Star Wars Minifigs

[Legoman]

OK, well more recently, as this site has been getting bigger in the recent years, I've noticed that there is something about star wars fig's that everyone is obsessed with.

This is Lego, not Hasbro. We are about Building things.

I simply don't get it to say the least. People buy sets just for the figs. To an extent, I understand. I know sometimes lego just doesn't include enough figs in a set. But figs aren't what lego is about. Figs aren't the point of lego. Figs are that little extra on the side. That make sets extra nice. They are nice for completing scenes, but there is a big fuss about them i don't get. Why are they so important? Please, someone give me a good answer, because to me, Lego is about building stuff, making ships and places and building. Yes, figs are a part of that, but thay are not the main part. Comment's like "I'll buy that set, just for the figs" make sence when it's a battlepack, but for other stuf... what the heck?

Normal lego building FTW I say!

[iH Master 13uilder17]

ever since the original tie fighter came with one stormtrooper and Vader, everyone has been obsessed with creating an army of (insert name here). For me, I consider the # of figs in an army to be important. I have OCD and everything needs to have 2 or more friends. Like I have 3 AAT's, AT-TE's, etc. I also need to have ALOT of regulars (normal clones, B1's) as the majority and colored troops as the minority. I don't know what it is, but the brain tells you that a massive army is awe inspiring.

True lego is about building things, but it depends on what you want to build. For some it's BUILDING an army.

Customers shouldn't really complain about not enough figs. for example, hasbro has made the expensive AT-TE set with only one fig if i remember correctly. Well that's enough of my rant.

[Shadows]

Star Wars is a character driven theme, so it's only natural to expect them, especially as the prices increase with no increase in parts count. Therefore, judging a set often comes down to the number and type of figures included. A new figure counts for a lot more than one we've had 10 times before and opens up a new world of possibilities for building with the actual bricks.

Since the 70's, it's really been all about the minifig. That house, car, or spaceship you build is for them, and they have to be taken into consideration during the building process. Bricks are fine, but unless you're a sculptural builder, you need the other parts to go with them, and for me, that's minifigs and accessories.

In Star Wars, it's all about creating ships or places from the various movies and cartoons. What is Cloud City without Boba Fett or Lando? Is Hoth really anything more than an ice cube without Luke, Han, and some Taun Tauns? Dagobah? It's Yoda and nothing more. Would you build a Sandcrawler if you didn't have Jawas and droids?

It seems perfectly natural to me.

[Corvus]

To each his own, I think. You don't like the figs, you don't need to collect them- more for us on Bricklink.

Minifigs have become half the SW universe- as you said, they make the sets interesting. We can MOD a set to be more accurate to an actual design, but it's very hard to MOD a fig to fit the original. Most of us don't have the capability to make decals or custom heads. And so, we have to wait for TLC's version.

[Clone OPatra]

Minifigure collecting is just another kind of collecting, and they are an item that is quite collectible. With the LEGO Fan universe, there are those that collect sets to leave them in their boxes stacked in piles, those that like to build each set as it comes and leave it on display, those that take the models apart and MOC… all kinds of people with different motives for buying LEGO sets. One of those motives is for the figures.

Personally, I love the minifigures, and in the SW sets they're even more special because they represent awesome characters in awesome movies. And sure, sometimes even in bigger sets it's really the minifigures that sell the set, and I can see why some people would actually just want the minifigures. Often, I do buy the sets for the minifigures, and I figure it's cheaper than buying them on Bricklink and you get an ok model with a bunch of parts too!

[Oky]

Interesting question. I myself have not completely understood such obsession, even though I caught myself obsessing about figs a little bit sometimes too. This is how I see it: Minifigs are awesome! To be more exact, they are irresistibly charming, so that when you see a, say, Mini Nute Gunray, you can't help but want one. This especially applies to people who like to collect and want a minifig for their collection, no matter what the set it comes in is like. Sure, Lego isn't Hasbro, but AFOLs can be fanboys too.

So, whenever one of our beloved Star Wars characters is released as a minifig, we just geek out I guess.

The sets are very important for me too, but so are minifigs. It's kind of a 50-50 deal for me. If the set is good, but the minifigs aren't interesting (like the CW Y-Wing), I'll get it. If the minifigs are good, but the set just average (like the Separatist Shuttle), I'll still get it as well.

EDIT: Btw, it's kinda funny that you support MOCing so much whereas the last MOC you posted here (excluding contest entries) is two years old.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Oky Wan Kenobi

[RileyC]

I usually buy sets for minifigs. Like if I dont have a main character from star wars and its available in a set i will get it. for example, i didnt have Ashoka but i saw her starfighter on the shelf and i didnt have her so i bought it. yes the set is very overpriced but it was good to get her to go well with anakin and his starfighter. Like i just bought the sep shuttle. the ship itself itsnt that great but nute gunray and occonda farr are awesome minifigs. I bought the new hoth set for snowtroopers, rebel and a taun taun (if you would call that a minifig).

[CommanderFox]

Good Q legoman

i agree with what some people are saying here as well

minifigures are what make alot of sets what they are these days. Take the BPs from last year. They where OK but where abit rubbish, the cool part to alot of people was the rebels and stormies.

An example of people buying sets for the figs was when i was at a local lego selling store and a kid went up to the star wars shelf and picked up Nute Gunrays shuttle and asked his mum if he could get it because it had Nute Gunray in it the rest to him was a "mehhh a shuttle..wow"

Legomans right when saying the figs are that little extra thing on the side. They shouldn't be the main part of the set. Even the Lego logo tells you this, it has a Lego Brick on it, NOT a minifigure.

lego does forget this sometime and create's a set with cool figs in it but makes a lame job of the vehicle. I think sometimes this is ok because it gives us the chance of collecting some cool figs but on the whole Lego should be creating a cool vehicle alot of the times.

just my thoughts anyway

CommanderFox

Edited June 14, 2009 by CommanderFox

[Eskallon]

I think it will vary between people of weather to buy it for the figs. I certainly have done it before(excluding battle packs). Lego should be about building but for some the figs make it more fun to play with and for others the figs make it more art like and realistic. The figures are a main part in the lego world and sometimes they should get the attention in a set. However I will always try to think about the set before I buy and their are many sets where I have thought about it and not got it in the end because the building is rubbish.

Anyway that is my opinion

[Legoman]

Well, I'm not so much saying i don't like figs, as i love 'em. It's just that i don't understand why they seem to get the royal treatment. I want a chromed out naboo crusier

EDIT: Btw, it's kinda funny that you support MOCing so much whereas the last MOC you posted here (excluding contest entries) is two years old.

...Shutup!

Well, that because of a few factors. 1. I don't do many MOC's. 2. I don't usually feel my MOCs are great so i don't post 'em here (unless it's for a contest). 3. I don't have heaps of peices to MOC with, as i like to keep my sets made up. And i don't like buying from bricklink because there's so much i want it add's up too fast

[Mraz Skintas]

I don't base my sets entirely on figs, however, I base my final observation on the figs. If it a hundred dollar set, and has but one fig (unless it's USC) chances are good that I won't buy it, unless it is on sale or essential to what I am building/ displaying at the time.

As Imperialshadows said, Star Wars is a character based line aimed at kids, and most kids would want a small set that would be easy to build with a lot of figs rather than a large set that has two figs and a few thousand pieces. I personally like both, as most collectors would.

Some people also prefer building armies over large, brick-built dioramas or displays. And let's face it - more detail seems to go into the Star Wars figs than most other figs, as that seems to have the most appeal. And what's not to be obsessed about a little Yoda with hair and Clone Troopers with actual faces under their helmets.

Note: I think I lost my point or rambled in there somewhere.

[TheBrickHitHouse]

ever since the original tie fighter came with one stormtrooper and Vader, everyone has been obsessed with creating an army of (insert name here). For me, I consider the # of figs in an army to be important. I have OCD and everything needs to have 2 or more friends. Like I have 3 AAT's, AT-TE's, etc. I also need to have ALOT of regulars (normal clones, B1's) as the majority and colored troops as the minority. I don't know what it is, but the brain tells you that a massive army is awe inspiring.

True lego is about building things, but it depends on what you want to build. For some it's BUILDING an army.

Customers shouldn't really complain about not enough figs. for example, hasbro has made the expensive AT-TE set with only one fig if i remember correctly. Well that's enough of my rant.

I read this and thought - bloody hell, I have a twin!

My thoughts exactly - perhaps its OCD, but i do love my vast Imperial army (310 soldiers all told)

For me Lego is all about the partnership of mini fig and set - minifigs on their own are okay, but a vehicle without a minifig is pretty dull

I like the playability minifigs bring - what do you actually DO with a UCS set??

[SWMAN]

I think that the fact that Star Wars has so many diverse characters and therefore so many diverse figures draws people to collect the minifigs as well as the sets. Most themes have 15-20 different figures. Star Wars has over 100.

[-JD-]

Both the set and the minifgures are important to me. They are really accurate and cute. I sometimes get larger sets to have another ship, and the miniigures are a delightful bonus! So with me it varies from set to set.

Greetings,

JD

[KuchN]

I mostly buy a set for its vehicle, like for example the sepparatist shuttle - its an awesome ship and because of this I bought it, but is has a cool minifig too so its a win win. But I wouldn't buy a set because of a fig.

[hollisbrick]

For me I take both figs and bricks into account.

Although you got to admit, I aslo got a bit geekish when the BP's came out

[streifen]

for me, i am not into the whole SW series. only Episodes IV-VI. so i try to get the sets that come with them and the minifigs too, of course.

however i have a weakness for Jawas. am building a Jawa army atm.

As for other characters that TLC will not issue, i am trying to customise them.

so far, i have not come into a situation where i need to buy a set to get a minifig. though a 2nd sandcrawler comes close.

[Future74]

A set with a minifigure thats been released 10 times before just doesnt give me the same satisfaction as one that includes a new one. Even if the set is new, like for instance Anakin's Y-wing which has the same minifigures as the Twilight and Ahsoka's & Anakin's starfighters, is (in my opinion) a great model but lacks good minifigures. The AT-TE in that matter also included a new Captain Rex and made it feel quite different because of that. So in a way the minifigure makes the set.

[Bricklanta]

People care about the figs because Star Wars is mostly about the clone troopers/storm troopers and thier vehicles. We need a lot of them so our vehicles don't look so bland. And if you're going to play with your Star Wars Lego it always helps to have a couple of clone troops and jedi.

[Dr. Steve]

I would have killed to have a Lego Storm Trooper back in the 80's. So now I have 50. (I know a small army around here...LOL)