Kodan Black

Nice, very SW ship. Reminds me a bit of a Higgins boat and a bit of a baby Star Destroyer. I really like that cockpit and the nicely shaped windscreen.

That is a great big beast of a ship. Tons of well thought out details. Love that it feels both sci-fi but also like a futuristic interpretation of a modern cargo ship. Really love the hangar and whole bridge area.

Somewhat out of the blue I was called to a Star Destroyer to visit an old academy friend, Vice Admiral Brent Anderson. He and I had gotten to know each other as we went through the pilot program together, though we came from very different backgrounds. His family was very wealthy and well connected, though he wasn't the sort to take advantage of it. We got along very well and he was a hard worker and competent pilot. Given his situation it was no surprise that after graduation his first assignment was as a shuttle pilot for high ranking officers and I went on to pilot TIEs. He had climbed through the ranks and found his way into intelligence which suited him well as he had many contacts he could leverage. We had run into each other several times over the years, but I'd never been summoned to see him. I arrived and reported to his office. Despite our friendship he was a higher ranking officer and I saluted upon entering, giving him a chuckle. "We are alone, you don't have to do that. Though I knew you would. Following procedures and showing due respect as always. Come sit down." He kept a neat office, just like in our academy days. His role in intelligence likely also factored into not leaving anything just laying around. "It has been a while. Hopefully your recent time off has you rested." I caught the subtle way he let me know he'd been looking into me. "Yes, it was a good break and I enjoyed a bit of time to think through all of the recent missions I've been on." He went over to a shelf and grabbed a familiar green bottle. "Still with the Bat 69?" He grinned as he poured a healthy amount into his cup. "You know me. And I know you." He looked up at me as he said that last part. I hadn't done anything worthy of catching his attention in his professional role, but clearly this wasn't a social call. "You have been busy lately. That Xizor operation was a tough one, we lost many good people. Plus working with the Rebels... strange times. I read a lot of praise for you, more impressively you've done quite a few ground ops despite being a pilot. Though working your way up has helped you branch out. You were more of a combat pilot out of the academy than I was ever going to be. And you've seen enough action to understand that the Rebels are a real threat." He was dancing around something, almost like he still wasn't sure if he wanted to tell me. "You remember back in the academy when I told you about those fighters my father bought at the fall of the Republic. The Eta-2s?" I nodded. "My father had a dozen of them to use for protection when he traveled or for particularly vital cargo shipments. Recently he was offered a load of spare parts and 2 partial Eta-2 fighters. Mostly just the cockpit, but I had them overhauled and finished to my specs. I wanted something with decent shields and weapons. It needed onboard hyperdrive and it had to be a dogfighter. Something that could get into it and take on whoever it was up against. I made sure it had brutal acceleration in exchange for lower top speed. I call it the Eta-2x and I've got them here with me and one of them is yours. I've arranged to have you transferred here to act as a consultant reporting to me." I tried to keep my face neutral but I could tell I'd naturally put on my thinking face as I struggled to process this and my face scrunched up. He caught it and smiled. "You know, there are many in the Empire who think we are invincible. A lot of senior officers are so sure of our dominance that they cannot fathom how we would ever lose, at least not in the long term. They are sure that even if we lose a battle that we'll win the war. There aren't enough senior officers with real first-hand experience with the Rebels. They aren't just a motley collection of poorly equipped peasants. And they are amassing their fleet to strike at Endor." I was trying to run through what I knew of Endor to find a reason for that target. The fact that I had to think so hard about it meant it wasn't one of the targets you would most expect to be struck. "The shield research facility?" I knew of it officially, though it seemed an odd choice. "No, well ... yes in a way. That isn't a shield research facility it is a ground based shield for a new space station. One that isn't yet complete and thus an inviting target! And our plan is to use it as bait and wipe out the Rebel fleet. But those same officers who think so little of the Rebels are the ones in charge of our ships there. I want to send you in as my observer for intelligence and should you see targets of opportunity you are authorized to attack." Certainly this seemed within my skillset and a reasonable request -- my recent promotion to the Imperial Department of Military Research certainly fit into this. Though I wasn't sure why he needed me personally as I had no doubt there were plenty of pilots at his disposal that could carry out the mission. There was a lingering doubt in the back of my head even as I agreed to take it on. Not like I had a choice since he was both a higher ranking officer and better connected than I was. "And the Emperor will be there. He wants to personally observe the destruction of their fleet. Which is a needless risk and with the reality that the Rebels have handed us more defeats than people realize I wanted to make sure you were there on my behalf to help should the need arise. And should this all go horribly wrong I want to make sure you will return here to the ship and be my military lead. The captain of this ship is ... a friend. But you know fighter tactics and have a better chance of earning the loyalty of the men onboard. We can't have a mutiny on our hands nor let this ship fall into pirate or Rebel hands. We need to keep it safe while things get figured out." There it was. He was hedging his bets in case the risk didn't pay off and suddenly he had his own Star Destroyer without a navy. It was a slim chance but I suspected he saw that if it occurred he would take the ship and make his way back to his family and suddenly could be in control of a substantial force -- but he needed someone better tuned into the realities of military life and tactics. I was needed because he felt he could trust me as what he had just proposed could be considered treason. And while the captain was likely promised wealth it wasn't a certainty that he would remain loyal. At best if I reported him he would be in prison for life, and should the Emperor decide to make an example of him he would be executed. For me personally it wasn't very risky as I could easily participate in the battle with a cover story and if the Rebels were eliminated I would return here and get a nice letter in my file for my role in helping end the threat. If everything went sideways it wouldn't matter much in the face of the chaos that would ensue. My loyalty lay with the idea of the Empire and not to the Emperor personally unlike Stormtroopers, though it wasn't something I would ever admit to anyone. I wanted a peaceful galaxy and safety for the inhabitants. As a practical person whether I was at the battle or not wouldn't change the outcome, I didn't believe that 1 man would turn the tide. In looking at the risk versus reward it was nearly all reward and little risk, though morally I would be siding with someone who was calculating that he might be able to leverage a bad situation into personal gain. But Brent wasn't trying to take over the government -- just get back and protect his family and their assets. I also couldn't report my friend, but I'm not sure how I could turn him down and still be onboard his ship and report to him. Either way it was a decision I would have to make and move forward with -- no regrets and no second guessing. His face was stone though I was sure it was merely covering the churning sea of thoughts and emotions inside. I sighed as I looked him in the eyes and I might have caught the slightest twinge of his one eye fearing what I was about to say. His look changed though with my next question: "So what color is my new fighter?" As I looked around MY fighter I was excited. I'd read the technical specs and build notes from the manufacturer. Several times. It was a fantastically agile fighter made to dogfight. It wasn't a heavy bomber, couldn't challenge capital ships, but it could scrap with any fighter out there 1 on 1. There were so many small items that made a big difference, oversized heat exchangers so it could fire continuously, pressurized cockpit, armored plating on key areas, and shields! I almost wanted to find an excuse to get into it with some Rebels! She was new, she was beautiful and deadly, but most importantly she was mine. Full Album (Note that I actually built functional landing gear for the fighter even!): https://flic.kr/s/aHsm4NirE4 Eta-2x Info: 4 Laser Cannons 2 Heavy Laser Cannons Armored hull, vital areas feature reinforced armor plating. Redundant power and control pathways allow for continued operation even with damage. To avoid power draw spikes the cannons can operate in the following modes: only the 4 cannons, only the 2 heavy cannons, or with an alternating pattern that fires the 4 cannons and then the 2 heavy in a cycle. The smaller cannons feature longer alignment barrels and are thus more accurate at range though this accuracy does come at a slight penalty to their damage output. For closer targets the heavy cannons deal more damage and their accuracy limitations are less of an issue. Equipped with both hyperdrive and shielding (medium duty rated). Target tracking and communications gear are top of the line, though due to the ship's focus on fighter combat the tracking system is unable to engage ships of lengths greater than 250 meters. There is a pilot option to "hide" anything beyond that size which cleans up the screen but also risks a collision if the pilot doesn't keep a keen eye out the cockpit. Dual mode IFF allows the Eta-2x to appear as either an Empire flagged or neutral ship. There was no attempt to provide for stealth or minimizing the sensor profile of the fighter. The Eta-2x features better acceleration and agility over the standard Eta-2. Max speed is lower than most other star fighters including the base Eta-2, having traded off survivability and acceleration for top end output. However, due to most systems being over-engineered for their usage the Eta-2x is able to operate continuously at full combat power without concern for overloading systems. Rearward visibility is non-existent and thus there are camera feeds to provide a view behind the pilot (though without weapons it is more for informational purposes). The rearward feed tends to be used as a basic check, if something is spotted the usual response is to flip the Eta-2x end over end and get a visual check through the front screen. This also allows for the craft to bring weapons onto the target. Storage space is minimal within the cockpit. The pilot's seat is optimized for comfort and all control and informational systems are maximized for clarity and ease of use which is important because unlike the base Eta-2 there is no provision for an astromech droid. Where possible new versions of parts were used to make maintenance easier and more cost effective. Due to the small number of ships and their lack of combat experience they are unproven in combat and there is no data on reliability or maintenance needs. The Eta-2x's main role is in a fighter/interceptor capacity and it is meant to operate in close proximity to a mother ship. It has landing gear and undercarriage lighting so it is able to operate in unprepared landing sites. There is no landing claw or other means of securing itself to other ships and it is not compatible with either a TIE hangar system or docking rings. Due to a relatively small size it is able to operate from most hangars or cargo compartments on medium and larger freighters.

Just a lovely ship with so many nice greebles. It has a really nice arrowhead shape. Nice work on the turrets and all the little detailing around the whole ship. The one big engine is an interesting idea, though I think having even small-ish side engines flanking it might feel more canon. I enjoyed the backstory too and building in some character of how they were used. I'll be interested to see your other entry.

I was trying to order the little control wheel (like for shut off valve on pipes) -- the minifig sized one. Instead got the giant Technic one. Oops.

I agree about the all grey floor and the dense jungle behind, really works well. Definitely did the original inspiration image justice!

Wow, very creative. Nice posing on the figures too, makes it feel real. One slight change I might make is instead of having the squared off seatbacks, maybe use Curved Brick: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=6091&name=Brick, Modified 1 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Curved Top&category=[Brick, Modified]#T=S&O={}

I like it, has a very nice New England B&B feel to it, though I'm not so sure about the outhouse.

At 15 cents per piece the extra 90 pieces gains $13.50 so it moves from a $60 set to a $75 set. Toss in the difference of some printed parts and you could put it at $80 and be justified. But I can't find $30 more in the set. It just doesn't seem to add up. It isn't a generational thing of moving from non-printed legs/back to now having all that or some other technological leap. I'll honestly be surprised if the Bomber sells well given the price.

I think they are way overpriced for what you get. The Y-Wing is one of the more iconic vehicles in SW lore and at 691 pieces is $59.99. The Resistance Bomber is 780 pieces and is $109.99. Less than 100 pieces and nearly double the price? If the Resistance Bomber was $10-$15 more than the Y-Wing I'd consider it, but for what you get and the price, no way. I think they'll price themselves out of a lot opportunities as most parents are going to look at getting 1 ship for >$100 and not want to spend that much. I'll wait for Yoda's hut and spend money on that but otherwise a lot of the upcoming sets seem pretty lackluster. I was thrilled to get the 4 Bounty Hunters in an inexpensive pack, but it seems like on the flip side they've moved a lot of other sets much too high. Personally I think AFOLs are more tied to OT or Prequels (ewww) so the market isn't as strong for TLJ sets as there is no nostalgia factor at play.

Nice, well thought out design and a fantastic use of color. Definitely feels like it is in the MF family without being too close. Good luck on the contest!

I'm partial to the tiger one as I think the contrast of bamboo and the orange works fantastically. Great builds all though.

Republic frigate?

It is a great design, just needs a tiny tweak.

Well in ESB we see the ion cannon disable an ISD, so that would seem to make sense. By TIE transport do you mean a http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gozanti-class_cruiser If so that should be no problem, the Ghost took out 3.

Not that I'm a judge, but since the Ghost is about 44 meters long and the ISD is 1600 meters long, that seems like a bit much. I can't recall the Ghost going up against anything that large on the show.

Despite it being in the back, I love the palm trees and vegetation around them. The house is lovely with some really nice shabbiness to it. I think the minifig posing is what really sells the scene, I just get a feeling that it seems right. The white flowers of the vanilla plants really helps to break up that huge sea of green at the front.

Looking nice. I'm at the final tweaks stage for my fighter and part of my bonus scene. Have a plan for my 2nd bonus scene build, now time to start putting pieces together. Glad I have 2 weeks, will let me finish and take pics without being quite so rushed.

Yes and no. Now I'm bothered by the uneven distance from the centerline. If the eye was outboard instead of inboard it would be about right.

I like it, very intimidating. I think the balance is good with the smaller launcher and arm on one side and the other side having the heavier launcher. The clawed toes give it a nice menacing look on the feet. The one thing that kinda bothers my mild OCD is that red eye on the left launcher being at a different height from the one on the right.

Great review, very thorough and lots of info and pics. I like the color scheme and there are some cool parts of this tank, but I don't love the price point. A couple more minifigs (though maybe then it would feel like putting in minifigs just for value) or maybe some minibuild like a hut or something (haven't seen the movie so I can't offer much of a suggestion). It just feels like a lot for a tank.

I like the design, seems to have the right amount of greebling and the nice little drone compartment up top. The search light seems a bit oversized. Maybe use twin clear inverted round tiles instead? Or one red and one clear for some sort of IR search light? Just a thought. Good design and backstory overall.

Uhhh.... just so you know those don't show up as pictures. They are just text.

Nicely cropped shots and another riveting chapter. I have also been watching this unfold on Flickr. Wasn't entirely sure it would be AG given the many SW figures, so there was a lot of guessing. Excited to see what you have in store for AG2.

Lots of nice detailing and a well thought out design. My favorite part by far is the reactor cooling area. Both positioned very well and has a lovely look to it. I didn't see a ton that jumped out as unavailable parts and the ones that fall into that category could likely be worked around and a solution found that would keep it mostly feasible IRL.