Posted March 22, 201212 yr This set has a nice theme. Ki-Adi-Mundi, a long-awaited minifig, and Commander Cody, who has only been released in one other set, square off against a Geonosian pilot. Quite a drastic change from the first version (released in 2002), for not only is this set missing a cannon and another Geonosian (which will come back in early 2012), but it includes two good guys. So, let's begin, eh? Name: 7959 Geonosian Starfighter Theme: LEGO Star Wars Year: 2011 Pieces: 155 Minifigs: 3 Price: $29.99/£29.99 Brickset Bricklink On the desolate surface of Geonosis, Clone Commander Cody and Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi prepare the Clone Army for another assault on the Separatist droid factory. Suddenly, they spot a Geonosian Starfighter speeding towards them. Can they defend themselves against the Geonosian pilot, armed with a powerful turret-mounted cannon and proton torpedo launcher? You decide! THE BOX Due to my getting this set back in the summer, the box has been disposed of. Therefore, the box picture has been taken from Bricklink. This set shows Ki-Adi-Mundi swinging his lightsaber and Cody shooting - but from far away. I'm sure that this doesn't do much damage to the starfighter. Other than that, you have the ship itself and the random laser beams in explosions on every single Lego Star Wars box. Since its debut in summer of 2010, I've really liked this box theme. The dark blue is a nice touch, and Captain Rex is looking great, as always. I wonder how odd it would look if it was a Lego Rex? THE INSTRUCTIONS The same artwork is featured on the booklet, minus the set information. This is a random instruction page showing the building of the engine. The background is a faded, rugged gray. Thankfully, I had no trouble telling the difference between dark bley and black. Unlike some past (and even future) instructions, this one does not feature any faded Star Wars character in the upper right hand corner of the odd pages. I enjoy this, as some sets have nothing to do with the character portrayed. THE MINIFIGS As said before, three are included in this set: Ki-Adi-Mundi, Commander Cody, and the Geonosian pilot. Cody is exactly the same. I really like Mundi's torso, a good generic Jedi tunic. Many have given skepticism about Mundi's separate head piece, but I think that it is a wise choice. There has never been a minifig head joined with another piece before, and I'm sure it will stay that way. The Geonosian has a odder head. I liked the 2002 version better. The torso is extremely decorated, with some nice leg printing. Oddly enough, the Geonoisan has the body curves that a female minifig usually has. I wonder if the printing was normal if it would look too fat. Some nice back printing on the Geonosian compliments the front part. Cody has the same regular clone trooper printing, and Mundi has a printed hood, wrinkles, and a belt. I really like Mundi's torso, and I would like to see it, along with Plo Koon's torso, (as long as there is back printing) on some more Jedi. NEW/INTERESTING PIECES The thing that drew my attention in this set was the nice dark orange and reddish brown pieces: a 2x4 tile, curved 4x1 piece, the bottom part of the sphere, and the long 16 stud wedge, all in reddish brown. In dark orange, we also get a curved 4x1 piece, and a left 6x2 wedge, and a right 6x2 wedge. Also, a new cockpit for 2011. THE BUILD I've assembled both of the sections of the starfighter together, to save on picture room. The first part forms the basic shape of the two sections, in dark bley. Right now, I feel like it looks like the bottom of a Star Destroyer. I found it surprising that two dark bley wedges were used. It is a bit insecure without bricks on top of it, but I suppose it is necessary to form the shape of the starfighter. The back curves are formed, and the front slopes are added. Also, the parts for holding the hinged flap are constructed. The tops are finished. You'll see what the hinged flap does later. It's at times like this when I really like Lego's piece usage. It is genius! (Of course, sometimes, it is not.) I would love to see a UCS Geonosian Starfighter These parts hold the ship together. One has the engine, and the other is the gun. I'm not liking the way that the gun can only move side to side. I wish there was someway to fix it, but be the same width and height. THE SHIP/FUNCTIONS Here it is, in all it's glory. The 16 stud wedges make the ship quite long. I would rather have had the printed version from the old Geonosian fighter. A front 3/4 view. This shows that the gun can move 180o right or left. The cockpit is a nice, small place, with a printed tile, and two 2x3 tiles where the Geonosian sits. I like this instead of having to pull the minifig off studs. The bottom section of the starfighter is where the main play function is - the missile! Just open that flap... ...and out comes the missile! I like this much better than the oddly placed flickfire missiles. FINAL VERDICT Playability: 9.5/10 (No flickfire missiles is a plus, but I'm sure another feature could have been added somewhere.) Design: 10/10 (A great form that is instantly recognizable!) Minifigs: 7/10 (Not a bad selection, considering Mundi and the pilot, but I would rather have a new clone than Cody.) Pieces: 10/10 (Another 10/10. Any set with a lot of both dark orange and reddish brown makes my day!) OVERALL: 9.1/10 A great piece selection, two pretty nice minifigs, and a good ship, this set is a yes in my book. If you see it, I would pick it up!
March 22, 201212 yr You just convinced me to buy this. All the other reviews were fairly negative. Thanks for the review!
March 23, 201212 yr Again, another great review of the set. I have to agree with you, the set does not quite get the love it deserves. When paired withthenew Geonosian Cannon, I think I prefer it to the old Geonosian, and the hidden missiles are always a plus.
March 23, 201212 yr Before this set was released Commander Cody was available for roughly US-$ 20.00 via Bricklink or ebay. 7959 has led to drastically reduced price of Cody and provided a lot of people with a decent opportunity to get this figure, which I find great. Furthermore, the set comes up with Mundi. I have to admit that in the beginning, I found him pretty awkward, but I got used to how he looks. To me, the Geonosian looks pretty good as well. The Geonosian ship looks decent. It looks more slender and elegant than the previous model. The set was overpriced when it was released, but currently, it is available for what I'd call a rather fair price.
March 23, 201212 yr I purchased this for my nephew for his birthday & he loved it! I'll admit that it does look quite nice, and it's quite a lot bigger than I expected. However, the UK RRP (£29.99) is way above what it's worth (I grabbed one for him during the pre-christmas sales @ 50% off, which was far better! ). Not a bad set, but not for me.
March 23, 201212 yr I purchased this for my nephew for his birthday & he loved it! I'll admit that it does look quite nice, and it's quite a lot bigger than I expected. However, the UK RRP (£29.99) is way above what it's worth (I grabbed one for him during the pre-christmas sales @ 50% off, which was far better! ). Not a bad set, but not for me. Ok if I'd get it discounted. Otherwise too expensive!
March 25, 201212 yr I'm kind of iffy about this set. I just got the Geonosian cannon, which would go great for with this set. Yet 155 pieces for $30? I still have better sets in mind that I still need to buy such as the Battle of Naboo, Battle of Geonosis, and Droid Escape. Maybe when I build enough VIP points to discount this set to $20, I can feel better about getting it. Nice review by the way.
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