Review: 75526 Elite TIE Fighter Pilot
Posted by CapnRex101,
Armoured characters are well suited to the Buildable Figures range so 75526 Elite TIE Fighter Pilot should be among the best of the four new sets. He sports a black flight suit which looks very intimidating and I love the red stripes on the helmets in Star Wars: The Force Awakens so am glad to see that decoration depicted here.
However, I am not entirely sure why the TIE Fighter pilot was chosen for a Buildable Figure as its design is reminiscent of past sets such as 75121 Imperial Death Trooper and a more visually distinctive character, perhaps a First Order Flametrooper, would have been preferable in my opinion. Nevertheless, the model appears faithful to the source material so hopefully it will be a welcome addition to the collection.
The Completed Model
Buildable Figures have received some criticism for their standardised structure and 75526 Elite TIE Fighter Pilot certainly fits with the existing trend, standing 24cm in height and relying upon a fairly simple CCBS skeleton. I do appreciate innovative designs such as that of 75530 Chewbacca but the typical combination of armoured shells surrounding an articulated skeleton is appropriate for a figure of this kind.
The black flight suit looks superb and I like how the natural luster of LEGO pieces recalls the shiny armour worn by these pilots in the films. This is most apparent on the helmet which is beautifully sculpted and features two red stripes denoting the Special Forces status of this trooper as well as a flexible hose connecting the helmet with the life support pack. I had hoped that the hose would be a separate element which could have been used elswhere but it instead forms part of the helmet.
Even so, I think the hose looks brilliant and I am equally impressed by the life support pack which consists of two printed 2x2 curved slopes. This is a little bulkier than it appears in the film but I am not sure how it could have been represented any better as a printed torso panel would not have captured sufficient texture. Perhaps LEGO could have produced a new torso element with a couple of Technic pin holes or some studs in the centre, thereby negating the need for the support structure which fits around the sides of the model.
The back of the torso is very plain but I like the decorative First Order emblems printed on both shoulders. The upper arms and legs are built around dark bluish grey pieces which look odd against the black armour and a few colourful Technic pins are visible too. Surprisingly, the latter does not bother me too much as these bright colours match those on the life support pack and you could imagine that the Technic pins simply represent more buttons.
The legs are very simply constructed, using a common combination of large shells which cover the thighs and shin armour that protects the lower legs. It seems a shame that the thigh panels are not printed with some fabric texturing to represent the contrast between the flight suit and the armour, although the distinction is quite subtle in the movie so perhaps a printed design would have been too visible.
This simple CCBS skeleton may not be particularly exciting to build but it is very highly articulated, with ball joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. It is therefore possible to seat the figure and you could construct some flight controls around it. An entire TIE Fighter has the potential to be even more impressive but would measure about a metre in height to scale with this figure so that would be a very ambitious project!
First Order TIE Fighter Pilots are equipped with blaster pistols in the movie but this figure wields a much larger rifle. It closely resembles the F-11D blaster rifle used by many First Order Stormtroopers but features red highlights to match the pilot's helmet as well as the Special Forces TIE Fighters. A spring-loaded shooter is hidden inside the barrel and can be fired by pulling the trigger underneath, as on many of the Buildable Figures' weapons.
Overall
75526 Elite TIE Fighter Pilot is definitely a good set but is probably my least favourite of the four new Buildable Figures. While these troopers are fairly ubiquitous in the Sequel Trilogy they are rarely seen outside their TIE Fighters, as one might expect, so displaying the figure alone is a challenge. In addition, the blaster rifle seems oversized and the UK price of £19.99 is disappointing as both 75528 Rey and 75529 Elite Praetorian Guard are more interesting figures which are available at the same price.
However, this set costs just $19.99 in the US so is the least expensive of the figures in this wave. I think that price is fair and I love the combination of the helmet and the life support pack which are linked by a flexible hose. Having said that, the TIE Fighter pilot seems an odd choice for a Buildable Figure and I would only recommend it to those who wish to maintain a complete collection, at least until its price is reduced.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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13 comments on this article
You're right, a Flametrooper would have been SOOOOOO much cooler!
^^ you mean HOTTER!
I've collected all the helmeted figures to date and will.no doubt pick this up, but you're right. This simply does not excite me in anyway - I don't dislike it but there are definitely more interesting options. What about the executioner stormtrooper or AT-M6 pilot for example. Perhaps he's just suffering compared to the flamboyant Praetorian Guard and the outstanding RO selection.
Way better than the Demon-Wookie!
^agreed
Probably the only one I will get from this series, possibly the red guard if they are cool in the movie.
Hopefully we will get Flame trooper or Snowtrooper will come closer to the movie or in 2018 like the Shoretrooper did this year after Rogue One came out in 2016.
Ooo... a Flametrooper with a WORKING flamethrower! The kids will LOVE that one... : )
Yeah, looks cool, but... he just seems dull, after I've gotten 6 troopers with the SAME BUILD... these guys drag on you considerably. I'm more excited for Rey, and that's sad. If they could stop with these boring one-piece molds for figures, from the Uniter torso, the standard one, and the newer "feminine" torso, that could help considerably.
This one is rather boring, I wish they would have done a Flametrooper or even any Snowtrooper would be cooler. I hope you review Rey because I'm excited to see her!
Dont like buildable figures at all. But i got two Death troopers for a tenner each as they look great and couldnt pass up that deal. Then i thought they'd look good flanking Vader so thought id better get him as well. So now obviously I should get a pair of regular stormies so Vader can have them for a change. And now this tie pilot is looking good. And on and on it goes. Definitely some sort of illness or addiction.
In general, trooper-type figures tend to be pretty boring to me, and this one is no exception. The color scheme is a flat, neutral monochrome, the helmeted head sculpt offers no life or expression, and all the figure really has going for it is the life support system which adds a bit of variety to an otherwise repetitive trooper build. Good guy characters like Obi-Wan, Rey, Chirrut, Baze, and Chewbacca tend to be much more attractive and interesting-looking, plus most of their head sculpts are much more versatile for MOCs outside of the Star Wars theme.
This isn't really the fault of the designers, though. Most Star Wars baddies are meant to be faceless, uniformed mooks with little in the way of individuality. That just doesn't make for a particularly interesting display figure or building experience compared to the more distinctive designs of the heroes. Hoping we eventually get figures of some more colorful baddies like Boba Fett or Greedo.
^aren't we meant to get boba fett next year?
A decent buildable figure, but it really isn't anything special, and I think it falls short to the others this wave.
To me, this is undoubtedly the worst of the buildable figures released in this wave. As as far as build goes, Chewbacca wins out, with the Praetorian Guard in a very narrow second. This set is just completely monochromatic and bland - the very definition of a cookie-cutter build. I can, however, see why you'd like it if you've never built a constraction set before.
And yeah, Aanchir, we should be seeing a Boba Fett figure next year. Watermarked images are out on the 'net if you so desire. :P