[REVIEW] 7052 -- UFO Abduction
I was recently at my local Walmart hoping for the new SW summer sets. They weren’t in stock yet, but they had the full line of Alien Conquest sets, so I picked up 7052: Alien Abduction.
Set Details
7052 – UFO Abduction
Pieces = 211
Minifigures = Three
MSRP = $29.99
Price per piece = 14.2 cents/piece
Box
The AQ line has blue-green theme for their boxes. The front of the box shows an abduction in progress as the UFO grabs the hapless farmer while ADU soldier tries to stop it.
The top panel of the box gives a shot of the three included minifigures. For reasons that are unclear, the farmer’s pitchfork is highlighted here as well.
The rear of the box feels like the LEGO artist got a little lazy. It is essentially a continuation of the image from the front with the abduction in progress. Smaller panels on the bottom show how the play features can be used to replicate an abduction.
I’ve been hoping for more compact boxes like we saw in the Pirates of the Caribbean releases but the AQ line doesn’t appear to be designed that way. It’s a shame: the smaller profile boxes fit nicely into my storage space!
Opening the Box & Minifigures
Inside the roomy box, there are two numbered bags, a large loose clear dome, one instruction book and one small sticker sheet.
The minifigures from the AQ line were one of my main interests. The sets seem to blend the ADU troopers, aliens and new city type folk effectively. I was especially attracted to this set by the new farmer. All three minifigures have extremely detailed torsos and leg printing. The small touches on the farmer’s legs are nicely done.
Pay attention to the face of this ADU trooper (my sons call him “The Colonel”). This is his normal face (note the tiny lines around the eyes).
The ADU trooper and farmer have modest printing on their rears. The alien has no rear printing. The farmer doesn’t have an alternative face but the Colonel does. Notice the little lines above his bushy eyebrows? This is his angry face. He’s such a hard-a$$ that he doesn’t have a panicked face.
The Build
The UFO is a quick but enjoyable build. The overall shape is defined by four large base pieces.
Once the foundation is set, the remainder of the UFO builds up to create a sense of height and dimension. At center of the “abduction” playability are four large flexible teeth pieces interspersed with smaller flexible teeth pieces.
As the core of the UFO is being built, accent colors, primarily fluorescent green and bright purple, add some flavor.
Here is the final UFO with the finished cockpit. The red light brick can be seen clearly in the cockpit. It shines into the abduction area on the bottom of the UFO and is controlled by a lever on the back.
The set includes some unimpressive barricades and a flickfire launcher. I suspect these were included to inflate piece count more than anything else.
And the extra pieces:
The abduction playability does function as advertised, easily both grabbing and holding a minifigure. The red light brick is rather dim in normal lighting and really only seen well in a dark room.
Pro’s
Excellent minfigures
Novel playability
Sturdy construction
Con’s
Needs another minifigure (or maybe a farm animal)
Piece count feels inflated
Final Thoughts
I enjoy this set. The colors and design aesthetic of the AQ line appeals to me. That said, the price/piece ratio here is already high and as noted above, feels inflated by the inclusion of frivolous additions. If this set had one more minifig or maybe a cow for the farmer, I’d enthusiastically recommend it at MSRP. As it is, I would probably hold off for an Amazon discount or other sale.
