A Comprehensive History of LEGO Star Wars Republic Gunship Sets

September 7, 2023 | 1

While they initially met mixed reviews upon their release, the Star Wars prequel trilogy has grown to become a beloved part of the franchise.

One popular aspect was the introduction of new iconic ship designs, from the sleek Naboo N-1 starfighter to the intimidating Venator-class Star Destroyer.

However, the most iconic prequel ship might have to be the Republic Gunship (or Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry) , first seen flying Clone Troopers into the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones

The fan-favourite ship has appeared several times in LEGO history, and was even the subject of a passionate fan campaign centered around the idea of a UCS Republic Gunship, which ultimately gave LEGO confidence to release 2021’s 75309 UCS Republic Gunship.

With the release of 75354 Coruscant Guard Gunship as part of the September 2023 Star Wars wave, our resident Star Wars correspondent, Vaderfan takes a look at the history of LEGO Star Wars Republic Gunship sets, and see how these beloved models have held up over time.

Note: for ease of comparison, this post will focus on the minifigure-compatible Gunship sets as opposed to the microscale ones.

2002: The First LEGO Republic Gunship

Pieces: 686 | Minifigures: 8 | Retail Price: $89.99 (U.S.)

The first LEGO Republic Gunship made its debut in 2002, the same year it debuted on-screen in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Despite a more rudimentary design, it approximated the shaping of the Gunship well and came with several figures, including the now-iconic Jedi Bob and four brand-new Phase I Clone Troopers. The Gunship had several fun play features, including sliding doors, fold-out bubble turrets, weapons racks, and an opening front section with a hidden crate inside!

It may be over two decades old, but its age has only increased the value of this set – on Bricklink, an unopened set 7163 will set you back around US$900!

2008: The Animated Clone Wars Variant

Pieces: 1034 | Minifigures: 5 | Retail Price: $119.99 (U.S.)

It took six years for LEGO fans to get their next Republic Gunship playset, and this time, it was based on the new animated Clone Wars TV series.

7676 Republic Attack Gunship featured a variant of the ship that could travel through space, forgoing the side bubble turrets in favor of doors that could close all the way. It also boasted other creative features, including a slide-out bacta tank, deployable drones, and a rear ramp for the included speeder bike! This set also featured the minifigure debuts of iconic Star Wars characters like Asajj Ventress, Plo Koon, and Commander Cody. Armed with 8 flick-fire missiles and sporting stickered graffiti towards the front, 7676 brought new heights to what was possible in a LEGO Republic Gunship.

It will still set you back a pretty penny, though not as much as the 2002 version – current average prices for a new version of this set will fetch around US$640 on Bricklink.

2013: A Return to Live Action

Pieces: 1175 | Minifigures: 7 | Retail Price: $119.99 (U.S.)

The 2013 LEGO Star Wars wave featured a return to the desert battlefield of Geonosis, featuring updated sets from Episode II. One of these sets was the highly-anticipated 75021 Republic Gunship, featuring brand new Episode II variants of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé.

The Gunship itself sported a Technic carrying handle, fold-out bubble turrets, 8 flick-fire missiles, a hidden missile rack, and a speeder bike stowed away in the back. It also featured a double-sided poster! Furthermore, you could combine this set with 75017 Duel on Geonosis to recreate the thrilling final chase and duel from start to finish.

This set is still immensely popular as it was the last playset-scaled ‘regular’ variant of the Republic Gunship, and so a new version on Bricklink will cost about US$430.

2015: Significantly Smaller, but still Minifigure Compatible

Pieces: 105 | Minifigures: 1 | Retail Price: $9.99 (U.S.)

In 2015, the Republic Gunship was added to LEGO’s microfighter theme. This 75076 Republic Gunship was a microscaled version of the Gunship and boasted caricatured proportions, as well as a Phase I Clone Pilot minifigure behind the cockpit. It also had a pair of flick-fire missiles, but otherwise this model had little to write home about.

It still goes for around US$37 on Bricklink – almost four times the original retail price – likely because this was the last minifigure appearance of the Phase I Clone Pilot.

2021: The Ultimate Collector’s Version?

Pieces: 3292 | Minifigures: 2 | Retail Price: $399.99 (U.S.)

In 2020, the LEGO Star Wars design team had a fan vote on LEGO Ideas to choose the next UCS set – a three-way contest between the Republic Gunship, Nebulon-B frigate, and TIE Bomber.

Fans of the prequel trilogy certainly showed up, as the Gunship received over 30,000 votes (58% of the total votes) and joined the UCS ranks in 2021 with 75309 UCS Republic Gunship

What was supposed to be the ultimate LEGO version of the Gunship was met with controversy upon its reveal, as early copies of the set wrongly featured the Imperial logo on the top left. Some fans took issue with the inclusion of a generic Phase I Clone Commander, as opposed to a Phase II Commander Cody or a Clone Pilot. Nonetheless, the model itself impresses with a massive wingspan, movie-accurate features, and a pleasing color scheme.

The model is still available from the online LEGO shop for a retail price of US$399.99, although time will tell if the model will appreciate in price.

2023: New Colours, New Price

Pieces: 1083 | Minifigures: 5 | Retail Price: $139.99 (U.S.)

The latest version of the Republic Gunship, 75354 Coruscant Guard Gunship puts a slightly different twist. This Clone Wars-era set features a striking dark red color palette, and instead ferries the Coruscant Guard as a city-based transport.

Gone are the militarised bubble turrets; instead, this model sports fully-closing sliding doors and stud shooters atop its wingtips. Five brand-new minifigures are included, and they all fit the dark red theme – two Shock Troopers, Phase II Commander Fox, Padmé Amidala, and Chancellor Palpatine.

At US$139.99, this is the most expensive playset version of the Gunship yet (not adjusted for inflation), although I suspect that will do little to dampen fan enthusiasm for a new Gunship variant, especially one that features the Coruscant Guard.

And that is the history of LEGO Republic Gunships!

It has been a unique evolution, from the blocky 2002 version and the space-faring 2008 variant to 2019’s Ultimate Collector Series set and this year’s dark red model.

It’s surprising that such a popular Star Wars model has received relatively few LEGO renditions in the past few years (as opposed to the ever-present X-wing Starfighters), although that could be due to its unusual shape and tricky design.

While each set has its pros and cons, LEGO Star Wars fans have always faithfully celebrated and voted with their wallets for each Republic Gunship, and I expect the same will be true for the new Coruscant Guard Gunship.

We’ll of course have a review of the new Coruscant Guard Gunship on the blog, so keep an eye out for it!

But which Gunship variant is your favorite? What other Gunship-related set ideas would you like to see from the LEGO Star Wars theme? Comment your thoughts below, and thanks for reading!

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