Star Wars: Darth's Plan Unfolds - The Final Duel
Written: May 20 '02 (Updated Jan 08 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Darth Vader, The Emperor, TIE window frame, red saber.
Cons: Not a lot of fun as a stand alone set.
The Bottom Line: Seasoned Star Wars veterans and young Padawan’s will all find this set a welcome addition to their collection.
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Star Wars Final Duel I |
Star Wars fever once again sweeps the country with the opening of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of The Clones. Not being one to become complacent with product development, Lego has seen to it that almost every aspect of the Star Wars films have been replicated into the wonderful world of little plastic bricks. Final Duel I is a very nice set for collectors based solely on the two figures – Darth Vader and The Emperor. If the rest of the set were a complete failure, at least you would have two highly collectable pieces to add to your Star Wars cache. Surprisingly, there are some fantastic pieces in this set in addition to the figures – it seems Lego got a set right :]
This set is pretty nice for only having 29 pieces, the TIE Fighter window element is literally worth the retail cost of $6.99. Having a Star Wars collection without Darth Vader is kind of like an Elvis collection without the black velvet portrait – so you might want to pick a few of these sets and have a couple extra Vader figures in your stock. Overall there is a nice selection of pieces in this set – so if you are looking to just collect the two figures the rest of the pieces can easily be adapted to other sets or sold to brick brokers.
The Throne and TIE Face
Finally a relatively small set that has some cool background items. Included in the Final Duel I set is a small scene featuring a movable throne, star gazer [TIE Fighter frame] window and under-seat pivot attachment. There are several ways that this can be built but you have to be careful to leave enough room for the throne / seat to be able to spin freely. The nice coverall attachment above the seat itself gives this a regal feel to it without making it so compact that it is hard to get the figure in and out of the seat. The coverall has no relevance to the structure other than aesthetics so it can be removed without compromising the integrity of the scene.
The TIE Fighter window face is extremely rare and has only appeared in three sets so far. The other two sets that you can find this in is TIE Fighter [7146] and the combination package TIE Fighter And Y Wing [7150]. This piece run about $3.00 each from a brick broker and to complete the entire assembly you are looking at about a $10.00 investment. So stock up on these sets while they are still plentiful. At this price you also get the two figures – so it will pay for itself in the long run. This is a pretty sensitive piece that will scratch easily, so if it is going to be exposed to a lot of use or rough handling be prepared for it to look like it has been in a battle.
Darth Vader
Clad in his traditional black grab, Darth’s Lego depiction is extremely accurate. The amount of detail in the facemask is unbelievable – even for the Lego creation team. The stenciled breastplate has the usual buttons and contours of Vader’s uniform but isn’t as nicely done as the mask. Darth comes with a red lightsaber and a shiny plastic silver base. The figure has working arms and legs and comes with a black cloth cape packaged in a small box. The cape is optional and the figure looks good wither with or without it. In addition to the movable limbs, the head can also be repositioned to suit the need of the scene. When unpacking the set, make sure you don’t pitch the small white box that the cape comes packaged in. If you do toss it out you can use any of the capes from the other Star Wars sets or Harry Potter – but with this you will need to place it on the neck peg reversed – unless of course you want Darth parading around with purple and gray stars on his cape.
The Emperor
A figure with an extreme attitude – The Emperor’s face is most likely the first thing you will notice when you see the cover of this box. A grimace that would make any meanie proud, the stenciled features help to add yet another level of detail to the otherwise emotionally barren Lego figures in the Star Wars series. The second thing you will probably notice is that The Emperor is void of a nose. For me, this really bugged me. I know Lego figures don’t traditionally have noses, but the large empty yellow block in the middle of his face just screams Look at me, I have no nose!
Donning the same black cape as Darth Vader, The Emperor has a nice stenciled torso / breastplate that simulates his official garb. The plastic headdress is removable, but without it he just looks like a grumpy old man. When you are assembling this figure, remember to put the cape on the neck peg before you add the head and headdress – otherwise you may find yourself fighting to remove them.
Things To Know
The light saber bases are made of durable Lego type plastic with a silver coating. Over time and with any bit of play, this will start to wear away or chip off. This is true of all Lego items displaying a silver finish so don’t be alarmed if this starts happening. If you want to preserve the piece you can apply a coat of clear nail polish to it and allow it to try completely. This will help to keep it shiny and prevent the natural oils from your skin from deteriorating the finish. Additional lightsaber hilts can be purchased, brand new and in mint condition, from brick vendors for about .90 cents.
Darth Vader’s facemask / head unit will also start to show signs of distress if it is handled roughly or throw into storage boxes and mixed around with other pieces. For these rare and unique pieces I suggest investing in small craft bags for storage. These are available at Wal-Mart in the craft / fabric section and cost about $1.59 for 50 – 100 zip top bags. [price and quantity depend on the size].
Purchasing
If you are going to try to hunt these down, do not be fooled by what online auctions claim – this set isnot rare, nor is it being discontinued any time soon. More often than not, when a set is first released stores under order them to try and eliminate overstock and the shelves are barren until the next shipment arrives. Such was the case with The Harry Potter Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts Castle before Christmas. Everyone scrambled to buy them and resorted to purchasing them from online auction sites that had sellers listing false or inaccurate information about the availability of the sets. If you do plan on buying these from an auction, remember to read the wording carefully and that it is MIB [mint in box] or that it has all the pieces to the set including the instructions.
The Stats
Set Name: The Final Duel I
Family Set: Star Wars
Lego Set: 7200
Number of Pieces: 29
Age Recommendation: 6 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Simple
Time Of Assembly: 10 minutes total
Cost: $ 6.99
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004Freak369
Other cool Star Wars Lego Sets ...
•Twin-Pod Cloud Car • Lightsaber Duel •
• Star Wars Jabba's Prize • Star Wars Droid Escape •
Star Wars Mini Heroes Collection I
Star Wars Mini Heroes Collection II
Star Wars Mini Heroes Collection III
Star Wars Mini Heroes Collection IIII
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $6.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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