The galaxy — not the one we call home — is under a constant state of threat from the Komplex, which spreads rapidly and grows stronger with every species it takes over. In this galaxy, humanity’s only hope is the Forge, who pilot their own armada of spacecraft called Snap Ships.
This storyline introduces kids to a world of possibilities before they even open — heck, before they even purchase — a Snap Ships set from PlayMonster. Each ship in the armada comes with its own unique story and its own unique way to defeat the Komplex. The Snap Ships Gladius AC-75 Drop Ship is piloted by the bearish leader Dex and the highly spirited, young pilot Dee La and it’s ready for battle.
Well, to clarify, it’s ready for battle once kids put the pieces together. The ship starts out disassembled with a whopping 124 pieces. Instructions are easy to follow but since it’s massive, it is also easy to make a mistake if you’re not paying attention. Luckily, pieces can be taken back out and placed back in correctly.
It’s entirely possible that, while building Gladius, I got distracted and put one of its wings on completely backward. I will not admit if that actually happened, but it could have, and if it did, I would have easily removed the pieces that I put in wrong and rebuilt it correctly. (Alright, you caught me. It did happen and it was a simple fix.) Parents, if you’re going to try to build this, drink a latte first so you don’t suffer the same fate, but you are better off leaving it to kids because creating the ship is part of the fun (plus they’ll work on their hand-eye coordination and practice following directions).
When Gladius is put together it can join up with other Snap Ships or start a fight against the Komplex. There are nine total ships from both sides currently available, but more are surely on their way to the battle. The big draw of these ships is that they can be used with other Snap Ships or just about any other ship in kids’ collections. The galaxy is truly in kids’ hands because the imaginative play options are endless.
Each kit is also modular, so kids can take it one step further and build a completely unique spaceship. The Gladius AC-75 Drop Ship might not need any modifications, however, because as the biggest ship in the series, it’s primed and ready for battle. It includes real shooting action, as well as the instructions and pieces for a ground-dwelling rover. Truly, it can’t get more out of this world.