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    Discuss This Story ReviewSaturday, September 10th, 2016 at 11:07pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager

    Months ago we reviewed the majority of the Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens LEGO Buildable Figures, but somehow 75118 Captain Phasma slipped through the cracks. Today we're rectifying that by sharing our review of the set with you all. Is this model of a character who had barely any screen time worth picking up, or should you wait for the Rogue One sets to come out? Read on to get our take!

    Presentation
    From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.

    75118 Captain Phasma Review 01 75118 Captain Phasma Review 02

    The box is much as we've come to expect from the Star Wars buildable figures. All the logos are there big and bold, along with the age range, set number, set name, and piece count. Phasma is looking ready to lead her troops into battle on the ramp of the First Order troop transport, although the compositing of the two images leaves her left foot looking a bit oddly positioned. The back shows how tall the set is, showcases the action features, and of course advertises the other Force Awakens buildable figures that you should buy. All-in-all the box let's you know what it is and does a good job of standing out on the shelf.

    Building
    Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?

    With no gear functions, Captain Phasma's build is quite straightforward. There are Technic pieces used throughout, keeping this from being an entirely CCBS affair, but if you've built another buildable figure lately you're not going to be surprised or challenged. It's not a bad build, but it's clearly just a way to get to the final product.

    Set Design
    Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.

    75118 Captain Phasma Review 03 75118 Captain Phasma Review 04 75118 Captain Phasma Review 05 75118 Captain Phasma Review 06 75118 Captain Phasma Review 07 75118 Captain Phasma Review 08 75118 Captain Phasma Review 09 75118 Captain Phasma Review 10 75118 Captain Phasma Review 11 75118 Captain Phasma Review 12

    Silver Metallic is the color of the day here, and most of the other colors are hidden beneath the variety of silver shells. As you can see below, many of them are exclusive to the set or only available in one or two others. There's also a good selection of smaller Technic pieces, and the cloth cape is a great addition.

    Exclusive to the set are:

    • Black Shoulder Cape
    • Silver Metallic 5M Shell
    • Silver Metallic 6M Shell
    • Silver Metallic 5X8X3 Torso Shell
    • Silver Metallic Captain Phasma Head
    • Silver Metallic Blaster Shell
    • Silver Metallic Torso Shell with Captain Phasma print

    Other uncommon pieces include:

    • Silver Metallic 3M Shell (Available in 1 other set)
    • Silver Metallic Shoulder Shell (Available in 1 other set)
    • Silver Metallic Leg Shell with Ball Snap (Available in 1 other set)
    • Silver Metallic 7M Claw With Cross Axle (Available in 2 other sets)
    • Black 9M Beam (Available in 6 other sets)
    • Silver Metallic Globe with 3.2 Stick (Available in 11 other sets)

    Basically this is a Silver Metallic CCBS parts pack, as none of the other pieces really stand out as worth picking up the set for.

    75118 Captain Phasma Review 13 75118 Captain Phasma Review 14 75118 Captain Phasma Review 15 75118 Captain Phasma Review 16 75118 Captain Phasma Review 17 75118 Captain Phasma Review 18 75118 Captain Phasma Review 19 75118 Captain Phasma Review 20
    Keen-eyed readers will notice that two of the shells were accidentally swapped between the arm and the leg. This was not noticed until well after the pictures were taken - oops!

    As a representation of the character in the film, we can obviously criticize that this set is silver and not chrome like in The Force Awakens. But since LEGO rarely does chrome these days due to its high cost, we're going to accept it and be happy with the Silver Metallic. Going beyond that, the model definitely captures the look of Phasma from the silver screen.

    From a set perspective, the model looks great from the front at a quick glance. Upon more careful inspection, the legs seem a bit long, and the friction connectors on the ankles make the feet look odd, especially since there isn't a 3M Technic beam there like we've seen on other sets. I understand the need of the two friction pieces per leg, but wish that shorter CCBS beams were used to help hide them. I do like the look of the blaster, and the cape is fantastic. It stays positioned quite well but doesn't limit the poseability of the set.

    75118 Captain Phasma Review 25 75118 Captain Phasma Review 26

    Without the cape, you can see that Phasma is basically a silver First Order Stormtrooper with some slightly different proportions. From the front she still looks solid, and appears pretty well-covered from the back too. The one glaring omission is the left upper leg. I wish the same Technic piece as on the right could have been added to both add symmetry and fill in the gap. I'll also point out that there is only one 3M shell under the back armor piece. Having one on the left side doesn't seem like it would impact the cape, so I'm assuming it was left out because the cape hides that side and it saves money to not have it. I wish it was there, but it makes sense, considering all of the recolors and the cape piece itself likely driving up the cost of the set.

    Playability
    The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?

    75118 Captain Phasma Review 21 75118 Captain Phasma Review 22 75118 Captain Phasma Review 23 75118 Captain Phasma Review 24

    Captain Phasma can achieve just about any pose you recall from The Force Awakens, mainly because she hardly does anything. But like most CCBS figures, she is quite poseable and looks pretty awesome if you use the left arm to make the cape flow just right. The friction pieces on the legs can make posing and playing difficult though, as often the beam will disconnect from the friction piece before the latter piece moves on the ball it's connected to. This can be frustrating, and I imagine that's especially the case for kids trying to wage war against the Resistance. And don't forget, the blaster can be holstered at the hip.

    Of course if you collect more of the Star Wars buildable figures the fun increases. Unlike with many Bionicle sets, there's no 'conflict in the box,' so you're just left with the figure and nothing else. There's not really an easy way to fix this though, so I wouldn't consider it a true criticism.

    Final Thoughts
    Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?

    Pros
    What's to like?

    • Lots and lots of Silver Metallic pieces including a bunch of exclusives
    • Captures the look of Captain Phasma well
    • Cape is pretty sweet
    • Blaster is a nice build

    Cons
    What's not to like?

    • Unexciting overall build
    • Lack of symmetry on the back leaves one leg exposed
    • Friction pieces make posing difficult

    If you're a Star Wars fan and collector, you've probably already picked up Captain Phasma by now, and I think those are the people who would like this set the most. If you're looking for CCBS pieces in Silver Metallic, this is also a great set to pick up, as it contains a lot of them. Otherwise, for $25, it's hard to really recommend this set to the casual constraction fan. It's a solid set, but pricy when there are cheaper options out there that are just as cool.

    Thank you all for reading and watching our review! We welcome all feedback, either in the comments on YouTube or in the Talkback. We're sorry this review is so late in arriving, but think of it as us clearing the plate before the Rogue One constraction sets release at the end of the month. We'll have more reviews for you before then though, so keep checking back, right here on BZPower!

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