Homeworld Build 05 — Hiigaran Frigates
I haven’t done one of these in a while. Things have been hectic and although I have been wanting to go back to Warship Wednesdays for weeks now, I haven’t really had the chance. This is also why I’m sticking with frigates for now — until I find the time to do a bit more.
But let’s get back at it for now!
After the Homeworld War and the collapse of the Taiidan Empire, the Exiles now had to rebuild a war-torn galaxy. Having returned to their homeworld of Hiigara, they also slowly remade their fleet to face the new challenges thay laid ahead.
After the constant skirmishes against remnants of the Taiidan Empire and even the great crisis that was the War of the Beast, Hiigaran tacticians decided that the most reliable of the current vessels was the Ion Frigate. Little more than a hull built around a capital-class ion cannon, it was an uncomplicated support vessel able to put large amounts of hurt on capital ships. One hundred years after the arrival at Hiigara, the newer Ion Frigates are more streamlined than their predecessors, but little has changed on a functional sense.
This model was the first of these three that I completed and the easiest to make. It takes 14 parts plus the base. The assimetric appendages on sides are quite stylish and one of the things I like the most on these designs.
During the century that followed the Homeworld War the Hiigarans also contemplated the uses of Assault Frigates in their fleet. These vessels had been used as a versatile linchpin of their forces, although mostly geared towards fighting other frigates. However, this unsubtle approach led to many hull losses during most skirmishes. Thus, it was decided that new technologies would allow the development of a support frigate that could engage different types of targets from a safer distance. This led to the development of the Torpedo Frigate.
This ship fires plasma torpedos that follow their targets and can spread damage over a wide area, hitting both capital ships and attack craft.
Oh, this one. It took me weeks just to be satified. But I will talk about that a bit later. It takes 16 parts and like the prior model it is quite easy to build.
Although most frigates of the Hiigaran fleet are meant to offer fire-support from a safe distance, the issue of enemy attack craft required a more direct approach. While still keeping in line with the frigates of its time, the Flak Frigate is a larger vessel meant to mount advanced sensors and turrets for the advanced flak guns. It can spread anti-armor submunitions across a large area of space around it, damaging and destroying smaller craft with relative ease.
Using 23 parts, this model is a bit more complicated to build than the prior ones. Like the rest of this set, it also uses the iconic Hiigaran color scheme.
These models weren’t easy to make. Even with a lot of help from people online, I am still not truly happy with them. However, I have to concede that at this scale and while trying to retain my philosophy of simplicity in my models it may be difficult to do better. All of these ships are quite slender in their original form, even a bit flat. This makes emulating their shapes a bit difficult under the rules I’ve imposed myself for this set.
Still, I’d say I have managed to make them recognizable, at least the Ion and Torpedod frigates. I’m not so happy with the Flak Frigate, though.
Let me know your thoughts.
At this point I don’t know if I will be able to return to the regular Warship Wednesdays posts the same way I’m doing with the Mecha Sundays, so future entries may come at a slower pace. Still, I intend to do more in the future, as time allows it.
So, let’s see what the future will bring!
