Republic Cruiser 7665

The Republic Cruiser, set #7665 is one of Lego's Star Wars 30th Anniversary Limited Edition sets, released in late 2007. Unlike most other models of the series, the Republic Cruiser is an all-new design, and the only version of the spacecraft released by Lego throughout the Star Wars line's history.

This set is modeled after the Radiant VII, seen in Star Wars Episode I. The Radiant is painted red to show that it is an ambassador ship and should not be attacked. When Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to negotiate an end to the blockade of Naboo, they dock inside a Trade Federation battleship. On orders from Lord Sideous, the Federation troops shoot the unshielded ship with a laser turret, killing Captain Maoi Madakor and Lieutenant Antidar Williams. The Jedi, who survive an attempt on their own lives, are forced to leave the ship by hitching a ride on a Federation troop carrier. The Republic Cruiser can also be seen throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fans of Han Solo take note: the design for the cruiser was recycled from an early concept drawing of the Millennium Falcon.

At the front of the vessel is a large salon/escape pod for conducting negotiations. In the event of an attack, this pod can be jettisoned to safety. This feature is included in the Lego model, but is only large enough for two figures. The ship's bridge also holds only two minifigs. Other features include a swiveling sensor dish, hidden laser cannons, cargo containers, and foldable landing gear. The included pilot speeder is purely a Lego design, with no mention of it in the Star Wars universe.

The set includes the minifigs for Captain Maoi Madakor, Lieutenant Antidar Williams, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and R2-R7. Some sets were packed with the old yellow Obi-Wan minifig head; Lego will replace this with the flesh-colored head that was intended for this set for free. The yellow-headed Obi-Wan is fairly common, so there is no difference in value over these sets over the correct ones. It is also the only set with an R2-R7 minifig, which looks like R2-D2, except it has green markings instead of blue ones. This R2 unit is not seen in the movie.

Original retail price for the Republic Cruiser was $89.99. Because it was more widely available than other sets in the series, the value has not appreciated as much, with new-in-box sets starting at $110.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace LEGO Sets

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