EMvTW 136: Cardassian Keldon class

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

This model has been a long time coming.  Fans have been waiting for it for quite some time and unfortunately, us US collectors are still waiting for it.  As of the writing of the article on January 24th, 2019, the model is still not available on the US Eaglemoss Webstore, and it is now a month overdue, as Eaglemoss has already made the next month's models available.  Luckily, I found it on eBay for a very decent price and am now able to move forward with catching up on several reviews.

I am of course talking about the Cardassian Keldon class starship, which we are first introduced to in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode called "Defiant".

I currently have two models of this type of ship in my collection; the new Eaglemoss model, and a very old MicroMachine version.

Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "The Keldon-class cruiser was a class of Cardassian warship utilized by the Cardassian military during the 2370s. The Keldon hull was similar to the Galor-class spaceframe, with additions to the aft end and main body."

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

Keldon Class Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK

The Keldon class starship bears a striking resemblance to another Cardassian ship, the Galor class.  I reviewed that type of ship way back in issue # 14.  You can check out that article at THIS LINK.

I had acquired the MicroMachine version of this ship a long time ago.  It made for a nice model in my collection, but I was very excited to find out that I would soon replace it with an Eaglemoss version.

 

Since my reviews always focus on larger scale models, we will just move on now.

I hate to say this, but my Keldon came to me in a broken state.  This was a super simple fix though that just required a little super glue and all was well then.

Once the repair was done, we could then get a good look at this model.

 

 

 

 

Given the close resemblances, the first question that any collector will ask, is, "Did Eaglemoss re-use the molds?".  So to answer that question, let us do a side by side comparison of the Galor and the Keldon.

 Galor vs. Keldon

Right off the bat, you can clearly see that different molds were used as the sculpted details of the "duplicated areas" for both on the top and bottom are slightly different.

 Keldon vs. Galor

In fact, I would say that the newer Keldon model is more detailed than its predecessor.  In fact, there appears to be more paint work, and it is better applied this second tome around.

Eaglemoss ditched the clear plastic deflector dish on the front of the ship and this time around painted it.

Keldon vs. Galor

I like how it turned out and really prefer the new look over the older version.

The Keldon features an additional "backpack" of sorts which houses the mechanics for the spiral disruptor canon.  Eaglemoss did a fantastic job with the mold and paint work on this.  All of the features are crisp and well defined.

Keldon vs. Galor

The other additional feature of the Keldon class starship is some additional tail fins.  These too have been sculpted and painted in a very pleasing manner.

Keldon vs. Galor

As you can see, there has been additional attention given to the paint work on the newer model, which included better looking windows.  The join and seam along the back end of the ship are hidden better by the application of dark paint along the side.

Top: Keldon vs. Bottom: Galor

And that is all the pictures and comparisons I have to share on this ship at this time.  As for pricing, I will continue with the tradition of rounding up the most inexpensive Buy-It-Now prices from eBay at the time of this article's writing.

Eaglemoss = $30

MicroMachine = $24

NOTE: Prices were researched last on January 25th, 2019.  Unfortunately, at the time that I am writing this, Eaglemoss does not have this ship in stock on their website, so we are at the mercy of the eBay sellers.

Was the model worth the $30 I paid for it?  Well, I am used to paying anywhere from $25 to $30 for a Standard Edition model on eBay, so the price was certainly right.  In all honesty, I really liked this model and I was supper impressed with the improvements over the original Galor class model.  I would dare say that if you are a Cardassian fan, and I was in your shoes, I would probably feel comfortable paying up to $40 due to the better quality.  The ship would look great in your alien ship collection, or if you are a completionist like me, it definitely makes for the crown jewel in your Eaglesmoss Cardassian 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     MicroMachine
Comparative Shots

Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:
Some Kind Of Star Trek
Star Trek Starship Collection [NO REVIEW YET]

NOTE: Whoever was running the Star Trek Starship Collection Review blog at THIS LINK, seams to have dropped off the grid after their review of Warship Voyager.  While commenter's have asked the writer if he/she was OK, there has been no reply.