The Official Starships Collection: DS9 XL

The original Eaglemoss DS9 was big enough, right?

For the time, absolutely. It was after all the first of the special editions and by default the first in a run of starbases, space stations and outposts that would bulk up that run of the Official Starships Collection.

This also marks the first time I've ventured back into the Eaglemoss world since their rather unceremonious collapse. Why continue the reviews? One, because it's now verging on retro and secondly I suspect that these models will reappear on some website at some point even if they are just to be sold off. If they do, then this is one you'll need to snap up quickly. Also I kind of want to finish off a few bits. There's some Discovery stuff still to do plus the final two issues of the STO line... then we'll see. 

This edition is the third DS9 I've added to the collection, the other two being the original Eaglemoss special from 2013 and the excellent oversized Attack Wing version. That's a beast and only gets unboxed for gaming because while it's quite large it's not constructed as robustly as the Eaglemoss versions.

If you're in it for size then the Attack Wing version is a clear winner however its rarity now might set you back a substantial amount (that and their Borg Cube). Fingers crossed this one doesn't go the same way for some time.

One of the criticisms levelled against the XLs is that in some cases fans weren't sure why they were made. The Kelvin USS Enterprise which was originally a special and therefore larger than the regular line is a prime example. DS9 almost falls into this category since it too appeared in the specials line right back in the early days.

So does this version improve on the already excellent original Eaglemoss edition? Absolutely it does and at its most base level if only for the inclusion of the stand. Yes, if you recall the original it displayed by sitting on the lower pylons and over time these began to curve inward slightly due to the weight of the rest of the Cardassian monstrosity.

Eaglemoss made the wise choice here, taking all that weight off the base and sitting the station in a cradle that grips the bottom of the central core and leaves the three lower pylons hanging free. 

But we're not just here to talk about the plastic base because this is frikkin' DS9 people and we have loads to cover. 

From the start there's been a serious colour overall with the station losing its brown with brown highlights finish. Substituting a more grey/brown base with the sensor equipment and call outs on the outer docking ring in a more yellowed brown, there's immediately a stronger contrast in the shading which helps draw out the enlarged detail. Ok, it's not all individually painted as you might plan on for an AMT or Polar Lights kit, but the distinction between a hull plate and the mechanics of the station are more pronounced.

Look even more closely at the docking bays at the midpoint of each of the three curving arms and you'll spot that there's a ton more detail in the structure and plating at these points. Not much has changed in the markings up the pylons but around these three locations there is a significant improvement. Even the inside edges now have some form of panel definition which is a huge plus sign. Actually that's not totally accurate because there is a marked step up in the definition of the markings on the station even at this point in our look. One factor I can take in as well is that the pylons themselves are a much tighter fit on the XL and we're avoiding the gaps that could be spotted on the smaller version. In some cases, due to the weight, these could become a lot more prominent.

But then in some cases more is less because as we run inwards along the supporting arms from the outer docking ring to the inner, the markings here have actually been reduced and refined. On the original there is an intense amount of blocking along the sides of the arms but the XL has lowered the definition and made it a much less crowded surface where the top panel markings stand out more strongly.

These marked sections as well have benefitted from being that bit bigger with the surface indents now more separated and distinct rather than clustered blobs. But they still can't align a window because every single one on the station - on the rings and on the central core are noticeably out. My recommendation would have been to ignore making the windows a raised feature that then needed to be white painted in. It's utterly failed and, as usual, detracts from the spectacle of the overall station.

The contrast in colour tones also strikes out when you look at the inner ring with its more segmented style. The alternating yellow/brown to brown/grey makes for a sharper result. It also means that there's a third shade (gasp) in grey to add more defined hull sections as we get closer to the core. The inner, smaller, docking arms also have a sharper finish and paint job that matches up with their larger outer compatriots. 

Ok, the shots I took of the smaller DS9 were done on a horrible black background during my early playing days so it at least deserves some new shots on the lighter background. But even then when comparing a side by side overhead pic, the two stations are miles apart on the quality thanks to that expansion of size. In this case bigger is definitely better even if it's not by that much. 

I think the most significant point of size increase though comes in the layering of that all-important central core. The Promenade windows are that bit larger, the deck levels seem more evenly spread, especially the two above the station's civilian hub. Here on the XL, the lower of those two is nowhere near as compacted as before. Stepping up beyond that, the structure under Ops as well as the deflectors is another level. The original made this whole areas squashed and poorly rendered but the XL has 100% topped it and learned from the mistakes of its predecessor. This time there is even evidence of the comms array on top of Ops which was totally absent previously. Ok, they're minor "bumps" but it's a piece that wasn't included before.

At the other end of the central core is the main power generator. The red of the original model was fairly restricted by the size but now the core really glows. The power conduits around it have much stronger detailing and the inset colouring definitely pops more. It would have made a nice translucent insert but realistically it would have been incredibly fiddly to make it work on the budget.

This model is as though someone has more tightly focused the lens of a camera. Lines are more precise and defined. The structure itself is more ably constructed. There is still a small gap around the base of the Promenade but in the big scheme this is much smaller than before. If this ever becomes available again - and I hope it does - I cannot say how much you have to get hold of one. It was out of stock for a long time and luckily I managed to grab it on the second wave. Fingers crossed this will be the case again for anyone that didn't get hold of this excellent display piece.

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