Rufus

Then I suggest Boomingham targets the Sword Guard from the Front Row (assuming he can't speak for himself).

Hello, redrix, and Welcome to Eurobricks. First of all, please note that this is and adult site, and we expect a reasonable level of attention with regard to grammar, punctuation, capitalisation and spelling. Secondly, the information about Heroica is all here to find in this forum, all you have to do is read. Thirdly, please introduce yourself in the Hello! My name is... forum. You'd be unlikely to be allowed to join Heroica unless we can see that you are a committed Eurobricks member. Thanks! Lastly, this thread is for Heroica characters only; I'll move your post and mine into the Heroica Rules & Discussion thread.

Thanks. As I said in the review, it's more about the overall package than just the pieces, but I agree it's expensive. Cheers, Cam! Thanks, Churchill! It's less simple than it looks (but I'm sure you know that). Thanks, Fangy! The series makes more sense as a collection, and might get better as they start to do more buildings from around the world. And it wouldn't be that effective as a paperweight! Get the Rockefeller Center! It'll mean so much more if you buy it in the place it's modelled on Thanks, Banjo! It is? Well I never I think it looks better than bley, personally. Oooh, I must have got it confused with the other big spiky thing. Not doing very well on my buildings!

Hello, Stanley, and Welcome to Eurobricks. Please note that this is an adult site, and we require a reasonable level of attention to grammar, punctuation and capitalisation, not to mention keeping posts on topic. Consider this a friendly warning

That's one lovely tank! I don't know why you're not happy with the turret - it's a great design. Could perhaps be a little wider, but I love the use of the SNOT curves and slopes to give it contour. What? If you mean 'More tanks please,' then seconded!

Very well! I'll wait to hear what Alexis wishes to do first.

Lovely review, Cloney, and peppererd with your usual wit! I'm no fan of podracers - the whole scene was so shoehorned in, and rather ridiculous - but this is a great set, and the designer has done well to render the pods reasonably realistically. The big engines of Sebulba's pod are beautiful. What really stand out to me are the stands ( ) - it's great that they've made transparent yet sturdy handles that double as stands, and I agree they make the pods look wonderfully swooshable. This set is another must for me, even though I've vowed to stop buying SW (but clearly never will )

Wait no longer.... well, ok, a little longer. And, done. Let this be the Architecture General Discussion thread (as, surprisingly, we don't already have one that I know about).

Yeah, the cruiser is kinda special. Thanks, K-nut. Thanks, Masked! It's pricey but worth it; if you can get it on sale, it's a must. Thanks, ZO6! This one really stood out to me from the summer wave, awesome though the whole wave is. And I'd love to see a UCS version... probably of the Cruiser, though Cheers, Fangy! Go ahead and build it ASAP, you won't be disappointed! Thanks, Churchill! Open your eyes! :huh: And thanks for the thumb, starstreak. Does that mean I pass? Why thank you, Mr Man Actually, the scale is similar on both models, and each have the same lumpiness around the bottom, but it is more pronounced on the Frigate.

Battle Order: Eric Atramor Hybros Boomingham Alexis Rufindel I shall attack the dog from the front row. Let's see if we can finish off both the dog and one soldier in one round - thus I'd suggest three attack Sword, one attack Spear, and two attack Dog.

Yeah, with hindsight I should have gone at the end. But then I probably wouldn't have achieved a miracle.

Yes, let's move on to Aisle 2. Eric will receive the Venom.

Stunning rewiew, Inky! Beautiful pictures It never ceases to amaze me how much effort the LEGO designers put into making traps and play features. This one certainly has its fair share; though I suspect one might tire of the play functions after a little while. However, I'm impressed with how the whole thing comes together to form an 'obstacle course', as you point out. And I laughed at this:

We did much better that round I think it's unlikely we won't defeat the remainder this round, so I will use this opportunity to heal myself (hopefully) and stand in the back row. Battle order: Rufindel Alexis Hybros Eric Atramor Boomingham

Thanks for the super review, JimBee! I wouldn't normally have looked twice at this set, but having now had a good look round it, I can see its appeal. The limo has a wonderful gaudiness about it that really fits with its role as a pimpmobile And here's where I have to disagree with you - I think the red interior is perfect in its clashing-colour monstrosity: of course Brick Daddy would have red leather upholstery in his ride; just as I expect he'd have a champagne cooler and waterbed in there if they would only fit!

Thanks very much, Cloney, for bringing this old set to life. Many of us will never have seen it up close, so it's great to have that vicarious opportunity And I too love your dark, sarcastic humour! As for the castle itself, it has the appearance more of a ruin than of the majesty of Hogwarts, and it certainly looks drafty! But, for the time, I guess it would have been quite impressive.

Lovely review, Fangy! I have this set, but it's been sat MISB waiting for me to have the opportunity to build it. It's one of my favourites of the PotC range - I love the little tavern, and I agree it would be great to combine it with the MMV (also sitting MISB ). Incidentally, if you want dark green parts, I'd recommend this .

This made me laugh out loud at half past six this morning: This is fantastic game to follow, Hinck

Again, Alexis, might I suggest you attack from the back row? You are the only one who can attack with full power from the back.

Access granted - Welcome to the Academy!

Agreed. Battle order: Eric Boomingham Atramor Hybros Alexis Rufindel I'll bash the Big Rat from the Front Row.

That is a very good idea. If no-one disagrees, let's check those crates first then go to Aisle 1.

I grow powerful Well, we made a bit of a meal of that Since he expressed such an interest, Atramor should receive the Chain Whip, but I'll do my best to distribute further spoils as fairly as possible. I shall also Heal Hybros as his health is a little low. What to do next? I guess it would be logical to start the search with Aisle One. What does everyone else think?

The Summer 2011 Star Wars LEGO range has a lot that will interest fans of the Movies. A new and long-awaited reissue of the Millenium Falcon, an Endor set, three Episode One sets including some much-needed upgrades to major characters, not least of which is the long sought-after Padme ... and yet I, a die-hard Original Trilogy fan, went straight out and bought this one - a Clone Wars set. The principal reason for this - I haven't even seen the Clone Wars Movie, or the serial episodes in which the Republic Frigate features - is that one of my all-time favourite LEGO Star Wars sets remains, to this day, the 7665 Republic Cruiser: the sister-ship to the new Frigate. A bit of background: the Corellian Consular-Class Cruiser Radiant VII features in the opening sequence to Episode I: the Phantom Menace, and lasts a few minutes before being destroyed. It's a strange, somewhat ugly ship, bearing the red and white livery of a Republic diplomatic vessel, and in its design is the clear forerunner of the Tantive IV CR90 Corvette which opens the action in Episode IV in one of the most memorable Sci-Fi movie scenes ever. LEGO's version of the Radiant VII was, surprisingly, a thing of beauty - so different to the bley wilderness which afflicts most SW sets, and features a number of unique and interesting play features which marked it as something out of the ordinary. The Republic Frigate is a later military retro-fit to the Cruiser, seeing action in the Clone Wars. I wanted to see how this new model would stand up to comparison with her beautiful earlier sister. Read on, to see how she fares. Review: 7964 Republic Frigate Set Information Name: Republic Frigate Number: 7964 Theme: STAR WARS The Clone Wars Release: 2011 Summer Wave Pieces: 1022 Figures: 5 Price: UK £102.99 | US $119.99 | EUR 139.90 - 149.95 | DKK 1199.00 | AUS $199.99 | CA $154.99 Links ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron (not yet inventoried) ... Shop@Home The Box Click the picture for a high-resolution full-frontal Sporting the gorgeous dark blue surround of all Star Wars merchandise since Summer 2010, this box does not disappoint. A flatteringly-angled shot of the Frigate, canons blazing and flick-fires firing, dominates a space battle scene against an unnamed rocky planet. The five figures - four of them new - gain due prominence in their usual position; the text naming the new figures barely fits in its allotted space. The Back The expected set diorama shows off the many features of the Frigate, and sits comfortably alongside advertisements for a selection of the Summer range. Five insets highlight the major play features: The opening roof, allowing access to the interior; the bomb-dropping mechanism; and the landing gear on the left of the diorama frame a close-up of the detachable pod which seats the Clones. On the right-hand side, we see the lifting carry-handle, and the means by which the pod detaches: Between these is the open cockpit of the Frigate, in which Quinlan Vos looks perplexed as to why there is no Clone pilot in this ship. As has become customary, the 1:1 minifigure line-up sits on the top panel of the box: We'll get to meet and greet these characters in depth later. Size-wise, 7964's box has exactly the same frontal dimensions as its predecessor 7665: It is a little deeper, though, and unlike 7665 with its simple flaps, unfortunately comes with the infamous lifty-lid and side tear-tabs necessitating box-destruction or manual dexterity to extrude its contents. Instructions After much groping around in the dark recesses of the box, I was able to extract two instruction booklets, each almost pristine. There was no handy cardboard backing in this set, much to my later despair. Both manuals are of similar quality, and can be distinguished only by the manual number and the different binding. Both are stapled, but the first opens in portrait-orientation and the second in landscape. Opening the first manual, we are greeted with the directions for modular construction, now the 'standard' in almost every larger set. The division into modules is logical, and greatly helps the build process - there is no more having to open every bag to seek out just one or two pieces, nor sorting of a gazillion parts... and it makes the reviewing process easier, too. Manual number 1 ends mid-way through the third module: This is a good time to comment on the background of the instruction steps: it's plain grey. No fancy detailing, or shadowy Vader figure, or anything... I've used the following step from the second manual to illustrate the build complexity: We have piece call-outs, and frequent minor sub-builds. The build is nicely judged: nothing is too complex or inexplicable; yet neither is the build tedious or patronising. There isn't a great deal of repetition either; even the three engines are different enough to keep it interesting. Colour-differentiation is not a problem, despite the amount of Bley in the set. The rear of the second manual contains the usual WinGagneGewinne kid, a repeat look at the playability functions, and the Inventory: see Page One and Page Two on Flickr. Decal Sticker Sheet The sticker sheet did not fare nearly so well as the instructions in the Journey to the Outside World. It was one of the first things my questing hand encoutered, and I could instantly tell it had taken a beating. After a considered attempt at flattening it out, and reattaching three decals which were floating in various places inside the box, this is the best I could do for it: There really isn't any excuse for this. If LEGO will insist on providing decals for expensive sets as opposed to printed parts - a strategy which is quite reasonable when there will be little re-use value for such prints - they could easily protect the stickers from such transit damage, and save the inevitable calls to Customer Service with their infuriatingly reasonable and helpful staff . Parts The six modules come in nine polybags, six larger and three smaller: Immediately the bley and dark red dominance of colour is obvious. I have organised the parts in their respective modules: Module 1 builds the central structure of the ship. Much of the Technic - required to provide strength and support - is found here sitting somewhat incongruously alongside minifigure parts and weapons. I suspect most interest will be in the latter; there's only a small amount of dark red to generate any excitement in the bricks; but this gets better later. Note Eeth Koth's hair is packaged separately in its own bag, and the usual polybag of clone accessories, much of which is redundant. The dark red starts to show its prominence in module 2, which builds the cockpit section: They are hardly rare, but no other set contains nearly so many grille tiles in 'new' dark red; the four 4x4x2/3 curved slopes are unique in this colour. Notice also the relative lack of Technic in this section. Module 3 - the largest section - is mostly plates, with some technic bracing. This builds the flat rear-section which supports the engines. There's a little dark tan in here, which is a pleasing addition, and I know will get some pulses quickening . Not me, I over-ordered on 2x2 dark tan tiles , but the 1x2 plates are useful. The 4x4 round plate in dark red is unique to this set. Bag 4 builds the passenger areas on the sides of the main fuselage, and several gun emplacements. There are two more of the unique 4x4 round dark red plates, but my eye was drawn to the eight bley friction rams - hardly unusual, but new to me - and the two 4x2 SNOT plates, part ID 93274, which I first encountered in the LEGO Westfield Routemaster promotional. Also in this section is this new printed piece, which I didn't even notice until I checked the Bricklink Inventory: It's meant to be a hologram of Chancellor Palpatine, but he looks suspiciously Sithy in this shot. He also could be mistaken for a duck in a robe, or possibly Jar-Jar Binks . I'm not complaining, though: it's nice to get a printed piece. The large quantity of bley quarter-cylinders identify bag 5 as building the engines, plus a few extras. The surprising yellow plates are hidden the finished model. This is - I think - the only readily-available set where you'll find the 4 wide radar dish in 'new' dark red. Last, and definitely least in terms of quantity - bag 6 contains the parts for the detachable pod. The bley half-cones and quarter cylinders dominate, but there are more dark red grille tiles, and a few handy SNOT-bricks. Parts Verdict: The parts selection is again dominated by bley/dark bley plates; Technic is apparent but not overwhelming; for me it's the abundance of dark red which is most likely to appeal, but alone is perhaps not enough reason to fork out for this set. The Minifigures Lets meet the protagonists. Order 66 notwithstanding, they are all 'good guys'. Here's the line-up: From left to right: Jedi Masters Eeth Koth, Quinlan Vos (at least, he had achieved the rank of Master by Episode III, but I can't vouch for his Master-ness during the Clone Wars), and Yoda; Clone Wolfpack Commander Wolffe and an unnamed Wolfpack trooper with a jetpack. The 'New' Jedi Lets look a the new Jedi in more detail first. Both Koth and Vos have lovely new torsos, with different arm colours, and back printing , and their faces too are new. Koth's hair has the Jack Sparrow touch - differential printing on the crown of the skull and hair braids; Vos has girls' hair which nonetheless quite suits him. So who are these new-to-LEGO characters? Let's find out. Besides having a name which sounds like an unpleasant symptom of a virulent respiratory illness, Eeth Koth is a Jedi Master who sat on the Council even before the Clone Wars. He even has a speaking role in The Phantom Menace: you can see him in action when little Anakin is first presented to the council: Click for a bigger picture Having a speaking role means his character was cast, and therefore still studio images exist: Aside from having an apparently more benign countenance than his LEGO Clone Wars equivalent, you can see from this that his LEGO understudy's face-printing is reasonably accurate. The scalp horns are perhaps a little too large, and the forehead too pronounced in plastic, but this is a necessary effect of the new hairpiece, and I can live with that. Even his torso is accurate, although I'd have preferred for his arms to match, or for him to have a cloak. Read more about Eeth Koth on Wookieepedia Quinlan Vos is a more shadowy character. Although he appeared in the original screenplay for Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the scenes were cut from the film before the character was cast, so no official studio stills exist, and we are forced to make do with illustrations from the expanded universe: Here, his dreadlocks and menacing expression do him justice, and we can see that his LEGO equivalent's facial expression is correct. The LEGO hair represents his dreads reasonably well, but his torso seems a little unexpected. Here he is in Clone Wars action, looking more like a girl than ever in his dress and leggings: I find this picture strangely reminiscent of Lord Farquaad from the original Shrek movie Despite his lack of physical appearance in the movies, he is mentioned in Revenge of the Sith: Obi-Wan tells Anakin that 'Master Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity.' There is, however, a lesser known fact: he actually appears in The Phantom Menace. During the scene on Tattooine where Jar-Jar has a run-in with Sebulba, young Anakin steps in. In the background, drinking with a friend at a table, you can see Vos - an 'extra' played by an unknown actor: It is unclear whether this is Vos in Jedi form, or just an earlier incarnation of the character before he was written into the Jedi backstory, but it's an interesting piece of trivia nonetheless. Read more about Quinlan Vos on Wookieepedia Yoda Yoda needs no introduction. This is the first time I've owned a Clone Wars edition of the little green Jedi Master, but he had been available previously in 2009's 8018 Armoured Assault Tank (AAT). Here he is compared to his OT equivalent, this time from 2004's Dagobah 4502 X-Wing Fighter set: As you can see, his torso has a more simple, yet smarter look, as befitting his days as one of the senior Jedi Masters. However, it lacks back printing. His head looks good for the Clone Wars Yoda, but doesn't really look like the Muppet puppet we came to know and love from the movies. His printed eyes do give him a more focused look than the plain OT version; the newer head is rubbery compared to the harder plastic of the earlier figure. The rear of his head sports receding greyish hair, shown nicely in this profile view ... ... but the most obvious difference here is the colour of the lightsaber blade. Yes, these three Jedi all have lightsabers with trans-green blades, unlike the luminous yellowish colour used previously. It's a triumph for realism, but a slight downside is that arty blacklit photography will no longer be possible Clones The Wolfpack is a squadron of Clone Troopers who feature quite prominently in several episodes of the Clone Wars animated TV series, some of which I have actually seen, but I confess I don't know how they link to the Republic Frigate. Generally, I don't get excited by Clones - they all look the same to me ( ) - but these two look nice. The chap on the left is the squadron leader, Commander Wolffe. Both clones have the same torso and legs (which are printed); their helmets are different but each beautifully designed. The sand blue colour really suits them. As you can see in the right-hand frame, the torsos also have lovely back-printing: Unnamed Trooper wears a jetpack, which is of the same design as Boba Fett's or those of the recent Mandalorian pack, but in white. This is not new, however - I am indebted to Clone O'Patra for pointing out that this white jetpack first appeared in 2009's 7748 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid. This latter has a standard Clone face, whereas Wolffe gets a new clone faceprint - scarred and with a missing eye just like the cartoon. Here's Wolffy: Ignoring the lack of hair and the emergence of 6, 7, or 8 o'clock shadow, you'll notice that his LEGO face looks pretty good. This picture is also a good reference for the torso, which again is close to the real design. Read more about The Wolfpack on Wookieepedia Minifigure Verdict: I'm sure there will be legitimate cries for more figures for a £100 set; however, four of these figures are new, and the two new Jedi will undoubtedly be desirable not just for Clone Wars fans but for aficionados of the Prequel Trilogy too. The Build Stage 1: The Centre Section The build process is, understandably, very similar to that of the Republic Cruiser (RC). We start with the centre section, to which front and rear sections will be attached, and which contains the landing gear. Technic liftarms form the landing gear struts; these are connected to a sandwich of technic beams, which in turn form an 'H' shape via a technic block. Some ball joints are used to prevent the landing struts collapsing; the mechanism is identical to that of the RC except that the 'feet' sit studs upwards in this later rendition - a far more logical solution, which I don't know why wasn't used the first time round. The bley wedges will attach upside-down to the clicky-hinges. Next, the structure is built up further with technic beams; these are secured with four more black liftarms. The dark red curved bricks surround a hole; we'll examine its purpose later. The red bush-pins are used to attach the front and rear sections; note the two blue 3-long friction pics - they form an attachment point for some side detailing further in the build. Lastly, a bley technic liftarm sub-build (inset) slides into the structure, and is held loosely in place by two friction pins underneath. Note the 4x4 bley tile with four studs - this is meant to be stickered, and will form part of the starboard passenger cabin; it isn't present on the port side. Stage 2 - The Forward Section We put the centre section aside for now, and embark upon the curved forward structure. This is largely brick-built, with sandwiched plates for strength; a few technic parts at the rear allow sturdy connection to the centre. Note here the two technic axles - one bley, one dark bley with stop end - these are the attachment mechanism for the pod. Again, this is in contrast to the RC, whose entire nose section slid forward to detach its pod. Further bricks build up this section, and some greebling is attached SNOT to the nose. The cockpit cover is finished, and clips onto the main structure with clippy-hinges. Note the two long bley flick-fires here. Some lovely dark red curves cap off this front section The hinged, dark red panel at the rear will cover the 'hole' in the centre section; the technic angles at the sides are used to attach part of the roof of the passenger cabins - more on that later. Stage 3 - The Rear This part of the ship connects the centre section to the large cylindrical engines. It's mostly two plates thick. but two long plates underneath provide additional support, and there is a central base of technic blocks. I like the use of dark red tiles to create the stripes on the wing sections. Once the side-wings are attached to the technic skeleton, some more technic reinforcement is applied, and work begins on the superstructure. This part of the build seems simpler that its RC counterpart, partly because we don't have the revolving antenna mechanism to worry about. Instead, a small cabin is built to seat the rear gunner. Note the two jumper plates on each side of this cabin... ... these are used to attach slope bricks at a half-stud offset, in what is an unexpectedly interesting method to 'taper' the structure. Finally, a rotating cone supports two more flick-fire missiles, almost entirely obscuring the rear gunner's view. The 4x4 plate which tops the cabin looks a little plain here and could do with more greeble. Stage 4 - The Passenger Compartments From now on, we're building little sub-sections, and the pace of the build quickens. First up are the port and starboard passenger areas, duplicated below to show the undersides; and two laser cannons which will attach SNOT to the red plates here. The cannons themselves will swivel vertically - and independently of each other - but not side to side. Each of the passenger areas contains important features. In the port side, there is a removable container, and three round dark red brick - bley cone constructions, the purpose of which we'll encounter in due course, along with that of the three-pronged Technic-axle device. The starboard side contains a radar dish with the printed trans-blue round brick which represents a hologram device, and also a removable bit with red clips which can be used as lightsaber storage for two of the three Jedi. Also coming together in stage 4 are the roofs for the passenger cabins, which also feature laser cannons: These cannons are more detailed than their inverted counterparts, and do swivel. Stage 5 - The Engines I've already intimated that stage 5 builds the engines, but there are some other minor parts as well. The two dark red domes clip asymmetrically onto the blue friction pins I mentioned on the centre section, filling a slight gap between centre and rear. Here we also see the large wedge-plates which form the forward roofs of the side cabins. They attach via the technic angle / red axle apparatus - mentioned earlier - on the sides of the forward section. It's a somewhat clumsy technique that will be all-too familiar to owners of the latest AT-TE; here I think it's unnecessary and problematic when clicky-hinges would possibly have done a better job. The reason it is problematic is that the attachment points on the roof panels interfere slightly with the tapered panels, also pictured, which form the front of the passenger cabins. This was made worse for me because I've actually built them incorrectly: the red inverted domes and the bley 2x2 plates on the underside should be shifted one stud to the right on the panel shown upside-down; even with this corrected, the arrangement doesn't sit entirely happily and leaves a gap. Here's what I mean: In the left-hand frame, with the roof panel removed, the front panel snaps back happily on the clicky-hinges to sit flush with the side wall. With the roof in place (right-hand frame), the front panel cannot move fully back, leaving an unsightly gap. Admittedly, it's not a huge gap, and most likely I wouldn't have noticed had I not built it incorrectly in the first place. And now we come to the three large engines: Their construction is almost identical to those of the RC, except for two small details (discounting, of course, the colour). The first is that a few 1x2 plates fill gaps left by the 2x2 plates with technic holes at the rear; the second is that the 4x4 yellow plates are used here to strengthen the construction at either end: in the RC, the 'top' (front) of each cylinder used only 2x2 plates, and its engines had a tendency to collapse during building. Stage 6 - The Passenger Pod En fin, we build the pod which dangles from the front section. This contains seating for the clones, and is a distinct improvement over the biconical version in the RC, in which Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan had to sit back-to-back in some kind of Jedi huff. There's a lovely bit of SNOT work at play here. The colourful 'tower' of bricks and plates connects to the 6x6 plate which forms the 'floor'; the tan 2x1 rounded 'log' brick allows this to sit flush with the curving top of the cylinder, and this, the cylinder top, and the red SNOT plate on the front of the 'floor' all marry with the 8x4 semicircular brick which will connect the cylinder to the cone part. And here it is, complete: A minor technic build will attach the pod to the main body of the frigate; the roof of the pod slides easily over this. The whole construction of this section is far simpler and sturdier than its RC counterpart, and brought a smile to my face to build. Build verdict: Never too repetitive, and with a few nice techniques thrown in, the build is thoroughly enjoyable and never boring. There are one or two tricky areas, which I might have done differently if I had designed it, but they don't detract from the overall experience. The Complete Model Now we get to have a good look round this beauty Firstly, before the guided tour, it may be helpful to have a reference to what the ship should look like: This reference schematic is taken from Wookieepedia. Being a design crafted specifically for the CGI Clone Wars environment, I don't believe a studio model exists. First impressions: comparing to the LEGO model in the picture above, my first thought is that the overall shape and especially the colour scheme is pretty much spot on... however, there are differences, which we'll come to before too long. Side This isn't her most flattering view Immediately, you can see a big difference between the LEGO version's profile and that of the schematic. LEGO's is a little too fat around the midriff, and the forward pod is too deep. The 'real' ship has a nice smooth contour to the underside, whereas LEGO's is stepped in several places, most noticeably between the centre section and the rear. The rear-bottom edge of the side passenger areas is also a little untidy. Modifying the set to correct these inaccuracies would, I'm sure, be possible, but I think one would struggle to lift the pod so it sits flush with the underside without seriously weakening the structure or losing the detachment function. Don't worry, things get better from here on. Front This head-on shot is really quite imposing. I love the way the bulk of the body lurks behind a narrow frontage, with just a suggestion of weaponry. The 'stance' of the ship on its landing struts also cuts a pleasing symmetry with the angles of the side sections, like a reflection. Nice! Compared to the schematic, the rear engine section is clearly too narrow, though do please note that the reference picture does not suffer the effects of perspective, which highlight this discrepancy. Otherwise, the greebling on the nose is tasteful, if understated; that of the front of the side cabins is a little too sparse for my tastes. No telephones or levers? Rear This too is a lovely view. LEGO has done a super job on the engines, and you get a real feeling of power from these beasts. My biggest criticism - carried over from the Cruiser, which suffered the same problem - is that the little inverted trans-yellow domes are far too puny for engines of this size. Surely a 4x4 transparent radar dish would fit in there? Or even a number of 1x1 trans-rounds? Top She looks pretty good from the top - purposeful, with a sharp 'pointy' front belying the powerful rear. The wonderful livery shines in this view; tired though I may be of bley, when picked out with the dark red she looks super. I'm not so keen on the dark bley wedge plates at the rear of the centre section, and again a little more greebling wouldn't go amiss. Note that the tan 2x2 round tiles should sport 'open circle' Republic motifs, but for some reason they are stickered in this set, despite the abundance of printed versions of the same. Compared to the schematic, perhaps the major flaw is that the rear of the centre section should taper more gently, and likewise the rear section's taper should continue to meet this at the 'waist'. I can live with the result, though. Underside Despite the exposed Technic, the view from below is far prettier than I would have imagined. Partly this is due to the mostly uniform colour scheme - here black and bley - but also the inverted slopes used to create contour on the undersides of the side sections help give a smooth appearance. Note that the landing gear is stowed on this shot. There's also a mysterious cavity just behind the pod; it appears to serve no particular purpose, but could represent a docking bay for midget starfighters . Design Verdict: Remembering that this is a minifigure- (and therefore down-) scaled version of the Frigate, I think LEGO did very well to reproduce the shape and general aesthetics of the original without too much compromise; though for a model which is likely to be shelf-displayed, it's a pity that the profile view is perhaps her least flattering angle. Kudos is awarded for the smart colour scheme! Features Let's now inspect the many play features of this set. Moving from front to rear, first we encounter the opening cockpit: In the absence of any clone pilot, Quinlan Vos is apparently charged with flying this vessel, at least according to the box art. The cabin is a roomy as any four-stud wide structure can be; the trans-black bricks which form the windows limit the movement of his arms somewhat. Unfortunately, there are no controls at all - not even a stickered tile - but presumably the Force allows him to guide the ship. They could quite easily have stuck a couple of levers in there. Next we come to the detachable pod section. As I've already explained, pulling the little Technic bush out from the side of the cockpit section allows the pod to drop down. Replacing the pod is a little harder: you have to feel for the small gap in which to feed the two bley liftarms, but it isn't too tricky. It's a distinct improvement over the release mechanism from the Republic Cruiser, which involves stretching an elastic band uncomfortably far before its pod is released. Once detached, the lid slides off the pod, and figures can be placed inside: Here the two clones are chatting, whilst Yoda listens in, or weighs himself, or something. There are two clips to which the clones' weapons can be attached; note that you have to remove jetpack and Commander Wolffe's skirt before they can sit. It is possible to seat five figures in the pod, if you use the 'bathroom scales' bit that Yoda is standing on. All in all, it's handy to have a ship that can hold a decent number of figures. There's room to seat more figures in the centre section. On the starboard side is what appears to be a conference chamber, or war room, or similar - the round radar dish with the trans-blue printed round brick is, I believe, a hologram image projector, and does the job fairly well. I can picture the Jedi planning their battles around this, whilst guided but Darth Sidious Chancellor Palpatine. Behind Eeth Koth is the bley 4x4 part-tile which should hold a nice stickered representation of the ship - perhaps a damage control panel? Also here is the removable device for stowing two of the lightsabers. This is also a good opportunity for commenting on the side walls of the side sections - the 'windows' are a nice touch, though I'm a little unsure why they made them yellow. Otherwise, the greebling here again is a little sparse. The Port side contains two features of varying importance. The first is a 2x2 dark bley container, with a dark tan lid, which is removable. The instructions tell us to put the binoculars in there; here we see Master Vos removing them for some secret Jedi purpose: To Vos's left is a technic device, and on the other side of that are three dark red cylinders capped with bley cones. The technic contraption unfortunately removes some potential seating space on this side, but it does form a nice play feature, as we'll see presently. Bombs away! Let's now revisit the 'hole' in the top of the central section, which is covered by the hinged hatch from the rear of the cockpit part. Lifting the hatch allows placement of your desired number of the dark red cylinders - now revealed as some kind of bomb, or missile - into the hole: The hatch can be closed, if you like, and now if you pull the black technic connector in the middle of the centre frame, the bomb falls out below. It's... interesting, if not mind-blowing, but I expect it will keep the kids happy, until all the bombs roll under the sofa. Rear Gunner Moving toward the stern of the ship, we can now take a look inside the last major structure of the Frigate. Replacing the convoluted radar tower on the Cruiser is an opening cabin in which your chosen Republic dude can 'operate' the rear-facing flick-fire tower. Here I've place Eeth Koth: I say 'operate' - there are no levers here, either, but there is a brick on which can be placed a stickered control panel. Note that the flick-fire tower swivels a full 360 degrees, but doesn't pivot up or down; also you can just make out in the inset that Koth sits a little too low to see out comfortably. Nothing that a 2x2 plate or two wouldn't fix! Or he could just stand up. I can handle it! Between the bomb-hatch and the rear-gunner's cabin is the little bley liftarm contraption I mentioned in the Build section. This lifts up to become a convenient carry-handle: I've propped it up with a lightsaber here. Importantly, when stowed it sits flush with the rest of the ship's roof, so isn't at all obtrusive. Furthermore, and unlike its counterpart in the RC, the stand is placed at the exact centre of gravity of the whole model: She balances perfectly on Rufus's middle finger Gear Up, Gear Down One of the best features of the Cruiser was her folding landing gear. These have carried over to the Frigate, but with a slight improvement: the 'feet', again made of wedge plates, sit studs-up. Here we see the landing gear half-folded, half-deployed. They aren't entirely unobtrusive when folded, but it would be difficult to get them to fold flush. I'm just delighted the feature is there! Whether by accident or design, it is interesting that stowing the landing gear for flight raises the carry-handle by a brick-height, making it easier to lift. Playability Verdict: There are lots of nifty little features to delight kids and adults alike! A lot of thought has gone into producing a set that is both entertaining and cleverly designed. Comparison to 7665 Now we get to see how the Frigate looks next to her older sister. Obviously the overall shape is nearly identical. I've already pointed out the differences in the shapes of the pod sections; note also that the widened centre section is longer on the cruiser. In terms of colour, I love the slightly shocking redness of the Cruiser, but the splashes of white look a little untidy next to the well-groomed and smart Frigate. On this oblique view, you can see the red lift-arm/double-curved slope, just in front of the Cruiser's radar tower, which forms its carry handle. It is poorly balanced: the ship tilts forward, and I worry about the strain this puts on the liftarms. Just in front of this is a small white modified tile with handle. This allows the whole roof of the Cruiser's centre section to lift off. In the Frigate, as we have seen, the roofs of each side are hinged, allowing the whole ship to be swooshed upside down without too much catastrophe! Overall, the Frigate is a lovely modernisation of a great set: the colour scheme - while obviously different - is smartened up, and a few slight problems of the Cruiser have been solved with aplomb. The result is different enough to be be exciting for owners of the Cruiser, whilst bearing sufficient similarity for the two to make great shelf-mates. Conclusion Frankly, I wasn't expecting the Frigate to have quite the 'wow' factor that her mold-breaking red sister achieved, and I was probably right. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The Frigate, albeit decked in the usual bley of most Star Wars sets, sports a much smarter livery than the Cruiser, and the placement of dark red is rather pleasing to the eye. Moreover, several niggles about the Cruiser have been tastefully ironed out, most noticeably the carry-handle being beautifully balanced, and the ability of the Frigate to seat more than the few passengers afforded space in her elder sibling. Despite being a Clone Wars set about which I should by rights care little, I'm delighted with this, and I can foresee her claiming much needed shelf-display space for some time to come. Design: 8 Despite the usual compromises that afflict System-scaled sets, this rendition of the Frigate is reasonably true to the original, and looks very nice. It's a shame that some of the Frigate's sleekness has been lost, particularly in profile; this is necessary to maintain the playable functions and interior. The beautiful splashes of dark red really help to smarten up her appearance, and boost the score significantly in this area. Build: 9 With minimal repetition and some nice techniques that even brought a smile to my LEGO-seasoned face, the construction of this set is thoroughly enjoyable. I suspect it will cause one or two problems for the set's likely target market, and parental assistance might well be necessary, but for the adult fan it was a joy. Minifigures: 9 I'm sure many people will demand more in terms of quantity, but you cannot argue that in quality this set's line-up is impressive. Clone fans will undoubtedly crave the Wolfpack troopers; personally, I'm delighted with the new Jedi, who despite being Clone Wars-styled would sit quite happily alongside by Prequel Trilogy bunch. The Jedi Council is nearing completion! Parts: 6 Here I have less to rave about. There isn't a lot to get pulses racing. The dark red selection steals the show, but I can't see many buying this set for the parts alone, and Bley takes a further step towards the inevitable global domination. Playability: 9 The compromises on design start to make sense when you examine all the features. Folding landing gear is always a winner with me, and there's lots of space inside the ship for arranging figs. The perfect weighting around the centre of gravity makes swooshing a dream; you can even invert this one without too much falling out (the pilot might, but at least the roof doesn't come of like the Cruiser's). Kids will enjoy the flick-fires and bombs, at least until they get lost; one possible downside is that there isn't really a large enemy ship available for this to do battle with... but that isn't the Frigate's fault! Price: 7 This is one area we haven't touched upon yet. At approximately 10 pence per piece, she's reasonable value, but when you consider that she has only 100 pieces more than the Cruiser, and has the same overall dimensions - yet is 150% of the cost - she starts to look a little overpriced. This is most likely a reflection both of the current market forces, and the fact that for £70 the Cruiser was an absolute bargain - yet I worry that the price will put many off this superb set. Overall: 80% My score: 9/10 Pleasing to the eye, fun to build and play, great figures: what more persuasion do you need? A discount? Possibly, but I actually think she's worth the full price. Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed the review! Rufus Resources Read def's review of the 7665 Republic Cruiser here. Consular-Class Corellian Charger c70 Retrofit on Wookieepedia My flickr set And Finally.... If you want to learn how to make stellar reviews, join the Reviewers Academy!

I've enjoyed my two purchases from the LEGO Architecture Architect Range, so I thought I'd give the Landmark Series a spin, and what better way to start than with 2009's Empire State Building? It's one of the best known tall buildings in the world, after all... and I was surprised to find it hadn't yet been reviewed here on Eurobricks. I was also interested to see how the simplified, micro-scale Landmark range compared to the detailed, often quite complicated designs of the Architect series, and how the Landmark range is a whole might appeal. Read on, to see what I found. Review: 21002 Empire State Building Set Information Name: Empire State Building Number: 21002 Theme: LEGO Architecture (Landmark Series) Release Year: 2009 Parts: 77 Figures: 0 Price: UK £19.99 | US $19.99 | EUR 19.95 - 19.99 | DKK 199.95 | CA $26.99 | AU $29.99 Links ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron ... Shop@Home The Box Click the picture to zoom These Architecture boxes are really smart . I love the minimalist, unpretentious black which serves to highlight the model as the only image on the front (a few technical drawings notwithstanding). They also make a lovely collection; all the Architecture boxes - to my knowledge - sport the same design. On this European release, the 'Landmark Series' subtitle is repeated in several languages; the piece count is absent, and the designer - Adam Reed Tucker (ART) - is relegated to the bottom; compare this to the US release on Bricklink. Let's take a closer look. Immediately the tallness of the box is apparent: measuring 14 x 26 x 4.7 cm (W x H x D), it's nearly twice as tall as wide, echoing to an extent the model building it contains. It also, therefore, can be displayed on the shelf at the LEGO store in a way that maximises the model image in the front... Click the picture to zoom ... an image which, as you can see, is stylised rather than a plain photograph: the gaps between the bricks are emphasised in black. On the side, ART gets to scrawl his monicker (or John Hancock for our US readers), and we are reminded that the Empire State Building is located in New York, NY. The rear again gets the multi-language treatment, and some nice landscape photographs of what the building should look like. As you can see, the card of this box is relatively flimsy, bowing out around the sealing tape at the side. Despite this, it's a lovely box, and I'm delighted that The LEGO Co. has gone the extra mile on the packaging. Contents Opening the box requires rotating it through 90 degrees. No tearing is required; just cut the seal and lift the lid Indeed, no glue is use in the box at all, so it can be folded flat and kept for all eternity with no damage required. The inside is also smart and black; the contents - despite their relative paucity - fit quite snugly. Out of the box fall two polybags, an instruction booklet, and a flier. The last is presumably a European-release initiative - I don't recall there being one in my US-bought White House - and contains a link to an online survey, probably to help ascertain whether there is a future for these sets oustide the US. Here's the link (takes about 5 mins): www.LEGOsurvey.com/product Instructions I'm delighted that the instruction booklet - despite being loose in the box; no wrapping or cardboard - came out of the box absolutely pristine. These instructions are worth keeping that way. The booklet cover itself gets the Architecture treatment . There's no filling the empty space with extraneous pretension (Rufus glances rather self-consciously at his title picture). And if we don't want to get coffee or red wine stains on our delightful manual, LEGO kindly directs us to the online instructions at Architecture.LEGO.com. On the back, other members of the Landmark Series are represented in line diagram form: Obviously they don't all fit to the same scale. I'm sure Chicago's Willis Tower (more commonly known as the Sears Tower) isn't taller than the ESB. In this view, the ESB looks built incorrectly, but if you look closely you can see a faint shadow to the right indicating that it is in fact shot at an oblique angle. It's more obvious in the flesh, as it were. The twenty-five instruction steps are simple, neatly arranged against the same smart background, and have piece call-outs in case you're overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of pieces . With only three colours in use in the set, of course there are no colour-differentiation issues, but there are a few tricky areas and opportunity for mistakes if you're building this whilst watching television or browsing Eurobricks. After the build instructions, we are treated to a few information pages, including another landscape photograph of the New York skyline; unlike in the Architect series, there isn't the in-depth article about the building itself and its architect, but there is the usual profile of the set designer: Here's Adam, without his Brickworld 2011 fauxhawk, tweaking a much larger-scale (and better) MOC of the ESB in an environment which looks suspiciously like the Ravinia Ballroom at the Westin North Shore, Chicago, IL - the home of Brickworld. Adam is both an Architectural Artist and founder of Brickworld, so fair enough. You can read more about him on the Brickworld site. The Parts Here are all seventy-eight pieces in all their glory: Well, I guess you'd be unlikely to buy this a parts pack , and though the tan tiles and jumpers might well be useful, I have little use for the larger tan blocks except as filler. The obligatory Architecture printed tile is great, but it's a rather specialised piece. The Build Starting at the bottom and working up, the overall build process is logical and hardly surprising, but there are one or two interesting techniques. The base is formed of two tile-rimmed plate layers, on inside the other, which is sturdy and secure. Next, some blocks are topped with a plate, some tiles, and plates and jumpers, which is where we encounter the first interesting technique (and my first mistake: the jumpers are the wrong way round - quickly corrected, but I forgot to retake the picture)... ... The 3x2 tan blocks connect through their central tubes onto the 1x2 plates from the previous setp; the 1x2 brick sits between them with a half-stud offset via the jumpers: This forms a section with a nicely-recessed central column, and is finished off with a further plate-jumper arrangement, this time resolving the offset. Onto this is placed a 2x4 block, again via its central tubes, and again achieving an offset. Some more jumpers create a further offset into the next section: Next, the height of the building is greatly increased, again with a central recess. Note the use of a 1x1 technic brick - 1x2 brick with frictionless pin arrangement, which secures one of the sides to the central section. The other side could have been attached the same way in the layer above or below, but isn't - it is unattached at the top. Surprisingly, this doesn't overly weaken the structure, but I imagine that the whole would fall apart easily if neither side were so attached. The next layer uses another - unpinned - 1x1 technic brick, rather than a regular 1x1 brick. This is because the open stud is required in order to connect the 1x2 brick above, again via its central pin. Owners of the White House will be very familiar with this part usage. The overall effect - of half-stud steps at each layer - is pleasing to the eye, and interesting to build; it's quite a relief to encounter these advanced techniques in such a small and traditional build. All that's left is the conical 'cap' and mast, and we're done! The seventy-eighth piece is the set's lonely leftover: I'll never complain about 1x1 tiles, especially in tan. The Complete Set And here's the finished building: Despite the plain colour scheme and lack of any window detailing, the model is instantly recognisable for what it is, so fulfills the 'Landmark Series' objective nicely. The half-stud offsets create a lovely stepped contour which isn't too abrupt, and the central recess too is lovely. From the front, the tapered, iconic shape is even more recognisable. It's a shame that the 100 micrometre gap between the bricks is so apparent (bricks are 7.9 mm wide, dontcha know), but hey. From the side, the model is a little plain - there is less contouring. The visible gaps between the tiles could be a little unsightly, but I think they actually help to break up the otherwise blank wall of tan here. Here's a bird's eye view of the model: This shot reduces the skyscraper into more of a pyramid It is, though, a good opportunity to admire the smartly tiled base, without which the model really would be simply a heap of tan. Let's compare to what the building should look like: As you can see, the model at this scale ignores some of the smaller steps in the building, particularly around the base section, and towards the top. I don't see how this could be rectified at this scale. Additionally, some may question the tan colour; however, light bluish grey would have been too ... bley; another solution might have been a whole load of sticker decals to give the appearance of windows, but I'm sure that would get a whole load of AFOLs complaining, and printed parts would surely have driven up the price way too high. So I'll settle for this reasonable representation. Conclusion The Empire State Building rises majestically into the sky, towering above the already monolithic skyline of New York... well, this model - at a mere seven and a half inches - struggles to rise above the vast majority of LEGO models in my display, whatever their genre. But what should you expect for a mere 77 pieces? Apart from a lower price, perhaps... Yes, at £20 for 77 pieces this isn't the best investment you'll ever make in terms of parts per price. But that, in my opinion, isn't really the point of these Landmark sets - you'd hardly be likely to buy this as a parts pack, after all. Instead, you get an experience: just look at the lovely packaging, and the thought that has gone into making the manual more than just an instruction book. Clearly this is meant to be a collectors item, a display set or a talking point, and as such I'm sure is meant to appeal not to the usual target of kids, even older ones, or even just to the typical AFOL market, but perhaps to a wider audience. My own theory is that the Architecture range - particularly the smaller, simpler Landmark series - is meant to appeal to 'casual' LEGO fans - perhaps parents who remember fondly their childhood LEGO collection, and wish to indulge in a little nostalgia when at the LEGO store with their kids, whilst avoiding the uncomfortable conversations they might have if they buy something which is obviously a toy. Certainly, during a recent-ish experience of a packed-out LEGO store on its opening day, I saw lots of adults indulging themselves as well as their kids, and these Architecture sets were flying off the shelves. As such, 21002 Empire State Building achieves its possible objectives well - it is a collectable package, an instantly recognisable recreation of an iconic building, and a reasonably interesting building experience. Whether this will appeal to the average AFOL or not is debatable. Design: 8/10 Recognisable, with some great use of jumper plates to achieve the stepped contours of the original building, the design is a valiant attempt to recreate the ESB at a challenging micro-scale. It suffers from a little tan-blandness, which was most likely unavoidable, and much detail is lost at this size. Build: 7/10 Surprisingly interesting for what might otherwise be a stack of bricks, it's ten minutes well spent. Parts: 5/10 A few tan tiles and jumper plates stand out, but I'm sure you won't be buying this for the parts. Price: 6/10 For a beautifully presented collectors' item, the price is fair. Viewed from any other standpoint, it's extortionate. Overall: 65%. I give it 8/10: For a collector, or a casual dabbler looking for a little adult-orientated LEGO fun, I could recommend it. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the review. Rufus Further reading: The LEGO Architecture Site The official Empire State Building Site Empire State Building on Wikipedia My flickr And finally It's been done a gazillion times, but no Empire State Building model is complete without at least one King Kong shot: If you want to learn how to make stellar reviews, join the Reviewers Academy!