9491 Geonosian Cannon
Posted by Huw,
My wife is out shopping in the sales today so I've time to get in another mini-review of a new Star Wars set.
9491 Geonosian Cannon is, like Droid Escape, another minfig-heavy mid-priced set, weighing in at £19.99 in the UK. However this one comes with four unique minifigs, a Geonosian zombie and warrior, Clone Commander Gree and a slighly different version of Barriss Offee, who's sporting one of the new shorter-length capes which can also be found being worn by Lloyd Garmadon in the new Ninjago sets.
Again like Droid Escape, this is a reworking of an old model: a Geonosian cannon appeared in 4478 Geonosian Fighter released in 2003, and this version is much improved on the original. It's much bigger and beefier and looks like it could inflict some serious damage to low-flying craft. Comparing it with reference images at Wookiepedia, the designers have done a good job.
However, the minifigs are the stars of the set. The Geonosians are excellent: they have wings similar to the original Geonosian (sw078) but with the improved head of the one that came in 7959 last year. They carry weapons based on the ray-gun from the collectable minifigs, but they have a large appendage on the front that makes them too heavy for the minifig to hold without toppling over (which is why they are not holding them in the photo above!)
Commander Gree is sporting a standard clone army uniform and helmet but with unique colouring in dark green.
In summary, this is a nice set, but the price will probably put off anyone other than the hard-core Star Wars minifig collector, who will be delighted with the 4 new figures, which I guess will help justify having to spend £20 on it.
Check out the other pictures in my flickr gallery:
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14 comments on this article
Excuse my ignorance, but what's a Geonosian ZOMBIE doing here?! :P
EDIT: Alright, read about 'em at Wookieepedia. :P
What does Gree's head look like?
It does seem like LEGO is coming out swinging (at Hasbro) with the SW figs in 2012. Good for them, it serves the Kre-O makers right. :)
Looks like another amazing set. However won't pay £20 and buy it at £18 or less.
Huw, why do you upload these very high quality pictures to flickr instead of to your own website? They would nicely compliment the existing "extra pictures" for the set to the official ones you added, and it would stop having to click through to flickr. I think it would be much nicer to be able to click and simply have your picture pop out like the others do.
Maybe even you could add a feature where other users can submit their own (high quality) complimentary pictures, especially for older sets..
Gree's head is a standard clone head.
^ I suspect that I will do that someday, but I don't have the infrastructure in place for it at the moment.
Am I wrong for asking that " I thought 2011 was the last year for star war lego sets?""????
Is LEGO going to continue making them...forever? ha
^ The licensing was renewed
^For how long?
Also, Gree has a bandolier printed on both sides of his torso.
At least until 2016,
no doubt since RotJ 3D will be released in 2017 it will go longer.
Hmmm...these sets are getting pricey...I suppose it's all inflation and world economic stuff. I, too, (if I had the money/time/space/whatever) would buy these just for the minifigs...but this? This would make it £5 per minifig! Even the battle pack is like £3...But still...one can wish...all these beautiful clones...
The LEGO SW licensing has been done in 4 year 'chunks': 1999-2003 / 2003-2007 / 2007-2011 / ...
We've had the same discussions each time it has been up for renewal, but there is no reason for LEGO, or Lucasfilm, to want it to finish any time soon. Expect it to be renewed in 2015, and then again in 2019, and ...
I really like this set. It's a bit pricey, but I might jsut get it.
Btw. It's Wookieepedia (with two 'e').
I need to get this set
I love this set, check out my review if you like : http://www.brickset.com/reviews/?ID=42412