Review: SW911612 Acklay
Posted by CapnRex101,
A monthly LEGO Star Wars magazine has been available in the UK and some areas of Continental Europe for almost a year now, with each issue including a small model based on a variety of vehicles and weapons from the Star Wars universe. Some of these have been identical to Advent Calendar offerings while others are larger and more impressive. The latest addition to the range falls into the latter category.
The Acklay has not been seen in a set until now, a disappointing absence which I mentioned in a What's Missing? article for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones a couple of months ago. It is a happy coincidence that LEGO have now filled this gap, even if it is only with a version of this ferocious beast which does not scale perfectly beside a minifigure.
The Completed Model
The Acklay is defined by its spindly limbs and neck plate, both of which are represented quite effectively here. The head is particularly detailed, with 1x2 clips used to form frills around the neck as well as a pair of trans-clear 1x1 round plates to create the eyes, although they are far larger than they are in the film. This entire section is mounted on a hinge so it can move vertically but there is no lateral movement unfortunately.
Dark green and sand green elements dominate the model and this is a fairly accurate choice of colour in relation to the beast seen in Attack of the Clones. Each leg has two hinged points of articulation which permit some fairly authentic walking poses and allow you to stab the claws into the ground just as in the movie. However, the mounting positions of the legs look a little awkward as they should really be spaced apart evenly. Moreover, it would have been brilliant to see some horizontal articulation at the hip as poseability is somewhat restricted in its current state.
The underside of the beast is primarily tan in colour just as it is in the film. However, it is the colours on top of the Acklay which are particularly exciting. Six 3x1 curved slopes are included in sand green, a piece which has only appeared once before in 41075 The Elves' Treetop Hideaway! In addition, the dark green 4x2 curved slope has only been included in 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike previously. Both are potentially useful and it is pleasing to see them in such a tiny set.
Overall
If you have an opportunity to get this set then I recommend that you do. There are some minor issues with the model but the inclusion of something so unusual with a magazine costing just £3.99 in the UK is very appealing.
The selection of pieces available is equally impressive in my opinion. Several appear in rare colours and I can imagine people purchasing the magazine simply for the pieces which make up the Acklay. Whether you are interested in the model or the parts, SW911612 Acklay does not disappoint.
Thanks to Huw for the photos in this review.
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24 comments on this article
It looks lovely! I hope for more cute creatures in SW Magazine in the future! :D
i vote zillo beast
What model is next week
Want!!!
@James next month's is a TIE bomber https://www.flickr.com/photos/m-dawson/26934225354/in/album-72157669498599115/
All this for a polybag? ... I wonder sometimes if this is a Star Wars or a Lego site. You guys really love the Wars, don't you?
@BrickApostle - Star Wars is one of LEGO's most popular themes and many people want to read about Star Wars sets so we try to supply that.
@brickapostle they also review marvel polybags, batman polybags and lots of others. It just so happens lots of star wars reviews are released at the same time, it happens with other themes, if you don't like star wars, maybe this isn't the site for you
I just wish Australia had the same variety of magazines as the UK. I managed to get 5 different ones while i was there for a three week holiday. It was great!
Not just wishing I was there to get this one!
Ooo, I would love to get that! The arena scene is quite possibly my favorite moment in Attack of the Clones, and the Acklay is my favorite of the creatures in the film! I would love to get my hands on this, as well as the other beasts too! I just wish the claws and the head looked a little more... fierce-looking? Oh well, they did wha they could at this scale. By the way, the Obi-Wan figure is just for scale, right? They don't include a figure from 1999 in this recent set, do they?
Sometimes I think being a fan of something is less about what you love and more about complaining about other fans 'not doing it properly'.
I think I might pick this up. I wonder if the side legs might be better served by a couple more of those angled bar pieces used for the back legs. Think I have some spare somewhere...
I've swapped the eyes for 1x1 mixel eye plates and changes the neck to a ball-joint. It looks great. I'm planning to recreate the nexu and reek in the same scale/style.
http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=134587entry2583800
Looks neat, I hope we see the Reek and Nexu sometime soon. I might pick up the magazine just to get this!
Wait so that is an official lego set? Actually kind of impressed, just wish it were possible to get in the States because I dont have the time to piece together sets
How do you get this? Would love if someone could help me out.
^ with a magazine
This monthly magazine--is it an "official" publication at all?
@LuvLegos_Cool_J - Yes, it is produced by Egmont Publishing in the UK under license from LEGO.
@James"Bucky"Barnes - that was helpful! :)
@Knightwing01 - the article says the magazine is circulated in Europe, but perhaps it's available in the US? I guess you'd have to google to publisher and title to find out. I guessing it's going to be available in the WH Smiths, UK's largest newsagent, but that won't help you over in the US.
I noted, that there are 6 different magazines from Lego. (Chima - stopped, Ninjago, Nexo Knights, Elves and Friends)
And I think Egmont is not the producer, because all 6 magazines were published by BLue Ocean in Europe continental. Also the collectable Stickers and the trading card game.
@tomjones99 - I am not sure. The Egmont Group publishes the magazine in the UK but it would not be unusual for other companies to collate the magazine elsewhere in the world.
Yes, and for example for Ninjago Magazine, it is another company.
Here it is the same company.
I wish they would publish/circulate the magazine in the U.S.
In France it is published by PaniniKids. The Acklay is cool in the number 12 (june 2016 / 4,95€) : Creator meets StarWars