I’m not usually interested in LEGO that is not minifigure scale but something about this particular diorama set appealed to me, so when I saw it with a good discount I couldn’t resist. Let’s have a closer look.
FROM THE CREATORS: Recapture the drama of an iconic Star Wars: A New Hope scene with this Star Wars LEGO set for adults, part of build-to-display diorama models. Recreate the surface of the Death Star and the pursuit of Luke Skywalker’s X-wing by Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced fighter and 2 TIE fighters. To complete this Star Wars room décor piece, attach the plaque bearing the words “The Force is strong with this one,” as spoken by Darth Vader.
Part of an initial 3 sets in a wave of Star Wars dioramas, the Trench Run is the only one without any minifigures. And that’s ok. (And that’s ok. I’m going to keep repeating that to myself).
The build process is certainly unique compared to other LEGO builds I’ve done. Aside from the base and the ships the whole thing is pretty much just lots and lots of very small grey parts. Mainly light bluish grey but with a smattering of dark bluish grey to keep things fresh!
While building this set I recorded a time-lapse to show how it all comes together. Check it out below if you like that sort of thing.
The whole scene is essentially an entire build of greebling. I think many will find this tedious but I actually really enjoyed it. I suppose it depends what sort of builds you enjoy. Its not repetitive and its all interesting texture.
Lots of interesting small sub assemblies and the careful arrangement of 1×1 and 1x 2 plates, tiles and other quirky small parts. I could really feel it coming together as I kept adding to these two planes.
And come together it does. My interest in Star Wars is heavily weighted toward the original trilogy and I love that trench scene. This set for me recreates that textured space terrain much better than any other previous official set.
The surface of the Death Star is really just a backdrop for a space battle though
We get 4 craft here, Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing, Vader’s TIE and two regular TIE Fighters.
I’ve seen some people complain that these are nothing more than advent calendar builds. I think that’s a bit harsh. In two ways, one, some of the advent calendar builds are ingenious and two, I think these are a larger scale and therefore do pack in a bit more detail.
The TIE Fighters all vary in some way, the two standard are different because one has clips for laser blasts and the other does not. They are simple but at this scale they look very good and proper. The X-Wing too is well done, the R2 1×1 round tile is a nice touch.
Vader’s TIE is probably the weakest entry, for me the wings are a bit too bulky but I’m not sure how else you could get the correct shaping with existing Lego parts at this scale. It’s still very obvious to me what it is and looks good as part of the overall display.
This set is of course primarily meant for display. There are no play features to speak of though the turret turns and the ships can be moved and placed in different positions easily enough.
I had lots of fun sliding the diorama past the static ships to create motion in some photos. This was very enjoyable and a key reason I decided to pick up the set.
This set retails for £55, but I picked it up for £31. I think £55 is too much but it’s on par with other LEGO sets at the moment. I’m happy with the price I paid.
Regardless of price it’s a nice display piece. Anyone with a fondness for the trench run scene and LEGO Star Wars will surely be glad to have this sat on a shelf.
FREETHEFIGURES 