What is a hailfire droid?

It is a Separatist droid tank that rolls on two large wheels and carries missiles. It appears in the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones.

Why does set 4481 have so few unique parts?

Only 78 of its 680 pieces are unique, so many parts are repeated. Building two identical wheels accounts for much of that.

Does the Hailfire Droid set include any minifigures?

No, there are no minifigures in this set. It concentrates entirely on the droid.

Star Wars

Hailfire Droid

Set 4481 builds one of the stranger war machines of the Clone Wars: a Separatist droid that rolls into battle on two giant wheels. Released in 2003, it uses 680 pieces and has no minifigures.

Set number: 4481
Year: 2003
Pieces: 680
Minifigures: 0
Theme: Star Wars
Different parts: 78

What can I build with it?

Parts list 78

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (9)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

A wheeled war machine

Hailfire droids are missile-carrying Separatist tanks that travel on a pair of huge hoop-like wheels. They take part in the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, though only briefly, which is part of what makes a dedicated set appealing. Most Star Wars collections are dominated by starfighters and walkers, so a rolling droid adds a shape that stands apart on the shelf and draws attention from anyone who knows the prequels well.

Repetition by design

Just 78 of the 680 pieces are unique, which is a very low proportion. Many elements are used again and again, and with two large wheels of identical construction, parts of the build will repeat. If you value variety above all, that is worth knowing in advance. If you collect parts for your own designs, it is an advantage, since sets like this supply larger quantities of the same elements rather than a scattering of one-offs.

An unusual palette

Black and light grey form the base, joined by brown and pearl light grey. Those last two colours are not common in Star Wars sets, and together they give the droid a slightly weathered, metallic appearance. Once the model is dismantled, brown is useful for wood, earth and rustic buildings, while pearl light grey suits shiny mechanical detail. As a 2003 set, it uses the older light grey rather than the later bluish shade.

Parts list and new uses

Because there are no minifigures, every one of the 680 pieces goes into the droid itself. The full inventory is available further down this page, listed by part and colour, so you can check a second-hand example quickly. The What can I build? tool compares the pieces with other models and shows what your collection could make with them, which is handy if the droid ever needs to make way for something else. The repeated elements in particular tend to slot neatly into larger projects.

FAQ

What is a hailfire droid?: It is a Separatist droid tank that rolls on two large wheels and carries missiles. It appears in the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones.
Why does set 4481 have so few unique parts?: Only 78 of its 680 pieces are unique, so many parts are repeated. Building two identical wheels accounts for much of that.
Does the Hailfire Droid set include any minifigures?: No, there are no minifigures in this set. It concentrates entirely on the droid.