After a few days of reflection, observation and non-objective analysis of the various visuals we have on the first wave of sets expected for 2012, I give you here my very personal impressions.
I am a collector, I do not produce MOC, I do not buy to resell and I am content to gargle in front of my assembled sets or I complete those for which I am missing a few pieces in my spare time, it is up to say when I have the time to devote myself a little between my professional life and my family life. My opinion is therefore very oriented towards this collection aspect and only commits me.
All these sets have good arguments in their favor, the range is balanced and homogeneous. It encourages the purchase and collectors will still have to ruin themselves to not miss anything and not regret anything.
Younger players will also find plenty to enjoy in this wave of sets. An X-Wing, a TIE Fighter, and voilà, a space battle! The Battle Packs also offer excellent playability at a lower cost, which is great , as my son would say. Good guys and bad guys in the same box—that's fantastic!
9488 Elite Clone Trooper & Commando Droid Battle Pack : This is a very interesting Battle Pack. LEGO's choice of minifigures and the concept of mixing factions is a smart move. Unlike many AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO), I'm not averse to the very Clone Wars style of the minifigures since the launch of the animated series, even though I consider this series more of a marketing-driven expanded universe than a true saga fleshing out the original timeline. The canon in this set is there to fill space and won't go down in history. As for the minifigures, the execution lives up to expectations: modern, varied, and innovative. The ARC Trooper, ARF Trooper, and Commando Droids are well done and demonstrate LEGO's ability to produce something other than basic clones.
9489 Endor Rebel Trooper & Imperial Trooper Battle Pack : What can be said about this Battle Pack? It's more geared towards the Original Trilogy and provides the essentials for creating a small scene on Endor with two factions, a diseased tree, and (yet another) Speederbike. A good buy to bolster your rebel and clone armies and to combine with a few Ewoks.
9490 Droid Escape : In my opinion, the most successful set of this 2012 wave. The Sandtroopers are fabulous, printed from head to toe and perfectly "dusty." C-3PO comes in a beautiful variant, and the Escape Pod is detailed enough to make you forget the inevitable stickers. An essential set to complete a series of C-3PO minifigures in all its variants, and to finally achieve a credible recreation of this scene from the film.
9492 TIE Fighter : I love this version of the TIE Fighter. The new wings, improved cockpit design, and overall apparent sturdiness are very appealing. The minifigures are well-chosen and varied, with a particularly well-done R5-J2 astromech droid. I really like all these droids, and I was starting to get tired of seeing almost only R2-D2 in every possible form. The Death Star Trooper is magnificent, and the Imperial Officer provides the set's vintage touch.
9493 X-Wing Starfighter : At the risk of disappointing some, I'm not particularly thrilled with this set after further consideration. I've seen 6212 too many times, and ultimately, the X-Wing in System format didn't necessarily warrant a set dedicated to it in this wave. The evolution in design is obvious, the curves are appealing, but I only appreciate this set for the inclusion of minifigures that allow for dual pilot/astromech droid use: Luke & R2-D2 and Jek Porkins & R5-D8. And I have a strong aversion to those rubber bands, which remind me more of cheap Chinese toys than LEGO sets.
9494 Anakin's Jedi Interceptor : Well, a green Jedi Interceptor... At least it's not yellow or red. And even if it does correspond to a craft glimpsed in Revenge of the Sith , this green isn't exactly tasteful. Fortunately, the minifigures redeem it. Anakin is very angry, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Nute Gunray are welcome additions. I'm just curious to see how R2-D2 has been integrated into the side compartment of the craft.
9491 Geonosian Cannon : Another cannon of little real interest, but the minifigures are an absolute must-have for any self-respecting collection: Geonosian Zombie, Geonosian Warrior, Barriss Offee, and Commander Gree—it's almost too much for a set of this size. Buy it now to make sure you don't miss out on a Commander Gree that you might not see anywhere else.
9495 Gold Leader's Y-Wing Starfighter : THE set that will win over Star Wars fans to LEGO. The Y-Wing might be a bit of a shock at first, but on closer inspection, it proves to be relatively faithful to the Studio model used in the films. We'll overlook the green flick-fire missiles (Why green?) added by LEGO for the sake of playability, and get to what ultimately makes this set a must-have: The Leia Celebration minifigure . The perfect complement to the two Luke and Han Solo minifigures with their medals.
