Star Wars Imperial Light Cruiser (75315)

Product Information

Multiple specialised Star Destroyer variants have appeared during Star Wars movies, including the revered Imperial-class and Venator-class vehicles which have achieved particular fame. Supporting vessels with comparable designs are common as well, including the Imperial Light Cruiser.

In this range, there were 24 minifigures released – two identical figures of the Mandalorian – so 23 distinct characters. (add 2 more from 75296 = 25 in total) In between the engines and the bridge is a mini hangar that holds a microscale TIE Fighter. Two TIEs are included, with space for one on each side. They might look a bit large and the spring-loaded missile tails are a bit obtrusive to the overall design, but on the whole it doesn’t look too bad and adds quite a bit of playability. Without that issue, this is a model that would sit comfortably in the summer 2021 range of LEGO Star Wars sets, but for how remarkable the rest of them all are in comparative value, 75315 Imperial Light Cruiser runs the risk of being overshadowed and overlooked.

Delivery & returns

The torso has the same printed details as the shoulder armour, which means that you could have the figure without the shoulder armour if you wish. Nevertheless, these weapons are an enjoyable addition and two larger turbolaser turrets are positioned atop the hull. These can rotate and the barrels are individually articulated which is welcome, although the whole turbolaser structure elevates during the television series. I think recreating that movement would have been challenging here, particularly since spring-loaded shooters are situated between the barrels. The body uses the LEGO baby body mould, while the head is a unique rubbery mould. I love the big printed eyes and the long ears. The torso has some printing but the area printed is a little small, still that is a minor complaint.

However, this area is unfortunately inaccurate – in between each main thruster there should be two smaller thrusters, and as such the design of this rear section does not match the in-universe ship. Nevertheless, I still like the look of this area, it’s just a shame the extra thrusters were omitted. This vessel closely resembles the Arquitens-class Command Cruiser, integrating an identical notch towards the prow. The shape here looks reasonable and I welcome this mixture of light and dark bluish grey colours. However, several blue Technic pins are clearly visible inside the notch and these look awful, which is particularly disappointing because they could easily have been concealed behind tiles. Despite displaying detail in certain sections 75315 Imperial Light Cruiser leaves considerable potential for improvement. The model is certainly substantial and the exterior seems relatively attractive, although some inaccuracies are inexcusable in my opinion. Moreover, the functions are remarkably scarce and more could have been provided, perhaps including somewhere for Dark Trooper deployment. With Bag 3, we have an ongoing mix of technic elements, as well as plates – several rectangles, as well as 8×8 45º wedge plates. The tan elements will undoubtably ultimately be buried with the structure.While their shaping appears impressive, viewing these engines from behind reveals another significant issue. While the three primary nacelles are present, four auxiliary thrusters should appear between them. Instead, the vessel has seemingly taken inspiration from the Arquitens-class Cruiser which includes three engines. Inaccuracies which enhance play are reasonable, but instances like this one remain disappointing. Of course the TIEs are way too tiny to be minifigure scale, but they’re not intended to be to-scale anyway. They can be used in another play feature that I’ll talk about later. Cast a light against the darkness of the Empire inside the Imperial Light Cruiser, Grogu depends on it! This figure is absolutely adorable overall, and captures the essence of Baby Yoda in a LEGO figure. It’s excellent that it comes in this set, as Grogu was the central character in the finale.

However, several spots in the interior cannot hold figures when the ship cover is closed, due to the height limitations. This is slightly disappointing but still understandable, as preserving the correct external shape is more important to me than usable interior space. A top gift idea for boys and girls age 10+ and any fan, the set comes with step-by-step building instructions. Explore the entire LEGO Star Wars range to find other construction sets that will delight all ages. Given the low height of the rear section I suppose this was the best use of space that the designers could come up with. Weapon and accessory elements include: The Mandalorian’s Amban phase-pulse blaster and spear, Moff Gideon’s darksaber, 2 thermal detonators and electrobinoculars to inspire creative playFurther, it is the subtle extra lift in that shoulder pad piece, combined with the placement of the eyes on the helmet slightly higher than that of a regular minifigure’s eyeline (put the helmet on any other head, and their eyes won’t reach the holes) that gives the Dark Trooper minifigure extra menace in its appearance, and some extra height where otherwise the LEGO Star Wars design team don’t like to offer it.

There are some relatively new elements here, including the 3×3 curved quarter circle arch, whichmakes fro the front portion of the engines. The two outer engines are made using curved 8×4 simicircular panels. Panels are sloped over the rear of the ship, including the central engine. Transparent light blue radar dishes are attached to simulate the main engine jets. There is a little deviation from the source material here: there are 4 smaller engines between each of the main thrusters on screen. Not even including a hint of them feels a little thoughtless, but, on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to improve on the model with your own modifications. Bag 7 Trouble on Tatooine introduced an updated Din Djarin minifigure, wearing his valuable beskar armour. The metallic silver panels covering the torso, legs and arms look excellent and stand out beautifully against the dark brown attire underneath. In addition, the various pouches and straps provide welcome detail, demonstrating fidelity to the onscreen character. Keepability: 4/5 – this set is worth keeping, especially for fans of the Mandalorian or Star Wars ships in general. It certainly looks good on display.

Overall I give the Light Cruiser 3.5/5 Arbitrary praise units. The build experience was great, as is the minifigure selection. I also really enjoyed the microscale TIE Fighters. While there are some innacuracies with the actual craft, I probably feel most challenged by the final price, especially in Australia, where it seems that perhaps the pricing is now geared to big box retailers offering 10-20% on an almost weekly basis. As expected for a set of this size, the box is pretty massive. It has a neat design of the Imperial Light Cruiser flying through space, accompanied by a couple of TIE fighters. Unfortunately, that shoulder armour obstructs the Dark Trooper's blaster rifle, so another rifle would have been appreciated instead. The armour can be removed though, revealing exactly the same design underneath. Additionally, the Dark Trooper's head features remarkable detail and I can imagine this component proving useful for fantasy creations.