BlockTales

Yes! It's that time again! It's the BlockTales Set Reviews! And this week, we at BlockTales are reviewing the Lego Star Wars set, 7749 - Echo Base!

Here is an action shot of the set.

Here are the minifigs in a rather generous affair. Two Rebel Soldier, Two Snowtroopers and Han Solo in a Eskimo coat.

Here are the Rebel Soldiers and I am was surprised to find that the Rebels have the new Rebel Hoth visor, a piece that I believed to be exclusive to the Rebel Hoth Battle Pack.

And in a strange twist, it seems that Han Solo has a play feature! Notice the pulled down hood on the torso.

When you put on the hood, the pulled down hood disappears! What do you mean that's not impressive?

Here is the Tauntan. It is almost 100% exclusive pieces.

Here is the Tauntan. It is 100% exclusive pieces.

It has rather good facial features. Four nostrils. Bumps on the forehead.

It also features the same saddle hole as the lego horses.

Here is the Snowtrooper Turret. Rather impressive building techniques with the transparent base at work.

Here is the base of the Hoth Turret. It's modular so it can be placed in different places around the snow-mound.

It opens rather smoothly so you can place a gunman inside.

The top also opens to put someone on top.

I can't really get a good action pic of the firing gimmick so here is the picture on the box.

Here is the mechanism for the firing, complete with rare trans-blue knob (for wish of a better word). Nice to see that TLG caters for those who disassemble for parts.

Even the Snow mound has a play feature. You press this button here...

And then whoever is standing there is flung back as if they had just become victims to a concussion grenade.

There is a rather useful pile of spare parts with this set.

Including a new Rebel Hoth Visor.

The Verdict:

This set is bountiful with play features as well as brilliant parts. Overall a great set for about £20. Fully recommended, if you can find it that is.

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Random Points of Interest

I feel that this graphic on the box it too cool not to notice.

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Pre-Building Features

Is this piece new? There are several of these previously unseen pieces in this set.

Here is the Pre-Built Tauntan. I couldn't help but picture it.

Ah, Saturday noon and I have nothing to do - so I am going to be kind! This time we have one of the Star Wars 2010 launch sets: 8084 - Snowtrooper Battle Pack!

Here's the entire built set. Quite a bit for £9.99.

Here are the minifigures. Two more Snowtroopers for my army plus an Japanese Soldier FROM SPACE and a new AT-AT driver. All armed with something. It's quite uncommon for this many minifigures in a normal £9.99 set but of course, this is a battle pack.

Both the new figs have back printing. I suppose the Snowtrooper doesn't count but its useful to see what the back of his helmets like.

After some quick experimentation, it seems the the Japanese Soldier has a new faceprint. The one on the right is the Japanese Soldier's face and the one on the left is the common one. Spooky.

This is the Snowtrooper and his Swoop Speeder (Yes, that's the canon name!) Interestingly, the Swoop's build is identical to that of the one in the Battle of Endor set - Just recoloured.

This is the small outpost. It's a very simple build but works.

What really bugs me though is this gap here. WHAT IS IT FOR?!

This is the flick-fire cannon which, despite my hatred for flick-fires, looks quite cool. Especially with the two flick-fire pieces.

The spare parts are quite a standard affair.

The Verdict:

This set is a brilliant battle pack with two brand new exclusive minifigures. Well worth the £9.99. That's if you can actually find it any more.

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Random Stuff:

On a totally different note, the picture of the box with the minifig scale is exactly perfect!

And also, why shouldn't I be allowed to buy this set? Shouldn't it just be '8+'?

Yeah, the first Annual BCN Contest is here. Go click the banner to get taken there. Oh, and I'm judging so use the code 'Her'es my entry!' in your post and then I know I have a reader! You thought I'd cheat you didn't you? Well, you're wrong!

No, seriously, proof of readers is very important to me at this time.

Space has always been a very well respected Lego Theme. Although it is often overshadowed by Lego Star Wars, it still is one of the best. Now, we have Space Police III, as it is known by Lego Fans and this week, we have one of the latest sets: 5981 - Raid VPR!

It doesn't look like much overall...

But look past that and you see this semi-exclusive headpiece with its super-rare red visor!

And look past the Minifigure headgear and notice the Minifigures themselves. Like the rare head, an exclusive recolour and a reprint of the old Blacktron torso!

Delve further though and you will see the back printing on both torso and a head!

But wait! There's more! The set itself is pretty amazing too, which is more than can be said for most sets!

Sure, these stickers don't really need to be there. And believe me, when you first get the set you will agree and come down hard on them...

However, they will argue that they aren't the only stickered parts in the set.

The wing pieces have stickers too! But that's inevitable, considering their size.

And how can you put down a part with this many holes?

Again, you can look past that at the spares. For example, those two transparent-red/blue cheese slopes can be used to adapt the set...

And that I will.

Now, I look at those spare parts again and see a spare of the super-rare red visor! That definitely won't go unnoticed!

Overall, this set is one that doesn't stop impressing.

The Verdict:

This set is a great addition to the Space theme and although people will argue that the Blacktron torso doesn't fit the Black Hole Gang legs and that the head is a recolour instead of a new part, Rench is not the main feature of this set, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise! In a word: Impressive!

At the beginning of 2010 Lego Fans everywhere flocked to buy this small little impulse set. And what's it called, you say? Why, it's the Atlantis-themed 8072 - Sea Jet!

It can easily be said that this impulse is a Minifigure-centred set.

And that's nothing to be ashamed of since under the great helmet is some even greater printed parts. Also, I believe that that head is exclusive.

It also has some great double-sided printing including an gob-smacked expression.

On the subject of the titular Sea Jet, repoving one piece shows how many new parts there are in this set.

However, there is kind of an oxymoron here since the other parts are all pretty average.

That just proves that an impulse set cannot get away with just a Minifigure, which while good is pretty common if you plan to buy the other Atlantis sets.

And although I don't really judge a book by it's cover, the size of the instruction manual shows just how joyless the build was.

The Verdict:

This set is pretty much just spare part fodder. If you plan to buy the other Atlantis sets, the Minifigure is pretty redundant too. So there you have it, Lego have just made a branded spare parts set. That's all it should really be used for unless you are buying it as a one off or just out of impulse.