Month: May 2021

LEGO’s Stormtrooper Helmet, the One That Started My Whole Helmet Collection

Lego | Bought April 28, 2021 | $80 CAD from The Lego Store

LEGO Stormtrooper Helmet 75276
Photo: LEGO

Why I Bought It

A 647-piece buildable Stormtrooper helmet replica, about 7 inches tall with a display stand and nameplate, and one of the original three sets that launched LEGO’s Star Wars Helmet Collection. This is the one that got me into the whole helmet-collecting habit in the first place.

Living With It

The crisp white-and-black paneling genuinely looks great on a shelf, and the piece count/detail feels well justified for the price. It’s an obvious nostalgia hit as an original-trilogy icon. The all-white colour scheme shows fingerprints and dust embarrassingly fast, and there are a few visible panel gaps if you look closely.

The Good

  • Crisp white/black paneling looks great on a shelf
  • Strong nostalgia factor as an original-trilogy icon
  • Solid piece count/detail for the price
  • Sturdy display stand

The Bad

  • All-white colour shows fingerprints/dust easily
  • Some visible panel gaps up close
  • No opening visor feature

Final Call

Rating: 4/5

Grab One Here

LEGO’s Scout Trooper Helmet, the Underdog of the Star Wars Helmet Collection

Lego | Bought April 28, 2021 | $80 CAD from The Lego Store

LEGO Scout Trooper Helmet 75305
Photo: LEGO

Why I Bought It

A 471-piece buildable display helmet from Return of the Jedi’s Scout (Biker) Trooper, about 7 inches tall with a display stand and nameplate, part of LEGO’s adult-oriented Helmet Collection. I’d already grabbed the Stormtrooper helmet the same day and figured I might as well round out the pair.

Living With It

The texture and paneling detail through clever piece use is genuinely impressive, and it’s a compact, lightweight shelf piece that doesn’t demand much real estate. The tan/olive colour scheme is a lot less visually striking than the Vader or Stormtrooper helmets sitting next to it, and a few of the finer details rely on stickers rather than printed pieces.

The Good

  • Clever piece use captures the texture/paneling detail well
  • Compact, lightweight for shelf display
  • Good value against other Star Wars helmets
  • Distinct battle-worn look nicely captured

The Bad

  • Less visually striking than the white/black helmets
  • Some details rely on stickers
  • No visor/face opening feature

Final Call

Rating: 4/5

Grab One Here

LEGO’s Iron Man Helmet, Proof the Helmet Collection Works Outside Star Wars Too

Lego | Bought April 29, 2021 | $80 CAD from The Lego Store

LEGO Marvel Iron Man Helmet set 76165
Photo credit: LEGO.com

Why I Bought It

My helmet shelf had turned into an unofficial Star Wars shrine by this point, and honestly it was starting to feel one-note. The LEGO Marvel Iron Man Helmet (76165) had been out since the summer of 2020, and every time I walked past it at The Lego Store I told myself I didn’t need another display piece. Late April finally broke me. It’s a 480-piece build that comes together into a roughly 7.5-inch tall helmet on its own little stand, and it was the perfect excuse to prove the collection could survive outside a galaxy far, far away.

Living With It

The build itself is a relaxing hour or so, and LEGO’s designers clearly put real effort into the faceplate shaping to get that classic Mark III silhouette right. Once it’s on the stand next to the Stormtrooper and Scout Trooper helmets, it does exactly what I wanted: breaks up the red-and-white monotony with some gold and crimson. The only knock is that the color palette is almost entirely red and gold, so up close it reads a little flatter and less textured than the Star Wars helmets, which get more visual variety from their panel lines and grey plastic.

The Good

  • Screen-accurate Mark III silhouette that reads instantly as Iron Man from across the room
  • Satisfying, fiddly build with good part variety for the piece count
  • Compact footprint compared to the bigger Star Wars helmets, so it’s easy to slot onto a crowded shelf

The Bad

  • Almost entirely red and gold, so it looks a bit flat next to helmets with more color variety
  • The display stand is plain plastic and feels like an afterthought compared to the helmet itself

Final Call

Rating: 4/5. A great palate-cleanser for the helmet collection and a genuinely fun build, just don’t expect the same panel-line detail you get from the Star Wars sets.

Grab One Here

A Mega Construx Master Chief Helmet, LEGO’s Halo-Shaped Blind Spot Filled by Someone Else

Collectibles | Bought May 1, 2021 | $50 CAD from Toys R Us

Mega Construx Halo Infinite Master Chief Helmet replica
Photo credit: eBay listing photo

Why I Bought It

After the Iron Man helmet proved my shelf could handle more than Star Wars, I went looking for a Halo piece to match, and ran straight into a gap: LEGO doesn’t make one. Mega Construx does, though — the 414-piece Halo Infinite Master Chief Helmet replica (GVN33) is basically the brick-built answer to the LEGO helmets, just from a different company. I picked it up at Toys R Us right on the heels of the Iron Man build, mostly out of curiosity about how a non-LEGO brand handles the same idea.

Living With It

Mega Construx’s bricks are compatible-ish with LEGO but noticeably less refined — the clutch power is looser and the tolerances aren’t as tight, so the finished helmet has a slightly less premium feel in the hand. That said, the sculpting on the visor and the angular Mark VI plating is genuinely well done for the piece count, and it captures the Halo Infinite look better than I expected from a third-party set. It’s earned a spot right next to the Iron Man helmet as proof my collection isn’t a one-franchise operation anymore.

The Good

  • Fills a real gap — there’s no official LEGO Halo helmet to compete with
  • Good detail on the visor and plating for a 414-piece set
  • Affordable relative to the LEGO helmets at a similar piece count

The Bad

  • Looser clutch power than LEGO — pieces don’t feel quite as locked in
  • Plastic quality feels a notch below LEGO and I’d worry about yellowing over the years

Final Call

Rating: 3.5/5. Not LEGO-quality, but it’s the only game in town for a brick-built Halo helmet, and it looks great once it’s on the shelf.

Grab One Here