When it comes to LEGO, there are fewer pieces of kit that are more impressive, or wallet-busting, than the Star Wars Millennium Falcon. While many fans have added the 7000+ pieces model to their collections, at a hefty price tag of around $800, there has been another of the Star Wars series' crafts that fans have been waiting for over a year to get their hands on. The Republic Gunship from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones and The Clone Wars series was announced as the newest entry in the Ultimate Collector Series last year since it was victorious in a fan vote in which it was pitted against the TIE Bomber and Nebulon B Escort Frigate. Now finally the 3292-piece set can be ordered from LEGO.com from August 1st, for the relatively reasonable $349.99.
The Republic Gunship is a 3292-piece LEGO set that features 2 pilot cockpits, swing-out spherical gun turrets, 2 cannons, opening sides, a rear hatch, and interior details. When fully built, the ship measures 13 in. (33 cm) high, 27 in. (68 cm) long and 29 in. (74 cm) wide. Mini-figures include Clone Trooper Commander with a blaster and Mace Windu with a lightsaber.
The star ship is the latest set to be introduced by LEGO, with the Millennium Falcon and Imperial Star Destroyer being the stand out pieces of the collection. Another set arriving at the time will be "Boba Fett's Starship" which was announced recently to a whole host of online controversy for seemingly changing the name of Fett's craft from Slave I to simply "Starship".
"We're not calling it Slave I anymore," LEGO Star Wars Lead Designer Michael Lee Stockwell revealed. "This is Boba Fett's Starship."
"Everybody is [dropping the Slave I name]," LEGO Star Wars Design Director Jens Kronvold Frederiksen added. "It's probably not something which has been announced publicly but it is just something that Disney doesn't want to use anymore."
While the name change seemed to coincide with the terms of "slave" and "master" being dropped from a number of industries, and is not the first time it has been done in the Star Wars franchise, as the "Slave Leia" costume seen in Return of The Jedi was retired from Star Wars merchandise after some observed it to have objectifying and sexist roots. "The father who flipped out about it, 'What am I going to tell my kid about why she's in that outfit?' Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn't like it," Carrie Fisher, who portrayed Leia, said in a 2015 interview. "And then I took it off. Backstage."
The Republic Gunship has thankfully not needed any kind of name change and has managed to make it to production without being offensive, so it can therefore be purchased without need for explanation - well except maybe to your other half when they ask where the bill money has gone - when it launches of LEGO's website in 1st August around 12am ET.
