Each May the 4th the LEGO Group celebrates a galaxy far, far away with the debut of a new Ultimate Collector Series set. This year, things are circling back on the film that started it all by recreating Luke’s Landspeeder from A New Hope. But even with this being the most detailed version of the vehicle to date, is it still worth a spot in your collection? Head below for a closer look at the new LEGO UCS Landspeeder.
Hands-on with LEGO’s new UCS Landspeeder
Arriving as this year’s May the 4th UCS set, the LEGO X-34 Landspeeder embodies everything we’ve come to expect from the lineup. It arrives at the $199.99 price point, and that cash scores you 1,890 pieces. Alongside the mean build, there’s also a display stand that comes completed by a plaque showcasing information about the vehicle in-universe.
As far as how that actually stacks up, there are over 19 inches worth of build to check out. The Landspeeder, for all of the wear and tear, is one of the more sleek vehicles from a galaxy far, far away. While things like the Millennium Falcon are covered in greeble after greeble, the hovering transport arrives as something of an in-universe car. With that translated over to LEGO form, the Landspeeder is on the more polished side of things. And I mean that both in terms of attention to detail and the overall appearance!
In terms of the latter, the X-34 Landspeeder enters at a scale that’s much larger than the minifigures it comes with. Everything has been sized up thanks to the UCS treatment, and it allows the set to pack in so many details we haven’t seen from the vehicle in past recreations. All of the curves and exterior elements employ some pretty intricate techniques to give it the rounded off design. There are a few stickers employed for extra details, but there is a fair bit of greebling at play to bring the design to life.
That all stacks up to a build that looks exactly as it is supposed to. The Landspeeder isn’t exactly the flashiest vehicle from a galaxy far, far away, and the LEGO Group hasn’t done much to change that. Though that doesn’t mean there aren’t any highlights. I particularly love the way that the grills on the front wrap around the curved section in front of the cockpit, and the seating area is as polished as we’ve seen from a set of this scale. Though the new windshield piece is an obvious highlight that really pulls the entire build together.
LEGO puts minifigures in the front seat
Last but certainly not least for the new LEGO UCS Landspeeder is the minifigures. The included figures are always a touchy subject for these high-end and display-worthy sets, especially when the builds aren’t scaled around the minifigs themselves. In this case, the LEGO Group is sticking with tradition and including a pair of characters from A New Hope.
Fittingly for this being Luke’s Landpseeder, you’ll find a LEGO version of the protagonist’s classic Farm Boy regalia. It is easily the most common appearance of the soon-to-be Jedi that we’ve seen in brick-built form period, and so there honestly isn’t all too much to write home about here. It’s a great figure, don’t get me wrong, but it’s exactly what you’d expect.
One thing worth highlighting here though is the new Lightsaber. The LEGO Group is taking 2022 as a chance to update the way that the actual blade element looks, and in this case there is a frosted appearance to the signature weapon. I can honestly say that I am a big fan of the change, even if I’ll continue longing for the original, bubble-filled transparent pieces. The updated version definitely looks more like an ignited Lightsaber, so I welcome the change.
Speaking of what’s new for the UCS Landspeeder, the LEGO Group is also including an entirely exclusive figure. Joining Luke is the Lars family’s newly-acquired droid C-3PO. We’ve seen the Protocol droid in LEGO form dating all the way back to the inception of the Star Wars theme, but this has to be the most detailed version yet. There’s all of the usual printing that we’ve seen before, but with the added details of new insignias on the arms and the sides of the legs.
Best of all, there is the new dual-molded leg. This delivers the most accurate take on 3PO’s signature, silver leg to date and is frankly looks great because of the attention to detail. LEGO Star Wars designers may say that minifigures in UCS sets aren’t the main show and are just a bonus, but I would very much consider the included C-3PO as a real centerpiece of the Landspeeder. Especially for collectors.
9to5Toys’ Take
The new Landspeeder is the last UCS set that many fans would be hoping for, but it’s an iconic piece of Star Wars that the LEGO Group had to recreate eventually in the larger scale. Some will be turned off by the set just because of the jokes and jabs at the company for how often it releases a Luke’s Landspeeder set, but once you actually go beyond that sentiment from the community, there is a lot to actually decide on for the new May the 4th set.
We’ve known for quite some time that this year’s annual Star Wars Day set would be the UCS Landspeeder. And really up until the full reveal, and honestly even while I was building the kit, I wasn’t particularly sold on the latest display-worthy set from the LEGO Group. But now that it’s all put together, I’ve come to that final conclusion.
I’ve been buying each year’s LEGO UCS set for the better part of the last decade. From the coveted Millennium Falcon and AT-AT to sets that weren’t as well received, like the Snowspeeder that I humbly reviewed just months into the job at 9to5Toys, there have been plenty of ups and downs. Which brings us to the Landspeeder, which is a nearly perfect set on paper. But that polish isn’t without some critique.
LEGO played it as safe as it could for the newest set. Is that a bad thing? No, or at least not when the final product comes out like it did here. But does it feel like the Landpseeder is missing the usual wow factor that these Ultimate Collector Series sets normally have? Absolutely. Everything may be exactly as it should be in a set of this size, but I doubt it will be drawing as many eyes as other brick-built recreations of iconic Star Wars vehicles.
Which leads me to the bottom line. Anyone who wants to score a LEGO Landspeeder will find the new UCS version to simply be the best one ever released. It easily justifies the price with an impressively-sized build and even cooler techniques – not to mention the eye-catching and exclusive C-3PO minifigure.
But, if you’re more of a veteran LEGO collector like myself who is debating picking it up just for another Star Wars set, the final verdict isn’t clear cut. I would definitely say that with how the rest of the year’s LEGO Star Wars lineup is looking, saving you money for a more exciting set is always a good idea. But if you’re looking for that final yes or no to tip the scale in either direction, the UCS Landspeeder is worth space on your shelf. It may not be my favorite Ultimate Collector Series set over the past few years, but it’s still very much worth the cash.
Buy the LEGO Star Wars UCS Landspeeder now
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