Ever since the famed Bounty Hunter Boba Fett first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, he has fascinated generations. Over the years his story has been expanded upon, with the Fett clan being an integral part of Star Wars lore. Fast forward and many years later it would be another Bounty Hunter who once again sparks a fascination with the Mandalorians. This newfound love of Mandalore has also inspired the LEGO® Star Wars Design Team, with many of the upcoming Summer sets being inspired by different generations of the Mandalorians. For my first review of the upcoming Star Wars sets, it’s time to take a look at the Mandalorian Starfighter.
Product Description
Let kids create a detailed, buildable LEGO® model of a Mandalorian Starfighter (75316) and relive memorable Star Wars: The Clone Wars action. It features an opening LEGO minifigure cockpit for 2 LEGO minifigures, 2 stud shooters, 2 spring-loaded shooters and adjustable wings – rotate them vertically for landing or fold them down and rotate the cockpit for an authentic streamlined flight formation.
Epic adventures
There are 3 new-for-August-2021 LEGO minifigures of Mandalorian warriors Bo-Katan Kryze, Gar Saxon and a Mandalorian Loyalist, plus 5 blaster pistols and a jetpack for each minifigure to spark children’s imaginations. This fun building toy includes step-by-step instructions and makes an awesome gift for Star Wars™ fans and any creative kid.
- Set Name: Mandalorian Shuttle
- Set Number: 75317
- Theme: Star Wars
- Pieces: 544
- Minifigures: Bo-Katan Kryze, Gar Saxon and a Mandalorian Loyalist
- RRP: £49.99/$59.99/59.99€
- Measurements: measures over 2.5 in. (6 cm) high, 13 in. (33 cm) long and 11.5 in. (30 cm) wide
- Availability: LEGO.com, LEGO Stores & LEGO Retailers
The Clone Wars animated series has vastly expanded upon this important era of Star Wars lore. One of the most exciting story arcs was the Siege of Mandalore. Which is the inspiration for this set. The Mandalorian Starfighter has previously featured in a past LEGO set, back during the odd time where the Minifigures had the oversized eyes to try and ape their animated appearance. Although this updated version features a similar design, it uses a different colour palette, makes use of newer elements and includes different Minifigures.
A Mandalorian fighter is unlike many other starships in the Star Wars universe. It’s essentially made up of four sections – the central cockpit, a rear section and two wings. This combination allows the ship to be set in various configurations. All of which is possible with the LEGO version. With the central section able to spin 360° against the smaller rear section. Once the wings are attached it basically turns them into rotating gun mounts. As both wings are connected to the body of the ship by a pair of click hinges, they are able to be switched from a horizontal position, when the fighter is in flight mode to a vertical position, for when it lands. It’s here the build displays its first issue.
The undercarriage of the ship’s central section features two pairs of 1×3 upward sloped bricks. These are positioned towards the backend of the cockpit. Much of the weight is distributed there, making sense to add them there. However, this leaves the front end completely unsupported and sloped forwards when placed on a flat surface. This happens regardless of how the wings are positioned. It feels as if two of the sloped bricks needed bringing forward a few studs and an extra plate added to level it out. A minor issue, which can easily be customised yourself if you wish.
The wing sections were the most fun to build, with various layers of plates and bricks combine to give them a unique pattern and colour scheme. Until getting to the end of their construction, I assumed I had placed an element in the wrong place as one section of the wing was very flimsy and loose, but it’s soon firmed up with the placement of one final plate. The cockpit section has enough space to seat two Minifigures, which I assume is the reason we have a faceless character included, alongside Bo-Katan.
Along with the Starfighter, the set also includes a trio of Minifigures. Unlike the previous Mandalorian Starfighter set, these are focused on just Mandalorian characters. Well, I say characters as one is merely a ‘Loyalist’ which is totally fine. But this has resulted in a faceless Minifigure, which uses a black Minifigure head, in a similar fashion to the older Stormtroopers. This Minifigure’s armour is primarily blue against a light grey flight suit and similarly coloured helmet. It almost feels like Jango Fett. There are two additional characters, which are a lot more exciting. Bo-Katan has always been a fan-favourite character since her introduction in Clone Wars, so much so she’s one of only a small number to make the leap from animation to live-action. Despite that, this is her Minifigure debut. Bo-Katan Kryze’s armour is similar to the rest of her clan but has lighter grey plate armour against a darker grey flight suit. There’s less blue, with only a few splashes on the torso and legs. But it’s the helmet which is the most interesting. It uses the standard ‘Mando’ helmet but has Bo-Katan’s striking custom white and black war paint design.
Finally, we have an impressive new Minifigure, based on Gar Saxon. This is another character making their LEGO debut. He’s a member of a rival clan called Death Watch, who align themselves with Darth Maul. This is reflected in the armour’s colour scheme, which ditches blue and grey in favour of black and red. But it’s the awesome new helmet that is the highlight here. The base is similar to other Mandalorian characters, but it’s adorned with a ring of horns in tribute to the dual-bladed Lightsaber loving Sith Lord. It’s a great Minifigure and an almost perfect representation of the character it’s based on. Unfortunately, he has a short-barreled blaster, which should have been a rifle blaster and there’s no hair element to don, once his helmet is removed. But to be fair he does sport an extremely short hairstyle. All three Minifigures include the same blasters and jetpack accessories.
If a craft or scene has been represented in LEGO form before, it’s a given that any new version will be compared to it. The design and functions of this Starfighter are similar to the version released in 2013. I much prefer the colour scheme used for this new version. It’s a shame the central section of the ship slopes, but it’s something that can be tweaked by moving and/or adding a couple of elements. The build is fun, with no annoying bits or too much repetition, I particularly enjoyed constructing the wings. The Star Wars theme is known for its overuse of certain Star Wars ships, so it’s nice to see something different for a change. Plus getting some new characters in Minifigure form is always a delight. I would have liked to see a random Death Watch goon added to shore up the two quarrelling factions.
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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.
