Review: DROIDS BATTLE PACK
From Jalassociatecomics
DROIDS BATTLE PACK #7654 (2007)
For years, Lego Star Wars fans have been thinking: what part of “a simple army builder” do they not understand?! Finally, Lego has rolled out two sets which are exactly what we’ve all been clamouring for. Although this set’s counterpart, the Clone Trooper Battle Pack, is what more people are looking forward to, this set has almost twice the number of pieces. Unfortunately, SGD 24.95 is far too pricey for the set.
The main draw of these sets are the attractive number of minifigures. You get four battle droids, though only two come with blasters unlike what is advertised at the back. To complement them, three super battle droids are thrown in to. The last we saw of these figs, they came with a ridiculous silvery-blue paint coat. This time, they’re back with a beautiful grunge metallic sheen, one of the best paint-jobs I think I’ve seen Lego perform.
For an army-builder like this, it is the vehicles that come with the figs, not the other way around. This set includes a great STAP redesign, which is much sleeker than its 1999 predecessor, though with a small 12-piece piece count. The model is amazingly accurate, though just a little flimsy. However, I don’t exactly like the use of a transparent piece, doubling as a display stand, to support a small plate that acts as the footrest. The box-cover depiction shows instead the footrest hanging magically in mid-air but the truth is you can’t do without the stand either way.
The other vehicle, though bigger, is much less satisfactory. The troop carrier serves basically as just that: a place to hold troops and does little else. Sure, it looks sleek to a certain extent, but that’s about all of it. I can’t complain though: it’s really the droids that are the draw.
All in all, this much-anticipated set is far from perfect, but is an amazing ensemble of figs and crafts in its own right. It also provides a number of MOC opportunities. This set is a must for all CIS sympathizers, and as much as I’ve complained, make no mistake: droids rule!
RATING: 3.5/5 STARS.
