Review:75060 Slave I/Brikkyy13
Brikkyy13
Country: Australia Gender: Male
Joined: December 30, 2012 
№ of Reviews: 15 
№ of Featured reviews: 0
Building Experience: Lifelong
Hello again! Long time no see! :P Like most other experienced users, the time has come for me to focus more on study instead of LEGO fan sites, so I’ve been “taking a break” so to speak. I still check RC almost daily to try to keep up to date. I want to come back to contributing, but I really don’t have the time to be contributing in an effective way. That’s not the point of this though, today I have with me 75060 Slave I, last year’s ultimate collector’s series set. Yes, it’s been reviewed to death already and this really isn’t necessary, but I picked it up recently and I feel like I need to share my thoughts on it - plus, I think we all need a reminder of the way things used to be after this year's disappointment.
This set was released in 2015, contains 1996 pieces and retails for $199.99 USD.
Box, Contents and Build[edit | edit source]
The box is quite large and does not feature any character motifs, just a plain "Star Wars" label and an ultimate collector's series seal in the bottom corner. The box art is beautiful, showing the Slave I flying across the evening skies of Bespin. The back shows off the features of the set. Inside the box are several numbered bags labeled 1-13, to make the building process easier.
Included is one large instruction manual, which features an overview of the Slave I and an interview with this set's designer in the front pages. I'm always pleased to see these features included in manuals, and I wish it could be done more often.
The build took me approximately 4 hours and is exceptional, using several techniques that aren't seen very often in system sets. It's an extremely rewarding experience that can definitely inspire some new MOCs. The design used to attach the side panels to the ship is quite ingenious, and the designer Hans Schlömer deserves commendation for his work on this set. Unfortunately, I did not document the build as I went along, but if you would like to see how the ship comes together I suggest reading ToaMeiko's review of this set, as he has used his skills in photography to showcase the build.
Minifigures[edit | edit source]
There are four (or five, depending on how you view it) minifigures included with this set, the first of which is a Bespin Guard. He features simple torso printing and a generic face. I believe his cap may be an exclusive piece, but I may be wrong. The printing on this figure is pretty standard, but that's not to the fault of LEGO. If the source material is lacking in detail, LEGO cannot change that- the figure is almost 100% accurate to its on screen appearance. Included as an accessory is a small blaster pistol.
The next figure included is a generic Stormtrooper. This variant features detailed printing on the torso, legs and helmet and is a welcome figure in this set. Unfortunately, the included head is the angry clone. I do wish LEGO would change this face, as it doesn't look particularly pleasing and the flesh tone can be seen from under the helmet. I believe LEGO had the perfect solution to this problem in 2012 when they released figures that had faces printed on black heads, but for some reason they changed it. If that practice were to return I would be all for it.
Up next is Han Solo is his wrinkled white shirt, as well as the carbonite block piece that has been used since 2010 (it made its first appearance in the previous Slave I set, which I will compare to this model later in the review). The only new part of this figure is the face printing. One side features Han with a neutral expression and the other has Han with his eyes closed. I'll be honest, I do not like this face. In recent years the design approach taken on Star Wars figures has been a hit and miss with me. The body designs have been excellent, but the designers are trying to take that same level of detail and apply it to the face of the figure, resulting in outlines of jaws and cheekbones that I believe ruin the look of the figure. I think I'm in the minority on this subject, as if more people did not like this they would have changed it by now. Han can be inserted into the block of carbonite via two clips that match up with the figure's hands.
Last but certainly not least is everybody's favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett. This figure retains the new helmet mold introduced in 2010 and features new leg and arm printing. I find the inclusion of this extra printing amusing, as it feels like a nod to the variant of Boba included in 2005's 10123 Cloud City (which, if you were unaware, is one of the most expensive and most valuable minifigures ever produced by LEGO). Boba has a new and exclusive face in this set, that shows off a smirk. He also includes a blaster pistol (made of two separate parts) as an accessory.
Overall, the figures included in this set are superb. It is unusual for a UCS set to include minifigures, but they are welcome here. The set has followed in the footsteps of 10179 Millennium Falcon (which I unsurprisingly do not own) and has been designed in true minifigure scale, meaning that if a minifigure represented the size of an actual person, the model represents the size of the actual ship.
Completed model[edit | edit source]
Upon finishing the model and placing it on its stand for the first time, I was blown away. The level of detail is amazing, and the shear size of the ship is incredible. Like several other sets, it does look much better in person then it does in photos.
The ship rests upon a small but sturdy black stand, which has the typical UCS info card. Earlier versions of this set included a card with a typo that read "tracor beam" instead of "tractor beam," but this issue has since been corrected. If you have the original version, a new plate and sticker sheet can be requested via LEGO.com free of charge, provided you can give proof of purchase in the form of the serial number in the instruction book. I was surprised to see that the ship actually does rest on the stand rather than being attached. This is probably due to the model being designed for both play and display, it seems sturdy enough though.
The back of the ship is detailed with the engines, as well as several transparent pieces that are used to give the ship a hovering effect when in its landing position. At first glance you might not notice it, but parts of the structure can be seen through the engines. I personally do not have a problem with this, as I feel it gives the set the LEGO charm, but I know many collectors do as it distracts from the detail and lowers the accuracy of the model. I can see where they are coming from and appreciate their concern. A suggested fix is to change the pieces on the inside to a single color. That's a good fix for personal use, but LEGO as a company cannot do that. The pieces need to be different colors to assist children when building.
I know many people don't like hearing this, but AFOLs often forget that LEGO is a product designed for children first. While they do release models targeted for the older audience, the main consumer is children. This debate has always been going on, and has gotten quite heated with the release of 75098 Assault on Hoth. I know some stores have gone as far as to not stock the set because they do not believe they could sell it to the adult audience (I had a very interesting discussion with the clerk at the store I bought the Slave I from about this). Once again, the bottom line is that LEGO has always been a product for children. They will always release products for children, and design all of their products with children in mind. Assault on Hoth is simply LEGO creating a large play set for children. I don't have the set, so I cannot give my opinions on it, but from the looks of it they've done it quite well from the play set approach. I know I would have been able to get hours of fun out of that. I know the main issue for many comes from the Ultimate Collector's Series label, and to that I have one thing to say: 10188 Death Star. A highly regarded UCS set that was available to buy for 8 years that is, at its core, a play set. I could say a lot more on my views on this subject, but I'll save it for another time. It is an issue that warrants discussion, but not in a review of a set that is, for the most part, unrelated.
The base of the ship is built primarily out of dark red parts. Many curved elements are used to give the shape, as well as a heavy use of the SNOT technique (Studs Not On Top). The entire bottom layer is made up of regular bricks attached sideways with headlight bricks, a technique I quite like and will attempt to replicate in my future MOCs.
On either side of the ship there are two stabilizer wings made primarily out of grey pieces. They rotate with the ship and stay perpendicular to the ground at all times thanks to gravity. This isn't a new function, as it has been present on all previous iterations of the Slave I. The dark green "bubbles" on the side of the ship conceal some excellent greebling that you probably wouldn't have noticed. This just adds to the accuracy of the model.
The cockpit consists of a small round platform with a mix of printed and sticker detailing for the controls. I am not a fan of stickers and LEGO, I never have been, but I understand why they are included. We're not going to see detail solely provided by printing any time soon, so we're just going to have to accept stickers. The cockpit can only seat one figure, and also has storage clips for Boba Fett's blasters. Two identical blasters are included in the set, one as an accessory to Boba and the other as detailing.
As I mentioned before, the fuselage of the ship is designed superbly. Technic beams are used to give the shape, and panels are attached with clips and ball joints. The mix of grey, dark green and sand green is great. There are two sets of weapons on the ship. The first, you can see at the end of the body. This set of guns does look great, and I love the use of the 1x2 slope piece for extra detail at the base. Unlike previous models, these guns do not rotate individually, but rather as a pair, so they will always be facing the same direction. Inside the body is a small gear system that provides friction, similar to that used by the BIONICLE functions in 2015. The second set of weapons are concealed inside the body and fold out to reveal an arsenal. These can be a bit fidgety at times, as they are only attached using battle droid arms and one of the missiles tends to get caught on the wall on the way out.
Many people have noted that the fuselage "droops" and causes a gap in between the body and cockpit. This cant be helped, its just gravity pulling the section down. There is no issue here, LEGO would have caught any issues in review of the set and fixed them, so you can rest easy about parts being damaged. Remember how amazing their quality control is :P
The final feature of the ship is right underneath the fuselage. A small door opens up and reveals space to store Han when he's frozen in carbonite. I'm not really a fan of Han being attached upside down, but it really is the only way to have this feature integrated. No previous versions have had this door, so it's great to finally see it. The walls and "roof" around it look great, just like the rest of the ship.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
As I mentioned, this set has been designed to be played with as well as being on display. I also have 8097 Slave I from 2010, so I can make a comparison. This version is much bigger, and has almost all of the same play features as the previous version. 8097 featured extra storage and a missile launcher integrated into the body. I still "played" with my LEGO in the traditional sense when that set was released, and I had a ball with it. While this Slave I has the play features, it lacks the ones that I feel are necessary. Additionally, it's not as sturdy as the previous model. Perhaps the most important note on this set is how fragile the fuselage feels. As I've mentioned, the body is panels attached with clips and ball joints, so it feels like you could crush it if you picked it up there instead of the base. I've done some short tests, it does seem sturdy enough to be played with, but I do think that prolonged exposure to the stress of being handled in play situations would cause it to break.
While it is perfectly capable of being used for play, I would not recommend buying this model specifically for that purpose. This is the kind of set that dad would buy for himself and his kid would get to play with it every now and again. If you do want to buy a Slave I for play, I would definitely recommend searching for 8097. A quick search on bricklink reveals that that model would set you back about the same as this one would.
With that aside, this set is fantastic. As I've mentioned, it has some minor flaws, but all of them can be overlooked. The final product is just outstanding. So much heart has gone into designing this model, it shows through in the build. It's a great centerpiece to any collection. I currently have it on display with 10225 R2-D2 and my Jedi Starfighter MOC, and it fits right in. There was an unfortunate accident with my copy of 10188 Death Star, but once I rebuild it the Slave I will make my UCS collection strong with the power of the force :P
Even if you don't have any prior UCS sets, this is a great place to start. The clerk from the store I bought it from said, and I agree: "Even if you're not a fan of Star Wars and you're just into LEGO, Slave I is a great kit because of the build and display value."
In conclusion, this is a great set that if you ever get the chance to buy, I suggest you do. You will not regret it. What are your thoughts on this set? Let me know in the comments below!
| Overall |  5 / 5 |
| Build | 5 / 5 |
| Value for money | 5 / 5 |
| Play Value |  2 / 5 |
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