75098 Assault on Hoth

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

"Even the most skilled builders will be challenged to recreate the iconic rubble of Alderaan!"

[ShrikeArghast]

Call me an old timer, but this strikes me as a set that could have really benefited from a few good baseplates.

[L E G O]

I agree - imagine it sitting on a couple of white moon base plates.

[Thorg23]

The biggest problem for this set is that it's just trying to do too much with too little. Trying to make echo base, the shield doors, the ion cannon, the snow trench, the snowspeeder, the wampa cave, and have a bunch of minifigs with this kind of piece count just ends up with everything looking underdesigned (for the new stuff) or phoned in (for the re-used builds). The scope of the set as a whole is simultaneously too large (in terms of number of scenes included) and too small (focusing on unnecessary play features). Both those issues end up wasting a ton of parts and design space, meaning the set is just not up to the level of an ultimate collector series set, and instead amounts to a lazy "greatest hits" of Hoth system sets.

Setting aside the design issues completely and looking at the set purely as a value proposition, I have to agree with the person who made the "4 in 1 pack" comparison with 7666, 8089, 75014, and 75138. If you are willing to buy some of them used, you could buy all of those sets for less or about the same as what lego is charging for this set, and you would arguably get more. You'd lose the half baked ion cannon and shield generator, but gain 2 more speeders, more imperials, a couple probe droids, and more minifigs overall.

This set is going to be an easy pass for me and that doesn't actually bother me that much, as it's nice to have a set I don't feel compelled to buy, seeing as how I have a bunch of other exclusive sets to catch up on right now. But it's still a pretty big misstep for the UCS line after such great successes as the Tie Fighter, Slave 1, and Sandcrawler (which btw is a great example of a UCS "playset" done right).

[bountybossk]

The biggest problem for this set is that it's just trying to do too much with too little. Trying to make echo base, the shield doors, the ion cannon, the snow trench, the snowspeeder, the wampa cave, and have a bunch of minifigs with this kind of piece count just ends up with everything looking underdesigned (for the new stuff) or phoned in (for the re-used builds). The scope of the set as a whole is simultaneously too large (in terms of number of scenes included) and too small (focusing on unnecessary play features). Both those issues end up wasting a ton of parts and design space, meaning the set is just not up to the level of an ultimate collector series set, and instead amounts to a lazy "greatest hits" of Hoth system sets.

Exactly my thoughts! The set should've focused on the base with the gate. Include a nice detailed interior with control room, medical bay and hangar. Skip the trench (you can use 75138), the snowspeeder, ion cannon, generators and the taun-taun stable.

[Raskolnikov]

I'm really surprised at how many have suggested skipping the generator or the ion cannon. Considering all the criticism of it being a "4 in 1 pack," those are the bits that actually were not included in previous sets. I also think they're critical from a playability perspective. Imagine you're a kid with a Star Destroyer set in orbit over the base and Imperials AT-ATs attacking the base. The Imperial objective is clearly to destroy the generators so they can bring their fleet to bear -- that's what your AT-ATs will be moving towards and what the trench is protecting. That's why they're using ground forces in the first place. And the rebels' objective is to escape in their ships, which they are using the ion cannon to accomplish. Without those features, the Hoth battle just doesn't have any internal logic. What is more, those are the only two defensive features of the base (apart from its snowspeeder hangar) that seem to be effective. While we've received multiple kinds of trench turrets over the years, they are never seen to even damage a walker in the films. So if I were a kid (and honestly, probably as an adult), I'd enjoy having my rebels fight to protect that generator form the AT-ATs, while they're using that ion cannon to escape the overwhelming Imperial fleet above.

One might argue that it would have been better to offer the generator ion cannon as part of a $90 stand-alone set with the blast door or something, and I won't argue with you there. I would have preferred that rather than being forced to buy another Wampa cave or snowspeeder, both of which I already have and are available on the secondary market. But I still am glad that the ion cannon and generator are making their first appearance.

[bootz]

As a child, I certainly didn't have about $500 in just three sets. I was spoiled, but not that spoiled. Even then, a spring shooters ion cannon wouldn't have made a huge difference to me opposed to having a more detailed cannon without the play feature. We used our imaginations for years, and the ammunition I had for my spring shooting action figure weapons all got lost pretty quickly anyway.

This set definitely would have benefitted from being split up and sold separately. Getting the ion cannon and shield generator with some of the Echo base control room would be more enticing as a standalone set.

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

It would have been more interesting if the shield generator was rather included in a new AT-AT set than in the "Hoth assault," and if ion cannon was rather featured in a set that included a Rebel transport ship.

[Forresto]

It would have been more interesting if the shield generator was rather included in a new AT-AT set than in the "Hoth assault," and if ion cannon was rather featured in a set that included a Rebel transport ship.

Now that would've been very good! Why aren't you on the Lego Star Wars theme

[Cyanide-Tipped]

I feel for Brick Commander and all the comments he must be reading for this set.. .

Do know we loved your UCS Slave 1 and the new TFA Millennium Falcon though. We just expected so much more from the set, especially since it was listed as "challenging".

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

Now that would've been very good! Why aren't you on the Lego Star Wars theme

Hey, thanks—maybe someday! Earnestly, I can not get off of imagining how exciting two sets based on that would be, because the plot of it would be for a walker to assault the shield generator and an ion cannon to protect the Rebel Transport from the Star Destroyer (which we had one pretty recently)—ah, loads of fun and imagination there!

[Schneeds]

I actually think it would have been better to simply make two large scale, detailed models out of the ion cannon and shield generator using 2,500 pieces and maybe a mini fig or two. Recognizable, iconic, displayable, and different.

[appiah4]

Call me an old timer, but this strikes me as a set that could have really benefited from a few good baseplates.

Every set released in the last half a decade would have benefited from a few good baseplates.

Lego no longer produces these in house, that's why they don't put them in boxes anymore, right?

All I wanted from this set was a detailed Hoth Hangar that could fit the current Snowspeeder model inside and an Echo Base control room. What I got was a lot of stuff I have zero interest for. Disappointmentton total. I wonder if Lego actually did any focus testing etc. before theming this set..

Edited February 25, 2016 by appiah4

[Blondie-Wan]

They don't include baseplates in sets nearly as often as they used to, but they do still include some. All the modular buildings do, for starters.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Blondie-Wan

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

I actually think it would have been better to simply make two large scale, detailed models out of the ion cannon and shield generator using 2,500 pieces and maybe a mini fig or two. Recognizable, iconic, displayable, and different.

Well I guess because one can't probably do much with just an ion cannon without a Rebel Transport ship role-play with, since I believe that is the direction Lego is heading now with their UCS sets; more playability. A UCS set with an AT-AT assaulting the shield generator can have a generator as simple as the one from this set (though with four cells) for all I care, it's just an excuse to get a greater detailed AT-AT .

[Schneeds]

Well I guess because one can't probably do much with just an ion cannon without a Rebel Transport ship role-play with, since I believe that is the direction Lego is heading now with their UCS sets; more playability. A UCS set with an AT-AT assaulting the shield generator can have a generator as simple as the one from this set (though with four cells) for all I care, it's just an excuse to get a greater detailed AT-AT .

I'd be happy with that :)

I just figured if they thought people would buy a large Darth Maul bust, why not a large scale shield generator? ;)

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

I'd be happy with that :)

I just figured if they thought people would buy a large Darth Maul bust, why not a large scale shield generator? ;)

Well, that was back then, but just a display piece of a shield generator would be exciting to see … Though with recent sets like this one, the Sandcrawler, an older one like the Super ISD, and among others it appears in my perspective that they are broadening their target market; reaching out to a younger audience too, so it would seem to appeal to this additional audience they would keep the scale down, throw in some minifigures, add some playset features, a relatively simpler build (like the qualities of the Super ISD or the out of place minifigure pilot for the TIE fighter). Back then, I saw the UCS line prominently consisting of larger scaled display pieces, but real recently that dividing line is pretty faded, as possibly anything could be considered "UCS," especially after the qualities of "this" set.

So my idea for a UCS set featuring an AT-AT with shield generator and a set of a Rebel Transport with an ion cannon was scoped on my assuming direction Lego is heading. However, Lego can surprise us all and come out with something… uh… else unexpected!

Now, I can only wonder what they will offer next…

Edited February 26, 2016 by LiLmeFromDaFuture

[Sucram]

"Even the most skilled builders will be challenged to recreate the iconic rubble of Alderaan!"

This made my day.

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

This made my day.

You are welcome indeed!

[Cyanide-Tipped]

Too soon, LiLme, too soon... ;)

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

Too soon, LiLme, too soon... ;)

What is?

[Cyanide-Tipped]

It was a joke. :)

The explosion and deaths of Alderaan.

[bootz]

General Rieekan is not amused by this joke.

Edit: on that note, why wasn't he included with this set? For something billed as a UCS, why do I have to source older sets to get figs that should have been included?

Edited February 27, 2016 by bootz

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

It was a joke. :)

The explosion and deaths of Alderaan.

Ah, I missed that!

[TheBrickHitHouse]

Still puzzled that £275 gets you 4,600 bricks if the IP is Ghostbusters but when it's Star Wars you get substantially less...

This set needed to have been 4,000+ bricks and chucking an extra £50 on the price tag seems to make more sense than charging £230 for surprisingly little content...

Edited February 28, 2016 by TheBrickHitHouse