings, and of course the bombing function itself! Six "zamor" spheres in black slide down into the spine, and rest there until pushing on a hidden release lever function on the bottom of the ship. Its a smooth function, however it can jam up on occasion. It is fun to "swoosh" the model from the spine then begin dropping the black spheres from the bomb chute once over the chosen target. Requesting your Amazon Echo or Google Home play John William's "March of the Resistance" while swooshing the vehicle is completely optional, but recommended to complete the experience. ;)

The only negative to the set is several of the detail parts such as the thin antenna mounted on the spine, are fragile and prone to falling off. Despite this, the central core of the model is very solid; meaning that with some care near the fragile detail parts, the rest of the model can handle rough handling.

Final Thoughts

The biggest drawback to this set is its cost... At $110 USD, it seems to be $10-15 dollars more expensive than what I would be comfortable with (I had some gift money and gift cards I used to drop that price for my own purchase). With that said, it is such a cool model it really offsets the bitterness caused by that price... The only improvement I can wish would be the addition of one or two more crew member figures, to fill up the many seats in the model!

This is a very impressive looking model, and has great play features. I would recommend it to any Lego fan looking for a great shelf display piece and a fun toy with cool features.

The 75188 Resistance Bomber is the third largest set in this wave and also only the second vehicle on the Resistance side. It is a new vehicle introduced to the Star Wars universe and for now we know very little about it. It only appeared in the trailer for 2 seconds (as of time of this review). From the first glance it looks like a modified version of the Nebulon frigate, however it also reminds of a b-wing (on steroids). The Nebulon frigate was always something that i looked forward to see in a Lego form, which is why the Resistance Bomber immediately caught my eye.

The minifigures

We get five figures: two generic pilots, Paige Tico as the third pilot, Poe Dameron and Vice Admiral Holdo. The Force Awakens line introduced us to a completely new look for the uniforms and some very neat helmet designs. I am very happy to see that trend continue in the Last Jedi line. With this set we get completely new, very detailed uniform prints and beautifully colorful helmets. I am especially glad that one of the pilots gets a different mould for his helmet. Each figure comes with its own face expression, however they all get similar alternate masked alternative on reverse. The pilots are exceptional, which makes them the stars of the set for me. Then there is Vice Admiral Holdo, who is also a new figure. She was revealed some time ago therefore, we can have a full comparison. The grey gown printing is well done, but the pink and new hairpiece makes her pop out from the rest. We also get a 4th version of Poe Dameron. This time in orange resistance uniform. While the uniform itself is nice, i don’t find his inclusion particularly interesting. We will probably find out more of his role on the ship later.

The completed model

First, i need to mention it’s stability. It stands very firmly on the ground and doesn't wobble at all, which is important for something that tall. The design of the ship catches the eye and it’s functionality is equally as impressive.The central section is the main focus of the ship. It serves as the base for the control area and it houses the most important feature of the bomber. The feature itself is fun to play around and it is also very well hidden. Pressing the button will release one bomb at the time and i found that the mechanism works smoothly and doesn't jam. Central section is well armed with front cannons and it also features spring loaded shooters hidden in the engine section. The engines themselves look realistic with all the exposed pipes. A sizeable cockpit, which fits two minifigures, is maybe the most equipped cockpit in Lego ships history. The main control area, features even more electronics and a fair amount of space to place your minifigures. I personally think it is quite generous and i cannot wait to expand it. Lastly, the bomber features two opening rear gun turrets, which fit the pilots. Those are some nice play features, although their size is a bit unrealistic. The pods are big but they barely fit the provided pilots in their helmets which is problematic.

Overall opinion

The 75188 Resistance Bomber is my favorite set of the first wave. It gives us a glimpse of war between the Resistance and First Order and is definitely a great addition to any rebel army. This set is packed with great features, making it a very fun playset. The selection of minifigures is also excellent and Lego has really stepped up it’s game in terms of printing on minifigures and helmets. There is only the question of it’s role in the movie and size. In the trailer those bombers look way larger than any x-wings or tie fighters. However we need to remember that it needs to be a toy which kids can easily pick up and play with. Also more parts, would drive up the already big prize. Nevertheless, the build was fun and playing with it makes you forget about the prize. I really recommend this set for both kids and adults.

The Resistance Bomber is spot-on to the movie appearance, features rotating pods on the back ends, stud shooters with ~180° of rotation, nicely concealed spring loaded shooters with hidden triggers, and most importantly, a trigger to release bombs individually, which while not perfectly accurate to the film, is done correctly. The minifigure selection does not perfectly go together with the craft, but nevertheless they are good and detailed figures. The big issue is the price. While big pieces for the cockpits and passenger bay are included (And price per unit mass would be a far better unit of measure to judge value than price per piece), it still doesn't justify a price per piece ratio of >$0.14/Piece in the United States, which was present in the infamous Winter 2016 Battle on Takodana set.

The build was enjoyable, there were no glaring issues that hindered the experience. The only complaint would be the typical one of the inclusion of stickers. It might be really hard for some to apply stickers to a curved surface, which can be devastating for them. If a young child or someone with poor motor skills is assembling this set, it would be ideal for somebody with a steady hand to help them out.

This set uses many different parts for accurate detail. Other than the aforementioned sticker issue, the selection is perfect, and the printed parts are wonderful inclusions. Parts such as the 1x1 half-curve tile piece are present, and getting a few extra of those is nice. Black Zamor Spheres are good to have for anything that includes a projectile because the shade is 'calm' and general.

This set is most impressive in its playability options. The spring loaded shooters can be easily fired, the stud shooters can be 'spun', minifigures can be posed in both pods, the cockpit, and the passenger bay. Bombs can be easily dropped and then reloaded, and it is easily 'piloted' by hands of different sizes.

The minifigures do not all belong in the vessel according to the scenes in the film, but they are all expertly detailed and represent their movie counterparts clearly. Vice Admiral Holdo looks just like she did in the movie, with accurate hair and the dress. Poe's figure has the right face, hairpiece, and clothing, but in the context of piloting, his helmet would be a more appropriate inclusion. The three other gunners have double sided faces, each one sporting a mask as an option. The detail on those figures is done diligently up to the sides of the helmet

This set is greatly worn down by its bogglingly high price. There is no valid claim for a price this high, as there are only two large parts, and the only desirable minifigure is Holdo (Poe has a more impressive figure in the First Order Heavy Assault Walker, and will be available in the more affordable Defense of Crait set).

This is a wonderful set. The figures are great, the function is nearly flawless, and it isn't too tough to put together. While fans of the Bomber and the Resistance might appreciate the set, it would be better to wait for a sale whether that be a spontaneous deal or a clearance price. The model is great, but the price is not.