Other Side of the Mirror: Retro Review of Attack Wing's ISS Defiant and Regent's Flagship

While we still await the news that Alliances is finally getting a confirmed release date, there's probably a final chance to grab the smatterings of expansions packs still left on dusty game shop shelves to complete your Attack Wing collection.

Now a few/several/many years old, I managed to secure three expansions for just over a tenner including the ISS Defiant and the Regent's Flagship, both featured in Deep Space Nine's Shattered Mirror.

In sealed condition they were a steal and while a couple of the pack models are repeats of previous editions, it's more about the cards than anything else. Indeed, the Defiant model is a straight reuse of the USS Defiant from Wave Zero and the Regent's Flagship is nothing more than a rebox of the Negh'Var (check out those reviews for details on the models themselves).

The ISS Defiant statistically isn't a straight copy of the Prime version either, running four attack, two defence, three hull and three shield versus the original's three attack, two defence, three hull and four shield noting a more aggressive stance on the flipside.

Still costing 24 points, the warship carries two Weapon and two Crew slots plus the obligatory Evade, Target Lock, Scan and Battle Stations but there's no sign of a cloak in the box - that's reserved for the other Defiant. If it does suffer damage however you can place an auxiliary power token beside the ship to reduce the damage by one - could end up with a stream of these by the end of the game! As for movement, it's a carbon copy of that original pack so take note of the 180 red turn at speed three. 

The generic Defiant Class Mirror Universe Starship loses one Shield point, one Crew slot and the Unique Action but still inexplicably costs 24 points...surely it should be 22?

Aboard her as your Captain options we have Miles O'Brien with a skill of five and cost of three or Benjamin Sisko costing two points with a skill of four. This might seem the wrong way round but O'Brien outlasted Sisko by a country mile in the show so he's the more skillful of the two. Both Captain options have the slot to add an Elite Action of which there are two included in the set.

O’Brien adds an upgrade slot to his assigned ship and as an Action he can repair one Hull or one Shield thus extending the lifetime of your vessel. Sisko is a little more complex and bizarrely the cheaper option, allowing you to discard up to two upgrades from your ship during Roll Attack Dice to gain an extra attack die for each card removed from play. The option to go offensive or defensive in your choice of captain is a sound choice but I would probably take Sisko just to up the aggression!

The ISS Defiant also comes with an absurdly large number of Crew options ranging in cost from two points up to four. Most expensive is Ezri Tigan (four) who allows you to target a ship within range three and steal a Tech upgrade as long as it costs less than five points. It’s immediately attached to your ship even if it goes over your restrictions however it will need to be re-enabled as an Action before you can utilise it in the game. Three point Jennifer Sisko adds a Tech upgrade slot (if you have the points) and works right off the bat. If you want to really nark off an opponent this is the card to use - target an enemy ship and immediately disable two of their upgrades (any upgrades). One that might work to your advantage if you keep that hostile busy enough but you'll need to be quick and make it count.

Jadzia Dax (two points) can be discarded to reduce hull damage by a point, potentially only giving you a fragile last gasp attempt to survive. Bit of a meh card and you're better spending those two on Julian Bashir who draws the attack of a ship within range three and forces that craft to roll two less attack dice. I like this move and for the cost (although a discard), I think it's a more effective use of Crew than the Dax card.

The final two point Crew card is Rom. For the cost he's definitely useable especially since his ability to disable two Tech upgrades on a ship within maximum range can be used even if the ship is cloaked. Not too many of those abilities out there so always a good chance to snap one up if you can if you're taking on Klingons or Romulans!

ISS Defiant also comes with two Weapon choices with Quantum Torpedoes and the Aft Phaser Emitter. The former costs six points to add to your ship but isn't limited to the Defiant Class. Operable at ranges two and three, the torpedoes require the spending of a Target Lock and for the card itself to be disabled but do unleash a massive five attack dice AND add a further Damage result to your roll. It's a massive card to utilise making the Mirror Defiant a serious force - perhaps even against its own Prime version! 

Aft Phaser Emitter is a bit of a let down after that but the cost of one point tells you that before you even read the script. While both it and the Torpedoes can be fired from your rear arc, this one only hits with three attack dice but does cover ranges one, two and three making it at least effective if you've swept past an opponent and want to ensure you're inflicted the maximum damage possible. Tragically it does need disabling which, for the cost and firepower is somewhat measly.

But the Defiant pack keeps on giving with its curveball options. The sole Tech upgrade, Multi-Targeting Phaser Banks is deliciously good since you can disable the card and acquire a SECOND target lock on a different ship within your maximum firing range. The cost of five points is steep but given the chance to mark two enemy craft does allow for more chances at maximum damage infliction.

Closing out the card additions we have a duo of Elite Actions which, if you're playing only with this expansion, can be equipped to both O'Brien and Sisko. Rebellion (five points) works against those larger opponents with greater Hull Values. In this case you can discard the card and force that ship to attack with two less dice and once that has been defended you then gain a free attack on that self same craft. It's blinding move that gives in two ways, defending your hull and shields from destruction while giving the neat chance to pop off a shot in retaliation.

Strafing Run (five points) does something along similar lines as long as you've performed a move with at least a speed of three. This time though you can strike at a ship in maximum range but it can't be in your forward firing arc. It comes into play as an Action rather than in the battling section of the round and will hit out with four attack dice. It's a one time only of course given its immense power in the game.

The included mission, Sabotage, sees the Defiant taking on a larger opposition craft but don't fear because Mission Tokens will reduce the effectiveness of that vessel to begin with and disable all of the upgrades assigned, uses two less attack dice and can only move at speed two maximum. As you would expect, these assists do reduce as the game progresses so be quick to take advantage!

Leading the fight for the opposition is the massive Regent's Flagship, more recognisable as the Negh'Var in the Prime Universe. A large 32 point cost awaits you on this one with three Crew, one Weapon and one Tech slot open for you to customise.

The Flagship boasts five dice for attack but runs foul of a single die for defence, has a high Hull score at seven but woeful Shields for three. As stats go it's very uneven but displays the more aggressive nature of the Mirror Universe perfectly. The Unique Action is also another good one, making the Mirror Universe a great faction option. Here you can hit two ships at range one with four attack dice with your Primary Weapon. It's unquestionably encouraging some close quarters combat but would you want to take the risk of incurring six Critical Damage cards?

As for moves, well you can top out at a max of five forward, take full right and left turns at speeds three and two (but they are red!) and bank at that level with green options at forwards one and two and banks at one. Should get you where you need to go nicely especially combined with its near suicidal Unique Action.

The generic Mirror Universe Starship retains the Evade, Target Lock, Scan and Battle Station Actions of its named counterpart but loses the Unique Action, a Crew slot and a Shield for 30 points.

The captain choices shouldn't be a shock but I would have expected Worf's skill to be the four and Kira Nerys to be the three rather than vice versa. Both cost the same (two points) and can equip an Elite Action if required.

Kira stops an Action performed by an opponent’s ship at ranges ones or two being activated and also blocks that ship from crossing to do something else instead. It only disables however so if the card would have been discarded, your enemy still has the opportunity to reactivate it and use it in another round. Probably slightly infuriating as you’d hope that it would be gone and buried but you can’t have everything I suppose. 

Worf is just as aggressive as you would hope, offering his Action to another friendly ship within range two and provides that craft with a free attack from its primary weapon as well as its standard attack that round. It’s one of those annoying conditional cards though so your chosen ship will need to have a hull value less than 3 and the ship from which this Action is played will incur an Auxiliary Power Token - but if you’re in the right place at the right time this could offer the double hit to win the game.

Filling out your Deep Space Nine set of Mirror Universe reprobates, we have another four Crew lining up to man your starships.

Three point Odo might have only lasted Crossover before Bashir shot him but here he lets you use a disabled Crew upgrade’s Action but then that card has to be discarded. There’s no condition for Odo to have to follow either which means you can keep playing this one as  any times as you require in the game.

Elim Garak is also a three point card, and his significance in the Mirror Universe is recognised since when he is assigned to a ship he increases the Captain’s Skill by a further two points. Doubly busy, Elim Garak lets you disable the Captain card on the  vessel to which he is assigned to add an attack die to your roll. Mixed feelings on this one because it could mean you’re moving earlier in the round and firing later which isn’t necessarily a useful thing as later movements mean you get a better handle on where ships are likely to land.

Given more points cost than he deserves is another one-episodes, Bareil Antos. Now even in the Prime Universe I found him unbearable so  more evil and twisted version was always going to grind my gears. The card is the same with two points for the cost being double what I would have expected. 

Lastly there’s one point Brunt. Simply he slows a ship down by putting an Auxiliary Power Token into play.at the start of the End Phase. Another feature to help mess up your opponent's best laid plans plus for a discard to cost only a single point it's not too much of a hit to the wallet.

For weapons on such a big ship it's a surprise to find only Photon Torpedoes. It;'s the older style too with the card disabled (rather than the later Time Tokens) as well as the spending of a Target Lock. Offering a five attack from the forward or rear firing arcs of the ship, this upgrade operates at ranges two and three but there is an additional benefit to the Negh'Var Class in that if used on that type of vessel then you can up those dice to six.

Two Tech options offer up a Tractor Beam (three points) and Cloaking Device (four points). The second of those had to be expected and is disabled to activate and is used instead of an Action. It does then enable the Sensor Echo feature and is designed to be used on the Negh'Var Class with any others needing to spend an additional five points. Tractor Beam only hits ships within range one and does so with two attack dice as an Action. Now, knowing how I tend to play, this kind of close combat option would probably suit since I like to get in amongst the opposition fleet and for every Damage or Critical Damage rolled it means they will end up with an Auxiliary Power Token per result. In turn this then either forces a long term slow-down or the choice to abandon the use of Actions.

Offsetting the lack of Weapons we do have three Elite Actions. The lengthily titled I Will Deal With Them Myself (card just fits that...)  for five points is an expensive discard (aren't they all) to disable up to two Crew upgrades to roll an additional die for each one. As usual I'm not a fan of expensive discards unless they pump out a ton of damage so this one will be sunk to the back of the queue.

Three points might be more wisely used on Make It So! or two on Intendent's Orders but neither has me totally convinced here. The first is a discard to disable a Crew upgrade to in turn perform a Free Action which seems overly longwinded and surely you could just make sure you pick decent cards for your fleet before the game so you don't need this kind of ability.

Intendent's Orders does however save you a bit of time, letting you disable it in order to unlock two other disabled Crew cards. Certainly one to open up your options again but less than spectacular for an Elite Action. 

Maintaining its links to the darker parallel Universe, the mission here is Shattered Mirror which sees the rebel ships (including a Defiant Class) take on the Negh'Var with two escort vessels. Cleverly there's a targeting error on the Alliance ships which means that after a Rebel ship moves with a speed of two or more it performs a Sensor Echo move as a freebie even if not cloaked. Otherwise this is a straight-up fight to the finish - will the Alliance make it to Terek Nor or will the Rebels repel the attack???

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Fleet Orders: Two Tough Little Ships

Being a few months behind meant that the USS Defiant model had to make its way from across the pond to join my expanding fleet.

Seeing as Dan did such a great job on his recent Deep Space Nine post it'd be rude not to talk about the ship that spent a lot of time there during the series. Alongside that I'd also like to discuss the recent release of the Oberth Class USS Pegasus.

The Defiant's first outing was a round alongside the Enterprise-E taking on the Negh'Var and Chang's Bird-of-Prey with an admirable performance although I wasn't expecting too much from this small 24 point ship.

Coming with command options of Sisko, Kira and Admiral Ross (bit random and the always included generic card) she doesn't seem to be that amazing on paper with only additional quantum torpedoes for attack and the ability to deploy a minefield (as in Call to Arms) however it's the superb cloaking device that really makes a difference. Being the only Federation starship with this option and not killing the points totals, it did come in handy on a couple of occasions adding five die to defence.

Sisko does allow for re-rolling one defence die but with a six score he's still mid-field and certainly below Kirk,  Picard and Janeway in value. Kira costs less and can be used on a Federation ship without a points penalty for being Bajoran militia. She also helps counter any attempt to remove upgrades which might be more beneficial than Sisko.

Jadzia Dax allows you to make an additional "2" maneuver but removes your attack function, Worf reduces the defence of a ship in range one and O'Brien lts you repair two shield tokens again at the expense of an attack.  There's also two attack patterns with Omega letting you search out the "Warp Core Breach" card if you critically damage an opponent's hull while Alpha allows you to re-roll all your die in defence. Both are only available once so careful, timed use is essential.

But is Defiant really a must-have ship for your fleet? I would argue yes due to the quantum torpedoes and cloaking device coupled with the low cost of 24 points for the ship initially. The challenge is that when you compare her stats with Voyager or the Enterprise-E for example, she is clearly less maneuverable has less firepower and has a lower hull value which means that she is a bit of a chance.

Taking her into battle is another thing. On her own I'd question the Defiant's effectiveness but as an accompanying ship she's superb. Being able to cloak and uncloak again aligned with your use of the quantum torpedoes is a deadly combination and at the bitter end of combat against the Klingons it was the Defiant which made the last hit on the disabled Negh'Var and secured victory. Hard fought it was because the Defiant took some heavy damage being that little bit slower meaning she took the brunt of the attacks while the Enterprise-E could get out of range and make use of its dorsal phaser array which didn't limit her to the main forward firing arc. Note though that the Defiant can do a full about maneuver which can really disorientate your opponent. The Bird-of-Prey never saw it coming I have to say although it does gain you an auxiliary power token (tut tut)

I would have liked to see some sort of advantage to using the Defiant's phaser systems in contrast to the dorsal array that came with the Enterprise-E but there is some give in the manoeuvrability. Having straight-forward phasers isn't what I expected - there could have been a limited use variant for this ship or something that maybe widened the firing arc given the nature of the ship and her firepower capabilities.

As to the one-off mission you get with the Defiant, it's time to revisit Call to Arms and mine the wormhole. Yep, you're tasked with blocking the arrival of the Dominion fleet from the Gamma Quadrant - defeat comes with either the Starfleet player laying all the mines or the Dominion player kicking your ass into the Beta Quadrant. Nice again to see Heroclix focusing on episodes to draw on for their mission ideas.

In the future if I were using two ships I might side for Voyager and the Enterprise-E based purely on their stats but with the Defiant having eight points less against her name than the Intrepid Class ship I would plump for her if only to beef up the features of both ships and have a better fighting chance. 

It might sound that I've got a bit grumbly here and that could be as I had to import Defiant but I do like to use her although I doubt I would want to expand and have a fleet of these escort ships as there are better options around. As a part of a fleet she's a good little skirmisher, decent power but can end up as cannon fodder if you don't use the cloak. Personally, I'd take the chance with her any day.

Second up is a slightly newer arrival, the Oberth Class USS Pegasus. When I think Oberth my first port of call for the choice of ship would usually be the USS Grissom from The Search for Spock but look a bit deeper and you can see that actually using the ship featured in one of The Next Generation's best episodes is a very, very good decision. In comparison to the Defiant model she's a gem. In reality there's still a fair amount of detail missing but given the scale that's not surprising and I don't tend to analyse the models since this is about the package you get with them.

Being an experimental testbed for Starfleet tech, the Pegasus offers not just advanced shields but that treaty-ignoring phasing cloaking device which both Admiral Pressman and the Romulans were after. These features certain lyrics enhance what could have been a fairly dull entry to the game. Certainly these cards make up for the terrible movement that this vessel have -  which is a trend that runs across the whole of this wave and I'll cover more in a follow on piece. The Pegasus doesn't have any red maneuvers and can perform 180's on both 2 and 3 moves but 3 is as fast as you're going here so prepare to take a lot of damage from the larger opposing ships.The ship itself allows your upgrades to cost one service point less and she's not equipped with battle stations in her actions bar leaving you only evasive, target locking and scan as your standard options.

The Pegasus also features another William T Riker, sans beard, alongside Admiral Pressman who can act as either captain or in a fleet command position. Strangely he's only the third Starfleet admiral in the game along with Kirk and Dougherty from Insurrection and only one of those turned out to be trustworthy - hang about - and even he got demoted....

Ok - so the selection of admirals isn't that brilliant but there's still the rest of the crew to try out, picked from the finest production staff in the quadrant. Yep, this time around we get the back room staff from The Next Generation posing as your available upgrades so let's take a glance at what everyone can do for you. Pressman is a good card here allowing you to either disable or discard service upgrades for an additional one or two attack die per round. With such a low powered ship it might be wise to stock up on only service upgrades with this in mind!

Riker offers a boost to your ship and the chance to avoid critical damage which effectively makes him a sub-captain here, much in the same way as he acted in the episode itself. A second captain, Ronald Moore is available for the Pegasus allowing you to add a tech token to your ship. he's a one on your points so technically a zero if you;re using the Pegasus action. Walter Keel is your freebie commander with the ship and carries no beneficial features. The four other crew available are Dawn Velazquez giving you the chance to discard your captain card for an additional maneuver which also puts her in command; Eric Motz allows a third tech upgrade; Phil Wallace lets you reduce your speed by one point after flipping your maneuver dial and Andy Simonson lets you get a peak at an opponent's movement plan before that phase of the game.

So pretty nice so far and the benefits are there if you want to take a - slow - chance but there are three kick-ass features here that make the Pegasus a tempting morsel. The phasing cloak does give you the advantage of being able to go anywhere in the game board, even if it's occupied by another vessel. The shields allow the re-rolling of one defence die and would be essential when coupled with the ship's low starting hull and shield figures.

The final and very neat twist on the Pegasus is the escape pod. If you lose the ship - which is a distinct possibility given it's low stats - then you can make a last stand and drop the captain plus a maximum of two upgrades aboard which can be picked up by a friendly ship within range one. That is if you make it because the pod can't attack, can barely move and has a hull value of one. Just be sure you're not going up in flames anywhere near a Borg Tactical Cube. It's a cool little tweak on the game effectively meaning you can save a couple of your best bits and then, with no implications, add them onto another ship. 

My first thoughts on the Oberth Class were less than favourable however WhizKidz have made her a tempting fleet addition thanks to the low hull value specific upgrades and one more thing; a bonus mission which you can play solus.

For those times when you've defeated everyone else repeatedly and need to hone your tactics just that bit more, take command of the Pegasus with both Pressman and the Phasing Cloaking Device onboard and navigate a safe path through the Devolin asteroid field. If you succeed then you've done better than Pressman but make sure that you have both the captain and that top secret bit of tech still equipped by the time you escape the danger. Great addition and one that's a lot of fun to play. However, the rules on dealing with asteroids are a little evasive. How do you deal with them and when do you get damaged if under the phasing cloak? Also moving the space debris takes longer than planning your move through the rocky field.

That's my two latest Starfleet additions covered but I'll be talking about the Krenim Timeship and the ISS Avenger shortly which comprise Wave 14 with the Pegasus very soon. These two are pretty different to my usual choices so it'll be good to see how they go on in the field!

Fan of Attack Wing and a keen player? What did you think of these two Starfleet ships?

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Fixing Your Warp Wings: Haynes Klingon Bird-of-Prey Owners' Workshop Manual

Back in 1984 we were introduced to what would become one of the most iconic spacecraft ever to grace the Star Trek franchise.

Decloaking above a rusty freighter in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was an instant hit with fans and has become one of the longest surviving ship types in the history of the series, appearing in several of the films, The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Quite incredible when you consider that even a single incarnation of the Enterprise probably hasn't seen that much action and even more amazing considering that it was supposed to be a Romulan Bird-of-Prey in an original version of the Star Trek III script.

Aside from entries within the Star Trek Encyclopedia there has been very little written about this ship over the years, so it's fitting that the Bird-of-Prey should now receive the attention it deserves in the form of the Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual. While it has been a few months since the original release of this volume (November 2012), this is still one of the biggest Star Trek literary offerings for some time and well worth a few column inches.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2010's volume on the various incarnations of the USS Enterprise but this is a completely different beast.  While the Enterprise manual was more a history of the namesake from Archer's NX-01 to Picard's NCC-1701-E this is a much more detailed look at a particular class and to some degree one specific ship in the form of the Rotarran from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Running at 119 pages from start to finish it might not appear to be a long read but once you're past the scene-setting introduction by the no less than the Klingon Chancellor and commander of the Rotarran, Martok, it's a mesmerising read.


Written by Ben Robinson and illustrated by Trek expert Rick Sternbach with CGI renders from Adam 'Mojo' Lebowitz this manual provides an insight into not only the ship but the Klingon way of life that has developed through nearly 50 years of the Star Trek franchise. As usual with Haynes, the volume is hard-backed and presented with their trademark cutaway illustration on the cover (above) keeping it firmly framed within their owners' manual range. Inside, the contents are split into distinctive sections for easy reference with the first two; Commissioning a Bird-of-Prey and the IKS Rotarran; giving the reader a look into the way in which the B'rel Class of ship was developed and how they come into service, funded by individual Klingon houses rather than by the military.  

The multiple designs of the command deck from numerous appearances on screen are explained here by way of a commander's personal preference and it's good to get to grips with the background before we delve deeper beneath the space-frame. What I like is that we have never been provided with this kind of intricacy before and it marks this as distinctly different to 2010's Enterprise offering straight from the first chapter. Cleverly it sets the scene for the rest of the manual and how Klingon life is very much intertwined with their vessels and the militaristic way of life.

For the casual fan this opening section is a great introduction to the book and even by this point you'd be easily forgiven for thinking that the Bird-of-Prey actually exists - the image conjured is that distinctive. For more experienced lovers of Star Trek it's great to see such information in the same place and given some form and structure amassed from snippets of disalogue and set design over the years. 

Moving further in, the design and specification of a Bird-of-Prey is further divided into areas of focus; Weapons and Defensive Systems, Propulsion and Navigation and Ship's Systems with a final addition section on ships of the Klingon fleet across all generations of Star Trek.

The detail in the description of everything from ship systems to operations, crew positions and even shift rotation is absolutely incredible. Every process appears to be explained in the greatest detail and for the more involved Star Trek fan this will prove a fascinating read. While the text opens up the Empire to all, it is Sternbach and Lebowitz's illustrations that truly make this a book worth the investment.  Every page is filled with cutaway diagrams carefully key coded to allow you full access aboard ship from stem to stern, deck one to deck six.

Illustrations of the interior of the engine room (never seen on TV), the deck by deck plans  as well as explanations of how the impulse engines and warp wings function (for example) show the furtive imagination that this expansive franchise has fostered - a good thing that these ships have backup systems for everything considering how much of a pummeling they routinely came under in the show! The main cutaway illustration of the Rotarran (also on the cover) is definitely a highlight but there are so many to choose from it's hard to pick an absolute favourite. In terms of content it's excellent that we get to know the details of the cloaking device as well as specific answers as to why the cloaking device from Chang's ship in Star Trek VI was never replicated. There are even pages dedicated to the computer core, the gravity systems and even the different types of photon torpedo and their differing characteristics - not something you would have picked up on the small screen.

No stone is left unturned in this dissection of the ship, even down to the very shift patterns and workloads of the various crew-members. This works perfectly when set beside the expansive section on the Rotarran bridge and stations.  Who would have thought that this much could come out of something that has only existed as a CGI creation and at the most an upscaled model kit? It is in the level of detail and intricacy that this manual steps ahead and possibly may even eclipse the preceding year's Enterprise edition. No self respecting Klingon warrior would be without this should they be called up to serve on a Bird-of-Prey. What becomes apparent is the care and attention that Robinson, Sternbach and Lebowitz have taken in producing the Owners' Technical Manual and equally it goes to show just how much information on the Empire, its ships and customs have been referenced since Klingons were first introduced in the original Star Trek series' "Errand of Mercy". 

As you go through the manual there is no doubt you will recognise and remember points from episodes of The Next Generation including "A Matter of Honor" and Redemption" and Deep Space Nine installments such as"Soldiers of the Empire" and "Sons and Daughters". This only helps to enrich the experience as it steps between being both a reference guide to a civilisation as well as a technical bible for their most prominent spacecraft.

Nicely the authors have also included a final section to familiarise us with all craft within the Klingon Defence Force both "past" and "present" which even hints at the reasons for the construction and design of Martok's predecessor Gowron's flagship, the excessive and opulent Negh'Var. It's also nice to have something on paper as a reference to the predecessor of the Bird-of-Prey from Enterprise alongside the D-7, K'Tinga and Vor'Cha crusiers. As an appendix there are also a handy couple of pages of English to Klingon translations should you ever find yourself stuck behind the navigation console of the Rotarran and need to engage the warp drive. A nice touch to really round off the manual and keep both landing footpads securely within the fictional world - perhaps those screen shots from episodes and films scattered throughout aren't necessary to keep that "fourth wall" in place?

This is the second book produced in conjunction with Star Trek and it's a breath of fresh air into the franchise, reminding us of the "Prime" Universe especially at a time where the JJ Abrams alternative reality reboot is becoming more prominent. Moreover it's good to see some new and fresh reference-style books coming onto the shelves when they have been absent for what seems like an eternity. Hopefully we can expect a third title at the end of 2013..

So overall is this a recommendation?  Absolutely.  

As a casual fan you would more than enjoy the diagrams and illustrations here and for those who are more hardcore fans demanding behind the scenes detail this is a must as it lays open the Klingon military lifestyle for all to analyse.  Since the first season of the original Star Trek series we have gradually come to know these fearsome warriors as a major piece of the overall franchise puzzle.  Here we have their world captured concisely, elegantly displayed and catalogued precisely for future reference once you have, of course, read it from cover to cover. It's been a while coming for a decent Trek technical manual and this is certainly one that fulfils all of fandom's wishes.

The Klingon Bird-of-Prey Owners' Workshop Manual ISBN 9780857332769 is available now from the Haynes website here priced at £15.99.

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