I searched everywhere to find this cool little set. Originally handed out with some of pre-orders of the LEGO Universe videogame (and as part of an in-store promotion), this rocketship has been highly sought after on the aftermarket. I was lucky enough to find them for sale last week (MSRP $9.99) at one of my local LEGO stores. If you can get one, then buy it. It makes an excellent stocking stuffer/impulse buy item.
Note: The minifig and stand pictured below do not come with the bagged 55001 set.
By the Numbers:
Set: LEGO Universe 55001 Rocket
Year of Release: October 2010
Type: Promotional/bagged mini-vehicle
# of Pieces: 55
# of Extra pieces: 3
# of Minifigs and what kind: None
Stickers? No
Price: $9.99
Ages: 7+
Time to Complete: Less than 15 minutes
Purchase: Official LEGO Stores / Amazon.com (Retail prices maybe higher than MSRP)
Remember: click on the photos to see larger images at flickr (Full 55001-1 gallery at flickr)
Rear of Bag:
The Parts:
Extra bricks:
Completed:
Thoughts – Pricing, Design, and Build:
Building the rocket was very easy. It makes a good beginner set for the newbies. There are only 55 pieces with some extra ones. Recommended age is 7 and up. I like how this has no age limit, but the more complex sets do. Anyway, some good design can be found here which can be useful for some people to grasp the concept of building sturdy LEGO models. Lots of LEGO 101 rocket-building rules here. Some brick designs from recent sets are here as well as parts that haarken back to the late seventies.
Thoughts – bricks/parts:
I normally do not buy sets for their parts, but I will have to admit that this set is really good for it’s bricks. If you read my upcoming Construct-a-Zurg review, then you know I am working on a rocket MOC, so the LEGO Universe 55001-1 Rocket is really up my alley. The only bad thing is that I’m not building a white spaceship. If I can find a few more, then I’m going to use it for rocket-based MOCs.
Thoughts – Minifigs:
There are no minifigs included, however one of the best things about this set is that I can use my LEGO Series 1 minifig to sit nice and snug in the cockpit. Actually, there was a rare orange astronaut minifig with a Nexus chest emblem released with the game as well. If you can find him for a good price, then he would look perfect piloting this ship (orange accents match his suit). If I find one, I’ll do a review.
Thoughts – Swoosh factor:
Very swooshable – it’s a rocket!
Conclusion:
If you want to wow that LEGO enthusiast with a fairly hard-to-find gift, or just want to shut them up about what they think they’re getting for Christmas, or Hanukkah, then this set will help take up some playtime and some quick building fun.