Review: MT-101 Armored Drilling Unit (#7699)

Public Categorized as LEGO Space, Reviews, BrickJournal Resources, Public, BrickJournal Exclusive, LEGO Mars Mission.

Tagged with 2007, 7699, armored drilling unit, joe meno, mission mars, mt-101

Have Wheels,

Will Travel

A Review by Joe Meno
Set Photos Provided by the LEGO Group
Alternate Photos by Joe Meno

Set #: 7699
Figures: 3 minifigs, 2 Martians
Parts: 635
Instructions: 2 books
Stickers: Yes
Price:$79.99 USD

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Mars Mission, as a theme, has been a mixed bag for building. While there has been a general look for the Martians (black, round and organic flyers) and the Earthmen (white, orange, and a moderately mechanical look), the building for the most part has been unsophisticated. While that makes building the set easy, the design is a little lacking.

Not so with the Armored Drilling Unit. This is a larger model and has some really neat features, which make this set a pretty fun build.

Building the Set

7699breakdown

The first feature is that the main model is not one model, but a set of three that fit together. The smallest is a fat-wheeled cycle, meant for the Martian terrain, with room for one figure. This is a pretty simple build, and by itself would be a little disappointing, as it is a little spare on parts.

The cycle fits loosely into the second model, a flying single-seat shuttle. The cycle fits easily into the shuttle in what would be a cargo bay. The shuttle is a nicer build, with a canopy that opens for the pilot. The stabilizer fins can be swung up and down, and there are two capture tubes to hold aliens or crystals on each side. The ship is small enough to swoosh around, which is a fun touch.

Both the cycle and shuttle fit into the Armored Drilling Unit (ADU), which is a pretty nicely designed vehicle. The six wheels are built into a frame that allows for a suspension system – the axles can all tilt independently. The shuttle fits on a base that tilts for launch. During safe mode, the shuttle and cycle are stowed away and are covered by the side panels of the ADU, which uses click hinges to angle the panels together. I really liked how all the parts of the model fit together – it’s easy to imagine the back of the ADU opening to launch the shuttle in an emergency. The drill is a little spindly, but has nice articulation, so it can swivel and rotate. Science -fiction movie fans might recognize the resemblance of the ADU with a vehicle in a movie made a few years ago – the Armadillo in Armageddon.

The ADU also has a canopy for a driver, and a top-mounted ball-launching ‘gun’ which comes in handy when defending against the Martian attack fighter – a small one-Martian craft that is another easy build. The Martians are easy builds too, but are not that great at all. Unlike other figures, these have almost no articulation, except for the waist. These figures were designed to fit in the pods that fit in the capture tubes, but really don’t do much else.

In terms of building, the set is a fun build all around – the model is set up to build from easy assemblies to the final build, which takes a little time to complete. The fun thing is that each model creates more anticipation for the complete set.

Building the Alternate(s)

And after I finished the set, I built an alternate. Actually I built a few alternates, and had a few parts left over.

Alt1

Tanker ship, with opening hatch.

Alt3

Cargo mover, filled with leftover Technic joints.

Alt4

Refueling station with solar panels and communcation dishes

Alt5

Defense gun, for...

Alt8

attacking aliens, on a walker and a speeder!

I made a space tanker with a landing base that was a refueling station. The wheels of the set made great fuel tanks and engines, and the canopies were used in an unorthodox way to create a cockpit. The capture tubes were changed to part of the refueling structure, and I was able to build a few support vehicles too, including a portable gun.

The Martians now had an attack walker and speeder to try to stop the Mission Mars crew from taking off, and I’m happy that I was able to build a Martian vehicle that could be ‘shot ‘ by the gun!

The ADU is a good set to build – the assortment of models in the set is nice for playability, and the variety and number of parts allows for lots of building possibilities. The only complaints I have are with the Martians, as they just aren’t good figures. For me, this is the must-have set of the Mission Mars theme.

Many thanks to the LEGO Group for providing set pictures.