EMvTW 55: Vulcan D'kyr class

NOTE:  You can click on most pictures to get a larger view of them.

Rewrites: March 2017 & February 2019

Next up in my Eaglemoss vs. The World series is the Vulcan D'kyr class ship that we see first in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode called "Shockwave, Part II".  The D'kyr class then makes appearances in ten more episodes after that.

I'm happy to report that I actually have two different models of this ship to share with you for this article.  Besides the Eaglemoss model, I also own the Hallmark variant as well.


Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "The D'kyr-type was a type of Vulcan starship operated by the High Command during the mid-22nd century. Some of these vessels were given the designation of combat cruiser in the 2150s."

If you would like to read more official stuff on this type of ship, feel free to check out the following links:

D'kyr Class Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK

This is the second Vulcan ship from Eaglemossthat I have gotten to review, with their first being the Suurok Class. You can read my review of that model at THIS LINK.

Eaglemoss vs. Hallmark

I initially got into writing these articles as a way to provide a little more information to my fellow collectors than what you would normally get in a review.  I found a serious lack of size comparisons of the various pre-built and pre-painted small scale models and so I set out to provide this information myself and hopefully help someone make a wiser decision in which model to buy.

Eaglemoss vs. Hallmark

As you can see from the pictures, the Hallmark ship dwarfs the Eaglemoss one by a bit.

Eaglemoss

 

 

 

 

I don't normally talk about the stands, because I like to focus my reviews on the actual model. The stand for this model though, is really loose and due to the weight distribution, is making the model look like it's taking a nose dive.  I am really afraid of losing the model in a planetary fall, and I had to really force the plastic peg into the metal base to get it to stay steady.

The first thing that I noticed as I looked at the Eaglemoss model was that is was smaller than Hallmark's ship.  That's fine though, because Eaglemoss has wowed me before with small models.

The next thing that I noticed was the lack of clear plastics.  Which isn't alright.  Once you look at Hallmark's model, you'll see why I say this.

Eaglemoss really should have figured out how to line the inside of the warp ring with clear blue or even opaque white plastic to represent the "glow" effect.

And because the inner part of the ring is so plain, the join seam stands out like a sore thumb when you take a peak in this area of the ship.

The sculpted and molded details of the plastic and metal parts are nicely done... for the most part.  They show off the important parts of the ship.

During my initial go around with this review, I had stated that "They did a very nice job with the drop ship that is located inside the warp ring.".  I guess my old age, and having collected the Eaglemoss model well past issue number 140 at this point, has made me a bit more cynical.

First, I will correct myself and state that the ship inside the ring is referred to as an auxiliary craft.  It has been classified as a Tal'Kyr class craft and you can read up all about the auxiliary craft at this Memory Beta LINK.

Here is what that ship is supposed to look like when it is not docked.

Photo Credit: Memory Beta

And this is Eaglemoss' rendition of that starship in the docked position.

 

 

Unfortunately, due to the scaling down of the model, from such a massively sized vessel, to this small sized model, the small auxiliary craft gets squished and I would even dare say, it's proportions get thrown out of whack as well.

I would also have to say that I am also a bit disappointed with the paint job on this model.  Although there is a light aztecing, on the model, it isn't enough to make the ship stand out.

Yes, they painted the important areas, like the impulse engines, and some windows, but over all, the model just looks very drab and boring.

Speaking of paintwork, I would have at least been a bit impressed and less annoyed had Eaglemoss attempted to paint the inner part of the ring with some light blue.

They could have also highlighted the grill and vent system better.  Without these simple highlights, the model just seems plain and uninteresting.

Overall, this model was not a favorite among my Eaglemoss ships.  It ranked pretty low in fact.  I walked away from it with the feeling of "meh".

On a side note that has nothing to do with the quality of the model, subscribers and newsstand purchasers alike were greeted to an nice little note in their magazine .

Honestly, it didn't surprise me to read this and I had wondered when we would eventually get a price hike.   We have been getting some really good quality stuff for such a low price.  And honestly, the price hike isn't that bad.

Unfortunately, they could have timed it a bit better and given us this news on a better model.

Hallmark

 

 

 

 

In 2004, Hallmark released their D'kyr class ship.  And like all their previous releases, it lit up when plugged into the Christmas tree light strand.

I have to say, I was very impressed with this model.  

The sculpted and molded details were very nice and there were lots of them all over the ship. 

They even did a fairly decent job of representing the drop shuttle... err I mean the auxiliary craft.  While the ring of the extra ship is not hollow, I feel that Hallmark at least reprsented the spirit of the thing a bit better on thier model.

 

Although the paint job was plain, there was a bit of a black wash that highlighted all the molded details which seems to give you a better visual than on Eaglemoss' ship.

And by now, you are probably scratching your head wondering where the wires are?  Well, if you have followed my series of article, then you will know that I cut the wires off to allow the ships to display better in my collection cases.

If I ignore the fact that mine is now "broken", I was still super impressed that Hallmark tackled the inner part of the warp ring.  Even when it's not lit, it still looks very nice when looking up close at the ring.

The impulse engines could have used a bit of something though.

A splash of red paint, or better yet, having lit them would have made a world of difference. 

Conclusion

And now, let us do a quick check on eBay to get some prices of the ships I've shared with you.  I typically will just round up the most inexpensive Buy-It-Now prices (with shipping included in that price) from eBay at the time of this (re)writing (February 2019).

Eaglemoss = $30

Hallmark = $25

NOTE: Prices were researched last on February 26th, 2019.  As of the writing of this article, you can also currently order the Eaglemoss model right from the company themselves for around $23 (shipping unknown).

We now come to the part of my article where I like to give you my opinion of which ship gives you the "best bang for the buck", which is my rough way of telling you which one is the best one to get, for the best price.  To put this in a nutshell, when I write these, I am trying to give my opinion of which model is the best for the least cost.

Had Eaglemoss tried to do something with the warp ring, I would have been impressed with their model.  Hallmark's model has much more detail to it and you have the added bonus of it lighting up.  So for the first time in awhile, I'm going to say that I think Hallmark's model is the better choice for your collection.

As always, I hope you found this article useful and informative.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.

So for now, "Live long and prosper!!!"

Additional Links To Photos Of My Collection:

Eaglemoss     Hallmark

Comparative Shots

Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:

Some Kind Of Star Trek

Star Trek Starship Collection