Alienator B-model: alternate build of LEGO® 10355 Blacktron Renegade

The LEGO® Icons Blacktron Renegade is now available to all, and the B-model instructions are on the LEGO building instructions portal, meaning I could finally construct the walker and repair mech alternate builds.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
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10355 Blacktron Renegade

• Release date: 1 January 2025
• Pieces: 1151
• Ages: 18+

Price:

• US$ 99.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 129.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 89.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 179.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 179.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 99,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 99,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 99,99 on LEGO.com France
• PLN 439.99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 1399,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 899.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

I have already reviewed the main build of Blacktron Renegade remake and the interesting parts in set 10355. As you will recall, the model breaks down into rearrangeable modules.

This meant that the first 45 pages of the instruction booklet for the Alienator was already done, as the main cockpit, rocket boosters, communications unit and the two speeders from the Renegade are all re-used here. The minifigures, droid and red power cells are also re-used in this build too.

Then, ahead of rebuilding the new update of the Alienator, the instructions move to an extra little side-build of a repair mech. I was most excited for this part of the build. Shades of the Power Loader from Aliens in Chibi form are clear in this Blacktron repair mech. 

There is a delightful cuteness to it, especially as it is something that came about as a bit of an after-thought, as designer Jae Won Lee explained in his interview when Tim spoke to him at the Fan Media Days in Denmark back in September 2024. 

For the remainder of the instruction booklet we return to the Alienator build.

The Alienator's chassis is built from other parts left from the Renegade. The "legs" shuffle in the same way as the original, but using Technic pins for rotation points instead of 2x2 turntables. 

Finally, all the modules salvaged from the Renegade build are now attached to the Alienator chassis to complete the model. If you have bought two copies, some of the modularity might speed up this part of the build.

I had been thinking of this new incarnation of the Alienator as being the Alternator, but in person it's much too big for that, this is more of an Intimidator! Furthermore, when it brings its cute little mech buddy along, that impression of largeness is exacerbated!

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison with the 1988 original, as my old 6876 Alienator is still donating its parts to a facsimile of the old 6954 Renegade that I put together to compare with its successor for my earlier review. Plus, I honestly feel that the differences between the two versions are so great, a detailed comparison would only be unfair to both. 

Nostalgia makes me prefer the original, with its baby raven, gorky cuteness. The re-imagined model has size on its side, and uses so many more parts that the original – made of a mere 92 pieces – can't really compete in some respects.

After a little consideration and playing around, I think the new version actually looks better without the legs.

For a B-model, a good quantity of the parts are used but I was surprised by how many of the larger parts were left over.

Conclusion

All in all, as an extra to the main build, the new Alienator is a pleasing addition to the overall value of the set. I think the Repair Mech is a delight and, with few small amendments to make something more of the arms, would work as a small standalone set!

Do I need two copies of set 10355 so I can have both this alternate build and the Renegade built simultaneously? I'm not sure I do. I'm not wholly convinced by this alternate build as anything more than a nice additional bonus and perhaps if there had been more in the set (admittedly necessitating a higher price), I might feel different. Perhaps if there was a C-model too, that better represented an updated Battrax (with bigger wheels), so that owning three sets might re-imagine the whole original range?

There are also lots of lovely new sets that have just been released, many of which I also want. On balance, I have to say, one copy 10355 is probably all you actually 'need'... unless you want extra parts for your own MOCs!

READ MORE: We list the over 1300 new elements found in January 2025 sets

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