Interesting.

The last two feel like they should be fast ships, the handmaiden a more armoured version--possibly a fast destroyer. The butler seems to be more of a general design, but maybe its a escort vessel. The consort just screams out spinal weapons for some reason. The Duchess seems more of a general heavy capital ship. Of course, thats my first impression, and I'd be very surprised if its how you viewed these ships.

AWESOME!!!

Using cardboard counters is often easier--images are all over the internet for any genre you want to do. But kudos to you for re-using these very intriguing images. (Think I'll try a google search of "macro photography" and see if I can find some myself!)

Personally, I like keeping them glued flat. Steve Jackson Games has a line of multicolored bases that work well with them, too.

After you're done with combat, wanna post their stats?

Can't post full stats here, since it's bedtime, but surprise!  You were mostly right.

The Handmaiden and Butler are designed to be big-ship killer torpedo boats  -- they are both Speed 9 HS 2 Shields 3.  Each has one big long-range Ammo 1 weapon and a pair of useful conversion beams in AB (conversion beams do piercing / continuous damage)  The Butler has an area effect Hyperspace Shear Cluster and the Handmaiden has a very potent Shear Torp. 

The idea is that the Butlers and Handmaidens go like bats outa hell at the enemy, launching their big weapons at first opportunity and then they either a) hang around and use their little (but useful guns) to harry the enemy or b) soak up firepower that might otherwise be hurting the Duchess.

Our First Contact scenarios are kinda like a friendly soccer match where we can experiment with new designs, so I wanted to get both into the mix.  I think I like the Handmaidens with their shear torps better, as opportunities to fully exploit the powers of the area effect weapon will be rare.

Meanwhile, the Duchess is a Speed 5 / HS7 / Shields 5 cruiser with a pair of heavy conversion beams in AB and six secondary cb guns in ABCD.  She cleans up whatever's left after the little ships have done their thing.

The Consort is an escort ship with light, but accurate firepower and an AB ROF 5 area effect antifighter Spore Can with Ammo 2.  The Consorts manuever so that the Duchess is always in arc for their Spore Cans.  Tonight I chained my ships so that both Consorts could cover the Duchess while one Consort covered the other.  Luckily the tail-end Charlie didn't draw any fire.

This is the first time we've used Ammo in our campaigns and it's really changed ship design for me.  Putting a big single-shot wallop on a little zippy ship is a paradigm-buster.