UPDATED PICS! Modular Death Star

[dafoo]

THIS HAS TO GO UP FOR MORE VIEWING!

[Darth_Anton]

THIS HAS TO GO UP FOR MORE VIEWING!

I agree. Excellent work Muftak!

[Gregorbian]

WOW!  Thank you guys for bumping this up!  This is the best diorama/playset that I have ever seen!

[CHEWIE]

It's definitely something out of this world.  I've said it before, the decision makers at Hasbro need to be stuck on a deserted island with this thing for a year to finally learn how to make playsets.

 

[Muftak]

Thanks to everyone who brought this thread back up from the dregs a month back, it made me realize how low-res some of the pictures of the final couple levels really were (thanks to me having to scrounge for a camera at the time). Ever since it popped up, I've been planning to take some new pictures of the Death Star, to allow for a bit clearer viewing of this monstrosity.

It's been two years now since it was built, and the parts are showing some age. Stickers that once color-matched the paint now are a little too blue or green, while many of the curved surfaces have begun to separate. I hadn't paid much attention to the details in a long time, but I guess this is the difference between a home-made toy and a store-bought one. I can foresee a small refurbishing project on my horizon.

But enough talk, here's some new pics. I'll start at the top and work my way down this time around, beginning with the chasm set...

     

At the back of the chasm is Ben's Tractor Beam Control Tower:



I also built the piece that fits between the two anniversary-set bases to bridge the chasm like in the vintage playset:




Thanks to dafoo, CHEWIE, Gregorbian and Anton for the comments. I'll be back periodically with more updated pictures!

[Ryan]

I really need to make myself something like this. This is still one of my favorite dios around. And it has been a huge inspiration in the making of My SGD modular dio/playset.

These new pictures look great. Why sets like this have never been released is beyond me. Do you have anyplans to make anything else after Bespin? Casue I'd love to see it if you do.

[CHEWIE]

Muftak, this just keeps getting better and better... simply amazing!  So detailed and this would be the ultimate playset.

 

[Darth_Ennis]

Words escape me. This is truly the most awesome thing I think I've ever seen.It completely blows away the one Kenner put out in the 70's. And that is great praise my friend, that playset is the most beloved toy that I ever owned. I salute your talent.

[Quazar]

WOW!

I think I saw this last year, don't remember if I commented on it.

This is so gorgeous it makes me want to cry.....

I'm stunned.

[Muftak]

Thanks guys. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I'd get to dragging out more pictures of the same old same old, but I'm glad you're enjoying them.

I wish Hasbro could do something like this too. Images of what they could do first popped into my head when they released those two Death Star sets in 96, and that's probably why I built the whole thing around the scale and color pallette of that Detention Block. It seemed like such a no-brainer, but I gues those sets didn't get the reaction Hasbro wanted. I loved 'em, obviously.

Another thing I'm enjoying about these pics is the updated figures. Amazing what we've gotten in the last two years. Tarkin's Control Room has a bunch of new inhabitants:

[Muftak]

The other side of level 4, if you'll recall, is the generic Death Star Hallway, for Han to chase stormtroopers down or what have you, with a closing Blast Door:





Yes, you never know who's going to be standing around in the old hallway:

[Phrubruh]

OMG!   That's really funny!

[Darth_Ennis]

LOL!! Thanks I needed that laugh. I love the little Vader.

[Muftak]

Level 3 holds what I really believe to be the heart of my Death Star, the control room playset:







It's a little smaller than the movie set, but I think it's the most authentic room in my Death Star.

The door can be opened and closed:

[Muftak]

The rest of level three houses the docking bay doorway and the elevator hub:







To make my Death Star truly complete, I had to make a couple of custom figures--Han and Luke in Commtech Stormtrooper disguise.



I really like the looks of Death Star Escape Han's head on a Trooper body. Their heads don't move; I had to glue the neck post into the socket, but I had the advantage of adding the "body glove" on the neck by wrapping a thin piece of electrical tape around their necks.