41stEliteGroup
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41stEliteGroup's Stats
 
  • 5
    Average Rating
  • 62
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  • 2
    Review Count
  • September 7, 2015
    First Review
  • September 27, 2015
    Last Review
 
 
41stEliteGroup's Reviews
 
 First Order Snowspeeder™
First Order Snowspeeder™
First Order Snowspeeder™
 
Posted:September 27, 2015
Customer Avatar
Age: 14-18 years old
Building Experience:  Advanced LEGO builder
Overall: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Splendid Speeder
" OPENING:
I am, as many thousands of people undoubtedly are, excited for the long-awaited Seventh Installment, and in this set we have a little preview of what is to come in The Force Awakens!!!
PACKAGING & INSTRUCTIONS:
-The art features the components in a very relevant and believable setting (for contrast, see Anakin busting out of the cockpit of his still-flying Custom Starfighter...).
-Also, the box is packed pretty full; during unboxing, I did not feel shortchanged.
-Interestingly enough, the instruction manual is not a stapled packet but a bound booklet.
MINIFIGURES (head, shoulders, knees, and toes...):
-I hope these figures pop up in a battle pack sometime, because I actually like them a lot.
-Helmets: The nubs at the chin have been cause for some online criticism. In my opinion, the nubs are not as obnoxious as some have said, and it could be argued (by me, at least) that they are actually a fairly logical evolution of the clone helmets. Setting that point aside, I like the detailing and subtle texture of the helmets. The vision slit looks imposingly spooky, too.
-Faceprint: One criticism I do have about these troopers is that they are all "angry clones". I would have thought a new movie would warrant a little more innovation in that department, especially since the Jango clones wouldn't make any sense militarily speaking in the timeframe of The Force Awakens.
-Backpack: The tile that serves as the backpack is actually printed. Also, the tile is the entire pack, so it's less bulky than the OT version, which, I believe, involves another plate.
-Torso and Legs: The printing is VERY well executed on these figures. There isn't much detail at the toes or the back, but that's perfectly fine, considering the gear-- snowboots and backpacks, respectively.
-Accessories- these cloth details are wonderful, waaaay better than the plastic kamas from the Clone Wars cartoon subtheme. They don't badly disrupt the printing, and their fairly non-specific colors allow for multiple applications, too. Also, the black pieces used to attach the backpacks fit the accents elsewhere in the armor, so the whole look "flows" well tip to toe.
SPEEDER:
-Composition: This is a pretty sturdy set. Accidentally knocking it to the ground during construction resulted in only minor damage. Builders will see that the engine pods are of a well-considered design. In a pleasant surprise, a few of the pieces were actually new to me.
-Fighting Deck: The seats at the rear are perfect, fitting comfortably both the cloth kamas and the backpacks (genius!). The crates look a little last-minute, but they do a good job of holding the studs. I must comment, though, that the whole setup doesn't seem to offer much shelter against a blizzard...
-Overall Appearance: This is a fresh interpretation of the term "speeder". This is more substantial than BARC-style bikes and more industrial than the either the current Flash Speeder or the Mandalorian Speeder from a few years ago.
-Playability: I am really enjoying rolling the vehicle around my desk, and I'm sure that kids will have lots of fun imagining pitched battles with this speeder and its occupants, especially when the Resistance is better represented later on.
-Flaws: In my eyes, there are some, but they are minor and easily fixed-- not really worth mentioning to a general audience.
CLOSING COMMENTS:
75100 is definitely worthy of consideration-- if nothing else, give it a studious eyeballing if it's on display. It isn't glorious in the way that the new Falcon and Command Shuttle are, but the First Order Snowspeeder is certainly nothing to scoff at. The figures are great, the build (while not jaw-dropping) is enjoyable, and I find the end result to be quite pleasing. I think this could be a pretty good holiday gift to an intermediate builder.
~41stEliteGroup
Personal Section (this part is entirely nonessential):
-I am interested to see how these new snowspeeders fare; the Alliances' ships weren't all that effective against the AT-ATs on Hoth.
-I wonder why there are only those two black cannon-looking pieces on the left side. I guess the First Order has better aim than the Galactic Empire and as such needs less weaponry.
-Originally, the set I wanted most from this wave was either the First Order Transporter or the First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter, but I am so happy with this set (and the Episode II poster that came with it) that my interest in the other two vehicles-- but not so much the figures-- has waned.
-I took my time with the build and am glad I didn't rush such a nice product.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
My Product Recommendations
Darth Vader™
4.7 out of 5(25)
 
 
 
Senate Commando Troopers™
4.7 out of 5(18)
 
 
 
ARC-170 Starfighter™
4.9 out of 5(10)
 
 
 
 
 
From:  United States
Age: 14-18 years old
Building Experience:  Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For: Self
Build Time:
01 hrs
Build Time:
20 mins
Play Experience (Optional)
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value for Money (Optional)
5 / 5
5 / 5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
3of 4found this review helpful.
 
 Darth Vader™
Darth Vader™
Darth Vader™
 
Posted:September 7, 2015
Customer Avatar
Age: 14-18 years old
Customer Type:  LEGO Fan
Building Experience:  Advanced LEGO builder
Overall: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Join Me...
" OPENING (you can skip this part if you want):
I had seen reports of these buildable figures months ago and had been eagerly waiting to get one since, so I was really pumped to see them all on the shelf. As it happens, my Lego Star Wars collection didn't have any Vaders in any form at all (surprising, huh?); thus I plucked the Sith Lord off the shelf and made my way to the register. Below I deliver my thoughts:
PACKAGING & INSTRUCTIONS:
-The color scheme does feel very Final Duel-ish, and the way Vader curls his fist on the front side is reminiscent of the big Bespin scene (you know, when Luke has his own "nooooo"-scream session).
-The instructions can be a little bit hard to follow, because there are a number of relatively similar-looking pieces in relatively similar-looking colors. Just take your time and you won't have any problems.
-The box is made such that (with a little finagling) Vader will fit inside! The box itself isn't hard to deal with, either; at approximately the size of a tray of Oreos (sorry, I'm feeling a bit hungry right now), it should be pretty easy to slot into a bookshelf or closet or drawer for safekeeping-- or, for that matter, easy to hide from any kids hunting for the holiday stash.
FIGURE:
-Vader is very tall and imposing (and poseable). Builders will get the sense that they paid for something substantial; the traditional measure of value, the price-per-piece ratio, doesn't really apply/work in this context.
-Vader's head mold is very accurate, though set against such broad shoulders it seems just a bit smaller than it should.
-Tips, all pictured below: stick some of the pieces into Vader's back-- there are a number of Technic slots available-- and just cover the awkwardness with the cape; switch around two of the shoulder armor pieces to give your duelist a greater range of motion on the joint-- otherwise, armor may pop off during play; stick the neck piece through the big hole in the cape so the fabric looks more like a garment than a sail stapled to Vader's shoulder blades; use the little black slope pieces (my box had a few extra, and if yours doesn't you might have some from other sets) to cover up the tan Technic pins.
CLOSING (you can skip this part, too, if that's what works for you):
-If you haven't been able to tell, I've had a lot of fun with this product! In these figures, builders get the perfect blend of play ability and display ability.
-I know reviews aren't supposed to talk a lot about price, but I bought this set at the Rockefeller Center Lego Store for a marked-up $32.99 (that's before factoring in New York City's hefty sales tax), which led to the 4/5 for the value. It's really more of a 4.5, though; I believe the designers had to work really hard to make this all happen and I was willing to pay for their time and dedication. Grab this set elsewhere-- S@H, for example; I mean, you're already here-- at $29.99 and you get a truly tremendous bang for your buck.
-I'm hoping that Lego (Lego, can you hear me?!?) keeps going at least another full wave with these sets!
FINAL COMMENTS:
I hope all the effort and careful editing I put into this review (my first ever, by the way) will prove helpful, or at least a little humorous, to some curious prospective Lego Star Wars buyer out there! Even if you aren't really interested in the theme now, give this set a try and know that you'll have in your hands one of the most iconic science fiction characters ever.
~41stEliteGroup
"
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I would recommend this to a friend!
State:  Connecticut
From:  United States
Age: 14-18 years old
Customer Type:  LEGO Fan
Building Experience:  Advanced LEGO builder
Purchased For: Self
Build Time:
35 mins
Play Experience (Optional)
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value for Money (Optional)
4 / 5
4 / 5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
+49points
59of 69found this review helpful.