A new LEGO Star Wars UCS Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser has been revealed by LEGO and Star Wars. This incredible LEGO set is made up of 5,374 pieces and measuring over 12.5 in. (32 cm) high, 43 in. (109 cm) long, and 21 in. (54 cm) wide. It will be available on October 1, 2023. The set also includes Captain Rex and Admiral Yularen LEGO minifigures. This class ship was first shown in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith during the Battle of Coruscant. The Republic Attack Cruiser would go on to be used throughout the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and then in other Star Wars stories. This ship is a proto-Star Destroyer and came at a time when the Republic was transforming into the Galactic Empire.
Ahead of the arrival of the LEGO Star Wars UCS Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser, StarWars.com shared an interview with LEGO Star Wars designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer about this new massive set. Check out the interview here:
StarWars.com: Like all UCS releases, the scale of the Republic Attack Cruiser is enormous. As a designer, what opportunities does that increase in size allow you?
Hans Burkhard Schlömer: Most details of this new set would probably fit on a smaller model as well, but when it comes to capital spaceships, I believe that size does matter!
Only a truly massive model will project the might and presence of a Star Destroyer. It also allows more intricate and detailed turbo lasers, turrets, and hull details. However, there are also challenges. The tail end of the LEGO Republic Attack Cruiser is an unsupported overhang, clocking in at about 1 kilogram! So it is not just about more details — building at this scale means dealing with model weight challenges, too.
StarWars.com: What goes into the LEGO design process? How do you start and what are the main milestones in the process?
Hans Burkhard Schlömer: Every LEGO set starts with a design brief — in this case, the directions were simple: make it as long as the Imperial Star Destroyer from set 75252, and base it on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars show.
My first step was to create the top hull panels, and then figure out how to connect them to an internal frame. This was made more challenging by the fact that the panel had to be split into two sections with different orientations in order to allow me to add all the details, and still get a smooth outer edge line.
StarWars.com: The LEGO Group released a smaller Republic Attack Cruiser in 2009. Did you look at that version in preparation for working on the UCS edition? If so, how did it inform the new design?
Hans Burkhard Schlömer: Set 8039 is a great study of what it sometimes takes to turn something into a play set. Often there are compromises needed in order to create internal play space or add functions. I’m (lovingly) thinking of that set as “the shoe,” because the designer had to take some liberties with the Republic Attack Cruiser’s shape, making it bulkier to create headspace for minifigures. However, a LEGO UCS set is all about accuracy and how it displays, so I didn’t have to worry about functions like turning laser cannons or linking them together. And, although I’m maybe biased as its designer, I believe the LEGO UCS Republic Attack Cruiser displays extremely well.
StarWars.com: What features or details are you most excited about on the UCS edition?
Hans Burkhard Schlömer: Adding a sub-micro scale Republic Gunship flying out of a side hangar bay is clearly a nod to my previous UCS set, 75309. Consider this a not-too-well-hidden Easter egg!
We also have dark metal-colored engines. Since I used both shades of LEGO gray on the hulls already, I needed a different color for the still darker engines — but not black! Using mostly wheel pieces to create the engines was an early design decision to reduce weight and complexity. Another focus was the big dark red stripe at the front of the Republic Attack Cruiser. I felt it important not to have any steps or breaks in the lines, just because it would be easier to design that way. There is only one step on the outline now, and that is true to reference for this particular ship.
StarWars.com: This release celebrates 20 years of Clone Wars stories, and LEGO Star Wars has been part of that legacy with releases throughout that time period. Why do you think Clone Wars iconography and LEGO continue to work well together and resonate?
Hans Burkhard Schlömer: The Clone Wars brought back what made this era of Star Wars fascinating. And more of it! Clone troopers, Jedi, spaceships, old and new villains and heroes.
What do you think of this massive LEGO Star Wars set? Will you be adding it to your collection when it becomes availabe on October 1st? What other big LEGO Star Wars sets would you like to see created in the future? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
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