Death Star (75159) - Minifigs and a TIE Bomber!

The first thing that gets built from any set are mini-figs and this set is no different. Chapter 1 comes with 4 mini-figs - Darth Vader, an Imperial Officer, Death Star Droid, and an Imperial Astromech.

There is also a garbage droid but it's a small buildable component and not a minifigure.

A surprise build, however, was the TIE bomber. I did not realize that was part of this build. Given it's small scale, it is surprisingly detailed, from the printed cockpit piece to the curved wings to the laser turrets.

It is accessed via a hatch on the top of the vessel.

Death Star (75159) - Unboxing!

Mom decided she was ready to tackle the Death Star. This is a big step because she typically shies away from Star Wars sets due to the overwhelming "grayness" of the sets. I think she found this one more acceptable because of all the scenes that are built into the structure.

At over 4,000 pieces, this build will likely take us a while to work our way through. Certainly not the blitzkrieg of our previous builds (BB8 and Year of the Pig).

This is another UCS set, and in my opinion, one of the better looking ones. We've passed over a number of other UCS sets like Cloud City and Snowspeeder, which we really just didn't feel were anything too special.

 The first thing that came out of the box was the instruction manual. You know you are working with a big set when the manual weighs about 10 pounds and comes with a coil spine to support the weight. I'm a fan of the coil spine though as it makes it much easier to flip through the book without crunching pages and putting creases into the binding.

Year of the Pig! (40186) - Fastest Build Ever!

As you may know, according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2019 is the Year of the Pig. One of the free gifts that Lego was giving out earlier this year was a commemorative set to celebrate the Year of the Pig. 

At only 153 pieces, we were able to get this built in under an hour, including unboxing, taking photos and finding a spot to display the finished set.

Aside from looking adorable, this set is well articulated. The ears can swivel in any direction due to the ball joint used at the connection points to the head. The arms, likewise, can swing all the way around and the feet can also pivot sideways.

The huge eyes and snout really make this figure stand out and serve well to catch the eye. It's also pretty funny that the pig is displayed on a platter of salad (at least that is what my food-oriented mind has interpreted the green leaves and red studs as!).

 The back is a little more plain but features a curly little pig tail.

As far as free sets so, this is definitely one of my favorites. The freebies aren't typically as detailed as this one, nor do they have as many pieces. The free sets typically come in a plastic bag as well, and not a proper box like this one. Well done Lego!

BB8 (75187) Final Thoughts Already!

Like I said, this was a quick and easy build.

Mom really liked the colors - her biggest complaint about Star Wars sets is that they seem to be primarily gray and she isn't wrong. So the fact that this little guy is orange and white with only hints of gray was very satisfying for her. She also very much appreciated the "cuteness" factor of the set.

It has decent heft to it for a relatively small physical footprint and certainly isn't something that is going to go rolling away on you. It balances fairly well on its own but the set includes a mounting frame for it to sit on. The frame also has the classic UCS placard attached and really elevates the elegance of the model.

It also comes with a BB8 mini-figure which sits below the model.

The only "wish list" item I have for this set would be the orientation of the welding torch. As previously mentioned, when fully extended, it sits at an angle towards the torso instead of being fully vertical. It would also have been nice if retracting the torch automatically pulled the access panel shut as well. As it stands, the hatch must be shut manually.

Nonetheless, these are very minor critiques in what is otherwise a very solid and fun build that results in a splash of color to the Star Wars sets.

BB8 (75187) - Building the Body

The body was an uncomplicated build - essentially repeating the same thing 6 times with the only differences being cosmetic ones to show different buttons on BB8's various surfaces.

It came together very rapidly, which explains the small number of update posts. Below is a closeup of the torch in extended position - it is extended and retracted by turning the center of the surface to the right.

The head is able to swivel a full 360 degrees and also has a little play in the "neck" so that it bobbles back and forth when you swivel it. The swiveling is controlled by another turning plate built into the right side of BB8.

BB8 (75187) - Back to Star Wars!

We decided to return to Star Wars with our next build - the cute little droid we all love ... BB8!! This was a relatively small build in comparison to the usual large scale projects we take on.

It was a relatively simple build. The internals of the sphere are comprised of some technique pieces that allow for the 2 movement functions - the extension of the welding torch in the "thumbs up" sign and the swiveling of the head.

Here is the torch in its extended position. I really wish that it could go further so that the flame would be fully upright instead of angled in towards the torso.