Key particulars
- Value: $399.99/£349.99
- Mannequin quantity: #10356
- Variety of items: 3600
- Dimensions: H: 11″ (27cm), W: 19″ (48cm), D: 24″ (60cm)
- Really useful age: 18+
Transfer over, Star Wars, and get out of right here, Marvel, as a result of there may be lastly an official Star Trek Lego set… and what a set. The primary Star Trek Lego set was at all times going to be some variation of the united statesEnterprise, however as a large The Subsequent Era stan, I am glad that it was my beloved: the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D.
It is also a hefty $400 — a worth level that can make you yearn for the moneyless society of the present. So, was it well worth the wait, and is it well worth the cash? Let’s head into the evaluate at warp seven and discover out.
Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D: Construct
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- Physique constructed with two mirrored halves
- 3600 items
- Some easy-to-apply stickers and printed items
The Lego Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D is produced from 3600 items, cut up throughout 30 totally different baggage and two instruction books. The primary guide covers the ship’s important physique and the flight stand, whereas the second guide is dedicated to the saucer part.
To make it so, the construct begins with the primary physique and wings that maintain the nacelles (aka the ship’s warp engines). You truly assemble the physique from two mirror halves, that are then connected utilizing a number of lengthy cross-axle items (the lengthy plus-shaped bars). I used to be particularly impressed with how the designers crafted the primary deflector array — that blue oval on the entrance of the ship that is at all times firing off tractor beams and tachyon pulses — which is produced from two, custom-printed cockpit windscreen items that you simply invert, creating the concave form of the array.
With the physique constructed, it is time for a fast detour to assemble the flight stand, because the mounted place it affords makes attaching the engines a lot simpler.
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Talking of which, you will transfer on to constructing the nacelles themselves, which make good use of blue and crimson clear items to recreate the long-lasting look of the ship’s glowing engines. As soon as assembled, the nacelles slot into place properly, and by this level, you have bought a working ship… so long as you do not thoughts commanding your daft-looking ship from the battle bridge.
The again half of the construct is much more technical, as you are constructing a bigger round disc out of sq. and rectangular Lego items. This feat is achieved by first establishing a central body, just like the spokes of a wheel, after which attaching it to the primary physique. I bumped into a difficulty right here, as I found I would made a mistake in part 1 that solely reared its ugly head right here. A single piece was rotated 90 levels within the fallacious course, and it stopped the saucer from slotting in. Luckily, I used to be capable of restore it with out disassembling the complete factor, however my coronary heart did cease for a second once I found my mistake.
As soon as the body is in place, you then connect the highest panels, which use angled items and hinge attachments, slotting collectively right into a rattling spectacular approximation of a circle.
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Issues get trickier from right here, although, as the ultimate stretch has you repeating this course of on the underside of the ship. The instruction guide appears to think about that you’ve infinite room to work beneath the ship whereas doing this, however in observe, it is fairly difficult. I gave up ultimately and simply flipped the entire thing over, which felt very sketchy, and I ended up knocking just a few random items off through the operation.
Regardless of my temporary (and self-inflicted) cardiac episode, I had a unbelievable time constructing the Enterprise. The 9 minifigures are scattered all through the construct, offering a pleasant palette cleanser as you’re employed by means of this sizeable construct. They’re all easy to assemble as you’d count on, although Riker’s trombone is a powerful — and rickety — piece of engineering.
Some mirror sections successfully name so that you can construct the identical factor twice, however the truth that it is mirrored — and never similar — retains you in your toes. There are some particular printed items, together with some stickers scattered all through the construct, however they’re all straightforward sufficient to use.
Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D: Design
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- Nice show mannequin
- Complete assortment of minifigures
- Generally is a little fragile to deal with when accomplished
I have been ready a really very long time for a Lego Star Trek set, and I am thrilled to say the united statesS. Enterprise NCC-1701-D was well worth the wait. The design group has completely replicated the long-lasting starship in beautiful element — no small feat given its awkward dimension and form. I used to be skeptical of how the round saucer part would look when constructed out of flat-edge items, however it appears gorgeous.
Some easter eggs are hiding across the ship that followers will respect, together with the dedication plaque that emblazons the again wall of the Enterprise’s bridge (full with a hilarious typo). Sadly, this set is not large enough to have a minifig scale bridge hidden inside it, so the plaque lives in a hidden compartment as a substitute.
Talking of minifigures, the gathering included right here is complete, with virtually your whole favourite characters from the present (unhealthy luck to the Tasha Yar and Chief O’Brien stans on the market). All of them look great, every with their very own distinctive equipment starting from Worf’s phaser by means of to Riker’s ridiculous trombone.
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There are some distinctive Lego items used right here, too, together with Worf’s “hair” and Guinan’s flamboyant headpiece. There’s a platform to retailer the minifigs on, and a printed show piece with cool details and figures in regards to the Enterprise on it, too.
One other neat contact is the “pin” that locks the saucer part in place, which is cleverly disguised as a shuttlecraft approaching the shuttlebay. It is a cute piece of design, although the removable saucer part itself is — very similar to within the present — a gimmick that you will not often use.
The mannequin is just too fragile to deal with (since finishing it, I knocked a chunk off whereas displaying it off on webcam and cannot for the lifetime of me discover the place it got here from). Past that, there isn’t a show stand to carry the saucer part by itself, so until you are recreating the top of Star Trek: Generations, it is not value detaching.
Do you have to purchase the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D?
When you’re a Star Trek fan and a Lego collector, after all, you should purchase this set. And by the appears of it, plenty of you already did as a result of the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D bought virtually instantly out on launch day. When you missed the primary wave, don’t be concerned, as a result of we’re certain it will be again in inventory at warp velocity.
The Enterprise is an excellent set to construct and a stunning show piece when it is accomplished. It is costly, as you’d count on from a 3,600-piece Lego set, however I feel it is properly well worth the worth of admission for Trekkies. Your pockets’s shields by no means stood an opportunity.
Different Lego units to think about
As we stated within the intro, the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D is the primary and solely Star Trek Lego set on the market for now (until you depend the Kind-15 Shuttlepod that got here with the pre-order), so we have no different Trekkie units to advocate to you.
When you’re agnostic within the Trek vs Wars divide, there are many superb Star Wars Lego units to think about, although. My private favourite is the Venator-Class Republic Assault Cruiser, an unlimited 5,374-piece monster that dwarfs even the Enterprise.
If the $649.99/£559.99 price ticket on that set has triggered a crimson alert out of your financial institution, there are some cheaper units we love too; specifically, the Mos Espa Podrace Diorama and the cute Grogu with Hover Pram, each of which may be had for beneath $100.
