Review: 76193 The Guardians' Ship
Posted by CapnRex101,
Avengers: Infinity War introduced an impressive new spacecraft, replacing the marvellous Milano which sustained damage when absconding from the Sovereign. This attractive vehicle, named the Benatar, includes existing and innovative design features to achieve distinction.
76193 The Guardians' Ship recreates the vehicle with unprecedented accuracy, rivalling Star Wars' popular Ultimate Collector Series! Splendid detail enshrouds this whole spacecraft and appealing minifigures are also included, although Drax is noticeably absent. Nevertheless, the model is paramount here and seems exceptional.
Minifigures
Several depictions of Star-Lord have become available since 2014, although certain features have remained very consistent. This figure accordingly includes a dark red jacket and medium nougat hair piece, although their designs have been updated. This head was created for Owen Grady from Jurassic World but suits Peter Quill perfectly, while these dual-moulded legs create boots and enhance the entire minifigure.
Thor accompanies the Guardians here, taking inspiration from Avengers: Endgame and thus appearing somewhat bedraggled. Despite featuring flesh arms in the main product image, this minifigure actually includes pearl dark grey arms so matches the movie and the character from 76192 Avengers: Endgame Final Battle. The textured hair element and double-sided head also return from that playset.
This fabric cape appears suitably majestic, although Thor is no longer wearing his cape when departing with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Nevertheless, the minifigure looks impressive and Stormbreaker is provided, as normal. Peter Quill wields his trademark Quad Blasters, although their standard pearl dark grey colour has been replaced with pearl silver on this occasion.
Rocket Raccoon has been updated significantly since his last appearance in 76126 Avengers Ultimate Quinjet, featuring a new head component which no longer integrates shoulder armour. This element includes superb decoration but the ears could have been improved. However, the torso and textured tail both appear excellent, closely resembles the onscreen character.
Substantial changes have also been introduced for Groot, whose constituent pieces are now dark tan instead of reddish brown. Either colour works nicely, although the lighter shade does show the printing more clearly. This is fortunate because the texture looks absolutely fantastic, covering the head, torso, legs and feet. Groot's unusual head component looks marvellous too.
76079 Ravager Attack provided our only previous Mantis minifigure, hence her return here is appreciated. Her clothing has been refined since 2017, now featuring enhanced detail, but the legs remain plain which seems somewhat disappointing. The rubbery hair piece looks splendid though, while Mantis' head displays calm and angry expressions.
Drax and Nebula would have completed the Guardians of the Galaxy team. Unfortunately, a generic Chitauri is supplied instead. This minifigure definitely improves upon earlier designs, especially since the head now features an accurate golden helmet. Similar printing continues across either side of the torso, where technological armour surrounds alien skin.
The warrior includes a golden particle rifle which looks reasonable, although this accessory is simpler than its equivalent from 76186 Black Panther Dragon Flyer. Rocket's weapon features attractive detail though, comprising several interesting elements and a printed keypad beneath the handgrip.
The Completed Model
76193 The Guardians' Ship shares definite similarities with Ultimate Collector Series models, resting on an elegant display stand and exploiting the substantial scale to integrate extensive detail. The wingspan reaches nearly 59cm and the organic shaping looks spectacular, closely resembling the source material. The coalescing between the fuselage and the wings appears particularly outstanding.
Furthermore, the stand includes a turntable underneath the spacecraft, enabling rotation which is excellent for display. The vessel appears exceptionally dynamic when realistically angled and adjusting the position reveals additional detail. Fortunately, attention has evidently been focused upon every surface, hence the model looks equally impressive when viewed from any angle.
The display stand certainly resembles Ultimate Collector Series examples, featuring the same black colour scheme with familiar shapes. However, this design incorporates more substantial Technic structure and appears relatively spindly, particularly immediately beneath the Benatar where the turntable is situated. Several unsightly Technic elements accordingly remain visible which is disappointing.
Moreover, no plaque is present which is surprising because they have accompanied previous Super Heroes sets, including 76105 The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition. However, this stand looks adequate without a plaque, spoiled only by the conspicuous Technic beams and blue pins that remain exposed. These issues are bothersome but the colourful vehicle monopolises attention.
While the display stand is certainly welcome, I think the Benatar looks marvellous without the support. No landing gear is included, unfortunately, but the underside is relatively smooth and the drooped control surfaces remain above the ground. Detaching the vessel is simple as well, since four Technic axles are plugged into the belly. These provide a secure connection but are easily separated when necessary.
76107 Thanos: Ultimate Battle yielded our first rendition of the Benatar, capturing its essential features quite nicely. However, the new design improves upon its predecessor in every regard, as anticipated given its size. That becomes especially apparent when comparing them directly because the 2018 depiction is considerably smaller and lacks the rear thruster booms, instead accommodating the pod from 76102 Thor's Weapon Quest.
Despite their differing scales, these spacecraft incorporate the same 8x6 canopy component. However, the metallic silver decoration seems more intricate while the trans-clear canopy has been replaced with a trans-purple piece. Trans-clear would probably have been more accurate, although the purple colour appears much more impressive in my opinion.
The combination of orange and light bluish grey elements around the cockpit looks excellent, again corresponding with the original vehicle. Additionally, I appreciate this mixing of studded and smooth pieces, which gives the appearance of textured hull panels and continues across the entire vessel. The binoculars representing mechanical detail look superb as well.
Opening the trans-purple canopy provides adequate access to the interior, although reaching inside becomes easier after opening the complete forward section. Two seats are included for minifigures and their tandem arrangement is appropriate, with articulated control yokes beside the second seat. Additional room would have been welcome for improved accuracy though, of course.
Bulbous intakes are situated behind the cockpit, comprising various curved slopes. They look wonderful and I love the cooling fins under the wings. Moreover, the colour scheme maintains tremendous authenticity, employing various wedge plates and curved plates to create suitable shapes. I appreciate the avoidance of stickers here, although they are required elsewhere.
Orange and light bluish grey colours also decorate the underside of the wings, alongside the circular thrusters. They are simply assembled using 4x8 half-circle plates with layered dishes which are attached upside down. The smaller 6x6 dish is trans-opalescent light blue, creating the appearance of glowing engines. This element returns from 43183 Moana's Island Home.
Impressive texture continues above the fuselage, where dark bluish grey ingots and colourful 1x1 tiles represent subtle mechanical detail. Moreover, the orange and light bluish grey colour blocking looks magnificent when compared with the original vehicle, relying primarily upon 2x2 angled tiles. Only two stickers are required for this shaping, on the leading edges of each wing.
Removing the roof, in two sections, reveals consistent detail inside the fuselage. Stickers are applied around the cockpit entrance, displaying various control systems and a status indicator which features the Benatar. The rounded entrance also appears authentic and the trans-purple canopy casts beautiful pink lighting inside, matching the Benatar's internal lighting onscreen.
Thor's presence confirms that this model of the Benatar is based upon its appearance towards the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, hence Gamora's image is displayed. Some vacant clips are available for storing weapons while the floor comprises sand blue and pearl silver elements. These appear appropriately industrial, reflecting this spacecraft's spartan interior.
Contrary to the alien surroundings, a standard coffee machine is fixed opposite the computer display! This is effectively constructed to occupy the smallest possible area, leaving adequate space for minifigures to walk along the corridor and access the maintenance bay. That room is particularly difficult to reach inside though, with the arched entranceway.
However, removing this archway is easy and improves accessibility. Various light bluish grey elements form mechanical detail and I love the trans-pink 1x1 slope that represents a control console. Between this maintenance bay, the living space and the cockpit, there is room for all five Guardians of the Galaxy inside the Benatar, although there are only enough seats for four.
Unfortunately, this model lacks the deployable auxiliary pod which appears during Avengers: Infinity War. That would definitely have been an excellent addition, although creating enough space for the pod would compromise the outward appearance of the vehicle. For that reason, omitting the auxiliary pod was probably sensible, especially since its precise location onboard remains unclear.
Enormous thruster booms are connected behind the fuselage. These were completely missing from the previous creation and they look fantastic, again combining curved slopes and studded plates to good effect. Additionally, two articulated actuators are located on each side, linking the fuselage to the twin thruster booms and therefore replicating the source material.
Accurate manoeuvring flaps are also included, matching those which extend as the Benatar prepares to land. These panels appear almost seamless and I appreciate the tiny body flaps below the aforementioned actuators, demonstrating excellent attention to detail. Opening the flaps also reveals continued texture underneath, flanking numerous round thrusters.
Each boom is connected to the fuselage using two ball joints, with cosmetic support from the articulated actuators. They can accordingly move outwards which reflects the original vehicle and reveals twin cylindrical engine housings. These thruster booms cannot move downwards though, as exhibited before Thor's departure at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame.
Opening both thruster booms also creates space between them, exposing further mechanical details. Roller skates and dark bluish grey ingots are brilliantly integrated here, underneath an authentic viewport which is visible on the original vessel. Such extraordinary attention to detail exceeds almost any previous Marvel Super Heroes set and definitely matches the standard of large-scale Star Wars vehicles.
Overall
Accuracy and detailing were undoubtedly the primary concerns when developing 76193 The Guardians' Ship and the resulting model is absolutely extraordinary! The shape looks perfect when compared with the source material and I appreciate the integration of numerous wedge plates, curved slopes and tiles to recreate authentic markings. Those above the fuselage and wings appear particularly attractive.
The minifigure selection seems reasonable too, although Drax and Nebula are conspicuously omitted which is frustrating. Fortunately, the model is sufficiently enjoyable to overshadow this issue and I think the price of £134.99 or $149.99 represents good value, given the outstanding quality achieved here. I would therefore highly recommend this set to any Marvel fan!
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47 comments on this article
Spectacular set at a fair price. Seeing it side by side with the 2018 model really puts things into perspective. Great figures as well (insert invisible Drax joke here). Thanks for the review!
Next weeks?
Fine!
The stand is very cool. I'm not a Marvel collector but I'd be more interested in "play" models in the Star Wars line if they included similar stands. Counterpoint: I acknowledge this may cut into the sales of UCS offerings of the same ship, even if slightly.
Either way, an interesting feature and I hope we see more of this.
Gorgeous, but the interior while a nice upgrade doesn't quite wow me enough to consider buying this set to replace the older version, especially since while the pod isn't entirely accurate its a neat play feature on the old one. But dang, the display stand though starts to tempt me with this...
Not including Drax, at least, feels like a missed opportunity, given he's a relatively rare figure in the LEGO Marvel lineup. The loss of the detachable pod is also a shame; granted, you lose the rear wings, but with the pod attached the original Benatar could comfortably fit seven characters. Bit of a one step forwards, two steps back situation from where I'm standing.
my favourtie marvel set so far :)
What an amazing set. Definitely the number-one Super Heroes set of the year. Such incredible detail all over. Too bad my "great big Lego spaceship money" this year already went to 10283 ... well, not "too bad", since that set is a dream come true, but you know what I mean. Gotta pick and choose.
It looks pretty cool, but I don't think I need this upgrade since the Infinity War ship is really good.
The pod is one of my favorite parts of the first version, too bad that didn't make it here. Still a great looking set.
That's a great looking set. I gotta admit, scrolling through the review I thought that the price would be more than $150, so that's a pleasant surprise.
Seems insane to me to have Mantis and especially the Chitauri without including Drax
Is it just me, or is nobody talking about new part 78258? It has me kind of excited.
This is a great set, but I'm pretty shocked that a "UCS" version of the Benatar was made before the Milano or either Quinjet design. I love the exterior here but the interior isn't as great as I expected, not to mention odd choices like leaving out Nebula and Drax and the lack of a plaque. The interior is an okay upgrade from the original, but it reminds me exactly of the 2014 Milano one and not in a good way since this set is twice the size. The missing pod is an understandable omission but as other people have pointed out, it makes the model lose more minifigure space and a cool function. Definitely getting this but I hope a Milano is made in a similar scale soon.
Looks great! Might have to pick up that Invisible Drax figure on Bricklink.
Great review, and a great set. And I learned two new words: absconding and bedraggled!
Rocket's new head mold looks way out of proportion, but besides that, this set is incredible
They should have include Drax instead Oven xD
A magnificent ship indeed!
I will certainly buy it as a good addition to my spaceship collections.
As pointed out by other people here, the interior is a bit too small.
Once I get a copy of the Benatar, I will try to custom it a tad.
Great review... you have me wanting yet another summer set!
Will there be a review for Daily Bugle?
Maybe we'll get a Milano in 2023... It's a good set, but an odd choice with an odd minifig selection.
Well, @CaptRex101, your review gave me the necessary nudge to make a purchase! Good job :-)
Ohhhh, it's sooo tempting! And even more so after these nice photos...
76107 has been appropriated by the orange Galaxy Squad team so maybe I can justify it on those grounds?
This is a great Marvel Master Builder set.
@jrbookworm said:
"Great review... you have me wanting yet another summer set!
Will there be a review for Daily Bugle?"
They have said it is coming
When looking at the minifigure lineup I originally said "where is Gamora?"
Thanks for the review.
I had planned on getting this set. Sure, the extra figures would have completed the group, but maybe it is a spoiler for what is to come in the new movie??
I think they nailed the shaping. Yes, more internal room is always welcomed, but they nailed it overall with what they had.
Ive been curious, is this another case sorta like "Juggernaut"/"Clone Turbo Tank", does Pat Benatar hold some sorta trademark on "Benatar" while Alyssa Milano does not hold one for "Milano" or something like that?
Or was "Milano" considered more marketable than "Benatar" for some reason?
@Cyno01 said:
"Ive been curious, is this another case sorta like "Juggernaut"/"Clone Turbo Tank", does Pat Benatar hold some sorta trademark on "Benatar" while Alyssa Milano does not hold one for "Milano" or something like that?
Or was "Milano" considered more marketable than "Benatar" for some reason?"
More likely its because it hasnt been called the Benatar in-movie
@Snaz said:
"Drax is there! He's mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still, that he has become invisible to the eye...
In all seriousness, this has to be one of my favorite sets of the year. Shame it doesn't have the pod, though."
yup pod would be nice but implementing pod would tremendously impact to its size and price. Because pod to be correctly placed would have to placed somewhere in the middle of the haul not between the "tails" like previous Benatar had it. So I think it's good enough solution to just skip it.
@iwybs said:
"What an amazing set. Definitely the number-one Super Heroes set of the year. "
The Daily Bugle wishes to have fisticuffs with you…
@Sethro3 said:
"When looking at the minifigure lineup I originally said "where is Gamora?"
"
I'LL DO YOU ONE BETTER, WHY IS GAMORA?
Those mechanical details are amazing. I pieced together the ship from 76107 and am still impressed by it but I might have to spring for this one. Biggest impediment: where to display it – it'll take up a lot of room!
Dracula wishes he could drain a body of blood as fast as LEGO is draining my wallet of money this year. I wanna say ‘STOP!’ but LEGO Super Heroes are so cool I just can’t help myself.
Was quite impressed with this until I saw the price of it over here. Would have to be on good discount for me to consider it. Minifigures look a little dull too if I’m honest.
@blogzilly said:
" @iwybs said:
"What an amazing set. Definitely the number-one Super Heroes set of the year. "
The Daily Bugle wishes to have fisticuffs with you…
"
Touche. Daily Bugle, the top spot is yours.
Yet another amazing set, yet another slew of disgruntled comments - a good 50% of AFOLs commenting online on various fora appear to be perpetually stuck in adult baby-mode, hysterically banging their DUPLO rattles against the table, screaming in a dramatic falsetto:
"Buuuuh-huuuh! But it's not what I WANTED, I wanted SOMETHING ELSE! It's too expensive, I wanted other minifigs!!"
@Macropod said:
"Yet another amazing set, yet another slew of disgruntled comments (...)"
Your comment is quite an odd thing to post after a string of overwhelmingly positive comments.
@bananaworld said:
"
@Macropod said:
"Yet another amazing set, yet another slew of disgruntled comments (...)"
Your comment is quite an odd thing to post after a string of overwhelmingly positive comments.
"
And your comment is rather WEIRD, considering the amount of complaints and nitpicking.
I want to offer some feedback in regards to your reviews. Not having English as a first language I find your reviews increaslingy difficult to read.
Don't get me wrong, the reviews itself are great in terms of objectivity and judgement.
It is the amount of adjectives, superlatives and obscure words that really hinder a smooth reading experience for me. I might be mistaken but your style seems to have gotten more ornate over the years now reaching the point where I find myself skimming over large portions of the review.
By all means, don't change your style if this is the way you want to write but as a fan of you as a reviewer I wanted to give this piece of feedback. Toning down some of the more ornate writing could improve the reading experience for the non native english speakers on this site.
Aside from the lack of Drax and Nebula it looks very nice for the size and price, it's like a mini UCS set.
@Mosquitosquisher7 said:
"Is it just me, or is nobody talking about new part 78258? It has me kind of excited."
Thanks for pointing it out. That is a cool part, indeed! Don't know what to do with it yet, but at least now I can safely cut all my pneumatic tubes into small pieces (hoping 78258 will fit).
@Wrecknbuild said:
" @Mosquitosquisher7 said:
"Is it just me, or is nobody talking about new part 78258? It has me kind of excited."
Thanks for pointing it out. That is a cool part, indeed! Don't know what to do with it yet, but at least now I can safely cut all my pneumatic tubes into small pieces (hoping 78258 will fit)."
Good spot, @Mosquitosquisher7!
...but is it hollow all the way through...??
Maybe we'll find out in 42128!
I think this ship is objectively uglier than the Milano. It’s not just the awful color, either. It looks like it has a severe overbite.
Kudos to Lego for doing what they can to make it more appealing, though. The purple color on the canopy makes it pop nicely, and the other little details give this albatross some flavor.
It does look like an excellent UCS-lite type of set.
The picture of Thor having a coffee and doughnut made me smile. I really like the larger size compared to 76107, and having all that interior space is great and increases the play-ability for kids. Although this is around double the price, there are nearly 3x as many pieces which should allow some really creative alternative builds.
@bananaworld said:
"
@Wrecknbuild said:
" @Mosquitosquisher7 said:
"Is it just me, or is nobody talking about new part 78258? It has me kind of excited."
Thanks for pointing it out. That is a cool part, indeed! Don't know what to do with it yet, but at least now I can safely cut all my pneumatic tubes into small pieces (hoping 78258 will fit)."
Good spot, @Mosquitosquisher7 !
...but is it hollow all the way through...??
Maybe we'll find out in 42128 !
"
I don’t really use pneumatics. I’m thinking of it as the new closest thing we have to a proper 2-module 318 bar. I have wanted a 2-module 318 bar on multiple occasions. The ring in the middle of the new piece could prove a bit inconvenient, but i think it’s still better for my purposes than the pneumatic t-joint or the lipstick piece.
Edit: I didn’t notice the piece in any sets at first. I actually noticed it when I was scrolling through the new parts added to the Brickset database on June 1 to see if there were any interesting recolors. I’m also excited about 78256, but that piece isn’t in this set.
I just built this set a few days ago. The pictures don't do justice to the real thing. It was an amazing experience to gradually compose the model. The designers must have gone all out for what is not (yet?) an iconic ship. It consists mostly of plates, slopes and hinges/joints. There are very few bricks involved. At times I actually had no idea where things were going as I was adding layer onto layer. Fortunately, as this is a symmetrical build, I could do all the steps again but now I could see how they had put it all together. It was truly baffling how they put all those curves smoothly in place, filling up almost every possible gap. As the review said, it looks stellar from all angles, and I'm not bothered by the small disruption on the underside to fit the display stand.
@Cyno01 said:
"Ive been curious, is this another case sorta like "Juggernaut"/"Clone Turbo Tank", does Pat Benatar hold some sorta trademark on "Benatar" while Alyssa Milano does not hold one for "Milano" or something like that?
Or was "Milano" considered more marketable than "Benatar" for some reason?"
They both have publicity rights in their names and would need to be paid for merchandise using their names. It's possible Benatar just wanted too much money. It all depends on the specifics of their contracts.
I think this ship is beautiful although I rather would have seen the Milano.