To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the LEGO® Star Wars theme, the sets being released this year mark this special milestone. They also introduced a new range of sets dubbed the Starship Collection which recreate iconic ships from a galaxy far, far away. One such ship is the Tantive IV, which was and always will be the very first thing ever seen in the Star Wars universe. From the moment it crept into shot, pursued by a Star Destroyer, it had moviegoers captivated and kick-started almost 50 years of galaxy-spanning adventures. The consular ship is used to transport Leia Organa on ‘diplomatic’ missions to help further the cause of the Rebel Alliance. Here’s a closer look at the Starship Collection Tantive IV.
Product Details
Set Name: Tantive IV | Set Number: 75376 | Pieces: 654 | Theme: Star Wars Starship Collection
RRP: £69.99/$79.99/84.99€ | Number of Bags: Bags x 7 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: Sheet x 1 | Characters: N/A | Insiders QR: Yes
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & General Retail
The set’s instructions feature a little introduction from the LEGO Star Wars Design Team lead, along with some extra details about the unassuming ship and how it’s been recreated in the set you’re about to build. These are always interesting to read. I would have liked a brief look at some of the previous LEGO versions of the ship, to tie the set’s release into the theme’s history.
Much like the Millennium Falcon, the Tantive IV has been represented in LEGO form in different scales. But this is the first time it’s been represented as a detailed microscale build. The ship is built in three sections beginning with the central body, because it’s an oddly shaped ship, this part of the ship is quite simple, the same goes for the front section, which slots into the body of the ship.
But much of the ship’s detail is added towards the end of the build. It’s especially focused on the rear engines, which bulk out the overall shape of the set. The sections which form the engines are built separately and are connected to the small body of the Tantive IV. These are then layered with six smaller plates, which help to give the sloped definition to the engine case. These plates are each decorated with stickers, which is a little bit of a shame as all the elements with stickers could have been printed. Especially as these are considered ‘high-end’ LEGO display pieces.
Also towards the end of the Tantive IV build you add additional plates to the body of the ship. These also clip into place and are angled against the core of the ship. You’ll notice a seemingly random grey stud amongst the white bucket studs. This represents the ejected escape pod, C-3PO and R2-D2 heading down to Tatooine. On the subject of Easter Eggs, you may find one within the body of the ship. This fun feature has been a part of all the microscale ships.
The final part of the set is a black display stand. These are included in all the Starship Collection sets and for the Tantive IV set, it’s directly connected to the underside of the ship with a couple of Technic pins. It’s also perfectly sited at a point on the ship to balance the weight of the engine. A printed plate features the ship’s name and a special 25th Anniversary Brick is also included, which can be displayed separately or added to the stand by popping off one for the 2×1 grille plates.
The Tantive IV may not be as exciting as the Millennium Falcon or as imposing as a Star Destroyer but it’s an important part of Star Wars history. Better still it makes a great display piece. The scale of the Starship Collection sets suits larger ships better but I hope we see more sets in this range beyond the three sets released so far.
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The LEGO Group provided this set for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Disney. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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