Review by James Burnett (SAFOLs Members, CapeLUG Members)
In 2015 I emerged from my personal Dark Ages and rediscovered the joys of LEGO® and for the next three years I focused predominantly on the Castle and Pirates themes. Then in 2018 I came across an advert for the 2013 Galaxy Squad set (70702) called Warp Stinger. Until this point I had never heard of this theme. I was immediately drawn to the unique colour combination of dark red and lime.
The theme is centred on humans and robotic sidekicks that are protecting worlds against an invasion by an alien insect-like race. The humans are divided into four teams, each with a unique colour (red, blue, green and orange) and speciality. The humans have various vehicles designed to survive in outer space. The vehicles of the aliens look like animal hybrids.
The Build
The build starts with the small fighter craft of the red team. Even though it is a small build, the use of parts is creative and the end product is a realistic fighter. The only critique I have is the lack of the control dashboard, as only a plain white 1×2 cheese slope is used.
The first part of the alien vehicle (known as the Warp Stinger and looks like a giant mosquito) that you build is the head. It is a fun build that makes use of a lot of interesting building techniques. I particularly like the large trans-red windscreens used for the eyes and the trans-purple containers that represents an egg-sack structure.
The next part is the body and tail. Slight variations between the different sections of the body prevents the build from becoming monotonous. Lastly you build the long slim legs of the Warp Stinger. I found it surprising how delicate the legs appear, but they are sturdy enough to keep the build upright.
The Minifigures
The set comes with three minifigures. The first is Billy Starbeam. He comes with a nice torso print (front and back). I particularly appreciated his alternate face with the mask.
The second minifigure is a red robot sidekick. The minifigure does not have a traditional face, but rather the helmet serves as the head. The jet-pack on his back is interesting and succeeds is being a realistic jet-pack.
The third and last minifigure is the winged mosquitoid. While his vehicle is mostly dark red and lime green, the mosquitoid is dark red and olive green. The trans-bright green wing accessory creates the look and feel of real wings.
Conclusion
Overall it is a fun and interesting build. If you are a fan of the more well know space theme then this theme is definitely for you.
