imperial assault hovertank [75152] review

Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152]

Fresh from the Rogue Friday event, the Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152] is ready to take on the spiritual warrior-monk Chirrut Îmwe, or is it?

Not considering the buildable figures (sorry, not a fan), the Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152] is easily the obvious Rogue One LEGO set choice due to its price. It's the least expensive among the latest Star Wars sets, retailing for UK £29.99 / US $29.99 (I wonder if there's a pricing error here).

Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152] Box

The packaging is very nice, with a Death Trooper ominously peeking at the upper right hand portion of the large box. I always love it when the box is big enough to fit the final build without disassembling it. Fortunately, that is the case with set 75152.

The set includes three minifigures, specifically Chirrut Îmwe and two Imperial Hovertank Pilots. Not much has been revealed yet for the Rogue One characters, but based on the trailers, Chirrut Îmwe is a blind warrior-monk who strongly believes in the Force. I think that was captured perfectly in minifigure form. His eyes were painted white to reflect that he is sightless, but that did not leave him with a blank expression. The minifig head has double sided looks of seriousness and smugness. He also carries two weapons, a wooden staff and a bowcaster. And for the last detail, LEGO was generous enough to give Chirrut Îmwe a cloak made of fabric instead of just printing it on the legs.

Chirrut Îmwe (Front)

Chirrut Îmwe (Back)

In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of new Stormtrooper types introduced in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailers. And they are represented in the different LEGO sets. What a perfect time to be a Stormtrooper fan (not so if you're a completist on a limited budget)! The set's Imperial Hovertank Pilots are great additions to anyone's army collection. They look very menacing in their detailed armor prints. But the best bit here is that new molds were used for their helmets.

Imperial Hovertank Pilot Unmasked

Imperial Hovertank Pilots

The build per se was a lot of fun. The Imperial Assault Hovertank, with its heavy-armor detailing and multiple guns, is the ultimate urban patrol vehicle. The concealed placement of the dual spring-loaded shooters and the subtle manner to activate them is a genius idea! The vehicle also has a hover gimmick by utilizing transparent wheels. The two Imperial Hovertank Pilots can board the transport via the opening two-minifigure cockpit.

Imperial Assault Hovertank

I think the model looks very similar to the hovertank in the trailers. Even down to the bright orange cargo (which loudly screams STEAL ME!). Inside it was another blaster and electrobinoculars. I wonder if it's the same in the film. Could it contain the secret Death Star plans? The missus suggested that it might be a flight recorder.

Cargo

Bonus points added on the absence of stickers. I don't know about you, but I'm not really fond of painstakingly putting stickers on my bricks. However carefully I do it, I always manage to unevenly stick them. Thank God for my ever-loving wife, who always saves me from this sticky task. But there's no saving needed this time.

Overall, with a fun build, detailed minifigures, and reasonable price, I think the Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152] is a great starting set to go rogue this season. I can't wait to see the live version in action in the big screen soon!

rogue friday 2016 haul

Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152]

Star Wars fans all around the world have gone rogue over the weekend, and LEGO builders are no exceptions. With the recent release of Rogue One toys in the Rogue Friday event, I wonder what did you guys get?

Me? I got the least expensive LEGO Rogue One set, the Imperial Assault Hovertank [75152] (buildable figures not considered). I usually buy stuff only when they're on sale (unless I really, really, really like them), so I bought set 75152 with the Triple VIP Points in mind. That's almost like having a £5 rebate. And of course, let's not forget the free First Order Stormtrooper [30602].

First Order Stormtrooper [30602]

LEGO UK is generous enough to giveaway the exclusive minifigure for any LEGO Star Wars purchase. And they really do mean any, for that includes even the cheapest key chains. That's why my ever-loving wife, using her own VIP account, bought BB-8 and Yoda Key Chains to avail more minifigures.

BB-8 Key Chain

Yoda Key Chain

Though I was really eyeing for the Krennic's Imperial Shuttle [75156] this Rogue Friday release, I did not purchase it straightaway. I guess I'm going to wait a little bit more for better deals. In the meantime, I'm more than happy and contented to start with Chirrut Îmwe versus the Imperial Assault Hovertank. Opening the set in 3, 2, 1...

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: