The Armorer’s Mandalorian Forge (LEGO Star Wars set 75319) is a small (258 pieces) set that was released in September 2021 for $29.99. There are plenty of online reviews at this point describing the set and commenting on its accuracy and value. Instead, I decided to focus my review (pun intended ?) on its potential usefulness for toy photographers.

The Mandalorian’s first look inside.

The Forge

The forge is obviously the main attraction, and for toy photography, it was a win for me.  I spent quite awhile playing with various lighting options for the blue flames. A single small LED light (I have these) placed in the center of the forge was the easiest. Light painting with a small flashlight or just lighting the flames as part of the rest of the scene also worked well.

Ready to melt down some Beskar.

The Other Sections

The other two sections, while small, were definitely fun to photograph. The doorway section has stickered tiles with the Mythosaur skull on them, one for each side of the door. This section also includes a small stand with an extra helmet and a cleverly designed mini anvil using an inverted ice skate.

Nice helmet.

The workbench section includes a tool cabinet which, although not very photogenic as is, could maybe be improved by replacing the tool sticker with some actual tools, extra weapons, or other goodies. The rest of the workbench, with its computer and press, is quite useful. And that little printed hologram piece – thumbs up!

Hologram! (no comments on my lackluster stickering skills please ?.)

From a photographic standpoint, it would be nice if these two sections were a little taller and if they did not have a big gap between them. I may end up modifying them for future photo sessions by adding extra bricks or maybe just buying a second set and making more of a “surround” for the forge.

Discussing business.

The Minifigures

There are three minifigures in the set, each with plenty of details and photographic interest. The Armorer is my favorite of the three. With her horned gold helmet, printed leather apron, hammer, and tongs, she definitely looks the part. I may add a fur shawl to make her a little more authentic for future photos.

The Armorer skillfully wields the tools of her trade.

Paz Vizsla is decked out in bulky shoulder armor emblazoned with a small Mythosaur skull emblem. He has a brick-built jetpack and a blaster cannon gun, obviously ready for action.

A very imposing-looking Paz arrives on the scene.

The Mandalorian (Din Djarin) minifig also looks great and includes fun details including his Mudhorn signet and whistling bird bracelet. He also has a sleek jetpack and a few weapons to choose from.

“Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength.”

All three of these minifigures will surely find their way into more photos as their stories unfold. By the way, if you are looking for printed heads to add to your photographic arsenal, you won’t find them here. As true Mandalorians should never reveal their faces, all you’ll find are plain black heads under their helmets.

Another look at the workstation computer and press.

Conclusion

I loved the look of The Armorer’s Mandalorian Forge set when I first saw it and knew I at least wanted it for the minifigures. I was also happy to have all the tools, weapons, Beskar ingots, detonator tiles, and that cool printed hologram piece to add even more photographic variety. Seeing the awesome images toy photographers created with other small LEGO Star Wars sets like Trouble on Tatooine and Duel on Mandalore inspired me to actually build this and try photographing it as a set rather than just pilfering the parts. I am so glad I did.