3788 Scale Federation War Destroyer Collection WEM

This collection includes two War Destroyers, a War Destroyer Scout, and a Command War Destroyer.

The Federation’s Star Fleet began the General War with the venerable Heavy Cruiser, the Old Light Cruiser (refits of ships nearly a century old), the Destroyer (a ship made from a cruiser saucer and engine, which had never worked as well as expected), and the excellent Frigate. To increase cruiser strength, the New Light Cruiser had been introduced just before the war began and had pushed the Old Light Cruiser and Destroyer out of production. This left a growing gap between the cruiser and frigate classes, forcing the Federation to proceed with plans for a war destroyer. Two designs were tested: the Battle Frigate (also available in our shop on Shapeways) and a true War Destroyer. The Ortega-Class War Destroyer was selected as it had more growth potential than the overloaded Battle Frigate. The war destroyer used a new saucer (larger than the Frigate, smaller than the New Light Cruiser) and three of the same engines as the frigate. The first 100 ships were named for revolutionary leaders (Mandela, Barzani, Aidid, Premadasa, Buthelezi, etc.); thereafter general military names (Ariel Sharon, William Sherman, Spitfire, and Chicamauga) were used. The ship was produced in vast numbers (over 100) and in many variants (scout, drone combat, escort, carrier, minesweeper, commando, squadron leader, resupply ship, and others).

At the start of the General War, the Federation had an unexpected superiority in electronic warfare due to their superb destroyer-based scout, but these ships were few in number and several were lost in combat.  New scouts entered service based on pre-war estimations that frigate-based scouts could tell an admiral where the enemy was and then stay out of the way, but these ships were vulnerable in the type of direct combat that developed with heavy jamming and counter-jamming. The scout version of the NCL was powerful but cruiser hulls were too valuable to spare for all scout hulls needed. The Federation turned to the later-appearing war destroyer to produce a scout that could be built quickly in vast numbers.

The Command War Destroyer was a heavier (and more expensive) war destroyer variant that was built for duty as a squadron leader. It never amounted to more than 20% of total war destroyer production, but because many war destroyers were diverted into escort, scout, and other support missions, there was usually one command war destroyer in any flotilla of three war destroyers.

This sprue of ships is available in a variety of materials. Ships are unpainted, use standard flight stands available from many sources, and, while designed for gaming, make fine display pieces.