LEGO Star Wars Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers 75001 is a dream army-builder set for a lot of folks who love the Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG franchise. I’m not one of those people. That’s not to say I don’t think that this is a cool 2013 LEGO Star Wars set, but I’m not as emotionally invested in these characters as I gather a lot of other Star Wars fans are. Like the majority of the people who will buy this LEGO set, I’ve never even played a KOTOR game. But even as someone not well-acquainted with these characters, it’s readily apparent to me that this LEGO Star Wars Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers set has a lot to offer….

The Right:

Let’s get the obvious out of the way here first: if you buy the LEGO Star Wars Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers set, you’re getting two Republic Troopers minifigures and two Sith Troopers minifigures for about $12. Considering that you previously had to buy a $90 LEGO Sith Fury-Class Interceptor 9500 to get one Sith Trooper minifigure and a $45 Republic Striker-Class Starfighter 9497 to get one Republic Trooper–well, you get the idea. $12 sure beats spending $270 to get these four minifigures, right?

And luckily, the minifigures in this set are also all slightly distinct from the ones in the 2012 LEGO Star Wars The Old Republic sets, so if you purchased those earlier sets, you don’t need to feel too ripped off. While the Republic Trooper minifigure from LEGO 9497 was in red armor, both of the new Republic Troopers are in orange armor.

Meanwhile, both Sith Trooper minifigures are a huge improvement on the first LEGO Sith Trooper from LEGO 9500. While that Sith Trooper was in black armor with plain black legs with no design printed on them, both new LEGO Sith Troopers minifigures have printed legs in addition to printed torsos. And even better, the two aren’t identical–while one of the new Sith Troopers is still in black armor, the other is in predominantly maroon red armor this time out.

The four figures in this set all have printed backs, individual guns, and even totally-different heads under their helmets! As far as LEGO army-builder battle packs go, the minifigures in this one are a complete and total victory both for buyers and for LEGO itself.

While three of the four guns included in this set are just standard blaster pistols and a blaster, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the heavy cannon. While I initially thought the heavy cannon was inferior to the awesome mega-blaster from the Galaxy Squad Space Swarmer 70700 set I reviewed earlier in the month, it turns out that the heavy cannon looks a lot more refined and realistic (so far as realism goes when you’re talking about cannons made of LEGO blocks).

The Wrong:

The Old Republic must have been a pretty boring place if the most interesting small vehicle that LEGO could think of to include in this set is the Sith Speeder. From a combat point-of-view, this vehicle just isn’t at all compelling. If anything, the large and unshielded LEGO Sith Speeder makes the poor Sith Trooper minifigure a sitting duck for the heavily-armed Republic Troopers.

The Sith Speeder is a cute little rig, and I actually really like the colors on it–and yes, even the stickers don’t bother me. But I know a lot of collectors who want to army-build this LEGO 75001 set, and I can’t imagine any of them want one of these Sith Speeders in their collection for every two Sith Troopers minifigures that they have.

Also, the Sith Speeder comes equipped with dual flickfire missiles, which I have an unabiding hatred for. I know they’re for kids, but I just can’t stand the look of the things and I hate seeing them mar any LEGO vehicle.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”
LEGO 75001 Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers is part of the early 2013 LEGO Star Wars wave of sets. It should be starting to hit stores in mass this January, but it’s also available for retail price online with free shipping and no tax (in most states).

Overall: While the LEGO Sith Speeder itself doesn’t excite me, it’s really just a bonus that complements the four minifigures in this set. For just about $12, you get four army-builder trooper figures previously only available in expensive sets. Not only that, but both the 2013 Republic Troopers and Sith Troopers are big improvements over the 2012 minifigures! The LEGO Star Wars Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers 75001 set is an affordable-priced battle pack full of desirable minifigures and a passable vehicle, and is certain to be a big hit and a hot seller throughout 2013.

GRADE: A-