Launched in 2022 by Jazwares, Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadrons is a homage to the older lines of vintage collectible Star Wars toys that recreated ships and characters in miniature. At around 1/96th scale, Micro Galaxy Squadrons ships are perfectly sized for building your very own galactic armada from across each era of the saga. Already there have been 4 series that include a range of sizes, from tiny Scout Class Mystery Packs to larger Starfighter Class ships and vehicles. Each one is produced using references from the Lucasfilm archives for screen-accurate moulding and finished with weathered paint effects. As Yoda said, “size matters not”.
At Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, Jazwares had a booth on the show floor displaying previously released series and exclusively revealing new Micro Galaxy Squadrons every day. Along with these reveals came the Jazwares panel which provided an exclusive preview of what fans are getting in the rest of this year and into 2024. As part of our coverage of the event we went to check out Micro Galaxy Squadrons.
Kat: Until Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 I had never heard of Micro Galaxy Squadrons, so the Jazwares booth was a complete surprise. It was an eye-catching display of an incredible range of ships and other vehicles, with plenty of examples available to play with. After all, swooshability checks are vital! It was fantastic being able to get hands-on with some of the different vehicles and I was particularly entranced by the details on the new Baron Vonreg’s TIE Interceptor from the animated series Star Wars: Resistance.
Mark: How did these go below our radar? In fact, I think that might have been the case for a lot of fans as the booth was receiving a huge amount of attention. Now, unlike Kat, I came to this booth with a slightly different view. For in the nineties, when space was an issue, where there wasn’t too much Star Wars to buy, I was a huge collector of Star Wars Micro Machines. I had the heads that turned into settings, the vehicles on their cool stands, even the massive Death Star that opened out into, well, pretty much A New Hope! As soon as I saw Micro Galaxy Squadrons, my younger self quickly emerged, fascinated by these small ships and how time has improved on what I used to collect as a child. I could already tell nostalgia was going to play a big part in my enjoyment of these, I’m guessing the same might be said for fans of an entire generation.
For me, the immediate draw was the LAAT gunships from The Clone Wars original animated series. There were three of them, all with incredible paintwork capturing the graffiti on each, and they were perfect. As much as I like pre-painted things, the paint is usually skewed, not accurate and leaves a little to be desired. You can’t help but notice with these ships the incredible paint job on all of them!
Kat: That’s something I also noticed about the characters. They are absolutely tiny 1-inch figures and yet are instantly recognisable. From the intricate moulding to the tiny additions of paint, it’s easy to see Sabine Wren is piloting her borrowed TIE Fighter or that it’s Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing starfighter.
It’s these figures that really bring each Micro Galaxy Squadrons to life because they can be posed outside the vehicles or popped into a cockpit. With the attention to detail given to every vehicle, there are so many accurate working functions, adding not only to the display options but also to the playability of these models. You can deploy the S-foils on the X-Wings, rotate the wings on the Marauder, and even play a game of dejarik inside the Millennium Falcon. I think it’s these details that separate these new Micro Galaxy Squadrons from their nostalgic counterparts, am I right Mark?
Mark: Oh absolutely! I mean there were some hinges on a few of the models, but they were few and far between. And don’t even get me started on the figures and their paint work! The improvement over the decades can be seen so clearly here, from the paintwork to the unobtrusive hinges that don’t impact the vehicles at all. The fact that the figures can actually sit inside of the vehicle is huge for a completely other reason… kids!
Yes, these are an absolute nostalgia trip for some, for others they are perfect display pieces to show off your fandom. But as a father, and memories of childhood, these are toys that are meant to be played with. Having figures sit in their vehicles may not sound huge, but my gosh, my Micro Machine figures ended up all over the place and were a pain to find. To be able to ‘tidy up’ for the day, to have the figures safe in their respective vehicles is a huge plus as a parent not trying to find that elusive figure and as a child, you are never without your pilot.
Kat: At this point I think we can safely say we are Micro Galaxy Squadrons converts! While UK and EU distribution is a little difficult currently – something Jazwares is trying to address – with the models available in the odd Tesco or on Amazon, these are definitely something I will continue collecting (bring on Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer!). Which brings us to the next part of our review. Jazwares very kindly gave Jedi News some samples from across the Micro Galaxy Squadrons series.
Opening up my Scout Class Mystery Pack made me feel like a kid again, especially as it ended up being the escape pod from A New Hope, complete with R2-D2. What really struck me about this model was the greebling inside, as the pod opens on a basically invisible hinge, and R2-D2 can safely stow away to take his message to Obi Wan Kenobi. Which Mystery Pack did you get Mark?
Mark: Exactly the same! I couldn’t have been happier. As you say, the detail on the inside of the pod is incredible and I love that the company didn’t leave this just because it was on the inside. These cool little models are absolutely for children, who can use either pocket money to get them, leaving birthdays and holidays for them to get the bigger sets (or leave those for us adults!).
I think now is probably the right time to bring up chases. For our Artoo is actually a chase figure, one of three hidden within the boxes. Even the larger vehicles have chases that need to be found. I was fortunate to get the chase Aayla Secura’s Jedi Interceptor, and my gosh, the detail, the paint, only gets better as you move onto the bigger vehicles. Now for some fans, the thrill of the chase, the tracking down of these rarer vehicles is going to be great. I mean, for some of us slightly older folks, that’s what it was always about, being on the lookout for that rarer figure. For others, I can see it being a frustration if you want a complete collection. How are you feeling about the chase element Kat?
Kat: Chases are part of almost all brands these days, whether it’s collectible trading cards or even certain LEGO minifigures. It doesn’t particularly bother me, as I am not a completist anyway, not to mention Jazwares have announced they are repackaging some previous chases into more widely available models – either with a slightly different paint job or by including different accessories.
One of these is Ahsoka Tano’s Jedi Starfighter. This is the chase model I received, and it comes with an exclusive hyperspace ring. It’s absolutely fantastic, featuring a cockpit easily big enough for Ahsoka, and the painting of the iconic markings across the ship is spot on. Plus, there’s a droid port for R7 to help pilot it. Now this model originally arrived in Series 2, but it is returning in Series 5 as part of the Ahsoka Starfighter Evolution Pack (minus the hyperspace ring), so that will hopefully allow more fans to get this model. Chases are something that will always split fans, especially when distribution across the EU is still an issue, but the range of ships to buy is so vast that I think most fans won’t be disappointed by what they get.
Mark: I don’t either, the fact that Jazwares are re-releasing the chases, so even if you have to wait a bit longer, you can get the vehicle or character you always wanted. We did also get a chance to devour the Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon exclusive from Series 2. This thing is a beast! What really stands out for me is the inclusion of Hondo Ohnaka from The Clone Wars and Rebels. Jazwares are clearly using the entire Star Wars license to produce vehicles. With so many choices, so many fans coming to Star Wars through different means, there really is something here for everyone, whether it be the movies, the animated series, or even the theme parks.
What I love about Celebrations are the hidden gems you find, those things that slip by but you become suddenly aware of. With limited distribution, it is very easy to see how these models have bypassed a lot of British and European fans. The buzz around the booth really showed just how much these models are resonating with fans and it’s easy to see why. Star Wars has always had a history about capturing vehicles and characters on a smaller scale, since the original vintage line with Micro Machines, and Jazwares is the natural progression of that.
Below is a gallery of pictures of the Jazwares booth and their panel at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023.
