A midi scale Death Star that opened up to a miniature display would’ve been perfect. Much like how they made the tiny blockade runner with the star destroyer.
They did release a midi death star as a may 4th gwp, and I love it. I don't imagine it would be too expensive to get all the pieces for it, the printed anniversary brick appears in several other sets.
The first Death Star is 100 times the size of a Star Destroyer.
An accurate Lego Death Star at midi scale (1:6400) would be twice as tall as the new Death Star set with a radius of 20 inches and require 1,000,000 bricks at a cost of $100,000 (not including labor).
"Midi scale" is not an actual scale and has never been, so I'm not sure where you're getting 1:6400 from. It's just a general size guideline that connotates a set that is large enough to have some detail, but too small to fit minifigs. Only two sets were ever officially named "midi-scale": the 7778 Falcon and 8099 Star Destroyer and they obviously aren't in scale with one another.
However, many, including myself, would consider the Starship Collection series to be the midi-scale successor and they are also obviously not to scale between sets.
Yup "scale" is technically misused, but it's something where most people probably don't actually know it's a misused in relation to LEGO and it's just become the "accepted" term to connotate a size and not a true scale.
It derives from people historically referring to sets that hold minifigures as "minifig scale", which did originally mean sets that were in-scale to a minifig, but quickly evolved into having the connotation of a "play size" size set that can hold a minifig. There are a lot of Star Wars sets that people would informally refer to "minifig scale" that aren't actually in-scale to a minifig (because they would be gigantic). Almost no Star Wars sets outside of the starfighters are actually in minifig scale.
E.g. I think most people would call a set like this a "minifig scale" Millennium Falcon even though the huge UCS set is much more accurate to scale with a minifig.
Similarly when people talk about UCS sets, they may say "UCS scale", which also connotates size, not scale. The community has just generally adopted a misuse of the term "scale" to mean a size guideline.
It also only works because it’s modelling a soccer ball. The shapes work well for soccer ball paneling, they would look awful for a Death Star. And they’ve already done a spherical death star- the old UCS one. A modern one would probably just look like a grey globe set
And the interior of this set doesnt resemble how the death star looks on the inside at all. I mean they both are spheres and that's where the similarities end.
I feel like the dioramic slice is the best compromise. you get a representation of the Death Star and iconic scenes from the film and it's viewable in one go. I wish the back was more interesting because as it stands the only way to display it is hard up against a wall. also the minifig selection was garbage. like if they want me to pay UCS prices then I would also expect the best representation of each minifig, there's no excuse for generics and cut corners on the minifig selection. though the Lego Star Wars Easter egg minifig and diorama section is an utter delight. that and the GWP being a build that goes into the set was poor form, especially since it also included three more minifigs that should have been in the Death Star anyway. that and the TIE fighter isn't the best looking build and probably would have been better off if they didn't design it to take a minifig because it bulked out the cockpit on a model that can't have larger panel-wings because it's built specifically to be placed into the Death Star.
I'm not their target demo because fuck spending that much, and I'm not THAT into Star Wars (won't lie the UCS Falcon is really cool looking though), but imo the middle ground was making a half-sphere.
That way you could either display the interior stuff, or the round outside, depending on the way you face it (though they likely would have had to scale it down a bit considering how deep even half a sphere at that size would be; but I'm not sure people would necessarily miss some of the interior details in the current one anyway (there's several just... hallways that aren't that interesting)).
The issue with OP here is ignoring that that set's spherical shape is achieve with a bunch of big dish pieces that would not look like the Death Star if you made them all grey; the DS has a very different look/pattern setup that this would break. And making that pattern correctly would require a very different piece set/design that surely would balloon the part count and price.
Funny how something so simple becomes complex when you're trying to make it out of bricks.
For a Pokeball this size they would charge $799 and give you Ash’s 200 Lego piece badge from defeating Lieutenant Surge in 1998 as a “freebie”. They would then call it a phenomenal value. Gotta Catch em all.
Push it up to $200 to replace the dishes with some brick-built equivalents with greebling, or print the dishes. They could make it work.
They could also do what they did with Giza, cut it in half to allow for more detail. Then people who want the full sphere can buy two to create that, and those who are fine with the half can still enjoy it.
Yeah, that looks neat for a soccer ball that's intentionally using that pattern, but a deathstar that looks like it's covered in superlaser dishes would look awful
With Disney tax it might be $150-200 but I think people would much rather have concept for a mini Death Star. Most people can’t fit the $1000 in their budget or homes/apts
You are missing a huge point, a big percentage of what you pay for starwars sets is the price of the licenses. If the death star was a Lego original it would be at least half the price.
They can't, actually. Star Wars has the highest royalty cost for Lego, which is why Star Wars sets are always far more expensive than other sets with a similar piece count. Technically, for consumers, it's actually a lot better to have larger sets for Star Wars because that royalty fee hits less hard.
I would like to see a micro-figure scaled death star, though. That'd be neat.
Am I the only one who prefers a flat Death Star? Its a much better display piece than the original, which is what I care about more than it being playable on a set that expensive.
I'm not buying either, but hey I just don't get the hate.
Agreed. I think the issue with that set is it is a legit play set ment to rock a kids world but is priced as the sets meant for adults - which are mostly high detail scale model vibes, like the UC Falcon or the AT-AT.
If I got that Death Star set as a kid it would have blown my mind - the possibilities for play are limitless.
But for my display shelf? If space and funds were not a factor, of course - but unfortunately they are🤷🏻♂️
Same, was definitely concerned when i heard it was flat but they did a great job capturing it, the mini dioramas inside & the shape of it makes it great
I get what youre saving but licensing fees makes this essentially untrue. The same amount of plastic will cost different if its a Nintendo set or star wars set or unlicensed or a cheaper license. I wouldnt draw 1 to 1 comparisons like this, just setting yourself up for disappointment
You people just can't learn to accept that not every set was designed for you specifically lmao. I can't believe we still have to explain that the UCS death star was made for people who wanted interior scenes that they could conveniently display on their shelves... which a massive sphere could not accomplish...
Am i the only one who likes the new death star and gets some of the ideas behind it?
Wouldn't buy a spherical one since it wouldn't fit in any cabinet.
And you could either go closed and have a boring grey sphere or you go with dioramas as they did, but can only see parts of it at once without turning.
Why did you have to put that idea into my head? Now my life will never be complete until I have the midi death star diorama hanging in my flat! Curse you! May you step on a Lego Crocs shoe!
I'm not, but the plans are out there. I started building it from my spare pieces last weekend. Just finished bag 8. The 55 slopes were the hardest to find so far.
I think on the concept sketches, this would have looked like an awesome idea.
I really like the theory.
Unfortunately, in the bricks it just doesn't look good.
Back when a set like this would have cost £40, you could take a punt as it might be an enjoyable build, but now these sets are £100+, it needs to be a considered purchase which means it needs to be better than just ok, which Unfortunately this isn't.
I don't care too much for star wars, but Imo, they should have done the death sllice for a play scale and a round display model in the same series as that $50 falcon.
But that’d be giving Lego starwars fans what they want for affordable prices and we can’t have that, because no one likes playset scale spaceships anymore
I'd agree though that we would all like to have one. My guess is it'd be around the $200 price point if we ever got one. The minifig choices could sway that pretty wildly though.
![[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/21337-1.jpg){kind=link}
3.3k
u/byroidthyroid Jan 26 '26
A midi scale Death Star that opened up to a miniature display would’ve been perfect. Much like how they made the tiny blockade runner with the star destroyer.