LEGO Set 40686-1 – Trade Federation Troop Carrier: Alternate Build Possibilities

The 40686-1 Trade Federation Troop Carrier is a compact parts pack that’s begging to be rebuilt. With its earthy tans, dark tans, and warm grays, this set is rich in plates, slopes, brackets, and small detail pieces that are perfect for Star Wars micro-scale vehicles, display dioramas, and creative troop-carrier variants. The curved hull elements and hinge plates make it easy to sculpt new silhouettes—think squat hovercraft, skiffs, or gunboats—while the assortment of tiles and cheese slopes gives you all the texture you need for crisp paneling and greebling. The color palette naturally suits prequel-era Separatist craft, but the neutral tones also adapt well to Wookiee, pirate, or outer-rim themes.

Beyond clean rebuilds, this set shines for modular enhancements. The long plates and brackets can extend the carrier’s footprint, while SNOT bricks let you add armored skirts, cargo pods, and troop racks. A few cleverly offset plates can re-angle the nose or tail to transform the profile entirely, and small bar/clip connections open up options for canopies, hangar cradles, or speeder docking points. If you enjoy display setups, there’s more than enough here to frame the carrier on a baseplate with terrain, scattered crates, and blaster emplacements—ideal for a compact shelf diorama.

To help you get started, below you’ll find a curated gallery of alternate builds, partial alternates, and clever mods made specifically around 40686-1. Each model lists its designer and a direct link to the instructions. Explore, rebuild, and deploy!

Gallery & Instructions

Alternate Builds

Wookiee Catamaran

Designer: MasterBrickSeparator
Get the instructions: Wookiee Catamaran

Droid Dropship

Designer: Blue Bricks
Get the instructions: Droid Dropship

Partial Alternate 

Separatist MTT Midi Scale 

Designer: thebrickshipyard
Get the instructions: Separatist MTT Midi Scale

Modifications

Trade Federation Troop Carrier (Platoon Attack Craft) – Mod

Designer: OrchardBuilds
Get the instructions: Platoon Attack Craft

Display Diorama for Set 40686 – Trade Federation Troop Carrier (Mod)

Designer: gabizon
Get the instructions: Display Diorama

Extended Trade Federation Troop Carrier (Mod)

Designer: productionsdiratia
Get the instructions: Extended Troop Carrier

Trade Federation Troop Carrier Mod

Designer: productionsdiratia
Get the instructions: Troop Carrier Mod