Hadn't planned to do this so soon but I just posted a second Mel Miniatures Unboxing Video. This one include 2 ships including my first Medium sized ship, an Assault Frigate MK1 Type VI.

Painting Video's will come as I get a chance to do them.

Thanks for the video! Hope you enjoy painting them.

The models are usually hollow from a certain size up. In the upcoming designs this will not be that common. Since Shapeways changed the pricing system making them hollow doesn't change the price that much. If I had done the FarStar now I probably wouldn't have made it hollow. For example, the Eravana is not hollow.

2 hours ago, melminiatures said:

Thanks for the video! Hope you enjoy painting them.

The models are usually hollow from a certain size up. In the upcoming designs this will not be that common. Since Shapeways changed the pricing system making them hollow doesn't change the price that much. If I had done the FarStar now I probably wouldn't have made it hollow. For example, the Eravana is not hollow.

Interesting, is that going to change the price of any models? For example the Lucrehulk Star Destroyer, because of its unique design, I assume it's much more solid than other models it's size.

4 hours ago, melminiatures said:

Thanks for the video! Hope you enjoy painting them.

The models are usually hollow from a certain size up. In the upcoming designs this will not be that common. Since Shapeways changed the pricing system making them hollow doesn't change the price that much. If I had done the FarStar now I probably wouldn't have made it hollow. For example, the Eravana is not hollow.

D*** it Mel I hadn't seen the Eravana yet. Between that and the Consular Transport set you just cost me $80.

2 hours ago, Thrindal said:

Interesting, is that going to change the price of any models? For example the Lucrehulk Star Destroyer, because of its unique design, I assume it's much more solid than other models it's size.

The price change took place about two months ago. Most large ships increased price which was a bummer but smaller ships got cheaper.

The new pricing system considers overall volume more than actual material used, so hollowing a model is still a good technique to cheapen the model but it's not that relevant anymore.

On a medium ship like the Erevana making it hollow would make it 5% cheaper or something like that (while previously it would have been something close to 40% cheaper). So to save 5% is not worthy the effort of making it hollow. Besides, the miniatures just look better without the escape holes.

21 minutes ago, melminiatures said:

So to save 5% is not worthy the effort of making it hollow. Besides, the miniatures just look better without the escape holes.

While true the escape holes don't really bother me as mostly they are on the bottom of the model which is basically never seen anyway. As for the Far Star the "holes" are just the hanger bay openings anyway so it doesn't make much difference although I need to figure out how to get in there with some paint to make it look lit up, either yellow or a really light blue I'm thinking.

1 hour ago, Megatronrex said:

D*** it Mel I hadn't seen the Eravana yet. Between that and the Consular Transport set you just cost me $80.

Just looked up the Eravana myself, very interesting model. I didn't realize the design of the center of the ship was designed that way.

42 minutes ago, Thrindal said:

Just looked up the Eravana myself, very interesting model. I didn't realize the design of the center of the ship was designed that way.

It will work perfectly for some home brewed pirate scenarios that I've had on the back burner for a while now. Plus it looks like it's going to be awesome to paint.

49 minutes ago, Thrindal said:

While true the escape holes don't really bother me as mostly they are on the bottom of the model which is basically never seen anyway. As for the Far Star the "holes" are just the hanger bay openings anyway so it doesn't make much difference although I need to figure out how to get in there with some paint to make it look lit up, either yellow or a really light blue I'm thinking.

Nobody ever realizes my Far Star is hollow until they pick it up. I had already painted my Far Star before I started painting my hangar bay entrances and interiors in a light metallic gold. It makes the light reflect back really well and sitting on my shelf if the TV is the only light source they look lit up. Not sure if it will work as well on the FS since you can only paint the edges of the entrance and don't really have a back wall.

As someone who owns a copy of the Darkstryder Campaign, I can answer the question at 4:32 of how many fighters/ships the Farstar could embark.

WEG listed it as having internal hanger space for 4 X-wings with space for a 5th on the maintenance lift. In addition, 4 Republic Engineering Corporation Defenders could be crammed in between the X-Wings. The Farstar also carried two support ships on the docking tubes outside the hanger, a Loronar B-7 Light Freighter and a Telgorn Corp Aegis-class Combat Shuttle.

There was no mention as to how many TIE's or Imperial Shuttles it would've carried if it remained in 'Imperial' hands as TIE racks weren't fitted at time of capture, but a safe assumption would be 6-8 depending on type, with 2 Lambda's on docking tubes.

And if you went for Mel's Symetrical Farstar with bays on both sides (and assuming a thru-deck from port to starboard), I think the answer would be 9-10 X-Wings with 8 Defenders crammed in. An Imperial Symetric would easily hold 12 TIE's, with maybe as many as 16 depending on type and positioning.

12 hours ago, Kraydon said:

As someone who owns a copy of the Darkstryder Campaign, I can answer the question at 4:32 of how many fighters/ships the Farstar could embark.

WEG listed it as having internal hanger space for 4 X-wings with space for a 5th on the maintenance lift. In addition, 4 Republic Engineering Corporation Defenders could be crammed in between the X-Wings. The Farstar also carried two support ships on the docking tubes outside the hanger, a Loronar B-7 Light Freighter and a Telgorn Corp Aegis-class Combat Shuttle.

There was no mention as to how many TIE's or Imperial Shuttles it would've carried if it remained in 'Imperial' hands as TIE racks weren't fitted at time of capture, but a safe assumption would be 6-8 depending on type, with 2 Lambda's on docking tubes.

And if you went for Mel's Symetrical Farstar with bays on both sides (and assuming a thru-deck from port to starboard), I think the answer would be 9-10 X-Wings with 8 Defenders crammed in. An Imperial Symetric would easily hold 12 TIE's, with maybe as many as 16 depending on type and positioning.

Your numbers sound fairly reasonable. My issue is there is differing information out there. For example this is copied directly from Wookieepedia....

New Republic Modifications

Moff Sarne escaped the Battle of Kal'Shebbol, but the New Republic taskforce had to leave immediately for another war theater. To pursue him, the New Republic took over the corvette, since Sarne hadn't been able to destroy it before he left. The ship's sublight and turbolasers were in disarray and the racks for the TIEs had not yet been installed. This allowed the newly christened FarStar to carry 8 T-65 X-wing starfighters and 4 REC Defender starfighters . It also had two support craft, the Muvon and an Aegis -class combat shuttle . ^[1]

Thats 14 total support craft, I guess that might work for the symmetrical version but I only remember the Asymetrical version. I also don't know how big the defenders are but seems like a lot of fighters in a little space. I also remember reading one account that had a lift with storage for several more fighters on a maintenance level. I'm going with the ideal that there could have been 4 X-wings max in the bay of the Asymetrical design. It's not cannon now anyway.

Thanks for your info.

I've gone back and done some reading, and realized I was only partially right. Yes, the Farstar could carry 5 X-Wings internally, and squeeze in 4 Defenders as well (Defenders were listed to be about 60% the size of an A-Wing), but the docking tubes below the hanger could also each dock 3 X-Wings or Defenders. This means that the Farstar could carry up to 18 Fighters, or 16 and the 2 Support Ships.

And as far as I'm aware the Farstar was a unique ship, with only the asymmetrical design. I assume that the symmetrical is either Mel's original creation, or based off of a fan-art. But it still looks good.

1 hour ago, Kraydon said:

I've gone back and done some reading, and realized I was only partially right. Yes, the Farstar could carry 5 X-Wings internally, and squeeze in 4 Defenders as well (Defenders were listed to be about 60% the size of an A-Wing), but the docking tubes below the hanger could also each dock 3 X-Wings or Defenders. This means that the Farstar could carry up to 18 Fighters, or 16 and the 2 Support Ships.

Thanks! I love the Farstar because for the extended universe it actually has tons of backstory starting as a standard Rebel CR-90 then being captured by an Imperial remnant, modified with the hanger bay, then recaptured by the Rebels and put into service with X-wings and Defenders. There are not a lot of extended universe ships with as well developed a back story.

I have both the original and the symmetrical version. Love them both... Just need to get them painted beyond primer. The symmetrical version will most likely end up in the pirate fleet, but the rebels may still have a shot.

I asked Mel to make a modified Far Star for me, So instead of "one side" hanger, i got a symmetrical far star, hanger bays on both side and it looks incredible...

It is taking a while, this uses a lot more paint than I'm used too. Just applied the wash, waiting it to dry then dry brush, freshen up the Red Lines, and Highlights.

good work takes time anyhow...

Maybe after I get my VR able PC, Ill get a decent camera and show ya'll all my "Farstar" which in my eyes is actually the Rebel "Nightcaller" ship from X-Wing Novels. It was also an Imperial Modified CR-90 with a Tie Fighter Rack Hanger Bay. (Which is technically a lot larger then x-wing hanger, thus I decided to use the symmetrical one. If Strange Eons ever comes out with an Armada plug-in Ill make a card for it. Right now Im gritting my teeth cause I wanna buy Mel's Victory II Frigate, the one from the ORIGINAL Battlefront II.... btw mel, that model looks hot man, good work on it, I just need to get that new PC first.

3 minutes ago, Zeoinx said:

Maybe after I get my VR able PC, Ill get a decent camera and show ya'll all my "Farstar" which in my eyes is actually the Rebel "Nightcaller" ship from X-Wing Novels. It was also an Imperial Modified CR-90 with a Tie Fighter Rack Hanger Bay. (Which is technically a lot larger then x-wing hanger, thus I decided to use the symmetrical one. If Strange Eons ever comes out with an Armada plug-in Ill make a card for it. Right now Im gritting my teeth cause I wanna buy Mel's Victory II.... I just need to get that new PC first.

You should check out Kuat Drive Yards

http://kdyards.com/

You can create custom cards and even dials and ship cards. It's pretty **** neat and every bit as easy to use as Strange Eons.

More images and a video incoming later today, hopefully.

Here is the painting and discussion video for the Assault Frigate MK1 Type VI.

One thing I didn't mention in the Video is I must have not washed the underside of one of the forward pectoral fins. It was really bad after I did the first base coat. I had to strip the paint from that area and really work it to clean it out. It's not visible during game play anyway but I had to make it right. Lesson learned, clean 2-3 times if you have to to be thorough.

On 10/16/2017 at 10:14 PM, Zeoinx said:

I asked Mel to make a modified Far Star for me, So instead of "one side" hanger, i got a symmetrical far star, hanger bays on both side and it looks incredible...

I was doing some research before starting to paint my Far Star and found this...

http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Miss_Fortuna

It's actually some fairly well developed Fan Fiction for what appears to be a Symmetrical version of the Far Star.

On 10/22/2017 at 7:30 PM, Thrindal said:

I was doing some research before starting to paint my Far Star and found this...

http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Miss_Fortuna

It's actually some fairly well developed Fan Fiction for what appears to be a Symmetrical version of the Far Star.

Now we just need a modified Nebulon B Frigate that features a decked out mid section "neck" with hanger bays and turrets hanging off the bottom....