I’ve always wanted a large AT-AT to add to my collection, and while this technically isn’t one, it doesn’t really matter, there is no reason why I couldn’t use this with all of my Hoth sets. As a kid, I had always been amazed by those huge lumbering AT-AT’s and found them to be the most menacing vehicle that the Empire had. Yes, the Death Star is massive, but it looked like a ball, their ships were huge, but they were sleek. AT-AT’s on the other hand with their four legs and massive body just looked incredible. This Lego set does not disappoint, it looks just as scary in my living room as it did crossing the Hoth tundra. And as it sits next to my similarly sized Millennium Falcon set, rising a foot above the Falcon makes it as imposing as it was in the movies.

As for this being a newer model from The Last Jedi, unfortunately I don’t think that The Last Jedi really used these walkers to the same effect they had in Hoth. Kylo Ren and Hux were aboard a similarly sized ship, and the main threat, the one that Finn nearly went kamikaze on, was the cannon. So sure, you can use this in a defense of Crait, but it would require a lot more Lego sets, and this amazing set would be playing a very minor role.

Minifigures

Its not Hoth, so don’t expect to get Hoth minifigures, but that’s probably alright as you most likely own abundance of snow troopers and Hoth rebels already.

You get two storm troopers with this set, a standard one and a driver. Amazingly, this set only has room to hold 3 minifigures, which is probably the biggest negative of the set, but why not give us a third storm trooper? The driver does look cool however with silver detailing on his helmet and suit so you know he isn’t just your average storm trooper.

Next up is Rey who looks great, I love her robe print continues from her body onto her legs. Her hair isn’t too exciting, I have other Rey’s with more unique and iconic hair styles. But of course, the inclusion of her makes very little sense. She was aboard the Falcon during the fight, and only touched the ground afterwards to free what remained of the rebellion from the cave.

Poe on the other hand doesn’t look like anything special, if anything he looks generic. Of course, he doesn’t really wear anything to set him apart in the movies, aside from his jacket which he gave to Finn. His unprinted legs, while accurate, kind of sum up the boringness of this minifigure. But at least Poe is appropriate for this set as he basically became the leader of the resistance during this battle.

The rebel soldier is very unique and looks great. The helmet in particular is one of the coolest bricks you’ll get in this set. It’s a green helmet with a built in trans yellow visor, and then a separate, and very unique chin strap. Already it is my son’s favorite brick from this set.

The Build

this is an incredibly diverse and fun build. I can’t tell you how long it takes as my two year old daughter was jumping on me, and my 5 year old son was helping, but I’m guessing it would probably take me closer to 4 hours to complete on my own.

You start by building the core of vehicle which is an ugly mess that gives you little clue of how the completed model will look. It is deceptively small and is very technical. My son basically gave up trying to build this part immediately, but I really enjoyed this largely technic portion of the build.

Next up are the rear legs which are identical. I built one and my son copied me to build the other. It’s actually a really interesting build, and while a 5 year old was able to do it, he would have had a very hard time without me. While it too is a mostly technic build, it isn’t nearly as complicated as the core.

Then comes the front legs which are built one at a time since they are near mirrors of each other. They are a little more involved than the rear legs , but similar in construction. The only issue, when you add the third leg, the set lacks the balance it needs to stand so you will have to lay it down until the fourth leg is built.

At this point you have completed all of the technic portions of the model and it becomes a simpler but satisfying build void of any repetition. It also still looks deceptively small which I like a lot, it is very cool to see how it grows in mass near the end.

The head is next, and my son spent about 2 hours building this on his own as I took my daughter to a birthday party. He actually did an excellent job, only problem was he missed an occasional step and put the spring loaded shooters on the back rather than the front of the head. Some of these mistakes led him to believing that the head was loose, but after reviewing and correcting his work for 15 minutes I got it fixed and it became a sturdy construction.

Finally, you start building the panels on the sides and top. Because it has you build all of one side and then all of the other side, it does not feel at all repetitive. This part is pretty much just standard plate stacking like you do in many other Star Wars sets. It’s pretty simple, but enjoyable.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this you will build the cannon, this gets built in stages throughout and uses a very interesting joint piece to connect the cannon to the control for it.

The Model

When it’s all said and done, wow! This model is a beast. From the side it looks amazing. From the front it exposes the thinness of the panels because of the cannon. It would have been nice if Lego would have “finished” the underside of the upper front panels as they are visible, other than this the front looks complete.

The head moves on two joints, but both operate on a horizontal axis. This gives it a very wide range of motion but no vertical movement. However the technic construction does give it a nice wobble. As for accessing the head the top opens up and the front opens down, the sides don’t move. Inside is the only printed tile in the whole set, which is the controls. There are no stickers! The cockpit only has room for the driver and does not have any windows. The windshield is false so my son likes to give the driver a light saber to prop up the top so he can see!

The rear panels swing out allowing a single minifigure to be placed on either side. It’s a little disappointing that this massive set can only hold 3 minifigures, I think they could have found a way to hold a few more, but you can allow another one to stand on top and as my son does, litter the sides with minifigures.

The legs each have two joints, not including the ankles which are very loose joints. The knees and hips have lots of friction so it is easily poseable and the ankles will automatically adjust thanks to gravity. It is an excellent design. While standing upright (straight legs) it is very stable, but as you pose the legs it does lose some stability.

The cannon at the top is amazing. A single control allows you to slide it back and forth, aim it up or down, and fire the studs which are bound to get lost beneath your piano!

Finally, there are two spring loaded missiles, but the model lacks a device for firing them, you simply need to push the missile inwards. I understand this as a firing device would not mesh well with the rest of the model, but my son doesn’t like that he can’t push a button.

The set also features 4 bombs on top at the rear which are fun to play with, however there is no play feature for dropping or launching them. That doesn’t bother my son any, but I think that even a simple mechanism for launching just a single one of them would have been nice. Although it may have compromised the look of the set.

Overall

I can’t say enough about this set. It quite possibly my favorite Lego building experience ever simply because of the variety of techniques used and the fact that it doesn’t feel repetitive. Combine that with an amazing looking and massive model and you got yourself a winner. This set is truly amazing and I think a tremendous value. Usually I buy sets used, but this one I got new and I don’t mind paying the full price for it at all, it’s worth every penny. If you don’t yet own an AT-AT then get this set. This really is a Hoth set, they just put it on Crait so they could release it for the new movie.

The First Order Heavy Assault Walker set is a great large Star Wars set based off of The Last Jedi. It includes The First Order Heavy Assault Walker and 5 minifigures. It was released in 2017 for $149.99 and has 1376 pieces.

Minifigures

Rey- This is a new version of Rey for The Last Jedi. She comes with a great new hair piece and is in 2 sets total. 10/10

Poe Dameron- This is also a new version of Poe Dameron for The Last Jedi. He has nice simple printing and a double sided face. 10/10

Resistance Trooper- Nice Simple minifigure that isn't needed but nice addition. 7/10

First Order Walker Driver- A good new figure with good printing and great helmet and is in 2 sets total. 9/10

First Order Stormtrooper- A basic First Order Stormtrooper that is in 8 sets total. 6/10

Build

The build is great and looks similar to the AT-AT. The legs have nice articulation and the head can move around.The build is difficult to build at times but is still a fun build. The roof on the head can move up and the face can move down so you can put a minifigure in it. There is a six stud shooter that can move around on top that is controlled from the back and two spring loaded shooters in the front. There are canisters on the back that look nice for detail. The panels on the sides can open and has little space inside.

Summary

This is a great set that is worth the $149.99. I don't have an AT-AT set, so this is nice to get but if you do have one you might not want to get it. The build looks good on display and has great play features. The minifigures are good for this set but there are a few generic ones. This is a great big set that is good for playability and display for Star Wars fans.

LEGO has released a model for the first time of the AT-M6 from Star Wars - The Last Jedi, and the set includes 5 minifigures to go with the massive model.

The Model/s:

The intricate design for the AT-M6 is very accurate - I especially like the head design. The legs are posable and offer very similar articulation to the 2014 AT-AT walker.

Almost all fo the side panels open up but sadly the interior play area is very limited (it is designed to only fit 2 minifigures). Also, panels open up on either side to provide ammunition.

On the top, there is a rapid-fire gun (specifically the mega-calibre 6) that uses a six-stud shooter. The massive gun can be moved and fired from the back end of the walker. This adds a lot of play value for this set.

The cockpit has a new printed piece used as a control panel, which is great. However, the cockpit can only fit one minifigure, which is highly inaccurate to the movie.

The Minifigures:

This set includes the exclusive Captain Poe Dameron and Rey. It also includes a Resistance trooper, a First Order Stormtrooper and an AT-M6 Pilot. Rey has an amazing new hairpiece which will be very collectable and Poe is also a great minifigure to get.

The AT-M6 Pilot is cool but I am disappointed how you can now get it in a microfighter. The Resistance trooper and the First Order Stormtrooper are pretty standard, but I would have liked one more Stormtrooper a lot.

Conclusion:

I think that this set is definitely worth getting, even though it is quite pricey - I recommend you wait for it to go on sale. The minifigures are collectable and the walker has a great, playable design - this one is worth picking up for sure.

Thank you for reading and I hope this was very helpful.

Summary

I had always liked to have a walker for my Star Wars collection, and when the First Order Heavy Assault Walker came out it became a viable candidate. Although not as iconic as the original AT-AT, IMHO the AT-M6 (on which this set is based), actually looked better and more menacing. The price of them was holding me back, until I was able to get the set with a decent discount.

Personally, I quite liked the build. It is fairly technical (especially early), but it was fun to see it come together. The end result is quite impressive - big, menacing and quite stable. Its play value is somewhat limited. There is the mega blaster, the stud-shooters, and little place for extra ammo and storm troopers. The legs are posable; to me the stability of the walker is surprisingly good.

Overall, I would say this is a good set, and - especially for Star Wars sets - the price per part is not bad. Yet somehow, seeing the final result, the RRP seems a tad high.

Build experience

The first thing to be noticed: an almost 1400 piece Star Wars set, and NO stickers. Overall it took me a little over 3 hours to build this walker. The build sequence was is logical. One has to pay attention here and there, and some of the connections are quite tight. The core of the AT-M6 makes use of a lot of Technic, and there are some somewhat tricky connections in order to create the slight angles for the side-walls of the torso.

There are quite a few interesting construction techniques used. The designer also has shown quite a nice understanding of Lego geometry in the creation of the various angles and the frame work. The way the legs are constructed is nice to see. Rarely if ever the build threatens to become tedious; closest to that is during the construction of the legs, where there is some repetition.

The minifigures

There are five minifigures in this set: a Stormtrooper and Walker Driver belonging to the First Order, and Rey, Poe Dameron and a Resistance Trooper for the good guys. Only Poe Dameron and the Resistance Trooper are unique.

The prints are well done. Poe's print is subtly detailed, with some nice highlights in the shirt. Rey and Poe have an alternate face. My personal favourite figure is the First Order Walker Driver. Overall, the minifigures are good, but nothing too special, IMHO.

The build

The overall design of the AT-M6 is IMHO quite well done. To me it resembles the walker from the movie well enough. The (few) play features are incorporated very well: the big gun, and the stud shooters. IMHO the head is the best part of the walker.

The off-colour pieces used and the Technic core and bars are generally well hidden from view. Perhaps the only place where there is slight room for improvement is the interior of the legs, though that might have made them too thick. The dark grey plates, alternating with some smooth plates, make for a good looking texture. The light grey pieces in the legs help as well. Also well done are the slight differences in design for both sides The various angles are dealt with by clicking the side-walls into place. This system works well, but the fit is tight. There are IMNO no truly annoying gaps left, apart from (somewhat) in the roof section. However, closing those gaps is impossible due to the mechanism to operate the big studshooter-gun.

It would have been nice to be able to move the head up and down, but that would probably have seriously compromised the design of the neck, or lead to the head 'drooping'. The lateral stability is OK, though there is some flex in the legs and their connection to the body of the walker. That is probably inevitable. I like the posability, and general balance of the AT-M6.

Play vs display

This set has a number of play features, most notably the rotating stud-shooter and the two spring-loaded shooters. Two Stormtroopers can be transported in the belly of the beast, as well as some spare studs and a spare missile. As a display piece this walker is quite impressive, and it would do very well in a slightly larger display in a landscape. In the end, I think this is as much a play as a display piece. The designer has had to compromise between structural rigidity and strength on one side, and playability on the other.

The verdict

Overall I think this is a good set, better than I actually expected before starting the build. That said, the very design of this walker inevitably limits its play value. It also seems to be one of the better 2017 Lego Star Wars sets. The price is high, IMHO slightly too high - at least for Europe. If you consider getting this set, I would argue you look for a discount.

This set, representing the All Terrain MegaCaliber Six walker or the ATM6, is well constructed, and has excellent articulation. However, the distribution of minifigures from the Resistance and the First Order does not work for a First Order set, and the gaps between the outer panels are somewhat of a glaring issue. The set has a place for both First Order minifigures, a six-round cannon that can move forward, backward, and up. It also includes two spring loaded shooters under the cockpit of the walker which can be taken out if they are not desirable. Another huge highlight of the set is the absence of stickers.

There were minimal issues with the building experience. In large, symmetrical sets, building the same thing twice (In this case the legs), can be irritating. Because the legs are relatively small builds, it is not tiring to build them, and a sticker-free build makes it much less stressful and frustrating.

The selection of parts in this set was no issue, and they gave the set an accurate appearance to the movie. However, the panels are not fully attatched, so there are visible gaps between them. Many of the panels do not need to move, so Lego could have found a way to cover up the empty space.

This set is very playable. There are three points of articulation in the back legs, and three in the front (Although the top 'joints' cannot rotate forwards). The cannon on the top has more movement than necessary, but there is nothing in the set for it to shoot at. The spring loaded shooters on the other hand are well mounted and can hit minifigures, and the head can be moved to 'turn' the walker, and dynamically pose it.

The minifigures in this set are appropriate for the price. At the time of this set's release, all the minifigures except for the Stormtrooper were exclusive to the set. Rey and Poe are new variants and desirable minifigures. The Resistance trooper is generic and well-detailed, and the First Order Stormtrooper is the traditional issue that has been used since Fall 2015. The new First Order Walker Driver has exeptional detail on the helmet, as well as the front and back of the torso. The only issues are that a First order set should have more First Order figures than those of the Resistance, and this scene was never created in the film.

This set is an improvement in price for Star Wars sets. The 2015 Millennium Falcon had fewer pieces and cost the same as the walker in the United States, and $10 less than the walker in Canada.

Overall, this is a well made playset. If one really likes walkers, or this specific one, then I do not see why they shouldn't pick it up. As a display piece, it might not be the best choice. It is scaled down from the AT-ATs and it has those unfortunate gaps. Despite its flaws, it is still a wonderful Lego set.