Why I bought this set

Any time Lego produces a Marvel-themed set, I will take notice. While I can skip over Mechs and most 4+ sets, there are very few from this theme that aren’t going to get me excited.

Sometimes I have more enthusiasm for the build, and sometimes the minifigures make me giddy. In this instance, both aspects tickled my fancy.

I don’t watch Marvel trailers to remain spoiler-free, so I had no idea how accurate this build was to the movie. However, the colors alone were enough to make this a definite purchase. Further, as I own The Guardians’ Ship and The Avengers Qinujet, I have a collection going – I may as well continue!

Set contents

This 1108-piece set comes in typical Lego Marvel packaging, with the build front and center, the mini figures at the bottom, and the movie’s cast down the right side. The build is split into nine stages, with the smaller bags inside the larger ones (i.e., moving away from multiple bags per stage). Alas, still no sign of those elusive paper bags.

The instruction booklet is 108 pages, showing how the build stages are divided. There is a small sticker sheet; luckily, none are substantial, so placing them will be easy!

Minifigures

There are five (four unique) in this set. Like with the release of Avengers Endgame, Lego has released this set with the characters in their official Guardians uniforms. While this means only the headpieces give the Guardians a personal touch, it does mean we were all left spoiler-free. Having now seen the movie, this was the best option for Lego to go with. On the plus side, the print details on these suits are exquisite.

The Guardians’ suit is a beautiful navy blue with red structural detail. The torso is complete with a belt and the Guardians logo in the center of the chest. The legs have pockets, knee detail, and toe printing — no side leg or arm printing on these figures.

Nebula and Drax have distinctive headpieces, and Nebula has her silver arm.

Star-Lord has a hairpiece that matches the character and comes with a couple of his trademark blasters. His head has an alternate face so we can set Peter as a happy chap or a grumpy fellow. He is the only non-exclusive minifigure, as he also appears in the Guardians’ Headquarters set. Mantis’s headpiece is a single mold and recreates the character ideally in Lego form.

The “odd one out” is the figure depicting Adam Warlock, which is glorious. The pure gold head and hair are spot on, and I also love the print detail. The torso and legs have an exquisite design in red and gold with black accents. While he, too, has leg printing, he doesn’t have any arm or side leg printing. It’s nice that he also comes with a cape, which is a new single-hole design. However, these capes don’t sit as flush as the previous two-hole design. Like Star-Lord, he comes with a double-sided face so that he can be happy or stern.

Set highlights

It’s appropriate to comment on the color of the spaceship first. Lego has done a stellar job of transferring the ship of movies into the build. The turquoise and magenta are striking, yet not over the top due to the dark grey elements. It’s fantastic to have something this vibrant on the shelves.

For a display piece, the set is packed with play features. First, two micro pods come off the ship’s side, just as they did in the movie! These are super fun and add a lot of character to the set. I like how they easily clip onto the side of the ship, so it’s straightforward to remove them. I can see these mounted on clear transparent blocks to have them flying around the main vessel. I have Mantis enjoying a ride!

There is also a cargo bay ramp complete with details, including a control panel. The canopy rises to allow access to the cockpit, which has room for two. The side panels also lift to allow for weapons storage. This is great to keep all the “extras” in the set.

These features are lovely and add a ton of playability to the set, which is always satisfying for builds primarily for display.

I also like that the rear boosters articulate so that you can place them at an angle as though the ship is changing direction.

The best part of the build has to be the overall design. This is not a typical ship; Lego had to remain faithful to the source material. I imagine the designers had to take a deep breath before designing an accurate and affordable set. Credit to them – they’ve delivered.

Set revisions?

I’m trying to reflect on the movie and whether the ship could change its angle to have a smaller height. If it could, I would have liked to have seen that feature so there were a few more display options – this is a tall ship. It might involve too much technic work to make that possible, and it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

The choice of a red cockpit canopy is disappointing, though it may have been based on some concept art that misled Lego. A transparent clear piece would have a better likeness to the one seen in the movie.

Ratings

Build: 4/5
Typically, spaceships aren’t the most exciting constructions due to symmetry and a bland color palette. While The New Guardian’s Ship has the symmetry conundrum, the build is structured to break up the repetitive elements. Color is not an issue with the set, and Lego has Marvel to thank for that.

The set has technic elements to connect the two rings to the chassis’s core. They are simple, and it is obvious if you’ve made a mistake.

The techniques are varied, mixing classic plate and tile layering with technic structures. Lego has included plenty of smaller parts to add detail throughout as well.

While there are a few sticker elements, none are large or side-by-side, vastly reducing the stress of placing them. They add a lot to the exterior detail and a welcome edition.

Overall, this is a satisfying build and more interesting than a spaceship typically would be.

Display: 4/5
Naturally, the color and unique shape make this set stand out. It is far bigger than I gathered from the box due to the display angle and the gradient between the central area and the circular structures.

An obvious criticism is the unfinished look of the rings. However, without vastly increasing the piece count and thus cost, there isn’t much Lego could do. I would have liked a few more tiles to cover some of the exposed underside plate, which needs to be more attractive (far worse aesthetic than studs).

Importantly, all display angles are nicely polished, but it loses a point due to an unpolished lower ring.

Price: 4/5
When considering a set’s price point, the price per piece (PPP) is always an excellent place to start. For this set, we are looking at a PPP of 9 cents, below the arbitrary benchmark of 10 cents. Considering this is a licensed set with five minifigures, it looks even better value.

A few larger pieces are used in the engines and to cover the sides, but most elements are small and basic. I appreciate plenty of smaller parts, as this adds detail and texture to a build, but it can inflate a piece count cheaply.

Considering all the factors, this set is a well-priced Lego Marvel product. For $100, it is a fantastic, unique build with four exclusive minifigures. These minifigures alone will be worth more than you paid for the set. You shouldn’t have buyer’s remorse on this one.

Final thoughts

I was attracted to this set when images leaked due to the unique shape, colors, and Marvel branding.

It’s a highly satisfying build that remains faithful to the source material and looks stunning on the shelf. The minifigures are beautiful, even if it is disappointing that the Guardians have the same torso and leg printing.

I’m placing mine next to The Avengers Quinjet, which’ll soon be joined by The Guardians’ Ship (the orange one). All three will look fabulous together.

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