LEGO® Star Wars™ parts review: 75355 X-Wing Starfighter™

The latest addition to the LEGO® Star Wars™ Ultimate Collector Series arrived in May bringing with it a selection of new moulds and recolours. We might be a little late to the party, but felt there were parts and building techniques still worthy of analysis.

 

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® Star Wars™ 75355 X-Wing Starfighter
US$239.99/ £209.99/ 239.99€/ AU$369.99
1953 parts
May 2023
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New moulds

3x3x2 Quarter Round Panel (LEGO part 3535)

The most prominent new mould is the 3x3x2 Quarter Round Panel in Light Bluish Gray (6435248 | 3535). Sixteen are included to form the X-wing's signature engine intakes.

As the name suggests, it sits neatly on a 3x3 quarter round footprint. Whether this represents another step toward the long-awaited 3x3 round brick is anyone's guess. For now its just nice to have more parts with this curvature.

To my knowledge, it's the first 2-brick tall studless panel - curved or otherwise. It pairs nicely with existing 1- and 2-brick tall panels as well as more exotic varieties like the 1x6x3 panel with side studs (Design ID 98280). 

The half-plate walls are great for making funky patterns too. I could see these used on an ornate castle wall or some organic sci-fi structure - perhaps even a Tardis interior? 

They blend well with many existing quarter, half and fully rounded elements too. The top left is my favourite combo. I'm not sure there's much use in nesting them inside a 4x4x6 half cone in this way but it does look cool!

8x3 Wedge Plates (LEGO parts 3544 & 3545)

The next two new moulds come in a pair:

• 8x Wedge Plate 8x3 Left in White (6435246 | 3544)
• 8x Wedge Plate 8x3 Right in White (6435247 | 3545)

They also appear in 75348 Mandalorian Fang Fighter vs TIE Interceptor. Since they are pretty generic elements, I doubt it'll be long before we see them elsewhere.

Each is the equivalent of two 2x4 wedges plus a 1x4 plate - so yes, they are POOPs! But useful ones, as we'll see in a minute. 

They fit right in with the existing wedge plate family, taking their place between the 3x12 and 4x6 varieties. I opted to only show one-sided types with a continuous hypotenuse (for want of a better term) but of course the 'wedge plate wave' extends far beyond what I've pictured here.

The key advantage of these double-size wedges is the fact that you can chain them to make a continuous two plate thick angled edge - ideal for a certain spaceship with four wings. Achieving the same effect with existing 1x4 versions is quite a challenge and nowhere near as compact. 

Recoloured elements 

First, the trio of recolours that excite me the most: 

• 4x Brick Round 3 x 3 x 2 with Recessed Centre and Axle Hole in white (6390507 | 73111) - initially exclusive to this set, it can now be found in 75365 Yavin 4 Rebel Base and will soon appear in two more LEGO Star Wars sets; 75364 and 75354. 
• 1x Game Controller [Plain] in Dark Bluish Gray (6439170 | 53118) - Exclusive
• 8x Technic Pin Connector Round 1L [Beam] in Sand Blue (6257131 | 18654) - Exclusive

Two recolours of the largest inverted tile are included - hurray for studless undersides:

• 1x Tile Special 4 x 8 Inverted in Light Bluish Gray (6435281 | 83496) - Exclusive
• 8x Tile Special 4 x 8 Inverted in White (6430426 | 83496) - Appears in four other Summer 2023 Sets

Some lesser seen recolours next:

• 2x Bracket 2 x 3 - 2 x 2, Curved Sides in Red (6369674 | 69906) - Found in 1 other set, 76405 Hogwarts Express - Collectors' Edition
• 4x Plate Special 1 x 1 with Handle on 2 Ends in White (6431329 | 78257) - Found in 2 other sets
• 1x Tile Round 3 x 3 in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6433729 | 67095) - Found in 2 other sets
• 1x Tile 4X4 in Light Bluish Grey (6402193 | 1751) - Found in 5 other sets

These next two haven't been seen in sets since 2016 so it's nice to see them make a return:

• 8x Minifig Footwear Flipper [Thick] in White (6172962 | 29161)
• 2x Wedge Plate 3 x 3 Cut Corner in Sand Blue (4209021 | 2450)

Finally, some stragglers. Their newness might be waning but they are still nice to see:

 

• 8x Large Figure Weapon, Barrel with 2 Pin Holes and 3 Axle Holes in White (6263181 | 31511) Found in 4 other sets
• 2x  Plate Special 1 x 2 [Side Handle Closed Ends] in Medium Nougat (6424277 | 48336) - A new colour for 2023, found in 4 other sets
• 2x Plate Round 1 x 2 Half Circle with Stud (Jumper) in Brown (6428178 | 1745) Found in 4 other sets
• 2x Plate 3 x 3 Corner in Black (6439175 | 77844) - New for 2023
• 4x Plate 3 x 3 Corner in White (6428165 | 77844) - New for 2023

Printed elements

Excitingly, the set includes two big printed elements that historically would have been achieved with stickers. 

Firstly, this 6x13x2 Windscreen with Sand Blue Cockpit print in Trans-Clear (6433807 | 102803). It's the first time this mould has been printed, and thank goodness, because applying clear backed stickers this large can not have been fun for those that built either of the two previous UCS X-wings. 

Frustratingly, it was roaming free in the box with no protection so I'm amazed mine looks relatively scratch free. I'd never advocate for excessive packaging but a little something to keep this lovely element safe would've been appreciated. 

Until recently, info plaques would also have been done with a sticker on a plain 8x16 tile. This marks the first time a Star Wars plaque has been given the printed treatment: Tile 8x16 with Star Wars UCS X-Wing Data Sheet print in Black (6446687 | 104491).

Personally I'd sooner have a blank 8x16 tile for MOCing purposes but I'm all for removing the risk of sticker misalignment or trapped air bubbles on a collector level set. The only downside is the injection mark dead centre, but it's a small price to pay all things considered.

That's it for my look at the elements. In part 2 on Wednesday I'll take a look at the build and minifigures - assuming I can figure out how to photograph the massive ship!

Our Patreon followers on the Sand Blue, Medium Azure and Vibrant Coral tiers can enjoy part 2 right now.

LEGO® Star Wars™ 75355 X-Wing Starfighter costs US$239.99/ £209.99/ 239.99€/ AU$369.99 from LEGO.com. Please consider using our affiliate links, we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

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