Hello again and welcome to the 2017 version of the Jay’s Brick Blog Star Wars Advent Calendar countdown! It’s been a tradition since 2014 to do a daily countdown of the LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar and it’s one of the things I look forward to every year!
NOTE:2018 Star Wars Advent Calendar Click the link if you’re looking for the !
If you’d like to check out previous Star Wars Advent calendars, here are the links to 2014, 2015 and 2016!
For those that are new, I will be counting down the 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar on this post, with new updates posted every day with the contents of each window. I usually try to post in the morning but if it gets crazy busy at work, the daily updates might come in the evening but I’ll endeavour to post in the morning each day!
I’m opening each window up as I go, and have (mostly) been able to stay spoiler-free so this is hopefully as exciting for you as it is for me!
Do note that I’m based in Melbourne, Australia, so we’re ahead of most of the world (except New Zealand) so to avoid spoilers, try to come back to this post after you’ve opened your window and built the daily model.
PS: If you’re planning to buy any LEGO for Christmas and would like to support the blog, please use these links if you’re shopping on Amazon or LEGO.com! Thanks in advance!
Here’s a look at the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar box alongside my tiny Christmas tree. As usual, and this is something that really peeves me off, there are tons of spoilers of the builds – almost half the calendar spoiled on the box! Which I think kinda defeats the purpose of an Advent Calendar.
LEGO, please. Next year, just have generic illustrations or at least make it slightly more mysterious.
As you can see, this year is going to be heavy on the Sequel Trilogy, with plenty of characters and models from The Force Awakens, headlined by BB-8.
To make it easier for you to check out each day’s section, as this post is going to grow longer with every new window, all you have to do is click on the Day you want, and you will instantly jump to the corresponding section.
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Day 1 – The Ghost
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Day 2 – Sabine Wren
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Day 3 – The Phantom
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Day 4 – Blaster Cannon
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Day 5 – Taslin Brance
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Day 6 – First Order Transporter
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Day 7 – First Order Stormtrooper
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Day 8 – Weapon Rack
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Day 9 – Rey’s Speeder
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Day 10 – Unkar’s Thug
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Day 11 – Luggabeast
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Day 12 – Millennium Falcon
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Day 13 – First Order Snowspeeder
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Day 14 – First Order Snowtrooper
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Day 15 – Snow Machine (or Blower)
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Day 16 – Krennic’s Shuttle
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Day 17 – Imperial Officer
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Day 18 – Y-Wing Starfighter
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Day 19 – TIE Striker
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Day 20 – Imperial Assault Hovertank
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Day 21 – Imperial Ground Crew
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Day 22 -AT-ST
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Day 23 – Sled with Presents
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Day 24 – Santa BB-8
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Final Thoughts
If you want to follow my countdown, it’s best to bookmark this post to check back each day. You can also find a link to this post from the home page via this link in the top navbar. If you’re on mobile, you have to expand the burger menu (the button with the 3 lines) to find it.
You can also follow the Jay’s Brick Blog Facebook page, where I’ll be updating it daily at the end of the day to avoid accidentally spoiling people!
Like previous years, the front flap can be folded out to create a nice little playmat where you can arrange each of the day’s build under a backdrop of Starkiller Base and Jakku.
If you’re new to Advent Calendars, be very, very careful when opening each door. They’re made of cardboard and can easily tear if you force them open too strongly.
The instructions for the Star Wars Advent Calendar LEGO models are printed on each door. Some of them are easy to follow, but sometimes they can be pretty tricky and you’ll have to study the diagram quite hard to ensure that you’re building the models correctly.
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.
Without further ado, let’s kick off the 2017LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!
Day 1
Day 1 of the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar was a big surprise, with The Ghost from Star Wars Rebels! Star Wars Rebels is an animated TV cartoon series set in between Revenge of the Sith and a New Hope. It’s not as well known as the movies, but it has a pretty decent following, especially amongst hardcore Star Wars fans, or younger fans that enjoy the cartoons.
There have been a few LEGO sets from this era, but like the TV cartoon, I don’t really follow them and have much interest in it – something that I expect most traditional Star Wars fans can relate too.
The Ghost is the flagship vehicle used by the good guys in Star Wars rebels, and is one of the most recognisable elements from the cartoon. It was also turned into a LEGO set in 2014 which some of you may own.
The micro model is a fairly faithful adaption of The Ghost with its signature colours, teal, yellow and red captured fairly well, as well as the transparent cockpit on the nose of the ship. I do like the thrusters behind, which make excellent use of the plate with ring.
Overall, it’s a good model, but as I’m not really familiar with Star Wars Rebels, the model didn’t really do it for me.
As with previous Star Wars Advent Calendars, we usually get several subsequent models from within the same movie or era, so it looks like we’ll have a few days of Star Wars Rebels builds. Check in tomorrow to see what Day 2 reveals!
Day 2
On Day 2, as predicted, it’s Star Wars Rebels-themed with a Sabine Wren minifigure! Sabine is one of the main characters in Rebels, and perhaps one of the most bad-ass ones, given her Mandalorian heritage – yes, she comes from the same planet as Boba Fett.
This version of Sabine Wren is from Season 2, and features her green, turquoise and green gradient hairstyle (she recolours her hair each season). As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t own any Star Wars Rebels sets, so I’m pretty happy to get her in the Advent Calendar. Her hairpiece is just wild and a great addition to my collection.
This version of Sabine is also fairly rare, having only appeared in one set previously, 75150 Vader’s TIE Advanced vs. A-Wing Starfighter. Fun fact, this set was never sold at Australian retail stores so it’s an extra bonus that she’s included in the Advent Calendar.
Prior to her inclusion, she used to be a pricey minifigure, averaging around $15-$20 on Bricklink, so hey, well done LEGO!
Sabine’s minifigure herself sports some remarkable details, with really intricate torso and leg printing that does a great job of mirroring the cartoon version.
Sabine also has a dual-sided face with an angry expression, as well as back printing which is always a welcome sight. She comes with a blaster. Kinda wish they included an extra blaster as Sabine is known to dual-wield blasters as you can see in the promotional image above.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with Day 2 despite my relative unfamiliarity with Star Wars Rebels. Sabine’s a cool character and it’s a unique enough minifigure that would delight most Star Wars fans, especially those that didn’t own 75150.
So that’s Day 2 so far! Wonder if the Star Wars Rebels theme will continue tomorrow. Check in again tomorrow to see what Day 3 reveals!
Day 3
Day 3 brings us yet another Rebels mainstay with the Phantom a small starfighter that’s piloted by the crew of The Ghost from Day 1. The shape is instantly recognizable, mostly thanks to the yellow plate in the middle, and the sloping wings.
Like the Ghost, it was also released as a LEGO set in 2014. There is a newer version of the Phantom currently available but it has a slightly different design and colour scheme.
Here’s a look at the Phantom from the side. Unlike Day 1’s Ghost, the shape doesn’t translate as perfectly as The Phantom kind of suffers from being too blocky. It’s a small ship, so it was probably a big challenging getting the model right at this scale.
The plate on top of the ship also looks a bit too blocky, and I think would’ve benefited if it was swapped out with a white tile instead.
For reference, this is what the Phantom looks like in the cartoons. At first, I was a little confused if the clip was supposed to jut out just like the photo above, but it felt a bit weird and the instructions does suggest that it should be tucked in beneath the cockpit.
Fun fact, the Phantom actually docks into The Ghost!
Here are the spares from Day 3. Always nice to get transparent grey cheese slopes and tiles.
So yeah, that’s Day 3 so far. A bit weak compared to the first 2 days but still relatively decent. From the comments and discussions I’ve been having, it seems like fans are pretty split on the Rebels models so far, with fans of the cartoon obviously elated but everyone else seemingly confused by the characters and ships.
Will Day 4 still see us in Star Wars Rebels territory or will we jump to a different setting? Let me know in the comments what the reception to the Rebels ships have been in your household so far!
Day 4
Every year, there are a few stinkers in the Advent Calendar and this year, it looks like Day 4 is one of those unmemorable builds. Day 4 gives us a pretty generic-looking Blaster Cannon. Mounted on a stand (quadpod since it has 4 legs?), the build is an attractive if otherwise unremarkable one.
Utilising a blaster with a clip and a long technic pin to extend the barrel, the Blaster Cannon employs some clever tricks to make the design work. It’s just a little boring and doesn’t really reference a particular movie, tv show or era.
So yeah, Sabine has a weapon to play around with, but she does seem pretty lonely! Hope we get another minifig in tomorrow’s window to make up for the slightly boring model in Day 4!
Day 5
For those of you who have been itching to move on from Rebels, your wish is granted on Day 5! Day 5 contains an exceptionally minor character from The Force Awakens, Taslin Brance a Major in the Resistance from the movie.
He’s really obscure and it took me quite a bit of time to piece his identity together as I had earlier assumed that we were still in the Star Wars Rebels era, but his uniform gave him away. Taslin had a small role in the movie, only uttering one line “A laser cannon?”.
I’ve given him the nickname “Star Wars Chris Pratt” as he uses the trademark “Chris Pratt head”, which we’ve seen in both Jurassic World sets and Guardians of the Galaxy. This marks Taslin’s first appearance as a LEGO minifigure, which is good news for collectors of obscure characters but bad news for those that aren’t hardcore Star Wars nerds.
The minifigure is decent, we get some nice printing on the front and back of his torso. The front contains an insignia which bears the rank of Major. He also has a dual-sided face with a slightly angrier look.
Taslin comes with a gunmetal grey blaster rifle, which is a pretty cool variant from the usual black blasters.
So yeah, that’s Day 5! This marks our foray into The Force Awakens builds which is neat as I had expected us to have Rogue One builds, but I’m not complaining! A change of scene is always a good thing.
It would’ve been nice if we had gotten a slightly more recognizable character, but as he’s thus far exclusive to the advent calendar, I’m not going to complain much!
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 6 brings!
Day 6
Sorry today’s entry is a little late! Had a pretty busy day at work. Day 6 of the SW Advent Calendar is a cracker of a build and one of the best yet – we get a First Order Transporter or Atmospheric Assault Lander which featured in The Force Awakens.
The Transporter is a mix of a hovercraft, armoured personal carrier and tank. It was also a LEGO set from the first wave of The Force Awakens sets.
I think the micro model, which is the largest model (by piece-count) so far mimics the original vehicle exceptionally well. I really like how well they shrunk down the details such as the top “cockpit section” and back thrusters.
Overall, I’m really happy with Day 6’s build – it looks fantastic and certainly benefits from being a lot larger than typical Advent Calendar models. The designers did a really great job capturing the overall shape of the First Order Transporter, and while it might not have the most memorable parts in the films (apart from unloading Stormtroopers), it makes for a pretty decent Advent Calendar model.
What will lucky day #7 bring? Check in tomorrow to find out!
Day 7
Momentum is really picking up with Day 7’s First Order Stormtrooper, arriving to beef up the ranks of the nefarious First Order.
Stormtroopers are quite possibly the best LEGO Star Wars minifigures so I can’t imagine that anyone would be unhappy with Day 7. It goes very well with yesterday’s First Order Transporter which is used to carry a whole unit of Stormtroopers.
The design is your typical First Order Stormtrooper, with the generic head and back printing. Some diversity with faces would’ve been nice, but it’s a really minor complaint.
I’ll nickname this guy Steve, and he’s got a grumpy look on his face because he found out that he’s rostered on for work during Christmas. Steve’s usually an easy-going fellow, who enjoys cocktails and warm weather days, but had to resort to terrorising the Resistance to pay the bills.
The only thing that’s truly lacking is some sort of weaponry for the Stormtrooper – which probably suggests that we have some sort of Weapons Rack coming in the next few days, if not tomorrow! He wouldn’t be a very good Stormtrooper without some sort of blaster!
So that’s Day 7 so far! A minifigure every other day is a pretty great rhythm. I just hope this keeps up for the rest of the calendar!
Day 8
As feared, Day 8 brings us the dreaded Weapons rack, a mainstay of each Star Wars Advent Calendar since the dawn of time. Weapon Racks are pretty much the most underwhelming builds each year and 2017’s version is no exception.
We get 2 clips, one which holds a blaster and a wooden crate which holds a wrench. That’s it.
We do get a blaster for Steve (the Stormtrooper from Day 7) which is nice, but it really should’ve been included with him. The wrench comes in handy if the First Order Transporter ever breaks down or falls apart?
That’s it for Day 8. Meh is the only word I can use to describe today’s window. Here’s hoping tomorrow’s window makes up for such a boring model!
Day 9
Thank the LEGO Star Wars Gods our pleas were heard. After the exceedingly disappointing Day 8 Weapon Rack, Day 9’s build gives us what is quite possibly the best model so far this year – a micro version of Rey’s Speeder!
Rey’s Speeder is quite possibly one of the most iconic vehicles from The Force Awakens that isn’t Kylo Ren’s ship and I was very happy with today’s model. The design captures the on-screen version brilliantly, from the dark red colour scheme to the overall shape of the Speeder.
Rey’s Speeder was released as a LEGO set in 2015, and I have very fond memories of building and keeping the full-sized LEGO one on display.
Rey’s Speeder looks great from all angles, and I love the attention to detail with the twin-turbojet engines on the back, and the grill piece on the base. Lastly, I love the transparent cheese slope for the windshield, which was also used in the 2015 LEGO set.
Looks like we’re back on track with the great models and I’m really encouraged by Day 9’s model and I think you will be too! It’s a Rey of sunshine after yesterday’s poor showing!
Keeping the Jakku (sandy planet from The Force Awakens) theme going and to accompany yesterday’s excellent Rey’s Speeder, we have Unkar’s Thug, one of the brutish henchmen that give Rey and Finn trouble in the movie.
This is the exact same minifigure as the one from 75099 Rey’s Speeder, which doesn’t detract from the great design and printing – I especially like the flecks of sand throughout his body. The pearl gold crowbar is also a pretty cool accessory to have.
Here’s a look at the back print on Unkar’s Thug. Not exactly the most festive minifigure in the context of Christmas… but it goes great with Rey’s Speeder.
Here are all the builds from the first 10 days of the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar! I’m really digging all the minifigures so far – 4 out of the 10 days devoted to minifigures is nothing short of brilliant, and I hope we manage to keep this pace up in the coming days!
Day 11
Day 11 is yet another fantastic build, with a micro Luggabeast, one of the new creatures introduced in The Force Awakens. The armoured beast of burden featured prominently in the movie, ridden by Teedo, who captured BB-8 before he was liberated by Rey.
I had a blast building the Luggabeast – it’s definitely the most intricate and complicated build so far. The designers have done an amazing job getting the model to look so recognizable and I particularly enjoy the blue elements and the fact that its legs & head can be swivelled back and forth – it’s quite rare for Advent Calendar models to have some degree of playability and posability.
Here’s a look at the back of the Luggabeast which lets you appreciate its form and design. It’s a bold claim, but the Luggabeast could very well qualify for best LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar build ever, if not in 2017.
I really enjoyed today’s build, as it continues the excellent run of Jakku-themed Force Awakens builds and characters! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Day 12
Day 12 of the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar is a ship that needs no further introduction – the Millennium Falcon! Quite possibly the most iconic ship in the Star Wars universe, it’s great to receive an updated Millennium Falcon in the advent calendar (the last one was from 2015) and it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of this design.
The colours are clean – I love the uniform grey bricks and the use of the transparent cone for the cockpit. The dark grey cheese slope that’s meant to be the radar dish does look a little out of place given that it’s quite disproportionately large.
I also love the transparent 2×1 plate on the back! The use of the 1×1 round tile on the sides is also quite pleasing to the eye, accurately reflecting the details of the full-sized Millennium Falcon.
Day 12 continues the strong run of models and it’s hard to be disappointed with the Millennium Falcon. We’re officially at the halfway point of this year’s calendar and with 5 consecutive Force Awakens models, I do wonder if tomorrow’s window will stay in the same setting, or if we get to explore other movies.
Check in tomorrow to find out!
Day 13
Day 13 was a head-scratcher for me. When I built the model this morning, I was pretty perplexed – what could this oddly shaped mess of grey elements be? My first assumption was some sort of snow sled, but it didn’t seem festive and all. It then clicked that this was a First Order Snowspeeder.
A what? You may remember this (now retired) LEGO set from the first wave of The Force Awakens sets. Don’t remember seeing it in the movie? It’s not you. Footage of the vehicle was cut from the theatrical release and was only made available on the DVD versions via deleted scenes.
It’s a really oddly shaped and uninspiring build. The shape kinda matches up to the LEGO model but it’s really hard to tell. I can’t blame the designers, the original vehicle isn’t exactly the most distinctive or eye-catching hunk of metal.
We get a black hose element which is a decent consolation?
A pretty meh day for me, which is kind of a letdown after such a strong past few days. Call it a hunch, but I think we’ll probably get a First Order Snowtrooper tomorrow to go along with this vehicle. And no, that’s not really a spoiler since the Snowtrooper is featured on the cover of the advent calendar!
As expected, Day 14 brings us a First Order Snowtrooper to go with yesterday’s shabby Snowspeeder. I don’t own this particular minifigure, which is an evolved version of the classic Snowtrooper so I’m pretty happy with the contents of today’s window.
The Snowtrooper has detailed printing across his body and comes with the new design helmet which I don’t really like – I far prefer the simple design of the original. I don’t know why, but the helmet reminds me of an upside down snail.
Here’s a look at the Snowtrooper without his helmet and back printing.
Kinda disappointing that we get the exact same face as Day 7’s Stormtrooper – some extra diversity would’ve been very much welcomed, especially since First Order soldiers are conscripted and come from a variety of different backgrounds.
The unofficial story I’m going with is that Steve has finally met his long-lost twin, Stephen. Unlike Steve, Stephen is a workaholic and was lucky enough to not be on Starkiller Base when the Resistance massacred an entire planet’s worth of First Order Snowtroopers. Stephen lost a lot of good friends that day and naturally isn’t a big fan of the Resistance, who has a kill-count that far outnumbers that of the First Order.
So that’s it for Day 14 so far! I’m really excited that I’m seeing The Last Jedi tonight – hope you guys get to catch it soon! I’ve heard that its sensational!
Day 15
Day 15 lightens up the mood a little with a fun, seasonal non-Star Wars build – a charming red snow machine! I kinda like the light-hearted build, it’s very well designed and introduces some more colour into what has been a very grey and white affair.
I do have to say that this was one of the trickiest builds yet as the intructions on the door weren’t too clear as you couldn’t really see one side of it. I’ve included photos of the Snow Machine from both sides so you can see how it’s done and where the red wedge plate goes. It might be especially tricky for younger builders.
I love the shape of it, especially the small bit of snow that’s emerging out of the front, and a chimney/spout that spits out snow to the side. My favourite bit of detail is the small black wheels on each side.
The Snow Machine also has handlebars, which allows yesterday’s First Order Snowtrooper to hold on and push it along. It’s really cute and I’m glad we get a model that injects a bit of fun into the Advent Calendar. That’s it for Day 15!
Day 16
I take it back, Day 15 isn’t the toughest build yet, it’s Day 16 which is Krennic’s Shuttle, which signals we’ve left The Force Awakens for Rogue One! Not to be confused with Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle which has a similar shape, Krennic’s Shuttle featured prominently in Rogue One, ferrying Krennic around the galaxy.
Like many other Advent Calendar builds, Krennic’s Shuttle was also released as a full-sized LEGO set last year.
I think the design of the ship does its job well – it captures the slightly blockier body of the ship and wings well. I also really like the clever use of the flag piece attached to a hose nozzle for the ship’s top fin.
I do think more could’ve been done to make the instructions clearer. I suspect most people and younger kids will have trouble making sense of how to build the ship’s wings, so I’ve illustrated it above. Like some of you pointed out in the comments, the black elements are really hard to make out on the flap.
It was also almost impossible to visually know that the light grey clip is attached to the black double cheese slope. Follow the photo above and mirror it for the other end (which is also obscured by the ship’s body in the instructions) and you should have no problem piecing Krennic’s Shuttle together.
Here’s the back of Krennic’s Shuttle. As you can see, the wings can be swivelled, but unfortunately, the angle is quite limited and they can be put in an upwards/landing position like how the set/ship is commonly depicted.
The model is also quite hard to display on its own, as it doesn’t balance on its wings well. I had to create a makeshift stand.
I’m pretty happy with Krennic’s Shuttle – the design could be improved but for what it is, it works for the most part. I’m more excited that we’re now about to explore the ships and characters of Rogue One, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next few days bring!
Day 17
Is it me or is this year’s calendar full of bad guys? Day 17 brings us a pretty neat exclusive minifigure, an Imperial Officer from Rogue One. As far as I know, the minifigure is exclusive to this set as his torso hasn’t been seen in any LEGO Star Wars set prior to the Advent Calendar.
The Imperial Officer is outfitted in your standard grey uniform and judging from his Rank Insignia, is quite a senior officer. He has a grumpy face with large sideburns and your typical Imperial hat. His face is also quite rare, having only previously appeared in the new UCS Death Star and the now-retired Imperial Star Destroyer.
Here’s a look at the details on the back of his torso which has some fabric creases and belt printed on. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any back printing.
The best part of Day 17’s Imperial Officer is the new weapon he comes with, we get our first small blaster pistol with him so our arsenal of blasters included so far is quite varied.
That’s it for Day 17 so far. For hardcore Star Wars fans, an exclusive Imperial Officer is a great addition to anyone’s collection, but for everyone else, I doubt it has the same appeal as a named character. That said, more bad guys aren’t necessarily a bad thing, as it means more targets for Sabine and Taslin to take out!
Day 18
Less than a week to go before the big finale of this year’s Advent Calendar and Day 18 delivers one of the the best builds of 2017 (so far) with this exceptional Y-Wing Starfighter! Bit of trivia about me, Y-Wings are my favourite Star Wars starfighters, and I especially enjoyed Anakin’s feats in the cockpit in the Clone Wars TV series.
Commonly used as assault bombers, Y-wings featured prominently in Rogue One in the Battle of Scarif, with Gold Squadron going on a superb bombing run, taking out the shield gate, and a Star Destroyer in the process.
I cannot state how much I love the design of this Y-Wing which is a massive improvement over the 2014 Advent Calendar version. The use of technic bushes with the grey antenna to create the Y-Wing’s Ion Engines and pylons (the two elongated bits at the back) is nothing short of superb.
The shape and proportions are near-perfect, with the only small flaw being the brown grill tile being used – personally, I think grey would’ve been a lot subtler.
Day 18’s Y-Wing build is so good, I really only had to take one photo to visually communicate how great it looks as a model. This just overtook Rey’s Speeder as my favourite build so far.
Day 18 is done and dusted so far! We’re in the final leg of the Advent Calendar journey and again, my hope has been restored and I’m genuinely looking forward to see what tomorrow brings!
Day 19
Only 5 more days to go! I can’t believe December has gone by so quickly. We’re at Day 19 of the 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, and like Day 18, it doesn’t disappoint as well.
We get a TIE Striker, the sleek atmospheric variant of a TIE Fighter from Rogue One. The remixed TIE Fighter sports a sharper, more angular and aerodynamic profile than its blocky cousin. I really love the design of the TIE Striker, the designers have yet again brought their A-game and shrunk down the fighter to micro-level without losing any of its distinctive features.
Like yesterday’s Y-Wing Starfighter, the TIE Striker was also part of the Rogue One wave of LEGO Star Wars sets that came out last year alongside the movie. Speaking of which, I need to add the Y-Wing from Rogue One to my LEGO collection.
It’s instantly recognizable if you’ve watched Rogue One and I really like the ingenious technique used for its angled wings. Here’s how it looks from the back. I really love the use of the grey “gold bar” element to smooth our the top of the TIE Striker.
If there’s one flaw, it’s that the instructions were yet again quite unclear. I don’t know why LEGO doesn’t invest or make the diagrams more legible, as I can imagine younger kids (and even some adults) might struggle with it.
In the photo above, I’ve highlighted how to affix the wings to the body, which I hope helps!
That’s it for Day 19! Made a fun little scene with some green lightsaber parts from my collection for this “chase scene”, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t come across any of these parts in your advent calendars. Speaking of lightsabers… Where are the Jedis in this Advent Calendar? ?
Day 20
We’re approaching the grand finale of this year’s Advent Calendar, and Day 20 brings us an Imperial Assault Hovertank, a vehicle that was used in Rogue One during the Imperial occupation of the city of Jedha, where we’re first acquainted with Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.
The Assault Hovertank is used by Imperial forces to oppress local population. The LEGO micro model is just recognizable enough thanks to its blocky shape, with its inverted slope front and prominent orange brick at the back.
Like the other Rogue One vehicles and ships featured so far, the Assault Hovertank was also released as a LEGO set which was probably the base inspiration model for the micro version.
The most fascinating part about the model is the orange “gold bar” at the back, which is a storage container of sorts. It really pops against the drab backdrop of greys and dark greys.
As a fan of curious LEGO elements, I was pretty surprised when I came across this part – I didn’t know that LEGO made these in orange, so it was very nice to get one of these!
All in all, a pretty average Day 20. Nowhere near as close as the superb builds we’ve gotten in the past few days, but it’s nice to see the Rogue One contingent growing bigger and bigger day by day. Still no Jedi or main characters apart from Sabine. I’m beginning to worry.
Hope we get a neat surprise tomorrow as there’s only 4 windows left!
Day 21
Day 21 brings us yet another minifigure, an Imperial Ground Crew, a character from Rogue One that has a much cooler appearance than his name suggests. Seriously, his name suggests that he’s just some regular schmuck that potters around the landing pads and runways on Scarif.
I am unsure if this guy is Kent Deezling, the unfortunate Ground Crew that got incapacitated and had his identity and uniform stolen by Jyn Erso to gain access to the R&D Radio Tower on Scarif in Rogue One.
I don’t own one of these, so I’m naturally quite happy to add him to my collection. The printing on his torso is superb, I really love how detailed it is, all the way down to the textures on his legs and knee pads. This dude has what is the best printing out of all the minifigures in this year’s advent calendar so far.
The highlight of this minifigure is none other than his cool helmet, which has an over-emphasised jaw section. The moulding of the helmet is brilliant, and I especially like how it gives off a medieval knight vibe in addition to looking super menacing. It’s also super glossy which makes it look extra nice.
Here’s a look at Kent’s face, which has a neutral expression and a headset printed on it. A really useful face to have if you ever want to create your very own LEGO Call Center. You can also see his back printing.
That’s Day 21 so far! While the Imperial Ground Crew is a great minifigure to own thanks to its exceptional design, I am very disappointed that it’s not a Jedi. And very worried since there’s only 3 days left in this year’s calendar and to be honest, the front of the calendar has pretty much spoiled the 3 remaining builds.
Tune in tomorrow to check out what Day 22’s build is like in more detail!
Day 22
Almost at the end now and Day 22’s window hits us with yet another strong contender for best build with the AT-ST or All Terrain Scout Transport if you ever wondered what the acronym stood for. Making a brief appearance in Rogue One, the designers once again hit a home run in terms of design.
Not only does the shape and appearance do the real thing justice, I especially enjoyed the different articulated sections – you can tilt the head upwards and angle it different, and the legs can also be adjusted. I have to also call out the ingenious use of parts for the legs which so accurately capture the AT-ST’s legs remarkably well.
The laser turret and the front of the AT-ST which makes it look like a little cyclops is also brilliant. I like how the turret can be swivelled left and right to blast Ewoks or Jedha inhabitants out of its way. The turret’s movement isn’t exactly accurate as a the “real” AT-ST’s turret toggles upwards and downwards, but any form of minor articulation on a build this small deserves praise.
Here’s a look at the back. It has quite the THICC booty from behind.
I’m really happy with Day 22’s build. I think it’s a strong challenger to the Y-Wing as the best build in the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar. Like the Y-Wing, I wouldn’t mind building a small fleet of these cute, chibi-esque AT-STs for a mini-Endor diorama.
That’s it for Day 22! Hope you enjoyed the AT-ST as much as I did! See you tomorrow for the second last build!
Day 23
Day 23 is our first real festive Christmas build, with a simple Sled filled with presents. It’s nothing particularly fancy, with just a few coloured blocks to signify Christmas gifts. Like the Snow Blower/Machine, there’s no tie-in to Star Wars except for maybe the engine thrusters behind which makes it look like it could travel through space.
Here’s a better look at the engine thrusters from behind. Perfect for Santa who has to deliver presents to the galaxy far, far away.
That’s it for Day 23! Only one more day to go. I can’t believe how quickly December has flown by! I’ll leave you with Steve piloting the sled with poor Stephen having to push him around.
See you tomorrow for the finale of the 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!
Day 24
Here we are, the finale of the 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar with this year’s festive, holiday-themed minifigure, a Santa BB-8. To usher in Christmas, the new hotshot spherical astromech droid comes with a Santa Hat and a dark blue snowboard.
Unfortunately, the Santa Hat is attached to BB-8’s head via a red stud. Apart from that, there’s nothing new with BB-8 and is the standard one that has appeared in a bunch of Star Wars sets. The snowboard is a nice-to-have as well as it’s not the most common accessory.
To be honest, I was dreading this day as it wasn’t really a huge surprise as BB-8 featured prominently on the cover. I think existing LEGO Star Wars fans will be sorely disappointed with this year’s “exclusive” festive minifigure. For those of you that don’t own a BB-8, you’ll probably be quite happy with him but even then, I suspect that there will be some people that would’ve wanted something a bit more special.
I have to say, it’s a bit of a letdown to not have an exclusive seasonal minifigure in this advent calendar. A BB-8 with an alternate head/dome printing would’ve been superb, or even some extra printed details across his body would’ve been a big game changer.
So there we have it, all 24 models of the 2017 Star Wars Advent Calendar! It’s been one heck of a ride and I’ve mostly enjoyed this year’s calendar. While I really wished that the finale was a bit more special, that doesn’t discount some of the fantastic models that featured throughout this Advent season.
I’ve summed up some of my thoughts on the themes, and minifigures that featured in this year’s Advent Calendar below.
Final Thoughts
One of the nicer surprises of this year’s Advent Calendar was treading new ground in properties never covered in an Advent Calendar, namely Star Wars Rebels, Rogue One and The Force Awakens. While we only had 2 models from Rebels, they were both designed really well and it was nice to see LEGO spotlight the cartoon series.
The Force Awakens featured very prominently as well and we got some sensational micro-models such as the updated Millennium Falcon, the Luggabeast as well as Rey’s Speeder which was one of my favourites in this year’s calendar. The First Order vehicles were some of the weaker entrants, but that can probably be attributed to their original designs which to be honest, haven’t been particularly memorable.
We have some notable ships missing such as Poe’s X-Wing and Kylo Ren’s command shuttle but we’ll probably see those in future Star Wars Advent Calendars. Overall, I was really happy with the models from The Force Awakens, except for the terrible blob of grey parts that was the First Order Snowspeeder.
The most outstanding theme is none other than Rogue One. The designers really brought their A-game here with some of the best builds in the entire calendar. They revisited and enhanced old classics such as the AT-ST and Y-Wing, two of are at the top of my list in this year’s calendar, and introduced us to memorable ships like Krennic’s Shuttle and the TIE Striker. Even the Imperial Hovertank wasn’t too shabby.
Every year, we get a mix of miscellaneous builds. My thoughts were mixed on these – there were some really standout builds such as the Blaster Cannon and Snow blower/Machine, but some stinkers such as the dreaded return of the Weapons Rack.
Seriously LEGO, just banish Weapons Racks altogether. You raised our hopes last year with a Racks-less advent calendar, so imagine my disappointment to see them make a comeback this year. Really liked the Snow Machine – I’d like to see more of these whimsical seasonal builds in future Advent Calendars!
My thoughts are mixed on the minifigures. A lot of commenters pointed out that there was a huge imbalance in “bad guys”, which if you line them all up above is really apparent. For LEGO Star Wars fans, getting exclusives or hard to find minifigures like the Imperial Ground Crew and Imperial Officer is always a treat, as is army-builder staples such as the First Order Stormtrooper and Snowtrooper.
I really liked getting Sabine and she’s probably my favourite minifigure out of the entire lineup.
I am really disappointed that we didn’t get a single Jedi, Sith or a lightsaber in this Advent Calendar. This is like the first Star Wars Advent Calendar that didn’t include a Force-user, and a Lightsaber which is supremely disappointing to me as they pretty much embody the appeal of Star Wars.
I think there was a terrible missed opportunity here to not include a festive Krennic, or Santa Kylo Ren at the very least. They’re probably saving Santa Kylo Ren for a future Advent Calendar but that’s really no excuse to not include Rey, Finn, or even Poe especially given how big the sequel trilogy is this year with the release of The Last Jedi. Massive wasted opportunity.
The seasonal exclusive that was BB-8 was also disappointing. Slapping on a Santa Hat on BB-8 does not make him any special in any way and LEGO could’ve done so much better. In 2014’s Advent Calendar, we even got an exclusive Christmas Tree Astromech Droid IN ADDITION to a Santa Darth Vader.
Due to that, I’d probably say that this year’s calendar has been the worst one since I started writing daily posts, and I feel like LEGO really let their fans down with Santa BB-8. The seasonal Star Wars exclusive minifigure is always the biggest draw of the set and this year, they just missed the mark. I have nothing against Santa BB-8, the concept is cute but it really feels like it should’ve been in an earlier window, not the grand finale.
Which is a huge shame, because I felt like this year’s Advent Calendar had the strongest showing of micro-models. I legitimately had a really good time building all the ships and characters, and if not for BB-8, this would’ve been one of my favourite Star Wars Advent calendars yet.
LEGO, you have a lot to do next year in terms of making up for 2017.
To everyone that has been following daily, or stumbled upon the blog halfway through, I’d like to extend a very Merry Christmas! I really appreciate all the support and the hundreds of comments that you guys have left. I really enjoyed chatting with you and I was especially moved to see so many new names and returning ones from previous years.
Thanks for making it such a memorable journey through this year’s Advent Calendar! Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Advent Calendar in the comments section as I’d love to hear what you think now that we’re all finished!
If you’ve enjoyed following daily, please do stick around for my other LEGO musings and posts as we head into 2018. 2018 is going to be an important year for LEGO, after quite a disappointing 2017 so I am optimistic for what these crafty Danes have in store.
Do check out some of my other LEGO Reviews if you want some light reading material. To stay up to date with the latest posts, you can subscribe with your email address in the right sidebar to receive notifications. You can also follow my page on Facebook where I update on a much more regular basis with news about LEGO. I’m also on Instagram as @jayong28 if you like photos!
Thank you once again, and a Merry Christmas to you! Hope you get a ton of LEGO under the tree tomorrow! Happy holidays!
Levi The LEGO Brick says
They should do LEGO ninjago advent calendar
Jay says
Ugh, totally. That’s such a good idea, which means LEGO would probably never do it. I’ve stopped wishing for a LEGO Movie Advent Calendar.
Star Boy37 says
Hey Jay hope there is a u-wing next year. Also they could do a mini version of the ach to island training and last Jedi builds next year. Thank you for blogging. Merry Christmas!
Star Boy37 says
Hey Jay hope there is a u-wing next year. Also they could do a mini version of the ach to island training and last Jedi builds next year. Thank you for blogging. Merry Christmas
Jay says
I’m hoping we get some Porgs in this year’s one, haha.
Darren Price says
Thanks Jay! Have loved your blog this Christmas! Happy New Year!
Jay says
You’re welcome! It was a pleasure doing it daily. Happy New Year to you too!
mickychas says
Thank you for thoroughly explaining all of the models. I don’t follow the cartoons and non-movie productions much, so the characters were not all that recognizable to me.
Jay says
You’re very welcome!
Andy says
Thanks Jay, I really enjoyed reading your blog each day, it was a huge help in identifying and building the models
I agree with your comments, the mini figures were very one-sided, and we were disappointed with the lack of Jedi
It’s also a shame that the last three figures were all shown on the front of the box, so there were no surprises at the end
Jay says
You’re welcome, I’m so glad you enjoyed the posts! Re: surprise, LEGO do this every year. I think with the main seasonal drawcard, you can’t really get away from that as it’s often the sole reason someone buys the advent calendar, but they should do a better job of making at least 80% of the builds more mysterious and suspenseful! I go to great lengths avoiding spoilers for the advent calendar and build them day by day, which really adds to the whole experience!
Brett roper says
Nya nya nya
Mandy says
I would like to say a massive thank you for these daily posts. My son is 7 ans this is his first Star Wars Advent Calendar… And definitely not his last. He has really enjoyed waking every morning, building his thing and then running to me asking me to “read the man’s blog mum, quick…”. It’s been an extra treat having a write up each morning (luckily most of your posts were available before the morning school run here in the UK).
I hope you will be doing it again next year ?
We have the Lego Death Star to build… Santa has high expectation for my young Jedi master…
Merry Christmas (belated) and i hope your new year is a prosperous one.
X
Jay says
You’re so welcome! I’m glad I was able to help and that he enjoyed this year’s advent calendar! Happy new year to you too and congrats on the LEGO Death Star! That’s going to take him awhile but I have no doubt that he’ll enjoy every bit of the build!
Rob Phillips says
Finally catching up on this as was away on holiday for last ten days and wasn’t allowed to take my Advent Calendar with me (I’m 45 btw…) LOVE following your blog and agree with your BB8 comments, although loved the AT-ST and the A Wing. Can’t wait til December 2018…
Jay says
I hope you at least got to open all 10 in one go when you got back! Yup, can’t wait for the next one. Hope LEGO picks up on all the feedback this year. Don’t think a lot of people were happy with BB-8 being the star minifigure. It should’ve been part of the calendar, but in the ones preceeding the big seasonal character.
Alan Huebner says
I really enjoyed reading these posts over the past couple weeks; thanks for doing this!!
I didn’t purchase the calendar myself, but I agree with your assessment. I’ll probably be buying next year’s, as my son will be about three and a half by then and able to enjoy it properly.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Jay says
You’re so welcome, I’m glad that you enjoyed the posts! Next year should be a much better calendar, fingers crossed! Happy New Year to you and your family!
JT says
Just came across your blog on Google while throng to figure out who/what some of the constructs were. Great job! I really enjoyed your pictures and brief explanations!
Obsidian 7 says
Hello Jay!
Thanks for your blog, really helpful to understand what were some of the trickiest builds to identify! Stumbled across tons of youtubers who were not knowing what they were talking about, so nice to read your thoughts about each build.
This year’s calendar was my third Star Wars one (2015 and 2016 I think) and I would that what was the worse overall… And you’re right, too much spoilers on the box :’-( ! Not sure if I’ll buy next one, but keep up the good work!
Seasonal greetings from France!
Jay says
Bonjour! Thanks for the kind words! I just mirrored my own experience with the tricky builds, trust me, it was a challenge for me too!
Yup, I agree with you there, it didn’t come close to the heights of 2015 and 2016, although the micro models have been the best ones yet. Such a shame with the poor seasonal builds, as I felt that it overshadowed some of the great builds like AT-ST and Y-Wing.
With The Last Jedi fresh in everyone’s minds, and hopefully tons of feedback from fans and customers, I think 2018 will be good. LEGO have a lot to make up for!
Happy holidays!
Leila says
Thank you for your daily updates! My son and I read them daily as part of his opening of the calendar routine. I appreciated your ability to keep us informed and entertained. Please keep up your excellent work! I believe that your discussion also helped us enjoy the Last Jedi more and I know it increased our enjoyment of the calendar. The additional help with the builds really came in handy as I am no help.
Jay says
You’re so welcome, Leila! I’m glad that I could help with you and your son’s advent calendar journey. Hope you had an especially festive Christmas!
Paul Castle says
Merry Christmas Jay!
Yet again, thanks for the run through, as I’d not have realised what some of the models or figures would have been without you.
I agree about the finale let down, as much as I loved the festive BB-8, it’s more akin to the festive clone trooper from 2014 and an early window gift. I mean, in 2015 we had that brilliant Ralph McQuarrie Christmas card homage with C3P0 and R2D2 along with sled, making that a three day build, or the Astromech tree, Jedi fireplace and Santa Vader (sung to the tune of Santa Baby?) from 2014. Let’s hope 2018 gives us something special.
All in all though, this has been as enjoyable as all previous years, and I shall enjoy putting up another photoshelf to display them all. I’ve got four up so far, presenting 2011-14, so now have to buy another three to bring me up to date.
What’s your favourite year so far? I think mine is 2015, as I’m a 40-year old who remembers there being just the one film (even though ESB was out I didn’t know about it until RotJ was released, when I was six) and I love the original trilogy bias presented there.
Jay says
Merry Christmas, Paul! Really glad to hear that I helped and that you enjoyed the daily posts. Yeah, they really missed out having BB-8 be a festive mid-point character like 2014. I thought it was a really odd decision not to have a festive Rey, given that there was a lot of focus on Jakku, what with the Speeder, Luggabeast and Unkar’s Thug.
My favourite is a toss up between 2015 and 2016. 2016 had tons of value and a Yeti Chewbacca but 2015 edges it out slightly because of the mini-location builds which I’ve really missed! It’s a shame we never got more of those.
F says
I turned my builds into a nativity scene!
Jay says
That’s brilliant. Did BB-8 play Baby Jesus?
Justin says
Thanks so much for your blog… I lived your uodates and the ability to identify builds for my boys. Cheers!!
Jay says
Hey Justin, you’re very welcome!
Aaron says
Awesome blog, followed almost everyday!
Jay says
Thanks for the support, Aaron!
A says
I agree that the BB-8 figure should have been more festive, especially since he’s one of the few things I recognised from the calendar. In previous years I’ve looked at this blog to check one or two builds that are less prominent in the movies, but I’ve found myself checking in almost daily this year. Given that I don’t like the stuff Disney’s released and have never seen the television series, I knew when I bought this year’s calendar that I wouldn’t recognise some of the builds. I underestimated just how many of them I wouldn’t recognise, however. Overall it’s been disappointing and I hope next year they find a better balance between new and old.
I’d also like to see some more colour next year – there seemed to be rather a lot of grey/black/white this time round.
Jay says
Ah, sorry to hear that this year’s calendar didn’t do it for you. Definitely agree that LEGO needs to make up for BB-8 next year. Haha, unfortunately with colours, even looking at all the regular-sized LEGO Star Wars vehicles, most of them are just various shades or grey, black and white.
fish says
I was quite disappointed with this year’s advent calendar as there was no original trilogy stuff. There were two builds that could be used as original trilogy, but no significant ones. I am always happy to add to my first order army, as it is currently my largest one, but all in all, I think that this year’s advent calendar was quite disappointing. Such is life.
Merry Christmas.
Jay says
We had plenty of OT stuff in previous years, but I know what you mean. I guess Rogue One could be considered a small compromise given that it occurs immediately before Episode 4. I really hope LEGO steps it up next year!
Joanna Jezewska says
Hi. Greetings from South Africa. Thanks for your blog. I’ve really enjoyed catching up on old entries as this is the first time I knew about the Minifigure series and advent calendars. I couldn’t get a Star Wars one as it sold out almost immediately but I got a City one and have had a great time building it daily, even more excited than my kids. I see you’ve indicated 2017 has been a not great year for Lego. Is this in relation to the advent calendar specially or other Lego in general? I’d love to understand.
Jay says
Hello, fellow Southern Hemisphere dweller! So glad you’ve enjoyed the blog and that you enjoyed the city one! It’s more for LEGO in general – I’m writing a post about this in more detail, but there were a couple of factors – sets got more expensive, there was a severe lack of innovation from LEGO and there wasn’t anything particularly new, interesting or refreshing this year, save for a few outstanding sets.
SonomaLass says
Again, I think the designers had kids in mind, not adult collectors. My grandson figured out yesterday that BB-8 was likely to be the final figure, after realizing that we had all the others pictured on the box. He was so excited! He kept talking about it, and first thing this morning he rushed to open it. He squealed, and danced around, and I can’t think of a minifigure that would have made him happier. I, for one, am glad that at the intersection of Legos and Christmas, they made it about pleasing children.
Thanks for this blog; it has helped us a lot with putting together some of the trickier figures and figuring out what the different ships were.
Jay says
Yeah, you’re right hence my comment about how seasoned Star Wars and Advent Calendar fans would be disappointed. Based on previous years, you can make both audiences happy, which is why I felt that they missed the mark this year. But for the most part, everyone seems to have enjoyed this year’s Advent Calendar, so I still consider it a win for all.
You’re welcome. Thank YOU for the support and for following this year!
Steve says
Thanks Jay for yet again a great Star Wars Advent Calendar blog. Me and my (now) 7 year old, Harry, check it out daily every year.
I agree with you on the models and the lack of surprise given that they’re pasted all over the front cover. Harry even wondered back at Day 17 whether the rocket powered sleigh would come out of Door 23 as shown on the pic, and he was right, it did! Our highlights were Sabine Wren (No. 1 favourite!) and the At-St and Y-Wing.
I also liked the inclusion is Taslin Brance – really nice when we get exclusives, and as you note, its a shame BB-8 didn’t have a unique print.
Biggest let-down for us was the Tie Striker as the bag had burst and the model is incomplete missing some bits.
Overall though, we’ve greatly enjoyed the calendar and your blog – looking forward to next year!! Many thanks! ?
Paul Castle says
Contact lego through their missing parts service, quoting the set number on the box. I had the santa hat missing from my festive clone trooper in 2014, and within a short while (I can’t remember how long exactly, might have been after Christmas) they posted me a replacement piece.
Steve says
Hi Paul,
Took your advice and let Lego know about the missing parts through their website and they arrived today, free of charge, with an apology letter. Great customer service! 🙂
Jay says
Hey Steve, you’re most welcome! Really appreciate you and your son coming back each year.
You guys picked some really great selections as your favourite. Hard to disagree with your to 3! Bummer about the TIE Striker, hope you’ve written to LEGO to request some replacements.
Happy holidays to you and your family!
Jimmy Smith says
Hi just want to say that your blog has been immensely helpful. This is my first year getting the calender and I decided to do a YouTube series for each day. I got stuck on the 5th and discovered your blog. It’s been very helpful throughout this month so thank you very much
Jay says
Hey Jimmy, glad you somehow stumbled upon my blog, and I’m happy I was able to help! Happy holidays to you!
Marcus says
Agreed that BB8 isn’t a great festive figure and should have just been included earlier on (maybe with the other TFA builds). Since I don’t own a BB8 at all though I’m pretty glad to get one and I’ve just put the hat and snowboard away.
Thank you very much for the blog posts and I hope you and all the other readers have a lovely Christmas
Jay says
Yeah, LEGO really missed out on a golden opportunity to have a festive BB-8. Oh well, there’s always next year. Good to hear it’s your first BB-8!
Thanks so much for all your support and for following daily. Happy holidays!
Dez says
Great job as ever Jay!! Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this.
Merry Christmas!!
Jay says
Thank you! I really enjoy writing the daily posts, so it didn’t feel like much effort at all! Happy holidays!
Scott Middlemist says
Hey Jay,
My sons and I really love your daily blog. We are big Star Wars fans, but you provide such interesting and in-depth details which truly enhance every build!
Thanks again,
The Middlemist’s from Arizona
Jay says
Hey Scott, so glad to hear that you and your sons enjoyed the daily posts! Hope they also had a great time with this year’s calendar! Happy holidays to you and your family!
Robin says
Thank you, Jay! I stumbled across your blog looking for an ID on Taslin Brance (who is standing in for Poe Dameron in my personal collection regardless, because he shares that “Chris Pratt” face) and have enjoyed checking in every day since whether I knew what the build was or not. Since I haven’t seen Rebels, the explanation of those windows was also much appreciated. As an AFOL who has only recently discovered that that’s a real thing to be :), I’ll be back!
Happy holidays!
Robin (from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, USA)
Jay says
Hey Robin, so glad you somehow stumbbled upon me and that you enjoyed the daily posts! Hope to see you around too! Happy holidays and an especially Happy New Year!
Wayne Haywood says
Great blog again Jay
Merry Xmas
Jay says
Thanks, Wayne! Hope you had a brilliant Christmas!
David Mace says
Thanks for doing this. Look forward to reading this every year! It also helps with some of the trickier builds ?
Jay says
You’re welcome! Thanks for following!
Dixie says
I came across your blog when I was trying to find out what the builds are.
I am not a big Star Wars fan nor a Lego fan for that matter.
Being Catholic, I always make an Advent calendar for my son but last year my husband found out about the Lego Star Wars Advent calendar and decided to buy one for our son though they started late.
We bought it early this year and your post are so helpful.
I was able to tell my 5 year old what the build is.
He is so excited for every build and especially happy for BB8 even if he had one already from the other Starwars Lego builds he have.
Thank you so much and will be looking forward next year.
Merry Christmas to you and your family and a blessed New Year!
Jay says
Hey Dixie, I’m really glad to hear that I was able to help you navigate this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar and that it sounds like he had a great time! Hope to see you again next year too and that you and your family had a great Christmas!
Sara says
Hi Jay!
Thank you SO MUCH for this blog!
I only started buying the advent calendar last year but I began reading your blog at the same time. While the advent calendar might’ve lifted the winter blues a little on its own, the enthusiasm in your writing has really been a game changer in how much fun I have every day getting to know these new pieces.
I know a good amount about Star Wars but almost nothing about LEGO, but all the information you provided both as to the significance of the pieces in the Star Wars universe and as LEGO pieces really made me love and appreciate each piece more than I would have otherwise.
It was also always nice to be able to double check with someone if I built the pieces right!
I ended up making little videos in my Instagram stories every day of the pieces I received, and I used your blog everyday as ‘research’ to help choose scenes from the movies that would beat showcase the piece. (I would play the audio in the background, while acting out the scene with the piece).
I really can’t thank you enough, or express just how fun and engaging your writing style is!
All the very best!!
– Sara
Jay says
hey Sara, thank YOU for all the support and kind words. I really enjoy writing each year so this is something I look forward every year as well!
Thanks again for following this year. Happy holidays and an especially happy new year to you!
Sarah Leonard says
My husband and I were a little disappointed with this year’s set. It was fun, and we enjoyed opening each little ship or figure each day, but it seems like there just weren’t as many figures as there were last year.
Also, our BB8 was missing a piece. No head. Has anyone else had this problem?
Jay says
And yeah, there’s definitely fewer minifigures than last year, 8 (including BB-8) compared to 9 (including the battle droid) but last year was an exception to the rule. Oh man, sorry to hear about your BB-8. You should write into LEGO to ask for a replacement one.
John says
Hi Jay,
This has been my first (but won’t be my last) Star Wars calendar. I would just like to thank you for this fantastic blog, I will definitely stick around and look forward to your posts throughout the year.
May I wish you and my fellow readers a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
John from Blackpool, UK.
Jay says
Hey John, thanks for following. Sounds like you had a positive experience with this year’s advent calendar.
Hope to see you around next year! Happy holidays and a very happy new year!
Traci says
Thank You! This was so helpful for my 9 year old son as he went through his first Star Wars Advent Calendar. Merry Christmas from White Oak, WV, USA!
Jay says
You’re so welcome! Hope you and your family had an awesome Christmas!
Emiy says
Thanks Jay, Merry Christmas! ?
Jay says
Thank you, happy holidays to you too!
McMiner says
I hope Santa Kylo REN is next year. That would be so awesome!
Jay says
I’d be happy with a Santa anything from The Force Awakens, but yeah, Santa Kylo Ren NEEDS to happen.
E @ Oh! Apostrophe says
I like the advent calendar. Thank you for writing about it every day! Merry Christmas! (Finn, age 6.5)
Jay says
Hey Finn, thanks so much for following along! Hope to see you around. Happy holidays!
Suzy says
Merry Christmas to you! Thanks for a fantastic recap for each day. My kid and I had fun reading your posts (and helping when we were stumped)
My kid says: “ I love all the Starwars you build” ha, he liked your little set ups;)
Cheers!
Jay says
Happy holidays to you too and thanks so much for following along!
Sam says
We watched the Last Jedi. Our favorite was Porg!
Jay says
Same here! Hope we see them in more LEGO sets!
Mark says
Awesome job as usual Jay. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jay says
Thanks Mark! Hope you guys had an awesome one too!
Charlie says
Hi Jay
We love your blog,
See you next year
From Charlie
Jay says
Hey Charlie, thanks for the kind words and support! See you next year. Happy holidays and new year!
Niamh McCallion says
Really enjoyed reading with my boys on a daily basis as we opened up the windows, have a lovely Christmas break
Jay says
Thanks Niamh, really glad to hear that you and your boys enjoyed the daily updates! Happy holidays to you and your family too!
Jamie W says
Thanks Jay following the blog with my 4yr olds first lego calender.
It’s got him into star wars having watched the movies
(4/5/6 and 1- got to see them in the release order I think.)
I knew most models with a few as mentioned a little more tricky to identify.
Merry Christmas to you and Happy New year too.
Johnny Bruhn says
Thank you so much for doing this again this year, Jay.
I am from Denmark, the birthplace of the bricks, and it is a pleasure to see people from around the world getting into Lego.
I have to agree with Jay that this years calender was a bit weak compared to last years calender. And the BB-8 was a huge letdown but we in turn got some great minis; Falcon, Ghost, Y-Wing, TIE Striker, Krennicks Shuttle and my absolute fav: the AT-ST.
I’m not overly happy with this years calender but i am content and will def be back on the adventbricks next year.
Thanks again, Jay, for your work \m/
Jay says
Hey Johnny, thank YOU for all your support and following along! LEGO is a such a global phenomenon, and combined with an internet, has allowed me to “meet” and connect with so many other fans of the brick.
Yeah, you pretty much echoed my thoughts – the micro models have been so great that I’m actually really excited for what they do next year. Hope to see you around. Happy New Year!
Anna Edmison says
From Liam (7) in Ottawa Canada: I think this is a really great blog. My mum and I enjoy reading it every day. Merry Christmas and Thank You!
Jay says
Hey Liam, thanks for following! Merry Christmas to you too!
Anders says
Thank you so much for this daily update on the calendar. I’ve been building along in the UK and had a google on the 2nd to find your blog explaining the rebels models!
I’ve really enjoyed the insight and care put into each of these posts so kudos!
Have a very merry Christmas and I look forward to reading more lego updates from here on in!
Jay says
Hey Anders, thanks so much for the support and I’m glad to hear that I’ve added to your experience! Happy holidays and Happy New Year!
Lys says
Thanks Jay for taking us though the whole calendar 🙂 We’ve been checking in every day to find out the details of the builds and what you thought. My five year old would like me to say that he thinks that the Imperial Ground Crew guy is really goodie in disguise which balances things out a bit 🙂 He’s been thrilled with the whole calendar as he doesn’t yet have a lot of the minifigures – I can see how things are a bit different when you already have a good collection. His two favourite windows were the ground crew guy and BB8 so we ended on a high 🙂 Hope you have a great Christmas!!
Jay says
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad to hear that you guys enjoyed following every day, thanks for making me part of your Advent Calendar journey! Your 5 year old could be right. He could be a secret Rebel spy embedded on the Imperial Outpost 😉 That said, I’m really happy to hear that his minifigure collection has grown! Hope you have a Happy New Year!
JordanGSD says
Thanks for all the daily updates, I have really enjoyed reading your blog this year along with my calendar, agreed there were some crap days but overall I loved it, you are now my favourite Australian ? Don’t tell Adam Hills, Have a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year when it comes, All the best ???
Jay says
Hey Jordan, thank YOU for following along! I don’t deserve the honour, Adam Hills is a way better bloke! Happy holidays and a very happy New Year to you too!
Tom says
Thanks for sharing the journey once again, Jay. Wholeheartedly agree with your summing up – even as someone who didn’t yet own BB-8 it felt like a huge anti-climax: Lego really need to also work on their box art so it doesn’t give everything away!
Re: the AT-ST/AT-DP “controversy”, I have have a couple of comments:
1) the micro-models usually tie to large models Lego has already done. I’m not aware of them having produced an AT-DP, but I know they’ve done a Rogue One AT-ST because it’s currently sat on my bookshelf!
2) Lego’s own product description of the product in their online store describes it as an AT-ST – so whether it actually looks like one or not, that’s clearly what Lego want it to be.
Thanks again, Jay, and already looking forward to joining you for next year’s journey – with hopefully no weapons racks and some extra-special Christmas mini-figures!
Jay says
Hey Tom, thank YOU for following along! I really appreciate the support and yes, hope LEGO steps it up next year! They have a lot to make up for! See you again!
George Morris says
We found your blog at the start of December and have really enjoyed it everyday. We will be back next year! Thanks very much. George (age 5)
Jay says
Hey George, thanks so much for following the blog! Hope you enjoyed this year’s calendar. Looking forward to see you back again next year! Happy holidays!
Jon says
A great blog Jay, me and my son have been following all month. Needed your help to identify some of those slightly more obscure builds!! Have a cracking Christmas! Catch you next year!
A Pom form the south west Uk.
Jay says
Cheers, from Down Under and happy holidays! Thanks so much for the support and I’m glad that I could help out with the Advent Calendar this year!
Olivia and Marley Johnson says
We read your blog as a Christmas tradition now Jay. We’ve had a major disappointment this end. The final door, door number 24 was opened this morning, and instead of getting our Christmas BB8, we just got a bag of spare blocks. So disappointing!! My 7 year old is beside himself. Gutted!
Angela Vile says
Contact Lego customer service and they will send you the figure. Angie x
Jay says
Thanks so much for making my blog a part of your Xmas tradition, that means so much to me! That’s really horrible, LEGO’s QC with Advent Calendars seems to be getting worse – so many others had wrong windows/parts as well as you can see in the comments section. Do write in to LEGO’s customer service and they’ll have a replacement out to you in no time.
Adam says
Thanks for helping us identify all the ones we didnt recognize (mostly Rebels figures). Cheers!
Jay says
You’re welcome! I had a blast too. Happy holidays!
JC says
It’s been an incredibly fun Advent season, Jay. Thanks for all the blog posts and putting a smile on everyone’s face. Merry Christmas.
Jay says
You’re welcome, I had a blast too. Thanks for following along and happy holidays!
Richard says
Thank you for the informative and fun blog. Every day after the build I enjoy your comments and explanation of what it is.
Looking forward to next years builds and blog.
Jay says
Hey Richard, thanks so much for the kind words and for following every day! Hope to see you again next year!
Todd Downey says
Awesome review and some great tips on the wings of the fighters. Thanks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Jay says
You’re welcome, thanks for the kind words! Happy holidays to you too!
Jason Delzer says
Hello, I’ve been enjoying the Star Wars Advent Calendar and following along with your blog. I just wanted to point out that the walker from a few days ago is an All Terrain Defense Pod, rather than an AT-ST. The AT-DP was featured on Rebels.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/All_Terrain_Defense_Pod
Keep up the blog I love it!
fish says
There have been many comments going over this. It is hard to get the differentiating features into the model at this size. The fact that it was in amongst all of the other Rogue One builds makes this an AT ST. The lack of defining features allows you to use the walker as either, but it was intended to be an AT ST.
I hope that makes sense, I feel like it was very poorly written.
Jay says
Hey Jason, you make a compelling argument but it’s definitely an AT-ST as that’s what’s listed in the product description. Also, it appeared in the Rogue One block of sets, not Rebels. The extra panelling on the side is also quite exaggerated, which looks more like an AT-ST. That said, it could definitely double as an AT-DP, though!
Renee and Ben says
Thank you for doing this!! My son and I reference you to make sure we’ve got it right pretty much daily. You’ve got me cracking up with Steve and Stephen. Keep up the great work, it is VERY appreciated!
Jay says
Thanks so much for the kind words! I really appreciate the support from you guys as well! Happy holidays!
Reuben says
Just wanted to say “thank you”! This has helped my 5yo son and I identify several we didn’t know. Happy holidays!
Jay says
You’re so welcome, I’m glad that I could help! Happy holidays to you too!
Powersword303 says
Keep up the good work!!!!!!
Jay says
Thank you!
Kerry Parnell says
Còooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
Veda says
BUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Everyone who read the post today was mooned by AT-ST .
Jay says
I plead ignorance, haha.
Dan says
I think day 22 may actually be an All Terrain Defense Pod. They have featured heavily on Rebels, and I think the monocular look, single large gun barrel, and smooth sides make it look closer to that mech than the AT-ST.
Jay says
It’s definitely an AT-ST as it’s listed on the product description. Also, the Rebels “block” was far earlier in the calendar.
Tim says
Thanks for doing this! I hadn’t bought the calendar the past couple years and just bought one again this year to open at work. It’s been a lot of fun making the builds and trying to figure out (sometimes with your help) what each one was supposed to be! Hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas!
Jay says
You’re very welcome! I’m really glad to hear that you had an awesome time!
Mike says
Anyone else get a mixup? I opened today’s (Day 22) with my son, and he was so excited to get a walker. However, the package is a repeat of the pieces for the First Order Snowspeeder (Day 13). I guess we have two of those, now?
Kayla says
I got the same… super disappointed. Any way to fix this?
Lawrence says
Contact Lego (email link on main site) and they will send you replacement parts to make missing day, same happened with my daughters city calendar, takes a few days though
Jamie W says
Yeah I had a similar issue with hover tank , got a second weapons crate instead.
Contact Lego the customer service is fantastic.
Mac says
You can go to the Lego website in the missing parts section and type in the pack number 75184 and tell them what’s missing. They’ll post it out to you I believe.
Jay says
Sorry to hear that. LEGO’s quality control with Advent Calendars are quite poor. You should write to them to request a replacement. Kinda sucks that you got 2 of the worst builds. At least it isn’t an extra Weapons Rack!
Camden says
I am liking this advent calendar. I just wish there was more good guys. Pretty good compared to 2015 and 2016. I think LEGO is trying to celebrate the new movies.
Felix says
Only rebel remaining is BB8
Jay says
Yup, completely right! I think Jyn Erso, or K2SO would’ve been great additions. Definitely need more good guys!
JordanGSD says
Loved this build today, as a first time buyer of the advent calendar I have been impressed with the quantity and variety of mini figures, besides the weapon cache each day has been quite enjoyable to build and goes well with my other Star Wars Lego sets 🙂
Jay says
Really glad to hear that you’re enjoying your first Advent Calendar! The mini builds have been sensational this year!
Tom says
I think that’s not an atst, those have two turrets. Maybe it’s that light atst seen in rebels. It had one central turret and different cockpit.
Tom says
An AT-DP, all terrain defense pod
Crystal says
At this small scale, I think they’d look very similar. Because of the shape of the feet, I think AT-ST is right. It’s cool trying to figure it out each day.
Theodor Mahu says
It is an at-st only that they couldn’t fit 2 turrets.
Jay says
Definitely an AT-ST, as LEGO listed it in the product description.
JC says
I loved the AT-ST’s head, but the legs were just too bulky for my liking. At this scale it would be impossible to get the true “chicken legs”, but I found the squareness are bulkiness of the legs too much for me to really like it.
fish says
Yes, the legs don’t walk as a chicken would, therefore, I dub them “sparrow legs” as the lack of knees and individual legs force the “walker” to hop, rather than walk. I think that I missed the point, as you were complaining about the bulkiness of the legs, but it would be hard to get the legs to be less bulky without them being right up against each other.
Jay says
Yeah, it’s a difficult compromise to get it completely accurate, but at this scale it does the job.
Leah says
We are loving your blog! My sons need to know all the details each day and your links to real images are perfect! Thanks for doing this.
Jay says
You’re so welcome! Thanks for your support and for following along!
Nalo Benedict says
I think maybe Sabine,s printing is a bit better. Or Unkars thug.
Jay says
Sabine definitely has better hair 🙂
Nalo Benedict says
Still only one Christmas build so far!
Nalo Benedict says
The advent calendar is definitely full of bad guys this year. We don’t have any main characters from the two Star Wars movies that they put into this years advent calendar!!! What is up!?!?
Jay says
Yup, this is a really valid criticism. Army builders and baddies are nice for older LEGO fans, but for casual fans, it leaves much to be desired!
Michael says
After thinking about it, It makes sense that there isnt a Jedi due to the heavy rouge one theme.
Jay says
Yeah, but that doesn’t make an excuse for The Force Awakens! Speaking of Rogue One, now that I think of it, it was a waste not to have a main character feature – imagine a Christmas-themed K2SO, or even Jyn Erso in the Imperial Ground Crew minifigure would’ve been great!
McMiner says
Honestly Jay, you don’t know what is in tomorrow’s box. So technically it’s kind of a spoiler.
Marko Susimetsä says
The last 3 doors were easy to predict: all three items are pictured on the box and we already knew which items are in 24 and 23 (23 is shown opened on the box art with the item shooting out).
fish says
The imperial ground crew guy has some serious underbite problems.
Jay says
I can’t unsee that now!
LiamFrance says
Hm. Apparently we should have watched Rebels and Rogue One, because most of this years’ calendar is foreign to us. Nice little builds nonetheless.
Jay says
Rebels is apparently really good, I’ve had so many people ask me to watch it. Rogue One is one of my favourite Star Was movies, you should definitely watch it!
Theodor Mahu says
Today’s character is actually quite nice like you said the printing is superb. I actually tuned in the first of December like Mark and you cover everything about the build and character. 3 more days to go! Merry Christmas!
Jay says
Merry Christmas!
Becky says
Loving this blog. Thanks for sharing. My son was keen to know what each piece was so was thrilled when I found your blog. Annoyingly he’s opened day 22 today instead of 21. I won’t spoil it for you but we’ll have to miss your reveal today ?.
Nick says
Thanks jay, I love your information it is really helpful to us. From Nick
Jay says
You’re very welcome!
Lisa says
Just wanted to say thank you Jay for writing this blog. This is my first lego advent calendar and I’ve found your blog very helpful for some of the trickier builds and for identifying some of the ships that I wasn’t too familiar with.
I have also really enjoyed your daily commentary. When I opened today’s build I told my husband “Oh Jay’s going to love this orange piece!” Found it quite amusing to then read today’s post and find out I was right.
Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
Gareth Parke says
Four days left and cover shows three of those in Sledge, Walker and BB-8. Bit gutted we haven’t got any more goody characters. This is my first lego advent and may be my last.
Jay says
Ugh, you’ve pointed out what I was dreading :/
I haven’t been paying attention to the cover on purpose. I have mixed feelings, but I’ll see when I get to the end how I feel about the whole calendar.
Kerry Parnell says
Cool build today awsome
Crystal says
I had a leftover flat square black piece and leftover flat square clear piece from previous builds. I attached them underneath the hovercraft to make it slightly more balanced. I also replaced the round piece on top with a square the same shade as the slope and topped it with a flat round piece to resemble the covers from the movie. I love the bright orange crates piece!
My weapons rack is getting crowded. It now has 3 blasters and a wrench.
Jay says
Never complain about extra blasters!
Mark says
I just wanted to drop a message and say a few words.
I found your blog by googling Star Wars Advent 2017. From the first day of December I’ve been reading daily because of your take or opinion mixed with some humor and your excitement and enthusiasm has been fun to read. For the most part your take on each day almost mirrors my own.
I have also valued your help and guidance with some of the harder builds. I’ve relied on this blog once or twice because the build diagrams were unclear. It has been much appreciated.
Enjoy your holidays.
Jay says
Hey Mark, thanks for the kind words! I’m really glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the daily posts. It helps make the advent calendar so much more interactive and I also love the conversation here, hearing from different people about their own experiences. Hope you stick around after we’re done if you’re into LEGO!
Colby says
That Hovertank is so cute!
Jay says
I did enjoy the sideways build!
Jamie W says
Disappointing, I got another weapons crate inside pack of door 20 instead of tank pictured.
Lego mistake!
Won’t get that mini now till after Christmas or New year.
Jay says
Oh no. Sorry to hear that. Just write in to LEGO and they’ll sort you out. Their quality control with Advent Calendars are pretty bad. This happens to a small minority of people every year.
Edward C. says
My son and I love reading your SW Advent Calendar blog each day after he does the build. Keep up the good work! Just curious, it appears your Ghost and Phantom II have been missing from the photos since Day 16. Did the Steves crash them and put them in the shop?
Jay says
hey Edward, thanks for the support! Glad you guys are enjoying the daily posts, I’ve been enjoying writing them too!
Steves definitely have something up their sleeves 😉
Nigel Groom says
My only disappointment with the tie striker is the clear tile for the cockpit, wouldn’t the standard tie fighter cockpit piece (like from last years) look better and more appropriate? Haven’t tried it yet myself.
Crystal says
What’s the standard piece?
Jay says
Think that would be a bit too big as a cockpit piece.
anonymous says
I actually tried it from last year’s TIE interceptor, but It didn’t make the TIE striker even on the ground. To make it even again all you would have had to do is put a 1×2 transparent plate under the build
JC says
I believe this one is actually called the Imperial Combat Assault Tank. Lego used the incorrect “Hovertank” name for the larger set (probably because the name hadn’t been finalized in the movie), but it has since come out that it was incorrectly named.
Jay says
Ah yes, you’re right. It’s always stuck as the Hovertank for me because of the LEGO set. I do like the name though. Sounds a lot cooler than Combat Assault Tank!
Bill says
Maybe tomorrow??.☹️☹️
Jay says
Nope 🙁
Gareth says
I have loads and loads of spare parts, do you have the same?
Bonnie says
Yes same here.
Jay says
Yes, that’s pretty normal. You can expect tons of studs, tiles, cheese slopes and a hose nozzle or two by the end of the advent calendar!
Crystal says
My first thought when I saw the bag for day 21 was that it was Jyn, but that’s definitely not her face. Hahaha!
SImona says
Checking your blog has become part of our morning routine as it has been instrumental to our completing the minifigurines from the advent calendar. Thank you for providing clear, brief, precise instructions along with some narrative about what we are constructing. We also appreciate your sharing your opinion and (sometimes) excitement about each piece.
Jay says
Hey Simona, thanks so much for making me part of your routine! I really appreciate the support!
Jen says
Agree that some of the instructions are terrible, particularly for young kids. My 5 year old son is great at following Lego instructions and loves building but yesterday and today have handed it straight over to me to build.
Ian says
Quick hint, Lego have printed all the instructions in a handy document: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/help/products/themes-sets/star-wars/lego-star-wars-advent-calendar-building-instructions-408100000008024
Just be careful not to look at a day you’ve not opened yet!
Jen says
It’s the 1 picture instruction that my son is having trouble with.
But handy to know I can save all the instructions for future reference. Do others keep the box afterwards?
Jay says
I agree 100%. I mean if adults like me are struggling with making out some of the instructions, I can’t think how much trouble younger builds might have.
The_Superhoo says
Keep up the good work! I’ve got my advent calendar at my office desk and every morning when I come to work I make that day’s build. Then I always head here to read about it!
Cheers, mate.
Jay says
Thanks for the support! Oh that’s a really good idea. I think I’ll have to have an office advent calendar too. Does it get a lot of attention from your workmates?
BringTheNoise says
Thanks for your help with Krennic’s Shuttle and the TIE Striker, I don’t think I’d have been able to figure them out myself (and I’m 32!)
Jay says
You’re welcome! Took me longer than usual to figure it out!
Felix says
Why would you want more jedi?
Jay says
Cause Jedi are cool and I love lightsabers? 🙂
Nigel says
I’ve struggled with some of the instructions so tried the tip mentioned by another reader – I used my phone to take a photo of the instructions on the calendar which allowed me to zoom in to the picture. It was a huge help and one that I can thoroughly recommend
Jay says
Great tip! My phone is pretty old and the camera is quite lousy so I can’t do that.
Kelly says
Loving these posts. Our 6yr old loves coming on here to check he’s named the ship/weapon/character correctly. It has become part of our morning routine before school. Keep it up
Jay says
Hi Kelly, so glad to hear I’ve been able to help your 6 year old. Thanks for the support and hope you guys are enjoying the Advent Calendar so far!
Jon says
Hey Jay – where’s day 19? It’s my birthday advent day!!!!!
Jay says
Just went up! Sorry it’s a little late, oh and Happy Birthday!
Francisphx says
Day 19 post typed wrongly as Day 20 bro
Jay says
Ah yes, thanks for pointing that out. It’s been fixed!
Veda says
Mine too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Jay says
Happy birthday to you too!
Veda says
I’m hoping for something REALLY good for day 19, it’s my birthday.
Angela says
We swapped the brown grill with the grey one on Rey’s speeder. Rey’s looks better with the brown!
Jay says
Oh yeah, great idea! The brown certainly fits the rusty look of Rey’s Speeder better!
Jean says
Today was my favourite so far, love the y-wing and was great to build. I found your blog a couple of days ago and I’ve been really enjoying It, keep up the good work 🙂
Jay says
Yay, more Y-Wing fans! Glad you somehow stumbled on the blog and to hear that you’re really enjoying it! Hope you stick even after the calendar is finished 🙂
Darren Price says
Loving your blog Jay! Thanks for the daily updates! I view your blog after I’ve opened my window and the build is complete. Keep up the great work!
Jay says
Thanks so much, Darren! Your support means a lot to me! Hope you’re enjoying the calendar so far!
Lee says
Like Jay, I’m a Y-Wing fan. We’re a rare breed, eschewing the trendy, zippy X in favour of an ungainly, ponderous beast of a ship.
It’s a bit like preferring the Hawker Hurricane (the true workhorse of the Battle Of Britain) to the Supermarine Spitfire…
fish says
I prefer the B-Wing.
Jay says
Aww yeah! Gold Squadron represent! Great tidbit about the Battle of Britain too! Never knew that and I spent half an hour diving into Wikipedia to learn more about the Hawker Hurricane!
Joe says
Hi Jay,
My 5 year old son and I have really been enjoying your posts. You have been our morning tradition here in the USA these last few weeks. Keep up the good work mate.
Jay says
Hi Joe, really glad to hear that! Thanks for joining so far and I’m really honoured that you’ve made it a morning tradition! Happy holidays from Down Under!
Felix says
I knew what day 18 was the minute I opened the flap LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Justin says
I believe the brown tile is used because the recent Y-wing build used brown pieces in the same area of the ship.
Stuart says
Excellent blog Jay, your helpful details make this by far the best SW calendar review site. Its also nice that you are half a day ahead of me in the UK so that I don’t have to wait to see each day’s review. Just don’t mention the cricket!!
Peter says
I think Day 17 is Moradmin Bast. The sideburns and the rank match……
Peter says
Scratch that, the rank insignia is wrong
Ian says
Aw man – I got another Sabine instead of the Y-Wing. Thanks for a detailed post so I know what it was -supposed- to look like.
Paul Newman says
I got the same double.
Ian says
Might be a common issue; I’ve pinged the guys at Lego a message to see if I can get a replacement. Probably would have been my favourite model so far, so I was hugely disappointed.
Karl says
I love the Y-wing too – my favourite piece of trivia is that it’s the only craft shot down by Darth Vader in the original trilogy that was also piloted by Anakin Skywalker (in, as you mentioned, the Clone Wars). Outstandingly accurate build and it’ll fit much better with my full size Star Destroyer than the mini Y-wing and X-wing ships I currently have – they’re just much too big!
Bree says
Hi Jay!
This is the first year of following your blog on the Lego Advent and I love it! But I did want to comment on the fact that our Imperial Officer seeemd to hve come with an extra weapon. I know you mentioned Sabine Wren would have been better with a second blaster so I added the extra one to her figure! Just wanted to share my excitement.
Jake says
Kids boring for Christmas so far.
luke says
Sorry Jay, but his insignia has 4 red and 4 blue not 3 red and 3 blue.
JC says
He never said there were only three….
Nalo Benedict says
I’ve noticed we only have one Christmas related build so far in this calendar. it seems like 2015’s calendar was all about the Christmas builds!
Jay says
Yeah, this year seems much more serious! Santa Clone Trooper was great.
Aria & Aubin says
We agree that day 16 was hard therefore they should make better directions.
Jay says
This happens every year. They should really learn to make the instructions clearer for younger kids.
Roger says
Do you not think its General Hux from The Force Awakens?
VaderFan2187 says
It’s an Imperial uniform not a First Order one
Jay says
Nope, Hux has different sideburns!
Felix says
I haven’t even watched Rouge 1 yet LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Jay says
You need to get on it! It has one of the best space battles in the entire Star Wars universe!
Katy & Quinn says
Jay – We love your blog and consult it every year. Thank you for your hard work.
How can one tell the difference between a First Order Snowtrooper and a First Order Flametrooper? They seem to have the same helmet.
Thanks!
Stuart Brett says
The flame trooper has printed lines on the helmet and less detailed chest plate.
Jay says
Thanks so much for the support year on year! I really enjoy this so it doesn’t feel like work at all. Stuart pretty much answered your question, the Flametrooper has thin lines on the helmet, whereas the Snowtrooper has a plain design.
Remton Dulyak says
The Imperial officer seems to be a Colonel (four reds above, four blues below, two rank cylinders).
Jay says
That’s the case in Legends, but in Canon, it could either be a Commodore, Major or Colonel according to the SW Wiki.
JC says
Wow! Day 17 has an *AMAZING* exclusive – what a fantastic incredibly obscure choice…took me hours to figure it out and properly identify.
Jay says
Not sure if sarcasm.. haha.
Rebekah says
Thanks! I could figure it out lol
James says
I rebuilt Krennic’s shuttle with the wings reversed and it is sooo much better! By inverting them so you see the back of the lego bricks and with the hinge at the top, the wings rotate and lock into both the vertical landing and perfect angle for flight positions. Swap the double and single cheeses over and it looks much better (closer to the film) and configures better and stands up slightly easier!
Veda says
Would you please post a picture of what you did.
James says
I’m not sure how to add a photo but here’s step by step, it isn’t very complicated:
1. Build as instructed
2. remove all 4 cheeses
3. Reverse the wings hinge so the hinge is at the top
4. Reverse the wings themselves so the back of the lego bricks is where the front was. The shape doesn’t change
5. Check the wings go all the way up and down
6. Replace the cheeses only now with the wide ones on the front and back and the single ones on the side
Done!
Veda says
Thank you!!!
Jay says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Tom says
Alan’s tip below was right. It looks more better if you remove both of the double cheese slopes on each side. ? Day 17’s build will definitely be related to Rogue One!
Nalo Benedict says
It would be really cool if we get Krennic in day 17’s window!
Jay says
It would’ve 🙁
Lee says
I’m annoyed! For Day 14 I got another stormtrooper, not the FO Snowtrooper. Is there any recourse I might have?
Joe says
Call lego
Els says
Hi, sorry to randomly comment but I think I have the answer you are looking for! If you go on to the Lego Website and then proceed to the missing parts section; type in the special Lego serial number (you’ll find it on the front of the advent calendar box). You will be taken to a list of parts (although not sure how this works with it being a surprise every day) and can request a new stormtrooper.
Lee says
Thanks Els (and Joe, above) – I’ll give that a go. Will post back with progress (if any!).
Lee says
Well that was easy. But if you feel like being nosy (or getting on Santa’s naughty list) BE WARNED – all sorts of parts are available from 75184, including some we’ve not seen yet. I had to skim past them really quickly while looking for the Snowtrooper’s 4 parts. Let’s see what arrives in the post – if anything…
Ian says
If you didn’t want to manually go through all of the parts, alternatively, you can just send Lego Customer Service an email; I got another Sabine Wren mini-fig instead of the Y-Wing – and got in touch to see if they could rectify the issue.
There amazing customer service team got back within a couple of days to say they’d send the parts out – they’ve just left the warehouse, so I’m super happy – and very impressed by the customer service too!
Lee says
After a couple of days’ Christmas-related delays, I’ve just submitted my replacement request. No real hurry, after all, and it’s a minor niggle in the grand scheme of things. I’ll see what happens…
Jay says
Hope LEGO managed to help you out! Their customer service is exceptional and I’ve never had any issues with them replacing parts.
Alan Portsman says
For day 16, you can remove both of the black double cheese slopes to make space for the wings so that it will be in landing/parking position.
Jay says
Yeah I tried that. Looks quite weird but it does work. Thanks for sharing the tip!
Steve says
A huge thank you for the photos of the wing assembly, I’m still puzzled by the design of the large black brick with the odd protruding bit.
Matt says
I thought it was a piece that just got stuck…i was wrong!
Jay says
You’re welcome! Glad I could help!
Mike says
Great breakdown as my 6yro daughter and follow along at home. I do have to say as I saw The Last Jedi last night on opening night and today being opening day. The day 14 & 15 build could have had more significance in the Star Wars Saga then just a snow trooper and snow blower. They are clever and fun but should have not been opening day.
Jay says
It’s pretty hard to time these things. With LEGO’s design process, it’s likely that they designed this set way before the official release date of TLJ was announced. Also, different countries open on different days, so it would be pretty confusing if it did. Neat idea, but quite difficult to implement in practice!
Mark says
Day 16 – Krennic’s shuttle. Probably the hardest build yet. It captures the shape and dimensions pretty well but it’s annoying that the wings can’t fold vertically and you can’t even look at it without it falling over when the wings are deployed.
Jay says
Yeah, pretty unhappy with that bit. Not the prettiest looking ship at this scale, but I’ve tried a few mods to allow the wings to properly fold and they do a decent job.
Ragnar says
Hi Jay,
At home we have a Lego Star Wars Force Awakens Xbox game, in it there is a scene where the snowtroopers use the snow machine to fire snowballs at you. The build probably came from this scene, even though it is a minor part. It looks pretty similar in the game to the build.
Thanks for being able to identify some of the other builds which we weren’t able to recognise.
Jay says
Oh interesting! I’ve never played the Star Wars games. Do the snowballs come out from the spout? Thanks for pointing that out!
Jason Mackie says
Pro tip for Day 16: use your phone to take a photo of the instruction picture and then you can easily enlarge it on-screen.
I had trouble making out all the detail with so much black in this build, so I needed a larger image. I’m a fan of the movies and recognised this vehicle but it’s still tricky to put together. (I won’t spoil Jay’s thunder and reveal the vehicle.)
Great work Jay! Been following this since the start mate. Cheers from Brisbane!
Karl says
Yes, I do this with almost every build now having had to resort to it several times last year. Definitely helped with yesterday’s and today’s builds.
Nalo Benedict says
I really don’t get why the people who made the advent calendar included a build that wasn’t Star Wars related.
Roger says
It’s fun. I think I’m also one of the few who likes the weapons racks as all blasters have to be put away before the Christmas truce and the mugs of hot chocolate are handed out.
This is my 4th year doing the calendar and following on Jay’s blog. Love it.
Laura says
Thank you so much for doing this! It’s our first year with the calendar and I’m planning on doing both this one and the City one next year with my kids. The snow machine has been the most difficult so far (even for me!) but it’s super cool. Our favorites have been the Luggabeast, the Millennium Falcon, and the Stormtrooper. I personally loved getting Sabine, we watch the cartoons and I’m always a fan of getting more female characters in the mix!
Jay says
You’re welcome! I definitely think LEGO could’ve done a better job with the instructions for the Snow Machine/Blower. Sabine is great! She’s probably my favourite minifigure so far!
I Blog A Little Bit Of Everything says
I was very confused with some of the Rebel’s stuff as I don’t watch Rebels.
Thank you so much for explaining all of the builds! Helped me so much!
I’ll be checking in every day from now on!
Thanks!
Colby says
I just saw The Last Jedi last night. I think the Porg is my favorite character!
Jay says
Can’t argue there. They were so cute!
Karl says
And they looked rather tasty too! I’m with Chewie on that one.
Jay says
Can’t blame him. They look like a delicious mix of fish & poultry.
I Blog A Little Bit Of Everything says
I was very confused with some of the Rebel’s stuff as I don’t watch Rebels.
Thank you so much for explaining all of the builds! Helped me so much!
I’ll be checking in every day from now on!
Jay says
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy the next few days!
Veda says
Day 15 was tricky to figure out. I love it though. My first thought was “I know why Stephen is mad, he has clear the side walks and driveway.” ( :
I love your comments, they make me laugh. ( :
Jay says
Haha that’s great! Poor Stephen.
Nater says
Snow blower gang…not a snow machine.
Jay says
You’re definitely right. In my defence, I’ve never lived anywhere with snow, haha.
Karl says
Me too Jay, I’ve only seen snow three times in my life so this one really had me stumped – I thought at first it was something you’d find in an ice rink, like a kind of ice-iron or something. I don’t even know if those exist!
Jay says
An ice-iron sounds fantastic, haha.
Camden says
The first holiday build is day 15 with the snow machine! Very exciting!
What kind of camera are you using with what kind of lens? And what kind of white and black backgrounds are you using for your portraits? They look quite professional.
Jay says
I use a Canon 70D with a 24-105mm lens. I also use a small portable light box called the Foldio 2 for the photos. The black background one is a makeshift light box using felt!
Misha says
Maybe it’s a regional thing, but here in northeast USA, we’d call today’s build a snow blower. A “snow machine” is a vehicle, aka snow mobile.
Kitfisto19 says
we call it a snowblower in midwestern USA too. We don’t really call anything “Snow Machine.
Jay says
Ahhhh, yeah, now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s probably a snow blower. I’ve never lived anywhere with snow, so it’s all quite alien to me!
Els says
Feel like I’m coming late to this. But I’m the UK where I live we’d say Snow Machine!
Jay says
Haha, I feel slightly vindicated then, since I default to British English!
Ian Balls says
A Snow Machine would be a machine that makes snow, like they have at indoor Snow Centres etc.
This is definitely a Snow Blower, which is something that sucks snow up and blows it some distance away to clear paths etc.
Professor I.C. Balls
Centre for Snow Studies
Nottingham University.
Jay says
I.C. Balls, hah, You’re probably right – I don’t live in a country with snow, so I have snow-idea about various snow equipment.
McMiner says
I had a dream last night where you said it was a “Vow.”
Francisco says
The snow machine was very tricky and I’m only 7 years old!?
Sheridan says
I’m 43 and I had trouble constructing it too!
Jay says
If it makes you feel any better, it took me a while to figure it out too ?
Frankthehead says
I was surprised how much I enjoyed today’s build. Very neat little thing
Jay says
Yea, loved how charming it is! Apparently, it’s not a snow machine but a snow blower. Woops.
Jenni says
Thanks so much for keeping us updated, I read your blog everyday with my 5 year old son.
Jay says
You’re very welcome! Hope you and your 5 year old are enjoying the advent calendar so far!
Gabby says
My Snowtrooper came with a blank yellow head! At least yours has an expression!
Jay says
What, really? Wow, that’s really bizarre. I’d write in to LEGO to request a replacement head.
JC says
Oh no, say it ain’t so, Day 15!
Jay says
Haha, I kinda like how cute it is!
McMiner says
I’m seeing the Last Jedi on Sunday!
Jay says
Awesome! As a person who’s seen it twice already, you’re going to have an awesome time!
Nalo Benedict says
I would really like the Snowtrooper to come with a blaster although he does have one on the Snowspeeder.
Jay says
Yeah, agreed. LEGO are really stingy with the blasters this year.
Mandy says
I’m going to watch it on Saturday… can’t wait!
Jay says
Hope you enjoy it! I had a blast and have watched it twice!
Dawn says
I had an extra blaster from yesterdays build, so my Stephen is armed!
Jay says
I must be the only person that didn’t get a spare!
Joseph Summers says
Day 13 resembles set number 75166. The First Order Transport Speeder.
Jay says
Ah yeah, good spot. Possibly!
Rob says
Nice, pity we got a repeat of the day 10 thug! Disappointed son, Lego are aware!!!
Jay says
Wait, really? I would write in to LEGO to request a replacement.
Karl Goddard says
Having just rewatched Force Awakens last night on the big screen as part of a double-header for the midnight premiere of The Last Jedi, I was on the lookout for any sign of the snowspeeder – which also baffled me, but as I’m in NZ I have to wait ages for you to open your calendar window and therefore usually have to research what these things are before you can post!
Anyway, there is a shot of one if you look carefully – it’s in the background and visible through the doorway of the control complex which Finn and Rey break into to open the doors for Han and Chewie to enter the main base and plant their detonators. Very fleeting glimpse but there it is.
And this mini version sucks big time!
Jay says
Ah, I’ll have to go back and rewatch it. Sounds like one of those blink and you’ll miss it instances.
Karl says
Yeah it definitely is – I only saw it because I was specifically looking out for it.
Andrew F says
Thank you so much for your daily “analysis”. My wife gave this to my 7 year old son and I can’t figure out what some of the builds are supposed to be, not being a big Star Wars fan.
A
Jay says
You’re very welcome. I’m happy that I could help. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Darth Fett says
At least with the weapons rack, you could tell what it was supposed to be…
This really doesn’t match the vehicle (or larger Lego set, which I’ve built) at all. Maybe it’s supposed to be something else? Or the designers were really limited on the number of bricks they could use.
At least tomorrow should be good!
Jay says
I think the designers were mainly hamstrung by the vehicle’s poor design to begin with. Not much they can do when the vehicle was so unappealing that they cut it from the movie.
Crystal says
I was looking through the extra pieces from previous days to improve on the Snowspeeder. This is the first day I’ve felt like it isn’t quite right. I don’t have the pieces I’m envisioning yet, but hopefully I’ll get them later.
I want the piece to center the gun on the front, and something different than the large sloping piece in the middle. Maybe just a second grate piece where the top of the sloping piece is and nothing where the bottom part is, leaving 4 squares to seat a figure?
Jay says
If you have spare parts, a jumper plate might work in centering the gun. It’s the tile with the singular hole in the middle.
I don’t know, but the Snowspeeder isn’t an appealing vehicle at all, so I doubt you could do much to help it.
Becky Klein says
Interesting – your day 13 is different than mine (I’m in the US). I got a First Order Snowtrooper, not the speeder. I wonder why?
Whynotv2 says
I’m in the USA also and I got the snow speeder. Weird.
Becky Klein says
I figured it out. I opened day 14, not day 13. DOH!
MelissaS says
My son was scratching his head too. He said looks up Jays Brick Blog and see what he says this is. Lol.
Definitely uninspiring.
Jay says
Haha, your son’s opinion is right on the mark. Not a lot of people were impressed.
Kelly says
I just want to thank you for this blog. This is our second year doing the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar with our 5 year old. Checking this blog every day has become part of our tradition. He builds the model and then immmediately asks what the blog says today. I would never be able to make out what each build is without it!
Jay says
You’re very welcome! So glad I could be part of your tradition! Hope your 5 year old is enjoying the builds so far!
Erik Moore says
Our day 13 also came with (what I could best identify as) an Imperial Ground Crew minifig, which doesn’t seem to fit with the theme of the toys so far…?
Will says
I almost got the wrong bag because the imperial ground crew slipped into the day 13 slot
Jay says
Sneaky!
Jay says
Oh interesting. Maybe the windows or parts got switched around?
Steph says
The black things today are hoses? I got two and thought they were guns, tbh.
Jay says
Ah, the official name for those parts are Hoze Nozzles: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=60849&name=Minifig,%20Utensil%20Hose%20Nozzle%20Elaborate&category=%5BMinifig,%20Utensil%5D#T=C
They used to have strings threaded through the small hole and used as petrol station hoses, hence the name! But yeah, before LEGO officially made guns, everyone used them as guns 🙂
J says
Well at least I got a spare pistol with the First Order snowspeeder – hope everyone else did too. Sabine looks a bit better with 2 smaller blasters to hold.
Love the blog, by the way. This is my first Lego Star Wars calendar and I would have been scratching my head trying to work out what some of the models were without your help!
Crystal says
I added the extra blaster to Sabine too.
Jay says
Hmmm I didn’t get a spare in mine! Lucky you! Thanks so much for the kind words, I’m really glad I’m able to help with your first Advent Calendar!
Nigel Groom says
I couldn’t even tell which way around that snowspeeder was supposed to be when I built it this morning! Great blog, really enjoying it.
Jay says
Yeah, I realised I had it the other way around too when I was editing photos. Testament to how bad the design is if you can’t tell the front from the back.
Thanks Nigel, hope you stick around!
Goblin says
Took a bit of research, but figured out what Day 13 is, if that helps anyone:
First Order Snowspeeder.
From a deleted scene in The Force Awakens that was cut but in the features on the DVD
Paul Castle says
I always wondered about that First Order Snowspeeder set, but assumed it was a blink and miss it that only daily viewing kids would know about 🙂
We didn’t get any deleted scenes on the region 2 DVD, not even a trailer! It was like back in the day when VHS releases were the movie and nothing more. I’m wondering if there’ll be a massive extras package on a sequel trilogy boxed set in a couple of years.
Going out in a couple of hours to watch The Force Awakens at 9pm, and then The Last Jedi at Midnight. It’s a total bargain, as the double bill ticket is the same price as the premier ticket 🙂 I’ll get home at about 3am, and might open Day 14’s window early!
Goblin says
Took a bit of research, but figured out what Day 13 is, I that helps anyone:
First Order Snowspeeder.
From a deleted scene in The Force Awakens that was cut but in the features on the DVD
Jay says
Thanks for filling in while I was late 🙂
John says
06.40 in London. 17.40 in Melbourne. Can’t believe you’re so late today Jay!
I actually have to go to work without reading your assessment of today’s build.
That’s just not right!
Jay says
Eep, it’s been a busy week haha.
Nalo Benedict says
Which model do you like better? The 2017 Millennium Falcon or the 2015 one?
Nalo Benedict says
I like the 2017 Millennium Falcon better.
J says
2017 one seems like an improvement to me.
Jay says
I think I’m partial to 2017. I think the blocky stud look works way better than the smooth dome for aesthetic purposes.
Whynotv2 says
Twist the dish so that one corner slips under the flat top turret plate. It helps the looks of the model quite a bit.
Jay says
Ahh,good tip. Still think it’s very large!
Stefan Stockinger says
Greetings from London, love your blog. Eagerly awaiting every day your post on the new window with my two boys
Jay says
Hello from Melbourne! Hope you and the boys are enjoying this year’s Advent Calendar!
Stephane Beaudet says
I wonder if they will have done something special for the release of the last Jedi movie on the 15.
By the way, Love your blog it’s my 2nd year reading your every review of the Advent calendar after I’ve opened my daily door
Jay says
Nothing unfortunately. Doubt the LEGO designers in charge of the calendar would’ve been aware of the release date – LEGO sets are designed so much in advance, I wouldn’t be surprised if the design was finalised before the movie release date was announced.
Thanks for returning this year! Hope you’re enjoying this year’s Advent Calendar!
Nicole says
Whoa, stuck on how to build day 13. The pieces don’t fit with the picture? I’ve got full wedges for the top piece and can’t see how they fit inside them the way they are on the instructions.
Nicole says
Right – so I was trying to build for my 5 yo, my 7 yo just woke up and showed me what I was doing wrong!
Sheridan says
I got it slightly wrong first time – unfortunately I don’t have a seven-year old in the house, so had to figure it out for myself 😉
Jay says
Haha! Glad that got sorted out! 7 year olds to the rescue!
Steve says
I’m really enjoying the blog, Interesting that the hair on your Sabine minifig is slightly different to the one I have, only 2 colours on mine.
Jay says
Oh interesting! Do you mind sharing a photo?
Adam says
Love this blog I stumbled upon , I’m a child of the 80,s so bought up with classic SW but not quite as nerdy to know all the expanded universe. I was confused who the hell this coloured haired chick was on day 2, so I searched the internet and found this……now I check in everyday for your review! Keep it up!
Adam in the UK
Skott Nava says
I did the same thing! I love this blog and look forward to reading it almost as much as I do about opening up my daily window. Plus I really appreciate all the comments and the sets and Minifigures, at least I know I’m not the only one who didn’t know who Sabine was as we’ll. Until I found this wonderful blog! Keep up the good work everyone!
Jay says
Hey Adam, welcome and glad you stumbled upon here! I’m not the biggest Star Wars geek myself (Google helps me most of the time) so it’s fun for me to discover and learn new things too. Hope you stick around!
Jodi says
I love your Blog thank you, i get to see what is next so i can tell my extremely excited Husband all the info he needs to jog his memory on what figure is what. Keep up the good work x
Jay says
Hi Jodi, thanks so much for the kind words! Really glad I’m able to help! Happy holidays!
Colby says
This advent calendar looks pretty neat! 🙂 Do you plan on doing Ninjago Movie reviews anytime soon?
Jay says
I have a few sets that are in my room, so hopefully soon, yes! I’m eyeing Cole’s mech and am waiting for a good price before I pounce on it 🙂
Paul Castle says
I thought that Unkar’s Thug must have been Teedo at first, especially given how he’s riding the Luggabeast on the box.
My memory will get refreshed tomorrow night, when I watch a double-bill of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi in the cinema, the new movie showing at midnight GMT on Dec 14th 🙂
Jay says
Definitely not Teedo! Teedo is much shorter!
Francisco says
I think the millennium falcon was the best build so far
Jay says
Hard to argue with that. My favourite is still Rey’s Speeder!
McMiner says
I LOVE how the Luggabeast looks! I built him about 12 hours ago and I think it looks AWESOME!
Jay says
Yeah, really creative execution! Not every day that you get a creature instead of a minifig or ship!
fish says
The back legs of the Luggabeast are longer than the front legs. This makes it look weird.
Sterling says
This makes it accurate.
Jay says
I think it’s be design, so the back of the Luggabeast slopes forward. If you see in the movie, the shape of the LEGO build matches the creature’s on-screen depiction. I thought that was pretty clever of the designers!
Dominic says
After a quick search I came across your page and it’s brilliant! My 2.5 year old has a Star Wars room and we do the advent calendar every day to add to his room. He loves pulling open the doors, helping to snap pieces together (each one takes a while but it’s worth it!) and looking up info. Thanks for providing the names and details, especially since most of the builds so far have been a bit more obscure.
Jay says
Hey Dominic, glad you found me! So jealous that your 2.5 year old has a dedicated Star Wars room! You’re very welcome, I’m so happy to help – a lot of the times, it’s a journey of discovery for me too!
Camden says
Hi Jay,
Is Teedo the same person as the Unkar’s Thug?
JC says
No, Teedo are a race of people.
Jay says
What JC said. It’s a different character 🙂
Francisco says
I really like how you put the minifigures on the builds!
Jay says
Haha I think it’s super cute, like they’re riding kid-sized micro vehicles!
Beck says
Every year I get a Star Wars advent calendar and every year I check out your accompanying posts – I can’t decide if my favourite part is the lego or your blog posts! Anyway, love getting to read what your thoughts are on each build (especially your post about Steve), long may they continue. Have a good Christmas ?
Jay says
The calendar is the real star, I’m just here to provide running commentary. Thanks so much for following again this year! The support means a lot to me. Hope you have an awesome Christmas too!
Dez says
I’m confused – that is not what I got for Day 10 🙁
Dez says
oops – my mistake. I opened Day 11 on accident. 🙂
Jay says
Haha! That can happen sometimes. At least Day 11’s build was awesome!
Nalo Benedict says
I have the same minifigure with the same printing!!
Jay says
It’s pretty nice eh? 🙂
McMiner says
I really like how Rey’s speeder looks as well. And I just opened up the Unkar’s thug and he looks OUTSTANDING when next to Rey’s speeder. I really like it! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow gives!
Jay says
Yeah, Rey’s Speeder is definitely one of my Top 3 builds so far!
Remton Dulyak says
While I agree with you that the “weapon rack” is a “meh” thing, the only advantage being having one more blaster rifle and a crate, last year the “meh” piece was the snowman, but that anyway gave us a working blaster gun and a helmet, so not as “meh” as this one, imho…
Jay says
Yeah, I do like the crate though. Can never have too many of these around. At least the Snowman felt a bit more festive.
Rae says
Thank you for another Christmas season of helpful information and enthusiasm. When my boys don’t know what the build is, it’s always “check with Jay”. And yesterday, when everyone knew Rey’s speeder, we all knew you would be happy. We hope you are having a great December!
Jay says
Hey Rae, it’s such a pleasure every year doing this! Hope you and the boys are having a great holiday season too! Have they been enjoying the calendar so far?
Rae says
Yes, especially with your help, they have!
Tim says
Hi Jay,
How does the rectangular section fit on the base of Rey’s speeder?
Jay says
Hey Tim, it should fit in on the two studs of the “video camera” piece.
JC says
Nice little minifig today, and goes great with yesterday’s speeder.
Ian Hazlehurst says
Yes I shouted ‘Rey’s Speeder’ as soon as I opened window 9 🙂 Best mini build so far this year!
Jay says
100% agreed!
naomi williams says
Thank you! My son ( and I!) love your reviews and for years now look forward to what you have to say about each reveal. And,of course ,we immediately look for your help if we can’t identify what or who it is-Taslin Brance?! Happy holidays!
Jay says
Hey Naomi, I really appreciate the support over the years 🙂 It means so much to me!
Scott says
This is my first lego advent calendat after always wanting one when I was younger. I really enjoy this blog. Thanks!!
Jay says
Hey Scott, that’s awesome! Thanks for the kind words and glad that you’re enjoying it so far!
Felix says
Oops you didn’t
Felix says
Having a busy day at work?
Jay says
Not this time 😉
Debbie says
Thank you for your identification help and excellent blogging. This is my 6 year olds first advent calendar. As part of our daily opening routine he now exclaims “let’s see what Jay says!”
Jay says
You’re very welcome! Happy holidays to you both!
Really honoured that you’ve made the blog part of your routine! Hope he’s enjoying it so far!
Brenden says
Can i get a job here
Jay says
Depends, what would you like to do!
John says
Great blog, both my son and I are following you each day. Keep up the good work!
Jay says
Thank you! So glad to have you guys following this year!
hadi says
awesome
Tony fox says
Thank you once again, the three boys have the 2017, 2012 & 2013 calendars to open, thus two are pre-Jay, and its much less enjoyable.
Have you noticed that when open, the 2017 calendar doesn’t show any gifts, hence no spoilers, looks like they compromised?
Jay says
If only I had a time machine to go back and do 2012 and 2013 all over again!
I don’t own those calendars, but I’ll have to look it up. I sure could do with less spoilers though!
Lydia says
You might not be thrilled with the weapons rack, but my 4yo said: I’ve got a lot of LEGO wrenches. This is really useful!
P.s. Thanks for all your post over the calendar. They are especially helpful for someone who’s only semi familiar with Star Wars.
Jay says
That’s so cute! I bet he has quite the wrench collection – he’s going to love Day 10!
JC says
What a fantastic build we got today. This one was just about a perfect minibuild!
Jay says
Agreed! Best one yet!
Mel says
Your blog brings added detail and excitement to our advent experience. Thank you for doing this every year.
Jay says
You’re so welcome, I look forward to this every year and it’s great to share my Advent Calendar experience with so many people from around the world 🙂
Nick says
Hi Jay,
Good to see you’re back writing about the advent calendar.
I’m also writing on Steemit and have written two articles about the LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar.
If you get an opportunity, take a look.
https://steemit.com/lego/@nickmorphew/a-lego-advent-calendar-for-the-poor-a-how-to-this-thirty-three-year-old-still-enjoys-lego
And..
https://steemit.com/lego/@nickmorphew/the-poor-mum-s-and-dad-s-lego-advent-calendar-fostering-imagination-and-frugality-in-the-lead-up-to-christmas-day
Take care.
Nick
Jay says
Hey Nick! It’s been awhile! I love the Poor Mum and Dad’s Advent calendar one! Your Chamber of Secrets build is amazing!
Dawn says
I love your blog! Thank you for these postings- you saved me on Day 6- I finally got it right. This is my first Lego advent calendar, I’m sure having fun, but I’m glad to see I’m not the only one having some trouble and wondering who the hell Day 5 dude was!
Jay says
Hey Dawn, you’re so welcome!
Nick F. says
Just wanted to drop you a quick thank you for this blog and let you know how much my 8 year old Daughter and I appreciate it. Your detailed descriptions are great and very helpful. We have this saved on my phone home screen and read it first thing every morning! Just wanted to let you know your appreciated and your making an 8 year olds Christmas even better!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Jay says
Hey Nick! Thanks so much for your comment and I’m really glad to hear that you and your daughter are finding the daily posts useful! Honoured to be a part of your Advent Calendar experience! Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Mike says
I dont think there was a weapons rack in last years calendar. Was there??
Simon says
Yeah there’s ALWAYS one
Jay says
Nope! Which is why I was glad to be rid of them for good. Turns out they’re back with a vengeance this year :/
Laura says
Thank you for the blog! This is my first set, given to me by my son and his wife who know me well! I had to laugh at RFP giving his age – I’m 57 and no, it’s never too late! And as a newbie to the sets, I rather like the weapons rack! Haha!
Jay says
Oh that’s brilliant! Sounds like you’re enjoying it so far! I bet you’ll start dreading the weapons racks after a few years of them!
Felix says
Guess what? My mother also liked the weapon rack!
Felix says
Weapons rack… blaster for Steve… wrench for fixing ships!!!!!!!!!!!!! What so unclear instructions
Marcus says
Oh, come on now! You hit the nail right on the head…it’s a mainstay of these at this point, enjoy it for what it is! Think of it like peeps at Easter or fruit cake at Christmas. I just chuckle when I see these now and I have to imagine the Lego designer is too!
Jay says
Is the Grinch a LEGO designer? Haha. I thought after last year’s Weapons Rack no-show, we were finally rid of them for good!
F says
I gave Steve a tack to use
Jay says
Knowing Stormtroopers, he probably wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone with it, haha!
Jan says
This one is meh even as far as weapon racks go… I gave the wrench to Steve in order to assemble the heavy assault cannon.
Jay says
The crate is a decent consolation. Can never have too many of them.
Henrik says
Back at it! Thanks for the blog once again. We’ve had really tough time to identify some characters/ships. Guess this year they’ve added more stuff for younger viewers also (Rebels).
With best regards,
Henrik & Emma,
From the land of Santa Claus
Jay says
You’re welcome! Great to have you guys back again this year!
From the comments and discussions here, I think the choice of Rebels has been a great one – most of the younger readers or families with kids have been enjoying it so far!
Karl G says
It’s my belief that the wrench actually connects to the first minifig we got. I suggest that the tool comes from a pre-Roman tribe in central Italy whose women were kidnapped by the men from the newly settled Rome (at its advent, if you like), and therefore it is in fact a Sabine Wrench ?
Sorry, that was really painful but I’m still laughing several hours after it first occurred to me (which, luckily, was only a minute or so after I opened the window and experienced that bitterly crushing disappointment that frequently accompanies the weapons crate booboo prize.)
Jan says
Sooo that would make Sabine a Wrench Wench?
Karl says
Nice one Jan 🙂 That’s exactly right.
Jay says
Oh, thanks for the little history lesson! As long as you’re able to soothe the pain of disappointment that comes from a Weapons Rack… each of us have our ways of dealing with it, heh.
JC says
Nooooooo! A Weapons Rack! We were doing so good up to this point.
Jay says
Tell me about it! Thought after last year’s no-show, we were finally rid of those pesky racks!
RFP says
Kudos on a job well done Jay…great article!!! Checking in from Randolph, NJ, USA. I’m new to Lego and this is my very first set! Should probably mention I’m 47 years old LOL! Hope it’s not to late to join the party guys.
Zepthire says
Never too late to start enjoying Lego ?
Jay says
Welcome aboard! Never too late to get into LEGO! Hope your first LEGO set is a super memorable one! Feel free to stick around and chat if you have any questions!
Steven Schwartz says
My kids very much appreciate your blogging of the Advent Calendar, as it helps them to figure out What Things Are — and saves me, since they know much more about Star-Wars-y things than I do!
Jay says
Hey Steven, glad to hear your kids are enjoying the blog! Hope you’re learning a thing or two about Star Wars from them/me!
SonomaLass says
The grandson was happy to give Sabine’s handgun to the Storm Trooper; he says she likes the blaster cannon better anyway!
Sheridan says
“Weapon Racks are pretty much the most underwhelming builds each year and 2017’s version is no exception.”
So it’s only going to get better from here on in?
Jay says
Aww, that’s so adorable!
Felix says
I’m really excited for day 24 and Christmas! Are we going to get another weapons rack soon? I hope so for that first order stormtrooper! By day 7, taslin and sabine look like they got the first order stormtrooper cornered
Jay says
You jinxed it with the Weapons Rack! 😉
Camden says
Hi Jay,
Is Steve in the Christmas sprit? He should be. LEGO should have given him a blaster. I guess not because he is frowning.
Camden says
Hi Jay,
Is Steve in the Christmas sprit? He should be. LEGO should have given him a blaster. I guess not because he is frowning.
Jay says
He got one eventually 😉
Anna says
My name is Jake and I am six. I wanted to say thank you for telling the names of the Lego pieces. It is very helpful. Merry Christmas
Sheridan says
Fantastic – merry christmas, Anna and Jake!
Jay says
Hi Jake! Thanks for commenting! Glad you found the information useful! Hope you’re enjoying the advent calendar and happy holidays to you too!
Zander DiMare says
Thanks for your posts; your time and efforts are greatly appreciated.
Jay says
You’re so welcome, Zander! I love what I do and the Advent Calendar is something I look forward to each year!
Sheridan says
I did find it odd that Steve didn’t have a weapon, while Mr “A laser cannon?” did (when we don’t see him with anything in the film). I’ll look forward to tooling him up tomorrow, if your guess is correct.
Sheridan says
Just shows how eager we are to read your blog that one delay due to work causes so much pensive waiting! Typical that this was the day I opened the door before work and not after work, and couldn’t figure out what the ship was! Obvious once it’s pointed out though!
p.s. just checked that scene from Force Awakens and yesterday’s mini-fig definitely looks like Taslin.
Jay says
It’s motivated me to be as timely as possible to avoid letting anyone down!
Kylee says
U r so helpful when it comes to knowing what these stupid Star wars Rebels things are. Thx so much!
Jay says
I get lost sometimes too, but Google saves the day, heh.
John says
Hi Jay,
My first ever Lego calendar and I must say I love everything so far. Kids have had City and Friends calendars but this year the missus treated me!
Love your blog and feel I am with fellow old geeks on here!
Thanks for your great blog, have joined the mailing list too!
All the best from not so sunny Blackpool, UK.
John.
Jay says
Nice one! Glad to hear that you’re loving it so far. Your missus is a keeper 😉
Thank you so much for your support!
Veda says
I’m in South Dakota, USA; you’re on time for me. ( :
I’ve decided that next year as I open the days, I will attach a string and hang them on my mini tree as ornaments.
Paul Castle says
“I will attach a string and hang them on my mini tree as ornaments”
I love this idea, alas my cat would view that as an invitation to play.
I put mine on photo-shelves, one shelf per year, using 2×8 plates and clear round 1×1 tube bricks as stands.
Jay says
That’s a brilliant idea!
JordanGSD says
Thanks for clarifying all 6 of my doors so far, I’ll be checking back tomorrow incase it’s yet another piece I can’t name ?
Jay says
You’re welcome! Glad I could help 🙂
Janice . says
Thanks for the information,reported on a daily basis. We look forward to your blog as much as opening the calendar. Thank you very much.
Jay says
You’re so welcome, Janice! I’m so honoured to be a part of your Advent Calendar journey!
B says
Thank you for your blog jay, we check in every morning here in Ireland . My son went to school disappointed this morning without your update. Your blog definitely adds to the excitement of each mornings opening on the calendar. Thank you . Hope you have an easier day at work today
Jay says
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for following, I really appreciate the support all the way from Ireland! Will ensure that I’m not too slow in the future to avoid disappointing your son!
Melanie says
We got the wrong pieces for day 6. It doesn’t match the photo. There’s a round flat piece and lots of grey.
Jay says
Hmm that’s odd. Did your windows get switched by accident?
Lisa says
We are opening in the office in sync with you and loving your blog…. Andy got today’s build correct .. he is a Star Wars geek…. and I am quickly becoming one … can we attach a pic of our scene here ?
Bring on the rest !
Lisa
Jay says
Hey Lisa, yes you can! Would love to see pics of your scene! Just upload the photo to something like Imgur and share the link here 🙂
F says
What time do you usually post at?
If you don’t mind please convert it to the New York time
Or I can do it at home
TokyoD says
I live in Tokyo and my kids were bugging me about what day 6 was, so I looked it up. It’s a first order transporter. I’m not going to do the super cool write up though. Keep up the good work, Jay!
https://youtu.be/nsisFlzLzis
Jon says
Dude where’s day 6? It’s 8am here in London and cannot start my day without getting your update…
Toppi says
Same in Zürich at 10:30 am 🙂
Jay says
Sorry, Day 6 is up now!
Jon says
Haha – Thanks Jay! See how dependant we’ve become!!
Jimmy says
Thank God it’’s not only me with this “situation”…. my 5 yr old doesn’t understand why I don’t know what today’s ship is or what it’s history is as soon as the door is opened. The disappointment (with me) in his eyes will haunt me… and I blame you Jay!!!!
Jay says
I’m so sorry, Jimmy! It’s up now!
Jimmy says
Yay! Thanks Jay – top info as usual – sufficient enough for my status as House “Star Wars Know All” to be regained. Although, might have to brush up on the parenting skills…he’s 4 not 5….
Lee says
I’m “fortunate” in that I leave for work so early in the morning that there’s no point in my opening the door and doing the build until I get home. Because it’s still dark when I get up, I get dressed in the dark and leave the house in the dark! So I never have to worry about getting spoiled…
Jay says
Sorry! Had a busy day at work today. Day 6 is up now!
Kim says
So glad I found this blog, Jay. It’s my first year with the SW Advent Calendar, and it’s nice to get the backstory. Thanks!
Mark says
Day 4 -blaster canon, meh. The only thing worse than generic guns is another staple of SW advent calendars; the dreaded weapons rack! For a company that use to be vocal about their non-gun/violence policy….pfft. Getting four of those 1×2 rounded clips is pretty sweet though.
Lisa says
3rd year following your blog- it was my first stop as soon as I opened day 1. Even though I can identify most of them I really appreciate all the extra details and info you provide. Thanks and Merry Christmas from the UK!
danioj says
I’ve seen a few reports of people getting “secret” packets in Day 5? Haven’t you? No one has built it yet but the bricks are yellow???
Timothy Dickinson says
I can’t find any mention online where have you seen these secret packs?
Kate says
Thank you for this! I really enjoy the descriptions you’re providing as well as the brief backgrounds. I couldn’t figure out Taslin Brance either; I noticed his uniform was like those of the Resistance, but his hair is brown while Poe’s is black. Poe also never wore this uniform, so I had some difficulty figuring it out. I also did not recognize Ghost and Phantom because I have not watched Rebels. Sabine is iconic, so I did recognize her. I like the Rebels builds, but I’m excited to be moving to something I’ll know better! I’ll definitely be keeping up with this page daily!
John Def says
Hmm…dunno. This looks so much different from the Taslin Brance minifig in the Lego Star Wars The Force Awakens game, I just don’t think it’s him. Lego website says this one is a Resistance Officer – I guess Major Brance is a resistance officer….but I think this one is more generic.
TheJoker says
Thank god for your blog. I had no idea who todays minifig was. Time for an Empire item now I think
McMiner says
I heard that Talsin is an exclusive figure in this set.
McMiner says
Never Mind
JC says
It does look like Taslin, but according to the official Lego website this is the more generic Resistance Officer Minifigures.
Ed says
Thank you for the info about Taslin. We had NO idea who the heck this guy was. Cheers!
Ritz says
My son is eleven years old and thinks the blaster cannon from Day #4 is specifically the cannon seen in the beginning of The Force Awakens. He sees connections between this item and Taslin Brance’s one line of dialogue.
Ferris says
Hm I thought he might be cassian from rouge one
Aaren Johnson says
I wish they would put in Luke from the force awakens.
Garrett says
Thanks for posting the daily updates! It appears that my calendar was packaged out of order and I thought that was just the way the LEGO advent calendar worked! Can’t wait to get to these when I catch up!
Will says
I think that the turret is the best mini build so far
Don says
I think the 5 day is a mini fig
Bob says
I think the 5 day is a mini fig
Francisphx says
Strangly the latest DK Star Wars book seems to indicate that the Phantom is the Phantom 2 and not the first Phantom as there’s already a version of it in the previous Advent Calendar.
Steve says
Jay! Good to be back for our 3rd year. Our daily ritual is back.. my 6 yo Skypes me at work and I read out your blog. You make us laugh cos you seam disappointed with so many of the builds, but we love them all. The cannon in today’s was fantastic in our opinion. I know it’s not overly memorable but we don’t have one in our set. And it could be worse, it could be a weapon rack! Lol
Sabine more than made up for anything, she’s an awesome mini fig.
Keep up the fantastic work Jay.
Cheers
Steve & Ryu
JC says
I think this is the tripod-mounted heavy blaster that the Stormtroopers use during the Battle of Hoth (Empire Strikes Back).
Jay says
Yeah, looks like a variant of it. But given that Hoth isn’t a setting in this year’s Advent Calendar, it probably isn’t.
Camden says
Hi Jay,
I think tomorrows build is going to be the rebel man on the box using the cannon turret.
Jay says
Looks like you’re right! I’ve been trying my best to ignore/avoid the box to avoid spoilers.
Ed says
Totally disagree I am afraid. My favourite build so far, neat little creation. I found the blog because I needed help with the first 3 as I am not a fan of that tv show. So thanks for the info.
Pat says
I’m the same. Not familiar with the TV show so was happy to recognise the item today!
Jay says
Fair enough! The build is really nice, though it’s just a little plain for my tastes!
Paul says
Thanks Jay. Your Star Wars friends in Boston, USA appreciate your uncanny ability to recognize these pieces. We also like your honest commentary.
Jay says
Thanks for the kind words, Paul! Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the daily posts so far!
leopold says
Fun fact: The older Lego Phantom actually docks into the Lego Ghost! I got the Phantom as a present a few years ago and then hunted down the Ghost, eventually finding one in a shopping centre in Brighton (the last one they had, which was pretty lucky!) It’s a huge model and has a slot where the Phantom sits in very neatly.
Jay says
Yeah, apparently The Ghost is really expensive on the secondary market now! Kinda cool of them to incorporate that into the design. If I were a bigger LEGO Star Wars fan, I’d have regretted not picking it up.
leopold says
I think most Lego sets increase in value on the second hand market, but the bigger ones really do go up to some ridiculous levels. I was on the lookout for the Emerald Night, but it goes for thousands now 😮
Part of me wishes I’d not lost the box for the Ghost, but then I’d have to be in pretty desperate straits to have to sell any of my collection.
Ollie says
My 4 year old loves the Blaster Cannon!
He’s going around, setting it up and shooting everything that moves (including the dog).
Thanks for Day 1 Jay, I had no idea what it was called and/ or what film it was in.
Jay says
Haha, that’s really cool! Great of him to get so much play mileage out of the Blaster Cannon!
Ollie says
Absolutely
Jeremy Kinsella says
Hi Jay,
I’m pretty sure today’s model is an homage to the gun the snow troopers use in Empire Strike Back
but i could easily be mistaken. Thanks for the blog its awesome!
Wayne Haywood says
I thought that too which would make it the Mark II EWHB-10 Medium repeating blaster cannon
And actually looks pretty accurate
Jay says
Hey Jeremy
Yeah, I thought about that too – it’s probably a variation of some sorted of mounted repeater blaster?
Veda says
Jay,
Thank you for doing this count down. I found your page last year while looking up pieces I didn’t know. For the past 3 or 4 years I’ve gotten the Star Wars advent calendar, a couple of years ago I started sharing each day’s pieces on Facebook.
In 2016 I just put the name of the fire or item, this year I am giving more information on who/what each day. OKAY! I am copying and pasting from your blog. If you’don’t rather I didn’t I will stop and go back and change what I’ve already posted.
I did tell people where I’m getting the information.
Jay says
Hey, glad to have you back this year! That’s totally fine, I don’t really mind you sharing the link as you seemed to have credited me appropriately 🙂
Doug says
Just found this post, thank you thank you THANK YOU! Been struggling to explain these to my son. I will definitely be tuning in every morning and supporting you through your links, etc. Good work Jay!
Jay says
You’re welcome, I’m so glad that I can help inject a bit of festive Star Wars cheer to your household! 🙂
Alexandra Whatton says
Thank you SO much for keeping this up! We only found your blog last year and we are so thrilled that you keep doing it. I read aloud each blog post to my kids (Ben is 5, and Owen is 3). They LOVE it! Ben was especially thrilled that the ships dock together and said “it’s just like in the show!” So thank you for bringing that joy, as well!
Jay says
You’re very welcome! I’m glad that you and your family is back this year!
!
Pat says
I really wasn’t expecting so much Rebel’s stuff. I much preferred last years lthat was focused round the original trilogy. I don’t watch rebels which means I have to look up the models which kind of takes away from the enjoyment a bit 🙁
Jay says
Yeah, it’s a little polarising in that sense. I don’t really mind as it’s a breath of fresh air to get some models/characters that haven’t been featured in an Advent Calendar before.
Indy says
Hi Jay,
the Phantom is the first one which the Rebels had in the first seasons, not the second one.
No further details on that since I don’t want to spoil the show, as I hope (and encourage) parents to show Revels to their children – all our family ranged 39 to 2.5 yo think it is the best SW content since… decades! In fact, I have very little time myself, but there are priorities…
Check it out!
Jay says
Glad to hear Rebels being so well received! It’s on my to-watch list after I complete Clone Wars!
Brian sandford says
Never seen the cartoons – would prefer the mainstream situations…
PanamaRed says
You missing out. Rebels is a good series.
Jay says
Think we’ll be switching over to Rogue One in the next few days.
Nickele Morgan says
does the phantom dock to the ghost with these advent mini builds? if so how does it work? my now 10-year old daughter and i have followed you for the past 3 years to figure out what all the builds are. thanks for keeping up on the posts!
John Lapage says
No, they are very different scales.
Jay says
Unfortunately it doesn’t! Would be cool if it did though, but that’d be impossible when building at its scale. The larger LEGO versions do dock!
Glad you’re enjoying the daily posts as much as I am writing them!
SonomaLass says
My grandson is super excited by the set so far. He loves Rebels, as he is young enough to prefer shorter episodes over feature films. He had no trouble recognizing the ships. I’m glad that they are making this a good Christmas toy for kids, rather than just a collector’s set.
Jay says
That’s really glad to hear that he’s enjoying all the Rebels builds!
SonomaLass says
He also LOVED the blaster cannon. He was really excited to play with it and Sabine. Then Taslin came along, and now they have to negotiate who gets to fire the big gun.
Jay says
Pretty sure Taslin and Sabine can take turns firing the cannon!
Charles Dawson says
Hi.
Thanks for the useful info you publish on your blog.
The Rebels theme is a good break “from the norm”.
Keep up the good work.
Jay says
Yeha, I’m really enjoying the new builds and ships, even if I’m not that familiar with them!
Ben Brown says
I wonder what the next LEGO thing is in the Advent calendar. Thanks so much for telling us what the LEGO things are so far. —Ben (age 6)
Jay says
Hey Ben, thanks for commenting and I’m glad that you’re enjoying the guide so far! Let me know which has been your faovurite build so far 🙂
Jennifer Cox says
Hi. Found you while trying to work out what Day 1 was. I’m also doing the 2015 and 2012 calendars (got ‘em on eBay) and it was great that I could flip back to the 2015 page. Keep up the good work.
Jay says
Oh wow, 3 Advent Calendars in one December! I never had the chance to do 2012, but it looks like a great one!
Lys says
Thanks for much for the reviews! We found your blog on day 2 when our five year old was disappointed with his mini figure because he didn’t know who she was. He was much happier when he knew her story so I’m sure we’ll be checking in every morning until Christmas ? For us the Rebels theme is a bit less good because we’ve not seen it, but hey, it’s still Lego and Star Wars!
Jay says
You’re so welcome, I’m glad I could help! Hope your 5 year old enjoys the rest of the calendar – hopefully we get into familiar territory soon!
Whynotv2 says
I’m amazed at how many Star Wars “fans” are clueless and/or don’t watch Rebels. More so that are my age (early mid-40s) who grew up on the original trilogy. Then again, I do meet a lot of fans who think the Star Wars universe consists of just the movies and are clueless about the books (both what are now Legends, plus all that is canon which includes Rebels.)
Build on people and merry Christmas.
Lazara says
In my case, it’s simply a matter of time. I do not have the time to watch these kinds of shows, thus Star Wars as far as I am concerned ia made up of the movies.
Jay says
I admit I’m a fairly casual fan (I don’t read the comics or books or played a video game since KOTOR) so it’s understandable that most people are just familiar with the mainline movies.
That’s the great thing about the Star Wars universe is that you can really get deep into the lore and worldbuilding if you want, or just enjoy the massive blockbusters.
Chris L says
I modded mine with the extra parts. I got rid of the white plate on top for a transparent black tile, and I moved the clip for the guns forward, but that did look super weird, so I added the 1×1 white plate in behind it. Now it looks much better, and I still only used the parts in the bag. I feel proud of myself. ?
I read your blog every year for the advent calendar stuff. Please keep doing it for as long as they keep making them.
Jay says
Ooooh, that sounds cool. Do share a photo if possible!
I’ll definitely keep this up. It’s an annual tradition for me at this stage and something I look forward to every year 🙂
Mike says
Thanks for this blog! My son says that the stud on top makes sense rather than a 1×1 tile because it looks like what the gun on top is attached to.
Jay says
You’re welcome! Yeah, your son makes a really good point. I just like clean-looking builds 🙂
Neil says
We’re a few years in on the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendars with our now seven year old. They always do such a great job with them and it adds a really fun ramp up to Christmas. As you’ve often pointed out, they typically start a little slow and gain momentum and, no offense to Rebels fans, this year seems to follow the pattern. “I don’t really want another Star Wars Rebels tomorrow,” he just intoned. Still – it’s lots of fun to open and put together the daily minis and your blog has been an essential ingredient in this holiday ritual from the beginning. Keep up the thoughtful commentary, Jay!
Jay says
Yeah, they’re definitely ramping up slowly. As with every year, there’s bound to be dips here and there. I’m just glad that this year feels so much different from previous years. Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen but I’m glad they’re mixing things up a little.
Dez says
Awesome blog Jay. Thanks for helping us figure out what’s going on with the Advent set. ?
Jay says
You’re welcome!
Anne Margaret Manay says
My kiddo loves the Rebel ships. He is probably the target audience on these ones, as he is a fan of the cartoon.
Jay says
That’s really great to hear! From the comments so far, younger kids seem to overwhelmingly love Rebels, so Star Wars/Disney seem to be doing something right in that instance.
Tom says
As a huge Rebels fan (at 39 years old) I’ve loved these first three days, and recognised all three models/minifigs immediately. I suspect we’ll shift elsewhere tomorrow, and hope a further blaster turns up at some point so Sabine can be properly kitted out!
Jay says
Or maybe a Darksaber 😉
Jamie says
I’m glad to see Rebels in this one. After all the calendar is for kids! My little boy loves them so far, and I absolutely love watching Rebels with him. It’s worth you time to catch up if you haven’t seen them all. I honestly think if it weren’t for Rebels he wouldn’t be into Star Wars so much. Hoping for a Zeb figure next as that is his favorite! Thanks for sharing this blog is amazing!
Jay says
That’s really awesome to hear. Rebels is on my to-watch list after I finish Clone Wars. I’ve heard plenty of great stuff about the show, and here’s hoping these Rebels builds will drive more people to watch the cartoons.
Ewen Carr says
Fine work sir, everyday after our build we are checking in.
Jay says
Thanks for the support!
Ferris says
I’m kinda sick of rebels. I wish we could have a set from the original trilogy
Jay says
Rogue One hopefully soon!
Ben Rumbold says
Our cat nearly destroyed them both! Had a proper go on the Phantom! He is jet black so perhaps he was possessed by the Sith momentarily…
Without your blog I’d have had no idea what or who the first three days’ builds were supposed to be. I’m not so stuck up to ignore that they have a new series to push, but they could have eased it in with more familiar Movie characters, especially with the wealth of options available from the three new movies. Enough Rebels stuff now please!
Paul Castle says
They usually have themes of two or three models at a time, so be rest assured it’d be something different tomorrow. My guess would be a Force Awakens grouping.
It’s worth checking out the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons. Clone Wars, for one, totally revoked my disinterest of Episodes II and III, and brought wholeheartedly me into the pre-Empire universe of Star Wars, whilst Rebels is a fun, New Hope era romp that recalls my childhood when I only knew of the one film.
Jay says
Haha, that’s hilarious! I love cats but I don’t think I can ever get one as he/she would just obliterate my LEGO room.
They’ve been doing Prequel/Original trilogy for the past few years, so I don’t really mind the change of scene. Excited for The Force Awakens builds that are coming, though!
Bradley William Gerrard says
I’m pretty disappointed about it being Star Wars rebels as I don’t usually watch it
Jay says
That’s okay, it’s only for the first few days and then it’ll probably be Rogue One?
Emma says
Thank you for doing this Jay I only found this blog on day 1 when me and my son were clueless about the ghost ship as my son is only into the films and the lego films we are going to watch rebels today as we haven’t seen it yet x
Jay says
You’re welcome! Glad I was able to help. Hope you guys enjoy Rebels!
Lee says
I built the Ghost and my immediate reaction was “What the f*** is this?” Fortunately my daughter is a fan of SWR and immediately identified it. Brought her up well, I have. I haven’t shown her the Sabine Wren minifig yet, because she’ll probably want it… Be interesting to see if she recognises today’s, I have no memory of this one at all.
Jay says
The Force is strong with her!
Karl says
This blog is great!! We check in from Hull, United Kingdom ?? every day since we found you last year. My 5 year old gets sooo excited. You do a great job, keep it up ?
Jay says
Hello from Down Under, really glad to hear that you guys are joining us again this year!
Wayne Haywood says
Good to see you back with this year’s advent calendar Jay.
Love the Rebels series so nice to have some models from that
Jay says
Thanks Wayne, it’s good to be back! Is it too much to wish for The Grand Inquisitor? (it probably is)
Phil says
Really glad you’re doing your advent calendar posts again Jay, my kiddo wouldn’t have had a clue about the ships without you!
Jay says
Hey Phil, glad I can help again this year! Hope your kid enjoys this year’s!
Bridgett says
So glad i have your blog to help me build again this year! -he clueless mom
Jay says
Glad to have you joining again this year!
LEGOFanblue says
Good to see you back Jay. I skipped the advent calendar this year, partly so I could use the money to the toys r us batman figures but mostly because it looked pretty weak compared to last years. The mini builds don’t do much for me and there just wasn’t enough figures I wanted to make me want to pay $50. Can’t wait to see you review it though
Jay says
Fair enough, the Batman TRU minifigs are great so I think it’s a worthwhile trade-off!
Marc says
Thank you. Loving the blog. To be honest i wouldn’t have had a clue who this was without you.
Jay says
You’re welcome! Really glad I could be of assistance!
Paul Castle says
Thanks for starting up this blog again. I don’t always recognise what the models represent, so you’ll be helping me ID some of the ones from the new films, as it’s only the original trilogy from my childhood that is ingrained in my psyche. I do love Clone Wars and Rebels though, so The Ghost and Sabine were a treat.
Jay says
Hey Paul, it’s a journey of discovery for me too looking up some of the models which is why I look forward to December every year! Yeah, very happy to get Sabine and her amazing hairpiece.
Thomas says
What part of Australia are you from
Jay says
Melbourne!
Roger says
Hi Jay,
Very happy to get the email link to this year’s advent blog. Like so many folks we came across your blog trying to make sense out of one of the builds. Now my son and I look forward to your posts every year. You’re a big part of mornings in December here in Toronto!
Cheers
Roger
Jay says
Hey Roger, great to have you again this year! So glad that you’ve made my blog a part of your December tradition!
McMiner says
This is my first figure of Sabine too! Really excited to have her Jay!
Jay says
Love her hair-piece!
Chris says
Hi Jay. It’s that time of the year again! Nice to see you are still doing the blogs. Roll on the rest of December with the unveiling’s
Chris
Jay says
Hey Chris, yeah, it’s my favourite time of the year! Glad you’re onboard for the journey again this year!
Jamie Lemon says
Thanks for the blog, we stumbled across it while working out what toys we had.
Greats that you are so many time zones ahead as we open our calendars early.
Really helpful!
Many thanks from the UK!
Jay says
Hey Jamie! Feel free to stick around and join the experience! Happy holidays!
fish says
HAH! The water makes Sabine look like she has baby legs. Nice photo. And there’s only more to come. Was it 3 months in 1 week or something?
fish says
More rain, that is.
Jay says
Haha yeah! I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the refraction! The rain hasn’t been so bad here, it’s been wet but not catastrophic like the news outlets made it out to be.
Nicole says
Good to see you’re doing this again. It has become a Christmas tradition for us to look you up and figure out what we’ve got. Thanks for making it fun 🙂
Jay says
Glad you’re joining again this year and that it’s become a bit of a Christmas tradition!
Mark says
Hey Jay, it’s great to see you back for the SW Advent calendar. I am a huge fan of Rebels so starting with the The Ghost and now Sabine makes me happy : ) Although I was one of those people who paid $20+ for Sabine on Ebay because I didn’t want to shell out $160 for the poor value set she came in.
Jay says
Thanks! Yeah, I’m back for good this time. Just gotta build up some of the lost momentum.
Kind of a shame we didn’t get the Darksaber version, but hey, I’m not going to complain! She’s a great minifig, and to be honest, no one could’ve predicted that she’d be in an Advent Calendar.
Jordan Setters says
I put a spare smokey clear stud on top to represent the top turret. Good little ship. Love Rebels, adds so much to the SW mythos.
Jay says
Oh neat! Yeah, I’ve heard very good things about Rebels. On my to-watch list after I finally finish the Clone Wars.
ShoeTattoos says
Hi, I found your blog by Googling “lego star wars advent calendar 2017 build instructions”, because there were none in the window it came out of. As an experienced builder, where do I find the building instructions? I’m a lego advent calendar noob!
Jay says
Oh the instructions should be on the door flap. See here: https://jaysbrickblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/LEGO-Star-Wars-Advent-Calendar-2017-Instructions.jpg
Was your window blank? That’s so odd, I’ve never heard of that before!
Redenzo says
YAY JAY YOUR BACK!!!
Jay says
Woop woop! Sorry for the hiatus, I’m getting back into the rhythm of things now 🙂
Sheridan says
Great post! I’d just opened the first window and was looking for the instructions online when I found your blog. It was only after I’d constructed the Ghost and saw your photo that I found out the instructions are on the inside of the windows! I like the background info you give (especially the ‘full’-size Ghost pic – pretty sure there was another sized one with the Lego Star Wars magazine a few months ago. I’ll be coming back to your blog once I’ve made each day’s model!
Jay says
First Advent Calendar? The instructions always seem to stump a bunch of people each year so you’re definitely not the only one!
Glad to have you on the journey this year!
Ben Rumbold says
Great to get the calendar but your blog truly makes it twice as nice! I’d have had no idea what this ship was without your blog so thank you again for keeping us informed! I do agree with you on the spoilers as well, as a movie fan who never watches a trailer of a film I’m going to see anyway, the cover of the box is a pain. So I’ve put the cover against the wall and will probably forget what I saw by the time it comes around! I do like the Xmas pudding Starkiller base! On to Day 2!
Jay says
Glad to have you joining this year! I actually actively just avoided looking at the box, or online shop listings this year but unfortunately when I had to take photos, I couldn’t avoid most of it. Thankfully like you, I have a pretty bad memory, so I hope most of it will be a surprise!
Mark G says
The Ghost’s scenes in Rogue One:
Mark says
Wow! I though it was only in one scene, not ten! ?
Freddie says
Lots of rebel characters in rogue one! Set in the same time and the ghost is the perfect example. Thanks for sharing!
James Allen says
Great to be starting with you from the start this year as I only discovered this awesome blog last year after I had started the calendar fun. It totally helps with my daily Instagram and Facebook posts of each build as I rarely know what a lot of the models are of, so you provide that insight – along with correcting my builds sometimes!. Much appreciated. Love how this makes December even more fun ?
Jay says
Hey James, great to have you back again this year! Definitely one of the best things about December!
Your Instagram is great! Love your eye for photography!
James Allen says
Hey Jay! Thanks for taking a look at my Instagram – really appreciate that. I don’t post as much as I should on there and sometimes just more daily life stuff but going to put more effort into that side of things.
I upload a lot more on my Facebook page which is https://facebook.com/jamesallenvisual if you wanted to see a bit more.
Really enjoyed the daily Lego posts last December as it was fun to capture each build while following along with you. Your photography is very inspiring – love how well you capture the builds and the quality of your imagery. Really pushed me with my shots.
This certainly makes Christmas feel even more fun and has kicked off December nicely. Onwards we go. In fact, time to open day 2 😉
MelissaS says
We look forward to your blog and review on the Star Wars Advent each year.
My son was also a little disappointed in the Star Wars Rebel ship. He isn’t a fan of the show but they did do a good job of making this little ship recognizable.
Jay says
Thanks, Melissa, that means so much to me that you follow the blog every year!
Stef says
Whoop! Thankyou! This is our first year with Lego calendars. My son came back from his grandma’s (where he opened the calendar after a sleepover) with the pieces in a bag and no instructions. Thankfully I found your blog! I’m not normally into Lego but this was so cute and fun that I was nudging my four year old out of the way so I could finish the piece ? .
Jay says
Glad you found this blog, I hope you join us for the entire journey and that you guys enjoy your first Advent Calendar!
Marcus says
My 6 year old and I are big Rebels fans, instantly recognized the ship and were both pretty excited about it. Amazing how much “detail” they can get in 20 pieces or so!
Jay says
Yeah, they captured the shape of The Ghost perfectly! I’ll get to Rebels eventually, but I’m still making my way through Clone Wars. Heard a lot of great things about the cartoon though!
McMiner says
Sorry about this duplicate post.
Nancy says
This is my very first! Thank you for the hints. I had no idea the instructions were behind the door.
Thanks also for the references. Sooooo excited!
Jay says
Oh, what an exciting time then! LEGO’s not THAT cruel to leave it to us to figure out the builds, haha. Hope your first Star Wars Advent Calendar is an especially memorable one!
McMiner says
Awesome! I just built this model too! Can’t wait to see what the nest 23 days give us! Because I have this set too! (My 5th SW Advent Calendar!)
McMiner says
Sorry about this duplicate post.
Jay says
Haha, all good 🙂
Rider says
Awesome built it too!
Jay says
What do you think so far?
Jane says
So glad to see the blog is back again for this year’s calendar:)
Jay says
Thanks, Jane! Apologies for the hiatus, but I’m definitely back into the swing of things now!
E @ Oh! Apostrophe says
Hooray! Welcome back from me and my 6 year old! Thank you for making this so much more fun for us!
Jay says
Hello again, really glad that you and your 6 year old are coming along for the ride again this year!
Jan says
Greetings from Germany! Have been following your Blog since I tried to figure out a mysterious set (droid) from the 2015 calendar; looking forward to this year.
Set 1 didn’t excite me that much, since I didn’t watch the animated series’, but I guess the kids might be happy about it.
Jay says
Ah, the infamous Demolitionmech Droid! Really appreciate you joining again this year. Here’s hoping LEGO knock it out of the park again this year 🙂
Least Day 1 had a nice design – also, kinda glad that LEGO is exploring different properties outside of the core movies. Freshens things up a little.
McMiner says
Awesome! I just built this model too! Can’t wait to see what the nest 23 days give us! Because I have this set too! (My 5th SW Advent Calendar!
Jay says
Yeah, I’m pretty excited for this year, I look forward to December every year mostly because of the advent calendar!
McMiner says
Yeah.
Steve Hackett says
Yeah I picked as the Ghost straight from the instructions. I was surprised but happy to see this year is off to a start with something different rather than a repeat of similar ships and minifigs from previous years. I almost wasn’t going to get this years for fear of it being more of the same but looks like repeats are to come. A fan of all series I like Rebels and like this one was a nice start.
Jay says
Yeah, I’m really enjoying the variety – with Rogue One and The Force Awakens being a focus this year, we should have tons of new ships and builds to look forward to. Rebels is on my watch list, but I’m still making my way through The Clone Wars!
LiamFrance says
Thanks Jay!! We were up at the crack of dawn today to get started on the Advent Calendar (GMT +1) and a bit distressed that there was no review on your blog!! You are a seasonal favourite! Thanks from my 7 year old!! Happy holidays!!
Jay says
Sorry, Liam! Had a busy day at work and my plans to write on my lunch break was dashed! Hope you guys have a fantastic holiday season too, and thanks for joining in again this year!
Mike says
Just wanted to pass along that your brick blog is now as much an annual tradition as building out my 7 year old son’s advent calendar. You info and links to the actual vehicle are read for virtually every build. Thanks so much, from the east coast of Canada ??
Mike Bardsley says
Just wanted to pass along that your brick blog is now as much an annual tradition as building out my 7 year old son’s advent calendar. You info and links to the actual vehicle are read for virtually every build. Thanks so much, from the east coast of Canada ??
Jay says
That means so much to me to have you and your son making it an annual tradition to follow my Advent Calendar journey! Here’s hoping for yet another awesome year! Hope you an your son have a wonderful holiday season!
Chris says
Here we go again 🙂 ridiculously excited about this…
Jay says
I’m super excited too! One of my favourite times of the year!
Jason says
Welcome Back Jay! I’ve missed your blog recently….
I didn’t get myself a calendar this year, so I’ll have to live vicariously through you..
Jay says
Thanks so much, Jason. I missed it too, but had to take a short leave of absence for personal reasons. I hope I’ll do a great job of transmitting this year’s Advent Calendar experience!
JawaOne says
And of course, seen in Rogue One briefly.
Jay says
Oh, wow, I didn’t know about that. And I’ve seen Rogue One like 5 times :/
Mark says
Chopper is very briefly in it too. There’s also a call out for captain Syndulla, (Hera), in one of the Yavin base scenes too.
Jay says
I need to rewatch it with a guide on the references, heh.
Simon Rutstein says
Thanks for the blog. We followed last years SW and Friends Advent blogs. Are you doing the Friends Advent Calendar this year?
Jay says
You’re welcome, Simon! Good to have you back again this year! Unfortunately, I’ve opted to only do Star Wars this year.
Hans Fangel says
thank you Jay! good to have you back!
Jay says
Thanks Han! Feels good to be back 🙂