"Gundam space battle cruisers" Topic

Heyo!
So my personal project for early next year is to get a convention game going of a Gundam space battle. I already have the rules written up and have any eye on the figures to use (1/400 scale gasaphon, as I already have a lot!) as well as where to get the rest I will need. I'm hoping SWMBO will be getting me a 1/400 scale Musai cruiser for the Zeon side (Yay, won't have to scratch build this beast!) and I have the colony debris that the battle will occur amongst worked out. However, what I do NOT have is a ship for the Federation side.

Now, I know the Musai can only carry 3 (or 4) mobile suits but each side is going to have around 12-20 depending upon number of players. The cruisers aren't meant to engage each other (mostly due to scenario objectives), but can if they maneuver well enough and aren't destroyed by enemy mobile suit attacks. I was considering making a Salamis for the Fed side, and though it'd be like 22" long it doesn't carry any moblie suits. (There was a conversion to house 4x Balls on the bow, but it looked eh…) I do not want a Pegasus/White Base, just never liked them…

Anywhoo, with all of that I have been considering 2 options:
1: Creating a modified Lepanto class ship. Basically removing the side mounted missile launchers and modifying things to be able to strap some GMs and Balls to the sides. Could be nifty.
Base Lepanto:

2: Or create a stop-gap type carrier for the Feds by modding a Columbus Class into having Mobile Suits in the cargo bays and a couple of small particle canons on top.
Base Columbus class:

Either way, I'm going to try to rig some lights for the interiors of for the windows. The Columbus would be really cool as I could have a nice interior for the bays with hatches open and stuff. The ships are meant to be more window dressing than game pieces anyways, so it would hopefully be eye-catching.

What do y'all think? Opinions would be appreciated!

I don't know for sure if they're OYW or post-OYW, but there's also the Alexandria and Birmingham classes.

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Indeed, they are both from 0083 and later so a bit too "new" for OYW scenarios. Also, quite big! The Alexandria would clock in at around 88cm/34-1/2"! That'd take up a lot of table space! Even the Musai will be huge at 22"…

I'm pretty hyped up to see your results!

Have the rules all written, just need to play test a little when I can get the guys together.

Still haven't decided on which EF ship to go with. I think the transport with open doors and LED lights would be a wower as far as having detailed bays and stuff, but the Frigate would be cool because of the firepower present and the slap-dash nature of the Mobile Suit stowage… sigh…

Which one would be easier to build/detail?

Having just watched episode 4 of Gundam: the Origin last night, there is a federation mobile suit carrier that plays a big part in the battle on the moon 3/4 of the way through the movie, and this is late UC 0078. I don't have an image, but it's a big space bus with side cargo bays for 12 RXC-76 Guncannons.

@ Lion:
Weeeelll…. the Columbus would be more work, but probably easier. The Lipanto has some complicated geometry…

Jakar, did it look like this?:

Much much much much smaller. More like an expanded space launch. I haven't been able to find it in any databases yet.

There's a picture of it in the top left corner of the RCX-76-02 kit box:

here

Oooo, I haven't seen that! Don't recognize it at all. Thanks Jakar, I'll look into that mystery ship!

Jakar: just watched the part of Origin where the Iron Cavalry Squadron drops in and gets hosed. Can't find ANY data on that ship, but my guess is that it's probably around 100m long, muuuuuch smaller than the Columbus class. Approximated that length by the GunCanons being 8m wide, giving maybe 12m per hanger, 6 down a side. Looked like the engine section was maybe 20-30m?
I wonder though if it is only meant for lunar use. It does have 3 or 4 AAA turrets. Great suggestion, thank you! I'll keep looking into it!

Funny, the box art looks like the same ship to me, with 'artistic license' factored in. In fact, like a couple of Columbus's (Columbae?) joined together.

Can you find teeny-tiny models of same?

Doug

I thought the same thing about it's size Doug, until I watched the battle where it shows up. It looks like the full width of it is only slightly more than a single Columbus "pod", though it probably uses the same bridge (which makes it much smaller vessel overall).
Haven't seen any models of it at all. Don't think they make any Columbus class models either, unless you can get one of FleetMo's at a convention in Japan.

Here are some still images of the unknown type of EF ship from Gundam: The Origin:

This ship carries 12 Mobile Suits! That's a lot! And of course they get decimated by the Zeon units.

So anywhoo, now what I am thinking is maybe take the Lepanto class, put 3 of these types of bays on each side (removing the large and medium missile launchers as well as modifying those weird side bridges), but keeping the small ventral missiles, large forward missiles, and particle canon. It won't be a big threat to the Musai, but it will be better defended and still able to do a little harassing.

SWMBO got me the 1/400 Musai cruiser model!!! Game is on for sure now!

Ordered a slew of minis, should be here within a few weeks!

For now, I've decided to go with the modified Lepanto. Basically I'll build a model with the large and medium missile batteries removed and 2 Mobile Suit bays on each side. The bays will be operable and I'll do a detailed interior with some little lights.

Here's a line drawing of what I am aiming for:

Lots of work, but it'll look pretty smooth! Keeping with the anime theme of the game and models I'll keep the paint jobs pretty simple (rather than going for realistic wear and tear). Then I just have to do another couple of play tests and work up colony debris. Much to do!