Bantha-class Assault Shuttle
3D-printed X-wing Miniature Game Piece by Wild Shipyards (1/364)
The Build
I bought this piece from Wild Shipyards, and it came together perfectly. I added magnets so the cannons could rotate.
Comic book drawings show it as mostly a grey/green, deep green, or tan ship. Tan seemed odd, so I stuck with the grey/green theme. I sprayed it black, then added white mottling to the surface to add texture and different tones. After I sprayed a light grey on top of that, the effect really made the paint look worn. Then, I went in with greyish blue and greyish green acrylics to highlight individual panels and make it look weathered.
History
The Bantha-class Assault Shuttle was essentially the Rebellion's answer to the Imperial Sentinel-class Landing Ship. Designed by Mon Calamari and Sullustian engineers, the Bantha-class looked odd against most other Rebel ships. It sported 2 large quad laser turrets on the upper hull next to the off-set bridge tower. The Bantha-class landed on a single landing "foot", allowing for soldiers to disembark from the 3 doors of the troop compartment.
While the official guides claim it to be larger than the Sentinel, I tend to agree more with the MetaNerdz video on the Bantha-class suggesting a shorter overall length of 32 meters. Unfortunately, it only ever appeared in comics, so it's hard to tell the exact length. However, at best, it is 3 times the length of an X-wing.
As for the long pylons on either side of the ship, no one knows what they are for. Most likely I would think these house landing lights, terrain scanners, or anything like that to help the Bantha-class land quickly on unknown terrain. Despite only a handful of depictions, the Bantha-class Assault Shuttle seems like a very capable and interesting ship. I would love to see it return to canon at some point.
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Most excellent paint job. I was the one who originally commissioned Wild Shipyards to render and 3D print this for me as I always loved the Bantha Class. Perhaps the booms in front housed repulsor lifts or even shield generators to protect the troopers as they exited the craft. I went with the green color scheme as well, but I prefer your paint job. https://www.deviantart.com/marcusstarkiller/art/Bantha-Assault-Shuttle-895474549
Thank you so much. That is an awesome job on yours. I am really glad you commissioned him to do this ship. I didn’t know much about it until I saw Wild Shipyard’s post about it. I bought one and fell into the rabbit hole of reading about the ship. It’s such a unique design, especially the single landing foot. Best!
You are truly welcome. During the Battle of Brentaal IV, a New Republic Assault Shuttle was shot down and crashed into a school at the city of Oradin. I can only assume it was a Bantha Class Assault Shuttle that crashed as it is the only type we see the New Republic using during that battle. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Brentaal_IV_(Galactic_Civil_War)