LEGO Star Wars 75365: Yavin 4 Rebel Base [Review]
LEGO Star Wars fans have enjoyed plenty of sets featuring major locations from movies and television shows, but there is one location which has never been featured in a playset, and that’s the rebel base on Yavin 4. With only 2 appearances in movies, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this base set in an ancient Massassi temple surrounded by forests was the site of the first major victory against the Galactic Empire. Unfortunately, the set may disappoint some fans as it is clearly designed for a younger audience. LEGO Star Wars 75365: Yavin 4 Rebel Base includes 1,066 pieces and will be available on August 1st for US $169 | CAN $219 | UK £149
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
Unboxing the parts, instructions, and sticker sheets
The set comes in a large but thin box that features the finished model prominently on the front, along with a lineup of 12 minifigures. The age on the set is 8+, which indicates that it is designed for a younger audience. On the back of the box, the finished model is shown from the back, which shows off some of the many interior sections.
Inside the box there are 11 numbered bags and a medium-sized sticker sheet. There is also a separate envelope with 6 instruction booklets that cover each of the modular sections of the set, allowing builders to work together.
The build
The build starts with the Y-wing bomber, which, due to the age range, is a much simpler model than the recent TIE fighter and X-wing sets. The fighter starts with a simple core of stacked plates and a sloped section for the engines to connect to.
Despite the simplicity of the ship, the build is actually pretty neat, capturing iconic details like the angled cockpit and twin engine nacelles that give the fighter its nickname. The use of a windshield part from the Speed Champions theme is a nice choice, and without printing, the part can be re-used for custom creations.
At the back of each booklet, an image from the movie is included to highlight the subject of each building stage.
Next, we start on the first of three main sections of the Massassi temple where the rebels make their home during the early stages of the Galactic civil war in which the movie is set. This is the right side of the temple that flanks the central hanger door and tower. The build is fairly simple, with stacks of slopes and bricks with a few attachments for plants on the outside.
There are only a few small details for the interior mostly made up of stickered wall panels and clips for weapons. The build continues to add more slopes and bricks to the front of the temple, and this section ends with the computer screen from the briefing which shows the weak point of the Death Star’s small thermal exhaust port. There are a few chairs, and a blue milk dispenser in the corner.
Moving on to the central section, we build the hangar door frame out of stacked bricks and not much else. The level above the main hangar door holds a pair of connected stud shooters on turntables and 2 large transparent panels for the geometric computer screen displays. There is a single targeting station and a crate.
The left side will be a mirror of the right side but with the round holo-table seen in the movie as the Death Star creeps around the gas giant of the Yavin system. There are a few extra parts that could hold computer screens but they are noticeably missing. The front wall of the temple matches the right side.
With the 3 main sections complete it’s time to put them all together. They connect with Technic pins at the base and second level, and from the front, the scene is starting to come together. The hangar door is large enough to fit the Y-wing fighter.
Next is the front facade for the top tower, which consists of the award ceremony room from the end of the movie, and a small floor for a radio or radar dish assembly. The great hall includes steps and some vegetation along the back wall.
The two sides are mirror builds that include more vegetation and an upside-down bracket that holds the radar dish floor. The roof is a simple plate and hinge structure which clips to the tops of the template sides.
Lastly, we have a stubby-looking tree with the iconic scout station attached to the top. The tree is extremely basic and feels more like something you would find in a 4+ set. I feel like LEGO could have included a more realistic tree with the scout station in a fixed position, rather than the simple feature they included to raise and lower the station.
The minifigures
The set includes 12 minifigures, with a few uncommon appearances, like General Dodonna, and named Garven Dreis (Red leader) and Jon Vander (Gold leader), as well as a gray astromech R2-BHD. Almost all of them have torso, leg, and back printing and several have a second expression.
First we have Chewbacca, Luke, and Han. The two human heroes are wearing their award ceremony outfits. Luke and Han look casual, if a bit reserved. Their alternate expressions look a bit more concerned. Maybe they feel bad that Chewie didn’t get a medal (my copy of the set came with an extra one for Chewie to hold, but He could not wear it due to his custom-formed head/torso piece.
C-3PO, R2-D2, and the princess are next. Leia wears her ceremonial outfit and long braids. Her alternate expression is a bit more whimsical, and she seems to almost wink.
The two pilots have identical printings and facial expressions. General Dodonna has an open-mouthed expression, like he is in the middle of his briefing, while his alternate expression is more thoughtful. The alt expression of the pilots looks a bit concerned or determined.
Finally, R2-BHD has printing on only the front of its torso. The hangar tech who pilots the cargo cart, and the scout have friendly, and slightly more serious expressions.
The finished model
The completed model looks good for the level of detail it includes, and there are plenty of areas to put minifigures to reenact your favorite scenes from this location in the movie. For the recommended age range the details and play features are a bit simple, and as I have said before, feel more like the level of detail usually found in the 4+ sets. Despite the size, I actually think the Y-wing ia the most interesting part of the set. Especially if you throw in the utility cart. For many LEGO Star Wars fans, the big draw for this set is the minifigures, with 12 in all. It may be pretty good as a parts pack too, with loads of dark sand bricks, slopes, and plates, as well as plenty of decent greebly bits in gray.
Conclusions and recommendations
While the set is a good minifigure collection, the fact that it is designed for a younger audience means that is is not going to be a very good display set compared to LEGO Star Wars 75290: Mos Eisly Cantina or LEGO Star Wars 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City, or even the LEGO Star Wars 75159 Death Star. Aside from this, the set was a fun and easy build, and includes enough details to allow for plenty of play options for kids. LEGO Star Wars 75365: Yavin 4 Rebel Base includes 1,066 pieces and will be available on August 1st for US $169 | CAN $219 | UK £149.
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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