LEGO Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer (UCS)

Hey everyone, it’s Tanner. The LEGO Imperial Star Destroyer “Devastator” (set 75252) is the LEGO build that recreates the single most famous opening shot in cinema history — and as of 2024 it’s officially retired, which means the secondary market is now where you go to chase one.

What Makes This Set Special

The set isn’t just an Imperial Star Destroyer — it’s the Devastator specifically, the ship that opens Star Wars: A New Hope by chasing and capturing the Tantive IV in the iconic minute-long zoom shot. To recreate the scene properly, the box includes a micro-scale Tantive IV built to display in front of the Star Destroyer.

When you stage the Devastator with the Tantive IV positioned just below and ahead, you have the opening shot of Star Wars in LEGO form on your shelf. That’s the thesis of this set — and it lands every single time.

The Build

4,784 pieces, roughly 18 hours across five sessions. Sequenced keel-up: Technic spine first, lower hull, upper hull, the bridge tower, the dual rear engine clusters, then the surface detailing (turrets, antennae, panel lines) last. The Tantive IV micro-build is its own small assembly that comes together in about 90 minutes.

The single most satisfying moment is bag 25, when the upper hull plates close over the bridge superstructure and you suddenly see the wedge silhouette resolve. The wedge is the defining shape of Imperial naval design — and seeing it appear in LEGO scale earns the price of admission.

The Minifigures

Two figures:

• Imperial Officer in officer’s grey uniform
• Imperial Crewman in standard Imperial fatigues

Minimal minifig casting, by design — the Devastator is a ship-display set, not a character set. The figures function as scale references rather than focal points. If you want named Imperial figures, the standard line of Star Wars LEGO sets is where to find Vader, Tarkin, etc.

The Tantive IV Micro-Build

The included Tantive IV at micro-scale is what makes this set legendary. It’s a small (roughly 12cm) Corellian Corvette, fully detailed at micro-scale, with a small display stand that positions it just below and ahead of the Devastator’s bow.

When staged correctly, the Tantive IV and Devastator together recreate the opening 60 seconds of A New Hope. The micro-Tantive is one of the most photographed LEGO sub-builds of all time, and you can find dozens of LEGO photographers on Instagram who have built dioramas around just this single small ship.

Now Retired — Secondary Market Reality

LEGO retired set 75252 in early 2024. Aftermarket trajectory:

• eBay sold (early 2024 / pre-retirement): $675 sealed
• eBay sold (mid-2024): $850 sealed, $700 opened-built
• eBay sold (mid-2025): $1,200 sealed, $950 opened-built

That’s roughly 175% of MSRP on sealed copies in 18 months — among the strongest retirement-curve performances of any modern UCS Star Wars set, alongside the original UCS Falcon.

If you’re shopping now: target a built copy under $850 if patience allows. Sealed copies above $1,200 are speculative — you’re betting on continued appreciation.

Display Reality Check

Footprint: 108cm long × 45cm wide × 32cm tall with the display stand. This is a flagship-tier display piece — comparable to the Venator (75367) and demanding equivalent shelf space.

I display mine on a wall-mounted bookshelf with the Tantive IV positioned just ahead of the bow at a slight downward angle. The composition is the famous opening shot, frozen at the moment of capture. It’s the most cinematic display I have in the entire collection.

Is It Worth Chasing on the Secondary Market?

If you have the budget for a built copy under $900: yes, but only if you genuinely care about the opening-shot recreation. The build experience is excellent, but the price has crossed into “investment grade collectible” territory rather than “fair price for a great build.”

If you’re patient, sealed copies occasionally appear at $1,000–$1,100 from estate sales and casual collector exits. Set an eBay alert for “75252 sealed” with a max bid filter and check weekly.

For the broader retired Star Wars context, see my LEGO retired sets buyer’s guide 2026.