For those who’ve ever ventured to Arrakis, you’ve heard the whispers: Sandworms, the Maker, perhaps you’e even heard of Shai-Hulud. You doubtless know them as an existential menace, the form of enemy you may’t hope to kill, but in addition as an ecological necessity — their existence brings forth the Spice Melange, on which our survival relies upon.

However the Maker is greater than a set of enamel that produces spice. It’s a god determine, a being to be revered, and — most significantly — a approach to traverse the Arrakeen desert. That’s proper, Shai-Hulud will be ridden — however what’s it really prefer to journey?

Full Disclosure: The Fremen flew me out to Arrakis to attempt my hand at driving a sandworm. The Spacing Guild equipped my transportation, and the Fremen offered my meals, lodging, and treasured life-giving water.

What’s New About The 10191 Arrakeen Sandworm?

Not a lot. Most sandworms sufficiently old to journey are a whole lot if not hundreds of years previous — little or no has modified for them over the course of their years within the sand.

But when it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. The Maker is dependable transport, simple to foretell and manageable to manage — as long as what you’re doing. For amateurs, wormriding generally is a wrestle, however with a little bit of apply it turns into second nature.

What Are the Specs?

Sandworms can develop to a whole lot of yards in size, and a few assume that worms as much as 1,000 yards lengthy exist within the planet’s most distant deserts. My tester wasn’t fairly so massive, someplace within the 250-yard vary, which made it considerably extra nimble than its bigger brethren.

How Does It Look?

I’ll be actual: Sandworms will not be fairly. They’re a function-over-form design, grey and drab with thick, plated pores and skin. However each a part of the Maker’s look serves a perform—its mouth for intaking vitamins, its plates for steering the worm in direction of your vacation spot. Shai-Hulud might not be a magnificence, nevertheless it will get the job achieved.

How Does It Experience?

I mentioned my Maker was smaller than many, which made for a nimbler journey. That, nevertheless, is faint reward — no sandworm is really nimble, all are sluggish to reply and require full-body exertion to maneuver. Even with expert riders on again, Shai-Hulud nonetheless understeers on the restrict, and every journey is extra about reaching your vacation spot than having any enjoyable alongside the best way.

Energy is ample; worms are centered extra on torque than top-end, which may typically confuse the “butt dyno” into studying larger than is actually correct. The true trick with sandworms, although, is management — at first the concept of controlling a Maker together with your two little hooks appears absurd. With some apply below your belt, nevertheless, all of it turns into second nature: The Maker hooks fall readily at hand, and the steering scramble from left to proper turns into extra of an intentional dance.

How’s The Inside?

I didn’t check this. For those who wanna get eaten by a sandworm to find what it’s like, be my visitor. I hear it’s scorching.

How Does It Evaluate to the Competitors?

For long-distance journey on Arrakis, the closest competitor to the Maker is probably going your customary ornithopter. However these require gasoline and upkeep, and also you aren’t more likely to discover one other one fueled and ready when yours falters. Worms, against this, care for themselves — and when one will get drained, you’re only a thumper away from discovering one other journey.

For brief journeys, an ornithopter could also be extra handy. However for lengthy hauls throughout the Arrakeen desert, the Maker is unmatched. There’s a purpose the Fremen, these most attuned to abandon life, don’t maintain fleets of ‘thopters at each sietch.

Remaining Ideas

Using Shai-Hulud is a uncommon alternative, one I’m grateful to have been given. Giant, high-capacity sandworms really really feel like the way forward for long-haul transportation in a manner that makes ornithopters really feel out of date — so restricted in dimension, carry weight, and gasoline vary. The Fremen know Dune finest, so it’s no surprise they’ve chosen the perfect technique of transport by way of the extensive, open desert. Bless the Maker and His water, bless the approaching and going of Him.