Friday 2 November 2012

Tough little ships

If you like little model starships then you're in for a good time next year!

Back in May, Eaglemoss did a trial launch for a new part work magazine in the UK, Star Trek: The Official Starship Collection. One of my readers, Darth Duranium, has now pointed me to the new Facebook page for that publication, which after having paused for several months will launch nationally in February next year.

There are initial plans for seventy issues/ships, all based on either original CGI files (where available) or newly created models 3D models from Star Trek veteran effects artist Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz (who's previous credits include a whole book for of starship imagery, the Starship Spotter). Eaglemoss were present at the recent Star Trek convention in London, and had a banner sporting twenty-six of the ships to feature in the magazine (including some insanely obscure ones), which they've subsequently posted on Facebook:


At the moment the magazine will be available only in the UK and Ireland, but Eaglemoss are aware of international demand and are looking to CBS to consider launching in other territories.

UPDATE: Darth Duranium has come back with even more information; a complete list of the initial ships planned. You can read that in the comments section of this post (or on the Facebook page). It includes ships from all series, including to my surprise and delight ones from the new movie timeline. Especially exciting are the many Enterprise designs which have never been modelled before.

My personal highlights include the Enterprise-J, USS Kelvin, various Xindi ships, Akira class, Valdore, Enterprise-era Klingon ships, The Scimitar (I wonder how the wings will be presented...), Scorpion fighter, and the USS Dauntless. Exciting stuff, and hopefully the initial 70 issue run will do well enough to fill in some notable gaps, like the Jellyfish, assorted shuttlecraft, the D'Kyr class, Andorian ships, and (in my dreams) the Titan, Aventine, and Enterprise-F.

There is hope for small ship fans elsewhere in the world. Darath Duranium has also pointed me towards news of a revival of the Hot Wheels starships range. Coinciding with the release of the new film next year will be a wave of ships. There are mixed reports on exactly what the new collection will include. Initial rumours indicated the USS Excelsior, and a Klingon battle-crusier form Star Trek Into Darkness. Big Bad Toy Store currently have a preorder for four ships: The Narada, Enterprise NX-01, USS Enterprise NCC-1701, and a none-specific Into Darkness ship. Entertainment Earth also note a ship from Star Trek Into Darkness will be included, and also suggest there will be battle-damaged variants. At any rate it looks like a mix of new and old - See my Hot Wheels starships list for the run-down of previous releases.


Finally Wizkids have announced their latest Star Trek Heroclix game, a second series of ships in their Star Trek Tactics game, due in January. This second series will include ships from an assortment of races, including the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans, Jem'Hadar, Cardassians and Ferengi.


It appears it will follow the model of the first Tactics series, with a four-ship starter kit, and individual ship releases. The starter set includes the USS Fearless, IKS Drovana, IRW N'Ventnar, and Jem'Hadar 4th Division Cruiser 1.


6 comments:

Kaang said...

Yeah I wish they'd offer these in the states. It's either that or I'm going to be watching eBay after these things come out. Also, why is it that when showing a model or toy of the Narada from Star Trek 2009 they always have it going backwards? I understand the confusion from before the movie came out. I thought it was supposed to go that way too, but when the movie came out it shows it warping and moving with all the pointy things in front, not the back.

Darth Duranium said...

Hi and thanks for the mention, happy to share. BTW, nice wrap-up of the ships! 2013 will be epic!
FYI: John-Robin (a.k.a. Robster) just posted Eaglemoss' list of ships from the London con! Looks like the poster shown by Eaglemoss was a red herring for some ships, but there are loads of wonderfully obscure picks.

ISSUES
1 Enterprise-D
2 Enterprise refit
3 KBoP
4 Enterprise NX-01
5 Romulan Warbird (D'deridex)
6 Voyager
7 K'Tinga
8 Excelsior
9 Defiant (DS9)
10 Borg Sphere
11 Miranda
12 Ferengi Marauder
13 Akira
14 V'orcha
15 Prometheus
16 Valdore
17 Equinox
18 Bajoran Solar Sailer
19 Enterprise-E
20 Xindi Insectoid ship
21 Raptor
22 Jem'Hadar Fighter
23 Nebula
24 Surak
25 Delta Flyer
26 Breen warship
27 Krennim Temporal Weapons ship
28 Enterprise-C
29 Galor
30 Stargazer
31 Borg Queen's ship
32 Dominion Battlecruiser
33 Maquis Fighter
34 RBoP
35 Hirogen Hunter
36 T'plana Hath
37 Proto KBoP
38 Enterprise-J
39 Son'a Command ship
40 Runabout
41 Klingon D-5
42 Romulan Drone
43 Enterprise-B
44 Dominion warship
45 Malon Freighter
46 Starfleet Scout Ship (Insurrection)
47 Scimitar
48 Relativity
49 Tholian ship (Enterprise)
50 Goroth's Klingon Ship
51 Kelvin
52 Son'a Collector Ship
53 Xindi Reptilian ship
54 Oberth
55 Suliban Ciollector ship
56 The Phoenix
57 Fesarius (glowing pearls)
58 Steamrunner
59 Xindi Aquatic Cruiser
60 Vulcan Warp Shuttle
61 Saber
62 Hideki
63 Enterprise-A
64 RBoP (2150's)
65 Dauntless
66 Holoship
67 Scorpion Fighter
68 Norway
69 Enterprise (TOS)
70 Species 8472 Bioship

NO NUMBERS
Borg Probe
Enterprise-E Captain's Yacht
Borg Cube
Galileo Shuttle

SPECIALS
Deep Space Nine
JJ-Prise
Space Stations (?)

Kaang, the backwards ships are usually the result of the proto photographers not knowing which way to shoot them (and being too lazy to check or shoot 'em both ways). Hasbro apologised for this kind of error many, many times.
Well, at least HW didn't release the JJ-prise with red nacelles, which nearly happened.

Darth Duranium said...

Oh yeah, for some reason, the Future Enterprise-D isn't listed, though it's pictured on the EM site.

Darth Duranium said...

Oops, Suliban Collector Ship should be Suliban Cell Ship, my bad.

Oh, I think you meant to say Tough, not "Though" in your header! :)
Typos R Us! :)

8of5 said...

Thanks Darth, corrected the title, and updated the article with info on the list. So VERY exciting ships in there!

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