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It's been hours since the first Imperial ground forces landed. Most of the
rebel convoy made it to the wider confines of space but a few scattered
remnants of those that didn't make it to the outer atmosphere litter the
frozen, unforgiving surface of the planet Hoth.
Shortly after the capture of the rebel base, straggling prisoners were rounded
up and charges were set to collapse all caverns and bury any trace of
resistance to the Imperial regime.
But in an overlooked cave, a battle-damaged snow speeder sits with two
exasperated pilots and a rebel soldier they rescued. There are only a few
hours of repair time, then night and a marrow-chilling cold will descend on the
survivors. On a planet still crawling with snow troopers, options are few for
three rebels and a two-man, short-range craft.
The Star Wars models of 1999 have proven to be of improved quality (with
well-executed designs and useful pieces) over most other themes' models for the
same year, so it was with confidence that I picked up one more model to add to
the collection. The Snow Speeder follows the X-wing and TIE Fighter/Y-wing
sets in the tradition of quality.
7130 is another set that comprises not only a main model, but an additional
assembly that adds to a specific scenario. The snow speeder itself is a
two-man craft of compact design. Behind the forward cockpit is a small storage
bin with a removable carton-like assembly (not much fits in here but it does
hold a light-saber handle). A rear-facing cockpit is located on the other side
of the storage bin. Downward-sloping wings on each side of the main body are
armed with large blasters. There is also a small gun mounted in front of the
rear-facing canopy (fans of the movie will recognize this as a harpoon/cable
gun).
The additional assembly that could be used in conjunction with or against the
aircraft is basically a swiveling laser mounted on a short column.
Three minifigs come with the set including two pilots (helmet markings are the
circular "hawk" insignia, one is red, the other is blue) and another figure
with a white and grey ranger-type suit. Their accessories include a large,
black hand-held rifle/laser, grey field glasses, and a blue lightsaber.
New/unique pieces include a white minifig backpack, dark grey 4x2
shallow-sloping bricks, the new 1x2 locking-teeth hinged bricks, a new 2x2x1
rounded-top element, and a couple of sloping bricks and tiles in orange! There
is also a standard Town windshield tinted dark grey.
There are a couple of alternate models pictured in the instructions (though not
as prominently as with the larger sets). The models aren't too exciting, but
there is an interesting insect-like vehicle.
The solid design was a highlight of this set (though the rear cockpit is quite
cramped) but I was also impressed with the assortment of dark grey pieces (I'm
becoming quite fond of these).
!!!4x2ReVu Stats!!!
Rating: Six out of eight studs.
Thumbs up for: A solid space ship design. The set as a whole makes for a good
standalone set.
Wallet-Wise: $20.00 approximate U.S. retail for 212 pieces.
Date: 10/12/1999
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