Review – 30386-1: Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter polybag

Before the coronavirus madness struck, one of my LEGO purchases from our local Wal-Mart store was the new 30386-1: Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter” polybag. This isn’t the first X-wing fighter to be released as a polybag. I have two others in my personal collection – 2011’s “30051-1: Mini X-wing” and 2016’s “30278-1: Poe’s X-wing Fighter” – and I know there’s others I don’t have. So how does the new X-wing fighter polybag compare to the old models? Let’s find out.

The package

I’ll be honest, when I first found the Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter polybag in Wal-Mart, I wasn’t all that excited to see yet another X-wing fighter. But then I noticed some carrot elements in the bag. And then I saw some ski-poles. And that’s when I became a little more interested. If nothing else, I knew this build would have some unique components to it.

Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter includes 68 parts. It follows the orange and white color scheme from The Rise of Skywalker. It comes with the standard smaller format polybag instruction book.

The build

The build begins with a rather blocky rear section, which sets up parts for the rest of the build. The four white “Plate Special 1 x 1 with Clip Light [Thick Ring]” elements will ultimately be used to attach the wing components. The light bluish grey “Plate Special 3 x 2 with Hole” element will be used to attach the cockpit and nose section of the fighter. The hole in that element will be used to offset the front of the X-wing by 1/2 stud from the rear.

The engine components are built next, with light bluish grey bars inserted into the ring clips. Orange “Brick Round 1 x 1 Open Stud” elements and the carrot elements are used to form the engines. Light bluish-grey “Tile 1 x 1 Half Circle” elements are used in the front for the engines’ intakes.

The nose of the X-wing is built next, attaching to the underside of the “Plate Special 3 x 2 with Hole” element.

The remaining elements for the cockpit assembly provide added stability for the connection between the front and the rear of the X-wing.

Finally, the four wing assemblies are built and attached to the previously assembled rods using “Plate Special 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End” elements. The ski poles and white “Equipment Telescope” elements are used to create the X-wing’s laser cannons.

One downside is some noticeable gaps when the wings are collapsed. The sequel trilogy X-wing fighters have a very distinct design where the wings fold together completely flat and that isn’t accomplished here.

From the rear, the blocky nature of the original build steps becomes more apparent. I like the use of the carrots for the engine but I miss the transparent dark pink cones used in the previous X-wing polybag, “30278-1: Poe’s X-wing Fighter” from The Force Awakens.

The result

“30386-1: Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter” is a fun build with some creative part usage. The ski poles used for the laser cannons look great, while the carrots used for the engines are a unique use of the part, although the effect gets a little lost in the final build. I also like the use of the old-school part “Plate Special 3 x 2 with Hole”, which has been around in various styles since the 1970s, to attach the front and rear sections of the X-wing.

Compared to previous X-wing polybags, the white and orange color combination, while true to the source material in the movie, lacks the visual punch of the black and orange used in the previous X-wing polybag. But both are improvements over the 2011 polybag, “30051-1: Mini X-wing”.

All things considered, polybags are a fun, low-cost diversion from the larger sets and show off unique ways to create microscale builds with a limited number of parts. “30386-1: Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter” is no exception and is well-worth adding to your LEGO collection.