Nssis-Class Clawcraft – Feedback & Discussion Welcome

[DonAngelico]

Nssis-Class Clawcraft – Feedback & Discussion Welcome 

Hello everyone,

I’m excited to share my custom minifig-scale build of the Nssis-Class Clawcraft – a starfighter deeply rooted in Star Wars Legends and associated with the Chiss Ascendancy and Thrawn’s legacy.

 

This build is not just meant for display — I designed it to be fully playable, with strong construction and thoughtful details that aim to bring the original concept to life in a more technically and visually coherent way. I’ve made some changes to the original designs (which are based mostly on fan interpretations and unofficial sources), particularly to the wing proportions, cannon configuration, and the propulsion and landing systems — all of which I’ll explain in more detail soon.

 

What I’d love to hear from you:

 

• How do you like the overall shape and design of this Clawcraft?
• Do the modifications and technical details feel plausible to you within Star Wars logic?
• Would you personally change or add anything to the build, design-wise or functionally?
• Are there other ships you’d imagine in the Chiss Ascendancy’s fleet?
  (I’m currently developing further models and would love to hear your ideas!)

 

 

Thank you in advance for your input — I really appreciate all feedback, ideas, and lore discussions around this lesser-known corner of the galaxy!

Here you can find the original link and description of my MOC on Rebrickable.

If you’re interested, feel free to take a look at the parts list as well. And of course, if you like what you see, a like is always appreciated!

If it really impresses you, you’re welcome to support the project by getting the building instructions.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-228524/DonAngelico/nssis-class-clawcraft-chiss-ascendancy-starfighter-minifig-scale-moc/

But this post is primarily about the design discussion – so feel free to check out the full description there.

I’m posting a detailed write-up here , where I’ll explain the background of the design and the changes I made compared to previous interpretations. Some of those changes haven’t been discussed or implemented before, so I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Edited August 3, 2025 by DonAngelico

[DonAngelico]

Hello again.
I would also be very glad if someone could help me figure out how to show you images here. Somehow, a picture of me got uploaded, and now it's blocking everything. I can’t delete it either because it’s in my attachments, and I just can’t seem to remove it. There’s no option — or at least I can’t find one.
Thank you very much for your help.
The next post will be the most detailed summary.

[Omand]

I would recommend checking the the rules section of the site.  Lots of explanations from the moderators in there under the "Info" tab on your top menu.

Also, I could be wrong, but I don't think you can link anything until you have at least 10 posts on the site.  I know for certain that private messaging and other functions are locked out until you hit 10 posts as part of site security and preventing spam-bot accounts.

Cheers :)

[DonAngelico]

Wing Design and Structural Rationale

The wings in most reference drawings I found were more spherical or rounded, unlike my version which features elongated wings. I intentionally changed this for a specific reason: the small circle between the two wings, located at the mount behind the spherical cockpit, is a deflector shield generator. It projects the deflector shield via the wings as a medium. The wings are aligned frontally so that the laser cannons form a circular perimeter around the cockpit. This design maximizes protection from frontal attack angles. In total, there are four synchronized laser cannons facing forward from the cockpit area, providing strong offense and defense.

Outside of close combat, this setup allows for excellent long-range protection, as the pilot can shift slightly in maneuvering to bring at least one or two of the cannons into firing position at any given moment — then return to a more protected stance. In close combat (dogfights), the wings are also less rounded and more extended, offering a broader attack surface from the side. When viewed from above, as some illustrations show, the wings follow the golden ratio (Fibonacci sequence), resulting in an elegant, logarithmic curve that still integrates smoothly into the otherwise spherical cockpit design. This adds both functionality and visual harmony.

Exhaust and Reverse Thrust System

The exhaust/reverse thruster units (exhaust pipes) are typically shown as four units at the wingtips in the original source material. In my design, they’re placed at a 45-degree angle outward from the cockpit, which provides optimal directional thrust and stability. Additionally, two smaller units are located on each side near the inner wing joints, mounted on movable pods. These allow for controlled reverse thrust — like airbrakes — enabling complex maneuvers such as "ball turns," allowing rotation around the cockpit axis. According to lore, this design sacrifices atmospheric speed but massively enhances maneuverability.

Armament and Combat Functionality

The ship features four heavy laser cannons arranged around the cockpit, as per the lore. These are designed with focusing lenses that allow the pilot to adjust the firing mode — from rapid bursts to slow-charging, high-powered shots. This makes the ship extremely versatile in combat. The cannons are placed on the wings, not in the cockpit sphere as seen in standard TIE fighters, which avoids redundancy in weapon systems and improves energy efficiency. This arrangement also prevents visual impairment from bright muzzle flashes within a glass-domed cockpit.

The rectangular plates next to the cannons are light deflector shields, not just aesthetic parts. Their purpose is to block or redirect the intense flashes of the lasers away from the cockpit to avoid distracting the pilot during firing.

Landing Configuration and Utility Design

Unlike standard TIE fighters that require a clamp system for vertical launch, my design features folding wings and extendable landing gear. This allows the ship to land on planetary surfaces without specialized infrastructure. The wing-folding mechanism makes the structure stable enough to land flat rather than rolling like an egg. This adds to the ship’s versatility — especially important for a vessel with a Class 1.5 Hyperdrive, suggesting long-range, autonomous operations not typical for standard TIE variants.

Ion Engine Detailing

When the wings are folded, additional flap-like structures deploy at the rear, symbolizing ion stabilizers. These function in conjunction with the four silver thruster nozzles at the back — which serve as the main ion drive. The flaps resemble mesh grids that support fine-tuned maneuvering and stabilization.

Cockpit and Pilot Considerations

The interior cockpit design differs significantly from standard TIE fighters. It is more spacious and doesn't assume the need for a pilot suit with integrated life support. The onboard system includes a dedicated navigation computer capable of hyperspace jump calculations — a late addition to the design but crucial for the updated model.

Cultural and Lore-Based Decisions

This ship is intended for a species that lives in harsh, dark, icy environments and resides underground due to the uninhabitable surface of their planet. They likely have evolved to see better in the dark, possibly with red-sensitive vision. As such, bright lights — especially inside the cockpit — are avoided to reduce eye strain and improve combat visibility. The ship’s layout respects this by minimizing visual interference from its own weapon systems.

10 minutes ago, Omand said:

I would recommend checking the the rules section of the site.  Lots of explanations from the moderators in there under the "Info" tab on your top menu.

Also, I could be wrong, but I don't think you can link anything until you have at least 10 posts on the site.  I know for certain that private messaging and other functions are locked out until you hit 10 posts as part of site security and preventing spam-bot accounts.

Cheers :)

"Oh, I see. Yes, with my form of ADHD and savant abilities, I think I’m really struggling with how this forum works. I’m just trying because I’d really like to get a bit of feedback from people first."

[DonAngelico]

Hey, i know its a long Text but is there noone who is interessted in the chiss Law and telling me what i did wrong :D

[Sentinel_Brix]

On 7/26/2025 at 11:20 PM, DonAngelico said:

Hey, i know its a long Text but is there noone who is interessted in the chiss Law and telling me what i did wrong :D

It's a neat design and well conducted translation into Lego. The wing mechanism is cool and the pilot Chiss are great!  That's plain digital, right? Or have you built it with physical bricks? (I'm a physical builder and just like it real so it would be a big bonus to me )

Don't want to lower your enthusiasm but don't expect a fireworks of comments and tips for improvement here on short notice, nor I advise you to crave for it, especially if it's a lot of text without any images (I use flickr and copy the url directly into the text - that works well).

The really good here is that your model speaks for itself and I like to highlight that you have chosen a very distinct ship and put a lot of effort and brain into it. I really appreciate unique designs that are still immediately recognizable as Star Wars! You can really be proud of the technical terror you've constructed!

You have any other projects you're working on? 

Edit: just read you're working on Chiss spacecrafts, so I'm looking forward to those.

 

Edited July 28, 2025 by Sentinel_Brix

[DonAngelico]

Dear Sentinel_Brix,

, thank you so much for your kind words and also for your tips. I'm trying things out with the images, but I tried uploading one and it completely broke my upload frame. And now I somehow can’t delete it anymore either. That means every time I try to add something, I get a message saying it’s not possible. But I’ll keep trying and follow your tip to paste it directly into the text.

Right now, I’m actually working on two spaceships at the same time. One is a boarding ship, like the ones that appear in the Legends novels. Basically, a ship with invasion troops, designed to ram the enemy vessel with a kind of battering ram or hammerhead—then a hatch opens, and the troops can board and take over the enemy ship.

I’m also working on a stealth reconnaissance ship, a small scout. But all of them will be in miniature scale. So I’m trying to focus on smaller ships first. This one is something that was only briefly mentioned in the Thrawn Trilogy. It’s a small scout ship with a cloaking device that’s essentially undetectable to all sensors by using hyperspace to make tiny micro-jumps. Kind of like flickering through hyperspace. It’s actually quite interesting.

Those two ships are coming up next, and I’ll definitely upload them as MOCs on Rebrickable.

What I’d be curious to know is: do you have any ideas for other types of ships that could show up? I’m not sure how deep you are into the lore, but I’d be really interested in suggestions for other ships I could design with minifigures. So, what would be really interesting, what’s still missing, and what would excite you the most?

On 7/28/2025 at 9:45 PM, Sentinel_Brix said:

 That's plain digital, right? Or have you built it with physical bricks? (I'm a physical builder and just like it real so it would be a big bonus to me )

 

 

 

I actually built most of it using my own bricks, but I don’t have the parts available in those exact colors. That means I’ve definitely built the most complicated and complex steps myself. The simpler parts—I know they work. I didn’t rebuild every single wing, but I did build the spherical cockpit and the engine. That’s the most important part: that it works and that the wings are stable thanks to those two hinge bricks.

I orderd all the Bricks, they should be here in a few Weeks.(Parts from US)

I'm currently working on making the minifigures a reality as well. I’ve found someone who does custom printing and also recently met someone in my neighborhood who owns a 3D printer. We’ve already had one session together, and we’re working on turning the parts I’ve modeled myself into actual physical pieces.

Edited July 30, 2025 by DonAngelico