Star Wars set

The first sci-fi set in my collection was a Thunderbird set. Being a fan of sci-fi, I did keep my eyes open for other sci-fi-related sets, and one that pops up on eBay quite regularly is a Star Wars set. Actually, there are at least four or five different sets, some nicer than others.

The one I went for is one linked to the original Star Wars trilogy ("A New Hope" - "The Empire Strikes Back" - "Return of the Jedi", now officially designated as episodes IV to VI). Pieces differ between the two sides and include Luke Skywalker (carrying Yoda), Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, C3PO and R2D2, Boba Fett, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. X-Wings and Tie Fighters feature as the pawns.

Setting up the board as depicted on the box, you may notice one odd thing: yes, h1 and a8 are black ...

Leaving that issue as it is (maybe, in a galaxy far, far away, h1/a8 are indeed black), I did make a few changes to the identity of the pieces. I felt Han Solo was better as knight than bishop, and that Yoda, being carried by Luke Skywalker, was better as bishop. So I turned those two around. Similarly, I swapped knight and bishop on the dark side, making the Red Guards bishops and Stormtroopers knights.

The pieces are made of some sort of plastic, and are of good quality, with a decent amount of detail.

Wonder how Darth Vader would feel about being queen in a chess set ...

The set now lives on its own cardboard board, but maybe I'll create a circular board for it one day, resembling the holochess table on the Millennium Falcon.