[Review] 6212 X-wing Fighter

[Brickdoctor]

Note: Two of the pictures in this review under the Finished Model section (Side view and Head-on view) aren't showing up on my end, but a RA Teacher can see them just fine. Thought I'd warn you ahead of time that those two pics may or may not display properly, and I'd appreciate it if you could tell me after you finish reading this review whether or not you can see them. Thanks in advance; on to the review!

Title picture without text.

It's one of the most iconic ships in the history of Star Wars, piloted by the two of the most iconic Rebel pilots ever, with all but one of the main protagonist characters. And it's the oldest LEGO Star Wars set of all time to still be for sale from TLG. It's the Incom T-65 Space Superiority Starfighter, but most people know it simply as the X-wing. This was one of those sets that I decided was good, but not good enough to dissuade me from buying some $100+ sets instead. Every year I put it off and every year I said, "Brickdoctor, you've missed out." And every year, 6212 was still on the shelves. Why is it so successful? Did I make the right choice by at long last purchasing it? Time to find out.

Set Name: X-wing Fighter

Set Number: 6212-1

Ages: 8-12

Number of Pieces: 437

Minifigures: 6

MSRP: 49.99 USD

Theme: Star Wars

Year of Release: 2006

Official Shop@Home Data:

Fly with the heroes of the Rebel Alliance!

Build one of the most famous ships of the Star Wars™ saga! In the hands of the Rebel Alliance’s brave pilots, the X-wing starfighter helped to destroy two massive Death Stars™. With S-foil wings that open to attack position, folding landing gear, a cargo hold and lots of authentic details, this Star Wars set includes the first-ever LEGO minifigure of Rebel hero Wedge Antilles, as well as several hard-to-find characters.

>Features parts to customize your starfighter as either Luke Skywalker’s™ Red Five or Wedge’s Red Two X-wing!

>Includes Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia™, Han Solo™, Chewbacca™ and R2-D2™ minifigures.

Before I even touch the set itself, I notice an error here. Notice how the description mentions 'Red Five' and 'Red Two'. You probably know those as the callsigns for Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, respectively, during the Battle of Yavin. But now look at the wing markings on the X-wing: There are three red stripes. That would make this the Red Three X-wing, flown by Biggs Darklighter, who isn't included in the set. Now an argument can be made that this set is set on Hoth, and Wedge flew his Snowspeeder under the number three callsign during the Battle of Hoth, (Zev Senesca flew as #2) but that was as Rogue Three. The description specifically mentions Red Squadron. And if you look inside the instruction booklet, there Wedge is listed as Red Three! So TLG is evidently had a communication issue or got seriously mixed up when designing this set. But this is really a minor gripe that's easily fixed, as we shall see.

Other Resources:

Bricklink

Brickset

Peeron

Brickshelf Gallery

LDD Model

SiegDex

The Box:

Here we have the front of the box. As a testament to it's age, the banner design across the top is that of the 2005-2006 sets, and on this box has outlasted three other banners and counting. This image reinforces the Hoth setting of the set. The X-wing is clearly flying away from Hoth, and Hoth-edition minifigs are show in the minifig lineup in the bottom right. We also see two bubbles and a line of text at the bottom left, all set on red, declaring the primary features in English and French. Box art shows the X-wing flying away pursued by TIE/ln fighters, who are cleverly silhouetted by an explosion, avoiding the possible assumption that this set included TIEs. There are a few apparently stray laser bolts, but they're coming from Hoth itself, so they could possibly be coming from the ion cannon. The box has a matte finish, but the X-wing and portions of its exhaust are overlaid with a semi-glossy film.

On the back of the box we get the normal advertisements and play feature shots:

Sadly, despite being the oldest set currently in production, this set does not have a picture of an alternate build, even though it's all but unchanged from it's predecessor which did have an alternate model, 4502-1. The advertisement is very small, and depicts the Battle of Endor, as if you weren't confused enough already about which battle this set is really supposed to be from. It's not very useful, though, since none of the other sets are still in production. And then you have five play feature shots, which are set on Hoth, like they should be.

Here's the minifig lineup shown for scale on the top panel:

This shot is also appropriately set on Hoth. I like the way they arranged the minifigs here, with each one related in some way to the minifigs next to it. Not like in some newer sets, where the good guys and bad guys are all mixed up. Luke and Wedge are both Rebel pilots in orange. Wedge and R2 both fly in X-wings. R2 is Leia's droid. Leia is (eventually) married to Han. Han and Chewie are best friends.

The Contents:

Here are the contents of the box. No numbered polybags, which is no surprise for a set from this era, and frankly, I like it. Speaking of bags, the middle bag in the left column is the kind with a bunch of little holes in it - don't really see those around much nowadays. And also, there are two of the big bags in the farthest top right, stacked for the purposes of this photo. The instruction booklet comes folded in half, and there are no stickers. All in all, the bags look nice and full with the exception of the two big ones that contain all the big parts, and this looks like a nice amount for the money.

The Instruction Booklet:

The front of the instructions show the same art as the box, without any extra information. This, as you probably know, is typical of a LEGO set.

Then inside are several spreads:

The first shows the play features.

The second...

...shows the advertisement. Actually, despite the fact that this advertisement casts this an Ep. 5 set in an Ep. 6 battle is forgivable, since it nicely integrates a lot of the other sets. All the others are Ep. 6 sets, save the Star Destroyer playset, which includes elements of both Ep. 4 and Ep. 5.

Moving on, the third spread...

...has the parts inventory.

And the fourth and final spread...

...includes mail-in advertisements for the LEGO Club and the Shop@Home catalog. Ah, the good ol' days. (okay, not that old considering how long TLG's been around) They just don't do things that way anymore...

And finally, the back of the book:

Oh look! No annoying 'WIN!' kid! Instead, there's an advertisement for the LEGO Star Wars II video game. Personally, I think if TLG is going to keep making this set, they need to at least redesign the box and instructions. Sooner or later, someone's going to get mad that they can't buy the advertised sets, and LSW2 has long since been rendered obsolete by LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

Here's a sample page:

We get standard part callouts and Technic axle measurement guides set on light blue and equally standard sub-steps set on light yellow. Everything is set on a dark grey starry backdrop, another aspect in which this set is the last of its kind. Color definition is excellent, like many instructions of this era, the black and dark grey/bley colors are easily differentiated, although the colors are a tad greenish. Overall, a very well done instruction booklet of a quality we just don't see anymore nowadays.

The PIeces:

Bags One and Two:

First off, the contents of Bags One and Two, which are identical. They contain an assortment of larger pieces, mostly for the wings. Nothing really interesting here. The Bricks 1 x 4 with Four Studs are nice, but being molded in blue greatly decreases their usefulness.

Bag Three:

Bag Three has all the medium-large pieces. You can see the trans-clear gearbox, the canopy, some of the torsos, and the cardboard envelope containing the six rubber bands. In the original set, those would have come wrapped around a rubber band holder, but those aren't made anymore.

Bag Four:

Most of the mid-size elements are contained in Bag Four. They're a diverse variety of Technic, System, or both. We see R2's head, the rest of the torsos, and the minifig legs are also here.

Bag Five:

More mid-size pieces. R2's legs, some heads, and the Rebel pilots are the minifig elements. There's also the printed targeting screen and wing markings for Red Five.

Bag Six:

Lots of red plating here. Two Rebel Mechanical tiles complete the printed parts collection, and Leia's hair is seen in the lower right.

Bag Seven:

We're starting to get into the smaller pieces now. Lots of Technic connectors, some 1 x 2 plates, and some dishes, both normal and inverted. And look down there at the bottom...a chrome lightsaber hilt. This is the lone remaining set where you can still get one of these classic pieces. We also see the results of this set being produced for so long: some of the Technic pieces have since been replaced and no longer match the inventory.

Bag Eight:

And here is the last bag with all the teeny parts. We see jumper plates, nice; neck brackets, nice; Technic bushings, nice; 1 x 1 tiles, nice; small Technic pins with balls - there's nothing not to like in this bag!

On that high note, here are the notable pieces: Since you probably don't want to see 90% of Bag Eight all over again, I narrowed it down to the extremely useful or interesting.

We've got the three printed parts; always nice to see those instead of stickers, plus these are pretty useful ones too boot. The neck bracket is indispensable for good SNOT building, and of course, we have the lovely chrome lightsaber hilt. For more info, here are the Bricklink entries:

Tile 2 x 2 with SW Rebel Mechanical Pattern

Slope 45 2 x 2 with SW Trench Computer Pattern

Tile 1 x 4 with 5 Red Stripes Pattern

Light Bluish Gray Minifig, Neck Bracket with Back Stud

Chrome Silver Minifig, Weapon Lightsaber Hilt Straight

The Minifigures:

And here they are! Chances are they were one of the major factors in your decision if you decided to buy the set already, and if you plan on buying they're bound to be one of the big things to consider. Firstly, the selection: Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles, R2-D2, Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. Save for Wedge, they're all protagonist main characters in the Original Trilogy. (not to say that Wedge is unimportant - he's the only pilot to have survived two fully-armed Death Stars in a snubfighter) In fact, the only main good guy missing from the lineup is C-3PO. This makes this set an ideal 'Starter Pack' for anyone looking to get into LEGO Star Wars, and it's also great for adding to your ranks of heroes. It is worth noting that the set I got had Han with the new pupilized face. The one you get could have pupilized Han, pupilized Luke, neither, or both, and there really is no way of telling, unless you bought yours before around 2008, in which case you should have both non-pupilized faces.

Here they are from the back:

None of them have back printing, unless you count the back of R2's dome and the back of Chewie's bandolier, both of which are technically double-sided head prints. None of the minifigs have any prints on their sides.

Now that we've seen them all, front and back, it's time for some comparisons!

Firstly, the new and old Rebel Pilot Suit and new and old Luke faces. Unfortunately, I do not own the new Red 5 helmet, so Luke is still wearing the old one here:

The newer minifig is on the right. For the face, you could get either in this set. As for the torso, as of the time of this writing you will get the old one (left) in this set. The newer face I personally doesn't look any more Luke-ish, but at least you won't confuse him with young Obi-Wan. (who has the same face as the older Luke) The new Rebel Pilot has more buttons, an air tube, back printing, and you can now see the creases of his orange jumpsuit underneath the chest plate.

Next, the new and old R2-D2s:

You can see that the newer one has a grey dome as opposed to the older white one, and the details of the dome print have been enlarged. You can also tell if you look really close that printing on the torso is a little thicker on the newer one. As of the time of this writing, you will get the older R2 in this set.

Lastly, a comparison of the new and old Han Solo (Hoth) minifigs:

It is interesting to note that with the retirement of the 10^th Anniversary Echo Base set (7749) this older version has now outlasted its successor. (although you can still find the 7749 set in some select stores, but it is no longer in production) As with Luke, you could get either of these faces in this set. (also interesting to note - the 7749 set has the older face, so the older face is on the right in this comparison, but the older minifig as a whole is on the left) There is no difference in torso print here, the only difference in legs is the color, and this set's Han does not come with the hood.

Now that we've seen the minifigs, on to the build!

The Build:

The Gearbox:

The first step is to build the core of the model, which for the purposes of this set's primary play feature is a big gearbox. You start nice and simple with the prefabricated trans-clear gearbox itself, then add on Technic bricks for the wings to hinge on, and finally bulk it out and add landing supports. This takes nineteen simple steps to complete.

The Bottom Wing(s):

The wing starts off with a stack of plates since, as with most any LEGO set, that's what a wing essentially is. Then you add the Technic bricks and gun onto the bottom, and the engine goes on the top. Nine quick and easy steps and the lower port wing is done.

All of the wings are built with two of their Technic pins not fully inserted, so you can neatly align them with the gearbox and push the pins in to attach them:

This build is then mirrored for the lower starboard wing.

The Top Wing(s):

That being done, the obvious next step is the top wings. They follow the same basic pattern as the bottom wings, but since the studs in relation to the center of the gearbox have now changed directions, there's a little adjustment involved. In this case, that's an extra flip-over of the wing to add the tan boat studs to allow the Technic struts on the gearbox to slide freely. This takes eleven steps, two more than the bottom wings. They're connected in the same way and then the build is mirrored to complete the last wing.

The Cargo Bay:

Before we move on, we do have to attach one piece: the white canopy element that forms the cargo bay. We are also instructed to put Luke's lightsaber inside it.

The Nose:

Even though that sounds like a nice, short step, remember, the X-wing is basically all nose. We start with a base of the cockpit that's quite colorful, and add on the hinged sides of the nose itself.

Then we add in the sensor nose cone and some tiles:

And we also begin to bulk out the cockpit area. You can see the Astromech droid socket beginning to form at this stage.

All that's left now is essentially the upper half of the nose:

Plating is attached to the top which locks the hinges in place and prevents them from wobbling. The cockpit canopy is attached with click hinges and secured. We're told to seat R2 in his socket at this time. The nose is attached to the gearbox via a pair of Technic bricks, and the model is complete.

Here are the leftovers, not including the tiles used to change to the Red, uh, TwoThreeRogueThree Wedge's X-wing:

The Finished Model:

And here you can see the fruits of your efforts: your very own Incom T-65 X-wing Space Superiority starfighter. But just how superior is it? Here's a reference pic:

In my mind, the most glaring error is that the set is white, not grey, but I know that depends on your point of view and compared to darker grey ships and ships like the Y-wing that really are white, so I'll let that slip. So firstly, notice the guns: the 'real' ones are huge compared to the puny things on this set. And they don't have a dish on them. Then there's the cockpit. TLG got lazy and molded one design for the Y-wing set, and then decided it was fine for this set too. Admittedly, it's not as bad as it looks on the Snowspeeder, but it's still ugly here. Now notice the engines: the 'real' ones have slats in the intakes and the skinnier rear half is off-centered. The set falls short in both regards. The final major error is the nose. The 'real' one is a tapering hexagonal shape, whilst the set is a square with slanted sides. Blech.

Moving on to the back view:

That's the back end of the set. Note the big gear attached to the back for moving the wings.

Here's a reference pic. It's a little dark, but the shapes are still evident.

First off, note how the wings when closed on the 'real' X-wing sit flush against one another. This would have been simple for the set had the wings been both oriented studs-out. As it is, it's now impossible for the set wings to touch without tiling over the whole bottom wing. Now I'm sure you've noticed those big giant purple exhaust trails on the 'real' one. But does the set have them? No. It has orange trails. I don't know if it's because of the rarity of the color, but TLG has made this mistake before, in the podracer power couplings. And finally, the 'real' X-wing has a hexagonal back end of the fuselage. Like with the nose, TLG has done a square. An octagon at best. Now hexagons aren't the easiest shapes in LEGO form, but there are a number of ways to do them that are within the strength standards a set has to meet.

Here's the inside of the cockpit:

No reference image this time. The one thing I want to point out is that TLG has printed the screen from the torpedo targeting display onto the control panel. This screen would be seen by the pilot inside the little retracting targeting scope, not on the instrument panel itself. The screen there is used for things like translating what the Astromech droid is saying or present the laser cannon targeting screen. But, since this view is probably the only view most people remember, it's forgivable.

Lastly, here are some other views of the starfighter:

Especially note the length of the nose as compared to the lengths of the cannon and the engines. They're a little disproportionate. Actually, more than a little in the case of the cannon.

Head-on View:

This is probably my favorite view. All of the length-related inaccuracies aren't evident from this view, although you can see the gap between the S-foils clearly from this view and the engines which are a little on the small side.

And lastly, a bird's-eye view that I think really demonstrates the proportions of the whole model:

In any case, I don't want to bore some of you with this accuracy talk, but if you want to scrutinize it more thoroughly, there's a great set of images of the studio model here.

The Play Features:

The one you probably know about is the opening S-foils. You turn the gear on the back, that turns a screw in the gearbox, that turns a pair of bars that force the wings open. The wings are kept shut by rubber bands. Speaking of rubber bands, one way this set differs from 4502 is that there are six bands, not four. In the older set, barrel rolls felt scary with the wings closed. With this set, swooshing is fun and solid feeling in both modes. This set is pretty good for swooshing, but we've got lot of features to cover, so I won't linger here. Do note that this mechanism is very similar to that of sets of the X-wing's predecessor, the ARC-170 starfighter. (sets 7259 and, more recently, set 8088)

Ah, here's another feature that's pretty much mandatory for a good set - the retractable landing gear:

This design isn't totally accurate (and I won't go into details there) but it works. And that's a lot more than can be said for ships like the old V-wing or the old A-wings.

And of course, we have a cockpit that opens. Because you probably want to be able to seat minifigs inside there:

Nothing special. Click hinges to attach it. Nothing spectacular yet nothing to complain about here.

You have the cargo bay, which you may remember from the build:

It's basically an inverted version of the cockpit. It too is inaccurate. (it's too far forward) It's a nice touch, and there are tons of ships with nowhere to stash that lightsaber, but you probably won't be playing with this too much. At least you don't have to clip on the lightsaber somewhere outside, like on newer sets.

Finally, we come back to the changeable wing markings feature. One simply exchanges a Tile 1 x 4 with the Red 5 print for a quintet of red and white tiles:

And voila! We have a, uh, well the #3 X-wing, instead of the #5 X-wing. If you want to make it more accurate, the easy fix I mentioned earlier about the markings is that you just remove one of each color tile from the end of the stripe, and the X-wing becomes Wedge's Red 2. Granted, in reality, it takes a lot more than one red stripe to change the identity of a battered Rebellion X-wing, but this brings you a little closer.

Basically, this set has all the features you'd expect, and one that you probably didn't but doesn't do much towards the playability factor. What's special is that all these features work the way you'd expect them to. In my mind, play features are extras. Not totally necessary, but if they're there, you want them to work in a way that they aren't noticed because they work the way you expected them to. And this set does that, despite how inaccurate it may be.

The Ratings:

Price/Piece Count: 15/20 A decent count, and a few big pieces, but white is so...bland. Not to mention cheap to produce. I'm thinking that, especially considering the era this set is from, the count could've been higher.

Bricks: 17/20 Like I said, white's not the most interesting color. But there are some useful pieces, and that chrome lightsaber hilt drives the rating up.

Build: 12/20 The build itself was fine. Couple nice techniques there for the budding builder. But for such an iconic ship, TLG needs to fix at least all the major shortcomings in the design. What I can't do is give this set a lower rating than the Wampa Cave, though, because it doesn't deserve that bad a score. The thing that I really loved in this build was how closely it resembles 4502. It was like totally reliving the building of that old set.

Minifigs: 18/20 Ah, the lifesaver of this set. Honestly, the only thing I can think of to make this selection any better would've been to include C-3P0 instead of Wedge, because then this set would be the undisputed king of the Star Wars 'Starter Packs'.

Playability/Features: 17/20 They're done the way they should be; each one makes sense. I can think of maybe one more feature to add, a targeting computer; or maybe a little rod to pop R2 out like he apparently does on Dagobah. And swooshing was a big improvement over 4502 just with the addition of the extra two rubber bands. Good call, TLG.

Grand Total: 79/100 or 79%. Honestly, that number just blew me away. All through writing this review and even up until the individual ratings, I was thinking, 'This set isn't doing so well.' But all those little subtle things that were done right add up to a pretty darn good model. What really saved this set was the combination of the minifigs and the features.

Conclusion:

Let me repeat that again: all the little things that were done right add up to a pretty darn good model. What this really hinges on is what type of a FOL are you. Are you an accuracy freak who wants everything near perfect in the set itself? Are you a minifig collector, who wants a good selection of minifigs? Or are you an MOCer who wants motivation and the bricks necessary to begin your own version of this iconic ship? If you're one of the latter two, then this is a set for you. If you're the former...probably not. Sets don't fail or succeed because of one standout thing, and this set only fails in one of five categories.

So in short, I have a theory why this set is so successful: Because it does all the little things right, and the things it gets wrong are things your average buyer doesn't notice. It's got all the necessary elements to be both a great introductory set for the budding your or otherwise new fan, while being something that us older fans and parents recognize as a classic Star Wars ship. It might not be that accurate to us, but as far as the average member of the targeted audience is concerned, this is a great set.

I'm sorry, I'm ranting now. I'll go and leave you to your funny:

Edited May 3, 2011 by Brickdoctor

[Churchill]

Thanks for doing this review Brickdoctor. It's nice to see an updated objective view of this set. I think I agree with you that for the intended audience, this set does alot of things right. And I think it deserves the rating you gave it- it's fair.

As I was reading your review I too thought that they ought to update the ads. That shouldn't be too difficult a fix.

Let the comments begin, but I just wanted to chime in early to say good, fair, review.

Thanks!

By the way, I've been wondering, and this set illustrates it. I've only been out of the dark ages for a few years. How do these rubber bands in sets like this hold up over the long run? Is there (will there be) any option to replace once they get brittle?

Edited May 3, 2011 by Churchill

[XimenaPaulina]

As always, excellently done review Doc, the pictures and commentary are top-notch, I could almost see you graduating as an RA Teacher. BTW, I could see all the photos, even the ones you mysteriously can't see.

With regards to this somewhat controversial set, despite all its perceived inaccuracies, I absolutely love this set, and for so many reasons:

- it is my most favorite SW vehicle

- it includes minifigs of almost all the major protagonist characters in the OT

- at 50 bucks, it is a very good deal for the X-Wing and a bunch of minifigs.

Of course, this is not to say the X-Wing model is perfect, since obviously it has some flaws (which to the eyes of a normal not-too-nitpicky SW fan isn't that noticeable). That's why I voted it could use some makeover, and I'd be interested to see how TLG will improve the look while at the same time maintaining the playability features.

[prateek]

Excellent as always BD.

As for the set, I have realized this set is well priced in USD. I can see why it's lasted so long. People like minifigs, and the price isn't too bad either. As for the model, it's a toy. What do you expect. They got the basic shape down, and it looks decent too. I really like this set. Sure, they can do better, but I like it nonetheless.

[Brickdoctor]

Thanks for doing this review Brickdoctor. It's nice to see an updated objective view of this set. I think I agree with you that for the intended audience, this set does alot of things right. And I think it deserves the rating you gave it- it's fair.

As I was reading your review I too thought that they ought to update the ads. That shouldn't be too difficult a fix.

Let the comments begin, but I just wanted to chime in early to say good, fair, review.

Thanks!

Thanks. One of my goals when reviewing this set was that amidst all the negative discussion concerning this set lately, I wanted to present an unbiased review that explains why I think this set is so successful.

By the way, I've been wondering, and this set illustrates it. I've only been out of the dark ages for a few years. How do these rubber bands in sets like this hold up over the long run? Is there (will there be) any option to replace once they get brittle?

The old black rubber bands got brittle and would have to be replaced, but the white, yellow, red, and blue varieties don't. This set hasn't been together for too long, but from what I remember of my copies of 7259 and 4502 before I parted them out permanently, the rubber bands get a tiny bit stretched, but not to the point that they need replacing, and that was over a period of 3-4 years, I believe.

I could see all the photos, even the ones you mysteriously can't see.

Okay, thanks. Hopefully everyone else can see them too, then. I'll try the normal fixes on this end with my browser to try and resolve the problem.

Of course, this is not to say the X-Wing model is perfect, since obviously it has some flaws, which to the normal eyes of a SW fan isn't that noticeable. That's why I voted it could use some makeover, and I'd be interested to see how TLG will improve the look while at the same time maintaining the playability features.

I agree. I too voted that it could use a makeover since I think there are lots of aspects of this set that could use updating.

[Solscud007]

I am a little confused with the Minifig comparison. The back printed Luke came with your set or is it from a different set? What is the new Red 6 helmet?

When you are comparing the old to the new are you comparing older 6212 set vs a current production version?

I love this set. When I started getting more serious about collecting SW Legos, I wanted an X-wing and thankfully this set is still in production so I cont have to pay ridiculous prices for it. I lucked out on getting the old ATAT and 4504 Falcon at cheap prices but not everyone can get good deals. The new ATAT is nice but not as big as the old ATAT. I plan to get the new Falcon when it comes out and compare the two. But Im not hoping for a dramatic upgrade. If the Wampa Snow Speeder and new AT-AT are any indication of TLGs approach to updating an iconic vehicle, I suspect a few minor tweaks to the new falcon and will look to MOCs and MODs to make the falcon as good as it can be, just like how AFOLs have upgraded their 4504s.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Solscud007

[XimenaPaulina]

I just spotted an error in your build Doc, the two 1x4 plates on top of the nose (near the cockpit) is misplaced by 1 stud. Not that I would want you to impossibly retake all the pics, but just simply pointing out.

[Solscud007]

KDM, I managed to go back in time, sneak into Brick Doctor's house and correct the mistake without him knowing. haha. Photoshop is great.

[LEGO AFOL]

This 6212 x wing fighter is awesome !!!

[XimenaPaulina]

KDM, I managed to go back in time, sneak into Brick Doctor's house and correct the mistake without him knowing. haha. Photoshop is great.

Is that you Marty? Haha, nice one Solscud, great flawless editing indeed!

[LEGO AFOL]

Anyone got the 4504 X wing fighter with Yoda house ?

[Brickdoctor]

I am a little confused with the Minifig comparison. The back printed Luke came with your set or is it from a different set? What is the new Red 6 helmet?

When you are comparing the old to the new are you comparing older 6212 set vs a current production version?

I'm comparing the minifigs I got in this set with the other editions of the minifig currently available. I mentioned the sets you could get the other minifigs in in the comparisons.

I just spotted an error in your build Doc, the two 1x4 plates on top of the nose (near the cockpit) is misplaced by 1 stud. Not that I would want you to impossibly retake all the pics, but just simply pointing out.

Oops.

KDM, I managed to go back in time, sneak into Brick Doctor's house and correct the mistake without him knowing. haha. Photoshop is great.

Nice.

Is that you Marty?

Since it's not the Doc (that's me ) I guess it must be.

Anyone got the 4504 X wing fighter with Yoda house ?

It's 4502, and I do, but it's long since been parted out so I couldn't do any comparisons.

[Fallenangel]

While I'm not entirely happy with the way you've presented my own views of this set (everyone has an agenda I guess), this is a very good review, as it highlights the various pros and cons of this set while not being as cuddly as the other reviews were. Furthermore, it makes me feel a little better knowing that there's someone on Eurobricks who acknowledges in a reasonable way that this set has flaws rather than acting like anyone who's not kissing up to LEGO about this is some kind of freak, something that's reflected in others' comments on this set - they sound less like sheep and more like people. (Well, except for Haruhi-chan, but whatever.)

(which to the eyes of a normal not-too-nitpicky SW fan isn't that noticeable)

KielDaMan, may I kindly ask that your stance on this be more tolerant of the opposite view? Although I am fully aware that I am one of maybe two or three people on this board that does not think this set is the greatest LEGO Star Wars set ever, that doesn't mean that my only reason for not liking this set is that I'm a spergy nitpicker who enjoys "constantly knocking into others for failing to achieve perfection and... [being] overtly negative about work which is not [mine]." I feel that Brickdoctor, while certainly having good intentions, may have slightly misrepresented my stance regarding the accuracy of a LEGO Star Wars anything, as I have long since moved away from bashing something solely based on how movie-accurate it is (though that's not to say you're justified in calling a toy "spot-on accurate") . Furthermore, even though I may have been somewhat unreasonable in presenting the argument that this set isn't good-looking, there's nothing wrong with someone having that opinion.

As I do seem to be viewed as quite the nitpicker, I feel I should also point out that contrary to what Brickdoctor said, if my sources are correct, the six-stud length of the Star Wars engine piece is actually pretty close to what it should be relative to the rest of the craft at this scale (taking the size restrictions posed by studs into account). In other words, kudos to LEGO, because they got it right.

And finally, the 'real' X-wing has a hexagonal back end of the fuselage. Like with the nose, TLG has done a square. An octagon at best. Now hexagons aren't the easiest shapes in LEGO form, but there are a number of ways to do them that are within the strength standards a set has to meet.

And in my opinion, the hexagon looks better too.

[Brickdoctor]

Firstly, fallenangel, I don't see how I've misinterpreted your stance on this set. I'm fairly certain the only time I mentioned your name in this review was the last option the poll, and that doesn't specify whether you're a stickler for accuracy or don't care about it at all.

Secondly, KDM's statement doesn't need to be any more tolerant. He says that to your average SW fan, the inaccuracies aren't that noticeable, which is most likely true.

And about the engine piece, I'm pretty sure I didn't say that that one piece was too short. I was referring to the whole engine.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Brickdoctor

[XimenaPaulina]

KielDaMan, may I kindly ask that your stance on this be more tolerant of the opposite view? Although I am fully aware that I am one of maybe two or three people on this board that does not think this set is the greatest LEGO Star Wars set ever, that doesn't mean that my only reason for not liking this set is that I'm a spergy nitpicker who enjoys "constantly knocking into others for failing to achieve perfection and... [being] overtly negative about work which is not [mine]."

Secondly, KDM's statement doesn't need to be any more tolerant. He says that too your average SW fan, the inaccuracies aren't that noticeable, which is most likely true.

What Doc said. I refuse to expound more and will just leave it at that, no need for another heated discussion that might mar this review. And the overall positive view/rating of this set by the general public/majority will speak for itself.

[Fallenangel]

I'm sure if I was five I'd like this... but I'm not, so I don't.

Firstly, fallenangel, I don't see how I've misinterpreted your stance on this set. I'm fairly certain the only time I mentioned your name in this review was the last option the poll, and that doesn't specify whether you're a stickler for accuracy or don't care about it at all.

My mistake, I guess. I don't think I've ever heard anyone else really focus on the accuracy of this set, other than Millacol88, so I assumed you were talking about me. I had forgotten that 8089 and 6205 had undergone similar scrutiny. Sorry about that.

And about the engine piece, I'm pretty sure I didn't say that that one piece was too short. I was referring to the whole engine.

Ah, glad you made that clear.

And the overall positive view/rating of this set by the general public/majority will speak for itself.

An opinion's an opinion regardless of how many people think it. I don't think you're wrong, but a consensus view doesn't necessarily justify a particular stance.

Besides, the whole accuracy thing is over and done with, as is the minifigure argument and the understanding that people like LEGO sets regardless of whether or not they actually look like what they're supposed to be, so I doubt I'll be raising hell over this anytime soon. There is nothing more left to say on my part other than my personal opinions on the aesthetics of this set, and something so subjective cannot be properly argued.

Edited May 3, 2011 by fallenangel309

[Praiter Yed]

Even with it's failings this will always hold a special place in my heart as the set that brought me out of my dark-age.

Nice review Brickdoctor.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Praiter Yed

[Ki-Adi-Mundi]

Thank you Doc for this excellent review. I am always raving about getting getting the set or waiting for an 'overhaul'.

Since i already own most of the minifigs, this pro of the set does not appeal. This is no failure of the set composition - which is very good in it's own right.

Main reasons to hold me back are chance that a new iteration might be published next year or so and the horrible price in Europe. If it were on par with the USD (33,71 EUR), i and probably a few thousand other people would make a run for the set.

The only downsides regarding the design i can see are the rubber parts for the S-foils (are there reserves ones?!) and the low accuracy of the back of the ship. The rest looks like a good design to me. BTW, apart from Luke's lightsaber - are any weapons being included for the minifigs?

Regarding your secondary question in the poll: As said i do not feel safe going after this atm. A strict necessity of an overhaul i cannot see. If such one contained new parts for an even more accurate redesign - i would welcome it of course. Voted neutral there.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Ki-Adi-Mundi

[Brickdoctor]

the rubber parts for the S-foils (are there reserves ones?!) BTW, apart from Luke's lightsaber - are any weapons being included for the minifigs?

There are six rubber bands and you are instructed to place all of them. They will last quite long and do the job well. If you're using this for display and not play you can always just put on four rubber bands and you'd have two extras. And no, there are no other weapons.

[Aeroeza]

Wow! I've never seen a system set so comprehensively considered before. That was pretty darn balanced and entertaining. You managed to wear a lot of different 'hats' for this one which makes me wonder...

Have you ever considered a career in political science?

Edited May 4, 2011 by Aeroeza

[Supersonic]

A stunningly detailed review Brickdoctor, thanks for that! Very good pictures and the text contains everything you need to know about the set (and more ).

The set itself is fine, I guess. I don't like how it is nearly a 1:1 copy of the 2004 set - there are some obvious errors they could have fixed, but they just reissued the whole thing. Still, it is good to get so many important figs in one package...Another problem is the high price here in Germany. It's 60 Euro, which equals nearly 90 dollars atm

I'm fallenangel - 'nuf said.

I voted for Yes - it's a good set, but I'm sure TLG can do better. A new X-Wing in grey, with a new cockpit piece, better guns, a redesigned back and a sleeker nose could be extremely beautiful and yet quite easy to realize.

[Brickdoctor]

Have you ever considered a career in political science?

Nope. LEGO is just one of the things I can discuss well and for a long time, although I sometimes tend to end up rambling and talking endlessly about it. I mean, give me a good topic on LEGO and I will find a way to discuss all the ins and outs until everyone else gets annoyed and they try to change the subject, but I'll find a way that that subject is related to a good topic on LEGO and I will find a way to discuss all the ins and outs until everyone else gets annoyed and they try to change the subject, but I'll find a way that that subject is related to a good topic on LEGO and I will find a way to discuss all the ins and outs until everyone else gets annoyed and they try to change the subject...

[Aeroeza]

you just got my vote!!!

[anti-hero]

I bought this and the AT-AT during the SW day sale, after they arrived yesterday I stayed up late to put this one together. I'm probably not the most qualified to give an opinion (this is only the 3rd Lego set I've put together as an adult) but I really like this. It's a nice scale, not so small I feel I'm getting ripped off but not so large that I couldn't fly it around the house if I wanted to (LOL). As mentioned the wings take quite a while to deploy but I still like the feature. Better than the options Hasbro has given us IMO. The extra figs are nice but without weapons they're kinda meh.

The only real gripe I have with this is the color choice. Not sure why a few years ago Lego felt the need to brighten up these vehicles (black and blue Tie Fighters?) but other than that I'm very happy with this set. I may keep an eye out for a couple more sets on the cheap so I can have Wedge and Biggs along for the ride.

Oh, and a couple little things that really sold me on this set...the choice of making it Red 2, 3 or 5, and the view screen brick (STAY ON TARGET!).

[Brickdoctor]

The only real gripe I have with this is the color choice. Not sure why a few years ago Lego felt the need to brighten up these vehicles (black and blue Tie Fighters?) but other than that I'm very happy with this set. I may keep an eye out for a couple more sets on the cheap so I can have Wedge and Biggs along for the ride.

I believe that X-wings are a very light grey, like T-47s they're between TLG's White and Light Grey/Light Bley shades, so either is acceptable. The only thing about white is that it makes the X-wings look cleaner than they should. In the movies, they're always dirty and battle-worn. The Light Bley helps reflect that.

As for the TIEs, I believe TIE Fighters were originally meant to be black with blue trim, but it was discovered that the blue trim would be edited out with the blue screen, so it was replaced on the studio model with light grey trim. The blue trim was then edited back in in post production, but only for Empire and Jedi, not for A New Hope, making both the blue and grey trim editions accurate.