onecase

[MOC/INSTRUCTION] ISD Monarch

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4 hours ago, caperica said:

Hello everyone;

Been admiring this piece for some time now! I have the Aggressor built, but neither the space nor money for both of these! So I'm considering disassembling the Aggressor in favor of the Monarch, but I'm having a slight difficulty. Does anyone know of a way to apply the aggressor parts list to a Monarch wanted list so I could simply see what I'm missing, or do I have to manually count all the parts and add them individually?

https://rebrickable.com/sets/compare/slow/?1-set=MOC-9018&1-inv=19040&1-user_list=&2-set=MOC-23556&2-inv=34177&2-user_list=

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2 hours ago, legolijntje said:

Dude! that is awesome! I just ran the Monarch half through Bricklink. Mine came up as £562.. which is ok.... but... from 72 different sellers!!!!!! Which makes me do an unhappy face. 72 lots of postage charges is probably going to come out to as much as, if not more than the price of all those pieces. No Monarch for me :(

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15 hours ago, Rubblemaker said:

No Monarch for me :(

At the end of the day, buying the 4633 parts that are unique to the Monarch will cost a lot due to the sheer number of parts.

I took the time to make a few substitutions and it had a very big impact on cost. After that I identified what bricklink said are the most expensive parts and sought out sellers that had them for the lowest price. Then I added whatever else that seller had that I needed to my order, as long as the prices weren't high above average. I ended up placing about 10 orders over a month to get all the parts.

One of the Death Star bottom halves I ordered used for very cheap, and it was in perfect condition. Probably nobody has noticed that I used a Death Star top half, which is not at all expensive.

I didn't use any old-style hinges at all. In place of the expensive "2452 Hinge Plate 1 x 2 with 3 Fingers On Side," I simply used the new-style "60471 Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side." It looks great as greebling, and in the few (3 or 4?) places it didn't fit, I used "15208: Plate Special 1 x 2 with Three Teeth [Tri-Tooth] - Dark Bluish Gray," though you could substitute anything. Greebling in many places is amenable to modification according to taste.

My use of 1 x 3 tiles and "44300 Hinge Tile 1 x 3 Locking with 1 Finger on Top" in place of 128 of "4531 Hinge Tile 1 x 2 1/2 with 2 Fingers on Top" + 72 of "298c03 Lever Small Base with Light Gray Lever" hypothetically saved more than $500 if you believe rebrickable's average cost calculation, and in my humble opinion the final look is better. (They are along the back edges in the pic below.)

The "12885 Equipment Paint Roller Brush Handle Edge On Handle" part should not be expensive anymore because four of them are used in the new Tantive IV set.

Finally, I found someone selling four "4424: Container - Barrel Half Large - Light Gray" for about $3 on bricklink. This price did not appear on rebrickable when I tried out its 'buy from multiple sellers' feature. Not sure what's going on there. The point is, hunt for the right sellers.

It's worth the effort! I *highly* encourage you to give this a try because the end result is a work of art! (It's not just onecase's superb photography; it really is gorgeous!)

48682802282_1872016a0c_b.jpg

Edited by helpComputer
Accidentally wrote "172 levers" instead of "72"

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25 minutes ago, helpComputer said:

At the end of the day, buying the 4633 parts that are unique to the Monarch will cost a lot due to the sheer number of parts.

I took the time to make a few substitutions and it had a very big impact on cost. After that I identified what bricklink said are the most expensive parts and sought out sellers that had them for the lowest price. Then I added whatever else that seller had that I needed to my order, as long as the prices weren't high above average. I ended up placing about 10 orders over a month to get all the parts.

One of the Death Star bottom halves I ordered used for very cheap, and it was in perfect condition. Probably nobody has noticed that I used a Death Star top half, which is not at all expensive.

I didn't use any old-style hinges at all. In place of the expensive "2452 Hinge Plate 1 x 2 with 3 Fingers On Side," I simply used the new-style "60471 Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side." It looks great as greebling, and in the few (3 or 4?) places it didn't fit, I used "15208: Plate Special 1 x 2 with Three Teeth [Tri-Tooth] - Dark Bluish Gray," though you could substitute anything. Greebling in many places is amenable to modification according to taste.

My use of 1 x 3 tiles and "44300 Hinge Tile 1 x 3 Locking with 1 Finger on Top" in place of 128 of "4531 Hinge Tile 1 x 2 1/2 with 2 Fingers on Top" + 172 of "298c03 Lever Small Base with Light Gray Lever" hypothetically saved more than $500 if you believe rebrickable's average cost calculation, and in my humble opinion the final look is better. (They are along the back edges in the pic below.)

The "12885 Equipment Paint Roller Brush Handle Edge On Handle" part should not be expensive anymore because four of them are used in the new Tantive IV set.

Finally, I found someone selling four "4424: Container - Barrel Half Large - Light Gray" for about $3 on bricklink. This price did not appear on rebrickable when I tried out its 'buy from multiple sellers' feature. Not sure what's going on there. The point is, hunt for the right sellers.

It's worth the effort! I *highly* encourage you to give this a try because the end result is a work of art! (It's not just onecase's superb photography; it really is gorgeous!)

48682802282_1872016a0c_b.jpg

Thanks for this. :) All really useful to know! I'm about to build Onecases Midi scale SD (Nemesis) So the next time I get round to making a big ISD it will likely be the Monarch and I'll use tips like these as part of my tactics to keep the cost down! Nice one!

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1 minute ago, helpComputer said:

Also, it looks like we're about to get more LBG barrel halves and LBG levers:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/imperial-star-destroyer-75252

 

Seeing this new Star Destroyer only made me respect Onecase and Raskolnikov even more. I don't mean any disrespect towards TLG but this new ISD... Not for me. I'll probably buy one though and scrap it for pieces to build the Monarch. :D

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12 minutes ago, danielwerner said:

 

Seeing this new Star Destroyer only made me respect Onecase and Raskolnikov even more. I don't mean any disrespect towards TLG but this new ISD... Not for me. I'll probably buy one though and scrap it for pieces to build the Monarch. :D

Exactly what I thought! In fact I'm surprised at how low effort it looks as a design. I can imagine it having some serious nose droop problems in years to come as well. Unless its internal structure is made with titanium technic bricks or something! I knew I'd be downvoted to hell for saying this on reddit though.

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I strongly agree with both of you :/

The Star Destroyer is one of these situations where you can't have all three of: large, beautiful, affordable. TLG has to prioritize affordable since they are a business and need to be successful. But they could sacrifice "large" and put out something like onecase's midi scale Nemesis that Rubblemaker referenced. Only 1400 pieces! 

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To you who've built this beast - can you do me a big favor and measure the dimensions between the outer side of the stands one of the sides? I need to know how deep a shelf I need in order to safely display it (with a few centimeter margin at least). Thanks! :)

Edit: If you also happen to know the approximate weight that'd be helpful too, but I understand it's kinda hard to check.

Edited by danielwerner

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On 9/5/2019 at 2:26 PM, helpComputer said:

My use of 1 x 3 tiles and "44300 Hinge Tile 1 x 3 Locking with 1 Finger on Top" in place of 128 of "4531 Hinge Tile 1 x 2 1/2 with 2 Fingers on Top" + 72 of "298c03 Lever Small Base with Light Gray Lever" hypothetically saved more than $500 if you believe rebrickable's average cost calculation, and in my humble opinion the final look is better. (They are along the back edges in the pic below.)

I bought the hinge tiles and the levers for 46€ altogether (used condition)!
But to be honest I'm not sure if I'm going to use them!
I think it looks really good with the changes you made!

At the moment I'm working on the upper panels, and tomorrow I will post pictures of the different sections!

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I would be really interested in some hands on comparison (as unbiased as it can be) of the Monarch and 75252.  if the difference in the overall presence and feel is worth the extra 6.5k parts. There are things I don't like about the new set, but I have to give the designer credit for being able to pull this of with 'only' 4700 ish parts. I know that with a model of this size, accidentally increasing the part count by a thousand or two just by adding reinforcements and needful details is super easy. Emphasis on part efficiency or avoidance of rare parts is something I am missing in many of the great MOCs with instructions. I understand that if the goal is the ultimate look, corners can't be cut, yet perhaps there is still something to learn from the lego designers work in that regard.

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4 minutes ago, Kristof said:

Emphasis on part efficiency or avoidance of rare parts is something I am missing in many of the great MOCs with instructions. I understand that if the goal is the ultimate look, corners can't be cut, yet perhaps there is still something to learn from the lego designers work in that regard.

I try to take that into account when creating instructions, but oftentimes designers (in general, not specifically onecase) don't want to change their design too much. And understandably so, the model was almost always designed not with selling (instructions) as a goal. But, I can tell you that models I work on I do try to keep rare parts, high lot numbers etc. to a minimum by working together with the designer. The Monarch used to be even more expensive to make :P

Also, the reason the new Lego set has much less pieces than the Monarch is twofold I think: 1) most importantly the inner frame is made of technic parts. It's honestly a great frame and efficient on parts usage yet very stable (at least from the looks of it). And secondly: tile usage. The Lego model is a lot more studded on the outside. The Monarch is using a ton of tiles to cover up the studs.

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Just now, legolijntje said:

I try to take that into account when creating instructions.

I have no doubts you do your best. My note was more towards the designers. But given that, as you say, these mocs are designed as a oneofakind and the instructions are an afterthought, I understand that the options are limited.

I have a good idea where the part difference is coming from and hence my question was about comparing the impression the finished model offers. I know that drawing conclusions is inherently subjective in such cases and one could go on forever whether exposed studs are ok or absolutely ruin the looks. In a hindsight, I don't even know what kind of answer was I looking for originally :D

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On 8/31/2019 at 11:20 PM, bricksmarlin said:

Hi @helpComputer,
great progress so far, and also great pictures!
I'm currently working on the panels of the bottom!

greetz
Steffen

Thanks mate :wink:!

Hello @Evergreen,
The comparison between the aggressor and the monarch should be no problem, the 10030 was disassembled and stowed!

Once again, great process shots. Looking forward to see the final build!

On 8/31/2019 at 8:19 PM, helpComputer said:

I have a build going as well, though the photos aren't going to have the quality that @bricksmarlin's have.

The instructions are superb! Very easy to follow.

The construction is very sturdy. At first I thought all the reinforcements were overkill, but now that I have the four main panels on and have a sense of how much this weighs, I'm happy that the core is so strong.

48652047338_020fb2b886_b.jpg

 

I very much like the look of the tan and blue color accents in the original design, and I'm happy that I stuck with it.

@onecase's MOC is obviously gorgeous from photos, but that's nothing compared to seeing this magnificent thing in person. I can't express how thrilling it is to see this coming together in front of me.

48652394046_d8e87c9504_b.jpg

Really excited to continue building!

Thanks for the photos, Glad you like it.

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Hey guys,
small update from the construction progress!

bottom hull

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

 

top hull

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

 

engine (unfinished)

full

full

full

full

 

Buy the way, I found a little section which is missing in the instructions!
Right side top hull!

full

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Hello all,

I've been steadily building the Monarch for a month now.  Currently have finished the frame/keel and attached the ventral hull sections to the frame.  I've also been hopping around in the directions building the bottom two levels of the bridge superstructure.  For the bottom most level I had to deviate from the directions to get one section to work.  On page 1318, step #5 the instructions ask for a 1x2 plate to be used.  The only way I could get the longer tile for step #7 to fit was to use another modified 1x2 plate with stud in place of the 1x2 plate.  The same substitution was also needed on page 1324, step #5.  Maybe I did something wrong.

The Monarch is a fantastic model and a very enjoyable build.  I can't imagine the amount of work that it took to not only design the ship but to make the directions as well.  Onecase you did a fantastic job!

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I'm new on this forum and I signed in just for this model!

First, you did a wonderful job! This model is amazing!

I saw it on a website and after some searched, I think that this is a fakehttps://www.welightbrick.com/collections/top-moc/products/star-wars-imperial-star-destroyer Do you know this site? Is this your model? The price seems very low ! Is this even possible?

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Monarch

This is an official link for getting the instructions for the model.  It you click on the "Inventory" tab you will see an inventory of all the pieces needed for the model.  I didn't click on the link you provided, but you will have to order the pieces from Lego or Bricklink.  You can contact Onecase either here on Eurobricks after you have made 10 posts or through Rebrickable.

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14 hours ago, dragnalyn said:

I'm new on this forum and I signed in just for this model!

First, you did a wonderful job! This model is amazing!

I saw it on a website and after some searched, I think that this is a fakehttps://www.welightbrick.com/collections/top-moc/products/star-wars-imperial-star-destroyer Do you know this site? Is this your model? The price seems very low ! Is this even possible?

Yes, there's no way that's real. My bet is that it's either a scam, or they're using LEPIN pieces.

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On 10/15/2019 at 7:42 AM, caperica said:

Yes, there's no way that's real. My bet is that it's either a scam, or they're using LEPIN pieces.

This is what I think too... They answered me that they are working with onecase and that they share profit with him... seems strange!

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6 hours ago, dragnalyn said:

This is what I think too... They answered me that they are working with onecase and that they share profit with him... seems strange!

Not that strange. They’re probably telling the truth, after all, it’s not like such a collaboration hasn’t happened before: https://www.reddit.com/r/lepin/comments/bfdnt7/jeremy_has_a_moc_of_the_empire_over_jedha_city_on/

Edited by Rubblemaker

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I really doubt its true,

price seems completly off and i am pretty sure Onecase isn’t affiliated with it.

Wait until he visits this topic and give us his answer about it.

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I'll admit I bought that WeLightBrick set and just received it last week.  It's lepin (or some other non-Lego brand bricks), but the quality seems equivalent so far.  I personally have no issue with non-Lego bricks, but hate seeing an MOC designer get ripped off (they send what I'm sure is an unauthorized copy of OneCase's instructions), so I'd already bought the plans from OneCase.  If it goes together well I'll probably buy the Executor brick collection from Jeremy, as he's both cheaper than WLB and very up-front that he doesn't supply instructions; he provides a link or email address for the MOC builder to purchase the instructions from.  

One thing to be warned about:  the WLB set substitutes the rare engine hemispheres for the cone pieces from the UCS SD kit, and the clear stand pieces for the two companion cruisers for cheaper colored pieces, along with some less critical color substitutions in the interior structure.  You'll need to source those few pieces yourself.  

Not even sure how to get started.  I built the UCS Falcon earlier this year and loved every minute of it, hence my interest in the Monarch... I can't handle the massively studded surface of the UCS model, though I did purchase one for collection purposes (it will remain unbuilt).  The Falcon was beautifully packaged by section, though, and even then it was an organizational challenge.  No idea how I'm going to sort & track over 11,000 pieces that are bagged by part, not step.

Edited by NervousEnergy

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On 11/10/2019 at 10:26 PM, NervousEnergy said:

  No idea how I'm going to sort & track over 11,000 pieces that are bagged by part, not step.

That's easy. Try doing it with 15,310 real lego pieces from bricklink which are randomly bagged and not even grouped by part:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/164260086@N06/33911637468/

Edited by Rubblemaker

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Interesting that this is about the same size as the Evisceratorz though that one is almost twice the number of pieces.

Can anyone who has seen these side by side comment on which they think is a better overall display piece? Visually they seem comparably top notch.

Edited by Brandon8o

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