LEGO Star Wars 2022 Set Discussion - READ FIRST POST!!!

[The Stud]

As others have said, I think these sets are selling well especially because of the casual adult demographic. In the last two years since Lego’s whole “Adults Welcome” debut, and with the pandemic leaving people with a lot of free time, I think the number of adults buying Lego sets for themselves as increased exponentially, whereas it was a lot more niche just a couple of years ago. (Though the number of AFOLs has been rising ever since The Lego Movie came out and made the idea of an AFOL far more mainstream.) I know a ton of people who aren’t necessarily hardcore AFOLs but have started getting sets here and there, especially these 18+ ones. Had Lego released these sets a couple years ago without the 18+ branding and more “sophisticated” branding, then I don’t think these sets would have been nearly as successful. If sets like the 2018 Hoth Medical Chamber were released now with that 18+ branding, they wouldn’t have shelf warmed nearly as much.

My belief here is that the key difference between the hardcore fans who browse here and the “Adults Welcome” fans is the quantity of sets we buy. A lot of the latter crowd are buying sets a lot more casually to throw onto their coffee tables, desks or bookshelves, while a lot of the former crowd (i.e. people who engage in this community) tend to buy more sets and are consequently a lot more selective. We make use of concepts like PPP and whatnot that most of Lego’s customers have never even heard of. The hardcore population is a lot smaller than the more casual crowd, so that’s probably why the sets seem to be doing so well even though the more hardcore portion of the community is often complaining about these sets being overpriced or taking the spots of other sets or what have you.

I’m obviously not just a casual fan since I’m on a Lego forum but I do like the Meditation Chamber and Quotes sets; I’m just waiting on sales or discounts for all of them. (Which have become less common these past two years unfortunately.)
 

 

Back to the Fighter Tank discussion, I was just thinking the other night about how funny it was to see so many people calling this new one a step down from the previous version, when I distinctly remember that previous version getting a ton of flack back in 2017. People were hating on it because it was too small compared to the 2009 version and were also complaining about getting a Phase Two clone versus a Phase One clone.

[TBD]

I never said that potential set-exclusive minifigures in higher end sets necessarily would have to be ‘better’. Just different in a unique way. 

[MKJoshA]

There's a lot of negativity regarding TLG's decisions and people's opinions about them right now. For health of the forum and its members let's take a break from talking about the quotes sets and TLG's decisions for making them.

Everyone take a breath. Don't post right away. And come back to the discussion at a later point.

[AD_Bricks]

I’m curious, have we gotten any clearer/different images of Mando’s face print from 75325 since that first one that, to be fair, had terrible lighting? I’m anxious to see it properly. 
 

An interview with the LEGO Star Wars designers (rare event) revealed that the Star Wars and Jurassic World designers have very little collaboration between them, and the fact that they both designed very similar quote sets and the same time was an utter coincidence. Are we really buying this? I find it hard to believe. 

Edited March 26, 2022 by AD_Bricks

[TBD]

In what way are the SW and JW quotes sets similar other than being dioramas and iconic moments in the movies?

[MaximillianRebo]

41 minutes ago, TBD said:

In what way are the SW and JW quotes sets similar other than being dioramas and iconic moments in the movies?

Them both being dioramas is exactly what makes them similar. Sure just about every licensed set is some type of iconic/recognisable moment (outside of non-canon builds like battlepack vehicles) but the idea of putting scenes on black bases is something very specific and recent. Maybe the Jurassic World team saw last year's Meditation Chamber and thought "that's neat, we should try something similar" and designed their model separate but concurrently to the new SW dioramas. I'd wager that the quote plaques were added later and must have had at least some type of collaboration - maybe both teams were asked to add the quotes by someone higher up in the licensed sets department - as it's unlikely that both groups would come up with this concept on their own at the same time.

[Mandalorianknight]

don’t appreciate being called a bootlicker, but the mods have said that discussion is done, so it’s done
 

1 hour ago, MaximillianRebo said:

Them both being dioramas is exactly what makes them similar. Sure just about every licensed set is some type of iconic/recognisable moment (outside of non-canon builds like battlepack vehicles) but the idea of putting scenes on black bases is something very specific and recent. Maybe the Jurassic World team saw last year's Meditation Chamber and thought "that's neat, we should try something similar" and designed their model separate but concurrently to the new SW dioramas. I'd wager that the quote plaques were added later and must have had at least some type of collaboration - maybe both teams were asked to add the quotes by someone higher up in the licensed sets department - as it's unlikely that both groups would come up with this concept on their own at the same time.

this is what I assume happened. I can’t see any reason that they’d be lying and nefariously scheming with the Jurassic team to make qoute sets, but the quotes themselves can’t be a coincidence. I’m guessing they both were independently developing their respective sets, and that’s when someone came up with the idea to tie them together with the quotes.

 

i hope we get a full wave description soon, it’d be nice to know how badly my wallet is damaged this year. I gotta get that rumored BD-1 statue set.

[Classic_Spaceman]

Back on-topic: I am really not fond of the new Stormtrooper redesign. The legs are OK - Marginally more accurate between the white hips and the movement of the ridged band on the right leg from the shin armour (old design) to the thigh armour (new design). Additionally, (though I have seen some complain about this) I like that the hips are unprinted, since that makes the new legs compatible with the old torsos. The new torso, conversely, just looks bad. The belt is too large, and the chestplate's curve is too high and too close to the armour's "pecs"; it almost looks like LEGO based the torso off of the female variant Legacy armour: 

 

[BigA_7]

On 3/25/2022 at 7:52 AM, MAVERICK26 said:

HBS: We don't like to release sets with exclusive figures in them, especially sets with a high price point.

TLG: Releases an exclusive Geonosis Mace Windu that we know now will most likely never make it into another set. It was released in a set with a high price point.

People are misinterpreting this so much. The lego designers don't want characters to be locked behind sets that a huge percentage of the fanbase don't like. If Commander Cody (a popular character among lots of people including kids) was released in the gunship, 80% of fans wouldn't be able toa access it because they either can't afford the set or have no interest in it. They are likely going to release it in a much cheaper and accessible set

[McMurder_them_softly]

Well, my 2 cents for who cares: 

Wish for a larger Yoda's hut and more of the X-Wing

Trash compactor would have been nice to have the prison hallway above with the grate they come down in some way. 
 

Longer trench with maybe 3 X-Wings or a Falcon coming over the top. Maybe someone will buy multiple and put the midi-scale Falcon or the like with it. 

Waiting to see better angles of the tank but it is intriguing at a minimum. 

[AD_Bricks]

2 hours ago, McMurder_them_softly said:

Wish for a larger Yoda's hut and more of the X-Wing

Trash compactor would have been nice to have the prison hallway above with the grate they come down in some way. 
 

Longer trench with maybe 3 X-Wings or a Falcon coming over the top. Maybe someone will buy multiple and put the midi-scale Falcon or the like with it. 

And all this without the prices going up more please lol

[MAVERICK26]

Just now, AD_Bricks said:

And all this without the prices going up more please lol

Jesus, they're high enough already. Don't know if it's inflation or what but it's getting to be somewhat unaffordable.

[McMurder_them_softly]

6 minutes ago, AD_Bricks said:

And all this without the prices going up more please lol

I mean...we can dream! I like the look, but the price is off-putting right now enough to not want to buy them. Depends on the May 4th promo I suppose. But even then...

[Meaf]

47 minutes ago, MAVERICK26 said:

Jesus, they're high enough already. Don't know if it's inflation or what but it's getting to be somewhat unaffordable.

I think part of the problem is that they all have that border around them. It's not really what my eyes go to at first, but I imagine those eat up a fair number of parts, which in turn makes the sets more expensive. It also kind of feels like Lego is charging a little more than they would have normally since these are very much aimed at adults, who naturally can afford to spend a little bit more, but that's purely speculation on my end. The prices of these sets were probably set before everyone knew how bad the recent inflation (in the US at least) has been, so if Lego is going to factor that in, we probably haven't even seen the effects of that yet.

[PsychoBuilder]

The tank has leaked, and while it's definitely weaker than the 2017 iteration, it's really pretty good--I would say it's probably an improvement on the 2008 one, even. It doesn't even remotely look 4+, and the angles we got did not do it justice even remotely. It sort of feels like the designers had to use that cockpit piece, I don't know, as a bet or something, which is why they incorporated it and not the old style, but overall, it works. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Brickroll

[NeutralNoodle]

Mace Windu’s arm printing looks fantastic. I would love to see similar figures for Anakin and Obi-Wan. 

[Stuartn]

I gotta say, it actually looks pretty nice from the front on, the X Wing canopy piece works really well, and it looks like the tank will be able to hold at least two figures.

[ForgedInLego]

I don't know, it still looks too tall and thin to me. If it were a brick or two shorter even with the "<insert that tiresome argument>" parts, I think the proportions would work out a lot better. Still, the ability to put multiple figs in it makes it a lot more fun for kids to play with than the 2017 version.

[Gontron]

Still a tad too tall but its Lego so modifying it should be easy. Looks like an amalgamation of the legends and canon designs. 

[Clone OPatra]

I think that tank looks fantastic! The build looks perfectly good to me with creative use of the cockpit piece, and the overall package of what's included in the set is awesome: four exclusive figures including amazing Mace Windu.

Sure PPP is bad but the tank will not be small. It's worlds better than the lumpy AAT which came with that measly one Ahsoka trooper, which yeah, I bought.

I don't understand why LEGO makes the most random, untimely sets with Mace Windu. First that terribly priced, way oversized and generally boring General Grevious speeder that appeared unremarkably in like one episode of Clone Wars, and now and expertly done version of Mace with a fighter tank and clones that don't even exist in Canon right now. So random but I like this one a lot.

[Kdapt-Preacher]

I think a lot of the concern about the tank is because everybody's used to looking at the 2005 version of it. This is based on the recent Battlefront 2 (which is the only place the tank has actually appeared in years), and that version is shaped differently, much closer to what this set looks like. It's less complex, with fewer angles on the front end and those flat vertical sides. I honestly think the X-wing canopy piece was a pretty good choice for achieving that smoothly.

[NoOneOfImportance]

Honestly, I'm really liking the look of this set. There's definitely the weird height difference from the source material in the body, but it isn't really noticable from this angle, and I doubt it will be that problematic when the set actually is built. Everything else looks great. I think the canopy piece captures the shaping pretty accurately from the front, and the figures (debates about "they aren't canon so why" aside) look great. Yeah, the PPP could be better, but otherwise I gotta say I like this one. 

[Displayedaction]

Did they widen the visor just a bit on the clones ?Could be the angle but it looks more stretched across the helmet like how the ones in the skywalker saga game look.I like it if so.

[The Stud]

3 hours ago, Clone OPatra said:

I don't understand why LEGO makes the most random, untimely sets with Mace Windu. First that terribly priced, way oversized and generally boring General Grevious speeder that appeared unremarkably in like one episode of Clone Wars, and now and expertly done version of Mace with a fighter tank and clones that don't even exist in Canon right now. So random but I like this one a lot.

Technically, that Grievous speeder also showed up in one of the unfinished Crystal Crisis on Utapau episodes you can find online. Since that arc is so obscure, however, it does not help Lego’s case one bit. I admit that I bought it at 20% off just for the figures…

I suppose this Republic Tank isn’t super recognizable either, outside of its Lego versions.

 

Speaking of which, I think the set looks a lot better in these box pictures, and I’m someone who thought it looked okay to begin with. And now that we have clearer detail of that Mace Windu figure, I love that he’s a unique Clone Wars version with the printed vambraces on his arms. Like I said when pictures first surfaced, I want new Anakin and Obi-Wan figures with this level of detailing. I also really dig this new box art Lego is doing for 2022, it works very well for this set in particular.

I might pick up a copy on May the 4th and then pick up an extra one for a discount.

[cosmic]

Newer pics make me like the tank much more. Figs are amazing and $40 is not that outlandish. Tank is definitely leaner and smaller than ideal but it’s affordable and the figure selection is amazing.

Not 2022 related but as of recent I have been glossing over the General Grievous Starfighter. I never got the Malevolence or Bike sets he came in, and really wanted both. I fear having the same regret with this set that I should have gotten it when I had the chance? Is it overpriced? Yes but as I’ve learned with the 2013 wave, what feels expensive today can feel out of reach tomorrow, and the set is not going to get any cheaper (plus shipping prices of getting it off Bricklink).

I think I may bite the bullet for that Airborne trooper. Hope they reproduce the Utapau battle pack with arm printing sometime again in the future. Yikes I actually think I’m going to buy Grievous’s overpriced Starfighter.