Review - 75165 Imperial Trooper Battle Pack

Review - 75165 Imperial Trooper Battle Pack

Our second review for March, we're looking at one of the two winter battle packs.  If you like stormtroopers, this is the pack for you!  Even better, it features the new Imperial Death Troopers.  Retailing for $15.00 in the US, this set packs a punch with its 4 figures and 112 pieces!  I believe a closer look is in order. . .

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Review - 75170 The Phantom

Review - 75170 The Phantom

It's been a while since we've reviewed a set here on BrickNerd. . .  Let's change that!

Today we're looking at a 2017 Star Wars release, the second version of the Phantom seen on Star Wars Rebels.  This set features 3 minifigures (or 2 plus a droid character), 269 pieces, and is priced for $30.00 in the US.  Let's take a closer look!

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A New Beginning for the Jedi. . .

The vibe is strong with this build. . .  There's such a neat atmosphere included with this beautiful creation by Inthert"Hidden deep within the jungles of Yavin 4, Luke Skywalker gathers his first four students under the ancient Massassi structure: ‘The Praxeum Arch’ to begin their training…"  We don't know much about Luke Skywalker's creation of a new Jedi Academy, but I'm sure the knowledge we seek is not behind us, but ahead.  This allows builders like Inthert to fantasize and create their own interpretation.  There's much to admire about this build, from the perfectly rounded base, that very unique archway, and those intriguing trees made out of Mixel joints.  Never seen that before!  An awesome build by a fan wanting more from Star Wars. . .

Jedi Search - 5/5 : The Master
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Battle In Hyllyard City

I've never really gotten into the books of Star Wars. I remember reading Splinter of the Mind's Eye as a kid, and I know I listened to the audio book of Heir to the Empire, but didn't really get into either of them. But I know the Thrawn Trilogy is hugely popular, and builder markus19840420 is clearly a fan based on this marvelous MOC depicting the eternal struggle of rebels vs Empire. 

The Micro Village of Kashyyyk

"Aaahhhrrrr rrhahhrr!"  Chewbacca approves.  Kevin Wollert presents the only microscale representation I've ever seen of the Wookie village that appeared in Revenge of the Sith.  The most interesting parts usage is the brown "crown" elements that mimic the platforms from the film.  The large tree also has the noticeable platforms and village-like structures incorporated into the "bark."  Despite its size, these Wookies and their culture are well represented here. 

KASHYYYK - The Home World of the Wookiees
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

LEGO Glimpse Into Star Wars Lore

A Mandalorian territory, Concord Dawn is a world in the Star Wars universe that many fans are not familiar with (unless you really delve into the lore).   Builds like these are creations that I would really like to see more of in the community, bringing life and shining light into the shadows of this great franchise.  I personally would like to thank Vaionaut for creating this beautiful creation representing a (sort of) forgotten aspect of the universe.  The build is highly detailed, implementing an interesting color scheme, lots of Nice Parts Usage (NPU), and a hidden secret that I think was actually by accident?  Could be wrong on that.  (Hint, it's in the upper left portion of the building.)   For those who are interested, Concord Dawn recently became canon thanks to some of the latest episodes of Star Wars Rebels. 

Concord Dawn
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

The Vault

Who knew collecting a simple data tape would involve climbing?  Well, it is the tape containing the plans to the Death Star, after all.  It appears that builder Vaionaut has been thinking of stealing some data tapes himself.  This vignette features some very nice techniques, especially in the detailing of the data tower.  (It's always intriguing to see LEGO rubber bands and flexible tubing used in a creation.)  Our heroes Jyn and Cassian are attempting to escape through a hatch near the top, but Director Krennic has something to say about that!  A wonderful representation, Vaionaut! 

Scarif Data Vault
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Imperials at the Lars Homestead

This Star Wars diorama by KW_Vauban features a wonderful Sentinel-class Imperial landing shuttle, which made its first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Rebels.  Cousin to the standard Lambda-class T-4 shuttle (the one seen in the Original Trilogy), the Sentinel shuttle is modified to act primarily as a troop transporter, hence the extra body space and different placement of the wings, seen accurately on this LEGO model.  To further complement this amazing LEGO shuttle, the builder decided to depict the Imperial forces arriving at the Lars' home, in search of our two favorite droids.  These may not be the droids you are looking for, but this is indeed the shuttle you're looking for.

15 Gesamtansicht bearbeitet
Sentinel 30
1 Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

It's a Trap!

Our old pal Eero Okkonen has come up with an impressive bust of the Mon Calamari Admiral we all know and love.   Everything with this creation is spot on, and he looks like he's about to bark an order to the Rebel Fleet.  The Admiral has appeared in several Star Wars movies, but is probably most famous when his keen strategic instincts kicked in during the Battle of Endor.  When those shields didn't drop, he realized the Empire was up to... something fishy...  Sorry, just had to.

Admiral Ackbar

Micro Tank Packs A Big Punch!

Remember that super-awesome tank featured in the first Rogue One trailers?  The one that fans went nuts about?  We've seen multiple minifigure scale replicas of the iconic vehicle (known as the "TX-225 'Occupier' combat assault tank" in universe), but how about this nifty microscale version done by KW_Vauban?  It's incredibly accurate and instantly recognizable, despite it being so small.  What really makes this scene is the inclusion of some Jedha terrain and cityscape.  Well done!

Imperial assault hovertank on Jedha
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

DL-44

There are a multitude of weapons in the Star Wars universe. Everything from elegant Lightsabers to random, clumsy blasters. And while it may be clumsy and random, I've always liked the DL-44. First used by Han Solo in A New Hope, then by Luke in The Empire Strikes Back (unless you subscribe to the theory they are different models, feel free to comment), it's a compact and awesome weapon. Speaking of awesome, check out this version by builder The Crea1or

DL-44

Scarif Citadel

The Rogue One builds are starting to flood my Flikr photostream (along with a lot of Batman builds)!  One of the most iconic new buildings in the newest Star Wars film is the citadel on the tropical planet of Scariff.  Inside of this structure, the technical readouts of the Empire's battle station are protected along with other important Imperial data files.  This micro version is incredibly accurate, right down to Director Krennic's signature shuttle coming in for a landing on the pad.  Great work Markus19840420!  Hope to see am even bigger one at some point in the future. 

Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Cha, Boska!

Jabba really doesn't like being threatened or told what to do. We saw what happened to Luke, and he was being pretty nice about it, even offered a gift (well, not really, it was all a trick). And rancors are always hungry, if not a little misunderstood, so Luke had his hands full after getting dropped. All this action is laid out in this excellent two story MOC of Jabba's palace by builder Martin Harris, where every scene can be recreated (and pretty much has in his photostream, check it out). Now I wanna watch Jedi...mmmm, slave Leia....

Mission to Jabba's Palace-20

Can't Outrun a Jedi

What a cool shot!  Ordo just composed a well executed scene that could have come directly from an official LEGO movie!  Apart from having a cool new speeder design, the builder chose to create a Coruscant-like cityscape to act as a nice background, really making this MOC look like a film sequence.  I just think it's a well designed set for these figures, especially with that secondary speeder in the background.  It would be nice to see more creations like this!

Going down - Star Wars "Uncertain Ways" 1.14
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Three Droids And A Princess

As I type this (in a McDonald's in San Gabriel) I'm counting down the hours to when Bricks LA starts. One of the things I'm looking forward to, besides spending time with all my AFOL friends, is seeing so many awesome MOCs in person. I'm especially looking forward to seeing this amazing group by Miro78. Threepio is the latest addition to this excellent Star Wars collection, and he's all built in gold, with an especially clever use of Wu's hat on his belly. I will point out however he should have a silver lower right leg, just sayin'.

Three droids and a Princess

Gold Leader Standing By...

I've always been a fan of the Y-Wing, with it's scrappy, no nonsense construction, clearly the result of decades of optimizing and losing non essential things, like body panels. They're flying tanks piloted by fearless rebels like Jon "Dutch" Vander, gold leader. This version by mrutek looks awesome, and appears ready to take on the entire Empire itself. I just wanna swoosh it!

Y- Wing
Y- Wing

Rogue One. . .Pulling Away

I knew I'd see this cargo ship recreated in LEGO sooner or later!  It turned out to be sooner. ;)  Martin Harris 1 built the first LEGO version I have seen of the signature cargo shuttle seen in Rogue One.  I was surprised how big this shuttle was in the film, but seeing it built at this scale in LEGO makes it an even cooler model!  Of course, Martin got the four massive wings, and even featured the (very significant) orange "cargo crates" we see in the movie that contain a spoiler that I will not share here (yet).  If you haven't seen the movie yet...seriously, what have you been doing?  The cockpit is definitely my favorite design aspect of this creation, but I also love how the ship looks when the wings are in flight mode.  Nice work, Martin!

Rogue One Transporter-5
Rogue One Transporter-4
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

You'll Be Required To Maneuver Straight Down This Trench...

Just last night I was watching a viral video (well, more audio actually) of an original 70's audience reacting to the Death Star battle, I was transported back to childhood. I love Star Wars, I'm not afraid to say it or show it, and when I see something like this jaw dropping MOC by Martin Harris, I  see the passion I know so well. Just look at this epic creation, the sheer scale of it, it's awesome! The care and love that went into this practically leaps off the screen.

TrenchRunMHarris-3
TrenchRunMHarris-9
TrenchRunMHarris-1

U-Wing Starfighter

The U-Wing is an exciting addition to the fleet of Star Wars. I will admit when I first saw it in the trailer for Rogue One my first thought was "uh oh, a new ship, this is going to get fan boys' panties in a twist." And of course soon after I starting seeing comments like "how come we don't see those in episode 4?" I don't know if it's a legitimate complaint, I don't want to take a position on it. I think it's a cool ship, and I enjoyed seeing it in action in the movie. So did builder JBIronWorks, who crafted this brilliant minifigure scale one that puts the official set to shame.

UT-60D U-Wing on Yavin 4
UT-60D U-Wing S-foils open

TIE Bomber

Star Wars has a pretty vast collection of vehicles. A great many of them only make brief appearances in the films, and I think that's great. Just like in real life, you don't see giant Caterpillar land movers or F1 cars in the same place or very often, there's no reason to expect you'd see every ship in every movie or show. The TIE Bomber only really got any decent screen time in Empire, and I'm totally cool with that. I always loved that it took what we thought was an exceptional design aesthetic, exclusive to Vader, and made it very utilitarian. This version by marking not only nailed the proportions and details, but it's an impressive scale. I want to see this thing in person!

Tie Bomber