This set is amazing. That's the best way to describe it. Amazing. It's small, yes, but it's a whole lot of awesome packed into 196 pieces.

Box/Instructions

The box is the expected size for a $19.99 set, with really nice Guardians of the Galaxy graphics. The Instructions are simple, in a small booklet, and really easy to follow along with the build.

Minifigures

I think this set is best for the minifigures. Not to say that it's bad for anything, but it's best for the minifigures. Starlord is the best by far out of all three. His helmet piece is amazing, capturing the image of his mask/helmet perfectly in LEGO form. The hair attached to this piece makes it even better. The printing is awesome, making the piece one of the best in my collection. The head looks almost exactly like Chris Pratt, and captures the personality of Peter Quill (Starlord) really well. The torso and legs are amazingly printed, with an awesome level of detail. The jacket looks very accurate to what he is wearing in the beginning of the movie. The blasters included for this minifigure are also really cool. I love this mold, and hope to see it again, some day. The Nova Corps Officer is nothing special, but he has some neat parts to him. I especially like the new helmet mold, which is exclusive to this character. I think it really tops off this figure. This minifigure, like Starlord, also has some really neat torso printing. The medium blue with the armor printed on it looks very accurate to the movie, and is a great piece. The head has some cool printing on both sides, one with a frown and a chin strap, and the other with a smile. Finally, the Sakaaran is nothing new, but it's a cool figure none the less. I really like the torso printing, with the blood-like red lines, and the dual sided head print, which looks awesome. One side has an insectoid, alien like face, with two eyes, and the other has an alien mask covering what I assume to be the same face, and with only one eye showing.

The build

The set is divided into two moderately sized bags, one for the Necrocraft, and one for the Starblaster. Some really cool building techniques were used, and it adds some interest to a small build. Not too many stickers are used, which is a relief to some, but I personally do not care. The stickers that are included (All 8 of them) add a great deal of detail to the set. The wings on the Necrocraft are a really cool design, that I would never have thought of, and I think it looks really awesome when completed.

The completed model

Neither ship is very intimidating, which for the Necrocraft might be a bit of an issue, but it's really cool nevertheless. Both have a good bit of detail packed into such small ships, but that just makes it even better. This looks really good next to other Marvel sets, and other Guardians of the Galaxy sets (Sadly, this is the only GotG set I have).

Overall opinion

I think this set is very well designed, and definitely worth the money. If you can find it for thirty dollars, or less, get it, if you don't have it already. It's amazing, with some great minifigures.

I got this set back in September after getting the Milano (see my review for 76021) because I wanted to expand not only my Marvel collection, but also liked the new Guardians of the Galaxy sets. This set is one much like the battle packs from other themes, and I think it is a good solid set for something from a standout movie like GotG.

Box/Instructions

The box depicts the (SPOILER ALERT) scene towards the end of the film during an epic space battle above the Nova planet of Xandar between the Sakaraan and the Nova corps, and of course the Guardians of the Galaxy. The box is rather small, but fits everything inside it well, much like the other $20 sets this year from the theme. The instructions are all in one booklet, and of course, a Lego comic book is included.

Parts

The parts in this set, as you can see, are mainly dark blue, yellow, and black, although there is a minority of light grey and red parts mixed in. The set includes a lot of pieces that are hinged, but click into another level or height, elevating but staying. The special pieces for the st are mainly the cockpit shields, through which the cockpit is visible.

Minifigures

There are two exclusive minifigures included in the set, one being a variant of another minifigure, Peter Quill/ Star Lord from the Milano. (76021) Also, the Sakaraan warrior is included in the set, but is also included in very set in the sub theme.

Star Lord/ Peter Quill: This variant has the same helmet as the other, wih the wavy orange hair on top, and the large red eyes on the front on top of golden colored metal. This version, my favorite of the two, is more of the ragtag character he is, with an open jacket and black pants, which have straps to hold "stuff" and a holster for guns, along with his burlap satchel printed on his torso and back. He also comes with his two special guns and the silver orb with the (not in the set) purple Infinity Stone inside.

Nova Officer: This minifigure, exclusive to the set, has normal black legs, unlike Quill's legs, and a special armored torso with the three-circled Nova trademark. His face is reversible, being either the side with a normal, solemn face, or the side with his pilot's goggles and a strap to hold his helmet down. His helmet, which is an exclusive piece, kind of reminds me of General Grievous from Star Wars. It is a light grey color, with yellow and red markings and diamonds. He is a bit odd and colorful, but a nice minifigure none the less.

The Sakaraan: This alien warrior of Ronan's makes an appearance in this set, being one of three. He dons a black hood, and his detailed alien armor and face rival even the 2012 Chatauri, making a great minifugre. One side has one eye open, and the other has both white eyes owed open and angry. He wears what appears to be a dark grey set of armor, and wears a dark grey and black mask over his mouth. He also comes with a custom gun, which is really nice, and has spots for a stud on each side of it.

The build

The build, with all of the stickers included, takes under a half hour. The back of the Starblaster is quite fun to build, with the jets and odd angles, and is connected to the body by a technic axle. The Sakaraan's small Necrocraft is a fun little build, and takes under ten minutes. As always, the stickers are quite frustrating.

The completed model

The completed model is incredibly detailed for a small model, but that's mainly due to stickers and limited parts. The movie ship is actually pointed as a square in front, not just rounded. All the same, the model has pretty okay playability, with adjusting parts in back of the Starblaster and the sides of the Necrocraft. The ships both have opening cockpits, and the strablaster has firing flick missiles, but besides that, there's not much more.

Overall opinion

Overall, as army building sets go, this isn't bad at all. You get a special Star Lord, along with the two big opposing armies in the movie, so it's worth it. This is one of those sets you can buy in bulk, as it's a battle set, but it's still a good little set on its own. My verdict is if it appeals to you, get it. It's not too expensive, and it's an almost good parts for money, coming in just over ten cents per piece, and like I said, it's not a bad set. The Guardians could probably handle themselves without it....but we'll never know.

Confession: up until the announcement of the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I really didn't know much about the GotG comics . . . in fact, I still don't. But the movie looks awesome, and the sets really caught my eye for two reasons: 1) they're cool looking sets, and 2) each set is chock-full of great pieces for any sci-fi MOC, including some really interesting minifigs. This is the first of the GotG sets I've picked up, and to sum up my feelings: great purchase.

Parts

One thing that really caught my eye about this set were all of the fins, the cockpits and the curved slopes in bright yellow and dark blue. Who could want a funner collection of interesting, usable parts? Additionally, two of the minifigs ("Starlord" and the "Sakaaran Soldier") come with sweet weapons using new molds:

Above, Starlords "Element Gun" (he has two)

The Sakaaran's Soldier's blaster (just one for him).

As you can see, they're really cool, and the Sakaaran blaster even has studs (one on either side), giving it some customization potential.

Minifigures

The first (and coolest IMHO) minifigure is Starlord, aka Peter Quill, who is exclusive to this set and pictured below:

If you're like me, and don't really have a clue how this minifig version stacks up agains the comic hero, well, here's a comparison image (although apparently his looks have gone through several iterations, so don't take this as gospel):

In short, this minifig is freaking awesome, and if I'm being honest, the main reason I bought this set (though the idea of a $20 minifigure doesn't sit well with my stomach, so I lie to myself and pretend it was the whole set that really grabbed me). As with pretty much all the licensed minifigs nowadays, Starlord comes with a ton of detail, including front-and-back printing on his torso, printing on his legs that continue the pattern of his long "space trench coat" thingy, and (though it's usually obscured by his sweet helmet) double printing on his head, with what I like to think of as Starlord's snarky side and angry side. And then there's the helmet. Oh, the helmet. A, it's cool; B, it doesn't appear freakishly large like Ironman's helmet; and C, it's really cool. I mean, not only does it accurately capture the look of the "real" helmet, but it'd also make a great prop for almost any sci-fi MOC. Think about it, you could totally stick this guy in a a crowd of aliens in a Mos Eisley Cantina build, and he'd look perfect. Nice. Just nice. Now, the minifig also comes with a hair piece (heh) to use when he's not sporting his helmet, and some people have complained that with the hair on, you can still see his chin stubble on the back of his head below the hair. Well, it's true. You can see the stubble . . . but it really just kind of looks like hair, so it doesn't really bug me. All in all, 11/10 for this guy.

Next up is the Noca Corps Officer (also exclusive to this set), pictured below:

Apparently these guys are the "Texas Rangers" of the galaxy, who just happen to have super powers and are led by a sentient computer. Like I've said, I'm not much of a comics book buff, so I think this minifig, which is based on the upcoming movie, looks quite a bit cooler than the comic book version, which has too much of a Power Rangers vibe to take seriously (or as seriously as possible; this is a comic book movie after all):

This is a fun, minifig, though not as detailed or as cool as Starlord. The thing I like best about him is that he's generic enough to make a good army builder . . . you could get five or six of these secondhand for fairly cheap and have your own interstellar police force. On the other hand, my biggest complaint about this guy is that his helmet feels/looks a little cheaper than your typical Lego helmet . . . a little less glossy. But other than that, a good, though not amazing, minifig.

And finally, we have the Sakaaran, the bad guy of this set:

To be honest, I'm a little confused about who this guy is supposed to be. Based on the minifig alone, I'd guess he's an update of these guys:

These insectoids are the natives of the planet Sakaar and look (if you squint) fairly similar to the minifig. However, in the GotG trailer, the Sakaar look basically humanoid, so I'm wondering if they're actually supposed to be these guys:

These second "Sakaarians" are actually invaders, apparently, who've conquered the planet. Of course, the color is all wrong . . . there is no red skin on the minifig. So I'm not actually sure what we're seeing. Guess we'll have to wait for the movie. Like the Nova Corps officer, this is a fairly generic figure who could be collected to create a nice little army.

The build

The build is divided between two ships. The Sakaaran pilots a "Necrocraft" which is a simple, quick build and not really worth much discussion. On the other hand, the Nova Corps officer pilots a larger, more complex ship (the titular "Starblaster"?), which is a lot of fun to build.

The Starblaster consists of two parts: the cockpit and the engine block. Working through how the two elements combine into the completed ship was actually quite enjoyable. I especially liked the fins, which can be moved to different angles . . . I suppose based on how fast the ship is moving. Even the cockpit was fun to construct. I'll admit that I'm a sucker for cockpits that look air tight.

Overall opinion

Amazing minifigs. Great parts selection. This set is definitely a good one. And even though I didn't say much about the Necrocraft, I've gotta say that a set that comes with two spaceships (even if one is kinda bare bones) has a tone of playability. So hat's off to TLG for deciding to include both ships.

If you're a Marvel fan, I think this set is definitely a must-have. If you're a sci-fi MOCer, then you'll also wanna snag this set, just for the pieces and minifigs.

Later . . .

I've been trying to figure out for a couple of years now what LEGO's logic is for making sets out of Marvel film properties, and so far, I've come up empty. We've had a number of Marvel Studios films since "The Avengers", but only "Iron Man 3" has seen an iteration in brick form, and some lacklustre interpretations at that.

Sets based on the movies are finally back, and LEGO has decided to throw in its lot with Marvel's big gamble: 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy", a big-budget space opera comedy featuring guys that no one has heard of. I was pretty big into Marvel comics a couple of years back and trust me, "Space Marvel" was relatively obscure even to people who were following the comics fairly closely. It's surprising that this movie ever made it out the door, and even more surprising still that LEGO is going with it. I guess marketing powers-that-be determined that "Guardians" needs all the help it can get.

Starblaster Showdown is the cheapest entry into LEGO's version of "Guardians", though at US$20, it's not exactly an impulse buy and the price point may deter people who otherwise have little pre-existing interest in the movie/characters. Indeed, the set's offerings are kind of meagre, and though the main build is kind of cool, I can see this being a hard sell to the general crowd.

The only named character in this set is Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord ("Who?"), the SECOND Minifig we have of a character played by Chris Pratt this year. Star-Lord makes for a great Minifig, and what is extra nice is that he comes with a whole slew of extras and weapons so that he can be displayed either as Star-Lord or as Quill. His mask is obviously new, and does a really good job at communicating the sort of moral ambiguity that the Guardians as a whole are supposed to represent, i.e. far from being squeaky-clean like Captain America or Spider-Man. His laser gun things are likewise new and look really good.

The other two Minifigs you get are a generic Sakaaran (I don't know who/what he is???) - presumably a bad guy - and a generic Nova officer, who might be John C. Reilly's character from the trailer, though I'm not certain. I'm actually pretty okay with generic characters in licensed sets since it's nice having some background characters from time-to-time, though of course I can see others being disappointed with this. The Sakaaran comes with a sweet new gun, and both Minifigs are sufficiently detailed and have good MOC potential. Unfortunately, though, the Nova officer has a different colour scheme as compared to the more comic-book-inspired Nova that came with Daily Bugle Showdown (76005), so the synergy between these two Minifigs is a little questionable. Still, he looks good on his own, so I can't complain.

The two builds here are the larger Nova craft and a smaller ship for the Sakaaran. The Sakaaran ship is, quite frankly, hideous - it's clear to me that the designers were under constraints to come up with a secondary build to buff up the piece count, and what we get is not all that great. It reminds me vaguely of Insectoids builds from years ago, except lacking in a certain amount of form and personality that those older builds had. It's a bit disappointing, but you do get some cool parts - like the rocky textured dark bley slope piece at the back - so it can be cannibalised if necessary.

The Nova ship, though, is pretty cool. This one has a lot of personality and is a pretty fun build, especially for its size. The engine that fans out at the back makes it very swooshable, and the dark blue and yellow colour scheme is nice, especially for builders familiar with the aforementioned Nova Corps colours from the comic books. In addition to being nicely rounded and sleek, it comes with requisite flick-fire missiles for shooting at your cat. Yeah, it's fun.

If you're coming from the direction of, hey, I don't know who the heck the Guardians of the Galaxy are, then this set will be of dubious value to you. Even for Guardians fans, $20 is steep, especially since Quill is really the only Guardians member you get. Still, the Nova ship is a fun build and looks nice, and the selection of pieces in the colours given may suit your needs. And hey, you can always see what happens when two Chris Pratt characters come face-to-face.

Set #76019 Starblaster Showdown: The Guardians of the Galaxy did great at the box office and LEGO gave us three impressive sets for the range. Sadly this set is really not as important as the other two and can easily be skipped due to the lack of anything truly unique. I find it fairly interesting though, and this review will explain why.

Box/Instructions

Box: Guardians of the Galaxy boxes include the same design elements found in the other Marvel Super Hero sets. The unique designs here are the upper corner shot of the Guardians mini-figures and the logo in the lower corner of the box. Not much else to say about this design, it’s very fun to see them on the shelf.

Instructions: The instructions feature two sections, numbered bags are included in the set and you build each model independently of one another. The steps are fairly straightforward, however I will admit there’s a lot more to do with one model over the other. Also, there are stickers included for details, which many people hate or so I’m led to understand. The cross promotional images in this set isn’t very much, basically you just have the image of the other sets in this sub-theme.

Comics: The included comic for this batch of Marvel sets include a short tale centered around the Guardians of the Galaxy set and the X-Men set from this wave. So no Minifigure group shots because there’s no room for them unfortunately.

Parts

There’s really nothing unique or must have in this set for parts if you’re looking for a parts pack here I’d recommend looking somewhere else. There are a few nice new mini-figure elements, such as the Sakaaran weapon and Star-Lords head pieces, and this is the cheapest method of getting them. Other than that, not much more to say on the parts.

Minifigures

Star-Lord: It’s Chris Pratt in LEGO form yet again, this time as the fan favorite Star-Lord. He includes a double-sided torso print with his trademark long goat and undershirt as well as lots of belts and accessories tucked away. Printed legs, a double-sided facial print with smiling and angry expressions, two unique head pieces, one plain hair the other his breathing mask, which is a great new sculpt and twin blasters.

The blaster accessories are fairly impressive and I’m pleased to see that LEGO made brand new weapons for outer space action heroes. He also includes the orb housing the infinity stone and two cylinders for his jet boots exhaust.

Nova Officer: Pretty impressive helmet piece for this character, with an interesting level of detail. I’m also a fan of the torso, and the facial printing is nice, although the regular side, meant for when he’s not wearing the helmet has a slight flaw in that part of his mouth wasn’t fully printed on the face. Which is unfortunate and seems to be a common problem from this set. His accessory is just a standard pair of handcuffs, not much for a character who’s really only a side-character from the film.

The Sakaaran: Truly terrifying, he has no leg printing, but includes a double-sided torso print, a double-sided facial print, one side appearing to be masked with one eye visible… Unless this character is meant to have an eye in the back of the head, he’s an alien, you can never be sure about that. His newly sculpted gun piece is similar to the ones found in the Man of Steel sets, but obviously not identical as this is a different company. Pretty solid looking villain character honestly, and apparently the common cannon fodder from this Sub-Theme.

The build

Bag One: This build includes the Starblaster, all of it, it includes the most parts and the build follows most of the pages in the manual because this bag has most of the pieces. It also uses most of the stickers, the control panel, the designs on the wings and other design elements. I’d say this build is the best from the set, it’s a fun ship to build and I’d say the best aspect of this set.

There are no difficult steps in the build, a few repetitive ones when it comes down to the wings, and the placement of stickers might cause problems for some younger builders.

Bag Two: This bag has very few parts, in fact this entire build could typically be found in the smaller 12.99$ LEGO sets. The ship in this bag is very quick to build because of this and has no real difficulties during the construction, there are some stickers to put on the cockpit though. Not much else to say honestly, it’s a bit of an odd choice to feature only such a small build for the enemy ship.

The completed model

Starblaster: The design of this ship reminds me of a squid or octopus. It has the bulbous looking head section and the rear wings and engines are situated in such a fashion as to look like the legs. That makes this model really fun looking, it’s also pretty decent when it comes to space ships. The dark blue and yellow colour combination really stands out, and the two flick-fire missiles on the undercarriage of the ship work as the limited play feature in this set.

The Sakaaran Ship: This little model is a nice side-model for the set, it gives you something to fight against. It doesn’t have any flick-fire defensive/offensive systems though and the design is a bit awkward because of how the wings are meant to go, but I like the colour scheme for this vessel. The dark grey, black and bit of red added to the scheme really stands out.

Overall opinion

Mildly Recommended, in my opinion while the models in this set stand out as interesting and unique, as well as fun, if you’re just looking to own all the characters from the film in Mini-Figure form you can safely skip this set. Star-Lord may be cheaper here, but the Milano offers more characters to complete the team, and while the villain minifig and the Nova Corps dude are decent looking Minifigures they aren’t must own for a Marvel Minifig collection in the end run. It isn’t a bad set, just better off for completists really, or those looking to get a little Chris Pratt as Star-Lord in Minifigure form cheaper than the large Milano set.