Unwrapping the Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar: Day 5

Begun, the Clone Wars have—at least, as far as the 2023 Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar is concerned. We were promised ships and other builds from the Clone Wars era, and today we have our first: a Clone Wars era turbo tank aka the HAVw A6 Juggernaut.

These formidable, armored vehicles first appeared in Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith. They were deployed in the Battle of Kashyyyk and played a role in some of the coolest footage from the trailer for Episode III.

Juggernauts also saw action from Felucia to Coruscant in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. A very young Ahsoka Tano learned a valuable lesson about following orders at the First Battle of Felucia (as seen in the second season premiere, “Holocron Heist”) when she watched her own Juggernaut explode under a Separatist onslaught—a Juggernaut she had nearly refused to abandon.

These tanks were manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards for the Grand Army of the Republic. In addition to posing a challenging obstacle on the battlefield to any would-be droid combatant, these tanks also served as transports for clone troopers, bringing them right into the action. The Juggernaut’s successor, the HCVw A9 turbo tank, was used by the Galactic Empire, first appearing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The LEGO build itself looks the part, at least at a distance. The two tones of gray give an added texture to this hulking machine, and the tank has its customary ten wheels. Overall, though, I’m a little disappointed in this one: The wheels don’t spin—they don’t even reach the ground—and the turret doesn’t easily rotate. Looking at it straight on, you’d be forgiven for not realizing it’s even a tank; it’s best seen from above. But, I guess when you have to boil down a build that was originally more than 900 pieces to roughly 20, a sacrifice must be made.

Onward to Day 6.