LEGO Star Wars 75149 Resistance X-Wing Fighter review

The LEGO Group has released a squadron’s worth of X-wings through the years as part of the Star Wars theme. Is the most recent effort worth paying out more starfighter cash for? 

Price: £84.99 / $79.99 / €89.99 (DE)  Pieces: 740 Available: Now

75149 Resistance X-wing Fighter was released as part of the Summer 2016 range, around six months after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This was the second X-Wing I ever purchased – my first was the very original, 7140 X-wing Fighter from the first wave of Star Wars sets in 1999. That one looks a bit dated, so with the release of the Force Awakens I decided it was high time for an upgrade – and what an upgrade it is.

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The High Points

The moment I was sold on the Force Awakens was during the scene in one of the early trailers when the squadron of X-wings comes flying in low over the water, to defend what we would come to know was Maz Kanata’s castle. The sweeping score and those familiar, yet obviously more refined silhouettes, gave me goosebumps. That profiles is captured nearly perfectly in this model. Looking at this ship from the side is a delight, its curves are graceful to the point of bordering on being seductive.

Far from a merely ornamental build, this set is made up of solid construction – it can easily withstand the invitation to swoosh. The colour scheme is gorgeous, with a perfect mix of different blues and greys. Landing gears have been included in X-Wing sets for a while now, but my last experience was the first model ever, so I was delighted with the hideaway retractable foot in the nose of the ship. While we are on the nose, it is a great example of how clever building techniques can be incorporated into even models of this size. An ingenious bit of construction using wings and hinges gives a very subtle slope change which enables the X-Wing’s distinctive shape to be captured perfectly.

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Four minifigures are included in this set, all are superb, and two are exclusive. This version of Poe Dameron and Lor San Tekka can only be found in 75149. I really like this version of Poe with his jacket and unkempt shirt. The First Order Flametrooper is only available in one other set – 75103 First Order Transport. Poe’s faithful companion BB-8 makes his fourth appearance here.

The Low Points

Resistance X-Wing Starfighter contains only two low points from my perspective. The first is the bit of scenery. LEGO designers have taken to including these small ancillary builds in sets lately, and it’s a trend I hate. Yes, I recognise that it is supposed to cement the fact that this is the X-wing from the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the presence of Lor San Tekka already does that. These little side builds just inevitably get separated from the main model and do not add a lot of value.

The other feature I don’t care for is the exposed rubber bands which facilitate the opening and closing of the X-wing’s S-foils. The function works admirably, but it cannot be denied that the mechanism is unsightly. I wish that the exploding moisture vaporator side build had been scrapped in exchange for a few more parts to hide these rubber bands.

The Build

Construction begins with the moisture vaporator. Simple and boring, there is nothing to see there – ‘move along’. The X-wing on the other hand is a delight. Detailed, sturdy, and larger than I was expecting, its sleek form grows from the back, down its nose and then out to the wings.

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There is a bit of SNOT construction in the engines and, as mentioned previously, the nose incorporates some clever building to attain its unique shape. The construction of the S-foils is simultaneously the only notably tricky, but also boring part of the build. Four mirror image wings get a bit monotonous out of necessity. They also hang quite loosely to the point of being problematic until the rubber bands are added.

Conclusion

My take on this set is not entirely objective – my point of comparison is the LEGO Group’s very first blocky rendition of this ship. In that context, 75149 looks like a Porsche next to a Honda Civic. The evolution of the LEGO versions of this starfighter have been gradual, so I am guessing folks who have one of the last few renditions would not find this one quite the revelation I did (I understand that 75102 Poe’s X-wing Fighter is an almost identical build). That said, if you have one of the older X-wings and are ready for a new one, then this set is a great upgrade that I highly recommend.

75149 Resistance X-wing Fighter is available now from shop.LEGO.com. You can help support Brick Fanatics’ work by using our affiliate links.

Author Profile

Daniel
When I was 3 years old my dad bought home 6659 TV Camera Crew as a gift — he had no idea what he had just unleashed. Three decades and no dark age later, I am still going strong. My love of LEGO led me to a career in Civil Engineering and I am now raising three budding LEGO lovers with my lovely wife who is, bless her, a huge supporter of my brick addiction. When not writing for Brick Fanatics or fulfilling my duties as the U.S. Editor of Blocks Magazine I enjoy collecting, MOCing, exhibiting, as well as running, climbing and home improvement.

Daniel

When I was 3 years old my dad bought home 6659 TV Camera Crew as a gift — he had no idea what he had just unleashed. Three decades and no dark age later, I am still going strong. My love of LEGO led me to a career in Civil Engineering and I am now raising three budding LEGO lovers with my lovely wife who is, bless her, a huge supporter of my brick addiction. When not writing for Brick Fanatics or fulfilling my duties as the U.S. Editor of Blocks Magazine I enjoy collecting, MOCing, exhibiting, as well as running, climbing and home improvement.

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