Many of you looking at the reviews and seeing all the people claiming the main reason people aren't recommending this set is it's similarity to the previous ATST, which it is true, but fail to recognise the two key facts, the previous AT ST (if you don't count the first order 'AT ST' (not sure where the 'Transport' fits into that design)) had it's flaws, the centre was a lot less fleshed out. Lego fixed that here, with some nicely designed centre and leg brace. The degisn here is one of the best AT-ST's I've seen, and with the fact this was also official lego, designed for most people to be able to build it and follow the instructions, I find it hard to find a better design. It has it's minor design flaws but the biggest issue I found could be solved quickly. Sometimes it's best to look at a lego set on it's own. They improved the two biggest flaws in the 2016 version, adding more detail and making the mid section perfect.

My biggest fault is playability, it has a lot of play features true, but the top can be a little flimsy and the dual side gun can fall off, I found you can fix this with a rounded hollow stud in the (dome?) piece to make it stick.

Apart from the minor problems with play, it all around looks amazing, the minifig's are perfection, though please give mando his bascar!

I have this sitting on my desk. Overall, I love to look at it and hold it. It does suffer from some playability issues.

Great

• The over all appearance - the angled side panels, the detail and the greebling
• The grey colour tiles. I like this grey better than the light space grey for some of the other iterations of the AT-ST

Neutral

• The bolt launchers. I'll admit they are a bit fun to shoot down the bad guys, but I wouldn't have a big loss if they were not there.
• The build. It is neither annoying nor amazing.

Bad

• The legs can't be re-posed easily.
• The side panels are hung in place. This was a compromise to get those nice angles on them, but it makes the model jangly to and awkward to play with

In 2019 Lego followed the immediate success of The Mandalorian with our first tie-in set. But rather than the most recognisable vehicle in Mando's Razor Crest - which would follow in 2020 - they decided to start with the AT-ST Raider from the episode "Sanctuary".

The Raider followed hot (or at least lukewarm) on the heels of the Imperial AT-ST 75153, released in 2016 as a Rogue One tie-in, and so a lot of the build remains the same. However, despite the similar appearance this new AT-ST carries almost 100 more pieces than its predecessor, and at an increased cost of just £5 you're getting good value as far as price-per-piece goes.

The 540 pieces are split across 4 bags, and took around 2 hours in total to fully assemble. I'll start by saying this is probably the most sticker-heavy set I've built to date, with almost 30 stickers in total. I know a lot of collectors dislike stickers, and obviously younger builders may need help getting the alignment right on them. Personally I'm not normally to fussed about them, but even I found them tedious on this model, so consider yourselves forewarned.

The body (or head, whichever you'd prefer) of the AT-ST is a fun build, with the base and cockpit coming together early as quite an intricate system, integrating the head-turning function and spring-loaded shooter firing. After attaching the legs, the side panels and roof are assembled separately before attaching. The roof is certainly nice and stable, but the side panels aren't attached in the most sturdy way, and I almost knocked one off the first time I picked it up. Moral of the story? Don't try and carry it by gripping the sides of its head.

The legs are a little trickier to build, mainly comprising of Technic pieces which need to be lined up and pegged together. At this point I'll point out there is an error in the instruction manual when building the right (brown) leg. It's not a huge error which would cause a mis-build, but the initial "you need these pieces" instruction calls for 2 of a certain joint piece instead of 1, leaving you scratching your head and trying to figure out where your extra piece goes. The left (red) leg is error-free, but a bit more fiddly as it utilises a few rubber whips to represent hydraulic cables. This added level of detail really helps bring the model to life, but can be a bit tricky to get a couple of the cables to fit, and would be another area younger builders may struggle with.

Once the build is finished, you've got a very nice set. The colossal number of stickers do add to the overall look, as do the brown, red and darker grey panels, giving a more distinctive look than the classic Imperial AT-ST. This, together with the hydraulic cables on the one side, certainly gives the image of a walker which has been cannibalised by a group of raiders.

Playability wise, there's a decent amount going on. The head swivels left and right, using a dial at the back of the chassis. The front blasters and side guns can all tilt, and the twin spring-loaded shooters can be fired through hidden push-buttons beneath the head-swivel dial. The cockip hatch can be lifted up, and also the entire top of the head swings open, allowing easy access to place a pilot inside.

Side-by-side with the Imperial model, there isn't much obviously different. There's a slight change in the shape of the "eyes", beefier looking main blasters, extra plating on the legs, and some exposed engine work at the rear of the chassis, but nothing that stands out as glaringly obvious unless you have the two models together.

The minifigure selection on this set is great, but the figures themselves aren't without flaws. The 2 Klatooinian Raiders are very cool, with some nice printing on the torsos and legs, and the neck and shoulder armour giving them an extra sinister edge. Both of these only come with a single facial expression, but this is forgivable on generic bad-guy minifigs. Mando himself is one of the big draws of the set. At the time of release this was the only way to get a minifigure of the show's titular character, and at the time of writing it's still the cheapest way. The detail on his torso is great, but it's a bit of a sore point amongst collectors that he's wearing his armour from the first two episodes, instead of the beskar armour which gives him his iconic look. Especially seeing as this is what he was wearing by this point in the series. The other downside to Mando is that he just has a plain, black, faceless head under his helmet. This is more forgivable than the armour gaffe as they may have been trying to avoid spoilers, so maybe we'll get a Pedro Pascal-faced Mando (in his beskar) when the season 2 tie-ins come out.

The final minifigure is that of Cara Dune, and at the time of writing this is still the only set to feature her, so is an essential purchase if you want the whole gang from the season 1 finale. Cara again has great printing on her legs and torso, and two facial expressions to choose from - angry, or calm and collected. The only issue I had with her is that her hair piece, as nice as it is, sits over her shoulder so snugly that it prevents her head from being turned. I do like to display my sets a bit dynamically, so to have a character who can only face forwards (or lose half her face behind her hair) is a bit of a let down.

So overall, you're getting good value for money as far as price-per-piece goes, a lot of playability, an excellent minifigure selection, and a model with a lot of nice detailing and character. If you already have an earlier AT-ST, especially the 75153 from 2016, then it might be worth considering if your really want an almost-identical model in a different colour scheme, or if that Cara Dune miniature is worth the cost of the whole set.

So I've already reviewed 75153 and since this set is so similar I'll let you read that review to learn about the build, very little has changed this time around. So for this review I will focus on the differences and whether it is worth getting this set.

I'll start by saying that I had no intention of purchasing this set given that I have the AT-ST that came out just 3 years earlier. However, when I saw this brand new at a garage sale for $30 it seemed foolish not to jump at the opportunity, besides, I do need to have several AT-ST's if I'm to recreate Endor. Plus I was planning on purchasing the Cara Dune minifigure to go inside my Razor Crest, so why not just buy the set at a bargain price.

Minifigures

First up is Mando, who sadly is wearing his old armor that it appears will be his only Lego outfit for the immediate future, despite the fact that he had new beskar at this point in time on the show. I must say that I do like his vaporizer but I would have loved it if they had figured out a way to hang it on his back, although I realize the cape makes that very difficult. Overall it is a nice minifigure, I'm just sad that I'll be getting an exact copy with the Razor Crest.

Cara Dune is the reason why I really wanted the set, and it is a very good representation of her. There is one glaring omission however, she doesn't have her tattoo on her arm which was a very significant detail in the show. I also don't recall her having such a long blaster, in fact she borrows Mando's vaporizer to take down the AT-ST. I'm not sure if she will have much of a role in the next season seeing how she stays behind, so it's good to get this minifigure when you can because we may not see her again. I imagine that Ahsoka will be the big in demand minifigure next season.

The Klatooinian Raiders are nice, and I do like how they have different stuff around their heads. The minifigures remind a lot of orcs from the LOTR line, which could be a simple way to build up the rest of the army. Overall, despite sharing the same head and legs, they are incredibly detailed and very different from one another. Definitely good minifigures to add to the collection even if they don't play a major role.

Now I would have loved it if Lego included a villager or two as they did play a very significant role in the battle and you never get regular people in Star Wars sets, so this would have been their chance. Especially since it seems reasonable to believe that Mando's potential girlfriend could come back into the show at some point.

Model

As for the detailing on the model, obviously it is much more colorful and has a lot of design. Of course most of that design comes from the 28 stickers that you will need to apply, so if you are opposed to stickers, this isn't a set for you. I will say that the stickers really add a lot of character to the set and make it a rather unique model for the Star Wars line. But the detailing goes beyond the stickers and includes wiring as well. There are two not very noticeable paint rollers, but the main detail are the 3 whips (2 of which are highly visible) that really distinguish this set from others and look fantastic. Yes, you probably do want boring gray for a more accurate Endor, but this model really does look better.

Unfortunately, since not much has changed from 75153, we still have a problem where the legs can not be articulated. While the model does stand very well on its own, I would have gladly given up some stability for some more movement. You simply can't do much with this set when the only joint is at the hips.

Overall

If you already have 75153 I would say you could easily give this set a skip. If you don't, this is a wonderful set to add to your collection if you don't mind the decorations. I view the decorations as a plus, but that is because I already own a plain gray one, and if you are only going to own one, you may very well want just a plain gray one.

If you are getting this for the minifigures, Mando will be in the Razor Crest, the Klatooinian Raiders are nice, but not horribly important. Cara Dune is the real prize here, and despite missing her tattoo, you will want to pick her up while you have the chance. If you have plans to purchase her minifigure on Bricklink, May I suggest you just look for the set cheap somewhere. You will definitely be glad to have it.

Minifigures

This set comes with four minifigures. They are the Mandalorian, Cara Dune, and two Klatoonian raiders.

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian has a gun metal gray helmet, A blank black head, a gray cape, His body has a print that shows his reddish armour. There is a brown stripe across the armour, and he has a belt. On the back there is also printing for his armour, a stripe, and a belt. His lego have printing that shows a tan knee pad on the left and a reddish brown knee pad on the right.

Cara Dune

Cara Dune has a black hair piece that goes around her shoulder, She has a face that is angry on one side and happy on the other side. She has a gun metal gray body that has printing that shows straps and a collar on the front and a nice design on the back. She has dark blue legs with a bright blue print in the top and some darker print below that.

Klatoonian raider 1

The first Klatoonian raider has a gun metal gray helmet, an alien face that matches what the character looks like is the show. He has a shoulder pad on the right side that has some spikes on it. His body print has some details for some straps, a necklet, and a belt. On the back side of his body he has some strap printing also. He has olive green legs with some printing for some sort of fabric or cloth.

Klatoonian raider 2

The second Klatoonian raider has the same head as the other Klatoonian raider. He has some sort of necklet that is in the color gun metal gray that goes around his head. His body print shows a belt, and a tooth necklet or something. On the back of hiss body he has a print for a belt. He has the same legs as the other Klatoonian raider.

Build

This set comes with only one build and it is the AT-ST.

AT-ST

First I want to say that I got the wrong piece and it is on the right side of the AT-ST and it is part if the gun on the right. I got piece 65098 instead of piece 32138. They look almost the same but the end pieces do not fit in. I will start with the legs of the walker. The foot on the left is more brown and the other one is more gray.

The left leg is mostly red with some white stripe sticker detail. The right leg has mostly brown stickers with some white stripe detailing. The left leg has some wires hanging off of the leg and the other one does not.

The body of the All-Terrain-Scout-Transport is mostly brown with some gray and black pieces mixed in. The front of the body has some stripe details and a couple of grill pieces. Below that there is the place that the wire connects to the body on the AT-ST. On the sides of the walker there are some sticker details that show some sort is circle things on it. In the middle and the back of the AT-ST there are some paint roller pieces in black that are supposed to be wires I think. The back of the walker has two 2x2 tiles that have a sticker that has a print of a vent or something on it and in between that there is a knob that can turn the head but you can also turn the head without the knob.

Speaking of the head I will move on the head of the AT-ST next. The bottom of the head has two spring-loaded shooters that you can fire if you push on the two cones on the back of the head. Also, on the back of the head there are two 2x2 round tiles with a sticker that shows some sort of gear. The sides of the AT-ST both have some Nexo Knights shield pieces in light gray that looks cool to me and next to that there is a big gun that is not the same on both sides. The left side has a blaster that has two places to shoot out of (It can't actually shoot) and is has a stripe sticker connected to it. Also, I got the wrong piece for the blaster that is on the left but I already said that. The blaster of gun on the other side is not as big and it is built with a no-friction ball joint on it. Both sides of the head have a stripe sticker on it, but they are slightly different. The front if the head has a nice design. On a sticker that is right above the main gun. Above both of those there are the “eyes” of the AT-ST that have the “Eyebrows” above it. The top of the head has some sloped grill pieces and a hatch that has a 2x2 round tile that has a sticker for the handle of the hatch. The hatch can open up or you can open the whole top up.

The inside of the AT-ST has a small amount of space but it is enough to put a minifig into. The inside of the head has a seat for the driver and a control panel in front of it. Behind the chair there is a place to put a blaster.

My opinions

In my opinion this is a good set even though I got the wrong piece. This set has lots of details and I like that it does. This set has lots of stickers and I would prefer if they were prints, but I am fine that they are stickers. If you can get a good deal on this set I would recommend that you should buy this set.