Pendraken Minis Review

 With all of the discussion a while ago on the list about 'Pendraken 
 Figures' starship minis, a few of us list members decided to do
something 
 about it.  We contacted Pendraken and will soon have pictures on the
web 
 of all their minis from both their 'Space Dreadnought 3000' line and
their 
 'Science Fiction' line of 10mm figures and 1/200 armor, mostly inspired

 from the 'Alien' and 'Predator' movies.
 
 I received the minis last week and the following is a quick review of 
 their 'Space Dreadnought 3000' line.  We will announce URL once
everything 
 is up and ready.
 
 Also Pendraken will soon be releasing a line of ships similar to those
we 
 see on B5.  More on this when we get further information.
 
 Dean Gundberg	(dean.gundberg@bcbsnd.com) Representing the 'M
Collective'.
   Other members: Jim Bell, Mike Miserendino and Matt Seidl
 ------------------------------------
 
 'Space Dreadnought 3000' Minis
 Overall the minis are clean with little flash but a few have some heavy

 flash.  The ships are mainly flat with no detail on their bottom side. 

 They have no panel line detail like the GZG minis but are smooth
between 
 tubes, towers, spheres and other round thing details.
 
 Ship size compares as follows to my GZG FSE ships.  This does vary some

 between fleets (I have length and width measurements of each ship for
each 
 fleet if you want):
  Patrol = Large Corvette to Frigate sized
  Destroyer = DD to CL
  Cruiser = CE
  Battlecruiser = CA
  Dreadnought = BC
  Super DN = BB
  Base Ships = Battle DN to Super DN
 
 Base Ships are just very large ships of the same style as the rest of
the 
 fleet.  They are the only minis that come in more than one piece.  They

 have a second piece that fits on top of the rear of the main hull to
make 
 the ship even larger.
 
 Pewter bases are included an consist of a 3mm diameter post about 36mm 
 long and a hex base with a raised flat name plate on one edge.  3 hex 
 sizes were found, small of 18mm are included with Patrol and DDs,
medium 
 of 24mm for Cruisers to Super DNs, and large of 28mm for Base Ships.  A

 reinforced post is included for all base ships and some other larger 
 ships.
 
 The Fleets:
 
   Earth Empire - Nearly triangular but rear edge is not straight, it 
 angles back slightly to a point on the centerline giveing the ship a 
 subtle kite shape.  Front point is not there, kind of like a Narn
fighter 
 with a spinal weapon and hull on either side extending forward like
fangs. 
 Ships are flat and smooth but there are areas where it looks like
sections 
 of the outer hull are removed and tubes and such are visible.
 
   Talliscain - Almost kite shaped but rounded.  Upper surfaces not
smooth, 
 but have a tiger-stripe like texture.	Middle area has towers for an 
 almost gothic feel.  Each ship has a large tube on the spine and
tube-like 
 engines.  The most (if only slightly) organic of their ships.	No base 
 ship for this fleet.
 
   Kaylon - These are unique.  Lots of spheres as misc bits, engines are

 spheres (one usually but 2 on largest ships).	Each ship has panels on
the 
 sides like a TIE fighter, roughly a stretched hex shape and they only
take 
 up maybe 1/3 of the ship if even that and does not increase in size
much 
 beyond the cruiser.  No Base ship for this fleet.
 
   Vargon - Klingon Bird of Prey-like but flat with a command boom and
pod. 
 Larger crescent shaped wings swept forward with weapons pods on the
ends 
 as far forward as the command pod.
 
   Quellaris Federation - Again Klingonish but more the D-7
Battlecruiser 
 shape crossed with a Ferengi Marauder but with a much larger command
boom 
 and pod.  Lots of fwd pointed things on front of pod and ends of wings.
 
 Also has the open panel feature.
 
   Altarian - Aggressive looking almost like a hand with 4 or so fwd
swept 
 wings with lots of weapons.  Rear portion is shaped like an inverted 
 chevron (\/).	They look something like an alien ship I saw on ST: 
 Voyager.  Here is a quick try of an ascii picture, fwd is >:
 //------
 \ \======
 |} }=
 / /======
 \\------
 
   Merchants - 2 of each size with both having the same basic shape but 
 different detail bits on each.
 Small - Disk fwd, fwd swept wings which are then connected to the disk
by 
 rods angling fwd.
 Medium - Larger main disk with small boom to pentagonish rear hull.  
 Pincer-like wings swept forward from rear hull also 'holding' main
disk. 
 Large - Small disk fwd then 2 sets of 2 disks follow like a drag racing

 Christmas tree of lights.  Fwd swept crescent of rear hull, ascii
follows:
  / O O
 ===|=|=O
  \ O O