The 10355 Blacktron Renegade is the latest of the LEGO sets from the 1970s-80s to be revised an updated to suit the contemporary adult builder, longing for a hint of nostalgia. In this review, I will look at the build process and components, how the set stands on its own merits, as well as in comparison to the original 6954 Renegade from 1987. We shall also take a look at the 40650 Blacktron Cruiser from 2023 and see if it can be made to fit with the components of the updated craft. I shall NOT attempt to recreate the box art of the classic set at this time. This set was provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Here is a picture of the box lifted from the LEGO Website. I’ll Explain why shortly…

My copy of this set was sent out in late November 2024. Weather around the world was a bit average, and a little wet. I was somewhat surprised when my copy of the set arrived in a Courier provided box, reinforced with tape and labeled ‘Repackaged.’ My heart sank a little. I opened the box and on the inside was the set, with the box looking decidedly worse for wear. The end had fallen open, and the cardboard was a little damp.

I looked into the box: the set came with 8 paper bags. I am glad that I did this experiment a few years ago, where I established that a water soaked paper back could be dried out, and remain intact thanks to the microscopic plastic layer on the inside of the bags. Thank goodness, because paper bag number 5, looked a bit battered and felt just the slightest bit damp.

As you can see, there are 8 paper bags in this version of the set (packed in Europe). I know some of the Asian factories have been a little slow to upgrade to paper bags, but hopefully, this will follow through soon.

The box features, or at least featured, a variation of the original Blacktron logo in the top left hand corner, as well as the requisite angles of the ship from all angles. Tucked away in a postage stamp sized picture on the back of the box is this.

That looks a lot like a new take on the classic 6876 Blacktron Alienator – one of the earlier Mech like walkers from 1987. Instructions for this alternative build will be available on the LEGO Builder app after the set is released. It is a great shame that the alternate builds of the 10497 to updated versions of 918 and 924 were not featured so prominently on the box. Those two versions of 918 and 924 respectively can be found here and here.

There are two instruction manuals – the first covers bags one and two: and has a picture of a rover and cockpit element on the front. It contains instructions for these, as well as an introduction to Blacktron by Senior Designer, Jae Won Lee. The book then points us to the LEGO Build app, should we wish to take on the Alienator B-Build.

The second covers bags 3-8, and brings us the main frame of the ship, along with propulsion and communications modules.

Minifigures

Let’s start by taking a look at the Minifigures in the set.

There are 3 Minifigures and one robot. The original had only 2 figures. The Minifigures are all identical to the minifigure included in the 60850 Blacktron Cruiser Gift With Purchase from 2 years ago. The front printing is identical to the classic Blacktron figures from 1987. The only distinguishing feature is the printing on the back of the torso.

There is also a small robot model. Consider it a Blacktron-ified version of the robot from the 6952 Solar Power Transporter.

Here it is sharing a moment with the robot from the 60850 Blacktron Cruiser (on the left) On the far right, we see the original droid, before the forces of Blacktron gave it a paint job.

The Elements

As always, the Knoller-in-Chief has laid out the elements from the set for our enjoyment. One thing that struck me (and there are several) is that, unlike many contemporary sets, the majorityl of the elements are coloured according to the theme’s key colours. There are no random colours included as a private joke by the designers, or to orient the builder: They are virtually all Black, Yellow, Transparent Yellow or Transparent red. There are a few grey and red elements, but only enough to be written off as a statistical aberration. Or at least to be functional, rather than aesthetic. In fact, most of them are internal, used for the modular connection points.

Purists might be outraged by the greater proportion of yellow elements in the set, or even the fact that there are opaque red and grey elements present in the set. I am not such a puritan and can see these colours serving a specific purpose in any Blacktron MOC. There are a combination of structural elements, greebling elements and some obligatory transparent yellow windscreens. I am particularly fond of the 6×8 a-frame trellis elements that bring a quality retro space theme vibe to the set..

I’m looking for my Prints

Another highlight (and I said there were several) is the decorated elements (when LEGO designers talk about ‘decorations’ they are referring to printing. And this set is full of printed elements. Unlike 60850 which relied on stickers to get that Blacktron Branding across, this set is full of printed elements , and remains entirely sticker free!

Alas, the traditional Blacktron wedge element is not seen here. For reasons that will become apparent: we have a flag, as well as a variety of printed 2×2 tiles and 1x2x2/3 slope elements.

I love the 1x2x1 slopes with a column of red and a column of yellow dots, reprinted after years in the wilderness. Mean while, the 2×2 multifunction display, as well as the communications panel and the scanners all retain the Blacktron look and feel while presenting fresh new looks.

Arrow prints were a mainstay of the vintage space themes, and the new versions play homage to those quite nicely

A lot of the red and grey elements are rounded 1×2 plates, rounded 1×2 bricks, with a bar in the middle position and hey presto: the makings of a module connection system.

The Rover

The original Renegade has the cutest of little rovers, which fits inside the cargo pod. This build does away with the cargo pod, and replaces it with a much larger rover. This is a flush 8 studs wide, and 14 studs long. The forward cabin features something virtually unknown in the vintage space sets post 1986 – a steering wheel. Still, this feels right. The Drivers cabin is roomy, and features two displays, as well as a well used 4×4 windscreen, appearing in transparent yellow for the first time. [Of course, this windscreen can also be used by classic space fans… ] Around the midpoint of the rover, the body narrows slightly, while a grill provides detail. This will become integral to the Drop functionality.

Behind the cabin is another screen, as well as a mounted scanner and space explorations ‘camera’ – which has been turned around and unashamedly labeled as a laser blaster in the instructions! There is room on the platform for another minifigure to serve as gunner, and this responsibility has been given to the robot.

Other than this platform,and the driver’s seat, the entire rover is smooth and studless. It feels sleek, and mean! This rover has a feeling of solid toughness which will be important later.

The Cockpit

The cockpit is long and sleek, and features a delightful piece of SNOT detailing at the rear, where vertical tiles sit flush with the rear of the module. There are two seats, with the rear seat having printed panels on both sides of the copilots.

As we build up the cockpit, a few changes are apparent. The new model is about 1.5x the size of the original, and we see the width expand from four studs to six. That’s OK with me. But we start seeing some of those additional yellow plates appearing as trim around the base of the window. This might be a little more garish than we are looking for. When viewed from above, with the windscreen open, it is particularly striking.

The wings swing out, while small winglets at the front remain fixed. I quite like this.

One of the biggest changes is the loss of the original wedge brick – however, the top surface of the brick scales up to the size of this hexagonal flag element. It is subtly disguising a weapons array/communications interdiction package or something equally sinister.

The rear of the craft shows us the new form factor of the module docking system. The shape is near identical to the LEGO City Space Docking rings – which is a nice touch. – but smooth all the way around. The connection itself is based on clips and the 1×2 rounded plates with bar element. Medium stone grey 1×2 rounded plated above and below the clip maintain the smoothness of the lines.

The advantage of this linkage is that every link can be connected to every other linkagage, compared with the original model where there were male and female sides, limiting the potential connections. We will come back to how this works with the 40650 Blacktron cruiser a little later. If the profile looks a little familiar, it is because it has the same dimensions as the linkage element used in LEGO City.

The Main Frame

We start off building an ‘H-Frame’. We add in landing gear, which fold out manually. Highlighted in the picture is a rubber Damper – its not used for suspension here, but rather as part of the dropship mechanism that we are building up. You can also see that the module connections are being built up. I appreciate the decorative flair in use, with the bow nested underneath the arch.

We add on wings, bringing more of a rounded feel to the whole craft. I am particularly fond of the technique used to ‘wrap’ the stacked elements along the trailing edge of the wing: Brackets above and below, followed by clips. While the hypotenuse of this particular triangle is not an exact number of studs, there are two flaps that are joined in the middle by a bar held in place by a few clips. The mixture of new tricks like this, with nostalgic POOP (pieces that could be made out of other pieces), bring me joy doring the construction of this model. [These wings have their origins during the age of Exploriens, UFO, Pirates and Aqua Raiders, making special appearances in Power Miners and Space Police III along the way.]

The 2×4 plate with 2 offset studs will be used to bind one man speeders – a great improvement on the regular plates used in the original: making it much easier to remove and replace them.

We build up the wings, plating over much of the exposed plates: Large slabs of black are interupted by yellow plates and grille tiles, and the 2x2x10 lattice girder element adds some bulk to the structure. The Linkage modules are completes at the front end of the ship, while the aft of the craft is looking a little empty…

We build up a Technic spar that crosses the aft end on the frame. Attached to the middle is a pivoting element attached to some beams. These beams connect to an axle that runs along the wings. It is attached to a brick built ‘clamp’. Pivoting the switch opens the clamp a little. The open clamps are returned to their original positions thanks to the rubber damper element described earlier in this section. The curves at the lower end of the clamp are relatively new. They slide around into the channels on either side of the rover, and ratchet on the grill tile present on the rover.

I appreciate the return of the sloped printed element, featuring red squares and yellow dots – the instructions hint that this might involve ensuring the appropriate mix of Hyperfuel when refuelling. The new Arrow prints are also a strong callback to the original model.

Engine Modules

We throw together two engine modules: Contemporary elements such as the octagonal rings lend them selves to providing low effort greebling to the surface, while adding a status lamp on top of the engine bumps this detail to the next level. Finally, the transparent red dish over the engine feels appropriately Blacktron.

Fuel Pods and Speeders and More (oh my!)

We build up a couple of small red power cells, based on a 2×2 circular structure. The handle neatly drops into the hole in a stud on the rear of the main body. The instructions hint at further developments in the Retro Classic Space Line (as I choose to call it) – Does this mean a Futuron base is lurking in the future?

An obscure feature of the original Renegade were two speeders mounted on the wings. They were a little awkward to remove These new speeders are based on a 2×4 base, and have small winglets. The presence of linear bars on either side, as well as a hanble element serving as a prow, we can attach 3 yellow triange sign elements, forming the triforce logo that was all the rage back in the 1980s. These speeders can be configured in a number of ways, and allow the agents to undertake espionage missions should the Renegade need to break orbit.

Finally, we add a small communications module – it is narrow: Only 2 modules thick. If it is not to your liking, it would be relatively simple to remove the comms package and modify it to suit the module your choice.

The Finished Model

Here is the ship, put together as intended, with the rover in place. This is a spacecraft that is unmistakably Blacktron, updated for a new era. I grew up in the early days of classic space, and by the time Blacktron came along I was in my Dark Ages, seeing the occasional set on the shelves when I was taking a break from my university studies. As such, I don’t have the same intrinsic love of the original theme that others do. I appreciate Blacktron’s role in the evolution of LEGO Space sets, as well as their contribution to story telling and design ethos. There are things about this model that will grate with those who have a higher affinity to the theme that I do.

Side By Side with 10497

Overall, this is a sizeable craft – like the original, the overall design could not be more different from the shuttle type of vehicles that dominated the early years of classic space. The asymmetry is initially jarring, but I think it is probably a major part of the strength of its design. The final model is slightly smaller than 10497 Galaxy Explorer that was released in 2022, and has around 100 fewer parts.

While the model is around 1.5 times the width and length, it is only just taller than the original. There was greater variation between the peaks and troughs of the profile view with the older model. That said, it feels like a solid saucer, with a jaunty protruding cockpit. Perhaps adding a radar dish to the upper surface of the craft could counter the feeling of ‘thinness’ here. I wonder if I could do this without adding too much yellow…

Meet the Greebles

Greebling is relatively restrained, with grilles, offset plates and girders forming the bulk of the greebles on the main body. The effects achieved with the use of grilles mimics some of the printed tiles included in the original model, back in the day! I wonder if some of these techniques might be responsible for the large amount of visible yellow

Everyone has somewhere to sit.

I appreciate that all 3 figures have somewhere secure to sit while the ship is in flight – even if this is within the cabin of the rover. The fact there are 3 minifigures included means you are halfway to building, if not an army, then at least a sizable patrol. This is an upgrade compared to the original, where one of the pilots had to ride in the shuttle bay, or stay behind

The Rover is a robust vehicle, ideal to deploy in a high-intensity situation. I appreciate the paucity of studs on its upper surface, and love the colour blocking used. The addition of the robot ensures there is a gunner available in the event of any unfriendly fire.

The drop function of the rover works really smoothly. Here it is in action, while swooshing over a 48×48 landing pad I built a few years ago. It would be interesting to see what sort of cargo bay could be build into the craft. I constructed a proof of concept model… if only I had more black!

I didn’t fully understand the importance of modularity to the Blacktron sets when I reviewed the 40580 Blacktron Cruiser a few years ago. I appreciate the way the linkages in 10355 are universal: you can join any two modules in either direction. There is some fun to be had here: It is easy to reverse the direction of travel of the overall craft, as well as create a smaller recon craft, or even deploy a self propelled deep-space communications relay. Put them together the wrong way, and it might just spin around in circles a lot!

I love the way that the small speeders over the wings form Blacktron logo, folding gently out of shape as they take off. They are easily balanced on top of a transparent antenna, with a stud on top. It turns out, that I might not have chosen to set these up in the same way the designer intended.

The Red hyper fuel cells attach nicely, and their design allows them to be easily manipulated by minifigures – something that could add a little colour to an update to the Message intercept base.

Creative Springboards

As someone who didn’t grow up with Blacktron, but came to it later in life, I am quite happy with the overall design of the set.

However, I can understand how some design decisions might disappoint lifelong fans. Let’s give some thought to how it is different to the original, and how things could be modified.

Yellow

When I first saw this set unveilled, one thing that was apparent was the amount of yellow visible on the craft, and specifically around the base of the cockpit, I can see a couple of reasons for this, not the least being that without it, we would have a solid wall of black. I appreciate that the yellow edging around the cockpit is broken up by the transparent red plates, half way along. But how would it look if all but a smidgin of yellow was removed?

Greebling

In the original ship, many of the surface details came from the use pf printed elements. This model uses uses 1×2 grille tiles (1992) and 1×2 Grille slopes (2008) to achieve similar effects. The overall effect is similar to overlaying a plate with a grille of the other colour. Could another combination or colour arrangement work better?

I found that when running black grilles over yellow, the effect was sometimes muddied, particularly with the sloped grille. If using the bold yellow grille slopes and tiles, I think it makes sense for there to be a contintuous line around the craft, rather than inserting random yellow highlights. While I might like the effect of the contrasting stripe here, I appreciate it might be a little overbearing compared to the original Blacktron colour scheme.

The Cockpit

I love a sleek cockpit. And this ship has that in spades. We already have mentioned the yellow trim, and this is enhanced by the transparent element used. I feel that for a sleek 6 module wide cockpit (we are scaling up, rememeber), it is the best of the current options. However, the original is a little more bulbous.

I do wonder, however, how a bubble canopy might look, to give us the bulbous look of the original? Perhaps you could double up the 6x6x2 windscreen, after giving it a tumeric staining treatment? It might not be as elegant to open, and also possibly more crowded than the provided option.

The Cargo Bay

One of the most striking differences from the original model is the loss of the cargo hold, and replacing it with a rover.

The new drop function works really well. I can’t emphasise the play value this brings to the set.

The rover tucks in under the rear beams that control the drop function. There is space in the frame for a payload measuring 8×14 modules . The ‘ratchet tile’ on the side needs to be relatively high, only a brick or so below the top of the body before it tapers inwards. – otherwise, it jams in place.

I built an extra layer or two downwards so the craft could land on its legs and safely facilitate the drop. This is really just a starting point, to demonstrate the maximal volume of a payload. This exercise showed me how, if nothing else, the rover is almost as large as it can be before the drop function is compromised.

The Comms Array: Great Potential

I am grateful for a relatively minimalist communications array with so much else going on. It is less greebly than the original version, but you might wish to enhance it. Fortunately, it requires almost no effort to adapt the module to include other scanners, weaponry or even a fishing net. You could even add an adapted habitat ring from LEGO City. Just perfect for investigating those purple crystals, and see if they will reach an exorbitant price on the Black(and yellow) market. You could attach a small prison cell for transporting Space Police and Futuron Politicians, should Blacktron choose to stoop to that level.

Connecting the 40850 Blacktron Cruiser

The 40850 Blacktron Cruiser reignited the passion fro Blacktron when it was released as a gift with purchase over New Year, back in 2022-23. It is as close to a 1:1 update of the 9494 Blacktron Invader as we are likely to get. This new model is a larger scale: closer to 1.5 time the size of the original. As we discussed earlier, the modular functionality is strong in the new Renegade.

Unfortunately, it would seem that when the cruiser was conceived that furtre craft were considered. That said, with a few simple modifications, partial compatibility can be achieved.

With a little more work, it would be possible to almost completely adapt it This mainly involves substituting locations of clips, and removing a couple of bricks. It is not perfect, but it does get the job done, without the need for additional pieces. If you have a few spare rounded brick 1×2 with 3.2 shaft (I find that a most unwieldy name), you can almost completely trans form it.

Here are some results of the Mix and Match:

As you can see, the fuselage/linkage shape of the Renegade does not match the Cruiser. Perhaps that is another project for another time.

And One Last Gripe: The Packaging

There have now been half a dozen or so sets on the ICONS label that call back to the nostalgia of the LEGOLAND era (1978-1991). These sets typically have a large image of the set, over an appropriate background for the theme, and then put the name in a yellow ribbon, angled across the corner of the box.

This set takes the Blacktron and slaps it on a black box with a token luminescent grid across the sky. I’m a little disappointed by this. At least they acknowledge the alternate build on the back of the box. LEGO Space set box design from this era was NEVER about subtlety!

Recreating this shot from the box of the original model remains on my To-do list.

In Conclusion

I have been enjoying this set from the moment its battered box arrived on my doorstep. I even overlooked the packaging’s failure to play on nostalgia the way that other ICONS reimaginings do.

The instructions were clear, and the easter eggs/comments included within felt relevant, and added to the world building. The overall building experience was compelling, and neither tedious or overly complicated. The modular system for the final model is a great improvement on its implementation back in 40580. The decorated elements play on just the right balance of classic design, and new material to make them all desirable for space ship fans, regardless of favorite faction. I appreciate the way the wings are kept studded, while the docking rings, and fuel chambers are essentially stud free.

The play value is perhaps more than you might expect for a set of this type: the dropship function is really effective, the modular rearranging is fun and the 3 figures provide the potential for interesting stories: I really appreciate that fact that we held onto the classic Smiley’s here. The additional speeders and rover, enhance the play value further.

While the final colour blocking might not be to every lifelong Blacktron fan’s liking, it helps the model to pack a visual punch.

Other aspects might disappoint lifelong fans of the original: the sleekness; the ratio of cockpit to cabin width and the lack of a cargo hold, to name a few. However, if you grew up playing with LEGO in the 80s and 90s, are probably happy to have a go at fixing things to your own liking.

While some people might consider these to be drawbacks, none of these are deal breakers for me. I would consider them creative prompts:

• Build a droppable cargo hold (with or without docking clips)
• Adapt your Blacktron Cruiser body to fit
• Add some further instrumentation to the Comms array OR the top of the craft.
• Fix the asymmetry if it bothers you.

I am cant wait to put the reimagined Alienator together, and I will add a quick post once I do, after release date. Will I buy a new set? or pull apart the one I have? There will be a new City-Space cruiser on the shelves on January 1, too.

I give this set 4 out of five Arbritrary Praise Units: Overall, despite its deviation from the original 1987 model, it is spaceship that conveys an element of mystery, with mischief and mayhem incoming. The scaling up of the ship makes it an impressive build, at the same pricepoint as the 10497 Galaxy Explorer, which has just retired after 2 1/5 years.

The 10355 Blacktron Renegade goes on sale for Insiders on the 1st January, 2025, opening up to others on the 4th. It is priced at $179.99AUD; $99;USD;99.99€; £89.99, and will be initially restricted to LEGO Branded retailers. If you are going to order the set, please consider using the affiliate links: it will cost you nothing, but the Rambling brick might receive a small commission that helps to cover our running costs.

I would love to know what you think of this set? Were you a Blacktron Fan? Do you love a LEGO Spaceship? Or does this just not quite do it for you? leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!