Earlier this week we took a hands-on look at the new LEGO Clone Command Station set, and today the second of its new Star Wars Accessory Packs is finally available for purchase after facing delays to start 2022. But nearly a month late, has all of this wait been worth it? To answer, we’re taking a hands-on look to see just how the Rebel garrison supplements stack up compared to their Imperial-focused counterparts.
Hands-on with the LEGO Defense of Hoth
Much like its Clone Wars-focused brethren, the new LEGO Defense of Hoth set was originally supposed to launch back at the very beginning of the month. Now nearly at the end of January, the second Star Wars Accessory Pack is finally available today and we’re taking a hands-on look to see if it was worth the wait.
Much like the Clone Command Station we took a hands-on look at earlier this week, the new Defense of Hoth variant enters in true Accessory Pack fashion at the $14.99 price point. It’s a formula that is new for LEGO Star Wars, but is known among other themes for including several minifgures on top of one of two very small builds. In this case, you’re looking at an array of Hoth-themed inclusions fitting for the Empire Strikes Back focus.
Stacking up to 64 pieces, the new Defense of Hoth Accessory Pack arrives with three Rebel troopers at the center of the LEGO Star Wars set. Each one is unique to this set, though there are two distinct types of snow-clad troopers in the kit. We notably have a higher-ranking Rebel outfitted with a dark tan uniform, which is joined by a pair of more standard troops. These two both rock printed legs, and like their superior officer, use the typical Hoth helmet piece that lets you clip in some visors. Each one also has a different head, so if you end up buying more than one like me you can mix and match the pieces to build out a more unique army.
As for the actual builds this time around, we have three different types of weaponry for fending off the Imperial invasion. The largest of these is the iconic Dish turret, which is one of the more signature inclusions we’d expect to see from a LEGO set with the Defense of Hoth name. Its build this time around is nothing too fancy, and much smaller than we saw the previous time in the 20th anniversary Snowspeeder.
Then there’s a pair of pretty typical tripod blasters to round out the set. These aren’t quite the E-Web Heavy Repeating Blasters that we’ve seen on the Imperial side of the recent LEGO Hoth sets, relying on a more simple build to pull off the design. Though my favorite part has to be that the LEGO Group finally included the little battery packs that are meant to go with them! Even if there isn’t a cable connecting the two, it’s wonderful to see this time of attention to detail applied to such an affordable $15 set.
Not quite a Battle Pack competitor
One of the biggest complaints about the LEGO Star Wars 2022 lineup for January is that it lacks a companion set to the Snowtrooper Battle Pack. Typically we see a pair of the army building kits released at a time, which mostly end up entering on different sides of a conflict from a galaxy far, far away. So in this case, it’s a shame we didn’t see a Rebel version to go up against the Galactic Empire. Instead, the LEGO Defense of Hoth Accessory Pack has stepped in the fill that void, sort of.
The Accessory Pack and Battle Pack aren’t too comparable to sets separated by the $5 difference in price points. I definitely feel like this critique is a little too inside baseball for most builders, though it’s worth at least pointing out. I guess there’s something to be said for how accurate the LEGO Group’s strategy has been for rolling out Hoth sets. Just like in Empire Strikes Back, the Rebels are severely outnumbered by the Galactic Empire, and that very same trend is shown by the current Star Wars lineup. I don’t think authenticity is what the company was going for, but I’m at least willing to look on the bright side.
Electronicsforward’ Take:
The bottom line here is that these are essential additions to all of the LEGO Hoth sets we’ve received over the past year. The Rebel troops have been severely lacking and this LEGO Defense of Hoth Accessory Pack steps in to bolster the ranks, even if it is only three at a time. I particularly like that the LEGO Group was able to differentiate the builds in this one away from what we’ve already seen in previous sets, too. Not to mention that the minifigures are somewhat customizable in being able to swap the heads around to create a Rebel army with some more variety.
Its biggest downfall isn’t that the set isn’t notable in its own right, but that the greater LEGO Star Wars 2022 lineup gives us a look at what we should have gotten instead. Sure, $15 is by no means a tough sell here, but I would easily recommend putting that money toward the Clone Trooper Command Station, or just spending the extra cash to grab the Snowtrooper Battle Pack.
Buy the LEGO Defense of Hoth Accessory Pack
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Other LEGO Star Wars 2022 reviews:
- LEGO Clone Trooper Command Station review: So good you’ll buy more than one
- LEGO’s new Hoth AT-ST headlines the Star Wars 2022 lineup with an old school design
- LEGO Snowtrooper Battle Pack review: Army building at its finest
- Hands-on: LEGO’s new Razor Crest Microfighter offers plenty of value with a Mando minifig
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