Review: 40765 Kamino Training Facility
Posted by CapnRex101,
From my perspective, a perfect May the Fourth promotional set should possess these qualities: they should be relatively accessible, they should be connected to an anniversary or new set and they should offer something unlikely to appear elsewhere.
40765 Kamino Training Facility certainly seems to satisfy those preferences and the exclusive Clone Cadet minifigures are very appealing, if perhaps more suited to something like a Battle Pack. Nevertheless, I think this is among the best May the Fourth sets produced to date.
Summary
40765 Kamino Training Facility, 190 pieces.
This is a fun promotional set, with the Clone Cadets a particular standout
- Exceptional minifigures
- Some nice details on the vehicle and training equipment
- Reasonable purchase threshold
- KE-8 Enforcer's proportions are all wrong
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Plenty of Clone Trooper minifigures have been produced since 2002, but never Clone Cadets, dressed in their Kaminoan training uniforms. The red and black garb was first seen in Attack of the Clones and looks excellent in LEGO form, thanks in particular to the dual-moulded legs and printed arms. I am quite surprised such treatment has been afforded to these characters, but I am certainly not complaining!
The symbols on their arms are accurate and I like the boots, although their inclusion here rather highlights Boba Fett's lack of dual-moulded boots in 75409 Jango Fett's Starship. The black hair piece, meanwhile, matches Jango Fett and I think it works for live-action Clone Troopers, though perhaps not those in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Reference
Source - YouTube.com, SwanyPlaysGames
The Completed Model
Speaking of which, the titular training facility is definitely based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The black and white colours and angular style matches scenes from the animated series and I like how the barricade is constructed sideways in particular, with clips to store three blasters on the back. Five blasters are supplied in total, including a spare pistol.
The turret is much simpler, but its rotating guns look good. These items are sufficient to build a small scene, although I would have loved to see a training battle droid provided as well, in their grey and yellow colours from The Clone Wars.
Various obscure vehicles have appeared in the LEGO Star Wars range and the KE-8 Enforcer joins them! These distinctly Kaminoan craft surveil the Clone Troopers during training and are seen in the distant background during Obi-Wan's visit to Kamino, before appearing a bit more prominently in Star Wars Battlefront II from 2017.
I like the vessel's slender shape, although this feature is drastically exaggerated in LEGO form. The folding section looks pretty accurate and correctly includes an electroshock device, but the bulkier section above is far too big, to such a degree that I actually wonder whether the designer was working from unreleased concept artwork, rather than the finalised vehicle in the movie.
While the narrow tail could be much improved, the cockpit looks superb. Its rounded shape is faithful to the source material and I like the spotlight situated beneath the cockpit. The canopy seems reasonable too, considering a specialised piece would have been required to match the onscreen design perfectly.
There is space for a standard minifigure or even a Kaminoan to stand inside, such as Taun We from 75333 Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter. This model was clearly created with the latter in mind, so it is a shame a generic Kaminoan or potentially Nala Se is not included. The sand blue interior looks splendid though, with trans-light blue accents.
Furthermore, the back is nicely finished with black grille tiles and more trans-light blue pieces. The thrusters on either side can rotate and their shape is again very effective, so the rounded vehicle looks completely at home on Kamino.
Overall
40765 Kamino Training Facility is an unexpected choice for this year's May the Fourth model, although it makes sense as a companion to 75409 Jango Fett's Starship. The minifigures are undoubtedly the highlight and look marvellous, while the training equipment is nicely designed, closely resembling facilities featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
By contrast, the KE-8 Enforcer is just strange. Its proportions are extremely distorted and I am really not convinced we needed a LEGO version of such a minor vehicle, which is something I rarely say! Even so, this is a satisfying set on the whole and I think the threshold of £145, $160 or €160 on Star Wars purchases is fair, considering the set's size.
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27 comments on this article
I look forward to getting this. It's a swell M4 GWP battlepack. The figs have good details and the build isn't horrible even though Cap'n is right the ship is off and a Kaminoan would be great.
Does the promotion start May 1st or May 4th? Hoping to get this one.
tonight (12pm), for 1st May, is normally how it works
A unique and nifty set IMHO. If anything I'd think that fans of Jango Fett and Boba Fett would make sure to have this in their collection. Thanks for the excellent review, CaptRex!
It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing?
first interesting SW GWP in a while. could have been a top seller as a 25€ set but I'll take it at this point. I wish we already knew which sets will get discounted for M4th
@waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Extremely powerful fans on all sides, keeping the model perfectly upright.
Alternatively, I may have edited out a stand for that photo.
Really good set and great review! Wish I could get this set. Wasn’t expecting Lego to give arm printing to those cadets
@CapnRex101 said:
" @waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Extremely powerful fans on all sides, keeping the model perfectly upright.
Alternatively, I may have edited out a stand for that photo."
lol I was wondering about that photo
@CapnRex101 said:
" @waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Extremely powerful fans on all sides, keeping the model perfectly upright."
Careful, I heard Star Wars fans can be toxic!
This is the perfect May 4th GWP.
- It pairs well with the headliner UCS set
- It features a vehicle that the vast majority of SW fans won't care about, but provides some value nonetheless.
- And it features three fantastic minifigures that likely won't appear in a regular retail set.
They did a great job with this. Will I be getting it? No, but congrats to those who are — it's a neat little set! Those Clone Cadet minifigs are crazy good with the arm printing and dual-molded legs.
@SMC said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Extremely powerful fans on all sides, keeping the model perfectly upright."
Careful, I heard Star Wars fans can be toxic!"
Although it wouldn't be the first time they are expected to support weak material.
I don't like to be ungrateful, but I would really like it if Lego could give us at least one other head option for clone troopers. I get that they're clones, but it would be nice to get some different expressions, otherwise they just look like mannequins or cyborgs. And they would surely be able to use the heads over and over again, since they'll be making clones for years
Sets like these should not be a GWP. Especialy now when we barrely get any cheap minifig themed SW sets
@SMC said:
" @SMC said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Extremely powerful fans on all sides, keeping the model perfectly upright."
Careful, I heard Star Wars fans can be toxic!"
Although it wouldn't be the first time they are expected to support weak material."
And, believe in Lego Star Wars magic that doesn't deliver in real life.
@waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Like a ballerina! Seriously, after you read this, go back and look at it again, and then tell me you don’t see it.
Such an awesome promotion! Love what Lego is doing with these last couple May 4th promos
I think this is an excellent GWP overall. Though this cadet fatigue is not the uniform clones wear during exercises in the training facility, so it's inclusion seems a little odd.
Good to get a Maori warriors battlepack. They're just simple men trying to make their way in the universe.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"Good to get a Maori warriors battlepack. They're just simple men trying to make their way in the universe."
Or, well, one complicated man trying to make several ways in the universe.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"Good to get a Maori warriors battlepack. They're just simple men trying to make their way in the universe."
Or, well, one complicated man trying to make several ways in the universe."
Heads removable.
I can’t be the only one who sees a finless, white Zorii Bliss helmet, right?
If I got it I would not know what to do with it.
@ohrmazd said:
"I can’t be the only one who sees a finless, white Zorii Bliss helmet, right?"
No, I can see that now.
Zorii was cool — kinda an underrated character.
@waynemorton said:
"It's amazing to me that the designers managed to create the model with just the right weight in the right places, so it can balance perfectly like in picture 7 :P
Really though, how is it standing? "
Come on, you must know by now that @CapnRex101 is a Jedi and was simply using the Force to balance the model.
I mean, Luke managed to make his X-Wing hover over the swamp on Dagobah, making this thing balance upright is piece of cake by comparison.
@Timmyjimmy said:
"If I got it I would not know what to do with it."
Sell it on EBay. Thats what I’m doing with mine.
As it was a GWP I got this with the UCS Slave 1.
However, as a set, it's really rather disappointing and only worth getting for the figures,. they're great, but the ship and pieces of the training facility are really just box fillers.
Maybe taking a hint from The Clone Wars and just doing more of the training facility arena would've been better and throw in some droids for the cadets to shoot at.
If it was a regular release that you had to buy, it would be one of those 'wait until it's half price' considerations.