75387 - Boarding the Tantive IV

[cardensb]

I am a sucker for these small play sets that display well and as many others I wanted to expand the length of the hallway by adding on from a second set.  However, I think simply reversing set two creates a mismatched look.

The Tantive IV boarding scenes from ANH and Rogue One's similar scene are iconic to the SW's story. Audiences were introduced to Vader, the Empire, the Rebellion technology, star ships, and more all within minutes.  You were hooked. Now we can finally have a small piece of this for the book case, the play area, the work place's cubical, wherever.  Finally, Lego has delivered.

Price-wise, the set is phenomenal.  Six figures plus the ARC Trooper CT-5555 Fives at $55.  Look at the new SSD, $160! same figure count.  Sure it's more than figures, its piece counts, play features, etc... Tantive IV's hallway has an opening door with fire, 4x play features to knock over troopers from both side.  The hallway panels are full of gribble and only a few stickers. 

My build:  I built the first set per the instructions. 

My desire was to mirror it with the side entrance being the center so I had to mentally figure out how to move Vader's door to the other end, add in the short wall panel, and the longer wall panel so it mated to the side of the side door entrance.  I also wanted to create a platform in that side door's opening for a trooper or two or as someone on the internet had done Leia and R2. I wanted to clean up the exposed grey studded top (not complete yet but I have a plan requiring external purchases). I wanted to replicate some of the play features since the second set should provide all the parts necessary and I wanted the non-Vader's side of the hallway door to open so I could have trooper's reinforcing, whatever, I had the pieces. 

This was my first attempt at straying from instructions in 40 years or so and it took a lot of trial and error.  I tried building the plans in reverse.  i tried to study the underside of the completed set.  Limited to only set #2's pieces and a few extras from set #1 challenged me in a welcome way. Eventually, I counted studs, figured out where compromises could be made and wound up with this.

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and had these parts left over.

IMG_0117.HEIC

I intend to clean up the back by replacing that dark grey 2x 6 panel with a light grey 1x 6.  I also plan to buy several white flat panels for the top.