Episode III:Revenge of the Sith had action happening all over the place: Coruscant, Tatooine, Utapau, Mustafar, and every other outlying planet where the separatist Armies were fighting races loyal to the Republic. The ultimate treachery of Palpatine, directed towards the Jedi and the Separatist forces combined was devastating. In a movie with so many locations, and so many vehicles in action, it is this Scout Walker from the Battle of Kashyyyk that has been reimagined for the LEGO® Star Wars™ 20th Anniversary.
Of all the locations for the war against the Separatists, we have probably had more detail from this location in Revenge of the Sith depicted in LEGO form than any other. The 20th Anniversary Scout Walker 75621 is based on set 7250 from 2005: this set bumps up the part count from 103 to 205, increased the minifigure count and added some additional scenery and opposition. That said, the role played by this vehicle is relatively minor on screen.
The Original Scout Walker 7250 was released shortly after the movie. It included a single clone driver. This updated version presents a more screen accurate pilot, a Wookie with a gun emplacement, a Battle Droid, as well as a Spider Droid.
The new Scout Walker is a significantly smaller vehicle than the 75234 AT-AP walker, also re-released this year: It comes in with half the number of pieces, and half the price of 75234, but the sweetener of the deal here is the presence of the celebratory Darth Vader Minifigure. – More on this later.
While we have an additional gun emplacement and figures, there is one thing the original release had which the new version doesn’t: Illustrations of some alternative builds in the instruction manual.
The Figures
Given the Price to part ratio – $AUD49.99/$USD29.99 for 250 elements, a significant part of the value must be tucked away in the minifigures.
We have a beautifully detailed Clone Trooper, from the 41st Elite Corps. Resplendent in Olive Green based camouflage, and detailed printing, this is a terrific figure, although the lack of arm printing does detract from the level of detail seen elsewhere. The same figure features in the AT-AP 75234 this year. The Wookie Warrior is currently unique to this set, and features a new chest mold, in dark brown, and tan highlights. The Battle Droid is not especially new or unique, and sticks with the tried and true design used for the last few years. One arm is bent, and the other straight, which makes it easier for the droid to wield its weapon.
Now, Wookies have had a somewhat interesting history in LEGO Form: In 2000, Chewbacca was the first figure to be produced where the headpiece incorporated a cover for the torso as well. This figure was slightly taller than a standard Minifigure. Recently, some images of early prototypes of the wookie head piece were released. I think the one finally used (on the right) did a better job in characterising (or indeed defining) the ‘LEGO Look’ for a moulded headpiece than the prototype on the left. What do you think?
The Anniversary figure in this set is Darth Vader. Now, the look sported by the Dark Lord of the Sith over the years has altered, bit by bit, to say nothing of the novelty Christmas outing a few years ago. I have appreciated the silver light sabre handles that are included in these sets.
Here are the prints sported by Lord Vader prior to this set:
The build itself is pretty quick, and not too complicated, although I do like the way that the plates almost wrap around the cockpit of the walker. LEGO Mechs rarely feature articulated knees. However, this walker’s knees bend – at the expense of its intrinsic stability.
It looks quite good from the side and front, but loses virtually all detail when viewed from the rear.
The set also comes with a small gun emplacement, able to provide the Wookie with some defence against the Separatist Droid Army.
And speaking of the separatists, we also have a brick built Spider droid, to accompany the Battle Droid. It is cleverly built out of Droid torso elements. To prevent excessive flexion, leading to the legs collapsing, a clear, round 2×2 brick in included underneath the Spider Droid to support it.
This updated 20th Anniversary set is the first time that the set has been updated since 2005, and has a number of advantages over that set: The number of elements has increased from 108 to 250, as well as the inclusion of additional figures and landscape. The increased part count is associated with an increased level of detail in the build.
I like the improved detail of the cockpit, and the greebling on the sides of the walker – and the use of contrasting greys is also an improvement over the older version. Unfortunately, there have been some stickers added However, the inclusion of an alternative build in the original version (even if just an inspirational shot) was a nice touch.
Its a quick and simple build, and it offers a solid update on the original model. The additional figures and setting , in my mind, make it a more playable set than the original. I give it a solid three point five out of five Arbitrary Praise Units. The anniversary provided a good reason to revisit the model, but it is at the end of the day, a fairly light weight alternative to the ATAP walker, which offers twice the build and figures ( admittedly, at virtually twice the price.)
Am I being unfair? What do you think of this set? Why not leave your comments below, and until next time,
Play Well!
This set was provided by the LEGO Goup’s AFOL Engagement team for review purposes. All opinions however, are my own.
[Post Publication Edit I have been trying to identify why I seem to be less enthusiastic about this Anniversary Set compared to others, and I realise that personally, I have a low level of engagement with the source material. At the time, I found Episode I to be enjoyable, but I became disengaged after Episode II. While I saw Revenge of the Sith at the cinemas, I have not rewatched it again and again. By the time the Clone Wars television series was underway, life had picked up in pace, so – for me at least- most things related to the Battle of Kashyyyk, and the Clone Wars era don’t grab my attention. I understand that this is probably just me. For others, I know this will be right up your alley, and speak to your heart. I think you will love it!]
While you are here, have you heard about our building contest, where you can win a set of Disney Series 2 minifigures? You can read about it here. Entries close May 12th 2019