Avenger Assembled: The Official Online Starships Collection Issues 11 and 12

First looks can be deceptive and with the USS Avenger it’s easy to fall into thinking it’s a horrendous Starfleet mashup. 

Nacelles from one thing, a primary hull from another and a deflector dish straight out of a Lego set. Yet take a look further into the design and lineage of the Avenger and you begin to understand it a lot more.

Emblazoned with the distinct Star Trek Online Starfleet black and white paint scheme, the colouring actually helps to highlight some of the battlecruiser’s features. Certainly squat for its configuration, the class was conceived to company larger threats most notably following the withdrawal of the Klingons from the Khitomer Accords. 

The design and therefore the model has all those typical Federation hallmarks as alluded to and while it’s not a favourite when it  comes to aesthetics, this is one of Starfleet’s more functional platforms. 

The model conveys that very well with the recessed windows, prominent phaser banks at the front of the saucer and those tightly hung nacelles pressed nearer to the hull.  The most striking part of the ship though has to be the utilisation of the twin neck also seen on the Enterprise-F and the rigid, high-sided spine that runs to the rear of the ship. 

The paintwork does let this one down ever so slightly. Again, the black markings don't cover the whole of the areas its marked out for with some of the panel lines still showing up white and the panels slightly speckled.

But the detail still remains with the overall effect of the ship still coming off strong. Eaglemoss have recreated the main elements that make this one unique although how they would have presented the activation of the ablative armour is another question for another day.

Even down to the front where the class-specific Variable Auto-Targeting Armament (VATA) torpedoes are launched is included on the Avenger and even if this is one of the least smooth Starfleet designs it is important to include given its nature as the first battlecruiser to be included in Online. That is then reflected in the very nature of this model build. Strucurally it's rock solid and Eaglemoss have made the unusal step of making the secondary hull and not the saucer in metal.

In turn this gives the Avenger a lot more stability. Plus, the detail level is consistent. Along the spine you can easily make out the shield generator and the eight warp plasma phase conditioners needed to deal with the immense amount of power this craft generates and requires.

Out to the engines and the pylons (ridiculously thick!), the level of detail matches the main hulls with the ship registry evident on the nacelles. The bussard collectors and warp grilles are painted in this time since they are buried within the hull in line with the ship's mission directive.

Perhaps the only things working against this model are the recessed windows whch are just recesses with no indication of detail. Along the saucer edges the choice to paint them on has worked and the little touches here are what makes the Avenger really shine. The stripes, the edging, the lifeboat hatches; all of them are meticulously added.

The sensor array at the tip of the primary hull is also lacking the detail you can make out on the magazine cover however it is a very thin edge along which to add any fiddly painting and it's one point against a very impressive vista for such a compact design. 

Issue 11 covers the usual ship specific points, an explanation of the VATA feature and the design history of the class adding a good deal of meat the to bones. The plan views are uninspiring and lack much detail save for some obvious features. The design article covers the path from the real world and the reason for the Avenger's existence in the game. This time round we also have the backstory for Starfleet at War expanding on the changes to the galaxy as part of the Online story.

Following the surprisingly cool (yep, changed my mind by the end of that review) Avenger is the Klingon Raptor-style IKS Mat'Ha.

A design lineage that was lost through the alignment with the Khitomer Accords, the attacking Raptor class vessel is initially a bit of an eyefull. The colour palette on these Online Klingon ships is very overpowering and a sharp contrast to the two colours of Starfleet's ships.

The bright green base and brown highlights do make the Mat'Ha stand out. The neck/wings design marks it out immediately as one of the Empire's vessels with hints in there from the Somraw, the Bird of Prey and also the Vor'Cha class.

Eaglemoss have forged the main body, wings and engines in metal here with impulse blocks and structural cabling added in plastic. The colours are a lot more vibrant than we ever saw in the live action series and here it emphasises the different panel depths and features of the ship.

The features themselves are incredibly prominent from an oddly menacing forward deflector to the blatant primary and secondary weapon emplacements on the nose and wings. These are fairly stable and will take some punishment even as protrusions from the main hull. 

The buzzard collectors and exhaust points on the warp engines are another matter. The collectors themselves are a bit gappy when it comes to a smooth and aligned fit with the metal nacelles. They are fairly large pieces of translucent plastic which, maybe, could have just been painted metal. Saying that, the effect looks great if you’re not too close to start spotting fitting errors. 

Simplistic is definitely the word when it comes to the Mat’Ha. The paint is blocky, the style is a set of simple shapes and it all combines here to present a craft very much as functional as the USS Avenger which we have already had the pleasure of getting to know. It’s not as stunning as the bulky Bortasqu’ or the more recent Mogh but it still cuts a spectacular swathe in the collection. 

As to the mini magazine in the box, the usual rules apply. Background details and screenshots from the game including standard in universe backstory followed by an equally comprehensive note on the work that goes on from Cryptic to transfer the initial need and vision into a playable craft in the game. This time’s expansion on the Online lore deals with a very specific section of the game, Delta Rising, which introduced a whole new section of the galaxy to the game.

This in turn explains how classic races from Voyager’s seven year trek were incorporated into the larger framework of the story and continue to be involved today. 

Just a note on display for both of these ships; there are no issues with the clips around the ships with the fitting for them being around the wing/pylons. One thing that does need to be brought up is that the bases don’t seem to accommodate the plastic pegs very well. I think every one I’ve seen in the last six months has needed some amount of filing to fit snugly.

The Avenger and the Mat’Ha have both grown on me considerably during the time of writing this review and Eaglemoss have done immense justice to both Online ships. Certainly the magazines go a long way here to explaining the design decisions and making sense of the spins placed on established Star Trek starship design.

Check out all our Online Starships posts HERE

You can find out more on the Star Trek Online Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

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Battlecruiser Heaven: The Online Official Starships Collection Issues 9 and 10

The redesigns from Discovery keep on coming with the latest being the Europa Class.

Based on the Nimitz Class USS Europa destroyed at the Battle of the Binary Stars, this leap forward had that distinct STO paint job contrasting the base white against the dark grey highlights. 

It works on screen and also in reality providing the Europa with a striking silhouette. The shape and form are very reminiscent of the Reliant and therefore the Miranda Class Take those two upper nacelles off and it's the spitting image if not updated. There's even a pair of numbered shuttlebays at the back of the hull if you're in any doubt.

What they have done is stretch the saucer out a little more elliptically to the front and set the bridge module back a little more. This in turn provides more surface space for escape pods and sensor emplacements. The hull itself is a lot more complex with more raised structures than the old Reliant again featuring more escape pods.

The classic rollbar/mission pod piece now sweeps backwards and is set a little more forward and almost over the bridge. The paint and decals around the ship and especially here are definitely one of the more precise results from Eaglemoss but there are a few spots where the paint doesn't quite line up the edge of its area most notably on this raised section.

The centrepiece there does contain a notable decal which is, so the magazine explains, the Structural Integrity Field (SIF) Linkage. This piece of cool Online tech means that the Europa can take away the damage inflicted by weapons fire on allied ships. Also there's a Starfleet pennant  which is almost too small to make out but is clearly indicated by two very fine stripes. The rollbar also features the "double neck" which is a distinguishing feature of the Enterprise-F providing additional support to the centre pod. Reliant could have definitely used that. 

The four warp engines are a real piece of digital design mastery. With notched warp vents across the tops (and bottoms!) of all four, there's a stunning impression of depth across the nacelles. Each nacelles is cleanly tipped with a translucent bussard collector and some lovely decalling along the sides. The pennants are sharp as ever with ship registries and also tiny, tiny United Federation of Planets legends. Look at how they're connected to the hull with each bolted on to an extra-wide pylon and that's not something you see on every Starfleet vessel.

The decalling right across this model is really impressive and straight where it matters - which is precisely everywhere. Even on the ventral surfaces the markings are crystal clear with even red trimming and the standard ship registries in place.

The underside of that single hull carries even more detail and a lot more colour even if it is grey, black, white and brown. There are a lot more lifeboat hatches for one but there's also differing surface levels, grilles and a quite impressive lower sensor dome. Inspection of this lower section does raise your awareness of the pixellated paint effect that crops up towards the rear and also on the notched warp engine surfaces. The engines appear to have the pattern mirrored but behind the sensor dome it's more unique and doesn't follow the centre-line repeat which is most unusual.

Construction on this model is excellent and its design represents the more military and robust style path chosen by the Online format. The bold colouring works beautifully for the game but as with all the previous entries it's quite jarring on a physical piece and does step a little way from the canon franchise.

The weight is all to the front although the stand sit is also surprisingly stable. What is becoming increasingly annoying is that the pegs don't seem to fit into the black bases unless you do a fair bit of sanding on the plastic.

The magazine does go a long way to explaining the special features of the Europa including the SIF and as to how the vessel and limited number of its class were designed to be vanguards and capital ships for Starfleet. This is very different to the science mission directive of the Miranda Class but I guess times change. It also recounts the link between this design and the "lost" ships of Yard 39 which is Online's way of building Discovery's vessels into the game. 

Fortunately the plan views do note the key technologies of the Europa including the grilled Command and Control Communications Suite (grey square front of saucer) as well as the location for the EM Phase Conditioner Intakes (end of the black strips, top of saucer). It means, for once, the model does show important into rather than it al being hidden away inside. 

The design section does lean towards how this ship differs from its Discovery predecessor and also from the Miranda Class as well as the reasoning for its existence. The Europa acts as a battle cruiser again revealing the more action-based nature of the online experience. The graphics here to accompany the visually journey are good to have and go even further to establish the fleet lineage.

Finally the issue explains and dissects the nature of Starfleet Operations from the 22nd Century through its evolution to the organisation as it stands in Online. Specifically the article pinpoints key events in the 2400's that have influenced its form.

Klingon fans won't be too upset to see the IKS Mogh make an appearance as our second ship of the Empire in this collection.

Just as deadly, chunky and heavy as the Bortasqu' the Mogh sits in parallel to the Europa as a Klingon battlecruiser. She, like that Starfleet ship, also bears the key distinctions of her race's history but with that Online spin.

A rather heavy, squat model, the Mogh ticks all the right boxes - long neck with command module, raised engine unit to the rear and drop down warp nacelles. It can ONLY be Klingon.

The detailing on her is crazy. The painting distinction between the grey raised panels and the base green coat is spot on. No bleed, no paint echo and it just looks glorious. 

The correct choice was made to paint the windows on around the mid-section of the Mogh with the yellow used sitting just right in alignment. From the nose to the back the battlescruiser has a fine network of panel lines that are visible on the base layer and on the raised hull pieces.

As notable features go, right at the front is a fin-like section sitting between the front forks. Painted and outlined, it clearly shows the main torpedo port from which the battlecruiser launches its innovative, protected projectile weapons.

That whole upper section and out to the wings is a single meta piece with a clip in bottom. Note too that the Mogh has metal nacelles - a major rarity in the starships line as these tend to be glued on plastic separates accommodating translucent grilles and collectors. 

The sharp, bladed nacelles here don’t have any inserts but do have bustard highlights along the tops and continued panel detail. The fact that they are part of that upper hull mould also means that there’s no join lines around the Mogh’s wing shoulders allowing for a smooth transition down to the engines. 

What Eaglemoss have done is build around that central metal element. The stepped-up housing to the back and also the forward bridge module are a separate plastic piece dropped onto the top of the ship. It’s almost indistinguishable from the metal hull apart from the sound it makes and also because there’s a negative space gap just behind the bridge module that would otherwise be impossible. 

Underneath you can make out the slotted in insert segment which is cleverly disguised by the placement of two smaller warp engines beneath the wings. These manage to conceal the gap at the nacelle edges and there’s no deterioration in quality. The panelling and element distinction is first class all the way here.

The speckling of white lights across the ventral surfaces bring a bit of life to the Mogh but the big winner is just how well the hull is defined and the precision of the colour blocks all the way round. Funny thing with both this AND the Europa is that the belly of both crafts have the most to look at!

In the issue 10 magazine the pictures truly make you appreciate the precision of the model to what was realised in the game. Covering the reasons behind its development ‘in universe’, the initial overview of the Mogh extrapolates on its groundbreaking Dynamic Defence Deployment System (DDDS) inspired by the Cardassian Dreadnought weapon. 

The plan views thereafter note this and other key elements of the ship including its significant armour plating plus the location of the impulse engines which all line up with the weighty diecast model.

Designed as a counterpart to the USS Avenger in Online, the Mogh story relates how it had to remain distinctly Klingon but still manage to push the design forward and includes photos to help visualise the process from page to pixels. This is a fascinating read that shows the care and attention given to the universe of Star Trek even online. 

Keeping on the theme, the final entry ahead of the usual ship stats block covers the rise of J’Mpok to power in the Empire along with the challenges he faced on that path. It also includes the reasoning behind the resumption of hostilities with the Federation as well as the threats posed to the Klingons during a pivotal time in their history. The path, as we discover, is not as clean cut as might be expected with differing pressures bringing about change. 

Two magnificent STO ships this month. I mean, the detail is mindblowing and both demonstrate the incredible detail available from the digital ship files. Construction and finishing quality on both is first class. A brilliant pair for the series.

Check out all our Online Starships posts HERE

You can find out more on the Star Trek Online Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

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Digital Fleets: Star Trek Online Starships Collection Issues Three and Four

What if the Galaxy Class took a jump forward into the 25th Century? What changes would be made to this already iconic design?

Issue three of the Online Starships series answers that question with the Andromeda Class - bigger, meaner, sleeker than its 24th Century inspiration but with just enough there to make the classic lineage recognisable.

Taking the move to a circular saucer over the elliptical Galaxy Class, the USS Andromeda model immediately sets the tone; it's the same but with a slightly different agenda. 

The model is as good in quality as that very first issue of the original starship collection with extensive detailing across the hull to the very tip of those sleek warp nacelles. Up front, the primary hull sticks to an off-white base coat neatly accented with darker grey striping at the edge and centre of the circle. The lifeboat hatches too are carefully dotted in with the imprints in the hull lining up against the change in colour. There's a lot of colour going on here with darker greys adding highlights but also making this model feel very cluttered.

Tragically too, the ship name and registry number haven't been applied too well to the surface, disappearing into the deflector grid lines and in some respects almost being illegible. This might, of course, be on purpose but the effect, along with the paintwork, make this ship look older than it should and in a way, worn out - that edging grey for example looks like it could have done with another coat but somehow it works and is an unusual choice for a Federation starship.

The features on that saucer are in keeping with the "older" Galaxy design encompassing a raised two-tier central section now widened to the rear rather than tapering in sharply. Fortunately that central section really comes to life through the multiple paint levels and blocking paired up with the rather delicate red stripes paralleling towards the top of the Andromeda's main shuttle bay.

The bottom of the saucer removes the thick outer edge stripe of grey with two rows of lifeboat hatches drawing down into the phaser arc then a darker hull curve to the centre. Now here's the biggest issue with the Andromeda. The lifeboat hatches look great however the decals on the sensor array/captain's yacht are way out of alignment as is the registry. The speckling of the paint in that inner ring isn't too clean either giving a dirty effect to the hull. 

This is pretty much the only thing to shake your head at with this one though because the secondary hull is packed with detail. The spine running down to the back of the engineering hull has a bit of everything. Red decalling, two further shuttlebays and a large, brightly painted up impulse engine. That worn effect from the dark greys of the saucer have made their way down onto the secondary hull and raise focus onto the curves of the class shape - especially down to the "chicken leg" style pylons that have echoes from the original plan for the Enterprise-E, sweeping forward rather than back and out.

It's a great section of detail and variation with the key elements of the ship crystal clear to see and marked up. To the front there's a translucent blue deflector which means you do see the holes underneath it into which it's attached but we do have the addition of some fine golden detailing on the deflector panels. The bottom of this hull too is well presented with a large dark grey piece slicing down the centre with more hatches lining the surface. You can even make out the tractor beam emplacement sunk into the hull at the back before it sweeps up into the flat area at the very rear.

The engines look amazing and while familiar in their wide, flat-topped approach, the detail on them is much heightened versus the Galaxy Class. The pennant striping is reduced in comparison with some impressive cut-out sections that allow you to "see" the warp grilles from above as well as along the edges of the engines.

The bussard collectors are more protected too in keeping with a more military outlook for the 25th Century online fleet, only visible through narrow slits to the front, shrouded in the housings. One of the biggest differences to its hallowed lineage is the decision to taper the nacelles vertically and as the magazine notes, this is one piece that gives the ship the impression that it's always in motion even when it's not.

Cudos also to Eaglemoss for the detail on the thick neck connecting the two main sections of the ship. Reknowned to be fiddly as hell to paint in, this time there are actual windows all the way up and on both sides of the curved structure. 

The resulting Andromeda Class model is, aside from the decalling disaster under the saucer, a brilliant replica from the online game and I'm amazed just how much work has gone into this one. The panelling detail is off the chart, the phasers all have decalled red curves at their ends; everything is just about perfect and genuinely exciting to look at. Comparing it to the Galaxy Class model in some ways does this one a disservice because there's a lot more depth to the product than we saw so many years back. I'm seriously impressed how much there is on the ship!

As you might imagine, the issue three magazine turns its attention in-universe to the development of the class from the fabled Galaxy line of the 24th Century and the mission parameters that aided in its design and build. The simple line off the back of it for the "real" world comes from how to take the classic, iconic and instantly recognisable shape of the Enterprise-D and make it relevant to the 25th Century as envisaged by Cryptic. The articles in here do well to cover both bases although you do sense that this lineage is much more concerned with its defensive abilities than before! 

To our first non-Federation ship now and we welcome in the Klingons with their digital flagship, the IKS Bortasqu'. 

What a design. Taking over from the Negh'Var, the Bortasqu' is a space-faring battle platform that looks lethal even in diecast form. The shape is distinctly Klingon with that large "head" leading into the neck piece and back into a wide engineering section where the engines lie out to the sides. 

The paintwork right across this one is stunning with the green, main colour overlaid with light grey sections which, here, look as though the base coat is wearing through in patches. The magazine makes the Bortasqu' appear cleaner and better painted however the model is a much more worthy version in every way that benefits from the wear and tear applied here.

The panel lines are much deeper than on a Federation ship such as the Andromeda Class above, notably on the neck and centre line but this may be down to the contrast grey painting that draws out the prominence of the hull detail. 

Windows are painted onto the hull in white with no indents to line up against and these can be seen along the neck into the blocky engineering section. Before we get there though, take a good look into the upper unit sitting atop the neckpiece. This is an extra piece fixed on and stretching down to the main hull from what appears as a secondary bridge unit.

I love the attention to detail on this ship and it's one of the most inspiring Klingon designs for years. The model itself feels substantial; there's a weight to it and the Bortasqu' even in metal and plastic radiates danger. The split line on the ship is perhaps more evident around the wing and pylon assembly, cutting horizontally and around the engines as well as extending forward to just before that scythe-shaped front piece.

What continues to be effectual across the ship is the choice to go with a paint scheme that doesn't mirror and reflects the wear and potential exterior neglect that you wouldn't experience on a Federation ship for example. Oddly though the green base coat, which does feature aztecing, doesn't have a scratch on it - maybe just not worth paying the extra for the highlights?


The blocky rear also contains a brilliant bit of design echoing a feature on the Odyssey Class USS Enterprise-F in that it has a Bird of Prey docked and ready for action. Sitting proud of the ship you can see the red and green warp engines but it's only when directly looking from the back that you appreciate its wings cut through the hull when docked and you can see the wingtip cannons painted grey when you take a look from the bottom up. The detail here is fascinating and this is a unique feature that Eaglemoss have wisely included in the Bortasqu' model.

At the rear the impulse engines, like the red detailing at the front are painted in but out on the engines the warp grilles within the pods are translucent, creating a glow around the units that there should have been more of to truly lift this model. 

Aside from the mention of the Bird of Prey guns that sit docked into the hull when viewed from below, the paint combination of azteced green and grey/blue highlights. The ventral profile of the Bortasqu' is nowhere on a par to the structure of topside, but it does retain the bird-like patterning and chunks of grey to break up the green.

Note also the numerous lifeboat hatches on the bottom here and none on the top - they line the edges of the engines plus along the centre line closest to all of the main habitable areas - but strangely none near the bridge - note of duty bound bridge crew perhaps? An expectation of the rank? 

Decalled only with a pair of Klingon emblems on the sweeping wings, the very presence of the Bortasqu' comes from its chunky, brutal design that is well conveyed through the structure of the Eaglemoss model. The panelling is fairly subtle but the contrast of the grey/green is magical and only bettered with the choice to have it chipped and worn. We might only be four issues into this series but already this design and product have set a high line for expectation.

What has become apparent already is just how far that level of detail online has translated into the models we've already seen released. They are damn close screen-accurate, perh
aps even that little edge above because those pixels have been smoothed out and aligned to a "real world" reflection. The Bortasqu' has also marked the first ship to include extra pieces attached - the underslung arc element to the front, the mini Bird of Prey engines to the rear, the central structure - all building on that main hull and completing an impressive - and large - Klingon flagship fit to take on the Enterprise-F.

In the magazine we have a decent write up on the creation of the new flagship itself and what is now clear from these is the length that the Online team have gone to in order to create backstories for the ships in the game. While the TV ships were sometimes cobbled together for one shot to fit a brief, these have real depth into why they look a certain way and what would have led to their inception both from the in-game and real world developer perspectives. It makes for a better read throughout with the magazine here - as with previous editions, taking both paths individually and clearly.

Two more issues in and this collection is really hotting up with some sensational models. The magazines are an insight (especially for someone who isn't that heavily into Star Trek Online) but shows the care, attention and overall love that Cryptic know they need to put into the game to keep fans interested and engaged with the stories and the craft they can command. There's a spark here that resonates off the screen and into the models which I wasn't expecting and certainly the arrival of the Bortasaqu' has heightened my interest in dipping a toe into the game once more. 

There isn't a clear preference either this month because these two just look so damn great. The Klingon flagship might have a slight advantage because the decals are all in the right place but you can't quibble with the overall structure of the two in any way. Great models, great magazines and overall a brilliant delivery!

You can find out more on the Star Trek Online Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

What's been your favourite so far? Is this collection what you expected? Drop a comment below!

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The New Line on the Block: The Star Trek Online Starships Collection Issues 1 and 2

As The Official Starships Collection bows out in a matter of weeks with its 180th issue, Eaglemoss are already setting out to new frontiers with their Star Trek Online Starships series.

The first two issues are out right now featuring the USS Gargarin and the USS Chimera. 

As it's the opening salvo from this new collection, let's dissect this from a box level down. First of all, the packaging has stepped up to the mark and away from the generic blue sleeves from The Official Starships Collection. Taking instead a line from the busts, the boxes are a full six sides with a windowed front. The sides are decked out with info on what's contained within and for those looking to line it all up as a "bookshelf" series, the spine side carries the issue number and ship detail.

All in all it's a big move away from the plastic bag ship and mag combination we've seen for the last seven years and instantly looks a darn sight more professional and inviting. On the back - and not therefore not taking up any unnecessary magazine space - is a preview of the upcoming issues, naming a few more than there are pictured.

This is definitely a positive shift for Eaglemoss who are also notably stamping it with their Hero Collector brand. Also a move in keeping with the Busts and Discovery collections is the downsizing of the magazines to fit into those boxes. Good move for space saving after 180 larger magazines but dead fiddly and certainly the text is harder to read. More on the mags at the end.

Ok, here’s issue one’s lowdown. The USS Gagarin is a visually upgraded version of the Shepard Class from Discovery, offering not just a 25th Century structural makeover but also a striking new paint job.

Utilising the same model sizing as The Official Starships Collection, the Gagarin has a set of crisp lines and immediately you realise that this is  as close as close as close as you could get to the craft on Online. Why? Because the CG models have always been Eaglemoss’ preferred media of choice when it’s come to creating their starships series and was most evident when you compared the Enterprise ships to any of the series that preceded it. 

That accuracy is continued here, beginning with NCC-97930. Take a look firstly at the circular primary hull with its detailed panelling - there’s a lot of it and in comparison to the TV shows, this ship doesn’t carry those ramrod straight lines emanating from the bridge module out to the edge. It’s a more curved pattern, weaving across the deck symmetrically along the dorsal centre line of the hull. The paintwork is very Online, taking the choice to head for the sharply contrasting white and black blocking. It’s simple and effectively painted on but raises your awareness of the very average decalling particularly  when it comes to the ‘slipped’ markings indicating the ends of the dorsal phaser arrays. 

The more distinctive feature than its primary hull though are the split pylons connecting the main body to the pair of warp engines. They don't run parallel to each other with the lower sweeping back while the top arm runs straight across. The pylons again continue the black/white Online colour scheme and a slight angle adjustment means that the engines sit just a fraction above the primary hull. The crossbar upper pylon is detail heavy with further contrast panelling as well as ship registry and red striping, both of which are placed perfectly. The lower pylon is perhaps a tad more interesting with a central slit cut into the metal drawing your eye to the black edging of the upper arm. It does feel that the design has some space to breathe here after the onslaught of colour and intricate decalling of the saucer.

The warp engines themselves attach at two points to the unique double pylon concept and also feature a very unusual design. Angled from front to back as though heading out to a distant vanishing point, the front section is capped with a translucent bussard collector . Now on mine, the starboard collector wasn't attached firmly and just came away from its slot so I'm not hugely thrilled it's another minor repair job.

The rest of the engines have the stripes of the Starfleet pennant top and bottom plus the full item on the sides including more ship registries. It's the back of the units where the design goes a little funky with a split/forked arrangement that includes warp field grilles along the interior edges. 

The ship design and in particular the attention to getting the pylons correct has meant in turn that the warp nacelles have remained parallel to their tips. The design and execution of the panel lining here is clean and remains in line on the two prongs of the distinct design. For me, it's the back end where this class really works visually. The saucer is just too busy, there's a lot of shape and colour while the pylons and engines seem more considered and simply painted allowing for the design to come through more effectively. 

The red decals around the lifeboat pod hatches are in contrast a lot more in sync with the hull details as are the trimmings around the outer extremes of the saucer and also around the bridge module. What does let it down is the blotchy ship name just above the ok ship registry. While the latter is in a bigger font, the name has lost a little definition in the shape of the ‘A’s and the ‘G’s that sounds ruin the effect.

The bottom of the saucer is perhaps even more cluttered than the top with the continuation of the black and white scheme but the window painting on the black sections does make it appear that the coating is flecked or damaged. Once more, the decals around the lifeboat hatches on the interior are spot on while those lining the outer edge are painted very precisely in line with the raised "blips" on the hull. 

The central strip is also just as well completed with the key feature here being the blue, recessed and almost invisible deflector dish which seems to have its own "barrel" if you will that runs down the middle of the ship. To be fair it's as filled out as the top half of the saucer so the utilisation of space on the Gagarin has been used to a premium although at times it seems there's detail for the sake of detail instead of putting in a few breaks!

As an upgraded design from Discovery's Shepard Class it's ok but not one that really strikes home the 25th Century out of the box thinking that echoes from the digital realm of Star Trek Online - but we'll see that in issue two. 

As an opener the model is well detailed, given a good, clean paintjob and is extensively detailed on every surface to recreate the starship as it is in the game. While I'm not totally familiar with the vessel, the finished product looks awesome probably due to that double pylon spin.

Issue one, a mini-mag included inside the model bx, sets the standard for future issues with a run through of the in-universe nature of the Gagarin plus it's development from the 22nd Century "classic". The pictures - a lot smaller than I'm used to with the bigger editions of the Official Starships line - are extensive with multiple angles of the ship, showing off its key elements alongside some fine plan views which are almost devoid of any callout details.

What does step this issue up however are the Design and the Yard 39 features explaining how the ship came to be in the game both from the real world slant and then from the historical background linking the ship to its "lost" past as part of an abandoned set of ships that could not be reached due to spacial phenomenon. It's just odd enough to work as a concept and shows some of the thinking behind the online game allowing players and fans access to a ton of ships from different eras of Star Trek while also remaining true to the 25th Century setting.

While the USS Gagarin exemplifies the visual changes that have made Online ships so distinctive and contrasting to their TV counterparts, the USS Chimera NCC-97400 goes back to a tried and tested formula. Commanded by one Ferengi called Nog, the quad-warp-engined starship cuts a sharp look as part of the digital fleet.

Carrying that familiar grey overcoat trimmed with black, this model looks not dissimilar to the USS Prometheus from the top. Again heavy on the deflector grid panel lines as with the Gagarin, the Chimera places itself firmly as a ship ready for battle with a tight profile, swept pylons, entombed bridge and chunky yet streamlined nacelles to finish her off. 

The detail on her is very good, relying more on the paint to mark out distinctive features including the curved edge concealing its "devastating" Phaser Lotus. This does, for someone who's not dived that deep into the Online pool, seem like a gimmick and half that's just a step beyond the USS Prometheus' Multi-Vector Assault Mode but hey, different timeline, different theories so who am I to argue against it. 

What I do like about this is the placement of the impulse engines to the back of the engine pylons and Eaglemoss have managed to paint them in pretty perfectly even though it's an incredibly thin edge to use. The warp engines themselves are surprisingly well built with two sections in each of the four modules being completed in translucent plastic - the bussard collectors to the front and the blue field grilles to the rear. There's even a sliver of blue across the centre if you look closely and these might be the best production engines on any ship since these collections began. Honestly, these are a real work of art and model construction - and they're very solid as well so top marks for effort and accuracy.

Also take note of that central hump. Not only does it demonstrate a more logical way to protect the bridge than leave it prominently out in the open but also leads back to the well-executed inclusion of the shuttlebay and landing pad. The decals here even include a microscopic ship registry - again, a fine attention to getting these screen accurate.

The decalling overall is inspiringly accurate for an Eaglemoss piece with the lifeboat hatches in alignment and the Starfleet pennants on the sides of the lower hull and warp engines also being well defined. The latter also includes another small version of the ship name and registry. 

Now the underneath of the Chimera is not what you might expect. Rather than a smooth raked back finish sliding nicely towards the rear we have a gaping maw of a deflector dish that drops sharply back into the secondary hull.  The solid single tone base paint scheme is augmented with darker grey panelling and a wide move right across the ship is to decal on the windows to the smooth surface rather than dipping the hull and having them nearly be aligned to the right spot. For the bulbous secondary hull especially, this move has worked perfectly allowing the whole of the section to be fully realised without ruining the overall effect. Minor grumble - one of the red curves marking the end of the phaser bank here does appear to be off-centre but I really had to look for it.

The oversize secondary hull does sweep back up just as abruptly as it drops but this time is broken by the white doors of the main shuttlebay which juts out in the opposite direction to the quantum slipstream lump at the front of the main deflector. While the Chimera is unusual, the design balances itself out around this bottom-heavy concept that, for all intents, still looks incredibly deadly and a natural progression down the line of quad-engined starships for the 25th Century Online.

These magazines are a real eye-opener for someone who's fairly inexperienced with the Online advances and they come at the designs from two angles - that of the real world work from the artist who brought it about and then the understanding of its features and reason to be from the in-universe Star Trek perspective. These are great reads accompanied by some very realistic plan views including the now familiar fleeting nod to parts of the ship (but actually here they make sense!). 

In issue two we get to explore the processes behind the development of this ship as a reward for lifetime players before turning to a biographical article on the career of Captain Nog following his time at Deep Space Nine. Closing out we have the in-game stats for the class as with the Gagarin. 

This is a much better ship with a decent magazine in the package. Stepping away from the contrast paint scheme gives it a more realistic feel than the Gagarin while the design is pure STO built for the game alone. I love the crackers, huge gaping secondary hull and the quad-pod engines - it looks the part and fits perfectly with the game's more aggressive ship battle feature.

The Online collection looks to be an exciting selection to follow and, just from a presentation perspective is a big step up from the original collection we've reviewed for 180 issues. Coming up are a variety of Starfleet ships as well as Klingon, Dominion and Romulan craft from the long-running game. 

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