Snap Ships

[Unicron]

During a discussion with a friend recently about kitbashing, I came across this project. It's only in the prototype phase now, but it looks very promising and I'd definitely buy them if a commercial release works as well as the initial prototypes.

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Their official website is here, and there are some other cool pics from the fair on their Twitter.

 

[Admiral2]

i LOVE IT! It's like scratchbuilders' Lego!

 

[publiusr]

Okay--now to get these guys to look at Ugh models, and start doing secondary hulls and such--for Think Geek.

 

[Unicron]

Apologies for bumping this ancient thread, but I'm pleased to say that Snap Ships is now getting close to an official release. They had a production booth at Toy Fair 2020 with a full range of first wave ships and figures. I'm not sure yet whether any of the weapons might be released as separate packs, as the booth only seems to have a sample range of components. It sounds like they might be available in summer, but I'm not sure yet.

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[Unicron]

So it looks like Playmonster has info on all of the wave 1 sets, though I'm not sure if this means they're actually ready to order off the site. I kind of get that impression but I'm not sure. That being said, we can get some pretty nice previews of what's in each set, and I'm super excited to get my hands on these.

Link

 

[Santaman]

Interesting.

 

[publiusr]

Nacelles and saucers next?

 

[Unicron]

That would be interesting. It looks like the app is officially being launched today, and the product page has been updated with new galleries of each set. It also looks like the packaging has a nice schematic of the parts in each set, so that buyers can see how the modularity works.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

They should do a "Vance" line.

 

[Markonian]

This is the first I'm seeing of this... but I am intrigued. While the worldbuilding (no pun intended) seems pretty basic, some these ships look nifty, and somebody skilled could get some cool-looking Sci-Fi ships out of these.

 

[Unicron]

I played around with the online app a bit tonight. It's not bad for a just released version, though they'll probably tinker with it as it goes along. You start off as a recruit and can work your way up via fights and missions, with each promotion unlocking new profile stuff for the character and new builds in the hangar. I'm a colonel as of this writing. I have to say this reward system is one of my favorite parts of the app so far, as there really are a lot of designs to unlock with full details of how to build and modify them. You can, for example, see which kits would be needed (which is handy if the design calls for two of the same kit), and you can see every step individually or skip ahead as needed.

You can also swap between the ship configurations as they appear with the kits, so a kit that offers three "default" builds will allow you to swap between them easily in the app. It's fun to watch the individual parts rearrange themselves. It looks as though they will be updating new possibilities on a regular (or even daily) basis, and the app uses an Augmented Reality (AR) component that links into a smart phone's camera. It allows you to see the 3D build models as if they were in a real location, and you can look at individual ship systems. This is essential for some of the combat missions, as it enables the app to do a "system check" of the ship before you launch.

There is at least one model - the Forge Trident gunship - which is not yet on the official product catalog but will presumably be part of the regular launch wave, because it's a main design in the app and it can also be seen on the official web page currently building. It's the ship in the upper right of the Forge group, with the adjustable round jets.

 

[Markonian]

^ Good review. You can post it in the App Store. I'll pen a review as well, after trying out the app yesterday.

The fuselage of the Lance SV-51 Scout reminds me of the BSG Viper. I'll try to recreate the Mk I/II look when I get the kits.
https://www.playmonster.com/product/lance-sv-51-scout/

 

[Unicron]

If I had one nitpick, it's that the Lance and a few other light designs are rather underpowered weapon wise - they're intended more for scouting functions than regular combat, but for purposes of the combat system in the app, they don't have the ideal firepower. I've noted sometimes you can't do enough damage quickly enough to win, regardless of your favored design, but that might just be a balance factor.

 

[publiusr]

I am surprised that no one thought to do something like this before now.

If I get any real money, I’d glue the bits on plastic bottles and such.That might be an idea for them. The ribbed inserts for ink pens that look like something from Dr Shrinker? They get an attachment. The elliptical caps on Speed Stick that look like the Ent-D deflector dish?
It gets a housing.

 

[Unicron]

I ordered some sets, so I hope they won't take too long to arrive. Some of the larger sets are already on back order. But there is a partial review on YT of the two-ship battle pack (I say partial because the reviewer only built one ship, for time purposes).

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[Markonian]

I ordered some sets, so I hope they won't take too long to arrive. Some of the larger sets are already on back order. But there is a partial review on YT of the two-ship battle pack (I say partial because the reviewer only built one ship, for time purposes).

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Cool! Which sets are you getting? Do you have any plans for kitbashing already?

 

[Unicron]

I have the four smaller sets (Lance, Scythe, Sawfly, Locust) and the two mid sets (Sabre and Scarab) on order, so I figure this will be a good chance to test them out. I have no clue when they'll ship unfortunately, as I'm waiting for updates (the order is being processed, but that's all I know).

 

[Unicron]

My order officially shipped today, so now I just need a swift delivery. I tend to hate waiting for cool stuff. I'll have to do a bit of experimentation with the smaller kits and see how they work out.

 

[Unicron]

I like the sets so far. I want to get more of a complete wave and then get some spare parts. For my first two experiments, I had some fun.

I was rewatching some TNG the other day, and one episode was "Devil's Due." Ardra's ship never had a dedicated model since the script required it to be cloaked (with an inferior cloak, as it turned out). So I came up with one design for what her ship would look like, named the Falazure.

Dorsal view. I like the idea that the Falazure started life as an Andorian patrol vessel, which Ardra acquired and significantly "upgraded" over time. Some of the systems are a bit cobbled together, but the ship has some interesting combinations.

The bridge is actually the raised section in the middle. The ship is mainly intended to operate more by stealth via the cloak, but it does carry a moderate armament of twin phaser turrets and twin torpedo tubes directly behind them. The cloaking device is located on the center of the ventral hull, between the defectors and twin tractor arrays.

The Falazure has twin warp nacelles, supplemented by small impulse drives on each wing spar. The main impulse drive has been fitted with an experimental "booster" for quick escapes, but the system is not always reliable since it was not designed for the Andorian hull. Ardra acquired it as a "reward" in one of her scams.

I had a bit of fun with this aesthetic, and I want to play around with it more when I have more parts.

As a last resort, the nose is a modular shuttlecraft for escape purposes.

My other design is more of a modified merchant ship, a privateer of sorts. I wanted to play around with some vertical aspects, and I definitely want to get more of these angular pieces from the Scythe tank set. They're intended to mount the treads in the main build, but they can also make some interesting wing parts and turreted mounts. Another idea I want to play around with.

 

[Markonian]

Like it! I haven't thought you could turn these into anything Trek-like for lack of warp nacelles and pylons. Getting some strong FASA vibes from Ardra's custom Andorian ship and the privateers. The stand only adds to that.

Do you look at the parts first and then decide what ship to make of it, or do you have something in mind first you're trying to get at?