Tuesday was International Star Wars Day 2021. I thought it fitting to publish my UCS Millennium Falcon review. However, I have a second Star Wars set to share this week as well. I purchased the Armored Assault Tank (75283) last fall and have yet to review it. I suppose I could have published it on May the Fifth, also referred to as “Revenge of Fifth” in online Star Wars circles. But “revenge of the fifth” has never made sense to me. If you are basing the day off Revenge of the Sith, “revenge of the sixth” would be closer, no? Consequently, here is my revenge of the sixth review 😉.
ARMORED ASSAULT TANK SUMMARY
- NAME: Armored Assault Tank
- SET #: 75283
- THEME: Star Wars
- COST: $49.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 286
- MINIFIGURES: 2
- OF INTEREST: 2 battle droids
- RELEASE DATE: August 24, 2020
ARMORED ASSAULT TANK QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 70% (Barely satisfactory cost-per-brick and build time value.)
- BUILD: 80% (It is an average build with little in terms of new techniques/bricks.)
- MINIFIGURES: 100% (One word: Ahsoka. There are other good things too though.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 85% (Very much a niche interest set, even for Star Wars fans.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 84%
ARMORED ASSAULT TANK (75283) REVIEW
VALUE: 70%
The Armored Assault Tank (AAT) costs $49.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit contains 286 pieces. The resulting cost-per-brick is $0.17. That is not bad, but it is certainly not great either. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick is currently $0.14. I rate the value-per-brick at 70%.
This set took me 47 minutes to build from start to finish. At full price, that does not equate to a good build-time value. Each minute spent building cost me $1.06. By comparison, my average cost-per-minute is $0.83 at the moment. In this case, AAT earns 69%. I do not have enough Star Wars sets to make reliable, theme-specific comparisons at this time.
BUILD: 80%
The AAT features a rotating main cannon and dual, rotating side guns. Additionally, there is a front hatch revealing the cockpit and a top hatch for the gunner’s seat. The design is sleek and recognizable as its namesake. The build was entertaining as any LEGO® build but did not stick out. There were no new bricks for my collection, or interesting new techniques. One contentious issue is the free rotation of the main canon. It does not stay in place and swivels around too easily. One simple brick substitution allows it to rotate but stay in the position you place it in. I rate this design at 8/10 (80%).
MINIFIGURES: 100%
You might be wondering at this point why I bought an average set that borderlines on a bad value. Well, value measures in many ways. In this case, the AAT set is all about the Minifigures. More specifically, it is all about Ahsoka Tano. She is one of my two favorite Star Wars characters. Prior to this, the LEGO® Group released three variants of the character. Two were during that weird Clone Wars phase when all the characters had dopey looking, oversized eyes. The third I missed out on and now costs an arm and a leg on the secondary market. I was super excited to get this set, in order to finally get Ahsoka in Minifigure form without breaking the bank.
The AAT comes with two proper Minifigures, Ahsoka and one of her loyal clone troopers. Both feature all the standard parts, front and back torso printing, and leg printing. Additionally, Ahsoka has a double-sided face. The printing on the characters is particularly detailed and worthy of note. In terms of accessories, the set has two light sabers for Ahsoka, and three handguns. If you count the Droids too, the design and accessory score is easily 100%.
While the droids are not Minifigures, they do count as playable characters. Consequently, I include them in the brick-to-fig ratio score. Four figurines in a 286-brick set is really good. The ratio is 72:1. Comparatively, my average ratio is 168:1. For a kit of this size, you get a great number of characters. I rate that at 100%. The AAT is a Minifigure set for sure!
ENTERTAINMENT: 85%
This set was purely a Minifigure purchase for me. Ahsoka already has a place on one of my shelves. However, I plan to recycle the set for bricks. I can see Star Wars fans potentially liking this set though. If you have ample space for a battle scene, a few AATs might do well in your collection. Additionally, buying more than one of these allows you to build up Ahsoka’s 332nd company. With that said, this is a niche interest set even in the Star Wars community, I think. I love the Ahsoka Minifigure so much I am going to rate this a little higher than I should. I give the AAT an entertainment score of 85%.
OVERALL SCORE: 84%
Ultimately, I am not a huge fan of this set for the build. The kit is borderline overpriced for what you get. However, as a Star Wars fan, I love the Minifigures. Primarily, I am happy to get Ahsoka Tano. She is the whole reason I bought this set to begin with. However, as a Clone Wars enthusiast who loves season seven, this is also the only kit containing a member of Ahsoka’s 332nd company. If you are an Ahsoka fan like me, this set represents the best (and cheapest) way to get yourself the minifig at the moment. What do you think of the Armored Assault Tank (75283)? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
Want to support True North Bricks?
If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the menu to the right. As an affiliate of those retailers, I earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings come at no extra cost to you but help to the keep the content at True North Bricks free. Thanks for your support!
