U-wing fighter [30496] review

U-Wing Fighter [30496]

Rebel alert! It's the U-Wing Fighter [30496] polybag!

I finally got my hands on the U-Wing Fighter [30496] minibuild! If you have read one of my previous posts earlier this year, you can deduce that my best mates and I have gotten together after a long, long time. They bought this polybag for me from their recent LEGOLAND Windsor visit. Super thank you kuys and ate (big brother and big sister)!

Now that I've thought about it, I haven't seen this polybag elsewhere here in the UK. It sounds like the Empire did some shady business.

Back to the minibuild, it's needless to say that I've enjoyed building the U-Wing in this scale (or maybe I'm just really Rogue One biased). It looks like a shrunk version of the big set [75155] (which I did a gallery on)! Every piece corresponds to every part. From the thrust engines to the cockpit. I can't help but see Bistan gunning by the door.

U-Wing

My only complaint is that the wings are not foldable. But at this scale, that's perfectly understandable.

Hopefully I'll find more time soon to enjoy my other Rogue One sets. And I wish LEGO will release more Rogue One sets, haha!

LEGO star wars in black and white

LEGO Star Wars in Black and White

Or alternatively my favorite shots in dramatic monochrome.

How did this little side project come about? I was just looking for a new wallpaper to match my black and white phone then voilà!...

It is only quite recently that I was able to obtain larger sets. That's why it is also only quite recently that I decided to do scenic shots, and I fell in love with it!

For Finn in the Millennium Falcon [75105], I was originally aiming to do a shot in the gun well but I can't seem to make it work. So, I settled with him in the cockpit instead. At least the upper quad laser cannon is visible behind him.

Finn Manning the Falcon

Krennic's Imperial Shuttle [75156] is definitely one of my favorite LEGO Star Wars sets. It definitely is a must to have the suave director's photo taken inside his wicked spacecraft. For Krennic, it's all about style! I mean wearing white in a black on black ship? Exactly on point!

Director Krennic's Imperial Shuttle

Bistan! Ever since I saw the Space Monkey in Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016, I grew fond of him (only to be disappointed later to learn that he doesn't have much screen time!). I'm sure a lot of Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155] owners has recreated Bistan in his most epic scene.

Door Gunning Bistan

And this has got to be my favorite shot of all time! I super love the Darth Vader Transformation [75183] set and I'm glad my pictures, especially the one below, were able to show that. The upgraded and more detailed helmet has definitely help capture the essence of the iconic scene.

Darth Vader's Transformation

I'm so excited with this artistic (at least in my opinion) side project. This is definitely an upgrade from my usual profile shots. Hopefully, I can add more to these lovely pictures in the future. I have a lot of ideas in my head. I just wish I can execute them beautifully and justly. In the meantime, may the force be with you!

rebel U-wing fighter [75155] gallery

Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155]

Continuing the LEGO Star Wars Rogue One gallery is the iconic U-Wing!...

With the recent release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray came a sort of re-release of the film's LEGO sets, but this time on super sale! I feel very fortunate to bag the Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155] for almost half the recommended retail price!

I love almost everything about this set! The foldable wings! Bistan! I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Like my recent posts, I initially intended to make a proper review of this set, but I have forgotten most of my key points so this devolved into a gallery instead. I can only recall something about the color scheme being too bright, and Jyn Erso's lack of hairpiece (which is conveniently included in Battle on Scarif [75171]). But what's important is the fun I experienced in building this magnificent ship. Hopefully, I was able to capture that in my images.

Enjoy!

Jyn Erso

Jyn Erso in Action

Cassian Andor

Bistan

Rebel Trooper

U-Wing Pilot

U-Wing

U-Wing (Flight Configuration)

Bistan in Battle Mode

U-Wing Pilot in Flight Mode

Rebel U-Wing Fighter

U-wing fighter [30496] polybag spotted in LEGOLAND windsor

U-Wing Fighter [30496]
(Photo by: Poncemel Ardiente)

Rebel alert! The U-Wing Fighter [30496] polybag has finally been spotted in the UK!

Thanks to my best mates, the minibuild version of the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's iconic spaceship has recently been sighted in LEGOLAND Windsor, and it only costs £3.99! I don't know if this is old news, but this is the first time that I (indirectly) saw the polybag in a UK retail store. I read somewhere that it has been spotted late last year, but that's in another LEGOLAND, specifically California (is it LEGOLAND exclusive?). And I know it has been available in the secondary market for a while now, but not at the above mentioned price. I'm hoping that the U-Wing Fighter [30496] polybag will be more widely available soon. (UPDATE: The polybag will be part of the May the 4th be with you promotions in some areas, and is currently a free gift in K-Zone Australia!).

'Can't wait to get my hands on this sweet rebel fighter ship. Thanks again kuys and ate (big brother and big sister)!

LEGO star wars go rogue

Death Star [75159] (Photo grabbed from https://www.facebook.com/LEGO/photos)

With the upcoming release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, almost everything is painted black, or going rogue, and that includes the toys...

LEGO recently announced the future release (or re-release, depending on your perspective) of the Death Star [75159] Ultimate Collector Series set just in time for the showing of the first film in the Star Wars Anthology Series. The set will retail for US $499.99 / UK £399.99. A lot of AFOLs are crying foul that the new set is a recycled version of the recently retired Death Star [10188] set with only a few upgrades (It's a Star Wars recurring theme!). Personally, I think the LEGO Death Star play set design is great. Maybe it's too great that LEGO is trying to make it close to evergreen. The first Death Star [10188] lasted for about eight years. Who knows how long will the second Death Star [75159] last? This also gives the chance for people like me (who recently emerged from the shadows and) who doesn't have the first one to own an ultimate version of the galactic superweapon. I just feel bad for those who invested on the [10188] set expecting a huge return. But that's life. Risk is inevitable.

When everything is still a bit hush hush, I was so excited about the dark Death Star Droid. I immediately assumed that it's the recently revealed C2-B5...

C2-B5 (Photo grabbed from https://www.facebook.com/StarWars.UK/photos)

...but it's not. I keep forgetting that the Death Star [75159] is not a Rogue One set. C2-B5 is actually a mixture of two of the droids in the set, namely the (real) Death Star Droid and the Imperial Astromech. The Death Star Droid is even better than I pictured. It gives off a vibe that it's armed and dangerous, and that you don't want to mess with it. I wasn't really disappointed that it's not C2-B5 because if you're going to dig into previous sets, there are already a lot of black astromech droids in various brick forms.

Death Star Droid & Imperial Astromech Minifigures (Photos grabbed from https://www.facebook.com/LEGO/photos)

Since the Death Star is the main focus of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it's not surprising to see its LEGO version in the first chapter of the Star Wars Go Rogue video clip. Here we can see different Star Wars toys, including our precious LEGO, in their own interpretation of the first anthology film. It's really cute and funny. But what's funnier is the need for a disclaimer that the video uses special effects, and that the toys can't move or talk on their own (Talk about setting expectations, haha!). For those who haven't seen it yet, here it is:

LEGO has also released sneak peeks of the new Rogue One sets coming out at the end of September, and they all look great! The Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155] is the newest good guys' ship to be introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Perhaps, there's too much emphasis on the good side that LEGO decided to give it a brighter color scheme than the one in the film. Nevertheless, it's still a cool ship, with its foldable wings and all.

Rogue One Sets (From Left to Right): Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155], TIE Striker [75154], Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152], AT-ST Walker [75153], & Krennic's Imperial Shuttle [75156] (Photos grabbed from https://www.facebook.com/LEGO/photos)

My personal favorite is Krennic's Imperial Shuttle [75156]. All those black bricks give an uncanny feel. But with that set retailing for US $89.99 / UK £79.99, I think I'm going to wait for a little while. Other sets to be released include the TIE Striker [75154], Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152], and AT-ST Walker [75153].

I'm not really a fan of the Buildable Figures but I feel obliged to put them here as well. Besides, Jyn Erso [75119], K-2S0 [75120], and and the Imperial Death Trooper [75121] collectively look menacingly cool in this versions.

Rogue One Buildable Figures (From Left to Right): Sergeant Jyn Erso [75119], K-2S0 [75120], & Imperial Death Trooper [75121] (Photos grabbed from https://www.facebook.com/LEGO/photos)

All this Rogue One buildup is making the Star Wars fanboy in me über-excited! How about you?

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UPDATE: See the Rebel U-Wing Fighter [75155] in action and more in the next chapters of Star Wars Go Rogue: