LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2015

December 1, 2015 | 348

Hello! If you’re looking for this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar countdown, head on over to the 2016 post for daily updates!

Welcome to the first day of December! One of my favourite annual holiday traditions is LEGO’s annual Advent Calendar set. Just like last year, I opted to go for the Star Wars Advent Calendar, instead of the Friends and City one as they didn’t particularly excite me at all.

Similar to 2014, I will be updating this post every day with the contents of each window as we count down towards Christmas! That’ll be much easier for you to keep track of my Advent Calendar experience, rather than cluttering up my entire blog feed with daily advent calendar posts.

Spoiler warning! If you don’t want to find out the contents of each window, look away now or come back when you’ve opened your own window!

Here’s a look at the front and back of the Advent Calendar, which gives you a sneak peek at some of the daily builds that feature in the set.

To make it easier for you to check out each day, here’s a bunch of hyperlinks to each day’s content. Click on each Day and you will jump to the corresponding section of the page.

• Day 1 – Jabba’s Sail Barge

• Day 2 – Sarlacc Pit

• Day 3 – LIN Demolitionmech Droid

• Day 4 – Jawa

• Day 5 – Sandcrawler

• Day 6 – Weapons Rack

• Day 7 – Ewok Village

• Day 8 – Ewok Warrior

• Day 9 – Ewok Catapult

• Day 10 – Stormtrooper

• Day 11 – Star Destroyer

• Day 12 – Blaster Rack

• Day 13 – Assassin Droid

• Day 14 – Millennium Falcon

• Day 15 – Laser Turret

• Day 16 – A-Wing Starfighter

• Day 17 – Hoth Rebel Trooper

• Day 18 – AT-AT

• Day 19 – Hoth Ion Cannon

• Day 20 – Viper Probe Droid

• Day 21 – Weapons Console

• Day 22 – R2-D2

• Day 23 – Lightsaber Sleigh

• Day 24 – Santa C-3Po

• Final Thoughts on the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar

To follow this post and see what each new day brings, you can either bookmark this post and check back each day, or access it right from my home page by clicking on the link under the red arrow!

Don’t forget to also subscribe to my blog if you want to get notifications of future posts 🙂 You can also like the Jay’s Brick Blog Facebook page to get updated when I update this post!

Pop open the front flap for a little playmat that extends out where you can arrange the builds day by day. You’re also treated to look at all 24 windows, one for each day in the countdown to Christmas! How exciting!

This year’s Advent Calendar has a bit of an oddity – you’ll notice a sticker covering the side of the box which has the “Includes Exclusive C-3PO minifigure” phrase printed on it in several languages. Wonder what’s behind it?

Woops! Looks like someone didn’t proofread before approving the box designs!

The instructions for the Star Wars Advent Calendar LEGO models are printed on each door. They’re fairly easy to follow as most builds are only made up of a small number of pieces.

It may be December but it’s not too late to join in the Advent Calendar festivities. They will be pretty hard to find as I’ve not noticed a lot lying around on store shelves so your mileage may vary. Check your local independent LEGO stores like Toyworld and see if you have any luck finding any of these!

It’s an exciting time of the year with the new Star Wars movie coming out and I’m already in a Star Wars frenzy. I’m not the most knowledgeable Star Wars fan around, so pardon me if I get anything wrong!

Let’s kick off the 2015 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!

Day 1

Window #1 reveals an adorable micro-scale Jabba’s Sail Barge! First making its debut in Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, Jabba’s Sail Barge is the scene of the heroic rescue of Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca by Luke Skywalker.

It’s especially memorable to me as it’s the first time we see kick-ass Luke as well as the unveiling of his newly designed green lightsaber. The miniature Jabba’s Sail Barge captures the wavy look of the original vehicle, complete with its iconic orange sails.

We’re off to a great start, check in tomorrow for Day 2!

Day 2

In the window #2 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar, we get a miniature Sarlacc Pit to accompany Day 1’s Sail Barge. The Sarlacc is a sentient creature distinguished by its gaping maw filled with a massive beak, tentacles and plenty of sharp teeth. It made its name in Star Wars legend by being one of the focal points of Return of the Jedi as well as infamously gobbling up Boba Fett!

The Sarlacc Pit’s design is quite simple but its unmistakable for fans of the Original Trilogy thanks to the use of dark tan horns as tentacles and the brown stud in the middle as its beak. I really like the use of tan cheese slopes surrounding it which gives the model a bit of texture and that sandy Tattooine desert look as well.

Here are the spare elements leftover from the build.

I have no idea what the transparent piece in the corner is supposed to be as I don’t recall any structures around the Sarlacc Pit in the movie.

My best guess is that it’s a spot to perch the Sail Barge on as it matches the transparent pieces below the Barge which are there to create the illusion that it’s levitating in mid-air.

So there you have it, the first 2 Windows from the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar! It’s quite a decent start as both models combine to create a very memorable movie setting and when placed together, visually completes each other quite well.

That’s all for Day 2 – I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to get some minifigures next! Who knows what Day 3 will bring – check in again tomorrow and thanks for reading!

Day 3

I’ll be honest, when I popped open the window from Day 3 I had absolutely NO idea what the build was. It looked like a cross between a tank, turtle and horseshoe crab and I have to admit that my Star Wars knowledge failed me here.

Some furious Googling ensued before I finally discovered what it was! Day 3 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us a LIN Demolitionmech Droid, an autonomous minelayer droid that apparently made an appearance in Episode 4: A New Hope. It was one of the droids amongst R2-D2 and C-3PO when they were in the Sandcrawler.

The LIN droid is such an obscure part of the Star Wars universe but I kinda like the build as it looks pretty cute and is rather well designed. I may be wrong but I also believe that this is the first time a LIN Demolitionmech droid has made an appearance in a LEGO set.

Here are the spare parts after you’re finished.

So that’s it for Day 3! We’re still on the Tattooine-theme although it seems like we’ve jumped back to Episode IV with the LIN droid. Is the Advent Calendar preparing us for some more Sandcrawler-related builds or characters?

Check in tomorrow to find out what Day 4 will bring!

Day 4

Finally, a minifigure! Day 4 of the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar treats us to an adorable Jawa minifigure! Unlike previous days where the the builds were slightly obscured, the Jawa should be quite recognizable to fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, having featured quite prominently in A New Hope.

Jawas are natives of Tatooine, easily identifiable by their squat bodies, brown robes and mysterious bright yellow eyes that peek out of their black shapeless faces. They’re scavengers, working with droids and scraps and pilot Sandcrawlers to traverse the sandy dunes of Tatooine.

This is my very first Jawa minifigure that I’ve ever owned and I’m absolutely delighted by it. I love the overall design of the minifigure – they’ve really captured the Jawa’s trademark yellow eyes. The printing on the Jawa’s torso is pretty sharp, with criss-cross bandoliers that are screen-accurate.

There’s also back printing, which continues the details from the front. The details are nice and crisp – as you would expect from a contemporary Star Wars minifigure.

And that’s all from Day 4! Love that the Advent Calendar is starting to come together and I’m delighted that we have a minifigure which should increase the overall play value of all the builds to date.

I wonder what Day 5 will bring? Maybe some form of transportation for the Jawa and the droid? Find out tomorrow!

Day 5

Day 5 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar brings us a miniature Sandcrawler to go along with our Jawa and LIN Demolitionmech Droid!

Sandcrawlers are large lumbering fortresses used by Jawas to move around the desert planet of Tatooine. They function as both transportation and mobile base, equipped with large cargo holds to store droids and scraps that the Jawas pick up along their travels.

The Sandcrawler is by far the most challenging build of the 2015 Advent Calendar so far. It is cleverly designed to mimic the distinct shape of the original.

The massive treads are well represented according to scale and the designers have done a great job capturing the look of the Sandcrawler. I’m not a huge fan of all the colours – I think the Sandcrawler would’ve looked much better with one or two less colours.

Nevertheless, it’s a great addition to the Advent Calendar and I really like how all the Tatooine vehicles and characters are coming along.

In case you get stumped, here’s a photo of the Sandcrawler instructions as reference. The main block that comprises of the Sandcrawler’s body was quite tricky to build, and I fear that younger builders will struggle initially to put the pieces together.

As the diagram printed on the advent calendar’s is a little hard to see, here’s a photo of the Sandcrawler body from different angles to help you figure out where all the right parts should be. Hope this helps!

So there we have it, we’re more than 20% done with the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar and so far, I’m quite enjoying all the builds.

Will tomorrow’s window give us yet another Tatooine reference or will we be transported to another planet? Check in tomorrow!

Day 6

Hello from Day 6 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar! The sixth build is yet another peculiar build. It seems to be some sort of Weapons Rack which holds a blaster (or flashlight?) and a curious weapon – a bow.

Update: Reader Keaton figures that the blaster belongs to the Jawa as they use the same blasters in the UCS Sandcrawler set. Pretty interesting if true as that could mean that the Weapons Rack is meant to be shared between the Ewoks and Jawas. Pretty interesting way to bridge the different planets!

Star Wars is all about blasters and laser guns that go pew pew pew, but the bow gives us a very good indication that we’re off the planet Tatooine and have arrived unto a more primitive setting where bow and arrow is the norm.

The other side of the build gives us more clues about our present location thanks to the nice plant piece erupting near the base of the weapons rack – we’re definitely on a planet with lush greenery.

Update: One of my readers Chris has mentioned that the thing in the middle could be a drum of some sort. I think he’s right on the money as it does look like a drum!

Not too many spares in this one – just a solitary transparent blue stud.

That’s all you can really gather from the kit from Day 6’s window. I have a pretty good idea where we’re going with this, but I’ll probably have to wait till tomorrow to see if my suspicions are correct.

I quite like the Weapons Rack, the bow and blaster/flashlight are nice accessories to have and so is the plant. It’s a tight little build and it’s the right size for a minifigure as well. The parts are pretty useful as a builder cannot have enough browns, tan or dark tan elements in his arsenal.

That’s all from Day 6 so far – we say farewell to the sandy planet of Tatooine and are about to explore a whole new realm! Check in tomorrow for more clues on our whereabouts!

Day 7

10 points to everyone who guessed Ewoks or Endor! Day 7 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us an ultra-adorable micro-scale Ewok Village. I believe that this build is loosely based on the 10236 Ewok Village set as it shares many similarities such as the three main tree trunks and corresponding living areas/homes.

I really like the micro Ewok Village – the use of the Headlight bricks for the dwelling areas are really quite clever as the little holes look like actual entrances in the Ewok Village. The foliage atop the model is also quite nice and gives the entire build a complete and well rounded look.

Building at a micro-scale requires heaps of talent and consideration, but I think the designers have done an admirable job here as I could immediately recognize what it was the moment I put it together.

Star Wars Advent Calendars have always had miniature ships, but I really love that they’re shrinking down locations in this year’s calendar – these micro-builds just have so much potential for display and playability.

So yeah, we’re now officially on the Forest Moon of Endor, I can’t wait to see what comes next! An Ewok minifig to go with the Weapons Rack or a vehicle to accompany the micro-Ewok Village? Check in again tomorrow!

Day 8

What is an Ewok Weapons Rack and Village without a little furry companion? Day 8 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us an Ewok Warrior minifigure! Love ’em or hate ’em, the Endor natives are an integral part of the Star Wars universe, having played an indispensable role in Episode VI aiding the Rebels with disabling the Shield Generator.

The Ewok Warrior is a welcome addition to my collection. Draped in an olive green cowl, this particular nameless Ewok Warrior is fairly exclusive, having only made an appearance in 2013’s Ewok Village set.

I’m not a hardcore LEGO Star Wars fan so this is my very first Ewok minifigure in my collection. I’m very impressed by the quality of printing and moulding of the entire minifig. Some extra torso and leg printing would’ve been nice.

The Ewok Warrior’s cowl has a bit crude stitching printed on its right side.

So that’s it for Day 8. The Star Wars Advent Calendar is coming together really nicely – with 2 minifigures, there’s a lot more play value to be had.

We had 4 Tatooine builds to start us off and now we’ve gotten 3 Endor models. Will we get another Endor-themed build tomorrow? The anticipation is killing me! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 9 brings!

Day 9

Day 9 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar was a bit of a letdown for me. When I opened the window and saw the build, my heart kinda went “meh” almost immediately. For today’s model, we get a tiny but functioning Ewok Catapult.

The build is extremely basic, the catapult is made out of a “scoop” piece which you can load up with a projectile and launch by quickly pressing down on the handle. You get 2 spare grey projectiles just in case you lose any of them launching them across the room.

The only small consolation about the catapult is the leafy plant but it’s really nothing to shout about. Younger fans might appreciate the physical playability factor that the Catapult brings but it really does nothing for me.

So yeah, that’s it for Day 9. Personally, it’s the first day of the Advent Calendar that I’ve been really disappointed and unenthused.

Glad that’s out of the way! I’m hoping for things to pick up again come Day 10! See you again tomorrow!

Day 10

Praise the Star Wars Advent Calendar Gods! To make up for yesterday’s disappointing build, Day 10’s window brings us a Stormtrooper minifigure! If you’re a Star Wars fan, you can never have too many Stormtroopers in your collection.

As if I wasn’t delighted enough that we’ve gotten a Stormtrooper minifigure, this is also the classic variant of the Stormtrooper which has dark blue accents on his helmet and not the Star Wars Rebels version (which has bright blue accents) which featured in the Imperial Troop Transport battle pack set.

This updated classic variant of the Stormtrooper is also fairly rare, having only made an appearance in two expensive Star Wars sets – the Imperial Star Destroyer and UCS Slave 1 which is yet another fantastic bonus. I’m loving that LEGO have inserted fairly exclusive minifigures into this year’s Advent Calendar.

Here’s a look at the Stormtrooper’s back printing and infamous exposed fleshy neck which peeks out from under his helmet.

Under his helmet, the Stormtrooper has the generic angry clone face that comes with nearly every Stormtrooper or Clone Trooper throughout the Star Wars universe.

I’m ecstatic about Day 10’s Stormtrooper and I’m sure Star Wars fans will feel the same way when they open up today’s window. Now that we have a “bad guy” minifigure to terrorise the Jawa and Ewok, the playability factor of this set has skyrocketed!

So far so good, I’m glad we’ve recovered from the letdown that was Day 9. We’re 10 days into the Star Wars Advent Calendar and I’m beginning to feel a massive mini-spaceship sized void. Where are the spaceships or vehicles from the Star Wars universe? Barring the Sail Barge (which really just hovers), most of the models have been ground-based.

I really hope Day 11 gives us something that flies in space. Check in tomorrow to see if my wish is granted!

Day 11

Just as I was lamenting about the fact that this year’s LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar was missing some spaceships, Day 11 comes along and surprises me with a miniature Star Destroyer! Day 11’s model is unmistakable as it’s captured the iconic ship’s grey look and shape incredibly well.

EDIT: So, it appears that I’ve accidentally flipped the Star Destroyer’s top around. The slope piece should slope down backwards and it makes the photo slightly incorrect! Apologies for the mistake and if I confused anyone, I’ll rectify this when I get home! I must’ve subconsciously flipped it around as I thought it looks better this way. Thanks crmdgnly for the heads up!

EDIT 2: The first 3 images have been rectified and should now show how the Star Destroyer should be built! Thanks to everyone who helped point it out!

This is the first Star Destroyer in an Advent Calendar since 2012 and it’s a huge improvement design-wise. I really love the use of the dark grey studs to represent the two spherical Shield Generators that are perched on the bridge.

It’s 2 of the most insignificant LEGO elements (1 X 1 round studs) but they’re probably the most important parts of the design.

Here’s a look at the Star Destroyer’s behind for a better look at the propulsion systems.

And here are the spare parts that I received.

Day 11 has been a delightful one. I never thought I’d say this buy the grey Star Destroyer adds quite a bit of colour to what has been a very tan and brown affair. Now that we’ve got our first proper starship, I’m hungry for more!

Check in tomorrow to see what Day 12 of the Advent Calendar brings!

Day 12

Welcome to Day 12 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar! We’re now officially halfway in and it’s been (mostly) an enjoyable journey so far. Day 12’s build however is yet another weapons rack – this time for blasters.

The Blaster Rack is as basic as basic gets. It’s completely devoid of any “Christmas spirit” at all and is frankly extremely boring. The only thing it has going for it is the decent selection of blasters for Day 11’s Stormtrooper  – we get a small, medium and large rifle-type blaster. At the very least, we didn’t get the new stud-blasters!

There’s a lever and a red button but I really don’t know what they’re supposed to be.

Weapons racks are sort of a necessary evil in Star Wars Advent Calendars but you tend to only get 1 per calendar. 2015’s calendar having 2 is a bit of a letdown, especially since Day 12’s Blaster Rack pales in comparison with Day 6’s Ewok Weapons Rack.

This could’ve been another miniature Star Wars model and I feel that this is a wasted slot in the grand scheme of things – they could’ve included the blasters with the Stormtrooper and I would’ve been a happy man.

Here are the spare elements I got in Day 12’s window.

This isn’t a great start to the second half of the Star Wars Advent Calendar but hey, at least the Stormtrooper is able to defend himself against the pesky Ewok and Jawa!

Check in tomorrow to see what Day 13 brings!

Day 13

Day 13 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us our second droid (after the LIN Demolitionmech) so far – the Assassin Droid! The Assassin Droid, as its name suggests hunts down scoundrels and kills them.

I believe the Assassin Droid (in this case the IG-86 model) first made an appearance in Empire Strikes Back. He shows up in the lineup of bounty hunters alongside Boba Fett that were tasked to capture the Millennium Falcon!

I don’t really consider droids minifigures but he is still a character with a lot of potential for playability. The Assassin Droid is built out of standard droid parts in dark grey and has a very basic “chimney” looking head with a menacing orange stud that signifies his optical instruments.

As droids go, their bodies are pretty articulate and I kinda enjoyed posing him around for a minute or so just to get him into weird looking positions.

Plenty of spare parts come with the Assassin Droid.

So Day 13 is pretty decent, we get more characters to play with which is always a plus. The Jawa and Ewok are obsessed with their new shiny droid friend and I figure that most Star Wars fans would be quite satisfied with a non-Weapons Rack model!

The Assassin Droid means that we’re still on the theme of “things you’ll find in a Star Destroyer”, so I’m curious to see what tomorrow will bring! Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Day 14

Well, well, well – what do we have here? Day 14 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar finally pulls out the big guns with this fantastic rendition of a miniature Millennium Falcon! Arguably the most iconic starship in the Star Wars universe, I was delighted to be greeted by this model today.

A great start to the week where The Force Awakens premieres!!

“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.” – Han Solo

“She’s the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” – Lando Calrissian

There’s plenty to love about the Millennium Falcon. The shape is almost perfectly captured with some clever little details such as the vent slope pieces that flank each side as well as the use of the jumper plate on the Falcon’s right side to emulate how the actual model looks.

I think that LEGO is quickly coming close to perfecting the Falcon’s look. I feel that the designers have pretty much nailed the proportions of this variant of the Millennium Falcon – it’s a big improvement over the most recent micro-Falcon that I built at this year’s Star Wars Day celebration. The two prongs at the front are just the right size – short and stocky enough to mimic the real thing.

The only thing that I didn’t really like about today’s model is the black stud you see peeking out the middle. It looks quite jarring, so I “fixed” it by covering it up with a light grey tile.

Here’s a look at the Millennium Falcon from behind. I do admit that the thrusters are a little too small and narrow – it would’ve been great if they could stretch it across the back a little more but I understand the constraints when it comes to designing small builds – maybe a transparent blue cheese slope would’ve done the job but that would probably create more design complications elsewhere.

We get two spares with the mini-Millennium Falcon.

Any day you open up an excellently designed Millennium Falcon is a great day. I’m really pleased with today’s build and I’m pretty sure you guys will be equally overjoyed as well!

We’re picking up momentum again with the Star Wars Advent Calendar although I am beginning to feel that there aren’t enough “good guy” characters. Ewoks don’t count! Stay tuned tomorrow to see what Day 15 will bring!

Day 15

Day 15 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us more weaponry in the form of a Laser Turret! The technical name for the laser turret is the XX-9 Heavy Turbolaser which is a little bit of a mouthful.

The Laser Turret makes a couple of brief appearances in the Death Star Trench Run in A New Hope as it shoots down incoming squadrons of X-Wing fighters.

The turret’s design isn’t particularly flashy but it’s got no discernible flaws. The twin stud shooters are mounted on a rotating plate which is really nice as it gives the build some much needed interactivity. Swivelling the Laser Turret around and firing it at minifigures should be quite fun for younger kids.

The stud shooters work as intended, and in this build actually look quite nice. You get plenty of spare ammunition in case you inadvertently lose them as you fire them across the room.

Day 15 is an unremarkable but decent addition to the Star Wars Advent Calendar. It provides some much needed playability as you can use it to shoot down the hapless Ewok.

Come back tomorrow to see what Day 16 reveals!

Day 16

I can’t believe there’s only 8 more days to go of the Star Wars Advent Calendar! Day 16 gives us a delightful mini A-Wing Starfighter, the speedy and agile starfighter that famously made an appearance in Return of the Jedi and sealed its place in Star Wars history by destroying Darth Vader’s Executor Super Star Destroyer.

The A-Wing is very neatly designed, with the designers capturing the starfighter’s wedge shape brilliantly and of course retaining its signature red and white colour scheme. The engine flaps are also well-represented and I like the use of transparent black tiles and cheese slopes for the cockpit as well.

I’m mostly stoked that Day 16 has blessed us with another Starfighter – this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar has been quite dire in the Starfighter/spaceship department but the A-Wing is a nice little addition. It’s not the most iconic vehicle from the movies but I like it just because of how well its designed.

So that’s it for Day 16 so far! The A-Wing Starfighter provides a much-needed splash of red to the Advent Calendar and we have 3 spaceships so far! I’m hoping we get another minifigure next! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 17 brings!

Day 17

Only a week left of the Star Wars Advent Calendar and Day 17 starts off with a bang, giving us an excellent “good guy” minifigure – the Hoth Rebel Trooper! We’re now transported to the icy planet of Hoth which I think will round out the Advent Calendar since it’s Christmas and snow seems like a good fit. Can’t relate to that in Australia of course as it’s Summer and bloody hot here!

I don’t have an extensive Star Wars collection but I believe that this Hoth Rebel Trooper is a completely new (and exclusive as of now) version, sporting some really crispy torso and leg printing. His helmet also makes an appearance in white for the first time (previous instances were tan) which goes really really well with his overall white look.

I think my favourite bit of detail on the Rebel Trooper’s torso is the trendy tan scarf.

The Hoth Rebel Trooper comes with a white backpack – a pretty cool accessory to have.

Here’s a look at his back printing.

I’m really delighted with Day 17’s Hoth Rebel Trooper. It’s a brand new minifigure that sports an impeccable design and just hits all the right spots. Hoth fans will of course be delighted with his new white helmet and his overall look.

I fully expect to see more Hoth Rebel Troopers in the coming months – perhaps we’ll get a bunch in the new UCS Hoth Echo Base set that is rumoured to go on sale sometime next year. I love that LEGO have debuted a brand new minifigure in the Star Wars Advent Calendar.

So far, an outstanding start to our foray into Hoth. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Day 18

What would Hoth be without the AT-AT (All Terrain Armoured Transport) walker! Day 18 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar continues our expedition of the icy planet of Hoth by giving us a mini AT-AT which should delight Original Trilogy fans as it’s one of the most iconic imperial vehicles.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the overall design. They’ve done well capturing the AT-AT’s trapezium-shaped body and the legs are just about the right length which is nice but I really dislike the odd-shaped head. It’s a little too blocky and squarish for my taste and doesn’t look like an AT-AT’s head at all.

I don’t want to go too harsh on the model since building at a miniature scale is always a challenge. That said, the AT-AT is unmistakeable and is still a decent addition to the Star Wars Advent Calendar.

I don’t know if it’s just me but it also looks like a lanky robotic dog. If the Sandcrawler looks like a robotic shaggy brown dog, this makes this the second canine-looking build in the Star Wars Advent Calendar.

You can have a bit of fun with the AT-AT by posing it in crazy positions!

Here are the spare parts I received.

So that’s it for Day 18. Another easily recognizable Original Trilogy vehicle and Hoth Staple. With only 6 more days to go, I’m starting to feel a real lack of “festive” builds. Last year, we had excellent days with things like Santa Clone Troopers and the like.

Oh well, check in tomorrow to see if my wish is fulfilled!

Day 19

Day 19 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives yet another Hoth staple, the Ion Cannon! The Ion Cannon appears in a very memorable scene from Empire Strikes Back where its used to disable orbiting Star Destroyers, allowing Hoth transports to flee the icy planet.

The build is simple and recognizable enough and employs some very useful parts thanks to the rotating sphere which allows you to angle the laser in plenty of different directions. True to it being a Hoth build, the Ion Cannon is also perched on a patch of ice, with some white cheese slopes placed strategically around it.

UPDATE: After receiving several comments and emails, I’ve added in another photo below which shows you how to assemble the ball piece into the joint. Basically, you shove one half into the joint, which should fit quite snugly and snap the other half in once you’ve positioned it correctly.

I honestly don’t remember the Ion Cannon’s laser being green. The image in Wookieepedia seems to suggest that it fires a red laser, but I could’ve sworn I remember it being blue in the Empire Strikes Back. Green just seems a little wrong and not very Rebel-like.

Here are the spare elements I got. The white cheese slope is always a welcome addition to my growing collection!

So that’s it for Day 19. I quite like the Ion Cannon as the build is designed quite well and I enjoyed swiveling the laser around. The whole Hoth picture is starting to come together now that we have an Ion Cannon to shoot at the Star Destroyer.

With only 5 days left to go, I really hope we start getting some of the big guns soon! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 20 brings!

Day 20

Day 20 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar delivers a Viper Probe Droid into our hands. You may remember the Probe Droid from the opening sequence of Empire Strikes Back as it is dispatched to Hoth in efforts to locate the secret rebel base. The probe droid crash lands in Hoth before being discovered by Luke Skywalker.

The Viper Probe Droid’s design is easily recognizable thanks to the use of four antennae pieces extending from his body as well as the black dish for its head. It’s a great callout to Episode V which will no doubt delight fans of the original trilogy. I also really like the use transparent elements on its base to give it the illusion that it’s levitating.

As a build, I guess it’s all right? It’s not too flashy, not as exciting as a vehicle or a minifigure but it’s still part of my favourite Star Wars movie of all time so it’s not too bad.

Here are the spare parts I received.

With only four more days to go with the Star Wars Advent Calendar (where did the month go!?) I feel like the Probe Droid’s position should’ve been exchanged with the AT-AT. It feels a little underwhelming as we approach the big finale! At least the “Hoth faction” of the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar is coming along quite nicely.

Fingers crossed we get something more exciting tomorrow!

Day 21

Day 21 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us… a little bit of confusion with a dash of disappointment. I have no idea what this is supposed to be. Some sort of Hoth Weapons Console? The build features a console with a printed tile (nice), a transparent display screen and a stud blaster attached to the side.

Update: Twitter follower @tericee and a couple of commenters have pointed out that this build is officially called the “Hoth Command Post” and that it looks like the consoles used in Echo Base.

Maybe one of my readers can help me with what this is as I am seriously stumped. It kinda reminds me of a weapons rack of some sort. It’s uninspired, boring and almost has nothing to do with Star Wars to say the least. Is this LEGO’s idea of a practical joke?

Here’s the view from the front. I’m not a fan of stud blasters but I can appreciate the physical interactivity that they add to sets. Younger kids will no doubt appreciate firing studs across the room or at the other Advent Calendar models but it really does nothing for me.

These are the spares I received in Window 21.

Man, Day 21 was such an extreme disappointment. I’m going to lump it in the “Weapons Rack” category. Three Weapon Racks in an Advent Calendar is simply way too many for my liking!

Bring on Day 22! It had better be good!

Day 22

Finally! Redemption for yesterday’s lacklustre window! Day 22 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar finally gives us a Christmas-themed Star Wars build in the form of everybody’s favourite (well…till BB-8 came along) astromech droid – R2-D2!

In the spirit of the season, R2-D2 is decked out in reindeer antlers placed strategically atop his domed head and looks delightfully festive. This is the new-ish variant of R2-D2 which has some really sharp printing across his body and head. I am not an ardent collector of Star Wars sets so I was quite pleased to add him into my collection.

LEGO were really generous with Window number 22 as we get a spare clip and an extra pair of antlers. This reddish brown variant is currently exclusive to the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar, so a spare is absolutely brilliant. I can see this being a very useful piece for LEGO designers who enjoy building in brown.

I’m very pleased with Day 22. R2-D2 is our very first “core” Star Wars character in this Advent Calendar and the rare-ish reindeer horns look great on him. With only 2 days to go, this should officially start setting the mood for Christmas as we count down to the final Advent Calendar window!

Hope you enjoyed R2-D2 as much as I did! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 23 brings!

Day 23

Only one more day left in the Star Wars Advent Calendar! I’m beginning to feel quite sad that our journey is coming to an end. Day 23‘s window gives us a fantastically festive model – a sleigh powered by lightsabers! I was beginning to wonder if we were going to see the iconic Star Wars weapons – which is why I loved that we got two of them in this build. Doesn’t seem like a Star Wars Advent Calendar without lightsabers!

The sleigh itself is well designed, with the aforementioned lightsabers giving it a distinct Star Wars flavour. I also really like the use of the black “handheld cones” that stick out the back of the lightsabers as it gives the sleigh a great “rocket powered” look.

Here’s  look at the sleigh from the side. Don’t ask me about the physics of how a lightsaber-powered sleigh would work. Don’t even ask me how the lightsaber blades are attached to the clip without searing it off.

I guess one could theorise that the lightsaber’s proximity to the snow melts it, turning it into some sort of slushy highway for the sleigh to ride down. Yup, that at least makes a little sense.

So that’s it for Day 23! We’ve got our Reindeer R2-D2 and we’ve got a sleigh. All we need is someone to ride it! No surprises what comes next but check in tomorrow for the final day of the Star Wars Advent Calendar!

Day 24

It’s Christmas Eve which means the very last day (holds back tears) of the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar! Day 24 concludes a roller-coaster month of Star Wars surprises with a suitably festive finale, C-3PO dressed up in a Santa outfit complete with a white bushy beard. Everyone’s favourite protocol droid is dressed up in what I believe is a brand new Santa torso and comes with a red bag stuffed to the brim with gifts.

Here’s a look at Santa C-3PO’s back printing. The new torso is a nice touch and I wasn’t expecting it all as I had expected LEGO to re-use their existing Santa torso. This new one has a lot more fabric detail printed on it, and can easily be reused to update any Santa minifigures you have lying around. Don’t forget to swap out the pearl gold hands if you do!

I actually like C-3PO’s look without the beard as I find that it obscures too much of his face. For spares, I got an extra beard accessory which is a really nice addition to my collection of spare minifig accessories!

Another great thing about C-3PO that I only noticed when I assembled him was the fact that he has a bit of silver printed on his right leg! It’s quite an interesting bit of trivia but C-3PO actually has a silver leg in the original trilogy. I only learnt of this a few months ago – after having watched the movies over a dozen times each at least! These prints are relatively new and exclusive, having only made an appearance in the UCS Sandcrawler set.

Now that we have Santa C-3PO, he is finally reunited with Day 22’s Reindeer R2-D2 and yesterday’s lightsaber sleigh. There’s a spot for C-3PO to sit on the sleigh and even space for his bag of presents but unfortunately there’s no real way to tether R2 to the sleigh.

The Christmas-themed droids are the definite draw of this year’s Advent Calendar and pay homage to a classic 1979 Lucasfilm Christmas Card designed by Ralph McQuarrie. Thanks to all my readers who emailed me pointing this out – I was totally oblivious to this reference prior to this!

So there we have it, the end of the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar! I’m glad we ended on the high note, with Santa C-3PO being a lot more impressive than I had initially expected. This year’s Advent Calendar has been quite a motley crew of minifigures, ships and random Star Wars paraphernalia.

Going to do a quick revisit of the common themes of this year’s Advent Calendar and muse over the entire calendar’s contents now that everything has been revealed.

Final Thoughts

Let’s begin with the biggest surprise of this year’s Advent Calendar – the Micro Builds featuring Tattooine’s Sarlacc and Jabba’s Sail Barge and Endor’s Ewok Village. These micro were really enjoyable to display and they fit so well with the Advent Calendar’s theme of mini-builds.

The Sarlacc + Sail Barge combo is one of my favourites from the calendar and I wish that we’d gotten more than 2 shrunken down locales. I would definitely want to see more like these next year.

It isn’t a Star Wars Advent Calendar with turrets, laser cannons and catapults that launch all manner of projectiles around. Other than the Hoth Command Post and the Catapult, I quite liked most of the turrets with my favourite being the Hoth Ion Cannon with all its swivelly fun.

We got some cool Droids as well. The LIN Demolitionmech Droid managed to stump plenty of people this year but making its debut in the Advent Calendar is quite an accomplishment. UCS Sandcrawler owners will no doubt be delighted to add this obscure droid to their playsets.

Ugh. If you’ve been following my daily updates, you’d be familiar with my contempt for Weapons Racks. They’re a necessary evil in Star Wars Advent Calendars but this year’s THREE weapons racks were a bit too much in my opinion. I loved the Ewok Weapons Rack just because it was quite unique but the others just seemed uninspired and boring.

I felt that we didn’t get as many mini-vehicle builds this year as previous years. Out of the 5 that we received in the 2015 Star Wars Advent Calendar, my favourites would definitely have to be the deftly designed A-Wing, followed by the much improved Millennium Falcon and the Star Destroyer. Overall, I liked all the mini-builds this year but I would’ve LOVED it if we had gotten a Snowspeeder.

This year’s selection of vehicles is quite fantastic, which is why I probably would’ve wanted more. The designs have really improved due to the proliferation of more and more specialised parts.

Lastly, the lineup of minifigures. I quite enjoyed that this year LEGO decided to stray from including popular “named characters” (other than R2-D2 and C-3PO of course) and populated the Advent Calendar with more generic “army builder” type minifigs like the classic Stormtrooper, Jawa, nameless Ewok and Hoth Rebel Trooper.

The fact that we got several “exclusive-ish” minifigures that have only previously been included in large sets. So much value in this year’s calendar that I regret not buying 5 of them when they were $25. I’ll be kicking myself for this blunder for months.

Quality-wise, the minifigures score excellent points in my book and I really liked the diversity of characters. No complaints, although I would’ve loved at least one more minifigure – the lack of Jedi is quite noticeable this year. An old Obi-Wan Kenobi would’ve been just perfect for the Tattooine themed days.

Final Final Thoughts: All in all, I think that this year’s Advent Calendar did really well with experimenting with new themes and characters. The pure focus on the Original Trilogy is always a smart move and I think LEGO’s experiment with focusing on three major planets (Tattooine, Endor and Hoth) paid off in spades as it made for a really enjoyable journey throughout the Advent Calendar.

Eschewing major Jedi characters or villains also gave the Star Wars Advent Calendar a bit of breathing room, allowing us to explore uncharted territories and introduce us to the likes of Ewoks and Jawas.

So that’s it for this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar. I want to give special thanks to all my readers both new, old and returning that have been checking in every day to follow the daily progress. I am deeply honoured and grateful every time I read the nice comments that so many of you have left and I just feel so privileged to have been able to share this 24-day journey with you. 

To my outstanding readers, you guys have made this such a pleasure and I really hope that you’ll check in occasionally to read some of my other posts, reviews and musings!

If you want to keep up with my blog, feel free to subscribe to receive updates in your inbox whenever I publish new posts or like the Jay’s Brick Blog Facebook page if you like updates via social media. You can also follow me on Twitter @jayong28 where you can also get a peek into some of the other non-LEGO things that I’m into.

Thank you so much and I hope to see you all next year for the 2016 Star Wars Advent Calendar! I hope that you have an exceptional Christmas, receive plenty of awesome LEGO sets and have an all-round festive end to 2015!

Merry Christmas from all of us (it’s just me) at Jay’s Brick Blog!