Ever since the hit Disney+ show The Mandalorian hit our screens the LEGO community has jumped on the band wagon and, shall we say, mad for it (myself included)!
The Mandalorian Minifigure fetches a high price on the secondary market, and The Child, well until recently (Razor Crest announcement) we didn’t even know if LEGO would produce one.
That’s where the new Mandalorian Battle Pack comes in, and fills a hole.
Back in 2011, LEGO Release a Mandalorian Battle Pack (7914), consisting of 4 Minifigures and 2 small builds.
Fast forward to 2020 and LEGO Release a Mandalorian Battle Pack (75267), consisting of 4 Minifigures and 2 small builds.
Wait, what? Another one, and almost identical 🤔
I’m not complaining in any way, I personally love these Battle Packs and all things Star Wars!
Having bought the first one many years ago, I just had to have this new one. I’ll be comparing them and sharing my thoughts.
7914 Box Front
7914 Box Back
75267 Box front
75267 Box Back
Right off the bat the similarities are quite obvious, both sets have a small Speeder bike and a mounted Gun.
The Minifigures seem to be pretty much identical, bar the colours. The original Minifigures (7914) are all dressed in the same Blue armour and matching helmets. The newer Minifigures (75267) are brightly coloured and feature different designs and helmets.
Minifigures
Another big difference is the weapons, and my only bad point with the newer set. Why on Earth did LEGO opt for the stud shooters?! I can see why from a playability stand point, and that the younger fans like being able to fire something. But coming from an AFOL and collector, actual Blasters are a must. At least include them in the set as an option!
The Mandalorian TV show features a handful of Mandalorians that LEGO could choose from. All, as part of their creed, aren’t allowed to remove their helmets and reveal their faces. LEGO has opted for plain black heads on all of the newer Minifigures. A wise move indeed and one I’m surprisingly happy with, as it helps with the overall look, and draws less attention to the slight gap between the helmet to torso (then a flesh head does), more so at the back.
Minifigures
Face reveal
Around the back
The inclusion of Jetpacks for all 4 original Minifigures is ace and very welcomed!
Both sets of Minifigures are great and a must have addition to the Star Wars collection.
Onto the two small builds now and up first are the Speeder bikes.
Speeder Bikes
Using roughly the same design concept, and in places the same building techniques, the Speeder Bikes look somewhat similar.
The older Speeder is more narrower and looks just a tad more realistic than the newer one. I prefer the more slim lined look and is less bulky and clunky compared to the newer Speeder.
Speeders from the back
Both can seat a Minifigure, with 4 studs for fixing them down securely.
Speeders front view
The newer bike features 2 stud shooters, mounted on each side. Again great for playability and don’t look too out of place. The front downward flaps don’t quite match the older one, and if pushed too much just pop off.
Being made of fewer pieces and slightly narrower, the original Speeder comes out on top and my personal preference out of the two.
Now onto the mounted guns and terrain builds, which in my opinion aren’t really needed.
The original set’s mounted gun is hands down the better of the two again. The detail and overall look of it is great for the few bits it implements. With the blue accent here too, for the railing/guard and front panel. The gun, which actually looks like a gun that could do some damage, swivels with ease and can be manned by one of the Minifigures.
Mounted guns & terrain
The newer sets mounted gun, in comparison, is poor and focuses more on the terrain aspect than being a usable turret gun. The stud shooter doesn’t really have any movement and is constantly pointing up. Personally I don’t think placing it on a square baseplate helps.
Mounted guns back view
The newer build lacks that overall finished look and, personally, barely constitutes as a build.
Conclusion:
Both sets have their qualities and are aimed at building up your Mandalorian army.
The original set (7914) just nudges ahead, with its uniformed Minifigures and overall better builds. The mounted gun and Speeder bike are more to scale and don’t look or feel too clunky. The inclusion of actual Blasters also helps and again gives it a more ‘realistic’ look and feel.
Both sets have their similarities in terms of looks and builds (4 Mandalorian Minifigures, Speeder Bikes and turrets). Some of the building techniques used are replicated, to an extent, but both being relatively small sets it’s understandable.
To finish I’d like to say that I really like and appreciate both sets and they’ll be kept and implemented in my growing collection of LEGO Star Wars Minifigures and builds!
This is the Way!
What is your reaction?
YES!
I like it
It's OK
Not Sure
No!
