Monday 12 January 2015

LEGO Star Wars Summer 2015: Rumour Analysis - Part II

A list of LEGO Star Wars sets rumoured to be released in Summer 2015 has cropped up on the UK’s favourite Star Wars website, Jedi News. What can fans expect from the next bunch of sets? Should LEGO collectors be excited, or be saving their cash for when The Force Awakens product hits?



Click here to check out what Jedi News has revealed, which also includes a look at a new Hasbro product. Now on to the analysis…

Check out LEGO Star Wars Summer 2015: Rumour Analysis - Part I here.

75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium £79.99
Those who paid £249.99 a few years ago for the UCS Imperial Shuttle (10212) mnay not be ready yet for another Imperial Shuttle, but there’s not actually been a child sized one on sale since the Imperial Inspection (7264) in 2005 - which was a Toys R us exclusive in the UK. So this is a set that to be most children is completely new, and thankfully for collectors this time it’s at least the Shuttle Tydirium rather than the Emperor’s shuttle. So LEGO could use the fact it’s the shuttle stolen and used by the Rebels to add some weathering and make it suitably different to the previous versions (although NOT with stickers, please). This is also going to be an opportunity to get the classic trilogy gang in their Endor outfits, which happens now and again but certainly aren’t particularly common mini-figure versions of the characters. 

The way to view the Imperial Shuttle is that it could be worse. This could simply be the Emperor’s shuttle again, but at least this is going to be a different version of the iconic craft. 

75106 Imperial Assault Carrier £99.99
The only craft that springs to mind is the Imperial Landing Craft, but it would be a hell of a job if LEGO managed to crank it up to a £99.99 price point, unless they were to load it with mini-figures like the MTT (7662). Unfortunately there is not a lot to say about this set, other than it is presumably a design from Rebels that has not yet graced the screen. Hopefully it’s nice and different from the Star Destroyer since we have only just had one of those.

Overall
This is a pleasantly surprising wave of Summer sets. The only unnecessary re-release is the Naboo Starfighter, which hasn’t been done to death like the Snowspeeder, and when only one out of five sets can be considered a truly unwanted re-release it’s a good wave of sets! The Flash Speeder is exciting in the same way that the new T-16 Skyhopper (75081) was, and the Death Star Final Duel is just plain exciting! Although admittedly, it shows where the LEGO Star Wars line is at when it’s time to be grateful that the Imperial Shuttle is not that Imperial Shuttle, it’s that Imperial Shuttle…

The Force Awakens
It would be pretty remiss to not mention these rumours. There are not many low price points, but for a September wave that’s expected – LEGO know people spend more money on toys at Christmas, so any low price point sets will be saved for early 2016. It’s amazing to think that when Star Wars is in a bigger state of secrecy than it has ever been before, the toys will be released further in advance of the film than ever before… maybe, just maybe, there will be two release dates; the first in September, with a second one in December when certain products featuring certain characters will be held back until. 

What The Force Awakens will provide collectors with is a very difficult choice; whether or not to continue collecting LEGO Star Wars in full. Those who have been buying these sets since 1999 never expected to still be buying them sixteen years later, and the thought of a new movie with new toys every year will make collectors think twice. The new movies could be the perfect cut-off point for the beleaguered collector, but having come this far in the first place will make it difficult to say “no”…

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