Review: LEGO Star Wars 75396 Desert Skiff and Sarlacc Pit

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75396 Desert Skiff and Sarlacc Pit, a box of 558 pieces which will be available via the official online store as well as in LEGO Stores from August 1, 2024 at the public price of €79,99.

This is not the first time that LEGO has offered a derivative product combining the Desert Skiff and the Sarlacc, long-time collectors necessarily remember the set 6210 Jabba's Sail Barge (781 pieces - €74,99) sold in 2006, from the reference 9496 Desert Skiff (213 pieces - €33,99) launched in 2012 as well as the set 75174 Desert Skiff Escape (277 pieces - €39,99) marketed in 2017, but here we are witnessing an inversion of the size ratio between the two elements of the set with a Sarlacc Pit which takes on more scale compared to a Skiff which remains an interpretation as always modest of the machine.

LEGO offering a toy for young fans, it was necessary to integrate something to have a little fun with this product and it is the Sarlacc which is responsible for offering a fun function with tentacles which can be set in motion via two wheels placed one side of the building. The mouth of the Sarlacc is not associated with this functionality, it must be opened and closed manually. The creature's hole gains context with a much wider border than in previous interpretations, it was necessary to conceal the mechanism.

We could discuss the shape of the hole, the thickness of the edges of the construction which seems to come out of the ground and the interest of offering something so bulky and consuming parts in a box like that, but this is undoubtedly the most consistent proposition of the Sarlacc Pit in a LEGO version to date and it at least has the merit of taking the subject a little more seriously than for previous interpretations.

The Desert Skiff delivered in this box is a direct homage to the version marketed in 2017, of which it retains the proportions and takes up the main lines while adding some welcome finishing details. The machine “floats” in the air thanks to a few transparent parts, and for once this is very good news.

I often criticize LEGO for offering us ships and machines that rest miserably on the ground instead of being presented in suspension, I am satisfied to see that the manufacturer does not skimp here on the provision of transparent parts. Mobile barrier, retractable board, the features are there and playability is assured. No stickers in this box, it should be noted.

For many adult fans, this product will obviously only beg to be associated with the Jabba's Sail Barge in the format Ultimate Collector Series that the rumor promises us for October 2024 under the reference 75397, it will be necessary to check if the staging works by admitting that the UCS set of more than 4000 pieces does not contain any of the two elements presented here on a more suitable scale.

In terms of minifigs, this box does not disappoint with a consistent casting and a good effort in updating the outfits for some of the characters. For those who are wondering, Boba Fett is identical here to the version delivered in the set 75369 Boba Fett Mech (€15.99) and the Chewbacca figurine is the one delivered in many boxes for several years.

The rest of the cast, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, benefit from new elements. Big update for the version of Lando disguised as Skiff Guard, the figurine is really very accomplished with this time pad-printed legs and an update of the printing on the usual helmet.

The figurine responsible for celebrating the 25th anniversary of the LEGO Star Wars range is not completely off topic here even if the character has nothing to do in this scene: it is the pilot Nien Nunb seen alongside Lando Calrissian in Episode VI.

This character will probably never be entitled to a real set featuring him and LEGO will have judged that the only opportunity to offer him to fans was during the inclusion of various and varied minifigs in a series of sets for celebrate the 25th anniversary of the range. Too bad for the slight difference in color between the red pieces and the pad printing on a black background in the center of the torso.

Once again, we are looking for the €80 requested by LEGO in the contents of this box, the new pad printing offered does not justify this price positioning. We get a luxury toy with a few features and half a dozen figurines including a completely new character, but the public price of this product seems really high to me as it stands.

We will therefore wait, as is often the case, for this company to benefit from a reduction in its public price or an opportunity to be offered something to thank us for agreeing to pay full price for it.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 15, 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

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