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  • 30 Jul 2025
    Probert’s Prototype Part II
    A quick WIP snapshot of how it’s going.She’s a big ship, it’s taking some time to fill her out.
  • 25 Jun 2025
    Probert’s prototype
    Next on my to-do list!
  • 25 Jun 2025
    That’s no moon
    And here she is, the Luna class (Get the title now?)
  • 14 Jun 2025
    Someone finally made me do it
    Working on a commission for a very popular ship class
  • 31 May 2025
    Sampson, not Simpson.
    I was recently contacted by a nice fellow over on my DeviantArt. He had designs for a tug based on the Wallenberg Class, as seen in ST:PIC. He wanted an MSD of it for his stories. He gave me some specs, the deck count of 15 and pretty much gave me free reign to do […]
Some Kind of Star Trek Latest Posts
  • 04 Oct 2025
    No F'in Space: The Return of the XLs

    A title like that needs perhaps a little explanation alongside it!

    With the demise of Eaglemoss, the halfway house that was Master Replicas and their "found" stock we have now come to a point where FanHome have picked up the gauntlet and taken on the Star Trek Starships Collection.

    Focusing exclusively on the Kurtzman era (apparently with the exception of Discovery), the model series has chosen to skip the small scale vessels that marked out Eaglemoss' 180 edition series and instead focus on the mid-scale replicas that, ironically, were showcased by the Discovery collection.

    Due to size, storage, cost and the chances that my family will disown me if any more space is taken up by undisplayed, boxed spaceships I've had to be a bit more picky when it's come to the new FanHome line.

    Rather than collect everything I've taken the decision to focus only on the XL ships meaning that the next review after this one is likely to be the Enterprise-G Constitution III.

    But for now let us crack open the box on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F. A veteran of Star Trek Online, the F has already received three regular sized editions thanks to Eaglemoss. First there were the two different paint schemes of the original giving collectors the chance to display their Odyssey Class ship in the STO colours or the more "realistic" greys of the TV and movies. As part of the later 20 issue STO line there was also the Yorktown Class upgrade players would be familiar with.

    Picard's third season chose, wisely, to remain faithful to the original set up when it debuted the Enterprise-F as it was about to be retired effectively making the Yorktown subclass upgrade a "What If". It also played more to the "realistic" paintjob rather than the striking whites and blacks of the online craft.

    It's a solid and logical choice to follow and gives collectors a truly stunning model that ticks all the boxes and makes these XL editions a must.

    Heavily detailed, the Enterprise-F displays one impressive hallmark that sets FanHome above Eaglemoss - they can line things up.

    The hull itself is covered with white and black window markings, RCS thruster emplacements and lifeboat hatches as well as the distinct charcoal grey striping along the centre line. All of these points are perfectly aligned to the hull features whereas previously some of these might have been off by a fraction. It easily outdoes the smaller original given the increase in scale and therefore ability to emphasise the surface features of the Odyssey Class.

    Comprising of a metal upper primary hull and upper secondary hull as a single piece, the lower primary and the remainder of the Enterprise-F are moulded in plastic and there is no distinction in detail between the two sections. Back in the earlier Eaglemoss days the metalwork would have less precision in some of the finer shapes but here the intricacies of the model traverse both mediums. It feels complete with the best examples of where the painting alignment has nailed it being found on the underside.

    Certainly around the charcoal segments of the saucer and on the lighter grey underbelly of the secondary hull the marking out of the lifeboat hatches is spot on and I don't think there's been a finer example to date. Around the lower sensor dome this is also evident with the light and dark edging perfectly in place.

    Trailing right to the back, the F even has a decent level of detailing around the support craft which is docked in the tail end. Known as the Aquarius, this looks almost as if you could lift it right out of its dock. The recessing on it works perfectly and even highlights the hull features of this small vehicle.

    While we're back here, the warp engines are nicely finished. Retaining the hallmark translucent bussard collectors and warp field grilles of the original collection, there's a definite sleek finish to the warp engines on the Enterprise-F. There is a little "give" in the thin engines so be cautious however they are meticulously completed with Starfleet pennants, RCS thrusters and the ship registry right on their end points.

    It would be amiss not to mention the unique "double neck" feature that makes the Odyssey Class really stand out. While the deflector dish is rather striking in its bronze paint. your eye is easily drawn to the negative space just above it. You can just make out the detailing on the top of the secondary hull even if it is shadowed by the overhanging primary hull and FanHome have certainly ticked an important box in not lazily ignoring this part given that it's almost hidden away.

    The effect of the two connecting arms between the hulls is very satisfyingly created here and the larger scale emphasises how magnificent the effect is.

    What I really, really appreciate with the Enterprise-F is the precision in the painting and marking up. It's a grand step above the sometimes haphazard finish of the Eaglemoss line and cements that the new holder of the licence is keen to manage quality control a bit more astutely. They got it right and it shows. Solid ship and one you've got to get.

  • 27 Sep 2025
    Challenging the Pack: Universus and Lower Decks

    Recent months have taken me away from writing for a variety of reasons however with the arrival of UVS' Universus card game there's a lot to talk about.
    And while we await the arrival of Magic: The Gathering's new Star Trek line it's worth not forgetting another card-based entry into the sci-fi gaming market.

    Launched at the end of 2024, the Lower Decks series has been fully utilised to create four new character packs which are ready to play straight out of the packaging. Mariner, Boimler, Tendi and Rutherford are all here along with a full stack of cards meaning you're ready for combat straight away.

    Each 60 card deck also comes with a foil wrapped 6 card booster pack which contains a random selection of alternative art and foil cards to supplement the packs. For note, these seem to have dropped in price significantly in recent weeks at some retailers so now is the perfect time to grab the set.

    At the centre of the packs are the character cards. Each of the Lower Decks characters has two options as their character plus a lenticular version of their "main" version. A Universus deck also comprises of Attack and Foundation cards with which to build and launch your attacks however the Challenger series also packs in two further card types with Asset and Action variants.

    Each of the two character options is itself varied providing a trade off between hand size (number of cards you can have at your disposal) and health. More options means a lower health bar but that can all change depending on how you play out your rounds.

    Each character will also have traits to enhance your defence or attacks as you move further into the game.

    I'm not going to detail the rules of this because, honestly, they are a whole post in themselves and the videos online from Universus are far better at explaining the systems and dynamics of the game but I can say that there are multiple variations and possibilities that I'm only beginning to scratch the surface of.

    The benefit is that you can mix and match across the ranges to provide better and more apt abilities to your characters. That said, I'm more than likely to stay Lower Decks pure. With four packs detailing each of the four main characters that offers 2 x 2 player games running at the same time. Each of those characters has their own tweaks and traits starting right back at their character cards.

    These sets also come with a bonus blind booster pack which features alternative versions of some of the cards in the main deck. These might be foils or alternative artwork and can be tracked using the leaflet included that details all of available options. Across the four boosters of the four characters here I didn't get a duplicate which was lucky and added extra cards to each of the four basic packs.

    The only thing I could grumble about here is that a search of the ol' internet turned up very little hopes of locating any more of the booster packs if you were determined to locate all of the variant cards.

    One more point to note, unless you're a totally hardcore Universus player it's unlikely you will have purchased one of the table mats which provide health points and reminders for actions. In that case make sure you have a pencil and some paper to hand in order to keep track of your health points and potentially a few pointers on what order to complete actions. Unfortunately there are no instructions included for quick reference so if you do want to check a point you'll have to skip through one of the online vids to jog your memory.

    While this isn't multi-player and therefore not a good one for group gatherings, it's a gem to play if you have a spare half hour to kill with a friend or sworn enemy. The variations in results, character combinations and choices certainly ensure that no two games will play out the same although I would say you do need to confirm a deck size limit especially if you happen to have added s few more options thanks to the blind boosters.

    Whether of not it will survive the onslaught of the highly recognised Magic: The Gathering is a point I would rather not dwell on but given the size of that licence I tend to believe it will overshadow this entry into the Universus catalogue. A big shame yes, but with only these four packs in existence the lifetime of Lower Decks Challenger Series seems limited. Had there been further packs from Strange New Worlds or Picard for example it might have extended the interest but as of now I'm unfortunately convinced this will be it.

    Go out and grab a few packs or the full set while you can because it's still worth playing and an enjoyable way to delve into a bit of Lower Decks antics while you have the opportunity!

  • 11 Feb 2025
    Update: Where You Been?

    It's been a fun ol' year to say the least and has resulted in a significant drop in content.

    Always good to be honest and there it is.

    So, what has happened?

    Well, if we go back to March 2023 I was part of a team that set up a new chapter of the UK's Starfleet International (SFI) Region 20 called the USS Mercia. Growing a lot faster than expected, we became quite an active chapter in our first year with regular online and in person meets in the Midlands and out as far as Market Rasen and down to Stafford.

    With a membership that covers both the UK and into Europe the team have been working super hard to ensure we offer the best. Some of our membership have even been involved with SFI at the regional and international level through different auxiliary units such as Sciences, Medical and Tactical.

    Personally I've also been running the regional magazine called The Runabout for the last two years, producing 8 editions containing news, reviews, fun articles and fiction from around the UK and Ireland. It's taken a lot of spare Trek time up but it's been amazingly rewarding resulting in the team winning two awards last year at the International Conference for Best Newsletter and also Best Cover - truly a fantastic accolade for a brilliant group who have worked tirelessly to produce a top quality read each quarter!

    The USS Mercia also won the International Shakedown Chapter of the Year award at the same conference which was a monumental result and reflected the efforts the team had put in over 2023/24 to go from a new group to fully commissioned.

    2024 saw the Mercia run an hour live broadcast in November raising £730 for Breast Cancer Now as well as being the host chapter for the SFI stand at Blackpool's Destination event in July. If you were there, hello! If you didn't find us or know we were there, I understand why!!!!!

    While I stepped back from The Runabout in November I decided to stand for the role of Regional Coordinator for Region 20 and was elected to the position on January 1st this year. It's an incredible opportunity and one I truly relish. Of course, lots of thoughts and ideas are spinning around at the moment and I will officially take on the role from March 1st this year.

    So this site might see a bit of an evolution. I'll still try and keep up with reviews and opinions but I'm also going to use it to document my journey as RC for Region 20 - who knows what's coming? Well, in fairness we know Destination is on the way in August and there will be a Regional Summit in May so there's two things I'll absolutely be covering!!!!

    For now, I hope you're all good and well out there and I look forward to updating you all very, very soon.

    LLAP

    Clive

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Memory Alpha: Star Trek on this Day

13

Oct

1910 Casey Onaitis is born.
1913 Buzz Barbee is born.
1923 Meyer Dolinsky is born.
1930 Paul Kent is born.
1940 Tom Lay is born.
1948 Brendan McKane is born.
1952 Bob Ingersoll is born.
1953 Dominic Calandra, Lisa Chess and Melodee M. Spevack are born.
1955 Margaret Clark is born.
1959 Alan J. Porter is born.
1963 Hiro Kanagawa and Niel Wray are born.
1964 Rich Hosek and Matt Walsh are born.
1966 TOS: "Mudd's Women" airs. Third day of filming on TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I" and TOS: "The Menagerie, Part II".
1967 TOS: "The Apple" airs. Fifth day of filming on TOS: "Obsession". Director Ralph Senensky leaves the set early in the afternoon to celebrate Yom Kippur, and is temporarly replaced by producer John Meredyth Lucas. Fourth revised final draft script for TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is submitted.
1969 Aaron Rosenberg is born.
1970 Patrick Haye and Ben Raab are born.
1973 TAS: "The Survivor" airs. The Thirty-Seventh UK Story Arc begins in Valiant & TV21 #107 with the first of twelve installments.
1976 Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves is born.
1978 Forty-ninth day of filming on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
1983 Forty-third day of filming on Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
1987 Fourth day of filming on TNG: "Too Short A Season".
1988 Third day of filming on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. First day of filming on TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data".
1993 Fourth day of filming on TNG: "Parallels".
1994 Third day of filming on DS9: "Fascination". Twenty-eighth day of filming on VOY: "Caretaker".
1995 Zachry Rogers is born. Final draft script for DS9: "Our Man Bashir" is revised. First day of filming on DS9: "Our Man Bashir".
1997 Third day of filming on DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi". Third day of filming on VOY: "Waking Moments".
1999 VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy" airs. Final day of eight days' shooting on VOY: "Tsunkatse". Amongst the scenes shot are those featuring The Rock, in his only scheduled shooting day.
2000 Fifth day of filming on VOY: "Shattered".
2002 Keene Curtis dies.
2003 Second day of filming on ENT: "Carpenter Street". Second-unit filming on ENT: "Twilight". Second-unit filming on ENT: "Similitude".
2004 First day of filming on ENT: "Daedalus".
2007 Remastered version of TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" airs.
2008 Paul Schneider dies.
2009 Memories of the Future, Volume 1 by Wil Wheaton is released.
2010 Carmen Emeterio dies.
2015 Bruce Hyde dies. Seventy-first day of filming on Star Trek Beyond.
2021 Kenny Studer dies.
2022 LD: "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus" premieres on Paramount+.
2025 The Good of All" is released.
Unknown year Toni Belafonte is born.
Memory Alpha New Articles
Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Authority Latest Posts
  • 16 Nov 2024
    Special Photostudy: The $910,000 Star Trek: The Original Series Hero Type II Pistol Phaser from ...


    On November 9, 2024, an iconic piece of Star Trek history - the "hero" or working Type II Pistol Phaser prop which had been used for close-up photography in such memorable TOS episodes as "Court Martial" and "The Gamesters of Triskelion" and had been extensively pictured in the famous 1968 behind-the-scenes reference book "The Making of Star Trek" - sold at Julien's Bid Long & Prosper auction for a record shattering $910,000 (based on a hammer price of $700,000 plus a 30% buyers premium); making this phaser the most expensive piece of Star Trek memorabilia ever sold at auction. The emergence of this prop into the public consciousness was just a recent development; as it was privately held for nearly 50 years by it's consignors who inherited it from a relative in the Hollywood prop industry. The original pre-auction estimate for the phaser was $100,000 - $200,000; which was consistent with earlier, recent Star Trek memorabilia sales history. In the Heritage Greg Jein Collection auction on October 14, 2023, Lot #89139, the Jein TOS Hero Phaser prop that is virtually identical to this piece realized a final price of $187,500 including buyers premium - or approximately 1/5th of the price observed in the Julien's auction.

    The TOS “hero” phaser props were elaborately constructed based on the design created by Walter “Matt” Jefferies, the Art Director and Production Designer for TOS – who might be best known as the creator of the original U.S.S. Enterprise starship. The working phaser features:

    • A removable Hand Phaser unit (also called a Type I Phaser) that mounted into the Type II body and could be secured in place or released by depressing the bronze colored cylindrical button (or “Lock Release” ) projecting outwards from the left-side of the Type II body
    • A moving silver thumbwheel ( or “Force Setting Wheel”) on the top surface of the Hand Phaser that would, when rotated fully forward, raise a clear acrylic “sight” mechanism out of the top of the unit, lifting slightly the rear of the silver rectangular meshed plate or “Electron Aspirator Pile” and also causing the beam emitter at the very front of the Type II body to extend forward
    • Fully rotating the silver thumbwheel forward would also cause a tiny “grain of wheat” light bulb mounted into the beam emitter to illuminate. This would be useful for the graphic artists working on the post production “special effects” processing for the series to correctly add in the bright blue or red or white colored light beam seen projecting from the phaser when it was firing.

    • A rotating ring piece as part of the aluminum front nozzle section (or “Photon Accelerator”)
    • A machined aluminum rear “Deflector Shield” component with 4 fin-like projections incorporated in the design. (This detail was simply painted onto mid-grade level phaser props.)
    • A removable grip or handle which also served as a PowerPack for the Type II unit; as revealed in the episode “The Omega Glory”, where discarded powerpacks were found as evidence of extensive use of phaser weapons in a battle

    This historic piece with it’s intricate internal design mechanisms truly represents the pinnacle of 1960’s propmaking expertise.

    Presented below is the complete Julien's auction catalog description, with accompanying photos, for this iconic hero phaser, as well as several rare images that reveal the elaborate internal construction details of the prop.

    Special thanks to John Long, the renowned Star Trek prop expert and prop maker who masterfully performed the restoration and conservation activities on both this Hero Type II Phaser and the Hero TOS communicator prop also sold at the Julien's Bid Long & Prosper auction, for his very gracious permission to include his detailed photography of the phaser's interior within this article.

    Lot #7 Star Trek: The Original Series | William Shatner "Captain James T. Kirk" Hero Screen-Matched Phaser Prop

    An original screen-matched, hero, Phaser prop used by William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the television series Star Trek: The Original Series (Desilu Productions, 1966 - 1969).

    This iconic prop, created in 1966, is one of only four hero or “practical” versions of the Phaser used on the show which feature intricate details and moving parts that were unique to those few props, making it exceedingly rare. This Phaser is known in the collecting community as the "Finney" Phaser because it was seen on screen used by actor Richard Webb who portrayed the character "Finney" in the season one episode "Court Marshall." Held by its current owners for nearly fifty years, this Phaser was thought to be lost until now. The current owners inherited the Phaser from a close relative who was a Hollywood prop industry veteran that purportedly acquired it from a former Paramount Pictures employee that worked on early Star Trek productions.

    Construction
    Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to avoid the sci-fi cliche “ray-gun” and preferred that his new weapons have details and features beyond just a static prop. To that end, the hero Phasers feature a removable top-mounted Phaser 1 that could be used by itself or in place within the larger body which, when combined, were collectively referred to as a Phaser 2. Both of these pieces are marvels of prop engineering with various electric switches, hidden linkages and moving parts that can only be seen when the pieces are opened to reveal their inner workings. The intricate interior details with both custom and off-the-shelf parts from the 1960s are specific matches to another acknowledged hero Phaser previously owned by prop maker and collector Greg Jein. The handle of the Phaser, which is also removable, is the battery compartment that powers the light in the emitter tip.

    In addition to the fact that this Phaser perfectly matches the materials and methods of construction seen on the Greg Jein Phaser, this Phaser was also showcased in The Making of Star Trek, a book published in 1968. The Making of Star Trek included a photo section featuring many key Star Trek props. The section on the Phaser included detailed photos, including interior images of the Phaser 1 section perfectly match this Phaser.

    Screen-Matching
    Thanks to the fact that Star Trek has been re-mastered from its original film to high-definition Blu-Ray, this Phaser can clearly be matched to specific scenes in multiple episodes which is a highly unusual and sought-after feature.

    This Phaser holds another distinction that sets it apart from its counterparts. It was apparently designated by the prop master as “The Beauty Phaser,” which is demonstrated by its excellent condition and its many close-ups throughout Star Trek’s three seasons, the only Phaser used in this way. We have been able to identify unique details, scratches and flaws on this Phaser to make positive identifications of this prop to a number of specific episodes. It can be seen in close-up in the episodes, ”Court Martial”, "The Cloud Minders", "The Gamesters of Triskelion" and “A Piece of the Action,” a singular honor.

    Restoration
    While the Phaser was already in exceptional condition, it nevertheless underwent restoration to stabilize inner working parts to allow gentle movement without risking damage. The interior battery compartment had corrosion fro a previous battery. The corrosion was removed and the compartment was stabilized to prevent further damage. During this process, an external power source was used to illuminate the original bulb still present in the nozzle tip. Although it is possible to use a battery to enable the lighting of this bulb, further work would be required to fully stabilize these connections for reliability. The original acrylic semicircular top meter cover was absent from the Phaser, a replacement has been created for display purposes and comes with this lot. This part was not affixed to the Phaser in any way, to maintain the integrity of the piece.

    Estimate: $100,000 - $200,000

    Some very special internal construction imagery courtesy of Star Trek TOS expert John Long ...

    A perfect match of the interior hand phaser compartment cover appearance with a 1968 photo published in The Making of Star Trek ...

    A closeup screen shot from the 2nd season episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion" ...

    A closeup screen shot from the 1st season episode "Court Martial" ...

    Some breathtaking modern day imagery of the hero phaser, illuminated again!, courtesy of John Long ...

Important notice None of the above feeds, videos and galleries is under the control of the EAS webmaster. EAS is neither responsible for the correctness and legality, nor for the safety and correct display of the external content. In order to preserve the visitors' privacy, EAS does not include any kind of "social plug-ins" anywhere, the only exception being YouTube video players.

 

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