Tips for Building the Millennium Falcon in Minecraft

But there's a bonus to this deal: In celebration of the release of the Solo: A Star Wars Story Skin Pack -- available now in the Minecraft Marketplace -- we asked Microsoft/4J Studios for some tips on how to build the Millennium Falcon. So get your blocks ready and prepare to make the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

Spoiler warning: This version is an approximation of how the ship appears at the end of the film.

The general aim of this Millennium Falcon build is to hint that there is more detail than there really is. The Falcon itself is covered in large flat areas with lots of little bits of detail that are smaller than the blocks available, so the idea is to use the texture of the blocks to convey the overall look of the ship.

Materials:

Stone Slabs

With the predominant color being gray, use Minecraft's stone and cobble blocks as the main building blocks. Stone slabs have a flat gray color with an edge to give the Falcon a paneling effect; the half-slab also helps to convey the gradual slope of the Falcon body without needing full blocks and making the ship even larger overall.

Stone Steps

Stacked on top of each other with the top step inverted, stone steps can help give the impression of the strong paneling rim and additional detail around the edge of the Falcon.

Build Process:

Start by measuring out the shape of the Falcon with a circular wireframe and add additional shapes, such as the side indents and nose section.

Position the landing legs underneath and begin filling in the bottom of the ship's hull.

Add depth to the ship, leaving the interior hollow for future decoration. Using a variety of materials to match the Falcon, begin refining the side details of the ship and nose section.

Build the cockpit on the side of the ship, as well as the access corridor to reach it.

As an extra addition, light up the back of the ship with the classic blue afterburn. The afterburner effect is first created by building the engines out of sea lanterns and then layering flat colored glass panels on top. The flat glass panels are affected by nearby light sources differently than glass blocks or any other block, in that they glow brighter when close to light blocks. If you place different colored stained glass planes atop each other, you can build up a softer gradient effect, such as the blue and the white used on the Falcon.

Punch it!

Check out this week's episode of The Star Wars Show to see a timelapse of this build!