Assault on the Ultimate Collector Series...75098
It was almost a decade ago that the STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series brought me out of my LEGO "Dark Ages." Specifically, it was the 10030 Imperial Destroyer that was the set that got me back into collecting and building LEGO sets again. The STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series was the top of the LEGO food chain. The pinnacle of plastic. The best. With each passing year, myself and many other STAR WARS LEGO fans and collectors would salivate at the thought of the next STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set. Until now. Let me introduce you to the STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series 75098 Assault on Hoth set. The 75098 Assault on Hoth set has 2144 pieces and will sell for $249.99/￡219.99, which sounds respectable and in line with many other STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series sets. The problem I have with the 75098 Assault on Hoth set is overall set and box design...basically, they are basic and not up to standards of previous STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series sets. It's as if multiple previously released STAR WARS sets based on Hoth were added together and the 75098 Assault on Hoth set was their result...more or less...a 3 in 1 set with the "new" STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series stamp on a standard LEGO box. What's even worse, in my opinion, is that it is a "play set" and not designed for adult collectors. There are hundreds of STAR WARS play sets and only 25 STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series sets. Does LEGO really need to mess with their iconic subtheme? Don't we have enough "play sets" already? Let's take a quick look at the earlier STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series sets and examine some of their key characteristics...
7181 TIE Interceptor (2000): Great box. Solid display set. A great start to the STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series theme.
**7191 X-wing Fighter (2000): **Iconic set. Like the 7181, best boxes in the theme. Set the tone for years to come as a theme for adults and serious STAR WARS fans.
7194 Yoda (2002): Underappreciated set. Difficult vertical build. Nice display set. Box is nothing special.
10018 Darth Maul Bust (2001): Bad-to-the-bone set. Awesome. Scary. A very difficult build. Another quality box. One of the best LEGO display sets of all time.
10019 Rebel Blockade Runner (2001): Well done but delicate set. Nice box. Solid STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set.
10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter (2002): Small but valuable. Rare pieces. Sharp little sets that appreciated very well. Nice box.
**10030 Imperial Star Destroyer (2002): **One of my personal favorites. Awesome set. HUGE! One of the top LEGO sets of all time. Solid box.
10129 Rebel Snowspeeder (2004): Excellent replica. Box is OK. Great display set that can be played with as well.
10134 Y-wing Attack Starfighter (2004): Another quality replica. Box is weak. Build is delicate.
10143 Death Star II (2005): Hard build. Very large and impressive. Nice box.
**10174 Imperial AT-ST (2006): **Excellent exterior. Weak box. No interior greebles. Solid set.
**10175 Vader's TIE Advanced (2006): **Fantastic set. Cool ship. Looks great. Displays great. Box is not a strong point.
10179 Millennium Falcon (2007): Iconic. Nothing to say really. The best...
10186 General Grievous (2008): Underappreciated set. Delicate. Excellent replica of character. Weak box.
10188 Death Star (2008): Not a true STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set, but good enough. Classic play set. One of the best LEGO sets of all time. Quality box.
10212 Imperial Shuttle (2010): Beautiful display model. Average box. Set was ignored for a long time...no longer.
10215 Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter (2010): OK set. OK box. Very average STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set.
10221 Super Star Destroyer (2011): Another massive and magnificent STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set. Top notch. Creative use of minifigures. Quality box.
**10225 R2-D2 (2012): **Clever STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set. Both highly playable and displayable. Solid box.
10227 B-Wing (2012): Delicate build. Displays well. Not real popular. I like it...many others don't. Large quality box.
10240 Red Five X-wing Starfighter (2013): Slightly larger remake of 7191. Nice set. Subpar box.
75059 Sandcrawler (2014): Above average play set. Could have been better. No STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series plaque. Tacky looking box.
75060 Slave I (2015): Quality set. Excellent replica. Minifigure friendly. Too many stickers. Box is decent.
75095 TIE Fighter (2015): Excellent recreation of the iconic TIE Fighter. Well done in every way. Solid box.
**75098 Assault on Hoth (2016): **Worst STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set ever created in my opinion. Not up to any STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series standards besides piece count and price. Lacks creativity and originality. Lazy design. LEGO mailed this one in. Box is basic. Play set only. A mess as a display set. A huge disappointment.
Let me start off by saying that I feel bad trashing the 75098 Assault on Hoth set. I rarely trash any LEGO set, but when a set is labeled as a STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set, my standards are very high. Call me a STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series "elitist" if you want, but if LEGO wants to classify a set as a STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set, it needs to live up to the standards of previous sets in the theme. The 75098 Assault on Hoth set is simply a collection of many earlier released Hoth sets. It doesn't even include an AT-AT, which is the most important vehicle in any "assault" on the Rebel Echo Base. LEGO is heading into dangerous territory, in my opinion, by messing with success. It was their production of adult-oriented LEGO sets that helped make LEGO profitable. Before 2000, all LEGO did was produce "play sets" and that almost brought them to bankruptcy. The STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series and other larger set themes like the Advanced Models theme helped create "collectible" LEGO sets, which, in turn, increased the perceived value of all LEGO sets.
The STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series theme was a major reason why LEGO bricks attracted many adult fans with deep pockets and extra discretionary income to buy expensive sets. Every LEGO set doesn't need to be a "play set" or have minifigures. The STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series theme is a serious one and should be treated as such. The boxes should be different from all others, with sturdier build and more mature look, similar to the classy Architecture themed boxes. Stamping a basic LEGO box with a hokey STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series gold stamp is tacky and doesn't impress me. The 75098 Assault on Hoth set could be an anomaly, and LEGO will go back to producing iconic display sets, with some play features. The 75098 Assault on Hoth set has "retread" written all over it and seems a bit lazy to me. There are so many sets that could have been created that it's disappointing to waste a rare STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series set on previously produced items. From reading the LEGO fans forums, I get the sense that I am not alone in my dismay over the 75098 Assault on Hoth set. If the set didn't have the STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series markings on it, I would have said it was a very well done play set, similar (but not as well done) to the 10236 Ewok Village. Moving forward, LEGO has to remember what got them to this point. Going backwards to uninspiring play sets and labeling them "special" or "collectible" just won't fly with the typical LEGO fans of the world. LEGO fans are some of the smartest people in the world today, and they want new and creative products that they can proudly display...and play with.
