Moff Wibbles

BEHIND THE SCENES:

At the Empire's height, a Task Force was led by one of the Empire's massive 1.6km Imperial Star Destroyers, and included advanced support vessels such as Raider Corvettes and Quasar Fire Cruiser/Carriers. Five years after the catastrophic Battle of Yavin, the remnants of the Empire are a shadow of their former selves. Task Force 113 was typical of a post-Jakku Imperial task force. With the catastrophic losses in the battles of Endor and Jakku, the Imperial remnant factions have found themselves forced to press older, smaller ships into service. Every single ship in the 113th Task Force it served previously in the Clone Wars. After extensive refits to prepare the venerable warships for the modern era, the 113th was launched from the shipyard at Nixor by the Triumvirate Navy in 5ABY. It was led by the Decimator, a Gladiator-II Star Destroyer. Measuring at 600m, the Gladiator was designed as an escort vessel, but proved itself perfectly capable of operating without support, becoming one of the Empire's most effective long-range patrol craft. Armed with heavy ordnance tubes and turbolasers, it was (and still is) capable of holding its own against vessels far larger than itself, and boasted a massive hangar bay for a ship of its size. Its only notable weakness was a small point-defence battery, making it vulnerable to bomber craft. For this reason, the Decimator was escorted by a quartet of CR-90 Corvettes, which have had their heavy twin turbolasers replaced with batteries of rapid-firing quad laser cannons. With their exceptional speed and anti-fighter targeting, they ably defended the Decimator from nimble bombers. The inclusion of a pair of Arquitens-Class Command Cruisers rounded out the 113th, giving the flotilla a potent weapon against corvette and frigate sized starships. With powerful dual cannons and docking clamps for additional fighters in between its bow prongs, the Arquitens has, despite its age, served the Empire well all throughout the Galactic Civil War. Consisting of fast ships and able to field a full fighter group, the 113th was a well-rounded task force ideal for system patrol and rapid response. -Overwhelming Force: The Imperial Navy (2nd Edition), Winter Celchu. BEHIND THE SCENES

Cheers, will edit those in now.

*Your entry has earned 3 XP (x2 for limited challenge)* NANTH'RI SYSTEM - IMPERIAL INTERDICTOR PACIFIER . SOME TIME LATER, WITHIN THE PACIFIER Some time later, in the brig of the Pacifier... The Inspector General had nothing further to say to the prisoner. His expression carefully netural, he turned and left, heading back down the corridor to the bridge. As he marched, he gave orders. A creature like Goldtusk was too dangerous to be left alive. It had escaped custody before. It could do so again. He owed it to the Empire to ensure that the danger it posed was...removed. Permanently.

Absolutely gorgeous, I always did have a soft spot for the Venator. Yours looks great - the detailing on the stern in particular is most impressive.

No worries, thanks for letting me know. There's probably a few other mistakes in the forms, since I really didn't understand how IP worked at the time I filled them out. I've educated myself a bit more, so hopefully that should be the last round of errors.

*Your entry has earned 3 XP* Dreighton, a sandy ball of rock with nothing to offer but Clawmice, Sand-leeches and an abundance of minerals. Located in one corner of the infamous 'Dreighton Triangle', it is a place avoided by most, for fear of ghost ships and mysterious disappearances. The Galactic Empire, however, is not as superstitious. It has constructed a massive mining complex on the planet, with tunnels kilometers long. It is here our heroes have taken a pit-stop, closer to their location than Imdaar. Here, they are negotiating with the requisitions officer to acquire much-needed building materials for their base. Arias, more at home with other troopers than in the murky field of logistics and politics, strikes up a conversation with the Sandtrooper guards outside one of the many base entrances. A former Scout Trooper himself, he befriends the Stormtroopers and ensures that they have allies on the ground, should they ever need to come back. As they talk, a 11-3K Viper Sentry Droid stands guard, its two heavy blasters at the ready. Inside, Ruby negotiates with the surly requisitions officer. She has a valid requisition order, but she's after some supplies not listed on it - supplies that will increase their odds of survival on the planet to which they've been assigned. The two haggle for some time - the officer is unwilling to accept Ruby's explanation of 'the mission is classified' and she's unwilling to divulge classified information. Eventually, though, they are able to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. It turns out that requisitions officers aren't paid too well, so Ruby makes a kind donation to the requisitions officer break room, so they can install a dejarik board. \ With the supplies secured and negotiations complete, the two set off back to the Strix - with the newly acquired Sentry Droid in tow! BEHIND THE SCENES: Continuing the story of Arias and Ruby, we head to one of the worlds of the Dreighton Triangle - the planet Dreighton itself. A sandy mining world that appeared in Rebel Assault II, the planet was perfect for the sand challenge (especially since I had managed to scavenge more sand-coloured parts, and had more confidence). In this diorama, the crew gather supplies and allies before setting off for the destination of their base. The build was too small to fit the Strix in anywhere, so it's off-screen today. I enjoyed trying to do what I could with the little sand parts I had (this was basically my entire sand collection). My favourite part by far is the little cave I made for the sand scorpion! Greebling the wall for the mine was an interesting challenge - I still struggle with greebling, so I'm trying to work on it a bit. I decided early on I wanted some outflow pipes and some stained sand nearby - evidence of the Empire's short-sighted policies polluting the planet. I used dark tan tiles to show that the sand around the base had been permanently stained. The doors do work - they're not pretty, but they do work. At the time I made this, I already had put aside a fair chunk of my parts for the base Ruby will build, so it was interesting seeing what I could do with what was left over. The inside, I wanted to make look drab and utilitarian - it's full of storage lockers, crates and ventilation ducts (to whisk the sand back out, I imagine). It is a crossroads, with a large vehicle access straight through, and a smaller personnel corridor off to one side. On the other, we have our grumpy requisitions lad and his cramped, uncomfortable office. You can just barely make out that the room ends in a doorway behind him in his pic above - leading to the break room off-screen. Overall, I feel a lot better about this build than I do the previous one. The storytelling is better in the Sand and Deliver build, but the actual construction of this one, to my eye, looks much better - and the hill looks better than the previous one, too! Thanks all for taking the time to read this. I hope you're enjoying the little adventure our characters are on here. The next one isn't going to be for quite some time - I have to make a temperate forest, and I have almost no green parts at all! Acquiring them will take time :) Time I'll use to learn some decent foilage techniques, methinks. And no, this droid isn't going in the Factions III contest either. Not creative enough. I've left a little clue as to what I WILL be entering here. The parts are coming. Stay tuned.

*Your entry has earned 2 XP* MISSION REPORT: Recapture of Nixor Prison Complex FROM: Lieutenant Kel Dreng, 341st Imperial Army Battalion (B-Platoon) TO: Capt. Haer Woanek, 341st Imperial Army Battalion. SUBJECT: Mission Report (Operation Roundup) Sir, I am pleased to report that our part in Operation Roundup was a success. We were able to capture the HVT alive, and are transferring him to you for public trial - he should arrive shortly after this report. As per your orders, we used non-lethal force, and as such were able to capture his fellow convicts intact. I am sure they'll provide just the labour boost to get the factories back up and running. Your loan of TK-8752 was appreciated - my men lack experience, so having a veteran amongst our ranks proved a boon. Your probe droid's intel proved correct - HVT Colonel [CLASSIFIED] of the Rebel Alliance, also known as Inmate #463107 was positively identified, and proved exactly as much of a handful as intel predicted. He and his fellow convicts were using stolen Imperial riot gear. This is fortunate, as our riot troopers had only non-lethal weapons in case of just such an eventuality. The enemy, having seen and disabled our probe droid, knew we were coming. They erected crude barricades in order to keep us out. These feeble defences were no match for TK-8752's marksmanship. I am willing to admit that we underestimated the HVT, and I take full responsibility for my error in judgement. Due to their defensive positions and the shock of the ambush, we expected them to be suppressed and remain in cover. I absolutely did not account for the possibility that the HVT might simply not care if he got hit - nor that he'd target me first! Without my inspiring leadership to rally the troops, I can only imagine that they were demoralised and despondent by the tranquillising of their beloved commander. This allowed the HVT the opportunity he needed. Instead of remaining behind his barricades, as I expected, he instead charged to press the advantage! I have been informed that he quickly was able to overpower Cpl Hanz. Fortunately, Pvt Kearn was able to stun his remaining comrade, leaving the HVT alone. Whilst the Pvt moved to disarm and secure the stunned prisoners, TK 8752 squared off against the hardened criminal. From Pvt Kearn's report, the battle was as quick as it was brutal. As skilled as the convict was, he was no match for a veteran Imperial Stormtrooper. He was quickly disarmed, and then stunned at point-blank range. With their leader captured, I doubt these convicts will give us much more trouble. We shall reassert our control over Nixor shortly, and in doing so shore up our spinward border against potential New Republic incursions. I also recommend we further the training of our Imperial Army troops. We won't be able to rely on Stormtroopers forever - not with the Galactic Concordat stopping us from training new ones. I would also like to put Pvt Kearn for a promotion. He kept his head and fought well under pressure against far more experienced opponents. Oh! We were able to repair your favourite probe droid too - turns out they'd simply stunned it by throwing a shock baton at it. REPORT ENDS BEHIND THE SCENES! Hello again! I actually built this one a few weeks ago, but wasn't sure if it was good enough to actually present. (I eventually tore it apart and made another, more elaborate scene that was based more on building than storytelling, which I'll also upload today). I'm still not, but hey, at least I can get some feedback/constructive criticism! This one went through a few changes - originally it was intended to be on Ruul, a planet within TCR's territory, but I later learned that the 'sandy' look from the pics wasn't in fact sand at all, but tundra! I'll admit, I felt like a bit of a fool after that. Fortunately, I found a desert planet in The Triumvirate's territory that worked just as well! I didn't have enough sand-coloured pieces at the time to get the look I wanted, so I substituted in some white (representing sand blindness - painful glares caused by the reflection of the sun on certain materials, such as snow or sand). The barricades were intentionally ramshackle, to make it look like they were assembled from the ruins of previous battles. In this story, the prison complex on the planet suffered a breakout during the Galactic Civil War, and only now are the remnants organised enough to recapture the planet. The thing I enjoyed the most was how I was able to build the prisoners. I tried to make them look ramshackle, as they've spent the past year or so scavenging what they can. There are remnants of their original orange prison uniforms, but they've supplemented their outfits with looted riot gear and whatever clothing they can find. Their leader, of course, is the best-equipped. I feel like I succeeded. Here's a shot that was deleted from the final product - it shows the crew discussing their options shortly after stunning the droid, and provides a look of what their little camp appeared like before it was torn apart to make fortifications. The story was originally to be told in three parts - first, from the prisoner's perspective, then the commander's during the briefing, and finally the Stormtrooper's during the battle itself. I cut this arc because frankly, it was a bit too overly complicated. Simplicity can be strength. You can see from this build the remnants of an Imperial structure, half-buried in sand. Sadly, I didn't take any shots of the build without miniatures in the way (I tore it down in a fit of despair in the shooting process), but here's a decent shot of what it looked like. This one was a frustrating exercise of doing as much as possible with a very limited sand parts supply, but overall, I'm at peace with how it turned out. I won't be entering the Probe Droid in Factions III, as it is based on a design I saw online once, and not something I feel comfortable taking credit for.

*Your entry has earned 3 XP* -Admiral Sarn (Disguised) The two officers took the time to pack their things and have them (and a requisition order for supplies) transferred to the hangar, before they headed down there themselves. They were greeted by what looked like a half-dissected, misshapen egg and a ground crew officer in full gear. The three made short work of the loading process, with the help of the two astromech droids Ruby had requisitioned for the construction process. Though she'd have liked something bigger, possibly one of the 00-99 Imperial Orbital Load Lifters, none were currently available. No matter, one was on back-order. The two pilots were rather impressed with the room the container could hold - two large weapon crates, ten supply crates, four fuel crates and four MSE-6 droids, also boxed up. Sadly, it wasn't designed with passengers in mind, and mag-sealing two chairs down meant offloading some of the supplies. The two, although excellent pilots, knew that if they were in the hold, it meant the shuttle would be leaving without them. As the loading ladders were retracted and the cargo doors swung closed, they started to discuss plans for establishing a perimeter and maximizing their chances of success. They quickly reached an agreement - they were going to need more supplies than this, and Ruby knew exactly where to get them. As they talked, the speaker built into the hold flared to life. The procedure went smoothly. The shuttle used repulsorlifts to position itself over the detachable cargo container, then clamped the two halves together. A recent improvement, it allowed for rapid deployment of troops and vehicles without risking damage to the shuttle or pilots. The Strix was one of the first production run of the updated Sentinel-Class design. In under a minute, the ship was locked, loaded and ready to fly. BEHIND THE SCENES! Hi all! I am pleased to present the flagship for Arias and Ruby's adventures in the Dantus Sector - the Strix. A Sentinel-Class shuttle, she is built from the parts of the two sets that Lego has produced for this ship. Despite being outwardly very similar in appearance, her insides have been completely redesigned! The cockpit has been modified (inspired by the Tydirium Lego kit) to (barely) accommodate two pilots, so that eventually both Arias and Ruby can fly it together. The cargo bay has been completely hollowed out, with attachment points for various kinds of cargo (and passengers if needed), and has been made completely detachable from the main body of the shuttle! This in particular was difficult and time consuming to figure out. However, the end result is sturdy - you can actually just straight out drop the cargo bay from the shuttle onto the battlefield, and it'll take it! Redesigning the cockpit structure to not rely on the cargo bay for support was an interesting experiment, and one that took a fair bit of time. However, I am pleased with the result. The wings have also been modified so that it can include the classic 'bent wing' design of the nucanon Sentinel and Lambda-Class. This is intended to be a hybrid of both the legends and canon version. There are some parts I'm not 100% happy with yet. The side wings have way too many studs on a design that almost completely hides all the studs on the ship - that's something I intend to redesign, possibly by making the wings a SNOT design similar to the top fin (which needs a little reinforcing, once I get the funds). Overall, though, the build is durable, swooshable, and packed with play features. I'll continue to update it over time, and eventually I plan to upscale it (to approximately the size of the UCS shuttle), but for now it is a fine transport for our character's adventures. The locking system is super simple - the two bricks with the brown bits hanging out? Just pull them out, and the entire top section can fly off freely. Stick them back in, and the container is locked in tight. I took inspiration from the Lego City's Volcano Heavy Lift Helicopter for this mechanism, though mine isn't quite as elegant. I'm still learning, I'll get there :) The one thing that has confounded me, and I can see no solution to, is a separate landing gear for the shuttle without the cargo bay. Due to the shape of the ship, it's not really something I can work in seamlessly. I've decided to leave it for now - in-story, the ship simply relies on repulsorlifts (like a Landspeeder) when it is parked. Thank you for taking the time to view my little creation - I'm happy with how it turned out. I'll update this thread with any modifications/changes I make to the build. Next stop - the sands of Imdaar!

Requesting clearance to join the Triumvirate. As I never received word of acceptance from TCR's leadership, I feel no shame in jumping ship.

Mechis III might be a good bet. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mechis_III/Legends

Well, that's fun. I did a little diorama a week ago that had a sandy base, and I was waiting for the right time to post it up :)

Absolutely stunning! I remember Sarapin from the old Force Commander game. You've really captured the feeling of intense heat and rugged building style. The greebling too is top notch!

Thanks! I plan on leaning heavily on Legends materials for my plotline and characters - especially the 90's video games. This campaign heavily references Rebel Assault II, and my next diorama to help out the Remnant draws inspiration from Force Commander.

No worries, Arias Mercer is my main bloke.

One thing I'd really like to see is the Sentry Droids from Star Wars: Rebels. They would work great in a set with Hondo's modified Sentinel-Class Shuttle from Season 02, or any set with Thrawn or Kallus.

Haha, I feel a little foolish. I was under the impression that I had to post in a faction's thread to apply for that faction. Huge thanks to @Gubi0222 for clearing that up.

Allrighty, time for a test. And another. This is test link to a thread I made in this forum.

Very nice! I like the way the sand green adds some age and variety to the stone - and connects the structure to the bright green of the spider eggs. As for the spiders themselves: Very intimidating! Risdi has quite the fight ahead of her.

*Your entry has earned 4 XP* Hi all, this is my first build for Eurobricks. I decided to start off simple and ease myself into the swing of things with a little diorama. In all honesty, my rather limited brick collection prevented me from doing much more at this point. I haven't built anything for display (or indeed for anything but my own entertainment) before, so I'm still very new to this kind of thing. I decided to experiment with a couple of concepts I am unfamiliar with, such as the MILS system (the base for this build is a miniature MILS base) and adding photo-editing (the starscape in the viewport). Truth be told, the build itself only took about a day, but I spent a good week working on storyline and waiting for contact from the faction I signed up with, to see if they had any orders that might require me to modify anything. As I haven't heard anything yet, I decided to simply establish the characters and a prequel storyline for them - one featuring isolation and limited supplies. The entire build is on a 16x16 MILS-style base, and enclosed on three sides. I also made a removable roof, because why not? My plan is simple: I will make a build every week, and tie it to a situation report. Every month, I will buy $100 AUD of parts from bricklink - parts that will then be used in future builds and explained 'in story' as supply shipments. I'll also try to experiment with new ideas and build strategies, growing my repertoire of skills as my lego collection also increases. This storyline will take the characters through the events leading up to the Battle of Endor, and the chaos that follows - eventually catching up to the main storyline of Star Wars: Factions. These will of course just be freebuilds - I'll still work with my faction on builds and competitions when possible. If anyone has any questions, comments or constructive criticism, please feel free to voice them here! I freely admit I'm a relative newbie to this world and am eager to learn. I'm including here some behind-the-scenes photos of the build, just in case anyone is curious. THE SCREEN, WITHOUT PHOTO EDITING: I wanted to replicate to some degree the kind of hexagonal screen used for the Death Star in Episode IV. I built it up with wedge plates and tiles, then placed the construction upright against a set of blocks with studs on the side. I'll likely be using this (or a modified version of it) in future builds as well, since I really like the look of it. THE INTERIOR WALLS: I wanted to add texture to the walls without heavy greebling - Star Destroyers seem to have a relatively clean interior, and I wanted to maintain that. I used mainly slope blocks to build up nooks and crannies like in Episodes IV and V, and keep the 'hexagon' design language the Empire seems to use to heavily. I would have loved to use more white and black, but I sadly lack the pieces to do so. I used grill patterns for air vents, and containers for storage. The idea is that this room is essentially a modified supply closet. The snacks were a part of Admiral Sarn's deception - an attempt to throw off the characters and measure their reactions. THE UGLY-megablocks TABLE: Yes, it's meant to be ugly. I drew inspiration from the angular, stark design language of Krennic's shuttle and Lord Vader's castle for this table - all harsh angles and sharp lines. In-story, this desk actually once belonged to Krennic himself, and was auctioned off after his death. Admiral Sarn is something of a fan of the Director's style, and purchased it for himself. With a starkly different colour and design style to the rest of the room, I used it as a focal point to draw the eye to the center of the room. THE EXTERIOR WALLS: The diorama is only really meant to be viewed from one angle, but this shows how I used whatever pieces I could find for the build. The base uses the standard 1x4 block with technic holes, 2x4 block and stacked 2x2 plates you see in MILS builds. I eventually intend to make modular designs that run on this very system for ease of transport and storage, so this was a test run I am quite happy with. THE CAST: From left to right: Agent [REDACTED] - Admiral Sarn's right-hand-man and personal enforcer. May or may not report to Isard on the side. Admiral Sarn (a character from Rebel Assault II - the Hidden Empire. He notably wore the rank bars of a captain in cutscenes). Flight Lieutenant Arias Mercer (my Signature Fig). I actually have this costume in real life. Flight Lieutenant Ruby Blue (my fiancee's signature fig). She actually has this costume in real life. I hope people enjoyed reading about my first Eurobricks build :D

STAR WARS: FACTIONS THE INVISIBLE WAR It is a time of great strife. The great GALACTIC EMPIRE is beset on all sides by a coalition of terrorists, revolutionaries and traitors calling themselves the Rebel Alliance. Striking from hidden bases and fading into obscurity before the Empire can react, the Rebels have proved to be a deadly and frustrating foe. At the edge of the galaxy, Grand Admiral Martio Batch, known as THE INVISIBLE ADMIRAL, hatches a plan to give the Rebels a taste of their own medicine and restore peace to the galaxy... Dantus Sector (J6), aboard the Super Star Destroyer Terror... The interior of the Super Star Destroyer Terror was surprisingly bland, lacking the highly polished floors of the Executor and the silent bustle of terrified crew. The atmosphere appeared somewhat more laid back - although the navy ratings and officers remained quiet, it seemed more from a sense of honest professionalism than fear of Lord Vader's wrath. Little wonder, since they were at the opposite edge of the galaxy to the drama that had recently engulfed the Anoat sector. Flight Lieutenants Arias Mercer and Rubee Blue both arrived outside the briefing room at exactly 0700 - and were somewhat surprised to see each other there! Before either could speak a word, however, the doors slid open with a quiet 'hiss'. Awaiting them were a pair of Imperial Navy soldiers - a starfleet Captain with a gentle smile, and a grim-faced Sergeant of the navy troopers, presumably a bodyguard. The two pilots were a little taken aback - the man hadn't yet introduced himself (and in their experiences, ALL officers wanted their subordinates to know exactly who'd be taking all the credit for their victories as soon as possible), and had even broken protocol to offer snacks. Arias smiled, but Ruby's expression was carefully neutral. The grim-faced Sergeant, his eyes hidden behind a reflective visor and his face twisted into what seemed to be a permanent frown, reached up and withdrew a pair of canisters with some kind of glowing blue liquid inside from the cupboard beside him. A blast of chilled air hinted that the cupboard - and therefore the drinks - were cooled. Without a word or any change in expression, the Sergeant gave one canister to Lieutenant Mercer, and the other to Lieutenant Blue. Arias smiled wide in thanks and took a thirsty gulp, whilst Ruby nodded silently in thanks but didn't actually drink. After the Sergeant resumed his post, the Captain turned his attention to the viewscreen behind him, his expression hardening slightly as he moved on to business. He turned his gaze to Ruby, before gesturing out to the stars with a gloved hand. The captain smiled, apparently satisfied with Ruby's answers. He took a bite from his cookie, before pressing a button on the console mounted to the ugly table that dominated the room. The scratched, dented thing whirred quietly, and a holoprojector built into the center flared to life. Displayed in blue was Arias Mercer's dossier - not his current Navy one, but the one he'd had as a part of the Imperial Army, years prior. He watched the holoprojection for a few quiet moments, then began to interview Arias. The Captain pressed a few buttons on his console, and the holoprojection changed. Now, it displayed a map of the Dantus Sector. Planets were colour-coded depending on purpose, allegiance and current status. Five of the planets were pulsing with a white light. The three exchanged a final salute, before Ruby and Arias turned and left. They talked animatedly about the briefing and the mission all the way back to the guest quarters area, before returning to their separate cabins. After they were gone, the grim-faced Sergeant turned to his commander and, under his visor, raised an eyebrow. He had concerns, and with just the two of them remaining in the briefing room, he felt free to put voice to them.

Thanks! How long do I have to wait until I can get started?

Apologies for the double post, but I wanted to introduce my two characters to the other players. Here are my two starting characters - based on my fiancee and myself. We have both been in the 501st Legion costuming group, and chunks of the character backstory comes from our experiences and accomplishments within that organisation. If anyone has any questions, feedback (including constructive criticism) or ideas, please don't hesitate to let me know. The 'backstory' records for both characters end approximately a year before the Battle of Endor - this is by design, as I plan to tell their story through a series of freebuilds that cover their experiences in the final two years of the Galactic Civil War, and help establish the characters and where they are at the time the storyline starts (also as a way to ease myself into this whole thing, I've never built Lego for anything but my own amusement before).

Operatives Omega-3807 and Omega 19160 of the Naval Intelligence Agency (NIA), requesting to join the Commenor Remnant. @Commander Beltar

Thanks for the advice. I'll get a snapshot of my SigFig and get started :)