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Hi! Just in case, I need to say, what follows is solely my opinion. This is based off of things like, fun of building, final look, etc. This list is also for what is generally considered UCS. So playsets like Assault On Hoth will not be included. Basically, does it have a display plaque? Yes? It’s UCS.
(Except the clearly non-UCS Porg and BB-8)
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LEGO was founded in 1932, but it wasn’t until 1999 the Star Wars line was introduced, and LEGO wasted no time making it awesome. The very next year the first Ultimate Collector’s Series set would be released. What made these stand out over the rest?
Many things. First, they were (usually) bigger than normal sets. These were not meant to be played with, and served more as display pieces. Secondly, they were highly detailed. The bigger sizes meant more room for those details. Third, they came with a display plaque that would show information on the ship itself. There are currently 26 Lego UCS sets. (That I consider to be UCS.)
This doesn’t mean I don’t like sets like 10236-Ewok Village, or either Death Star. Those just aren’t necessarily display pieces.
In 2003 I saw my very first UCS set, the Imperial Star Destroyer. Over 3000 pieces! Also 300 dollars. 9 year old me had no way of getting that money. But, 5 years later in 2008, after helping my dad a lot and mowing lawns, saving up money, I was able to purchase my very first UCS set, 10143- The Death Star II. I was hooked. In the 11 years since, I have, in one form or another, bought and built most of the 26 sets on my list. So let’s do what everyone does and rank them!
26. 7191- X-Wing Starfighter
I do not own this set. It was the second UCS set to ever be released, back in 2000, for $150. At exactly 1300 pieces, that is 11.5 cents a piece. So what’s wrong with it? Well, look at it. It’s a hodgepodge of mixed colors that don’t make sense. Too much red, and… green? Lego did what it could at the time, but it doesn’t look that good.
25. 7181- Tie Interceptor
I do own this set. This was the very first UCS set, released in 2000 for 100 dollars. It is one of the smaller sets at only 703 pieces, making it 14.2 cents a piece. What’s wrong with it? This set actually doesn’t look too bad. It resembles the shape for the most part, and at least the colors are consistent, but, Tie Interceptors aren’t blue. They’re black. Very obviously black. The biggest downside for this set is that it’s not very fun to build. The wings are very repetitive, and take up most of the build.
24. 10175- Vader’s Tie Advanced
I own this too. This was releasedin 2006 for 100 dollars and contained 1,212 pieces, making it 8.3 cents a piece. Here, LEGO got the colors more correct. The problem here does lie in how it looks. The front just isn’t the best. It looks too clunky, and not really finished. This was also the ONLY UCS of mine to have a missing piece. On top of everything, again, the wings were quite boring to make. I actually stopped for about three days, because it just wasn’t fun building it.
23. 75059- Sandcrawler
HOT TAKE! I no longer own this one. That should say a lot. I honestly wanted this set to be last on the list. It is the ONLY UCS set I ever sold. I have ZERO regrets in doing so. The only reason this isn’t last is because the other sets look worse. But this set doesn’t look bad. It kinda does though. This set was released in 2014, for $300, and contained 3269 pieces. (At this point I should clarify that I did not get all of these at retail price. There are aftermarkets.) 9.1 cents a piece. It took about three days for me to put together. Three, very boring days.
Everything here is brown. On the inside. All brown. Outside. All brown. A lot of it very repetitive. Not even just the treads underneath. This is a symmetrical ship, so everything done on one side is mirrored on the other. That’s not LEGO’s fault, but for me, it was boring.
Then once I finished it… it looked bad. There were holes in it. All the studs make it look ugly. There was no plaque. I just hated this set.
22. 10186- General Grevious
This set was released in 2008 for 90 dollars, (though I distinctly remember getting it for around 75). At 1085 pieces, that puts it at 8.3 cents a piece. This set came at a time when LEGO didn’t quite know how to make buildable figures. It still doesn’t know how to do that QUITE right, but this was a noble attempt. What’s wrong with it? It fell apart really easily. It currently sits on my shelf, half broken. The Display Plaque doesn’t actually say anything about Grevious. He’s not very poseable either. A noble attempt, and I’m glad to have it.
21. 7194- Yoda
It pains me to put this so low. Released in 2002 for 100 dollars, it contained 1075 pieces, making it 9.3 cents a piece. I wish I had this set. I really, really, do. I have only ever seen it in person 1 time, and wish I had the money to get it. That said, it’s really weird. Like, really weird. It’s built very blocky, thanks to when it came out, has some odd color choices, and his hands don’t look the best. I personally think it’s not too bad. However, the real killer here are the instructions. They are shown from a top down perspective. That is probably the worst way to build a lego set. If I ever do buy this, it’ll likely be pre-built for that very reason. No surprise what comes next though!
20. 10018- Darth Maul
It pains me to have this one so low, and to also not own it. Released in 2001 for 150 dollars, it contained 1868, apparently making it 8 cents a piece. I want this set so badly. Darth Maul is one of my favorite Star Wars characters, and I think he looks so cool. But this, okay, to me it looks cool too. And very, very creepy. Again, very blocky build. This one has better colors. The horns are kinda weird because of the building technique. However, just like Yoda, this is built from a top-down perspective, and that just sucks. Especially when so much of it is black.
19. 10129- Rebel Snowspeeder
Released in 2003 at 130 dollars, it contained 1457 pieces, making it 8.9 cents a piece. I don’t own this, nor do I want to for reasons we’ll see later on in the list. When I first saw this set, I actually didn’t know what the ship was because I hadn’t seen Empire yet. Once I did, my impressions on this ship were eh. At the time I wanted this set, but now looking back? Well, it suffered the same problem a lot of sets did back then. It’s too blocky. LEGO didn’t really make smooth pieces. The cockpit is very weird and doesn’t look quite right, and the front is too big. However, the colors are accurate, and it wasn’t too bad. (But then, spoilers, they remade it)
18. 10026- Special Edition Naboo Starfighter
I do own this set. Needless to say, one thing stands out immediately. It is incredibly small. This set released in 2002 for only 40 dollars and contained a low of 187 pieces, making it 21.4 cents a piece. (Most playsets have more pieces than that!) THAT, is the biggest reason it is down here. However, it looks great. The chrome really shines, the final sleekness of the set is perfect. I am glad they made this set, but it is very, very small.
17. 75095- Tie Fighter
Completing the UCS Tie Fighter family, this set was released in 2015 for 200 dollars and contained 1685 pieces, making it 11.9 cents a piece. First of all, that’s about 50 dollars too expensive for this. Now, it does look alright, but that’s just the thing. It only looks alright. Not great. Just alright. The center area isn’t the best. LEGO tried, and it doesn’t look bad, but it’s not as smooth as it should be. Then there’s the obvious. The two giant wings, that are the same exact build. I finished this one in a single day, and though I’m happy to have it, it’s only alright.
16. 10179- Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon
SACRILEGE!! This is the best ship in Star Wars Ever!!! This is about the set. Released in 2007, it was at the time the largest Star Wars set ever released. It sold for 500 dollars and contained 5197 pieces, making it 9.6 cents a piece. I saw this set when I went to get my Death Star II, but I have never bought it. At the time, it was great and something special. But now, 12 years later, it’s alright. There are aspects of it which don’t really hold up. It’s not bulky, and the colors are correct. But some aspects, like the cockpit are ugly. LEGO did the best it could at the time, but that was 12 years ago.
15. 10221- Super Star Destroyer
Released in 2011, this is one of the next biggest sets containing 3152 pieces. It sold for 400 dollars, making it 12.7 cents a piece. Straight off the bat, that’s almost 100 dollars too expensive. However, it’s alright. Physically, the set is huge. It is over 4 feet long. It even comes with a to-scale Star Destroyer. So why is halfway through this list? Well, see those minifigures? They are there, because there is a section in the middle of this ship you can take off and reveal a play area. Yeah. That’s not too bad, I just don’t open that up when I display it! But the rest of it, is pretty bland to be honest. There is no detail on the underside outside of the engines. And the top, could have been done better. It was a decent build, took 3 days, and it’s not ugly. There are just better sets after this.
14. 75181- Y-Wing Starfighter
Released in 2018, this set sold 200 dollars and contained 1967 pieces, making it 10.2 cents a piece. First off, this ship is too expensive. The Saturn V LEGO set contained 1969 pieces, and is only 120 dollars. So why does this set, that contains 2 less pieces, 80 dollars more expensive? Also, this is actually a remake of a previous set. This is the 4th remake LEGO has done now. It is actually more pieces than the original, and somehow smaller. It does look sleeker, however, that’s the very problem. This set makes it look like the Y-Wing was always this. It wasn’t. The Y-Wing used to be covered in armor, and was stripped down by the Rebellion, or saved in this state. It does come with 2 exclusive figures, but ultimately I was letdown by this ship, despite its finally look technically being good.
13. 10134- Y-wing Attack Starfighter
In contrast, the original! This was the set I wanted more than anything. I tried so hard to get this set. Released in 2004, it sold for 120 dollars, and contained 1473 pieces, making it 8.1 cents a piece. The Y-Wing is my favorite Star Wars ship. I love how it looks. I love the backstory it was given. I love everything about it. This set just encapsulated everything I felt about it. It looked like a Rebellion set. It looked like a ship that had it’s armor stripped away, and was made what it could be. However, for that same reason, it also looks like a mess. There’s a lot of weird colors, and the back droops a little. But this thing is really big, and I am so happy to finally own one.
12. 75144- Snowspeeder
Another remake! Released in 2017, this set sold for 200 dollars, and contained 1703 pieces, making it 11.7 cents a piece. Again, two downsides. It’s a remake, and it’s a little too expensive. This set looks a lot better than the original, but we didn’t really need another Snowspeeder. The build was nothing special. The cockpit looks so much better. The front actually looks accurate. The guns on the sides are angled like on the actual ship. It’s all really decent and a good display piece. It’s still a remake. There are so many ships still not made. So not bad, it looks good, just not necessary.
11. 10174- Imperial AT-ST
Released in 2006, this set sold for 80 dollars, and contained 1068 pieces, making it 7.5 cents a piece. This was also one of the first UCS sets I ever owned. It holds up. It is capable of standing on it it’s own. The head rotates. The guns move. It does also have a small display plaque. I would have liked the exterior to be more smooth, but for 2006, this was really good.
Alright, top 10! I own 9 of the following sets.
10. 10225- RD-D2
This was the only UCS set I did not buy at a lego Retailer, or online. Released in 2012, it sold for 180 dollars, contained 2127 pieces, making it 8.5 cents a piece. So first off, great price! Second of all, this set is just cool. EVERYONE recognized R2-D2. The build was fun. It took longer than I thought, which is fine. The third leg can be displayed, or retracted. His head spins. The two panels on the front open to reveal tools. The plaque says a lot about him too. All around, a cool set.
9. 10215- Obi-Wan’s Jedi Starfighter
Released in 2010, this was the last Prequel Era set released. Seriously. It’s been almost a decade and all we have gotten are Original Trilogy ships. But this ship sold for 100 dollars and has one of the smaller piece counts at 676 pieces, making it a whopping 14.8 cents a piece. Yes, that is more expensive than it technically should be. However, those 676 pieces are used very well. This ship is sleek. It is very smooth. The build was great. The giant R4 unit’s head is awesome. It can even spin. The cockpit looks great too. This is a cool looking set all around.
8. 10240- Red Five X-Wing Starfighter
The first remake of many to come, this set was released in 2013 for 200 dollars, and contained 1559 pieces, making it 12.8 cents a piece. Despite being a remake, it really improved over the last set. No more random colors! (GREEN?!) The front is smooth and round. The engines are amazing. Like the last one, you can open and close the wings. The cockpit opens and looks nice. The guns on the end of the wings aren’t huge either. Overall, a good set. 7
7. 10019- Rebel Blockade Runner
This set probably wouldn’t make its way this high on most people’s list. Released in 2001, it contains 1747 pieces, and sold for only 200 dollars, making it 11.4 cents a piece. Only 200 dollars? Yeah. This thing is huge. Almost as big as the Super Star Destroyer. I built this in one session, over 12 hours. It still holds up. It looks great. Does the time show? Yeah. If the rumors are true, we’ll probably get a new one this year that looks better. (Yeah, ANOTHER remake!) But this set isn’t bad at all. It is an amazing display piece to have.
6. 10227- B-Wing Starfighter
Released in 2012, this set sold for 200 dollars and contained 1487 pieces, making it 13.4 cents a piece. Released the same year as R2, 700 less pieces, and 80 dollars more expensive. Sounds bad. However, this set, is really big. Way bigger than I thought it would be. It actually took me 2 days to put together. It looks absolutely amazing. It is smooth. The cockpit turns with no problems. The stand it comes with displays it amazingly. Fantastic set.
TOP 5!! These are the best of the best!
5. 10030- Imperial Star Destroyer
Released in 2002, this set sold for 270 dollars, and contained 3096 pieces, making it 8.7 cents a piece. Despite being the very first UCS set I ever saw, I don’t actually own this set. I wish I did, but the aftermarket on this one is very expensive. However, the set looks great. It looks imposing. It’s big and isn’t that bad of a build from what I’ve heard. This is up here because it’s what introduced me to this world though. If I ever get it, I’ll be able to do what I have always wanted to do. Remember number 7, the Rebel Blockade runner? This set comes with a to-scale version of that ship. So, if you remember, I can show the Blockade Runner, then how it compares to this set, then how the Star Destroyer compares to the Super Star Destroyer, then how the Super Star Destroyer compares to the Death Star II. Speaking of which –
4. 10143- Death Star II
My very first UCS set. Released in 2005, this set originally sold for 270 dollars (Though I know it cost me 300 at the lego store?). It contained 3441 pieces, making it 7.8 cents a piece. This set is MASSIVE. It took me 3 days to build. (And then about a week to rebuild when it was shortly accidentally knocked over.) But that just meant I got to build it again. One day, I hope to build this set properly again, and show how awesome it is. It’s simple, but very effective. And HUGE. This set is here because it was my first, and because it is a very good set.
3. 75060- Slave 1
You’ll probably notice a theme on these last 3 sets. Also, this is not how the set is displayed. At all. It’s all facing forward. Originally released in 2015, this set sold for 200 dollars and contained 1996 pieces, making it 10.0 cents a piece. This is why I have been saying how many cents a piece each set was. On average, a LEGO set should cost 10 cents a piece. It doesn’t always work that way, but that’s the average. This set, does!
Plus, it looks amazing! It’s very smooth, the cockpit piece is incredibly, the wings move depending on how you orient it, and know the best part? It’s minifigure scale. The little LEGO Boba Fett it comes with? This is how big that ship would really be to him. Funny enough, when I first got this set, I didn’t like it. The stand isn’t the best, but once I found a good home for it, I fell in love. It’s a fantastic set.
2. 75192- Millennium Falcon
ANOTHER REMAKE! But the best one of all. Originally released in 2017, this is the biggest LEGO set ever. Retailing for 800 dollars (YES, PEOPLE BUY THIS SET), it contained 7541 pieces, making it 10.6 cents a piece. This is an amazing piece. When I finally got this set, it took me 3 days to build. One of those with about a 12 hours session since I didn’t have to work. This is such an improvement over the last set. First off, THE BIGGEST LEGO SET EVER!! Second, it comes with so many minifigures from the original and sequel trilogies! Third, the loading ramp comes down. Forth, the cockpit windshield is a single piece that looks amazing. Fifth. The radar dishes are interchangeable. Sixth, the build itself was pretty good. (Though I don’t get why they split the bags into 4 different boxes, if the boxes just had randomly numbered bags?) Lastly, this is how you do interior sections. You can fit people in the cockpit, but there are also a few interior areas you can fit the figures into. Iconic areas. They’re not play areas. They are small parts of the ship, meant for display as well. Also, it’s minifigure scale!
So what set is better than that? What set is the best UCS set to have ever been released? What could it be?
1. 10212- Imperial Shuttle
This is the best UCS set to have ever been released. Why? To begin with, it’s also minifigure scale. So this ship is actually really big. It has a very strong presence, and also, it just looks amazing. There are almost NO studs showing at all, leaving this ship to be incredibly smooth. The cockpit can open up and comfortably fit the four figures it comes with as well. You can actually take the ship off of the stand, and have it sit on landing gear if you so want. Oh, and the wings are a functional mechanic which can raise and lower. On top of all of that, the build is incredibly smooth, easy and fun. I am very, very happy to own this.
So what did I learn in all this? (You spend too much money on LEGO). Nope. I learned that a long time ago. I learned to stop being surprised by how big these are.
Now, the good news is, except for the Star Destroyer, I’m caught up with what I want. LEGO releases at least 1 new UCS set a year, never more than 2. The Falcon was an exception at that price point, as most tend to stick around 200 dollars. I have heard rumors the new sets coming this year will be 500 or so though. (When future me looks at this in a year, I wonder what I’ll think.) So the other good news is I actually have time to save up for them then! The bad news is that is still very expensive,and I also don’t have room.
The good, good news is – if all goes well, that shouldn’t be a problem soonish, kinda. Looks, it’s 1 am and it took me 3 hours to write all this. UCS sets are fun, and are very nice for me. They give me something to work on in many ways. They are a goal for me to reach. They are therapeutic for me to build, and I honestly mean that. They are not just a toy. They are familiarity. Then, when I’m done, I can feel proud of myself and I have something that looks good!
(Which is why I got rid of the Sandcrawler. It was a horrible build, and didn’t look good.)
If the rumors are true, this year we should see a new Rebel Blockade Runner/Tantive IV ship as the May release, and then, I HOPE, a remake of the Imperial Star Destroyer later in the year. I would like to add those to my collection, but one day at a time. I have other things my money needs to go towards.
expectingtochange 