Walter Kovacs

Thank you. One of the reasons I prefer UCS scale to minifig scale is due to the amount of surface area you have at your disposal for greebling. You can add a bunch of small elements and not disturb the overall shape of the model (too much). The "wings" on all of the TIEs are actually solar panels. But most people, myself included, refer to them as wings. The TIE Defender is similar in that it has three sets of wings, but the TIE Ds panels are swept outward (sort of inverted from the TIE Interceptor) and are mounted at the end of three pylons. The Clutch, Shadow and Phantom are unique in that they have no pylons supporting the solar panels (the only other TIEs like this are the Lancet , and Raptor, off the top of my head). Thanks. It will become my basis for future TIE ball cockpits. The control stick might need a little tweaking, but overall I am very pleased with the way it came out. I wish I could have gotten a picture from the top of the cockpit so you could see everything well. Maybe when I photograph the TIE Shadow, as it will require some disassembling to get a good shot. Someone on FBTB thought there were too many printed pieces. While I respect his opinion, I had to disagree with him. Speaking of photography, does anyone have any tips on how to improve mine? I seem to be struggling to get the lighting correct. I have used Hinckley's photography topic to get to this point, but I could use a little extra boost.

Oh, I still do all of my designing in the digital realm first. It's just that I finally have enough parts via Bricklink to actually build what I've designed. Besides, designing in MLCad first does allow me to buy intelligently from BL. Although I do have to admit that it feels great to build in real bricks, and not those virtual ones And thank you for the compliment.

I try never to double up on sets if I can help it. I have trouble finding the cash for one copy as it is. If I happen to get an extra copy via gifts, well, I can't help that. The exception are the Battle Packs, as my 12 Walker BPs can atttest to. I mean, I need some extra clones to pack into my AT-TEs and RGSs, don't I?

Huh. Now that I look closer, I see that they are in fact straight, and not swept back. Well, that makes things considerably easier. Now I have to work out making the S-Foils work correctly. Yeah, this was the first time I have used my new Lego photo studio (also known as three desk lamps and a white sheet). I need to do a little experimentation with the light placement yet to get it perfect, but it is a signigficant improvement over my dining room table.

Last year I posted all of my UCS scale TIEs as MLCad renderings. Finally I am starting to build those models in actual bricks. I'll be posting them as I get them photographed (at my current building rate, it will be a couple of months.) I decided to start with the Torpedo Launcher for one simple reason. The stand for all the other models resembles the TIE Interceptor/X-Wing UCS stand, while the Torpedo Launcher is unique. For those who aren't familiar with the TIE Torpedo Launcher, here is the source material I used. A Front View, Bottom View, Top View and Back View. And now I give you my version of the TIE Torpedo Launcher. First, a Front View: I'm sure you can see what I mean about the stand. Because of the bulkiness of the stand, I took most of the photos with the model on its back. I had to change some things around during the build that differ from the instructions I had previously posted on Brickshelf. One of them are those 4 x 9 wings I used on the sloped portion of the, err..., wing. For some reason I neglected to remember that they had no stud notches. The final design will use a pair of 3 x 8 wings with 1 x 6 plate. Most of the other modifications were structural in nature and hidden from the camera, to keep the massive wing together before all the greebling on top and bottom were complete. That was the biggest challenge during the build: keeping the darn thing from collapsing under it's own weight. Once assembled, it is suprisingly very sturdy. It even can stand without the base, though not very well, and the Weapons Batteries are pushed out of position. Here's the Back view: With so little source material to work with, I really had a tough time figuring out just what the model was supposed to look like. While that gave me quite a bit of freedom, it also limited me to some extent. Top View: Cockpit: The cockpit turned out pretty well I thought. The only thing I don't like is how far back the control stick is compared to the pilot's chair. I probably won't change it in the designs I've completed thusfar, but will keep it in mind on future projects. After all, I do have at least 35 TIE Alts to go. I have a few more photos I feel must be included. The first is the front underside of the wing. The source material showed some interesting structure there, and I worked hard to capture it as best I could. The last is a photo of the rear underside. I thought it important to highlight the greebs in that section. There are many, many more photos in the gallery, which can be viewed when it is made public. As always, Questions, Comments and Criticism are much appreciated. Next up, the TIE Clutch (probably by the end of April).

I'm certain that this is not the site where I got the inspirtion from, but it has the most complete backstory on the TIE Torpedo Launcher (they call it the Torpedo Bomber . I've also seen it called the TIE Lancer, but that name is too close to the TIE Lancet). It looks like it might be a fan creation, as I don't recall any references anywhere to a video game or comic book. The original source didn't matter too much to me. It was an interesting design, and offered a lot of opportunities for greebs and details. The real key to the design was the strut that connects the wing to the cockpit. It might not look like much, but it was a technique I had never used, nor had I seen it used before (I'm sure I'm not the first to use it, though. I refuse to take credit for it). I'll use the same technique when I try the TIE Hunter to get the swept back pylons. The tough part will be getting the wing angle right on that one (which is why I haven't tried it yet). Thanks for the comments, guys.

I like the idea of having all three (OT, PT and CW) included in future polls. I also like the idea of having two polls per year. Which gives the PT/CW lovers a chance against the OT majority. TLC could have a poll for a January release with three choices, one each from the OT, PT and CW. The two losers (PT and CW; OT forever!) could make up the poll for the August/September/October release. That way the PTers won't keep ctying foul when the OT fans win. CW fans are out of luck. Probably.

Santa was good to me this year. My wife and Mother-in-law fed my LEGO obsession well. The haul: from my wife: The Twilight Magnaguard Starfighter UCS Death Star II some tighty whities GameStop giftcard from my Mother-in-law: UCS TIE Advanced Republic Fighter Tank LEGO Indiana Jones (DS) a jar of cashews (mmm, cashews) from my Parents: Mitre Saw Two books on Bridge defense (the card game, not the roadway) a pair of Khakis from my brother: GameStop Giftcard Overall, a pretty good haul. The Twilight set is much better than I had originally thought. The TX-130 and Magnaguard look fantastic, and the two UCS sets are incredible (well, the DS II isn't assembled yet, but the TIE Advanced certainly is incredible). The GameStop giftcards are destined to become Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, with SW: TFU if there is anything left over. Not sure when I'll use the Mitre Saw yet. It'll come in handy someday. My father buys me power tools every year, and I always find a use for them. My son also made a LEGO haul. He got all four of the impulse Racers sets, the Coast Guard set with the truck and motorboat and an Education set with 30 standard yellow smiley minifigs, with accessories. I didn't even know a set like that existed.

I think this set redefines what a BP should be: a decent vehicle and a good selection of minifigs. I plan on buying many (read: 6) to fill some empty spaces in my RGS (and , perhaps, AT-TE). The one question that springs to mind is this: do we need to have the clone gear included in every CW set? I thought the pauldrons and skirt were only for the captains and/or commanders. And I can't imagine many clones wielded the dual pistols. The headgear would be rather common, though. Just my two cents.

It seems my opinion of this set hasn't changed from when I saw the first leaked pictures. For a change, the vehicle in the BP is better than the figs. I just don't understand why I would need more than 5 assassin droids. The speeder looks as solid as I thought on my first glance. Too bad the figs are disappointing (to me). I'll buy one to satisfy my collection itch, but only one.

I have two children, ages 5 and 20 months. The five year old has a few LEGO sets of his own, but he prefers to snitch my pieces and build his own creations with them. I usually allow him to take them, he treats the parts with respect, so I don't fear breakage. He knows that if daddy needs the pieces, his creation WILL be taken apart, and he is fine with this. He is getting a small assortment of minifigs for Christmas, since they are what he truly enjoys playing with. I hope he likes them enough to leave mine alone. The 20 month old has recently taken a liking to daddy's bricks as well. She needs to be watched more closely. She will put small pieces in her mouth. She has already crushed a Technic Pin. I usually let her take one or two large, easily findable parts, e.g. 6 x 6 plates. She'll try and put them together just like daddy does, but she hasn't succeded yet.

I voted for the RGS. I never owned the original (and I still don't own either version of the AT-TE), and this version is really incredible. Honorable mentions have to go to the V-19 and Republic Tank. I don't own the Tank (yet), but I absolutely love my V-19. Fall of '08 has turned out some very, very good sets.

It should be noted that the Hailfire set was a Technic set, not a System set. I like the amount of Technic use in system sets. It allows greater flexibility in design. The results have been stunning. The latest AT-AT is probably the one set that goes overboard with Technic (never owned the original), but I can't imagine geting that shape without it. Plus, we get the motorized function, which is pretty cool.

KmT - I've uploaded instruction .PDFs for all of my MINI TIEs. Most of the folders are not yet public, but I uploaded them Friday morning, so they should be good to go fairly soon. Here's the link to the main folder: Walter Kovac's MINI TIEs (now with instructions) Thanks a bunch. Ilove having all the available instructions in one topic.

Somewhere in that neighborhood. Not terribly expensive, but not exactly cheap, either. I've been lumping them in with larger orders, so the price sort of evens out.

Very, very nice! I just received 6 new white 6 x 8 slopes, knowing that there were people creating new nose art for the RGS. Looks like I know what one of these pairs is going to look like. Now I just have to figure out how to physically make the decal...

EDIT: UCS Scale Ties by Walter Kovacs KimT I have instructions for most of my UCS scale TIE variants, in their respective folders. Here's a link to my TIE Variants: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=305481 I can easily add instructions for my MINI TIE variants, as well. I'll post in this topic again when I get them uploaded.

LEGO Star Wars? Count me in!

Thanks for the review, simonjedi. This just re-affirms that the V-19 is my highest priority this fall. Behind the RGS, of course. Is that new printed piece a 2 x 2 Tile? It looks like an excellent detail part for MOCing. Those black pieces used on the landing gear look very Bionicle-like. If they haven't been used before, I'd suspect they will be. Not that I'm a Bionicle expert or anything. It is a shame that this set only includes one clone. That seems to be the only drawback to the set. Everything else looks spot on.

I've added some new images to the gallery. Included in these images is an overall shot with Updated Colors. Most noticable are the Shield generators on the sides of the cockpit, which are only available in Dark Bley. I've also included an image of the Model on it's Stand. This model is so different from the others I've done in that the Cockpit actually hangs from the Wing above, as opposed to supporting the wings. The Stand reflects this, and was interesting enough to show to everyone. There are also a few images of the Cockpit Interior. It's always interesting to see the greebs inside the cockpit. In the Gallery, I've also uploaded the Instructions, should anyone care to take a gander. It's in two files this time, due to the amount of steps needed. @ Snake: The Hammer is certainly an interesting variant, but will have to wait. I've already started a TIE Clutch/ Shadow / Phantom design. All three follow the same basic wing design, so I should be able to make all three with the same core. The Clutch is about 60% finished right now. Expect their debut in 2-3 weeks.

This is certainly the most obscure TIE variant I've modeled thus far. Here's a Link giving basic specs. And a few pics that I used as source material: 1 2 3 4 From what I've read, I'm pretty sure it is a fan creation, and is in no way canon. That can be a good thing, as I have the freedom to interpret the design any way I want. The lack of source material is anohter story. I'm not sure why I chose this model. I was all set to design a TIE Oppressor model, and I was flipping through some pics I had downloaded, when I saw the Torpedo Bomber pics. All of a sudden I could visualize how I would do certain details: the large wing, the strut connecting the cockpit to the wing, the "intakes" above and below the cockpit. Those flashes of inspiration were enough to get me started. So without further ado, I gaive you the TIE Torpedo Bomber: The one thing that really jumps out at you is that huge, single wing. Here's a Top View. Despite it's large size, there's very little greebling shown in the source pictures. I tried to stay consistant with that, adding some pieces for a little color contrast, and some shapes, but leaving both the top and bottom relatively greeb free. At least the front half. Towards the back I added some greebs just to break up the monotony. The Side View shows one of the other major components that sets this TIE off from the others. Those huge weapon banks behind the cockpit. The moment I saw those, I knew some Bionicle-type ball joint pieces would work well. Getting that little shield piece attached (I used a 4 x 6 Tile) was tricky, but I liked the final result. The cockpit itself was a nightmare to design. The front looks like a normal cockpit ball, but then there were those two structures that look like intakes aboce and below it, and they fall off towards the strut at a nice flat slope. So I decided to make the intakes as the main structure, and curve the cockpit ball around them. The end effect is that the sides of the cockpit are built separately, and added to the cockpit framework last. It also means that the interior walls of the cockpit are the underside of the plates, not the stud side. This made for some interesting greebling. I'm sorry I have no pics of this yet. Trust me, it's a bit different. Oh, before I forget I should mention this. The shield generators on the side of the cockpit ball may look a little funny in their connection point. I intend to use a 4 x 4 Round Plate, but no one has authored that part for MLCad yet, and it is WAY beyond my feeble skills to author a part like that. So I am using a 2 x 2 Round Plate as a placeholder. If you ever get a hold of the Parts list, it will be correct. Just wanted to make sure noone jumped all over that detail. Here is a shot of the Back. The Ion engines came out in the right place, but it gets a bit "gappy" where the strut, engines and intake slope meet. I tried to greeb the strut a little to fill the gaps, but I don't know if it will ever look solid. Finally I included a pic from down low on the Back Side. This will get you a good look at the greebling on the rear half of the underside of the wing, as well as a different perspective of the cockpit back. Overall Gallery can be found here. The design is not complete yet. I still have to run interference checks, organize the model into constructable steps to generate instructions, and add a LOT of structural elements so that the entire thing will hold together. Oh, and construct a completely custom stand for displaying the beast. The facade is finished, so none of what I have left will affect the look of the model, but I probably have 300-400 more piece to add. Lots of 1/2 pins. As always, Questions, Compliments and Criticisms are more than welcome.

I have mixed feelings about this set. It's one of the sets that sent my into a dark age (the birth of my son contributed heavily). When I first saw this set I was convinced that the earlier Snowspeeder (7130) was superior in every way. I liked the look of the 7130 version better, I liked the coloration of it better. The turret was better (it used a webbed 6 x 6 dish). After seeing this review, I realize I was wrong on some accounts. The cockpit is much more movie accurate. The 7130 version had two separate compartments. This version also came with a tow cable, something that was lacking from the previous set. While I still am unimpressed with the overall look of this set, it is much less blocky, which is always a good thing. Overall, I still prefer 7130 to the 4500 version. But the 4500 isn't nearly as bad as I first assumed, and I regret never buying one of these when I had my chance.

I have to admit, the Death Star is incredible. But it is too expensive to get my vote. The new RGS is almost as good. But in the end my vote went to the V-19 Torrent. Mostly because it is more swooshable than the RGS. The RGS is a very close second, though. I can't fault anyone for voting for it.

And on S@H. The Droid Gunship is available anywhere. I've seen it at TRU, Target and Wal-Mart. The Republic Tank that is due out in October is probably going to be a Target Exclusive. The same thing happened last year with the Sith Infiltrator (Wal-Mart only?) and the Hoth Base and Republic Cruiser (TRU exclusives).

Pins with Friction are pretty much the standard in LEGO sets nowadays. If you have a black technic pin, and it has slots in it, it's a pin with friction. I'm not sure when they started doing this, but I'd guess at least 8 years, give or take a few. Any Gray pins that you get in recent sets will be frictionless. LEGO generally puts the black pins in sets unless there's a reason for having the frictionless pins.