LEGO Star Wars 40771 TIE Fighter with Imperial Hangar Rack GWP review

LEGO Star Wars 40771 TIE Fighter with Imperial Hangar Rack is a gift-with-purchase meant to tempt day-one buys of 75419 Death Star, but this is no Jedi mind trick – just a bad motivator.

Available exclusively with 75419 Death Star at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores from October 1 to 7 (or while stocks last), 40771 TIE Fighter with Imperial Hanger Rack is the latest set-specific gift-with-purchase to roll out of Billund – and the first to accompany a set with a $1,000 price tag. That’s a problem.

GWPs are supposed to incentivise purchases (it’s in the name). They’re the little extras the LEGO Group throws in to push fans towards that day-one buy, usually dangling either an exclusive minifigure or a cleverly-scaled-down build that adds to the desirability of both the freebie and the larger set or price point it’s tied to.

When done right (think 40765 Kamino Training Facility or 40770 Hogwarts Castle: Room of Requirement) a GWP can feel like a real treat, a slice of added value that justifies the hit to your wallet. Sometimes, it’s even enough to lure collectors over to the dark side of day one spending. Unfortunately, 40771 TIE Fighter with Hangar Rack GWP fails to deliver on any of those fronts.

What should have been a neat microscale companion to 75419 Death Star instead looks more like something from the 4+ range. The build is extremely basic, lacking the refined shaping and design cues you’d expect from even a mid-tier Star Wars set. At this scale, smart use of parts can achieve wonders – but this simply isn’t that. It’s less Empire’s finest, more Ewok’s toy chest.

The minifigure selection does little to sweeten the deal. While it’s never unwelcome to get another TIE pilot, there’s nothing exclusive about it – arm printing wouldn’t have gone amiss – and the inclusion of two Stormtroopers feels like filler. In fact, much like a Stormtrooper’s aim, this minifigure line-up completely misses the mark. Compare this to other GWPs that have offered new prints or genuinely desirable characters, and the shortcomings are obvious.

The LEGO Group clearly intends for the model to be displayed inside the cavernous hangar of the UCS Death Star. But rather than enhancing the larger set, it actually undermines it: the toy-like simplicity of this GWP clashes horribly with the detailed aesthetics of the UCS model, creating a jarring mismatch. Instead of a sleek display piece, it looks like a child’s plaything plonked inside an adult collector’s centrepiece.

The real dealbreaker, though, is in the details – or lack thereof. A TIE Fighter is literally named for its Twin Ion Engines. Yet here, there’s not even a token effort to represent them. For Star Wars purists, that’s a glaring omission, and one that instantly removes any credibility this set might have had.

The side build is arguably the highlight. The maintenance trolley is thoughtfully designed and does fit neatly into the hangar environment, and the inclusion of a couple of printed Imperial crates is a nice touch. Ironically, it’s the little service cart firing on all cylinders that becomes this set’s unexpected new hope. But when the best part of your TIE Fighter set isn’t the TIE Fighter, that tells its own story.

Ultimately, 40771 TIE Fighter with Imperial Hangar Rack muddies the water of who the LEGO Group thinks the UCS Death Star is actually for. The battle station itself is pitched squarely at collectors, serious fans willing to part with serious money. This add-on, by contrast, feels like an afterthought. When Aunt Beru’s kitchen proves a more enticing Star Wars free gift than an iconic starfighter, you know something’s gone awry.

This is not the GWP you are looking for.

40771 TIE Fighter with Imperial Hangar Rack is available exclusively with 75419 Death Star from October 1 to 7, or while stocks last. Check out our review of the new UCS Death Star here.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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