Review: LEGO 75361 Spider Tank
June 27, 2023
|
3
3
Strange Star Wars creatures and vehicles are a common occurrence in the series, and Star Wars fans were introduced to a new one in Episode 2 of The Mandalorian Season 3.
While exploring the Mines of Mandalore, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze encounter a peculiar spider tank, commanded by a bizarre one-eyed cyborg. While it might not have been the most noteworthy plot point in the entire season, its unique design has warranted an accompanying LEGO set, in the form of 75361 Spider Tank.
When the set was first revealed, the fans directed their attention towards the new Bo-Katan minifigure as well as a new Darksaber blade element. At a US$50 retail price, though, it doesn’t come cheap. Let’s take a deeper dive and see if there is more to the set than meets the eye!
This is a guest review from our LEGO Star Wars correspondent Vaderfan. We’ll be checking out the entirety of August 2023 wave of Star Wars sets in the next few days, so stay tuned for more!
Special thanks to the LEGO Group for sending this set over for review.
75361 Spider Tank Set Details
Set Number: 75361
Set Name: Spider Tank
Pieces: 526
Minifigures: 3
Retail Price: US$49.99 / AU$84.99 / £46.99 / €52,99 / CAD$64.99
Theme: Star Wars
Release Date: 1 August 2023
Set Designer: Jan Neergaard Olesen [Brickset bricklist]
75361 Spider Tank Unboxing
The front of the box shows Din Djarin and Bo-Katan battling with the Spider Tank in a dingy environment.
The back shows the features of the set, including the unfolding stud shooters and claw arms.
Inside are four numbered bags and an instruction manual – no stickers included.
75361 Spider Tank Minifigures
Just 2.5 minifigures are included – Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan Kryze. Bo-Katan is an all-new minifigure with new helmet, torso, head, arm, and leg printing, and looks absolutely marvelous.
Din Djarin and Grogu both appear in the smaller N-1 Starfighter microfighter set; Grogu is not new while Din gets the updated helmet with print on it.
Most significantly, Din Djarin now wields the new Darksaber element (that first appeared in the more expensive 75348), which looks far better than the previous LEGO versions.
Both these figures have printed heads under the helmets, although only Bo-Katan gets a hairpiece since she likes to remove her helmet often. This is the first Bo-Katan minifigure with arm printing, and it really elevates the figure to a higher level of detail.
Completed Model
The completed Spider Tank model is relatively small for the price point, measuring only around 20cm (7.5″) by 18cm (7″) in size.
It does have over 500 pieces, though, and that was definitely felt during the build process. Lots of intricate mechanical detail and small parts are used throughout the model, which made for an engaging build.
The Spider Tank has six legs, which use some Technic beams for their structure and mechanical detail. They are connected to the main body using rubber Technic elements, which allow them to have some spring and flexibility in the connection while still maintaining stability.
The cockpit, or “head” of the spider tank is connected with click hinges, so can move up and down. Two trans-red studs are used for the cockpit glass, while other trans-black 1×1 round tiles are used elsewhere on the model.
The cockpit also has a pair of fang-like details, plus a brick-built simulated hatch (that does not actually open) on top.
Alongside the cockpit are a pair of claws, as seen in the show. These are connected via mini ball joints to a 45º mech elbow plate, which are connected to the body via Technic pins.
This ensures a fair range of motion for these claws, which can also open and close.
The claws also have studs on the inside, so you can securely attach a minifigure like Din Djarin as he battles his way out of the grip of the Spider Tank!
The top of the model has a flat round style, similar to a Droid Gunship from the prequel trilogy. There are a couple of black rubber hoses for added detail.
The bodywork actually hides a secret – a foldaway pair of stud shooters! These are upside-down so the trigger is at the bottom, and you can fire off a pair of trans-green studs.
The rest of the model opens up further to reveal an interior of sorts, complete with brown and dark tan upholstery inside. However, the cyborg one-eyed alien is not included in this set to pilot the vehicle.
There is actually enough space inside to accommodate a full minifigure! This makes the exclusion of the cyborg alien even odder. Perhaps you are meant to capture Din Djarin and put him inside?
The box art also does not advertise this interior space, focusing only on the fold-out cannons. Quite a bizarre feature, that really only highlights the lack of a pilot.
Do note the stormtrooper minifigure in the above photo is not included in the set.
The Spider Tank is a pretty solid model overall, with a dense design that uses lots of small parts for detail, but ultimately it ends up being a rather small final build that does not have too many play features.
Final Thoughts
Overall, 75361 Spider Tank is a pretty decent set but is ultimately let down by its price. The new Bo-Katan minifigure is quite exceptional and, coupled with the new Darksaber element makes this set a huge draw for LEGO Star Wars minifigure collectors.
The Spider Tank also looks good, but sacrifices size in exchange for intricacy, and also lacks the appropriate driver to command the vehicle.
And then there is the issue of price. US$50 just feels like too high of a price for a rather small model, especially considering only 3 figures are included.
Perhaps if they included the cyborg alien plus an additional build of his cage used to trap Mando and maybe the workshop, it might be more reasonable, but on the whole this set feels like it is priced about 20% higher than it should be.
What I liked:
- Bo-Katan minifigure is brilliant
- New Darksaber is neat
- Spider Tank uses many small pieces to achieve intricate mechanical detail, making for an engaging build process
What I didn’t like:
- Cyborg alien pilot is missing
- Small final model in relation to the price
Build [3] – The model looks good and is very detailed but ultimately misses the point a little without a driver, and still has a rather drab grey color scheme.
Minifigures [3] – The excellent new Bo-Katan figure will be a huge draw, as will the new Darksaber, but Din Djarin and Grogu appear in cheaper sets and more than 3 minifigures should’ve been included in a $50 set.
Real Value [2] – For $50, you don’t get a lot here – the model looks alright and there are a couple of nice figures but it still does feel too expensive.
Innovation [3] – The Spider Tank has some nifty build techniques and achieves a fairly accurate final look despite its unusual source material.
Keepability [3] – The Bo-Katan minifigure will probably make this set a big draw in the future, but otherwise the scene in the show this is based on isn’t particularly memorable.
Rating and Score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰
Thanks for reading! 75361 Spider Tank will be available starting 1 August 2023 from LEGO.com and from most toy stores.
For other August 2023 LEGO Star Wars set reviews, check out:
To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.
