75098 Assault on Hoth was revealed earlier today and seems to have been met with disappointment on the whole.

The set was first seen in an animated short released on the LEGO Star Wars website in July of last year and the existence of a UCS Hoth set was confirmed even before then. Fans have therefore had a very long time to build their expectations, perhaps to an extent which could not possibly be matched by the quality of the actual set.

Nevertheless, I am going to give my full thoughts on this set, taking both positive and negative aspects into account. Read on and see whether or not you agree...

Perhaps the most obvious issue with the set is that it comprises several disparate elements, a feature which rarely suits Ultimate Collector's Series sets in my view and has never been seen before to such an extent in a set of this size. Some of these individual elements look quite good but as a whole I think the scene looks rather shambolic.

Other images of the set suggest that some of these structures can be combined using Technic pins to form more substantial sections. This would be a nice feature but the different components do not match up nicely at all and it therefore looks even worse in this form, reducing the play value as well as the aesthetic appeal of the set.

This shot also shows the exposed Technic mechanism at the back of the entranceway. It looks absolutely terrible and I am certain that this assembly could have been hidden in the roof with a little more effort on the part of the designers. The exposure of the Technic liftarms which support the structure is also frustrating and totally unnecessary.

However, from the front I think the gateway looks splendid. The interlocking design of the doors is perfect and I am pleased that both doors can be closed by turning a single gear. The shaping of the snow around the entrance is also impressive, although there is far too much dark bluish grey visible. While it is true that some rocky surfaces can be seen through gaps in the snow on Hoth, it is not apparent to the extent represented in the set. I can only assume that casting these large rock pieces in white was not possible, in which case the designers should have used a different construction method.

Even worse, however, is the lookout tower. This invented structure is referred to during the designer video for the set and I still have no idea why it was included. No such feature appears in the movie and it strikes me as a waste of pieces which could have been used to improve other areas of the model.

The interior consists of a few sections, none of which are particularly impressive. The command centre is the most significant of these and lacks detail which is very disappointing. I am particularly displeased by the lazy storage solution for additional missiles which looks absolutely dreadful and is not a necessary inclusion at all. The Tauntaun feeding station is equally unwelcome and I think more pieces should have been devoted to the command centre. I am glad to see a Tauntaun though as the set would be incomplete without one and they are important in the film.

The Wampa is also an integral aspect of the scenes on Hoth but I am not convinced that this set was the best place to include the creature and its cave. A £19.99 set containing Luke Skywalker, the Wampa, a Tauntaun and a section of cave would have sufficed and been significantly more interesting than 75138 Hoth Attack. On the other hand, I think the cave looks decent and the lightsaber launching feature works nicely. The Wampa is excellent and I am sure this will appeal to many prospective buyers as it is several years since 8089 Hoth Wampa Cave was retired.

A Snowspeeder is included too. 75049 Rebel Snowspeeder was only released in 2014 and I would not have minded had the craft been omitted here but I think it is an obligatory feature to increase the play value. It could be argued that UCS sets do not require such play features but I think that is an unrealistic demand as LEGO understandably wants every set to appeal to adults and children alike. The quality of the design is impressive but only cosmetic changes have been made in relation to 75049.

I think the external sections of the set are the best. The trench looks great as a whole, with a nice combination of slopes forming some organic shapes, although the 1.4 FD P-Tower is significantly weaker than the model in 75014 Battle of Hoth from 2014, due in no small part to the poorly incorporated stud shooter, which is a great shame. The smaller turrets, also taken from 75014, are better and I like the power packs which have been borrowed from 75138 Hoth Attack.

The light bluish grey jumper plates placed towards the rear of the trench are dispersed liberally around the set as mounting points for the two DF.9 anti-infantry batteries included. These are almost an exact replica of the model in 75138 Hoth Attack and I am not particularly keen on the design as I think there is too much light bluish grey, although I like the panels formed using stickers around the base. Once again I think one of these could have been left out in order to devote more pieces to the interior of Echo Base.

Only three models are included which have never been seen before in an official set. It says a great deal about their quality that the best of these is the tiny cargo sled simply because there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. If only the same could be said for the dreadful rendition of the ion cannon which appears to occupy a large proportion of the total piece count. I appreciate the difficulty in rendering a spherical structure in LEGO but this is a real mess, not assisted by the ugly missile launchers which have been tacked onto the barrel of the weapon. The dual-firing feature shown in the designer video is clever, but absolutely ruins the appearance of the model.

The shield generator has been scaled down enormously but the shaping is superb and I like the exploding play function. Having said that, the design is utterly flawed due to the absence of the fourth section which is present in the film. I cannot explain why the designer has omitted this; presumably they ran out of pieces to use based on the restrictions imposed by the price or was simply not sufficiently familiar with the source material. Either way it is pretty pathetic in my opinion and is particularly frustrating given how easily the issue could have been resolved.

The minifigure selection is also an important aspect of 75098, perhaps more so than should be the case for an Ultimate Collector's Series set. The only new characters included are Toryn Farr, Wes Janson and R3-A2, none of whom are characters I really felt needed to be represented in minifigure form. Having said that, I cannot think of any other characters who would be preferable as LEGO's coverage of Hoth has been very thorough. The complement of Rebel Troopers is superb but I think Leia was a necessity and a few more Snowtroopers would have been welcome too.

Overall

The Ultimate Collector's Series range is the heart of the Star Wars theme and it is therefore a great shame to see a slot wasted as I feel it has been here. There are numerous issues with the set, not least of which is the price point of $249.99 or £219.99. The sheer number of models included is impressive but their individual quality is disappointing. In comparison with 10236 Ewok Village there is no competition whatsoever. That location based set looks fantastic and includes a number of lovely play features while this one has totally thrown away any aesthetic appeal in favour of playability.

I try my best to support LEGO designers and I think they often receive undue criticism as there are multiple factors involved in the success or failure of any set. In fact, this will be discussed in a separate article shortly. However, I can only attribute the negative aspects of this set to the designer as I think it had a great deal of potential, especially given the high price point. Perhaps my feelings will change when, or if, I own the set but I am not optimistic.

Do you agree or disagree with my views? Share your thoughts in the comments below.