75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Set Review

We first see the Imperial Light Cruiser in chapter 12 of The Mandalorian. However, it has connections to similar ships long before the rise of the Empire. During the Clone Wars, the Republic Army used a similar class of ship. They were classed as escort ships due to their smaller and more manoeuvrable nature. As the Empire’s grip on the galaxy tightened, these old Republic vessels were repurposed for the Imperial Navy. One of them became the command ship for Moff Gideon. Its connection to the grander Star Wars lore is notable due to its part in the destruction of a beloved ship and the deployment of a fearsome new trooper. So here’s my review of the LEGO Star Wars Imperial Light Cruiser.

Imp Light Cruiser_Box1_v29

Product Description

Open up a galaxy of Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 adventures for fans with this LEGO® brick-built model of the Imperial Light Cruiser (75315). It features a bridge that doubles as a handle for flying, 2 rotating turrets with spring-loaded shooters, plus 2 mini TIE Fighters and a launcher. A hatch gives easy access to the cabin which has a hologram table and storage for the electrobinoculars and other accessory elements.

Battle play
This premium-quality set comes with 5 LEGO minifigures: The Mandalorian, Cara Dune, Fennec Shand, Moff Gideon and a Dark Trooper, plus a LEGO figure of the Child (Grogu), affectionately known as Baby Yoda. Cool weapons include The Mandalorian’s Amban phase-pulse blaster and spear and Moff Gideon’s darksaber for hero vs. villain play.

  • Set Name: Imperial Light Cruiser
  • Set Number: 75315
  • Theme: Star Wars
  • Pieces: 1336
  • Minifigures: The Mandalorian, Cara Dune, Fennec Shand, Moff Gideon and a Dark Trooper, plus Grogu
  • RRP: £149.99/$159.99/159.99€
  • Measurements: measures over 5 in. (13 cm) high, 22.5 in. (58 cm) long and 8.5 in. (22 cm) wide
  • Availability: LEGO.com, LEGO Stores & LEGO Retailers from August 1st

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

The Light Cruiser is the largest of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets. Due to the scale, it could be considered a microscale set, as many of the larger Star Wars ships often are. However, it’s actually an odd hybrid of a microscale build and Minifigure scale. The configuration of the Light Cruiser is very similar to a much more common Star Destroyer. So it features a command bridge tower and a bow-like body. The big difference is the trio of engines on the rear of the cruiser. Whereas they are enclosed in the shell of a Star Destroyer, the Light Cruiser’s are far more open, which completely

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

Despite the ship being a mass of grey, again another unfortunate trait of many Star Wars ships, there is a nice trail of greebled detailing across the ship. The best of which can be found around the edges of the cruiser. It’s here you’ll also find a pair of microscale TIE Fighters. They are fixed to the side of the ship by a single stud, making them easy to detach. They can also interact with the front of the ship. Here you’ll find a plunge lever. Place a TIE within the fork-like gap, flick the lever and deploy the fighter. A simple play feature, which can be easily overlooked.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

To access that lever, you need to lift up a large plate covering most of the front section of the ship. This also gives access to a Minifigure scale space. It’s a very sparse space with a couple of control panels and an Imperial-looking table sitting at its centre. It’s obviously a recreation of the ship’s control room from the show in which Mando and co face off against Moff Gideon as they shield from a garrison of Dark Troopers. In all honesty, it’s a bit of a non-feature. It’s too small an area to fit all of the Minifigures, yet it’s an area that would exist regardless. So it’s difficult to berate something which hasn’t affected the build a great deal, even if the mix of scales is a little odd.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

As a larger set, it includes a number of Minifigures, some of which are all-new and making their first appearance in this set. With the ship playing a key role in the finale of the second season of the Mandalorian, the characters featured in the set are inspired by that moment, well, almost. In the closing moments of season 2, Mando reunites with Grogu aboard Gideon’s ship with just about all the main cast and a couple of surprises. So there are plenty of characters to choose from. The ones found in the set provide a nice balance of series icons as well as those making their Minifigure debut. Returning characters include Mando, who is featured in his upgraded armour, unfortunately, he still lacks an actual head. The Child aka Grogu is exactly the same as all his other versions but it’s nice to have him included in another set. Surprisingly Cara Dune is also included, this is despite the recent events distancing the actor from Disney. No doubt the set was in production long before this occurred.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

The new faces are far more exciting with all of them making their first appearance in a LEGO set. As this set is based on his ship, it’s no surprise Moff Gideon is included. His Minifigure is a decent recreation, the two-tone cape matches nicely with his back Imperial armour. The only disappointing aspect of Moff Gideon is his weapon. He is equipped with the Darksaber but it’s merely a standard Lightsaber with a black rod blade. A new weapon or even a recoloured sword could have been a better addition. Fennec Shand has become a fan-favourite character, after being introduced in The Mandalorian and then appearing in Bad Batch and will also appear in the upcoming Book of Boba Fett series. The key feature of Fennec is the use of a new element for her unique helmet. This really makes the character. The Minifigure also has great print detail which flows across the torso, legs and arms.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

The final new Minifigure is a Dark Trooper. This menacing take on the Stormtrooper has a long history that began long before the Mandalorian. They debuted in a video game before being resigned to Legends. Their canon debut occurred during the second series of the Disney+ show. The Dark Trooper is an advanced battle droid used by the Empire as elite troopers. They have a similar appearance to a Stormtrooper but in darker armour and robotic traits. The Minifigure uses a new helmet and combines it with shoulder armour to create the imposing bulk of the Dark Trooper. The result is a cool recreation of the character. It’s a shame the set only includes one. But they are the perfect characters to be the focus of a future Battle Pack.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

The Minifigures are a nice spread of characters, I can understand the lack of other Mandalorian characters being included despite playing a key role in the scenes aboard the ship. After all, they are included in a couple of other upcoming sets. There is a certain iconic Jedi who is missing from the line-up. Although it would have been nice to have a new classic version of this character, they don’t really appear until much of the action is over. Overall it’s a nice set to build with plenty of detail which isn’t overly complex to achieve. The mix of scale seems odd, but although overall the ship is microscale, it also needed the Minifigures to increase the scope for play. I would have preferred it if Dune was dropped in place of another Dark Trooper and not because of real-world issues, purely for the fact she’s already appeared in a couple of sets.

75315: Imperial Light Cruiser Review

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This set was provided by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.

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Author: Adam White

Howdy I'm Adam, The editor of BricksFanz.com - your go to source for the latest LEGO news, reviews and much, much more. Some of you may know me from other LEGO sites so you'll know I have a good experience of the LEGO community and a deep, passionate commitment to all things LEGO. I specialize in seeking out the latest LEGO news and products, as well as being an expert on all things LEGO gaming. So welcome to BricksFanz - Fuelling Your LEGO Lifestyle.

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