Lego Star Wars Battle Packs

y2josh · July 2012

Every OT battlepack seems obligated to have some form of speeder bike, even for scenes where no such vehicle was seen (snow bike speeder?).

There were actually quite a few speeder bikes on Hoth. The Imperial ground force consisted of AT-ATs, AT-STs, speeder bikes and standard ground troops... so the speeder is actually quite appropriate there (and, to the best of my knowledge, fits with all the OT battle packs it's included in).

LegoFanTexas · July 2012

^ Yes, in the extended information there was, did we actually see any in the movie itself?

I know there was a very brief shot of a AT-ST once, for a second or so. I'm somewhat curious if that was there in the original theater release, or if it was added later. Changes were made long before the "Special Editions" after all, since "Episode IV" in the text scroll was not part of the original theater release in 1977, that was added after 1980 with ESB.

Furrysaurus · July 2012

pretty sure there's an original picture of an AT-ST in my 'making of empire' book. wikipedia (mileage may vary) has it in the original 70mm print - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases#Episode_V:_The_Empire_Strikes_Back

samiam391 · July 2012

That is exactly what i was talking about. Instead of a useless vehicle that doesn't fit the scene, you have created a scene. Fantastic. Post your link and/or pics

Great, glad you like it. Here's the link and a pic. Feedback/comment/support is greatly appreciated. http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/19411

y2josh · July 2012

^ Yes, in the extended information there was, did we actually see any in the movie itself?

I know there was a very brief shot of a AT-ST once, for a second or so. I'm somewhat curious if that was there in the original theater release, or if it was added later. Changes were made long before the "Special Editions" after all, since "Episode IV" in the text scroll was not part of the original theater release in 1977, that was added after 1980 with ESB.

The AT-STs and speeder bikes have been present in every version of The Empire Strikes Back I've seen, though I wasn't born for the original theatrical cut. But they've definitely been on every VHS release and forward.

tvih · July 2012

Never noticed the AT-STs in TESB personally, but then I often miss such (relatively) small details. Makes sense that they were there in any case.

monkeyhanger · July 2012

I haven't seen a speeder bike in TESB, although the AT-ST is definitely seen briefly. I will have to give the Bluray another watch at the weekend.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

Damn...me too.

bellybutton290 · July 2012

Two At-st's are present in empire both seen briefly one in the original release with an additonal one added in 1997 sp ed. Speeder bikes no where in the moves but are mentioned or shown in all other media that I have seen most notably in the cross sections manual (at-at's page) as at-at's can carry a small number primarilty used for recon and to complement the slow walkers with their speed.

y2josh · July 2012

^Went back and watched the movies, and I stand corrected. I could have sworn that the speeder bikes were there... though I also could have sworn the scene where Hobbie crashes through Veers' cockpit was also in the movie, so I should have already known that my memory of the novelizations and the films has been known to bleed together.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

I just saw the movie again today on Spike TV and I still didn't see speeder bikes.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

Regardless whether these were in the movie or not. I find another speeder bike to be unappealing.

CCC · July 2012

^ The thing is, you need to ask yourself who Lego are aiming these at: Adults that want armies or kids that want a few figures. I said it on the cuusoo thread too, I like the idea of the modular approach to samiam's idea. But I cannot see it happening. To me, it takes away the playability of a single set. If a parent looks at it, they will think either (i) it is a piece of corridor, that sucks, I want a set with a vehicle that my kid can swoosh or (ii) I'm going to have to buy at least 4 sets which are exactly the same for that to be of any use and think it is cynical marketing on Lego's part making you have to buy multiple sets to get anything with play value.

So if not a speeder, what else? It needs to be a small vehicle (to keep costs of battle packs down) but big enough to justify it as a building set, not just a figures set.

monkeyhanger · July 2012

Watched Blu-ray TESB just now - no appearance of speeder bikes at all. I would have preferred some kind of heavy gun to accompany the Snow Troopers, like the one that was getting set up before the MF got away (there has been one seen elsewhere in Hoth sets). A Dewback for Tattooine troopers instead of that crap swoop bike would be good too. Samiam's modular set is great for the army builders too.

I've become a bit of an army builder myself recently after retaining about 40 Battle packs for my personal use from the 96 I acquired getting all those DarthMaul Polys from Smyths. I have quite a few figs on my Hoth and Endor shelves now.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

^ The thing is, you need to ask yourself who Lego are aiming these at: Adults that want armies or kids that want a few figures. I said it on the cuusoo thread too, I like the idea of the modular approach to samiam's idea. But I cannot see it happening. To me, it takes away the playability of a single set. If a parent looks at it, they will think either (i) it is a piece of corridor, that sucks, I want a set with a vehicle that my kid can swoosh or (ii) I'm going to have to buy at least 4 sets which are exactly the same for that to be of any use and think it is cynical marketing on Lego's part making you have to buy multiple sets to get anything with play value.

So if not a speeder, what else? It needs to be a small vehicle (to keep costs of battle packs down) but big enough to justify it as a building set, not just a figures set.

So what you are saying is that a typical adult is ignorant and wouldn't understand that a modular ser or battle pack is meant to be used with another set or joined together.

I am a parent and I use my 7 year nephew as an example all the time. When I hand him s ship without minifigures, he always asks "where are the guys?" If there are no minifigures he loses interest. When I hand him the X-Wing he says "I need a Tie Fighter to battle with." He has seen all the movies and he knows what he needs to complete a science. He's not stupid and I don't think a parent who knows their child would just buy a random Battle Pack and be done with it. Lego seems to always release sets and ships that "go together" I use the last X-Wing and Tie Fighter as an example. Also, the LOTR Army that attatches to Helms Deep. In the 80's Lego made lots of castle sets that were meant to be joined together.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

Also, I don't understand why you can't just have a minifigure battle pack. I was told it was because of licensing, but didn't Lego release Star Wars 3 figure sets? What's wrong with doing that?

roxio · July 2012

^it is because of Hasbro's action figure license. The 3 figure sets were released under the guise of magnets but were effectively 3 figure packs. Hasbro complained so Lego had to start with the glue versions we have now.
Opposite of this would be the current Lego POTC 5 figure battlepack available - I'm sure Lego would do SW versions if they could, they would sell unbelievably well

Pitfall69 · July 2012

No the first 3 figure sets were NOT magnets

Pitfall69 · July 2012

#3341, #3342

samiam391 · July 2012

^ The thing is, you need to ask yourself who Lego are aiming these at: Adults that want armies or kids that want a few figures. I said it on the cuusoo thread too, I like the idea of the modular approach to samiam's idea. But I cannot see it happening.

Thought I'd get involved here. What you said in your first sentence is absolutely true. People that buy battlepacks are after the figures. That's why it's a battlepack.. to get figures, get armies, and have massive battles (or whatever you like). People don't buy battlepacks for the little speeders or the tiny walkers, they buy it for the figures. No one really cares about the little vehicle that's included, it just let's LEGO sell figures and bypass the Hasbro licence.
So with that in mind, my idea and project isn't basing itself fully on the modular idea. It's a battlepack, thus the focus will be on the figures. The modular approach, is just a side idea to it, to make the battlepack possibly worth more than just the figures for people. Instead of getting just figures, now you get to create an actual scene from the movie. So two positives to the battlepack, rather than just one. It's using the pieces that LEGO uses in their battlepacks and giving them an ultimate purpose.

And in case some people are wondering what in the world we are talking about: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/19411

Pitfall69 · July 2012

You can't rely on the average person to put 2 and 2 together...lol.

bellybutton290 · July 2012

@y2josh in your defence the speeder bikes are in virtually all other media I have come across and the same is true of the rebel ice cutter/hover craft thing from that battlepack (though if a recall you can see one in an establishing shot of the echo base hanger in empire albeit only the front of it and only then in widscreen).

CCC · July 2012

So what you are saying is that a typical adult is ignorant and wouldn't understand that a modular ser or battle pack is meant to be used with another set or joined together.

No I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is (i) there is little play value in a single piece of corridor compared to a small vehicle and (ii) at the price of battle packs, a number of parents would not want to have to buy 10 packs to build a playable model. Battle packs are not just about army building. For kids playing with them, one pack can be enough. The battle packs usually have two sides (hence a battle). Small hands cannot always control 40 odd figures anyway, so a handful is often enough for playing battles. Yes big armies are nice, but you can have battles with small ones too.

LegoFanTexas · July 2012

So what you are saying is that a typical adult is ignorant and wouldn't understand that a modular ser or battle pack is meant to be used with another set or joined together.

No, the average person doesn't pay all that much attention, they have other things in their lives other than Lego.

These "put them together to make a *complete* set" ideas are great for people who come to forums such as these, but no one else. Most people don't have the time or attention span to "get it".

Pitfall69 · July 2012

I guess this is why the US is going down the crapper :(

Pitfall69 · July 2012

I don't mean to sound like an a$$, don't let the userpic fool you. I guess I just have too much faith in people. Its not necessarily a bad thing. I have an engineering background and I guess I see alot through the eyes of an engineer and not the "average" person.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

I know that Hasbro has tried the "scenes" plenty of times, but I don't know how successful they were. I personally enjoyed them.

pvancil27 · July 2012

^Went back and watched the movies, and I stand corrected. I could have sworn that the speeder bikes were there... though I also could have sworn the scene where Hobbie crashes through Veers' cockpit was also in the movie, so I should have already known that my memory of the novelizations and the films has been known to bleed together.

Hobbie isnt the pilot that crashes through the AT-AT, and it wasnt Gen Veer's AT AT. Hobbie is actually in ROTJ during the Planning section on Home One. Hobbie is then a very prominent in the Allston X Wing books.

Zev was the pilot who crashed into the AT-AT killing *random Imperial #87493*

/starwarsnerdrant

samiam391 · July 2012

So what you are saying is that a typical adult is ignorant and wouldn't understand that a modular ser or battle pack is meant to be used with another set or joined together.

No I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is (i) there is little play value in a single piece of corridor compared to a small vehicle and (ii) at the price of battle packs, a number of parents would not want to have to buy 10 packs to build a playable model. Battle packs are not just about army building. For kids playing with them, one pack can be enough. The battle packs usually have two sides (hence a battle). Small hands cannot always control 40 odd figures anyway, so a handful is often enough for playing battles. Yes big armies are nice, but you can have battles with small ones too.

You would certainly not have to buy 10 battlepacks to have a playable model. This is designed for battlepack buyers in mind, so it would really only take 2. If some Adult (or really well-off kid) wants to make it, say more realistic, then sure they can purchase 10 battlepacks. But really, this was designed so that buying just 2 sets would be enough for a combine-able playable scene. I think it even makes sense for someone just to buy one. Sure it isn't a swooshable speeder, but a hallway can still provide the same sort of entertainment.
Usually though, if someone wants to buy a battlepack, they buy it so the good guys can fight the bad guys. The only ones that collect a lot of the figure to have a gigantic army, are usually more adult collectors who don't care about the shabby amount of pieces in these sets. Most people will buy two of these anyway, so they can have that battle of good vs evil. If not... Assuming a kid at his place has at least one stormtrooper, that's enough for a battle in a hallway too.
As long as LEGO were to advertise it well, I think this would be a great seller. Obviously though, I'm builder biased so my opinion on that doesn't mean to much ;-)

Pitfall69 · July 2012

To be fair. On the Cafe Corner box, Lego showed you you what Cafe Corner would look like if you bought several copies. How many of you do that??? I wish I did...lol.

samiam391 · July 2012

I've just finished work on my next Combine-Able Battlepack idea, Theeds Palace.

This set draws from the scene in Episode One when the Theed Palace Guards rush through the hallways and up the stairs of the Palace, battling battle droids on their way to freeing the Queen.

I'll put up some pictures tomorrow when the editing process is finished to show it's functions and combine-ability.

Pitfall69 · July 2012

Nice, but that might offend some people. I guess they will have to turn on their Safe Search...lol

y2josh · July 2012

^Went back and watched the movies, and I stand corrected. I could have sworn that the speeder bikes were there... though I also could have sworn the scene where Hobbie crashes through Veers' cockpit was also in the movie, so I should have already known that my memory of the novelizations and the films has been known to bleed together.
Hobbie isnt the pilot that crashes through the AT-AT, and it wasnt Gen Veer's AT AT. Hobbie is actually in ROTJ during the Planning section on Home One. Hobbie is then a very prominent in the Allston X Wing books.

Zev was the pilot who crashed into the AT-AT killing *random Imperial #87493*

/starwarsnerdrant

In the novelization of The Empire Strikes Back (and, presumably, in most other media aside from the film) Hobbie flies his damaged snowspeeder directly into the cockpit of Blizzard One (this was in all drafts of the script up to the fourth). The original novelization suggests that both men died, but Return of the Jedi and further books in the EU canon expound upon the scene and we find that both Veers and Hobbie 'miraculously survived' the crash, though Veers loses his legs and is confined to a hoverchair up until he's killed at the Battle of Balmorra. Hobbie (and Ommis) ejected from their snowspeeder, made it back to base and then Hobbie, with Wedge and Janson, escorted the final transport off Hoth.

As far as I know, all media depicts Zev's death identically to the film, where he and Kit are simply killed in the exploding Rogue Two after it takes several shots from the AT-ATs.

jasor · May 2013

Know what would make most number of people happy? Walls for the army builder, and alternate building instructions for nonsensical swooshers for the parents (or single battlepack buyers).

We know TLG has it in them to do that....and how much would that add to battlepacks sold?

Pitfall69 · July 2013

Lego did it right with the Uruk Hai "Battle Pack".

Goldfreek · July 2013

Pitfall69 said:
Lego did it right with the Uruk Hai "Battle Pack".

yes they did. I have 5 of them now and I still want more. Just wish they cost a little less. $20 would be awesome.

Pitfall69 · July 2013

^Exactly. Maybe instead of Eomer another random soldier. No special helmet and cape. Maybe lower the price alittle

Pitfall69 · July 2013

The Lone Ranger Battle Pack should have not contained the Lone Ranger, but another Union soldier or more bricks.

Bumblepants · July 2013

We can only hope Storm Troopers will be significant in the upcoming Rebels cartoon and we get a new battlepack with them inside.

TheLoneTensor · July 2013

^While the Star Wars licensing agreement is active, there will never be a time when there is not a storm trooper battle pack (of some sort) on the horizon :)

Diggydoes · July 2013

Don't know if ya'll knew but the upcoming SW battle-packs won't be the "vs."type no more but will contain one faction!!!yeeey:)

BoiseState · July 2013

Pitfall69 said:
The Lone Ranger Battle Pack should have not contained the Lone Ranger, but another Union soldier or more bricks.

I think it's like Harry Potter.. There wasn't a single set without him.

cswa · July 2013

What was the general opinion of the 2008 packs? Those were, in my opinion, the better packs as they featured basic army figs and a vehicle that could transport them. Granted, the ships in these sets weren't straight out of the film but it beats getting a speeder bike in every set. Also on the topic of the rare character minifigures, shouldn't that be what those planet sets are for? The figure usually overrides the price. If actual characters were included in the sets, the value amongst collectors would skyrocket.

Pitfall69 · July 2013

Cloud City is the only one I see doing better than the rest over time, unless they rehash another Cloud Car. They probably need to with a Cloud Car pilot. "Fleshy" Lobot is only available in the planet set correct?

rancorbait · July 2013

cswa said:
What was the general opinion of the 2008 packs? Those were, in my opinion, the better packs as they featured basic army figs and a vehicle that could transport them. Granted, the ships in these sets weren't straight out of the film but it beats getting a speeder bike in every set. Also on the topic of the rare character minifigures, shouldn't that be what those planet sets are for? The figure usually overrides the price. If actual characters were included in the sets, the value amongst collectors would skyrocket.

I would have to agree with you on that one, the first ones were the best imho. Those were the ones that you could actually build an army with, and TLG should definitely go back to making those though I do understand that it would be difficult to make something other than a speeder for that price.

I'm really hoping for an ep 3 battle pack next year with clones and wookies and one with a spider droid and battle droids

chuxtoybox · August 2013

y2josh said:
^Went back and watched the movies, and I stand corrected. I could have sworn that the speeder bikes were there... though I also could have sworn the scene where Hobbie crashes through Veers' cockpit was also in the movie, so I should have already known that my memory of the novelizations and the films has been known to bleed together.

You would be freezing if you rode a speeder bike on Hoth, unless snowtrooper uniforms are extremely insulated! :}

Speeder bike seems to be a way to put a cheap vehicle in the battle pack to make you think you're getting more than you really are.

graphite · August 2013

Just because they wouldn't use them on Hoth doesn't mean they werent there. The Rebels moved around a lot so it isn't unlikely that they had all of their equipment with them but not all in use.

jasor · August 2013

^ ERRRRRYbody knows that Hoth is too cold for machinery. Hi there, Tauntaun. How have you been? Awww, are you sleepy? Tauntaun??? Whelp, I've got a warm place to sleep tonite. Stinky....but warm.

Pitfall69 · August 2013

I have a joke, but I'm going to keep it to myself this time ;)

Lego Star Wars Battle Packs

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