10195 - Republic Dropship & AT-OT Review

[Dunamis]

10195 Republic Dropship with AT-OT by Dunamis

Set: 10195
Parts: 1,758 Pieces
Price: $249.99 from The LEGO Store, Glendale, California
Build time: About 3.5 hours total
Stickers: 1 sheet with lots of stickers (I stopped counting after 20 something)

(EDIT: Sorry, I had a bunch of images in the post. I replaced them with links to my brickshelf folder)

Thank goodness LEGO didn’t name this thing LAAT/c with AT-OT. I had a hard enough time calling the LEGO store and asking if they had the Dropship with AT-OT. Oh well, I still managed to communicate what I wanted over the phone and it turns out the set was released to the LEGO stores early so all was good.

Enclosed in perhaps the largest non-UCS set box ever comes not one but TWO nifty Clone Wars sets. The LEGO Group shocking everyone with the surprise announcement earlier this year has brought us both an air and ground vehicle in the same set. Perhaps even more shocking was the $250 USD price tag for 1,758 pieces and only eight minifigs. Will the set deliver $250 worth of LEGO goodness or will fans be asking the government for another bailout to dig us out of this mess? Let’s take a look…


The Box:

Typical Clone Wars LEGO set marketing with nothing special other than the gigantic size. Minifigs are listed on the side and there are plenty of photos on vast space on the back of the box.

Here is the front and back of the box:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-01.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-02.jpg

Here are the contents that came inside - 23 bags, three manuals and a sticker sheet:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-03.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-04.jpg

Note that the bags are numbered one for the AT-OT (there are 10) and two for the dropship (there are 12) plus one bag that is not numbered which is designed to confuse you (actually it is used on the dropship).

Yes, the dreaded sticker sheet:
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-05.jpg


The Manual:

The three manuals are surprisingly thick. I realized why during the build. Many of the steps take a complete page and sometimes both pages to show the model or image. This leads to an increased number of pages required.

I have not seen the online version yet but I assume one is available (or soon will be).

Color separation was fine this time and the manuals sported all the usual features:

• Piece call outs for each step
• Parts inventory at the end of the manual
• Page numbers


The Pieces:

We’ve got a nice assortment of bricks, plates and a fair assortment of Technic parts. Colors range in the grey (light and dark), white and dark red.

There are a few printed pieces such as the little radar dish piece that goes on the leg of the AT-OT (eight of those), but otherwise be prepared to bust out your sticker applying skills (you will need them)…

How about the minifigs? Well, here comes the rub…

For a set this size and cost most would assume we would either get some unique minifigs or a bunch of minifigs. What we get is two Clone Pilots and six Clone Troopers. This doesn’t exactly blow my skirt up. Basically, we are getting the equivalent number of clones in two $10 battle packs.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-37.jpg

Overall, a nice assortment of pieces.

The Build:


The build is about average. There is significant repetition on both models but especially on the AT-OT. The heavy use of stickers does slow down the pace a bit.

Here are a couple of in-progress photos:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-06.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-19.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-25.jpg

Here is what is left over:

AT-OT
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-07.jpg

Dropship
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-31.jpg

Lots of Technic pins and axles used in this set. There are no real problems with the build, but you do have to pay attention to pin and axle locations on the beams. Otherwise, it is business as usual…


The Design:

The design on both models seems to be very faithful to their fictional counterparts. I was pleased to see that LEGO had some insight with the 7675 version of the AT-TE and put in the carrying connector so that the dropship would be compatible with it as well. Nicely played by LEGO.

For the AT-OT, LEGO did a nice job with the design. The cockpit is well done and opens up nicely for easy access:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-13.jpg

Also, the cockpit folds up to make the transport smaller during flight:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-11.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-12.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-14.jpg

I suppose I was a little disappointed with the rear ramp. It is really nothing special and I suppose I was expecting something a little more ingenious:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-09.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-10.jpg

The AT-OT seats 17 comfortably (including driver). There are at least 30 cupholders so you could have a really fun road trip. Unfortunately, the AT-OT only gets about 4 miles per gallon (which is 1.7 kilometers per liter) so expect to fill up often.

The fold up cockpit takes up quite a bit of space otherwise the front section would be ripe for modding by adding extra seats or perhaps a little command center.

Here is the finished version:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-08.jpg

The Dropship or LAAT/c is a big model. Initially, it does not appear that sturdy along the spine. However, during the build, you can see they put in extra support with studless Technic beams:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-26.jpg

There are some nice SNOT techniques on the front:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-24.jpg

Also, the front panel doors lift up like the 7676 version:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-27.jpg

There is significant Technic infrastructure in the core of the carrying mechanism.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-20.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-22.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-23.jpg

Here is a shot of the finished version:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-43.jpg

Here are some comparison photos of the models against other LEGO models:

AT-OT and AT-TE (7675):

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-15.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-16.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-17.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-18.jpg

Dropship and Gunship (7676):

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-32.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-33.jpg

Dropship and AT-OT:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-34.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-35.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-36.jpg

Just for fun:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-40.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-41.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dunamis/10195/10195-42.jpg


Overall Thoughts:

A wonderful surprise set and very unexpected set by LEGO. I love it when LEGO releases sets that are kind of off-the-wall and outside the norm. However, I have some reservations about how it was marketed. I should preface these comments with the fact that I am an engineer by trade and know very little about marketing so proceed with caution as you may get dumber by simply reading my idiotic ramblings.

To me, this set was priced in no man’s land. No kid (well, almost no kid) is going to convince their parents to spend $250 on a LEGO set like this. Especially one that their parent is never going to recognize and had maybe 5 seconds of screen time in the movie. Only the expert male parent observer might remember it was the walker thingy that was shown just before the sexy Jedi chick (Aayla) got axed. It would be different if we were talking about a $250 Millennium Falcon or Star Destroyer (at least they can recognize those ships from their childhood). In addition, very few kids will save up their allowance/paper route/chore money to shell out $250 to buy this set. There are just too many other items (video games, etc.) at lower price points for teenage kids to buy.

Furthermore, you can’t really split this into two different sets because individually they are rather unappealing to all but the most die-hard Star Wars LEGO fans. The draw of this set is how the models work together. Plus, I can’t see many people spending ~ $120 individually on each model. Finally, LEGO should not have marketed this set while the 7675 and 7676 (current AT-TE and Gunship) are still available.

In my opinion (which is just slightly more valuable than worthless) LEGO should have thrown in ten more clone minifigs (total of 16, one for each seat). In addition, they could have added a few Jedi minifigs (like Aayla) or some unique clone minifigs to make the set more desirable. Since this set is obviously targeted at the adult collector, jacking the price up to $269 it would make it feel like you are getting your money’s worth. Frankly, if an adult collector is going to spend $250 on this set as it is today, they’re sure not going to balk at spending $20 more to get 10 more clones and some unique Jedi minifigs.

So, back to the review, I like the concept of this set. I like how it works with the 7675. Each of the models is nice and well done. However, I think we should have received more clones and I think the set is overpriced by about $70. Not sure if LEGO thinks this as well and might be doing a limited run of it just for the collectors and die-hard fans. With the current Gunship and AT-TE still on shelves today and some nice 2nd wave 2009 sets on the way I’m thinking this guy gets forgotten and eventually goes 50% off like the Twilight did last month. Snatch it up then and you will be happy.

Final Rating: 60%

Build 7/10 (Lot of repetition, but fairly straightforward.)
Minifigs 4/10 (Not enough minifigs. No unique minifigs. Nothing special at all.)
Design 9/10 (Nice design. Faithful to the Star Wars universe. Compatible with 7675.)
Parts 7/10 (Same old Star Wars parts. Lots of Technic. Even more stickers)
Price 3/10 (Way overpriced. Will be a steal when it hits 50% off in six months though.)

NOTE: Obviously my final rating is significantly impacted by the lack of minifigs and the high price of the set. The models themselves are nice. If you can overcome the price and you have lots of extra minifigs, then knock yourself out and buy this sucker.

As usual, your comments and feedback is welcome…

[MrCRskater]

Though I appreciate your thoughtful review, I think this post may be illegal on some levels. First, as a review, maybe it would make more sense if you catalogued it under the "Reviews" forum. Also, there are stringent rules about the number and size of images you can include in a post, which you can read about here: http://www.fbtb.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=32

[Dunamis]

Oops, you are right!

Mods, please move and save me from my ignorance.

[Andi]

Very nice and detailed Review. Thanks for that.

[DarkEntity]

Im looking forward to getting this set, (id have it already if I wasnt in the process of moving house) but anyway...cant wait to get it

I am however with you on the lack of figures and lack of something special in the kit, it would have been ice to have more of the basic figures and a few special ones or even just a few special ones with the current array of figures in the kit.

Having said that itll look great beside the ATTE and Dropship etc once they are all rebuilt (sob)

[Skafte]

Wouldn't we be even more upset if Aayla was included in this set? Sure, it would be great to have a minifig of her, but in such an expensive set, she would be really exclusive. Bricklink price would be ridiculous.

As for the set, I say no thanks. Too expensive and I'm not into CW. It looks neat, though.

[BigBenKenobi]

Awesome review and great detailed pictures of your build. It pretty much just made me want this set even more .

[soup64]

AARG!! I would kill for this! Oh well. I suppose I'll have to wait for a sale. Nice review though, I'm thoroughly jealous

[Justin(sane)]

Wait a second, I thought that the Republic Dropship was UCS. Isn't it? They're selling it under the UCS category on LegoShop.com...

[bigospedros]

not the "What is UCS and what is not UCS?" debate again, please ...

[The Brain]

VERY helpful review. I've been dying for someone to compare the AT-OT and AT-TE in size, as well as the Dropship and RAG, just so I could estimate the amount of space I would need if I ever got it. Thanks very much for that!

[Teekay]

Hey, do you happen to have any pics of the Dropship picking up the 7675 AT-TE up? Thanks.

~Sam (Teekay)

[Gingerbeard Man]

Hey, do you happen to have any pics of the Dropship picking up the 7675 AT-TE up?

Main problem is the cannon, as (a) the barrel gets in the way of the dropship cockpit and (b) the gunner's seat gets in the way of the connection mechanism. So either rotate it to the side or remove it altogether. (Oops, I just noticed that the foot of the dropship must have got caught when I set up this shot - normally its 8x8 dish will sit fairly flush on top of the one on the AT-TE's leg.)

Some more pics:
Close-up of the cannon not fitting and with the cannon removed.
From the other side. AT-TE cannon removed and dropship foot in correct position.

[Teekay]

Thank you for the pictures, Gingerbread Man.

~Sam (Teekay)

[Bellicose]

There's a hatch in the lower nose section, on the back side, that opens up and allows the AT-TE's cannon to fit inside the forward nose section of the LAAT/C - so the AT-TE can be carried without removing the cannon or positioning it to the side.

Good review. Only big frustration I had with building the LAAT/C ("dropship") was the technic studless beams were just a little out of alignment or measurement with the cockpit. so it was slowly pushing the cockpit section apart while under construction. Pretty tough to get everything all lined up and interlocked.

[MisterFubar]

Because of the price tag I always had a little trouble with this set, It looked like a fairly interesting set, but nothing about it really justified the price. Lowish piece count, no special minifigs, the only things it really had going for it was it's size and being exclusive.

My wife made up my mind for me when she bought it as an anniversary present for me, best of all she got it from Target.com for 199, got free shipping, and used a $20 off coupon code. For $179 I am extremely happy with this set.

[Ted495]

I'm currently in the process of building this myself right now. My dad purchased this for me for Christmas(my parents rock, no 'oh you're too old for this' here), so despite my not really collecting any Clone Wars\ Ep 1-3 sets I obviously was going to keep and build this one.

I do have to say it is pretty shocking that it comes with so few Minifigs, and no 'unique' ones at that. I guess Clone Walker Battle packs need to sell though right guys!!

I'm onto booklet 3 doing a booklet a day and I just can't understand what you're supposed to do with the semi completed pieces as you build them, I mean this is quite possibly the least "sturdy" mid build lego I've ever constructed. Obviously its not really a problem for an adult like me, but I can't imagine doing this when I was 12-16 and enjoying how stupidly weak parts of it are, and I was a very careful builder when I was younger.

The last model I remembered being this awkward was the Technic shuttle.

I guess I'll keep it awhile and maybe Bricklink it for whatever I can get.

[natespizer]

best of all she got it from Target.com for 199, got free shipping, and used a $20 off coupon code. For $179 I am extremely happy with this set.

A target in your area actually carried this set? i thought it was a lego store exclusive?

If you don't mind what target was it?

[MisterFubar]

best of all she got it from Target.com for 199, got free shipping, and used a $20 off coupon code. For $179 I am extremely happy with this set.

A target in your area actually carried this set? i thought it was a lego store exclusive?

If you don't mind what target was it?

Ordered it online from Target.com, they had it on their website before the holidays but I haven't seen it since.

[bigospedros]

I finally built this set after having it new in box for ages and ages ... I quite like the set, but man, I hadn't quite realised how massive it is!

It really needs a big space to display it due to the wingspan ... and it looks pretty crap as a display when it's all connected to the AT-OT.

I'm semi-tempted to dismantle the dropship and just leave the AT-OT on display.

I also wish the AT-OT legs were sturdier ... when it's flying around, those legs flag around like nobodies business!