by Carlton T. Driver
In the LEGO Star Wars series of sets, there have been six different versions of Slave 1, the ship used by Boba Fett, the bounty hunter. These six versions have ranged from small, almost pocket-sized models to larger ones measuring over a foot in length. Although he plays a relatively minor part in the overall Star Wars stories, his character has captured the imagination of many of the story's fans. As a result, his ship has also become an object of great interest.
According to the Star Wars plot, Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, has a role in the story in both Episodes V and VI. A bounty hunter, he's is hired by Darth Vader find Han Solo, capture him, and turn him over to the gangster Jaba the Hutt. Boba's ship, Slave 1, was passed down to him by his "father", Jango Fett (Boba is actually a Jango clone!), who, shall we say, "obtained" it during his escape from the prison located on Oovo IV. The ship was a prototype of the Imperial Firespray class patrol ship. Jango stole it while making his escape from the prison.
He named the ship Slave 1, and began a program of significant upgrades and re-armaments. He took the ship to the Kuat Drive Yards and had their powerful drive engines shoe-horned into the ship's hull, taking up two-thirds of the available space. The armaments added to the ship included twin blaster cannons, two rapid-firing laser cannons, and two projectile launchers, each of which could hold up to three homing missiles. There was also a mine laying system that could be equipped with seismic charges.
The LEGO models of the Slave 1 reflect much of the weaponry he added. The level of sophistication of the models and the amount of detail has increased as each new model has been released. The first Slave 1, LEGO 7144 was released back in 2000, and while it captured the basic elements of Slave 1, it was somewhat primitive, as it lacked a lot of the specially designed elements that have been added to the later models. This first version looked a lot like something someone would create using nothing but generic LEGO parts.
The Slave 1 version released next by LEGO was designated as LEGO 7153. Here, the quality and level of detail began to improve a bit. The cockpit for this ship was a piece of molded plastic with a dark tint. The pieces on the upper side of the landing shoe were also special pieces, which gave it a more finished look. This model was larger, it had more than two times as many pieces, (358), as the 7144 version, which had just 165 pieces. This set also came with mini-figures, unlike its predecessor.
The LEGO 6209 Slave 1 model came next, in 2006. It was again a larger model than the previous one, with 537 elements. It is at this point that the design of Slave 1 as a LEGO set really begins to come into its own. The number of special elements increases significantly, giving the ship a much more polished appearance. The ship incorporates a cargo hatch that opens to allow the Carbonited Han Solo to be loaded aboard. The completed ship included the mine launchers, as well as the missile launchers. The twin cannon arrays are also present. The four mini-figures (five counting the Carbonited Solo) are the largest number to be included in one of these sets up to this time.
The current version of Slave 1, LEGO 8097, is still in production. It is a larger model than its forerunner once again, but only slightly - it contains 572 elements as opposed to 537. The level of attention to detail in the model has increased once more. They use more special pieces in this set to create a highly finished appearance. The cover over the cockpit is hinged and can be opened, and you can place a mini-figure pilot inside. This latest version comes with three mini-figures (fewer than the last set!), and also has the Carbonite skid. The skid is designed to fit the Han Solo mini-figure, so that it can be "Carbonited" for delivery to Jaba, for great realism. The finish details on this newest model are quite impressive, and the finished model has a look of bounty hunter utility to it.
The two other versions of Slave 1 that LEGO produced were small (pocket-sized) versions of Han's ship. One of them, designated LEGO 20019, was a promotional piece that was included with the Brickmaster Catalog January 2011 issue. It was not released for sale in stores. The other miniature version was part of a two-ship combo released in 2003 - it was combined with a model of Obie-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7 Aethersprite Class Starfighter. All or these Slave 1 LEGO sets are available in the secondary market, if not the primary retail market, so it's not too late to complete your collection. If you are, or know, a Star Wars fan, this ship is certain to be appreciated as an addition to their Star Wars fleet.
Learn more about the LEGO Slave 1 sets - where to buy them and how to get the greatest prices. Click on <a href="http://lego-slave-1.com">LEGO Slave 1</a>. To find more LEGO Star Wars sets, click on <a href="http://lego-starwars-sets.com">LEGO Star Wars Sets</a> for tons of information on the greatest Star Wars LEGO sets.
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New Unique Article!
Title: LEGO Slave 1 - The Evil Boba Fett's Ship in LEGO Bricks
Author: Carlton T. Driver
Email: artwriter@web-omnibus.com
Keywords: lego slave 1,lego star wars,lego 8097,lego 6209,slave 1 lego,Star Wars,Lego,lego Boba Fett,lego star wars slave 1,Christmas Gifts,toys,games,building sets,models
Word Count: 823
Category: Hobbies
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