This is a review of 9496 LEGO Star Wars Desert Skiff. This is a simple and smaller set that was introduced in the Lego Star Wars 2012 releases. In this set, it depicts the scene in Episode VI, Return of the Jedi, whereby Luke Skywalker was made to walk the plank on the Desert Skiff as wanted by Jabba The Hutt on the Planet Tatooine. Luke was meant to be fed to the Sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon together with Chewbacca and Han Solo after a failed rescue mission and killing Jabba’s pet Rancor. All these are being watch by Jabba The Hutt from his Khetanna together with Leia Organa or better known as Princess Leia. This is also the scene whereby Boba Fett was catapulted into the Pit although he was not killed due to his armour and will to live. But weirdly, Han Solo and Chewbacca seems to be missing from this set although they are both on the Skiff together with Luke Skywalker. Maybe it’s just another convenient amnesia by the LEGO to cut cost. 🙂
The front graphics on box of the set shows the scene of Luke Skywalker almost tipping over into the Sarlacc with Boba Fett hovering and on looking. The right side shows the four MiniFigures included in the set. At the rear of the box, more details on the set were revealed. These include the Desert Skiff and Sarlacc and more details that you can create from this set.
Opening up this small box shows the following contents inside, 3 packs of parts, 1 small instruction booklet, and 3 2 x something long long plates. Guess these will make the main length of the Desert Skiff given the rest of the things in the set should not have such a long skeleton or base.
The assembly took around 20 mins. Starting with the usual Minifigures, 4 in this case, followed by the Sarlacc and finally the Desert Skiff.
The Desert Skiff‘s scale to the MiniFigures does seem to be that good. With four MiniFigures on board, the whole Desert Skiff looks very cramp. That is with Luke Skywalker walking the plank, Kithaba piloting the Desert Skiff, Boba Fett and Lando looking by the edge. But the Desert Skiff still have some constructs that makes this set more interesting.
The first interesting design of the Desert Skiff is the use of simple parts to represent side wings of the Skiff. The adjustable joints also makes the wings adjustable, creating more realism in the whole design of the Skiff.
At the cockpit of the Desert Skiff, the Kithaba is holding a gun with one hand while piloting the Desert Skiff with the other. This cockpit only has space for one person given all the equipment there is there inside.
Another interesting construct of the Desert Skiff is truly representative of it’s smugglers’ nature. Before the center board of the Desert Skiff, you can find a secret storage area whereby another two guns are hidden from sight and can be used against the enemy unexpectedly.
My personal favourite construct of the Desert Skiff is the use of cylindrical transparent bricks below the Desert Skiff to create the flying or floating effect of the Skiff. In this way, the designer also won’t have to worry about the need to create a stable base for the Desert Skiff in order to balance it in a upright position.
Moving on to the Sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon, it is mainly created using sand and tan colored parts with long tails and white teeth. The mouth of the Sarlacc will allow a single MiniFigure to stand inside, thus allowing the creation of the scene of it swallowing up a person.
The next comes the MiniFigures. There are four MiniFigures in this small set out of which three does not appear in other sets for quite some time already. The Bode Fett Bounty Hunter is my favourite in this set as it comes with much details on his torso and legs as well the helmet and cap included. On his back is a jet pack that allows him to fly around when the need arises.
For Luke Skywalker, this is one of the few scenes whereby he is dressed in black/grey tone rather than white or in his pilot uniform. I think this is something to do with him knowing that Darth Vader is his father in the previous episode. Something to note is that the light sabre of Luke Skywalker still have bubbles in it. I strongly suspect this is a batch quality issue with Lego’s production line for 2012.
The third MiniFigure is Lando Calrissian, the guardian and administrator of the Cloud City. By now, he has joined the rebellion and is trying to save Han Solo together with Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. Lando’s MiniFigure does not really come by so often and is something new in my collection. Do take note of the degree of details that the Lego designer has included in the MiniFigure’s torso.
Last but not least, the final MiniFigure is that of Kithaba. Although I didn’t really pay much attention to this name in the Star Wars series of movies, but I do like the amount of details that is included in his face and torso that makes this MiniFigure and character unique in his own ways.
This set is quite playable as it allows your imagination to run with the ability to create the scenes of Luke Skywalker walking the plank and Boda Fett swallowed by the Sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon. Overall, it’s a good experience to assembly and own this set.