Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 19
Posted by CapnRex101,
75307 Star Wars Advent Calendar has contained some unusually obscure characters and vehicles from The Mandalorian, offering an Imperial I-TO Interrogation Droid yesterday.
Another lesser-known item could be fun...
Different versions of the Slave I have now appeared in four LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendars, including an example from 75146 Star Wars Advent Calendar which is among my favourite mini models. However, this design seems more reminiscent of the original rendition from 2011, albeit employing some newer elements to strengthen the wings and represent laser cannons.
These improvements are definitely welcome and the vehicle looks great, achieving reasonable proportions and detail when compared with the source material. The colour scheme of reddish brown and green, with light bluish grey highlights, is effective as well. I think dark red and dark green would have been even better though, had these pieces been available in suitable colours.
While this model has many qualities, I cannot help but think combining features of the iteration from 2016 with contemporary elements would have been more successful. This design seems slightly outdated without the curvature or colours of its predecessor. Even so, the vehicle does appear excellent, with articulated wings and laser cannons too!
Overall - 4.5 - Despite potential for additional improvements, this model includes splendid detail and complements the prior bounty hunting vessels.
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18 comments on this article
Between this and the Marvel calendar, today is my favorite day so far. Great builds in both of them.
The problem with the 2011 version is that that one looks like they ran out of budget and couldn't finish the top/front! In comparison this looks way better by virtue of having the front canons!
Combining them would have been difficult because they are slightly different scales, and apparently there's just not enough budget to go beyond making a good base, as the 2011 version so awfully demonstrated.
Also, I love the colour scheme. It's very remniscent of the 2006 (full-size) version and the original 2000 version.
I wonder if this one would look even better if the stoplight brick and headlight brick in the core are reversed so that the wings sit a bit lower than the cockpit.
Next build is a stack of angry letters about Lego referring to this as “Boba Fett’s microscale” on the packaging.
Thank you @CapnRex101 for using its real name!
Finally some green in a holiday calendar!
I'm torn. The colours remind me of the original minifig version, which is fun, and in flight mode it looks pretty good. But it looks a bit dorky when landed, especially with the wings so far off the ground. Meanwhile the 2016 version has great shaping and more accurate colours, but just looks utterly incomplete without anything to represent the guns.
@WemWem said:
"Next build is a stack of angry letters about Lego referring to this as “Boba Fett’s microscale” on the packaging."
@fulcrumbop said:
"Thank you @CapnRex101 for using its real name!
Finally some green in a holiday calendar!"
I was wondering how long it would take for this dead horse to show up.
Could you argue that the color for the bottom for the Slave 1 on the box is different than what we physically get? To me the picture of the ship on the box (the brown pieces) looks more like a brown-red. But what we actually got was a brown.
O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
I like the callback to 7144 , which for some reason is still my favourite version of the ship, despite being objectively bad.
This article is a reminder that we need side by side photos in Advent Calendar reviews.
Also, throwing out there: why haven't we gotten a minifig sized STAP in an AC yet? They can be made with some pretty small parts!
Long overdue a minifigure
Not a bad representation of what I always thought was an improbable, even awkward looking vessel. I appreciate the second image, showing the ship in flight, as it was, as it kind of demonstrates what I mean. I'm sure the interior shots in The Mandalorian made the inside seem bigger than you'd imagine it to be, like that well-known thing in that other sci-fi property, or is it just me?
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"This article is a reminder that we need side by side photos in Advent Calendar reviews."
I would like to include comparison photos, but I have mislaid several of the older Advent Calendar models, unfortunately.
I will probably come across them completely at random next summer!
@Swjdc1703 said:
"Could you argue that the color for the bottom for the Slave 1 on the box is different than what we physically get? To me the picture of the ship on the box (the brown pieces) looks more like a brown-red. But what we actually got was a brown. "
The colour is called "Reddish brown" for a reason.
This really reminds me of 7144, for some reason.
@Binnekamp:
No, they’d be way too low, like arms attached to your waist.
@Swjdc1703:
Brown hasn’t been produced since 2003, so this is definitely reddish-brown. If the box looks even more red than this, maybe it’s closer to dark-red?
@ResIpsaLoquitur:
While the parts to make one might fit, I’ve found that every Advent Calendar model I’ve ever built will fit back in the tray without needing to be disassembled. That would definitely not be possible with a STAP, unless it’s barely hovering over the ground.
@Fillone:
Space I is absolutely huge compared to what most of the toys based on it indicate. The UCS model is minifig-scale. I haven’t watched The Mandalorian, so I don’t know how big they made it seem inside, but there should be at least two decks in its parked orientation.
@CapnRex101:
I find the easiest solution to that problem is to store them in the original box. You kinda have to leave all the windows unpunched, and open it from the side, or risk losing everything. Alternately you could just bag each model and store them in small boxes. If there’s something you absolutely want to display, but not risk losing track of, buy a second calendar, or just pick up that day’s model on the secondary market.
Great build today. One of the highlights of this year's calendar.
I accidentally opened day 20 today. I wont spoil it for you!
@PurpleDave said:
" @ResIpsaLoquitur :
While the parts to make one might fit, I’ve found that every Advent Calendar model I’ve ever built will fit back in the tray without needing to be disassembled. That would definitely not be possible with a STAP, unless it’s barely hovering over the ground."
This guy's made a minifig-scale STAP that'd be perfect for an AC. Maybe a two-day build, but that's nothing new.
https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-39152/Gubi0222/single-trooper-aerial-platform-stap/
@ResIpsaLoquitur:
Cute. I may have to see if I can build a few of those. I don’t think they’d pass muster for an official LEGO set, though. And Day 2 would basically just be a stand to hold it up.
A great build of Slave I. The Star Wars calendar really hoarded it’s better microbuilds until the end here. At least there are some good ones. Wasn’t really enjoying some of the earlier vehicle renditions.