LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan review

As only the second version of the Guardians of the Galaxy ship released to date, is LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan worth the wait?

Included in the January wave of new LEGO Marvel sets is a model that takes fans of the MCU all the way back to the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan recreates the distinctive craft’s appearance during the epic Battle of Xandar, with the team’s surly (and furry) cyborg piloting the ship against Ronan the Accuser’s encroaching fleet.

The build includes the colourful and wide-winged ship itself, which is armed to the teeth, plus minifigures of both Rocket and Ronan the Accuser. While not the most detailed or feature-packed LEGO Marvel set released to date, does the model at least offer plenty of appeal for younger Guardians of the Galaxy fans?

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan set details —

Theme: Marvel Set name: 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan Release: January 1, 2024

Price: £31.99 / $37.99 / €37.99 Pieces: 290

LEGO: Order now

— Where to buy LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan —

76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan can be purchased from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores right now, as well as some third-party retailers.

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan build —

With only 290 pieces included in 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan, this isn’t a LEGO Marvel build you’re going to be sweating over for hours. In fact you’ll find that construction of the ship and its minifigure companions will easily come together in about 30 minutes, which may well be perfect for its target audience.

More experienced builders will therefore have plenty to huff and puff about when assembling 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan, as larger plates and chunkier pieces are used to make the craft instead of more time-consuming assembly methods. The LEGO Marvel set sacrifices detail for solid playability, allowing for plenty of whooshing through the air and firing of its weapons, without the finished vessel suffering any major damage.

The only downside to this is that 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan lacks the intricacy or features present in larger models such as 76255 The New Guardians’ Ship. There’s only room for one character in the opening cockpit, no additional compartments and a lack of any landing gear to access on the decidedly unfinished underside of the LEGO Marvel build.

For a set aimed at a younger demographic, 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan does actually incorporate a surprising number of Technic pieces, primarily used for the construction of its massive engines and mega stud-shooting cannons. Those weapons are supplemented by a pair of spring-shooter missile launchers on the top of the spacecraft, with the vessel’s firepower adequately befitting its trigger-happy pilot. 

Fortunately, there are no stickers included with 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan but only one printed element, a standard slope piece control panel. Two pearlescent 4×4 dish elements give the primarily orange, dark blue and white exterior of the ship’s hull a little bit of pop, but the overall look of the vehicle is still pretty basic.

Considering that this is the only version of the Guardians of the Galaxy spacecraft we’ve received since the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive COMCON034 Rocket Raccoon’s Warbird, it feels as if 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan could have offered a lot more. Still, younger fans of the MCU will no doubt get plenty of play value out of the set and won’t have to break the bank in order to pick up the model.

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan characters —

76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan comes with two minifigures and both characters have previously appeared in other LEGO Marvel sets. However, this Rocket minifigure does at least boast an all-new printed torso piece with brown arms and a small blaster, although the character’s printed head is a reuse from 76254 Baby Rocket’s Ship.

The Ronan the Accuser minifigure debuts a new double-sided printed head and torso pieces, as well as printed legs. The previous version of the character included with 76021 The Milano Spaceship Rescue came with a simple black cloak and black Cosmi-Rod hammer, which have been replaced here with a split cloth accessory and grey iteration of the weapon instead.

One thing this version of Ronan is sorely lacking, though, is the specialist headpiece of its predecessor. The basic black hood feels very plain by comparison.

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan price —

76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan isn’t quite a pocket money-priced purchase, coming in at £31.99 / $37.99 / €37.99 for 290 pieces. However, the LEGO Marvel set is still an affordable model, bringing with it some playability for younger builders and a pair of hero and villain minifigures.

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan pictures —

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan pros and cons —

MCU fans of a certain age probably won’t find too much to enjoy when it comes to 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan. The LEGO Marvel model isn’t that detailed and lacks functionality, making it more of a playset than a dedicated display piece. However, that’s exactly what the build’s primary target audience will be looking for, meaning it’ll probably still find a place in at least a few collections.

76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan may not be the most attractive or satisfying LEGO Marvel set we’ve assembled, but its basic approach to spacecraft construction and a few new minifigure elements might just be enough to win over younger Guardians of the Galaxy fans.

76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan pros	76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan cons
Solid and quick build	Lack of detail and functionality
Some exclusive new minifigure pieces	Underside feels unfinished
Won’t easily break when played with	Where’s Ronan’s proper headgear?

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your copy of 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan using our affiliate links.

— Alternatives to LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan —

For an alternate MCU building experience, you could always pick up 76255 The New Guardians’ Ship. The 1,108-piece build is actually three detachable craft in one and features an opening cockpit, secret compartment, a weapons store, plus three minifigures and is, at the time of this writing, available for £62.99 / $79.99 / €69.99.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, then there’s always 76254 Baby Rocket’s Ship or 80050 Creative Vehicles, with both the LEGO Marvel and Monkie Kid sets coming in at £29.99 / $34.99 / €34.99.

— LEGO Marvel 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan FAQs —