2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 9

 Hmmm... maybe I was too harsh yesterday about yet another Battle Droid because today's build is actually something for the Battle Droid to use - a STAP Speeder (STAP stands for Single Troop Aerial Platform). 

This is the thing that Battle Droids can use as transport. Cool.

And a pretty good representation of it, considering how few pieces had to be used to make it.

And here is the Battle Droid riding it.

And here's the Battle Droid after being shot by the clone trooper.

The ninth day of the Advent Calendar is always a special one for me, so I always hope to have something special in the Calendar - and since this build, even though I'm not super excited about other than that I don't own any other versions, redeems the disappointment with the battle droid yesterday, then I'd say it was a special day, indeed.

Thank you, LEGO!

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 8

 We made it to Day 8 before LEGO disappointed. It's a minifig today, and that's cool, but it's yet ANOTHER Battle Droid. It just seems like LEGO got a really good deal on cranking out 20 brazillion of these things 25 years ago, so they're including them in everything they can. I think I now have 100 of them from various sets, including from previous Advent Calendars. Or do I have eleventy jillion? Hard to remember.

So, not a total disappointment - it's a minifigure, even if it's overused and exactly like every other one. So, well, another one to add to the mass battle scene I might be able to create some day with a few zamtilion of these things.

On the plus side, Day 6 and Day 7 gave us a Clone Trooper and a Command Center, so I can imagine the Clone Trooper blowing the Battle Droid to oblivion, Roger Roger, registering our collected disappointment at LEGO tossing in these cheap ... well, basically clones, in set after set... 

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 7

Still doing well with this year's LEGO Advent Calendar - today we get a classic Clone Command Station. And by classic, I mean "new" and "from the prequels" and "probably very people would recognize this". I sure didn't. I had to look it up.

It's a weird thing, but it also can do this:

And that's super cool.

Thanks, LEGO!

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 6

 LEGO, you are rockin' it this year!

Today's build is a minifig! Specifically, a 212th Clone Trooper. Look at that beauty.

This minifigure was previously only available in one LEGO set, and a pricey one at that. So this is quite the winner! 

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 5

 Continuing to open the little doors on the calendar and pull out a bag full of pieces. Five days in, and every day's LEGO treat has had a fair amount of pieces. No stingy builds of trying to make something look like a medical droid with just 5 pieces. And no filling slots with those cheap droid soldiers.

Today is ANOTHER vehicle! Woo hoo!

It's the Landmaster from the movie "Damnation Alley"!

Look at that puppy!

No, I kid - that isn't what it is. It's this:

And that is the Clone Turbo Tank! Fantastic. Fills me with joy. Also known as the HAVw A6 Juggernaut to the purists. LEGO released a set of this a number of years ago, set #75151. 

As I mentioned, the builds have had a lot of parts. And the bags are coming with a lot of extras. I've already put the extras from Days 1-3 into my "spare parts" drawer in my inventory, so I can't show those. But this photo shows how many pieces are leftover just from today's and yesterday's builds. I don't remember an Avent Calendar having so many extra pieces.

 

So far, LEGO, I'm feeling like I totally am getting sufficient bang for my buck for buying this $40 thing! 

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 4

 Another banner day! 

Today is this robotic thing with a sack.

LOL. It's not just a robotic thing - this is the ever cool Pit Droid dressed up like Santa with a bag of presents to give away! Are they for Amy Sedaris, maybe? 

Great build, much fun to make but even more fun to look at. I'm so enjoying this year's Advent Calendar, and this early bit of festive fun makes me smile and makes me happy.

2023 Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 3

 Today is officially the beginning of Advent, and so the Advent Calendar is now in the proper season. 

Wow!

Day 1 was a minifigure with a ship! (yeah, it was actually a sled, not a spaceship, but it's Star Wars, and a sled is used to travel, so let's just call it a ship). Day 2 was a spaceship. And now Day 3 is another spaceship! I'm really hoping that starting off so well like this doesn't mean that at the end will be all the more lackluster/smaller/fewer-pieces builds. I hope that this means the whole calendar is going to be awesome. Like the LEGO movie itself! 

Today is the spaceship N-1, a refurbished Naboo fighter. This was purchased by Din Djarin uses after his Razor Crest was destroyed in the "The Mandalorian" series. 

Notice the raised cupola on the back, where Grogu rides on their shared adventures.

Sweet.