A while ago, I bought 13.6 kg of random LEGO® bricks off of Facebook Marketplace. When perusing the listings, I noticed some interesting parts in the collection. The bin ended up inspiring the Bargain Bricks series here at True North Bricks. Now, it also produces a number of interesting throwback reviews. This week, we take a deeper look at the Z-95 Headhunter (75004) from episode 6 of Bargain Bricks. This is a retired Star Wars set hailing from late 2012. Additionally, it includes some very rare Minifigures, like the elusive Jedi Master, Pong Krell, as well as a 501st Legion Clone Trooper pilot.
Z-95 HEADHUNTER SUMMARY
- NAME: Z-95 Headhunter
- SET #: 75004
- THEME: Star Wars
- COST: $59.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 373
- MINIFIGURES: 3
- RELEASE DATE: December 27, 2012
- RETIRED: December 5, 2014
Z-95 HEADHUNTER QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 69% (Satisfactory cost-per-brick, passable build time for the price.)
- BUILD: 80% (Cockpit needs more detail and the new dark red bricks may shatter.)
- MINIFIGURES: 88% (Nice, unique Minifigures, and a good number of them.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (Star Wars fans will probably love this set.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 82% (Good set.)
Z-95 HEADHUNTER REVIEW
VALUE: 69%
The Z-95 Headhunter is already a retired set as I am writing this. Consequently, the set is hard to come by at the original retail price of $59.99 in Canada. With that said, it is not impossible to get it at a decent price. I paid $49.14 for my used set (you can get more details in Bargain Bricks, episode 6). If you want it new in box, good luck. In any case, I will still review this section based on the recommended retail price. Incidentally, the set includes 373 pieces. At full price, the cost-per-brick was $0.16. When compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is satisfactory, but leans towards the expensive side. For the Star Wars theme, it ranks the same. I rate the cost-per-brick at 76%.
This set took me 50 minutes to assemble. At full price, the cost-per-minute of build time comes in at $1.20. Star Wars sets tend to provide less build time for the price in my experience. However, the Headhunter is a bad value even for the theme. Comparatively, the True North Bricks cost-per-minute average is currently $0.95. The Headhunter fares even worse compared to LEGO® sets in general. There, our average is $0.84/minute. Consequently, the Z-95 earns a rather poor build-time score of 62%. Averaging this with the cost-per-brick score gives an overall value rating of 69%.
BUILD: 80%
The Z-95 Headhunter consists of one X-wing-esque build. The general shape of the vessel is that of the iconic X-Wing. However, the wings do not separate as you would expect. The ship looks great and has lots of swooshable value when complete. I have not built many Star Wars ships before this one. In fact, apart from the UCS Millennium Falcon, the only other Star Wars spaceship I have built was the 2019 Employee Christmas Gift X-Wing. Consequently, I do not have a lot to compare this experience to. However, I really like the build technique of layering turbine bricks to assemble the engines. Additionally, I enjoy the look achieved by the simple technique that creates a rounded edge around the cockpit.
The Z-95 Headhunter also has a play feature. The underside of the fuselage houses a canon with a large projectile. Pulling on a lever lowers the canon and simultaneously fires the projectile. Additionally, you can open up a hatch behind the cockpit, revealing a storage area.
A hidden projectile fires from under the ship.
There are a couple of negatives with this set though. Firstly, the cockpit interior features only one sticker representing controls. There is room for a better design. Additionally, the pilot’s seat has no studs. As a result, the Minifigure sloshes around inside as you swoosh the set. The other issue is a bigger one. The Z-95 Headhunter uses a lot of “new dark red” bricks. We all know there was an issue with these bricks a few years ago. One of my new dark red bricks (a 1×1 nosecone) shattered when I tried to put it in place. Luckily, none of the other bricks did. But if you are buying this set on the secondary market beware. Just keep in mind, it is not the fault of the seller. I rate the build for the Headhunter at 80%.
MINIFIGURES: 88%
The Z-95 includes three Minifigures. All of them are rare. In fact, two only ever came in this set while the third came in only two sets. Firstly, you get Jedi Master Pong Krell. Second, there is a 501st Legion Clone Trooper Pilot. Third, we get a regular 501st Legion Clone Trooper. The former two are the unique characters. Incidentally, as I write this the average cost for each on Bricklink is around $25 CAD. The third character comes a little cheaper, around $13 on average. They all come with the standard Minifigure parts, as well as front and back torso printing. Two of the three have leg printing. Additionally, Pong Krell has a great molded upper torso section, and you get two light sabers, a medium rifle, and binoculars. I rate the character designs at 87%.
Three Minifigures in a 373-piece kit is very good. You get 124 bricks/fig. Comparatively, the average LEGO® set usually provides 170 bricks/fig. I rate the brick-to-fig ratio at 89%. For a set this size, you get a nice number of characters. It is even better that they are all rare. Averaging this with the design score gives an overall Minifigure grade of 88%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
I can see Star Wars fans really liking this set. How can you not like a kit that gives you two exclusive Minifigures? The ship looks nice too. It’ll help fill out your fleet for sure. Personally, I was not looking to acquire the set. I do not really collect Star Wars. This set happened to be in a bulk lot of bricks I purchased. I had a lot of fun figuring out what set it was, completing it on Bricklink, and finally building the kit. However, I doubt anyone outside of the Star Wars fandom will get excited about it. I rate the entertainment value at 90%.
OVERALL SCORE: 82%
The Z-95 Headhunter (75004) is a solid Star Wars set. The real highlight is the exclusive Minifigures. However, the ship looks great too, with only minor issues. You do need to look out for shattering new dark red bricks though. That is especially true if you buy the set second hand like I did. Originally, it was a fairly expensive set in terms of brick count and build time. Now, you will probably pay even more for it. But you might also luck out like I did and find it hidden in a bulk bin. What do you think of the Z-95 Headhunter? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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