X-tropia Lego Blog

You may need to blow a whole birthday or holiday wish to get this bad boy, but I think it’d be worth it. I’m talking about…The Clone Turbo Tank!

Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars Set# 8098 Clone Turbo Tank $119.99 – 1141 pieces
This set is just released this July 2010 and is showing up now in ToysRus and other stores.

Here’s an overview of everything this set comes with. It consists of 1,141 pieces total, which includes the A6 Juggernaut: Clone Turbo Tank (CTT), as well as a small Scout Walker, a weapons pod, removable command center and six minifigures!

Some of the Tank’s best features are flick-fire missiles and plenty of troop seating in each of the two dual cockpits. It also has a top mounted handle that really helps move the thing around.

But the coolest thing by far about this tank is the wheels. It comes with ten wheels and they are different from the older version of this tank (that was set#7261). You can see a comparison of the old and new wheels here. The new wheels look more accurate than the old ones but they still lack that line across the center of the hubcap. That would have been a nice addition so that you can see the wheels rotate better. You can always add that with a few smooth plates from your collection though.

All of the axles have the ability to pivot up and down, and the center axle on each side has independent suspension. They use spring elements to keep the wheels flat when on a flat surface and then pivot up and down over rough terrain. Here is what the spring suspension looks like.

There are a lot of compartments with opening doors or panels that you can hide minfigs, weapons or gear in. Each of the two cockpit roofs can be opened to reveal control rooms with clone trooper seating.  There are also several headlights, but they don’t really light up. Lego needs to make it easier and cheaper to add working lights to its sets.

Quit showing off Ahsoka! hehe.

Both sides of the main compartment open and fold down to form ramps for troop deployment.

The tank is well armed with several moveable laser cannons such as this manned gun (seen with the top hatch opened) and the ones in front. Also included in the set is a small removable weapons module that can hold two Blaster Rifles and two Blaster Pistols. Plus the tank has a few flick-fire missile launchers. Take that General Grievous! lol

The Scout Walker that comes with it is kinda cute. It is made with pieces designed to be compact so it will fit into the tank’s troop bay. The walker features a seat and controls for one trooper, it’s legs are posable of course and it has a front mounted laser cannon.

The small Command Center included with the set is basically a couple of seats and some computer screens. I guess it’s a nice addition but I think they could have added another mini vehicle or a small enemy vehicle instead. That would have added a lot to the set’s value and even its playability. You can store the command center in the inner compartment.

Now on to our favorite part of any Lego set, the Minifigs! The Clone Turbo Tank included six minifigures including Anakin Skywalker, one Clone Trooper, one Clone Commander, Cad Bane, Ahsoka Tano, and Aayla Secura.

The rarest minifig is Aayla Secura. The others can be found in different sets. Cad Bane is a little different in this set cuz he has a bigger hat and the breathing tubes on his neck.

Overall this set has some great features like the new wheels and pivoting axles which work well and look great in action. No doubt this set also has a lot of playability with tons of compartments, missles and minifigs. But for collectors and display purposes I think this vehicle design is kind of plain and boxy looking. It’s accurate to the tank as seen in the show and from the films, but I admit I much prefer the look of the AT-TE walker. As for building your collection of bricks, this set includes a lot of gray colored plates. Those are always a welcome addition especially if you like building space ships and vehicles. So bottom line it’s definitely a fun addition to this latest wave of Clone Wars sets!

-Daniel

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