Sunday, May 24, 2026

Review of the LesDIY Custom Star Wars Clone Turbo Tank building block set

 

Hey brick fans!

Big alternate brick sets are always a gamble—especially when you’re dealing with a 3000+ piece MOC of something as complex as a Star Wars Clone Turbo Tank. LesDiy’s version of the Brick_Boss designed 3298-piece version promises an enormous, detailed build, but size alone doesn’t guarantee a good experience. Let’s see how this one actually performs once the bricks start going together.


Background

*(I asked  chatgpt for a brief overview of the turbo tank)*

The Clone Turbo Tank, officially designated the HAVw A6 Juggernaut, was one of the Republic’s largest and most heavily armored ground assault vehicles during the Clone Wars. Designed by Kuat Drive Yards, the enormous ten-wheeled transport served as a mobile command center, troop carrier, and battlefield assault platform capable of traversing harsh terrain while carrying clone troopers, walkers, and heavy equipment into combat. Its thick armor and powerful laser cannons made it especially effective during large-scale planetary battles.


The vehicle became especially memorable through its appearances in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where it was frequently deployed on dangerous frontline missions. Fans of the franchise often regard the Clone Turbo Tank as one of the most iconic Republic vehicles thanks to its imposing design, massive wheel system, and ability to function almost like a moving fortress on the battlefield.

The popularity of the Clone Turbo Tank in the Star Wars universe naturally led to several official LEGO recreations over the years. Beginning in 2005, LEGO introduced its first version of the massive Republic vehicle, capturing the tank’s distinctive ten-wheel design and heavy armored appearance in brick form. Later releases in 2010 and 2016 refined the model with improved shaping, more detailed interiors, upgraded play features, and increasingly desirable minifigure selections drawn from both Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Among collectors, the 2010 Clone Turbo Tank is often considered the definitive official version due to its larger size and expanded interior sections, while the 2016 release offered a more compact but highly detailed redesign inspired by the Battle of Kashyyyk. Over time, the vehicle has become one of the most recognizable and sought-after Republic army builds in the LEGO Star Wars lineup, inspiring not only official sets but also enormous fan-made custom creations that push the scale and detail far beyond what LEGO has officially produced.

For sheer size, I also included hachiroku24's custom behemoth of the turbo tank which he built earlier this year using over 15,700 pieces.


Version Year Piece Count Notes
LEGO Clone Turbo Tank 7261 2005 801 First official version based on Revenge of the Sith. Included Mace Windu and Phase II Clone Troopers.
LEGO Clone Turbo Tank 8098 2010 1,141 Largest official version with detailed interior. Included Anakin, Ahsoka, Cad Bane, and Aayla Secura.
LEGO Clone Turbo Tank 75151 2016 903 More compact redesign with Kashyyyk styling. Included Commander Gree and Quinlan Vos.
Hachiroku24 Custom Clone Turbo Tank Custom Build 2026 ~15,700 Massive fan-made minifigure-scale Clone Turbo Tank created by YouTuber Hachiroku24. Estimated weight close to 40 lbs.


The LESDIY Clone Turbo Tank fits neatly alongside the official LEGO versions as a more ambitious, display-focused take on the same iconic Republic vehicle. It keeps the familiar overall shape and ten-wheel structure that define the Turbo Tank across official sets, but expands the scale and adds a higher level of surface detail that goes beyond what typical retail LEGO sets can achieve. Despite being an unofficial build, it still feels consistent with the LEGO Star Wars aesthetic, making it easy to imagine it as a larger “next step” version sitting on the shelf next to the official 2005, 2010, and 2016 releases. 

First, it’s worth breaking down the key specs of the set and what comes in the package before diving into the unboxing and build quality.  A huge thanks to LesDiy for providing this set for my review!

The Specs


Set Name LesDiy Clone HAV A6 Turbo Tank
SKU 3694999
Designer Brick_boss_pdf
Piece Count 3298 pieces
Age Rating 16+
Minifigures None
Printed Parts None
Stickers None
Lighting None
Manual Online PDF via QR code
Retail Price $279.99 USD


Feel free to use my affiliate code itsnotlego20 to save 20% off your purchases at LesDiy.  It should apply on both the LesDiy.com and LesDiy.de websites.  I think Lesdiy has a cool promotion happening on their website so do check them out!


Unboxing

LesDiy packages the Clone Turbo tank set in a generic white box with a printed label as the box cover.  Instead of referring to the HAV A6 Turbo Tank name used on the website, my box was labelled as Sci-Fi 10-Wheeled.  I counted 19 bags of parts in no particular numbered sequence. Some of the parts were packaged in cellophane and other parts were contained in little ziplock bags.


To access the set instructions, a card containing a QR code is included inside the box.  Scanning the QR code will give you access to a google drive that hosts the instructions in PDF format.   While each step is numbered, you will have to dig through each of the parts bags to find the appropriate part for the the build.  I highly recommend that you open all of the bags in advance of the build and sort the parts by blocks, plates, tiles, etc by however it is meaningful to you so that your build can proceed smoothly.

The Build



There are 480 steps listed in the instructions divided over 373 pages.  The last few pages include a Lego style parts inventory for the set.

The build is broken down into what I consider are the three major components:  The Chassis, the Wheels and the Body.

The Chassis


Building the Chassis of the Turbo tank consists of applying alternating layers of technic and snot bricks with plates while attaching the 10 axles long the way.  It's quite a large component and you can see that the height of the chassis alone is about 2 minifigures high.

There will be two large pistons at each end. The two large pistons at the back were problematic as they would always fall off whenever the chassis was handled.  I was able to fix this later by attaching a 2x2 plate under each piston for extra stability.  I decided to build the other two pistons much later in case they also fell off.

The final step of the chassis section is to attach all of the panels and suspension detailing.  I was missing 1 2x4 block from the set, but luckily I had a few in my own parts stash to replace it.  My initial impression of the chassis component was that it was over engineered.  If I had to build it again, I'd probably have reduced/changed the parts usage while still preserving the structural integrity of the chassis.  

The Wheels



The next component to build are the large wheels.  These are complex constructs on their own, involving 50 parts per wheel, and then you have 10 of them to build.

Brick clutch and quality for the most part at this point in the build has been fairly decent.  However one exception were the small gray technic pins that are used to attach the circular plates to the wheels.  They had very little clutch power and I replaced a majority of them with ones from my own parts stash.  


For those of you who don't have extra technic pins, I'd probably suggest a touch of glue at each touch point, otherwise the plate assembly will come off when you try and roll the wheels.  You will need to do this on both the inner and outer plates of the wheel assembly.

Here's how the chassis looks with all of the wheels attached.  There's a small cavity inside the chassis, that is accessed by a ramp that swings downward.  I believe it's supposed to represent a stairwell and access to the upper part of the clone turbo tank.   Too bad there isn't an actual staircase or lift up to the next level.

The Body



The next sequence of pictures is just me building the sections of the tank floor and body.

Tea break!

Building up one of the cockpits.  I forgot to check my parts bin to see if I have any printed parts representing instrument clusters, as there are no printed parts provided for this set.

In true fashion, I have yet again deviated from the instructions.  The OG instructions from Lesdiy uses  bands of black plates to represent the windscreen.  I modified my version of the build to use transparent smoked gray bricks.  I had enough bricks for one cockpit window, but not enough for the other as we will see later.

Behind the cockpit, there is a storage space where two containers are located.  Snot bricks are built up so that panels an be attached to the sides.


Here's the central box part of the build. Lots of space to hold a complement of clonetroopers or small vehicles like speeder bikes.

The cockpit at the other end is pretty much a mirror of the first, except that it sits lower.

Having pretty much completed the interior, we now focus our attention to the external panels and greebling.  In the picture above you will notice that I've left the windscreen unfinished because I ran out of the transparent gray bricks I used for the other cockpit.  I've ordered some more off Aliexpress, but it's probably going to take 3 to 4 weeks before I get them.

Adding the detailed panels to what I call the neck section.  The guns are static and don't swivel.


Adding more roof panels.

Yeah, it's pretty ugly here at the moment.  Just call it battle damaged for now.

The side panels can be removed to access the interior storage space.

Minifig placement for the fun of it.  A reminder that all pictured minifigures in this review are my own, since the set comes with none.




The Lesdiy clone turbo tank set also includes parts and instructions to build two Barc speeder bikes.  I've only built one of them for now.  Oh while I remember, Lesdiy sells this kit with either the red markings to indicate the 41st Elite Corp or the blue markings to represent the 501st Battalion.  I got the blue version, but it wouldn't take much to change the markings/designations to whatever colour you liked, you'd only need a handful of tiles for the sides and front of the turbo tank and for the speeder bikes.






Final Thoughts


The LESDIY Clone HAV A6 Turbo Tank is one of those sets that really leans into size and presence. At over 3,000 pieces, it delivers a solid, detailed build that captures the bulk and silhouette of the Republic’s iconic war machine without feeling overly simplified. It’s not an official LEGO set, but it still fits comfortably alongside them on display, especially if you’re already into Clone Wars-era builds.

Where it really stands out is value and scale. You’re getting a massive, shelf-dominating model for a price that would be hard to match in official releases. The trade-offs are what you’d expect from a set like this—no printed parts, no minifigures, and a fully digital instruction process—but if your focus is the build itself and the final display piece, those don’t really take away from the experience.

I think I had one or two missing pieces but nothing noteworthy or significant.  The only real downside to the set was the lack of clutch on the short technic pins.  I would replace them or add some glue for better grip.  The pistons on the both ends of the chassis could have been designed a bit better. Other than that the brick clutch of all of the other parts used was very good.  

The Turbo tank feels sturdy when handled and I liked that you could remove the roof panels and the side panels for interior access.  The two included Barc speeders were a nice bonus.  Just for the pair of them would probably run you $20 or $30 if you had to buy them separately.  Oh and don't forget to pick up a few clonetroopers to display with the tank.



Overall, this is a strong pick for builders who want a large Clone Turbo Tank without waiting for an official remake. It’s best suited for display-focused Star Wars collectors who enjoy complex builds and don’t mind going off the official LEGO path to get something bigger and more ambitious.

Let me know what you think of this set in the comments.  Thanks for looking!  Bye!

Latest Update:  Just for fun, I added some lights to the interior.  Check it out here: https://bricksandfigs.blogspot.com/2026/05/i-added-my-own-lighting-to-lesdiy-clone.html

#lesdiy #starwars #cloneturbotank

Monday, April 13, 2026

Review of the Lumibricks Moon Bar 18009 Building Block set with Light kit

 

Hey brick fans, it's review time again! Today, thanks to Lumibricks,  we will be looking at the Lumibricks Moon Bar set.  It is set 18009 consisting of a two storey modular building, a small off-road vehicle, 5 Lumibricks style minifigures with a total of 2186 pieces.  It comes with 60 printed bricks and a 24 piece LED light kit.

Here's more of the set details from the Lumibricks website:  https://www.lumibricks.com/collections/road-trip/products/moon-bar-18009?ref=tN9EBQmQ

Ok, let's unbox this thing and build it to see what I think!


Overview

The Moon bar is a new set that is part of the Lumibricks Road Trip Saltwind Coast series. Inspired by bars along the Pacific Coast Highway, the set features a rooftop sign, side neon signage, exterior stairs, and an open-air drinking area to capture the laid-back coastal road trip vibe.

The Saltwind Coast series consists of two other sets: the Sunrise LightHouse 18007, and the Beach Lifeguard Tower 18008.

It's a colourful beach themed modular building consisting of a ground floor open air tavern, a groovy psychedlic lounge on second floor and a chillin rooftop that serves as a coastal lookout.  There's no mistaking the Moon bar with it's giant sign. 

Unboxing



Here's a look at a few pages of the instruction manuals of which there are two.  Manual one contains the instructions to assemble the minifigures and build the first floor of the moon bar via steps one thru six.  Manual two focuses on building the second floor, the rooftop and the sall off-road truck via steps seven through fourteen.

The set has numbered bags one thru fourteen that correspond to the steps in the manuals.  Additionally, there are two bags marked S for special pieces and two bags marked F.  They contain the parts to assemble the 5 minifigures and also the special bricks used to facilitate lighting installation.  The number of bags for each step is displayed below.  I counted 44 parts bags in total.





As with all Lumibricks sets, a custom lighting kit is included.  For the Moon Bar, the 24 piece light kit comes packaged in the signature orange box and specially numbered envelopes one through four.  The light kit also comes with tweezers, USB plug, and battery boxes.  You'll need to provide your own AAA and CR2032 batteries.

If this is your first time, building a Lumibricks set, pay special attention to the manual instructions about how to install the light kit.  It's advisable to test the lights as you install them, to make sure that they are in good working order.   If you do find non working components, feel free to reach out to the service department at Lumibricks where you can get free replacement parts.

The Build process




I found the Moon Bar to be a fairly easy build and would make a great entry level set for anyone who is new to Lumibricks.  Here's some pictures from the first few steps, such as constructing up the base,  floors and bar.  The multi-coloured lights under the bar counter is a nice touch.  And a nice Juke box in the corner.

The next few steps focus on building the main floor walls, doors and windows.  The beachfront bar with the big awning looks awesome.  A colour changing led light string adorns the front entrance which happens to be on the side of the building.  On the other side is the staircase that goes up to the second floor.  There's a cool electrical box to hide the battery pack under the stairs.  This is similar to the one on the Lumibricks Gelato Store set.   The first floor features a hinged wall which can be opened to view the interior.

Now we are moving onto the second floor which is covered by the second instruction manual.  It's got a loungey feel with a big table and some seating around it.  There's also a record player which for some reason looks like an old school gramaphone.   There's lots of nice printed pieces on the walls.

In the latter steps, we complete the second floor with walls and roof.  Here we find a removal wall and you can also remove the roof as well.  To finish off the build, we construct the big moon bar sign and light it up.


The offroad vehicle


As part of the Moon bar set, there's a nice little sub-build which is this two tone off-road vehicle.  It's got working headlights and tail lights with printed pieces.

The minifigures


The minifigures are what brings the Moon bar set to life.   Here's one of them performing on the stage while the owner bartender prepares a drink.

This surfer dude looks well tanned.

Some drama playing out in the back corner.

Here's the full cast of characters at the Moon bar!

The printed pieces




According to the Lumibricks website, there are 60 printed pieces in this set.  I've snapped a few of them here but there's more that I missed.  Even the some of the window pieces have printed on them.

Final Thoughts



The Moon bar is a cool set that isn't too difficult to build.  It's a typical modular building in that the floors and roof can be separated to view the nicely furnished interiors.  As a bonus there is a swing away wall on the ground floor and a removable wall on the second floor for more interior access.  


The lighting kit provided is nice but nothing too spectacular if compared to some of the other Lumibricks sets like the Cyberpunk series.  I do like the colour changing lights over the entrance though.

A great selection of printed pieces is a nice change from having to apply stickers to the bricks.


There were a couple of misses for me though.  The gramaphone on the record player was kind of out of place.  Also I didn't like the looks of big green chair on the second floor.   Lastly, I would have liked to see printed on  the two guitars that come with the set.

I'll probably be displaying the Moon Bar as a stand-alone set because it doesn't really fit into my city layout nor does it fit into my Cyberpunk themed layout.   All in all I give this set a 4.5 out 5 for build quality and details.

Set Detail Summary


Set name and number:  Lumibricks Moon Bar 18009
Piece count: 2186 pieces
Minifigures: 5
Printed pieces: 60 (approx)
Stickers: None
Light kit: 24 elements included
Retail price: $119.99 USD


Use my code itsnotlego to save an extra 10% off your purchases from the Lumibricks website.

Thanks for looking, bye!

#lumibricks #lumibrickskoc