[REVIEW] 7868 Mace Windu's JSF Se (2024)

Set Number: 7868

Set Name: Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter SE

Sub Theme: Clone Wars

Minifigs: Mace Windu, Tactical Droid, 2 Battle Droids & R8-B7 Astromech Droid

Parts: 313

Shop@Home Text

Repel the droid ambush with Jedi Master Mace Windu™!
Blast through the droid ambush with Mace Windu’s Jedi Starfighter™! With quad flick missiles and the reliable R8-B7 astromech droid to navigate and repair damage, Mace Windu’s Jedi Starfighter will be more than a match for the tactical droid TX-20 on his Separatist speeder. Also includes 2 battle droids on STAPs.
Includes 5 minifigures: Jedi Master Mace Windu, astromech droid R8-B7, all-new Tactical Droid TX-20 and 2 battle droids
Includes Separatist speeder and two STAPs
Open co*ckpit to play inside!
Launch the flick fire missiles!
Features retractable landing gear!
Mace Windu’s Jedi Starfighter measures 6” (15cm) wide, 10” (25cm) long and 3” (7cm) tall
Separatist speeder measures 1” wide (2cm) 5” long (12cm)

The Box:

Shows all the action = Flick fire missiles.

Plus the "NEW!"-sign that tells us of the new figs in this set.

A sign that TLG has added to all new sets that include new figs - which basically is every single set.

I guess it's some kind of sales trick that probably works well on most parents and kids.

The rear of the box shows some of the play-features.

The flippin' of the JSF's wings, the smartness of trans-clear parts to make the STAPs look like they ARE flying and the trigger for the flick missiles.

Plus we get a(nother) look at 7913, 7914 and 7929.

What's inside the box?:

At first it all looks like business as usual.

We've got 3 polybags - numbered for your smooth and easy build.

(How do you like my bedspread? )

And then we've got an instruction folder and a stickersheet with too many stickers in my opinion.

But that's the way it is - sometimes they print - sometimes they don't.

Let's not get into that usual rant which often leads to anger and hatred

Let's just keep in mind that TLG has a budget for each set and there's many factors that decide which colours we get, what gets printed and how many figs we get in a set... Mkay?

And then this happens?

A small polybag and it's not even included in one of the numbered ones.

What's going on?

It's no use going through the inventory in the instructions - it's not there.

I guess someone at TLG discovered that no blasters were in this set and that it wouldn't be much of a fight for Mace to slay unarmed Battle Droids.

So they quickly added blasters - only to discover that Battle Droids cannot wield blasters without a new arm and thus they added arms as well.

Not that I would have missed either - the Battle Droids are to ride their 2 STAPs so why give them a blaster as well?

Still extras are always good to have.

On to the build then:

Bag One hold the figs, the Separatist Speeder and 2 blue STAPs.

The Separatist Speeder is actually quite nice. I didn't add the stickers, but still it looks good.

The Tactical Droid looks a little goofy riding it though.

The STAPs are as we know them from earlier sets like 7675 AT-TE.

Blue and with a trans clear foot.

Bag Two holds the wingless JSF and is as most of the JSF a pretty straight forward build.

A side picture of the rear end of the JSF.

A not to be stickered tail and the technic axles you push when firing the Mace Windu Purple Flicks.

A better view of the flick mechanism.

It's just a plate and 2 1x4 bricks with technic holes.

It can easily be removed if you'd rather have the JSF without flick missiles.

Just removed the plate and bricks.

In fact the underside and side view might even improve if the flicky-mathingy wasn't there?

Bag Three holds the wings for the JSF and they really didn't take long to build either.

Indeed they are wings.

They clip on to the JSF and are almost identical, except for the Republic Insignia.

(and a shorter tile because of that)

The Figs:

Astromech:

Nice - really nice. This is one of the best astromechs around.

Who'd want a sunbleached white R2D2 when you can have one of these babies in your JSF?

It's even got golden printings

Somehow I managed to put the head on backwards :blush - sorry about that

Battle Droids:

The usual suspects. Same as they ever were.

Jedi Master Mace Windu:

he's looking good, but then again he looks good until the day he tries to arrest/kill Chancellor Palpatine at the brink of the rise of the Empire.

Tactical Droid TX-20:

Waaauw! Nice colour, nice prints and finally a design that's good.

Plus the plastic feels a little different from the old SBD's.

Hopefully that means the clip wont break on this one.

I'm still keeping mine disassembled just to be sure.

The Set:

The JSF from above. It sure looks pretty - a shame that they didn't print the wedge parts as I never (almost) add the stickers to regular sets.

co*ckpit view - you have to remove the canopy to get inside and that's a downside when it comes to playability.

It wouldn't be that hard to add a hinge to open and close the co*ckpit, would it?

Still, it's one good looking Separatist Army Kicker that Mace's flying.

Shot just for awesomeness and to play with a little depth.

The rear part with large light gray wedges and a white flag turns me off a little.

Engines look good, flick buttons (1 per 2 missiles) are blending in - but the lightsabre holders are NOT.

What's the point?

Engineer: "Take the lightsabre apart and click it to the rear of your fighter Mr Windu!"

Windu: "Mkay, I'll try"

[woooshy sound and then cries of agony and pain]

Windu: "It wont come apart and now I have no hands!"

Engineer: "Sorry about that - we'll think of something else"

Sheesh! One thing is clicking the 2 parts in place - getting them off again without destroying the JSF is difficult for a guy with hands the size of mine.

All in all a fine set, but it's mostly interesting because of the Tactical Droid and the fact that they named it SE - "SPECIAL EDITION"

How can anyone resist that yellow label on the box?