11 minute read
THE DEATH STAR PLANS
from BRICKS issue 18
by mark guest
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Giving one of the most popular and iconic LEGO Star Wars sets a face-lift was always going to be a challenge. Chris Pearce takes a close look at what 75159 Death Star has to offer over its long-running predecessor
Words: Chris Pearce Photography: Andrew Tipping
The turbolaser turret has been completely redesigned and is now far more screenaccurate The power coupling can be deactivated by pulling a lever, just as Obi-Wan does in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The walls of the trash compactor can be closed and there is a hole in the floor for the Dianoga to poke its head through, which is an improvement over 10188 Death Star
The barrels of the twin turbolaser turrets are far stronger than those on the original model but the ability to turn the turrets in unison remains The main turbolift is controlled from the droid maintenance bay, which is briefly referred to by C-3PO in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Set 75159 Death Star had been the subject of enormous speculation until it was revealed a couple of weeks ago and it seems to have divided opinion among LEGO Star Wars fans since then. The set is obviously very similar to 10188 Death Star, which was retired at the end of 2015 and the price has increased quite significantly, eliciting a great deal of disappointment from owners of the original set and prospective buyers of the new one. However, the exceptional popularity of 10188 Death Star justifies the release of the updated model to some extent and many fans who might otherwise have missed out on the set now have an opportunity to get an even better one. I think the reasoning behind the re-release is sound but I am slightly disappointed nevertheless, as I was hoping to see a great deal more innovation. 10188 Death Star was released in 2008 and a huge number of new parts have been introduced since then, very few of which have been used to significantly improve the Death Star for this release. In fact, the two sets are almost indistinguishable at a glance and it is not until you take a closer look that some of the changes can be identified. These alterations are numerous but most are fairly minor. For instance, the flooring is now sturdier and the furnishings are more detailed in certain areas of the model.
The price has also been criticised as it marks a significant increase over the cost of the original set despite the short time since it was retired. This can be partially attributed to inflation and the increased piece count but it is still quite difficult to ignore the fact that a very similar set was available for £274.99 or $399.99 only nine months ago while the updated model is priced at £399.99 or $499.99. I think this offers reasonable value for money in relation to other LEGO Star Wars sets which are currently available but not compared with the original set.
The minifigures, on the other hand, have undergone substantial alterations and are vastly improved in accordance with the advances in printing technology. Han Solo sports a brand new hair piece, which is far more accurate to the film than the element which was previously used and important characters such as Grand Moff Tarkin have also undergone significant alterations. The range of Astromech Droids is also increased by R3-M3 and the new Death Star Droid included is far more detailed than most previous droids. Moreover, many minor issues with the original set have been resolved but there is further potential which has not been properly explored.
The maintenance bay features a working lift with an improved mechanism over the original set Luke and Leia can swing across the chasm while Stormtroopers shoot at them from the higher platforms
OLD MODEL
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED?
10188 Death Star is an excellent set in my opinion but there is certainly significant room for improvement and I think that the majority of LEGO Star Wars fans would agree that this was not exploited to the fullest extent possible. Some changes have been made but most are relatively minor and it could be argued that the only complete redesign, of the turbolaser turret on the second level, was not entirely necessary.
Perhaps most significantly, 10188 Death Star lacks an outer shell and is therefore not a particularly effective model for display. This does not bother me too much but some fans have suggested that the set could incorporate hull panels akin to 10143 Death Star II from 2003 and I can definitely see the appeal of an idea such as this. A folding shell would allow the model to be displayed as it is seen in the film and it would also be possible to open the panels and reveal the interior for play, although such a design may not be sufficiently sturdy for an official set. Furthermore, much of the interior detail extends beyond the edge of the sphere and this would therefore need to be reduced in order to create room for the hull to enclose the entire model. Armour plating and a higher piece count would also necessitate a significant price increase which might put the set further beyond the reach of some fans.
A more likely alteration could have been made to the edges of the walls. 10188 Death Star suffers slightly as a result of the stepped design around the circumference of the model and the same is true of 75159 Death Star, which I find a little disappointing. I think the bricks and plates which create the stepped appearance could quite easily have been replaced with slopes to form a smoother surface.
• The detention block includes a cell for Leia and a grate which can be opened to access the garbage chute beneath • Emperor Palpatine’s throne room is furnished with a rotating throne at the top of a staircase. From there he can look out of a large window, the design of which has been much improved for the new set
• The superlaser control room seems almost identical to the design in 10188 Death Star but the new laser is sturdier and also has a broader range of motion
The superlaser dish is controlled from the overbridge and you can see Alderaan on a computer display in the new set
Darth Vader
DEATH STAR MINIFIGURES
Emperor Palpatine Grand Moff Tarkin Emperor’s Royal Guard Imperial Navy Officer
Imperial Officer Death Star Trooper
R3-M3 Astromech Droid Luke Skywalker (disguise)
Leia Organa Luke Skywalker (Tatooine) Death Star Gunner
Han Solo (disguise)
Chewbacca Stormtrooper Death Star Droid
Luke Skywalker (final duel)
This would be much more accurate to the Death Star as it appears in the movie. Unfortunately, this would probably have resulted in a greater number of pieces being used and again, may well have led to a higher price point for the set by the time it eventually reached the marketplace.
The minifigure selection has been significantly improved for 75159 Death Star but I think there is still room for further expansion. Darth Vader famously chokes Admiral Motti using the Force during a conference meeting and this cannot be accurately recreated because Motti is absent from the set, an issue which could easily have been set right. In addition, I would have liked to see a Moff Jerjerrod minifigure included in the set, alongside some more Imperial troops as it is not currently possible to man the entire battle station with the minifigures included.
Star Wars fans have been looking forward to the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for the whole of this year and it is quite surprising that scenes or characters from the film are not represented in the revised model of the Death Star. We know that the Death Star will have a significant role to play in the movie and the set has been released to coincide with the rest of the Rogue One products, so I think a couple of characters from the new film could have been included along with a room which recreates a moment from the movie. Perhaps one of the slightlyless interesting areas of the model could have been removed in favour of something new, thereby allowing fans to re-enact scenes from three films rather than just two. On the other hand, it is possible that relatively little action will take place on board the Death Star and that there was no source material available for any Rogue One content to be included in 75159 Death Star. We will have to wait until the movie is released before finding out!
IS THE SET WORTH BUYING?
The answer to this question is dependent on whether or not you own 10188 Death Star. 75159 Death Star is certainly an excellent set and I think it improves upon the original model, which is impressive given the brilliant design of the 2008 edition, although not to the extent that I was hoping. I own 10188 Death Star and am disappointed that relatively few significant alterations have been made for the updated set, particularly since I think some of the possible improvements could have been implemented quite easily.
However, this is an outstanding set for LEGO Star Wars fans who do not own 10188 Death Star. It is not perfect but offers a huge amount of play value and includes a fantastic selection of minifigures. The price of £399.99 or $499.99 places this set among the most expensive ever released and is particularly shocking when the original cost of £274.99 or $399.99 for 10188 is taken into account. However, inflation and the higher piece count does justify this increase to some extent. Nevertheless, I think this is a terrific set and it is certainly worthy of serious consideration if the design is new to you and you are a Star Wars fan.
• The hangar bay is overlooked by a small control room and Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced x1 hangs from the ceiling. This is a small model but there is room to seat the Dark Lord of the Sith inside
OLD MODEL
• There is room for seven officers to sit in the Imperial conference chamber and three suitable minifigures appear in this set, a significant improvement over 10188 Death Star where Grand Moff Tarkin was the only officer included
75159 DEATH STAR IN NUMBERS
• Scenes from two films in the Star Wars saga are included in the set • 75159 Death Star has a diameter of 42cm, so is 285,714 times smaller than the first Death Star in the film • A total of 23 minifigures and five characters are included in the set, three more than in 10188 Death Star • The central turbolift provides access to four levels and ten rooms • The R3-M3 droid appears on screen for just 3.54 seconds in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope • The Death Star Droid featured is one of 19 Protocol Droid minifigures which have been released since the beginning of the LEGO Star Wars theme • 75159 Death Star contains 213 more pieces than 10188 Death Star
PRICE BREAKDOWN
