Rock Raiders
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Rock Raiders was a theme that was released in 1999. It was based on space travelers that got caught in an asteroid field, sucked into a wormhole and flung across the galaxy. They set a course for the nearest planet with an abundance of energy crystals to power their ship. There was also a game based on it. It was discontinued since 2000. In 2009, another underground-related theme, Power Miners, was introduced.
Details
The eponymous Rock Raiders were a team of miners that searched for energy crystals in the underground. They had several specialized mining and transport vehicles at their disposals and were based at a refinery station were they processed rocks to extract the neon-green crystals. During their excavations they would occasionally encounter brown Rock Monsters, but they were only included in two different sets.
This was the first theme whose minifigures were all individual characters with names.
The setting had several elements that were reprised and also somewhat further developed in the Power Miners theme ten years later, such as the occurrence of rock monsters and energy crystals. Here, the Rock Monsters had just minor appearances and were no named characters.
Rock Raiders introduced also several new pieces: the chrome drill, a blade saw, the hollow rock pieces and a electric that served as a laser cutter.
The sets of the first wave, which were also the only ones of the theme that appeared in the catalogs, all included Rock Raiders comics. The models and minifigures of the respective set the comic was included in played a major roll in the story.
Original plans
On June 20th, 2000 Lugnet member Sergio Guerra discovered the original plans for the Rock Raiders theme [1]. Many elements are different or left out in the final theme.
- Different Elements
- A different standard Rock Raiders uniform, similar to Bandit’s uniform
- Different hand-held drills
- Different Chrome Crusher, with twin drills and no laser
- Different Hover Scout, with two long antennas and pilot seat.
- Different Loader Dozer, with a Dune buggy look, and a drill.
- Different Granite Grinder, much sleeker look
- Different Rock Raiders insignia, with a red cog, instead of a silver drill.
- The Large Vehicles' windscreens are silver, instead of brown.
- Tailed Rock Monsters
- Original Elements
- Mobile Rock Raiders HQ
- New insect-like vehicle
- New six-wheeled vehicle, with two claws and three laser-like devices mount on top
- Perhaps the biggest change, the Rock Raiders had enemies, the Insectoids
Had the theme been more successful, these elements might have been reconsidered. The website with this information can be seen here. As well as concept images and info in The Ultimate LEGO book, pages 30-31.
Minifigures
Sets
- Released in 1999
- 4910 Hover Scout
- 4920 Rapid Rider
- 4930 The Rock Raiders
- 4940 Granite Grinder
- 4950 Loader-Dozer
- 4959 Loader-Dozer (same set as 4950)
- 4970 Chrome Crusher
- 4980 Tunnel Transport
- 4990 Rock Raiders HQ
- Released in 2000
- 1274 Light Hover (promotional set)
- 1275 Chainsaw Bulldozer (promotional set)
- 1276 Helicopter Transport (promotional set)
- 1277 Drill Craft (promotional set)
- 3347 One Minifig Pack - Rock Raiders #1
- 3348 One Minifig Pack - Rock Raiders #2
- 3349 One Minifig Pack - Rock Raiders #3