Review: 75412 Death Trooper & Night Trooper Battle Pack
Posted by CapnRex101,
Grand Admiral Thrawn's army of Night Troopers has been an obvious candidate for a Battle Pack since their introduction. 75412 Death Trooper & Night Trooper Battle Pack therefore has definite potential, though I am not entirely convinced by the execution.
While the Death Troopers and Night Trooper look great, only one Night Trooper is exclusive, which limits opportunities to mix parts and build more uniquely dressed troopers. Also, this vehicle seems bland and that grows more problematic as the price of Battle Packs rises.
Summary
75412 Death Trooper & Night Trooper Battle Pack, 119 pieces.
£17.99 / $22.99 / €19.99 | 15.1p/19.3c/16.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
This is a decent Battle Pack, but I believe it could be improved in basically all areas
- Highly detailed minifigures
- Dropship's troop capacity is good
- Incredibly basic vehicle
- Limited scope to mix and match Night Trooper parts
- Expensive, especially in America
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
It has been several years since Death Troopers last appeared in the 2018 75213 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, so their return is appreciated, albeit now in decayed armour. I love the combination of black armour with metallic gold repairs and dark red bandages, though the duo are identical, which is disappointing when each trooper should feature unique damage.
Also, it would have been fantastic to see a new broken helmet element, partly revealing one of the Death Trooper's zombified heads! Nonetheless, the standard helmets capture ample detail, including accurate green lights on the chin and silver accents. As normal, these minifigures are armed with blaster rifles.
A couple of Night Troopers are also provided, sporting damaged armour similar to the Death Troopers. The metallic gold cracks and bands of dark red fabric look superb and I am pleased these figures include different torsos and helmets, although the white-helmeted trooper returns from 75385 Ahsoka Tano's Duel on Peridea, unfortunately.
Though most of the Night Troopers look similar onscreen, they all feature unique damage and repairs, so having three distinct designs across two sets would have been useful. Furthermore, all three include the same printed legs, which slightly restricts their army building potential.
However, I like the new dark bluish grey helmet worn by one of the duo, as well as the zombie heads under their helmets. Again, a bit more variety would have been nice and it is implied the Night Troopers are mostly living people initially, but the zombified heads are more fun and could easily be swapped for conventional heads if you prefer.
The Completed Model
Battle Pack vehicles are often basic, but this example really is extraordinarily simple. I imagine this model takes some influence from the Imperial Patrol Gunships shown in the Ahsoka series, based on the design of the cockpit and the adjustable fins on top, although the general shape is extremely blocky.
Unfortunately, the resulting vehicle lacks any real character. For instance, I was not a particular fan of the Imperial vessel from 40755 Imperial Dropship vs. Rebel Scout Speeder, but that ship includes lots of distinctive features, whereas this black and grey dropship looks quite bland and small by comparison.
On the other hand, there are certain aspects of this design I like. The cockpit bears a definite resemblance to the Imperial Patrol Gunship and stud shooters are neatly integrated on either side, again recalling the transports from Star Wars Rebels and the Ahsoka series.
In addition, there is plenty of space for troops on board. The pilot lacks a console to control the vehicle, but sits comfortably behind the removable canopy and four more minifigures can stand along the outside, similar to how Stormtroopers ride aboard Imperial Troop Transports, although these minifigures have no protection whatsoever!
The troop capacity is excellent for play though, with space for five on board, including the pilot. Also, you can attach their weapons to four clips located between the passengers on each side, so I have no specific concerns about the vessel's function for play, only its appearance.
Similarly, the trans-light blue engines on the back are serviceable, but nothing more. I like how the adjustable fins are constructed though, mounted on ball joints and with a hexagonal shape approximating the wings on a TIE Fighter. There was certainly an opportunity to go further with the Imperial iconography, however, sadly not taken.
Overall
75412 Death Trooper & Night Trooper Battle Pack has some positive qualities, particularly for play. The dropship's troop capacity is impressive for its size and the minifigures are appealing, although I think both the vehicle and its titular occupants could be considerably improved.
I really wish the Night Troopers were more varied and re-using a minifigure from 75385 Ahsoka Tano's Duel on Peridea is frustrating. Similarly, the dropship leaves lots to be desired and could hardly be any simpler, which is underwhelming relative to other recent Battle Packs. Additionally, the price of £17.99, $22.99 or €19.99 seems expensive for this kind of vehicle, especially in the US, so a discount is needed.
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57 comments on this article
They really need to get the prices down on the battlepacks.
Man do I hope this price is just a weird one-off like 75363 and that battle packs stay at $20
I wish it came with Captain Enoch. Alas, guess we'll have to wait until Dave Filoni's movie comes out...
I'm not going to say that this exact set would have been $10 fifteen years ago because no, it wouldn't have, but if we're going to keep going down the path of tiny/bland builds for these, battle packs should be $15 max. I think a lot of LSW fans are a bit too AFOL-brained when it comes to using these as army building, but the intention of these are to sell affordable hero/villain grunts for simple play, and when a pack of four minifigures plus a small vehicle to prove it's Not An Action Figure costs around the price point of a full-sized Jedi Starfighter, they've lost the plot.
Has anyone else noticed that battle pack vehicles have been declining? You have examples like this that are bland and boring, non-massable terrain builds like 75373, really ugly junk ones like 75345, pathetically small for the cost ones like 75359, and the last unambiguously useful Battle Pack side builds came in 75320 three years ago with a vehicle, weapon, and generic cover terrain all in one, but even that wasn't really created for the kids, it was created as an accessory pack to 75313.
Strange times, where dollar prices are higher then Euros now on Star Wars, where some sets were sometimes 20-40% higher in Euros a few years ago the other way around.
Sure, adjusted for tariffs etc etc, but there have been times where a lot of Star Wars (and often other licenses) were like $20 vs €30, or $30 vs €50, etc (generally €40 but €45-50 in some eurozone countries) and reviews just often ignored it.
Even quite recently , less then a year ago, just to compare another battle pack 75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack $20, but €22-27 in Euro.
Of course there have been many cases where sets were already more expensive in US Dollars for years, often in the City theme, but also noticeable in a Store-exclusive theme like Monkie Kid
You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world).
Could be worse. I don't collect these troopers anyway. IMO battle packs cease to be battle packs above a certain pricepoint. The upcoming 327th one will be the worst offender so far. There's zero justification for a BP at a price point of 40€.
I'm generally not a fan of most battle pack builds but this one to me looks pretty great! If these weren't Filoni fan fiction troopers I would buy a few of these!
@Afo_Xwbagot said:
"I wish it came with Captain Enoch. Alas, guess we'll have to wait until Dave Filoni's movie comes out..."
Named characters should be a no-go for battle packs. Enoch should be included in a set like 75385
“Expensive, especially in America” should just be the assumed disclaimer for the foreseeable future on Lego :/
@PixelTheDragon said:
"They really need to get the prices down on the battlepacks. "
I think the assumption is these days that if people are willing to pay for the collectable minifig series as the price they are, they're willing to pay that per minifigure included in a set. So when 4 CMF would cost $20, Lego may see this at $22.99 with a vehicle as a bargain. Especially with the current US trade tariffs imposed by Trump.
That really is quite a bare bones vehicle. And I can’t help but feel like adding mostly unique figs to a battlepack so you can’t army build with it sort of defeats the point. I’d much rather have had the same Night Trooper just recur as all four figs and get a slightly better vehicle out of it
Overpriced. Lego should’ve kept battle pack prices consistent at $20. Other than the price I think it’s a decent battle pack, but not one I’ll buy a ton of, since I’m more of a clone army builder than imperial. Great review as always CapnRex!
Expensive, VERY especially in Brazil
Another SW set I was excited about turns out to be crap. (sigh)
I waited a year to 18 months to buy the SW sets that are currently on sale. I'm in no hurry to acquire this turd blossom space bus full of generic, homeless delinquents. Let the sets rot on the shelves! How dare they charge $22 for only two new, unique figs and a silly vehicle.
Lego's desire for cheapness on details and miniaturization and infantilization of vehicles combined with extremely exorbitant prices is disheartening to us long-time fans.
It's taking the fun out of this hobby. I'm tired of a lot of things in this world. I'm tired of being disappointed by SW Lego sets rather than exited. At this point in my life, I don't need more disappointments. I need things that excite me- especially if they're expensive.
A reckoning is coming.
Reviews by CapnRex and Brickfanatics are sounding the beskar anvil of the Ferrix Bell Tower. We won't buy these miniture, generic, redundant pieces of crap at inflated prices. They need to be cheaper. Most importantly, they need to be better!!
Happy freaking May the Fourth. :(
@CommanderR3x said:
"Overpriced. Lego should’ve kept battle pack prices consistent at $20. Other than the price I think it’s a decent battle pack, but not one I’ll buy a ton of, since I’m more of a clone army builder than imperial. Great review as always CapnRex!"
My guess is it would have been,
As the £18 UK is actually cheaper than the past two have been (Ahsoka Trooper and Mando/Beskar Trooper at £19 & £20)
But you now have Tariffs to consider so your price goes up
At this stage LEGO should have made an Imperial Patrol Craft with multiple figures.
I’m so tapped out of Star Wars that I did not know these were “zombies”. I imagine a few parents might be surprised as well if they just grab a small set and don’t look too closely. Lol
The figures look neat and the vehicle transport doesn't look too bad BUT being 23 us dollars is too much imo.
Definitely a set to get at a discount.
That's an interesting little battlepack. The vehicle is a little bland and I really wish we got a regular set with a full-size imperial gunship instead but I do like the minifigs. The zombie heads are a nice touch and I'm glad they gave us different prints for the stormtroopers.
Dang. Really wanted some regular Death Troopers.
@Tupperfan said:
"You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world)."
I’m well aware of that, but I don’t have to like it. I know it’s Trump’s fault and I hate Trump for countless reasons but I also blame the multibillion dollar company for not taking the high road.
@gatorbug6 said:
"Dang. Really wanted some regular Death Troopers."
I was gonna say this battlepack 75165 existed but then I saw the prices it was going for on eBay and even on Bricklink...
Trump's tariffs haven't gone into effect yet, so this increase in US prices is at least partly due to the recent large drop in value of the Dollar.
@Tupperfan said:
"You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world)."
We do, and some of us have actually been paying attention to how that whole mess has been playing out, beyond simply "US imposed tariffs". Tariffs were announced across the board...and then suspended for three months. During that time, _MOST_ of the affected nations have scrambled to get trade deals in place. Pretty much only China has responded by raising tariffs on US goods. Since we don't get much LEGO product that was produced in China, this belief that all LEGO product is going to be more expensive here suggests some people haven't read anything past the initial announcements. It also doesn't explain why some of the upcoming sets have prices that are lower in USD than in EUR, while this is the opposite.
@GirlWoman:
I don't know about Night Troopers, but Death Troopers originated in the Deathtroopers novel, which was published three years before Disney got the keys to Lucasfilm, and seven years before Rogue One premiered. I don't remember the book indicating that they wore different armor, though. The cover shows a plain white Stormtrooper helmet that's heavily damaged.
@B_Space_Man:
And I'm just now realizing that I've had a zombie Stormtrooper sitting around for 6.5 years, unopened. Not just the little bag, but the whole box. And...it's not a zombie. This feels like the biggest bait-and-switch since Disney said they were making new Star Wars movies.
@magpie9:
And that still doesn't explain why other recent sets have had USD numbers that were lower than the EUR ones. If these wonky prices had anything to do with the exchange rates or tariffs, they should have a blanket effect on every upcoming set. That's clearly not how things have been playing out.
@Tupperfan said:
"You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world)."
I love the apparently insinuation that all people in the US like the current president and everything he is doing (spoiler alert: many don't)... However, I can tell you we know how to spell 'tariff' for one thing.
Aside from that, you DO realize that companies will also use tariffs as a convenient excuse to raise their prices (typically over the amount of the cost of said tariffs), and that if the tariffs go away, the prices likely stay the same, right?
I mean even Canadians understand this, Right?
Right?
LEGO will have their US factory producing in the next few years, and guess what? Prices will likely go up, not down cause they will then likely blame US worker salaries for it... Always an excuse to raise prices, but never an excuse to lower prices....
@madforLEGO said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world)."
I love the apparently insinuation that all people in the US like the current president and everything he is doing (spoiler alert: many don't)... However, I can tell you we know how to spell 'tariff' for one thing.
Aside from that, you DO realize that companies will also use tariffs as a convenient excuse to raise their prices (typically over the amount of the cost of said tariffs), and that if the tariffs go away, the prices likely stay the same, right?
I mean even Canadians understand this, Right?
Right?
LEGO will have their US factory producing in the next few years, and guess what? Prices will likely go up, not down cause they will then likely blame US worker salaries for it... Always an excuse to raise prices, but never an excuse to lower prices....
"
LEGO will continue to increase prices while people keep paying ever higher prices.
Lots of complaints about the price making it poor for army building but.. who is army building these ugly things? Give me clean stormtroopers any day, there is no value in ones covered in red and gold scribbles in my opinion.
Prices will continue to increase until moral improves.
These are cool, but I want them to bring back normal Death Troopers.
Captain, I don’t know that you have to say ‘Expensive.’ in (nearly) every summary chart. I suspect you’re trying to head off some of the onslaught of whining that permeates the comment section of every Star Wars set review. Lego is expensive. That’s not new. It’s not surprising. The people who can’t afford Lamborghinis don’t buy Lamborghinis. The people who can’t afford Lego don’t buy Lego. But in the age of online comment sections, they’re going to complain about it. Your reviews don’t need to cater to their tantrums.
The Night Troopers aren't zombies by default, just the ones who were resurrected during the fight. I mean, can a zombie drive dropships and use laser guns?
I don't think this vehicle is even appealing to a small child. It would have been better to have some small building parts or columns in this one to add to last year's set. 3 - different - night troopers, 1 death trooper lineup would be ideal for army building. Also It would have been nice to have a release closer to the Ahsoka series premiere.
Thanks for the review!
Introducing zombies into Star Wars is rather silly, but it does some to be a current trend to introduce zombies into everything.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"These are cool, but I want them to bring back normal Death Troopers."
So, zombie Stormtroopers in regular white armor, like the novel where the name and concept came from? I'm all for that.
@MegaBlocks:
Deathtroopers was published in 2009, followed by Red Harvest a year later. It's old enough that some of the people commenting here don't actually remember a time when there weren't zombie Stormtroopers.
@andygott said:
"Captain, I don’t know that you have to say ‘Expensive.’ in (nearly) every summary chart. I suspect you’re trying to head off some of the onslaught of whining that permeates the comment section of every Star Wars set review. Lego is expensive. That’s not new. It’s not surprising. The people who can’t afford Lamborghinis don’t buy Lamborghinis. The people who can’t afford Lego don’t buy Lego. But in the age of online comment sections, they’re going to complain about it. Your reviews don’t need to cater to their tantrums. "
I have to acknowledge when a set costs more than I believe it should, compared with other equivalent sets, as in this case. It is not a comment I automatically apply to every review by any means, although I realise it might seem that way because many of the Star Wars sets I have reviewed this year feel overpriced to me. Also, I always give my reasons when criticising a set as being too expensive.
Looking at this year's Star Wars sets, there are a few where I think the price is reasonable or even good:
75402 ARC-170 Starfighter
75407 Brick-Built Star Wars Logo
75409 Jango Fett's Starship
75411 Darth Maul Mech
Dang Tariffs.
@Krisz said:
"The Night Troopers aren't zombies by default, just the ones who were resurrected during the fight. I mean, can a zombie drive dropships and use laser guns?
I don't think this vehicle is even appealing to a small child. It would have been better to have some small building parts or columns in this one to add to last year's set. 3 - different - night troopers, 1 death trooper lineup would be ideal for army building. Also It would have been nice to have a release closer to the Ahsoka series premiere.
Thanks for the review! "
Kind of depends on the zombie, I would say. I would imagine that, if the body isn’t too decayed, they could take advantage of things like muscle memory. The Death Troopers in Ahsoka did seem pretty far gone from what I’ve seen.
I’ve been hoping for an Imperial Patrol Transport since they showed up in Rebels. This one…doesn’t quite live up to the design.
@Krisz said:
"The Night Troopers aren't zombies by default, just the ones who were resurrected during the fight. I mean, can a zombie drive dropships and use laser guns? "
Yes, if the story teller wants them to.
@andygott said:
"Captain, I don’t know that you have to say ‘Expensive.’ in (nearly) every summary chart. I suspect you’re trying to head off some of the onslaught of whining that permeates the comment section of every Star Wars set review. Lego is expensive. That’s not new. It’s not surprising. The people who can’t afford Lamborghinis don’t buy Lamborghinis. The people who can’t afford Lego don’t buy Lego. But in the age of online comment sections, they’re going to complain about it. Your reviews don’t need to cater to their tantrums. "
comparing toys which are produced for pennies to a high-end sports car, nice meme m8
@madforLEGO said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"You understand those recently inflated US prices (other previously higher North American prices, such as City, were mostly due to other reasons) are in large part due to the Trump administration's tarriffs on imported goods, right?
Americans understand tarriffs, right?
Right?
Even if LEGO is able to get some of its Mexican-produced imports compliant with USMCA, there are definitely some effects on the costs of imported goods for US customers (and by extension, for many in the rest of the world)."
I love the apparently insinuation that all people in the US like the current president and everything he is doing (spoiler alert: many don't)... However, I can tell you we know how to spell 'tariff' for one thing.
Aside from that, you DO realize that companies will also use tariffs as a convenient excuse to raise their prices (typically over the amount of the cost of said tariffs), and that if the tariffs go away, the prices likely stay the same, right?
I mean even Canadians understand this, Right?
Right?
LEGO will have their US factory producing in the next few years, and guess what? Prices will likely go up, not down cause they will then likely blame US worker salaries for it... Always an excuse to raise prices, but never an excuse to lower prices....
"
Here, here! Huzzah.
I didn't want to pile on my Canadian brothers- I mean even the Great One has abandoned you.
We band of brothers and sisters shouldn't let the morons tear us apart. It's what they want.
I'd read the (pre-Disney buyout) novel Death Troopers, but I hadn't realized that the Death Troopers in the new EU were zombies, too.
This should be a $15 set
@TheOtherMike said:
"I'd read the (pre-Disney buyout) novel Death Troopers, but I hadn't realized that the Death Troopers in the new EU were zombies, too."
Standard Death Troopers are not zombies, only those in the Ahsoka series. However, they are implied to have certain modifications, so may not be completely human beneath the helmets. I think early concepts for the Death Troopers actually had helmets that would be too small for a human head.
The reason why these prices are so high is the same reason why there are ten Fast and Furious movies. Someone is patronizing them.
Disappointing set. Hate the carrier ship design but like the concept. Hate the zombie troopers but like the bit of diversity with the gray helmet. But really really hate the fact that the Lakers wussed out in the first round of the playoffs and the Clippers did better.
The review brings up an interesting point. The vehicle does look like a microfighter Imperial version of the Coruscant Police Gunship 75046 and that's adorable.
@Emmafofemma said:
"Dang Tariffs. "
You mean Darth Tariffs? The Sith Lord that controls galactic credits?
@Brickodillo said:
" @Emmafofemma said:
"Dang Tariffs. "
You mean Darth Tariffs? The Sith Lord that controls galactic credits?"
Oh so that’s why he was holding a red lightsaber!
I just received my first Funwhole set today. It’s not perfect, but the price per piece was ridiculously low. Yeah it’s not LEGO, but my point here is that LEGO has been fairly frivolous with their price increases on certain items. As new companies compete they’ll have to adjust somehow or lose business. The money I spent here could have gone to them, used to go to them, but I have less mad money to play with overall, so choices get made.
LEGO is always going to be my first love, but the competition is becoming very attractive.
@blogzilly said:
"I just received my first Funwhole set today. It’s not perfect, but the price per piece was ridiculously low. Yeah it’s not LEGO, but my point here is that LEGO has been fairly frivolous with their price increases on certain items. As new companies compete they’ll have to adjust somehow or lose business."
I’m just going to put this into perspective. A few years ago, TLG spent some time being the largest toy manufacturer in the world. This means that all the money Hasbro makes off Transformers, Star Wars, G.I.Joe, and everything else under their umbrella, and all the money Mattel makes of Barbie, Hot Wheels, and everything else under their umbrella…TLG made even more than either of them off a single product line. They only got knocked down to second place when Mattel bought Mega Brands outright. And if they spun off the construction toy brand they acquired in that deal, and that company merged with every other clone brand under the sun, TLG would probably still be significantly larger than the result. They can afford to lose a little business here and there without being in any danger. What’s probably a bigger problem to them is having _too_much_ business, and pricing certain sets to temper demand may well be a solution they’re using to keep sales in a manageable range. The risk in not doing this is that demand will see an initial spike that sets unrealistic expectations, causing a surge in orders that they have to deprioritize other sets to keep up with, only to have sales suddenly fall off a cliff around the time they catch up with demand.
This happened with CMFs. S1 and S2 were impossible to find. S3 was still challenging to find. They met retailer demand by S5, but those retailers overestimated end consumer demand, and stores ended up sitting on unwanted cases of S5, while almost nobody stocked S6 because they didn’t have room on the shelf. As long as every store was shorted, everybody was guaranteed to sell out. Once every store could order enough to meet 100% of demand, they suddenly had way more produced than the market could absorb.
@PurpleDave: All I ever saw of CMF Series 1 was an empty box at TRU. I managed to get most of Series 2 and 3, and Series 4 was my first complete series. But then, maybe demand wasn't quite as high in my area.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave: All I ever saw of CMF Series 1 was an empty box at TRU. I managed to get most of Series 2 and 3, and Series 4 was my first complete series. But then, maybe demand wasn't quite as high in my area."
From what I was told, every TRU got two cases up front, and stores that sold them fast enough could get a third case until they ran out. Best score I got in those days was asking someone to do a stock check for the region, after which I drove about an hour to one that still showed 120 units. Turns out, people had been coming in all day long asking for them, but they didn't know what the cases looked like, so they hadn't been able to pull them from the stock room. I was able to describe the general size and shape, so I got to be the first person to paw through two full cases, which I think was the only time I saw unopened cases for S1 until after S2 shipped. Aside from TRU, I know LBR stocked them, and apparently Urban Outfitters got some of them (of all places). But Walmart, Target, and several other retailers hadn't bought any at all. Somehow, LEGOLAND stores were flush with both S1 and S2 at the same time (if you could actually get to one, they'd sell them to you in sealed shipper cartons). S2 was shipping when our local LEGO Store opened, so that was the first series they ever stocked. I think S3 was the first wave that was widely available, and when S4 hit, I ended up buying two sealed cases as they were being stocked to the floor at a local Meijer. And you couldn't spit without hitting a case of S5, but S6 was at least as hard to find as S1.
@MegaBlocks said:
"Introducing zombies into Star Wars is rather silly, but it does some to be a current trend to introduce zombies into everything."
As a general rule, I don't trust zombies to fly spaceships. Being familiar with Grand Admiral Thrawn only from the "Heir to the Empire" books, I don't feel that this staffing decision lines up with his usual degree of competence.
@BrickAnomie said:
" @MegaBlocks said:
"Introducing zombies into Star Wars is rather silly, but it does some to be a current trend to introduce zombies into everything."
As a general rule, I don't trust zombies to fly spaceships. Being familiar with Grand Admiral Thrawn only from the "Heir to the Empire" books, I don't feel that this staffing decision lines up with his usual degree of competence."
He was into fine art in those days, not B-grade zombie flicks.
@PurpleDave said:
" @BrickAnomie said:
" @MegaBlocks said:
"Introducing zombies into Star Wars is rather silly, but it does some to be a current trend to introduce zombies into everything."
As a general rule, I don't trust zombies to fly spaceships. Being familiar with Grand Admiral Thrawn only from the "Heir to the Empire" books, I don't feel that this staffing decision lines up with his usual degree of competence."
He was into fine art in those days, not B-grade zombie flicks."
He was into any art that could tell him something about the culture or person that produced it, so he could probably appreciate zombie movies that are there for more than just blood and gore.
It's expensive, but it is also at the expected price point honestly. SW is always too much, so this is what I'd expect. Then when they finally have a mild sale sometime, it will feel like a bargain even though it will still be overpriced.
But considering I don't have any zombie troopers, I might as well pick this up.
@PurpleDave said:
" @blogzilly said:
"I just received my first Funwhole set today. It’s not perfect, but the price per piece was ridiculously low. Yeah it’s not LEGO, but my point here is that LEGO has been fairly frivolous with their price increases on certain items. As new companies compete they’ll have to adjust somehow or lose business."
I’m just going to put this into perspective. A few years ago, TLG spent some time being the largest toy manufacturer in the world. This means that all the money Hasbro makes off Transformers, Star Wars, G.I.Joe, and everything else under their umbrella, and all the money Mattel makes of Barbie, Hot Wheels, and everything else under their umbrella…TLG made even more than either of them off a single product line. They only got knocked down to second place when Mattel bought Mega Brands outright. And if they spun off the construction toy brand they acquired in that deal, and that company merged with every other clone brand under the sun, TLG would probably still be significantly larger than the result. They can afford to lose a little business here and there without being in any danger. What’s probably a bigger problem to them is having _too_much_ business, and pricing certain sets to temper demand may well be a solution they’re using to keep sales in a manageable range. The risk in not doing this is that demand will see an initial spike that sets unrealistic expectations, causing a surge in orders that they have to deprioritize other sets to keep up with, only to have sales suddenly fall off a cliff around the time they catch up with demand.
This happened with CMFs. S1 and S2 were impossible to find. S3 was still challenging to find. They met retailer demand by S5, but those retailers overestimated end consumer demand, and stores ended up sitting on unwanted cases of S5, while almost nobody stocked S6 because they didn’t have room on the shelf. As long as every store was shorted, everybody was guaranteed to sell out. Once every store could order enough to meet 100% of demand, they suddenly had way more produced than the market could absorb."
What you wrote isn’t incorrect. Neither was what I wrote.
Definitely think the build could have benefitted from some printed pieces - either the shield pieces on the 'wings' or the 2x2 tiles behind where the troops stand. Could have done a lot to improve what is a fairly featureless and greeble-less ship.