LEGO Archives - Horizon Guest House

Horizon’s LEGO Star Wars Collection: AT-AT 75313

Posted on November 30, 2022December 3, 2022 by Angus

The LEGO AT-AT 75313 is a huge set with an incredible amount of detail. There are a large number of minifigures, and the set has fully adjustable legs. I modified it further with extra minifigures, a display case, lighting, and a diorama snow scene featuring more minifigures and speeders.

The LEGO AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport), as featured in the Battle of Hoth, includes legs that are adjustable (at two positions on each leg) and a head that also rotates. The front cannons have a realistic firing action to them, and there’s even a ‘rope’ from which to attach Luke Skywalker on the underside of the AT-AT.

The AT-AT measures 24.5 inches high and 27 inches long. It features multiple removable panels in order to easily view the interior. The main body has the capacity to fit 40 LEGO minifigures and 4 speeder bikes. Within the cockpit of the head is room for three minifigures.

The set includes the following minifigures:

General Veers, Luke Skywalker, Snowtrooper Commander, 4 Snowtroopers and 2 AT-AT drivers.

This set is a huge – 6,785 pieces! The plan for this set was to order a custom display case with a printed Hoth planet background and a white surface on which the AT-AT would stand. To complete the diorama I would add the AT-ST and a collection of speeder bikes, snow troopers and rebel alliance figures to the scene. And finally, I would light the entire AT-AT by using a custom lighting kit which I would then modify further.

The Build

I worked on the build over the course of multiple weeks but not continuously, and sometimes only for short periods at a time. LEGO estimates the build time for this set to be between 18-19 hours.

The build was relatively straightforward, beginning with each of the legs. This process became a little bit repetitive. I found building the main part of the set more enjoyable. There are a lot of interesting features and clever detail in this build and it was fun to construct. It was also great to discover how the engineering allowed for the set to become freestanding.

The legs can be adjusted in order to pose the model as if it were in motion. This requires a gadget that is part of the build and makes the process highly interactive.

Despite knowing the size of the finished model before I started, it was still a shock to see how BIG it actually is. It’s massive. The fact it can hold up to 40 minifigures in the main body – AND four speeder bikes – is amazing.

The construction techniques used to connect the main body to the head are astonishing. It almost shouldn’t work since the head is so bulky, but somehow it does. There is not an actual interior tunnel between the head and body in which the minifigures could walk through but this doesn’t detract from the overall effect.

The option to display the set with or without the panels is a great one. They are easy to remove and I found no issue with them remaining in place as some other reviews have highlighted.

The stickers that are used in this set look great. Sometimes stickers in LEGO sets don’t always work well, but here the stickers are used to represent the background lighting, and it gives the interior of the body a real feeling of depth.

Modifications

The first major modification to the set was a simple one. I wanted to fill the main body with as many stormtroopers as possible. This meant purchasing a number of Snowtrooper Battle Packs (75320) and filling up the empty seats.

Lighting the AT-AT proved a little more challenging. I found a custom made set for this model but the method they used to rig the lighting was too complicated, and it resulted in lighting that was too bright. I rewired the model and placed the lights in locations that reduced some of the glare that can happen with the LED lights on these models. Pro tip: the key is to light the model but not make it difficult to look at!

The display case and diorama

The display case is from Wicked Brick who have created an amazing case for this set. With a Hoth planet background and a white acrylic base plate, the AT-AT sits comfortably in four cut-outs designed for each of the four feet.

There was plenty of room around the AT-AT to create an interesting battle scene as well as room for the AT-ST (75322). More low-lighting may be added at some point to brighten the ‘snow’ in the diorama.

Overall the AT-AT was a fun and satisfying build. Expanding the impact of the set by creating my own diorama was also worth the extra work. The lighting brings the model to life and the display case is a great way to keep the set secure and also dust-free.

Look out for future blogs on our LEGO collection. We have a number of sets waiting to be built and will feature them as they’re constructed.

Angus

Horizon Guest House

Authored by

Horizon’s LEGO Star Wars Collection: Ewok Village 10236

Posted on June 27, 2022July 2, 2022 by Angus

The LEGO Ewok Village is a large set with a huge number of minifigures and some unique design elements. I took the display a step further by modifying it with LED lighting, a forest backdrop, and also added a forest floor using additional LEGO pieces.

The Ewok Village is home to those cute and furry creatures that made their first appearance in Episode VI Return of the Jedi. This LEGO set has lots of great features including a tree-trunk hideout, a secret lightsaber storage space, a spider web, a net trap, a slide (located inside one of the trunks itself), catapults and a throne – where C-3PO sits and which also ‘hovers’.

There are rope walkways, interesting forest elements – like vines, and multiple rooms located on the tops of each tree trunk. The set measures 13″ (35cm) high, 21″ (55cm) wide and 13″ (35cm) deep.

The set includes the following minifigures:

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, 2 rebel soldiers, 5 ewoks (including Wicket, Teebo, Chief Chirpa and Logray), 2 scout troopers and 2 stormtroopers.

Modifications

The first step to modifying the Ewok Village was to create a realistic forest floor using additional LEGO pieces. Most of these I sourced directly from LEGO via their Pick a Brick service, and from Bricklink. The key was to cover enough of the green base plates as possible with foliage pieces in a way that looked as natural as possible. I used the brown pieces to create the look of natural pathways through the forest.

To encase the entire display I used a set-specific case from idisplayit, a UK company that specializes in LEGO display cases. The case is made of clear acrylic and fits together using a system of clever screw fittings. The top part of the case is screwed together and can be lifted completely off the base plate.

I wanted to create a unique backdrop to the diorama that would give the feeling that the village was actually in a forest and that the pathways matched with the background image. I found some adhesive Endor backgrounds made by Diorama Decals on Ebay.

I ordered two of the Endor backgrounds and then cut them to fit the back of the display case. I aligned the LEGO paths on the forest floor so they would match up with the paths in the background image.

The final step was to create lighting that would bring the entire display to life. I used a set specific kit from Game of Bricks which included green LEDs and then used some additional flickering flame LEDs from Brick Stuff. The key was to hide the thin wiring as much as possible and also to make sure the LEDs weren’t directly visible so that they created a glow effect, rather than a spotlight effect which is too bright and difficult to look at directly.

The Build

I worked on the build over the course of 2 to 3 days, for 2 to 3 hours at a time. It was relatively straightforward, and each tree trunk was unique enough that it didn’t feel repetitive when building one after the other. There are a large amount of really interesting features and clever detail in this build and it was fun to put together.

However, some of the reddish brown LEGO pieces were quite brittle and I did manage to accidentally crack a few of these, forcing me to order replacement parts via Bricklink. This does seem like a common complaint for this set and it is something to take care with as you work on the build.

Installing the light kit was straight forward. The lighting sets from Game of Bricks are not my favorite as the wiring is incredibly thin and the lights are wired in series which means if one light doesn’t work the others next in line also won’t work. Unfortunately, this happened to me and it meant I had to get creative with the overall placement of lights.

My recommendation for lighting kits for other sets is Briksmax – they can purchased directly from them or through a third-party seller like Lighttailing. Briksmax has a better system of wires and connector boards which allow for more customization.

Overall the Ewok Village was a really fun set to build. Creating my own diorama by enhancing the display with a forest floor, background and lights was also enjoyable. Using a display case is a great way to keep the set secure and also dust-free. This set is now retired and the best place to find it is on eBay.

Look out for future blogs on our LEGO collection. We have a number of sets waiting to be built and will feature them as they’re constructed. These include:

USC AT-AT 75313

Tantive IV corridor diorama (custom build)

Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder 75341

Look for these in the coming months!

Angus

Horizon Guest House

Authored by

Horizon’s LEGO Star Wars Collection: Millennium Falcon 75192

Posted on April 30, 2022June 29, 2022 by Angus

In the first of a series highlighting Horizon Guest House’s LEGO Star Wars collection, we take a look at one of the most spectacular LEGO Star Wars builds – the Millennium Falcon 75192.

The LEGO Millennium Falcon is one of the largest LEGO models with 7541 pieces. This model was originally released in October, 2017. The model itself includes all the details that have made the Corellian freighter so beloved by Star Wars fans. There’s plenty of amazing exterior detailing, cannons on both the upper and lower parts of the ship, 7 landing legs, a boarding ramp that lowers, and a cockpit with space for 4 minifigures.

There are removable hull plates that showcase a number of interior spaces, including the main hold, rear compartment and also the gunnery station.

Interchangeable sensor dishes allow you to keep the design true to the classic movies with Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, or modify it to reflect the design of the ship as it was in Episodes VII and VIII with (older) Han, Rey, Finn and BB-8.

Figures include: the classic crew of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and C-3PO. Additional figures include, (older) Han, Rey and Finn. There is also BB-8, two Porgs and a Mynock.

Main hold: contains a seating area, Dejarik holographic game, combat remote training helmet and engineering station.

Rear compartment: contains the engine room with hyperdrive, hidden floor compartment, two escape pod hatches and an access ladder to the gunnery station.

Gunnery station: contains a gunner’s seat and a detachable hull panel with rotating laser cannon. Another laser cannon is located on the underside of the ship.

The model measures over 8” (21cm) high, 33” (84cm) long and 23” (60cm) wide.

Modifications

A light and sound kit, available from Brickstuff, was added to the model to enhance the overall display.

The kit is remote controlled and includes the following features:

Laser cannon lights and sound effects (both top and bottom cannons)
Mandible and side lights
Rear engine lights and landing lights
Magnet controlled ramp and lights
Motorized boarding ramp
Cockpit control panel lights
Circular Pulsing Hyperdrive light
Corridor lights and internal flashing lights

Check out the videos for the full demonstration!

The Build

I worked on the build over the course of a week and spent 3 to 4 hours a day putting it together. This was easily one of the more enjoyable builds as there was not a lot of repetition in the build process (apart from the landing legs) and it was a constant surprise to realize how large the Falcon was going to be as I built it.

The interior spaces were also a lot of fun to construct. The cockpit fits 4 minifigures snugly.

Installing the light and sound kit was a two-day process and required a good deal of patience when threading the wires throughout the ship. However, the instructions from BrickStuff were straightforward and it was just a matter of following each step carefully, making sure to use the correct wire with each stage and insert the plugs in the correct direction. Installing the motorized boarding ramp took a lot longer than anticipated.

The kit was missing the small magnet which triggers the light to come on when the ramp is lowered. I improvised with a magnet I found in the garage and this worked fine. Adjusting the motorized mechanism to open and close the ramp to the right degree was the most time-consuming aspect. This meant a lot of testing to get it to close fully and open all the way down. Once it was complete the light and sound features added a huge amount of life to the overall display of the Millennium Falcon. Definitely worth it if you have already splashed out on the Falcon!

Look out for future blogs on our LEGO collection. We have a number of sets waiting to be built and will feature them as they’re constructed, these include: