As a lifelong fan of LEGO sets, I’ve always wanted the chance to explore one of the brand’s collector edition sets but wasn’t in much of a financial position to do so until recently. Even then, spending several hundred dollars on a LEGO set felt like it wasn’t the most effective use of my funds. After all, it’s a toy — why shell out that much? Is it worth it? Those questions (and many more) are the exact questions I wanted to answer when LEGO reached out to me about reviewing the Razor Crest Collector’s Edition from the “Star Wars” Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian.” I also had a chance to speak with set designer, César Carvalhosa Soares, about how some of the more intricate details of the set all came together.
LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest Collector’s Edition
Pros
- Incredibly detailed
- Engaging build experience
- Thoughtfully considered at every stage
Cons
- Expensive
Setting up the LEGO Razor Crest
The LEGO Razor Crest Collector’s Set contains 36 bags with over 6,000 pieces, so you’ll need a decent amount of space to piece everything together throughout the build. There are two boxes featuring some wonderful concept art from “The Mandalorian;” the first box contains bags 1-19, while the remaining 20-36 bags are in the second box. The four instruction manuals are spread across both boxes. I found it easiest to separate the bags into groups of three or four at a time as I worked on the set throughout the build.
LEGO Razor Crest Features
The main difference in some of these higher-end Collector’s Sets is the details that are included to appeal to collectors. The LEGO Razor Crest features detachable sections to expose the interior details built (heh) into the set, like the inclusion of Boba Fett’s armor, Mando’s sleeping quarters, the extendable side doors, and even the exterior gate. If it functioned in the show, this Razor Crest includes it (save for the blasters, which are just for appearances).
My personal favorite details are the included bounties Mando has frozen in carbonite and the extensive blaster rack which are tucked away in the interior in clever and fun ways that add to the level of detail and craftsmanship. That is a part of the design that Soares, the set’s designer, is proud of. Soares told SPY over a Microsoft Teams call that the LEGO Razor Crest is “a notch above” what they typically do.
“Even the floors are titled, and there’s little things everywhere,” Soares said. “We put a lot of easter eggs in the set. Some are obvious; some are not obvious. So we hope that fans have fun while building it and discovering them.”
Building the LEGO Razor Crest
“Building” is a funny word to include here, because the intricacy of this set almost requires civil (and intergalactic) engineering, but I’m gauging the build here off prior experience. After all, half the fun of doing a LEGO set is piecing everything together and getting a complete set at the conclusion.
In terms of build time, the LEGO Razor Crest took just under 15 hours for a total build. Since this is my first collector’s set, I’m not sure what a typical average looks like, but considering the size and scope of it, that felt about right to me. The initial Razor Crest release took an afternoon for me to complete, so it makes sense on paper something this intensive would take almost a full day to finish. I’m not complaining; building LEGO helps me relax, so I wasn’t rushing to get through the construction.
The overall build experience is pretty straightforward and doesn’t get overly complicated until the engine block portion, but I will say I had to reexamine a few sections to ensure I had them affixed correctly; the Razor Crest’s tail and sides have a bit of angularity to them and positioning the side panels to achieve the desires look took some finesse.
Sounds like that wasn’t just me — Soares said this was one of the more difficult portions to achieve throughout their build of the unit itself.
“Everything is angled in a couple of different directions,” Soares stated. “It was really, really hard to get that.”
He also told us the initial concept draft of the set took “roughly six to eight months” of development time. Luckily, the team at LEGO had a lot of access to concept designs from LucasFilm, which helped to streamline the design process a bit. Additionally, the Razor Crest went through “at least five” different drafts before they settled on a final design that everyone loved.
That darn engine block took me a few retries as well, mostly because one fastening on the back kept falling off as I moved the base around to assemble other portions. However, the variety in brick color made it easier to build the interior section of the cylinder-like fixtures. Despite being overwhelming silver and gray throughout, LEGO did a great job at providing plenty of brick color variations throughout the interior and less visible parts of the set so it’s not all the same hues all the time.
As you can see in the difference between the two sets below, the collector’s Razor Crest is massive. That’s not an understatement or overembellishment; there’s a real size to this thing. This edition is much closer to a model-like build or even oversized and practical miniature filmmakers would use on sets prior to the introduction of CGI. Due to its size, the set has considerable heft to it; LEGO recommends picking it up with two hands underneath the base of the set to move it around.
One minor gripe I have is the use of stickers. From a practical standpoint, I understand needing to use stickers on something like the window of the cockpit and on certain side panels. But I would like to see LEGO print a design on the collector’s plaque since that’s where a lot of the mini figures will be housed for display purposes. The plaque is such a critical part of the collector’s experience that I’d like to see a bit more of a high-end production there — but that’s a minor gripe in an excellent build experience and even more superlative product.
The Verdict: Should You Buy the LEGO Razor Crest Collector’s Edition?
Most of the Collector’s Editions are meant for those willing to pay for a premium product, and I can definitively state that the LEGO Razor Crest lives up to that experience.
Upon admiring the final product, the set felt more akin to a sculpture or a really detailed model, albeit one that’s constructed from LEGO. The building experience was so much fun and provided many relaxing evenings as I worked on it. It’s a set I’m proud to display in my space, as I find myself discovering new details as I walk by or a desire to pull it off the shelf to open it up and admire the thought, time, and effort that went into making the parts you won’t see just as detailed and compelling.
While this is my first collector’s set, it makes me keen to try more of them, although I have a feeling I might need to make more space in my home for them first. If you’ve got the money to spare, this is a no-brainer purchase. And if you’re a diehard fan of “The Mandalorian” looking for a physical product to show your love, this is a fantastic one to do so.
