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The ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs finally has a LEGO set worthy of it – but this is not a build for a mere Padawan.
Launching at 11.59pm on Wednesday, September 13, the latest Millennium Falcon from LEGO is a £650, 58cm x 84cm behemoth that will challenge the most dedicated builders.
At 7,500 pieces, it’s the biggest LEGO set to date, nudging the 5,922-brick Taj Mahal into second place. It’s also the sixth full-size Millennium Falcon to be produced, and it’s easily the most expensive – the first Falcon, the £100 kit from 2000, was a meagre 659 parts and currently goes for about £500 second hand. The only comparable Falcon in the family, in terms of size and complexity, is 2007’s kit, which has 5,000 pieces and now fetches around £2,000-£3,000 on resale – quite a bump from the original £350 price tag. Whatever valuation this latest set ends up achieving in a few years’ time will likely make LEGO speculators happier than Jabba was with his new favourite decoration...
Given the price and difficulty, this isn’t a set for kids, so to appeal to adult collectors it can be tricked out in classic or current flavours. Special modifications include a circular or rectangular radar dish; removing or adding the extra units to the front mandibles; and crewing it with either Empire-casual Han, Hoth Leia, C-3PO, Chewie and a Mynock, or with old Han (RIP), Finn, Rey, BB-8 and a couple of Porgs. But if you’re looking for Last Jedi spoilers in this build, sorry – it’s totally vanilla.
Externally, it’s the kit that comes closest to capturing the movie Falcon – it’s covered in exposed pipework and recesses that really make it feel mechanical under the surface. Rather than being a solid chunk of plastic, much of the hamburger shape is achieved with flat panels that hang from a main superstructure. From a distance, the effect is great; up close, you do get that slightly gappy look that’s familiar to anyone who regularly builds large Technics. But overall it’s a fantastic display piece – assuming you actually have a space big enough to keep it in.
Read more: Building success: how thinking 'inside the brick' saved Lego
Inside, there are lots of fun details: standouts include the sofa and holographic chess area – a must for any Millennium Falcon – plus the engine room where Han and Leia share their first kiss. There’s also plenty of empty space at the back if you want to store your figures or add a few custom areas – a medical bay wouldn’t go amiss, for example. The iconic cockpit is also present and ready for pilots.
For Star Wars fans, this bucket of bolts is the LEGO set they’ve been waiting their entire lives for, and it makes a handsome companion to other super-detailed sets such as Slave 1 (75060). If you absolutely have to have it before anyone else, the London LEGO store on Leicester square will be opening to the public for a special event, just before midnight on Wednesday, September 13.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
