Week 5 into lockdown, and I decide to finally have a pop at the ‘champ. This Corellian YT-300 freighter later on proved to be the most challenging build I have ever put to the server. Basing the design off several on-screen shots and snippets, I went for the original rendition taken from episode 4: a New Hope.

“She’s got it where it counts kid!” And that is no truer statement. This build ended up crooked, wonky, off-piste and nevertheless, I enjoyed the process & I am pleased with the final result. And here is how I did it: so you can give it a go too! Happy building, and may the force be with you...

Supplies

To build the Millennium Falcon, you will need:
~ Stone
~ Bedrock
~ Sea Lanterns
~ End Bricks
~ End brick Stairs
~ Stone Stairs
~ Darkened glass panels
~ Darkened glass blocks
~ Netherwart bricks
~ Stone Tiles
~ Iron railings
~ Lava buckets
~ Cobblestone bricks
~ Iron blocks
~ Furnaces, Depositors, Dispensers, Observers, Blast Furnaces, Smokers etc.
~ Clay blocks
~ Black Terracotta
~ Grey Terracotta
~ Charcoal blocks

Step 1: Episode 1: the Phantom Foundations

Right from the get go, I should have known how tough it was going to be.

Given how we have never seen all the rooms of the Falcon, such as the cargo and engine room, not only did I know where to place these sections, but how big were they? What were the dimensions? I ended up free-wheeling it & essentially DIY’ing it from online blueprints.

It was easier to start off with the interior than to go straight away to the skeleton of the ship; that way, you cannot get carried away and damage the superstructure from the inside out.

Step 2: Episode 2: Attack of the Walls

Adding the first half of the superstructure was easier than expected, well, the front end anyway.

Build around the foundations and fill in the details much later on.

Step 3: Episode 3: Revenge of the Superstructure

This was when it began to look, very unlike the Falcon from memory.

The bulging became an issue early on in the process. To remedy this, tiles were brought in to lower the roof of the front end and the corridors midway.

Building the satellite wasn’t as smooth as it could of been: case in point, stone brick blocks roughen things out, not the opposite!

Step 4: Episode 4: a New Backside!

After several failed attempts to round off the backend, a viable one sort of materialized. Yes it ended up a tad crooked, but it adds to the charm I think.

The griebeling was added using tiles, netherwart and clay to deepen the detail, synthesizing the ramrod shoddery that she ended up looking like after years of evading Star Destroyers.

Step 5: Episode 5: the Interior Strikes Back.

This, well, this was where it got ugly.

The famous interior is hard enough to replicate, but to get a solution that doesn’t make it too bright or too dark proved very much a challenge. The engine room was pretty much made up on the spot! The cockpit needed sprucing up, replacing the nice white seats for old worn end bricks that haven’t seen a clean in months. Sea lanterns make up for decent light without lighting up the place too much: spread them around and use them sporadically - the radius isn’t wider than you realize.

Step 6: Episode 6: Return of the Superstructure

Finishing off the project was to griebel the heck out of the exterior! Anything you’ve got, spread it around.

Cut open the outer layer stone to expose bedrock, replace certain tiles with clay or terracotta. Don’t be afraid to let loose with the alternatives, she’s a messy ship.

Step 7: Resolution

And there you have it!

It took a lot of time, a lot of lessons, a lot of mistakes... but it was worth it I think.

Enjoy making this project, in or out of quarantine! And keep building.

- DW