Hybrid Rescue Tank Needs More LEGO Bricks, Too Many Technic Parts
Posted by
bmwlego
in United States
on
30 August 2008
I bought this set last week on clearance for $7.48 and was glad that I waited because I got an amazing deal (75% Off!). I just finished building it and reading the story behind the creation of this set in the 1st Issue, Volume 2 of Brickjournal (LEGO Magazine for LEGO Enthusiasts put out quarterly by Joe Meno and Twomorrows Publishing).
I am not a fan of Exo-Force as of now (maybe later on after the line completely disappears from store shelves will I wish that I bought more of these sets). I bought this set because of the ridiculously good price I found it for and for the great looking minifigs. Eventually I would like to build some Space themed ships and I want minifigs to pilot these Space MOC's. The figs are great and they have an expression on both the front and back of each face. The mini robot is decent but not that cool. The parts that make up the bot are awesome however. It just seems weak.
The Hybrid Tank is OK. I say this because it seems like it has more technic parts than System parts. The frame of the tank is Technic and it looks rather bare and lacking in design and is not as fun to build as System. Oddly enough I thought exactly these ideas while I was building the set and when I read the set creator's ideas in the story in Brickjournal, he pretty much stated the same things. The tank itself has an impressively scary array of guns and weapons to protect the Keiken. As the tank rolls forward, the turret in the front spins (a great incorporation of gears and axles). The cockpit is bare and open slightly on the sides and completely open in the back(much like City Lego sets, for example most helicopter sets, you ever wonder how the pilot breathes in an open sided cockpit?). There is also a gear on the side of the Technic frame that allows you to rotate the ship that sits atop the tank (another cool play feature). The treads spin rather nicely but the area inside the treads is too open and lacking any detail whatsoever. The oversized wheel in the rear is a cool idea and is pulled off quite well (there are radar dishes inside that act as hubcaps which adds white to the mix of black tires and wheels). One major complaint is how wobbly the ship sits atop the tank when the tank is rolling. The ship dances back and forth and just makes the set seem cheap.
On to the ship that sits atop the tank. This is detachable and kind of cool. The wings open and close and this ship is quite heavily armored. The wings however seem to be backwards when opened. When they are closed alongside the cockpit they seem fine but upon opening them they seem to be backwards (the aero-dynamic side faces the rear of the ship with the more blockier side facing the front decreasing wind resistance). This ship is controlled by Ryo who sits inside the cockpit and uses pretty cool "handlebars" to maneuver the ship. The cockpit for this ship has a gap between the windshield and cockpit and this can be easily remedied with a few tweaks. In fact, the designer fixed this problem in an earlier stage of the model that is pictured in the Brickjournal magazine on page 30.
The mini robot sits on top of the ship and is also equipped with a blaster weapon. Compared to the original mini robot design, I prefer the one that came with the set because of the newer parts that make up this robot.
The color scheme for this set is visually appealing. The blue and white work well together and I am glad that the designer made a change from the red and yellow color scheme that this set started out as in its earliest stages. After reading the article in Brickjournal, I understand why the many changes were made to the final design and why Technic beams had to be incorporated but I know this set could have been better if it had more LEGO System bricks and plates instead.
If you haven't read the article in Brickjournal, you really should. It gives you insight into the thoughts and reasoning behind the final design of a model (strength, aesthetics, part inclusion/exclusion, safety, the need for stickers opposed to printed parts, design process, etc.). If you can't find Brickjournal at your local comic book store check at Barnes & Noble or online at brickjournal.com.
It is a shame to see that the Exo-Force line has expired. It was a great idea by the LEGO company for an unlicensed line that hadn't reached its full potential yet. I am sad to see it go.
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