First Reaction: LEGO Star Wars - The Force Awakens

All images from the official LEGO Catalogue

LEGO have put the latest direct catalogue online, which officially unveils all of the new Star Wars The Force Awakens sets that will be released on ‘Force Friday’ September 4th.  That’s right, LEGO have finally revealed what we might want to buy in a week’s time, which means fans can start deciding what to buy and planning their spending. What follows are first impressions of the product as a range. 
Check out the full catalogue here

The good news is, it’s so Star Wars. There’s an X-Wing, a TIE Fighter, a big ship for the lead villain and of course a signature ship for our heroes. This is a Star Wars launch. 

First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter (75101) looks to use some similar techniques to the previous TIE Fighter (9492), but with some changes and a striking new colour scheme well worth a purchase. It includes four minifigures which pushes the price quite high, but will help fans army build more quickly.

Poe’s X-Wing Fighter (75102) brings a great new twist to a classic vehicle with a fantastic new colour scheme. It will certainly stand out next to all of the previous X-Wing releases. Including ground crew is reminiscent of previous LEGO X-Wings, it is also one of two opportunities to get BB-8. 

The First Order Snowspeeder (75100) is a great chance to have a little army and one new vehicle. Hopefully these guys will be back in a Battle Pack next year. Admittedly this vehicle is not overly exciting without any context. The First Order Transporter (75103) is something new too, with an interesting design that looks intended to ferry troops into battle. The minifigure count is high.

Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle (75104) is a nice new design that will not have anyone confused with villainous ships from previous movies. Such an expensive set is not likely to be a fan favourite before the movie comes out – especially with the Millennium Falcon available – but once it’s on screen fans can evaluate properly. It doesn’t look like there will be much space inside, but this set is hard to evaluate from this image.

Rey’s Speeder (75099) is the most recognisable new vehicle from The Force Awakens thanks to its prominent place in the trailer. It looks to be a nice, simple build and is a good choice for an entry price point set. Rey has a very cool looking mask to alternate with her hairpiece.

In the case of Revenge of the Sith, the most recent live-action movie launch, the big set was the Clone Turbo Tank. It was pretty cool, but it only had a few minutes of screen time so could hardly be considered the icon of the movie. This time it is the Millennium Falcon (75105) that deservedly has the largest set. It looks significantly different to the 2011 Falcon (7965), which makes it worth picking up for those who own that version. The inclusion of Han Solo will entice many, the minifigures also include previously unrevealed character Tasu Leech.

Overall LEGO have done a good job of giving us a substantial first wave of sets that doesn’t seem very spoilery, as most of these vehicles were seen in the teaser trailer. The price points are high, but January will likely provide the lower price point sets as usual. Get your wallets ready for September 4th!