First Impressions: LEGO Star Wars Rogue One

With the LEGO Star Wars launch range for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story now officially announced, Brick Fanatics looks at each regular set to see what fans have to prepare for.

The upcoming LEGO Star Wars Rogue One sets have now officially been revealed. In a year filled with what many have labeled disappointing rehashes (Death Star, Hoth, etc.) a shot of fresh material into the Star Wars galaxy is a welcome sight. Five craft, four of which have never before been seen in the brick – or anywhere for that matter – have come together to create one of the strongest and, surprisingly, affordable waves of Star Wars sets we have seen in a long time.

75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank:

• 385 pieces
• £34.99, $29.99, €39.99

Many will be quick to note the similarities between this set and the much maligned 75110 First Order Snowspeeder which won the undesirable label of being the runt of the Force Awakens sets.While there are a lot of similarities, this set may fare better if it actually appears in the film which was 75110’s main disappointment. Overall, this set looks good, plus has excellent parts and appears to have a storage area. It might have been better as a larger and more souped up troop transport similar to 75078 Imperial Troop Transport. That set, which featured prominently in multiple Rebels episodes, is one worth buying multiple copies of for a big display; troop transports done right and backed up by being major players in the story are awesome. We will see whether this set falls into that category when the movie is released.

75153 AT-ST Walker:

• 449 pieces
• £39.99, $39.99, €49.99

75153 is the only set of this line which is technically a remake. With that being said, this set blows its older brothers completely out of the water. Simply put there has never been a more realistic or detailed minifigure-scale copy of the AT-ST in LEGO form. I love the new head design, the proportions and that the designers did not include any off colours like the yellow which tarnished the look of 75083 AT-DP. Additionally the price vs. piece count and minifigure selection is outstanding, making for an excellent value set.

75154 TIE Striker:

• 543 pieces
• £59.99, $69.99, €69.99

This ship is tremendously intriguing. We have never seen a TIE fighter designed solely for atmospheric flight which the set description explains is the case with this TIE Striker. This intended use explains the horizontal alignment of the wings. Despite the craft being intriguing, the set does not immediately catch the eye beyond the glaring differences between it and a normal TIE. The splashes of blue are an odd aesthetic choice. These misgivings aside, the set will be popular if it is involved in some exciting sequences like last year’s 75101 First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter was over the deserts of Jakku.

75155 Rebel U-wing Fighter:

• 659 pieces
• £69.99, $79.99, €79.99

The Rebel fleet was really in need of a new fighter from the LEGO Group’s perspective. It would take more than one person’s fingers and toes to count the number of X-Wings, A-Wings, Y-Wings and B-Wings through the years. Hopefully this ship figures prominently in the new movie as the design is great. With its rotating wings it appears to be designed for transitioning between space and atmospheric flight which is a really cool possibility that hasn’t really been seen in the Star Wars universe before. On top of being a cool looking model, the minifigure selection is absolutely solid, including the only copy of Jyn Erso to be part of the initial wave.

75156 Krennic’s Imperial Shuttle:

• 863 pieces
• £79.99, $89.99, €99.99

The LEGO Group saved the best for last. Kylo Ren’s shuttle from last year was sharply criticized for its price and awful wing design (not completely the set design team’s fault as the wings didn’t articulate fully in the movie either). This set though is everything an evil shuttle should be. The double decker design is awesome, and the space inside might mean that all the Imperial figures are able to fit inside – that would be welcome. Also, the rare cockpit from 8095 General Grevious’ Starfighter in black is an excellent addition. Exclusive K-2S0, Director Krennic, Death Troopers and more provide six varied minifigures (generous for a set of this size).

Overall I am very impressed with the LEGO Group’s efforts. The piece and minifigure counts figured against the price are some of the best value fans have seen in Star Wars for some time. All of the models look like solid builds too, meaning fans will be looking forward to getting their hands on these from 30 September.