EMvTW 143: Merchantman (Monarch Class)

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

The second ship from this month's Eaglemoss release of Standard Edition models, is a ship simply known as the Merchantman, a vessel that meets a quick demise in the movie, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)"

When it comes to colors, this model/ship is the exact polar opposite of the Promellian Battle Cruiser.


Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "The Monarch-class was commissioned in 2240 and constructed at the Antares Shipyards by the Velosi construction firm of Axanar. It was a common sight along the Federation's trade routes in the 23rd century.  Ships of this class were mostly used by large interstellar concerns, although the Federation Merchant Marine also uses them to supply outlying colonies and Starfleet operates a few of these ships to transport mission-critical fuel supplies."  They go on to say that, "In 2285, the Merchantman was a small freighter which carried classified Federation data regarding the Genesis Device to a Klingon Bird-of-Prey that was under the command of Kruge. The Merchantman was destroyed when Kruge learned that Valkris, a Klingon operative traveling aboard the ship, had seen the information."

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

Monarch Class Information: NO Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK
Merchantman Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK

Although this type of ship was never given an official canon classification, per Memory Beta (non-canon sources) the class of ship was eventually given the name of Monarch Class.

 

 

 

 

Where do I begin with this model?  This might be a good one to swing back to the old formula that I used in these reviews.

The sculpt and mold work are fantastic.  Everywhere you turn to, there is some sort of detail etched into the model.  And the details are crisp and precise.

From panel lines to "exposed" conduits, the model does a great job of portraying a heavily used cargo vessel that has seen better days.

Some great greebles were also included on Eaglemoss' rendition of the ship.  From the engine exhaust manifolds...

...to some sort of other exhaust ports jutting from the bottom of the ship.

I keep going back and picking this model up off the shelf to look at it again and again.

The paint work is what really sells this model though.  You can have all the best mold work in the world, but if the paint doesn't compliment or highlight details, then the model becomes a bit disappointing.  This model certainly does not disappoint.  The variations of the copper color give the ship a much older and somewhat weathered appearance.

The "weathering" is apparent from all angles as well.  

All of that weathering, coupled with some darker painted "exposed" areas completes the run down appearance of this starship.

And then to top it all off, Eaglemoss also painted some details inside the engine exhaust ports too.

I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with the Promellian Battle Cruiser model this month, HOWEVER, this model more than made up for it in my opinion.

At the time of this article's writing (March 12th, 2019), you can get your hands on the Merchantman from eBay for around $40 (shipping included) and directly from the US Eaglemoss WebStore for around $23 (shipping unknown).

Typically, when I have had to go to eBay to satisfy my collecting addiction, I am comfortable with paying anywhere from $25 to $30 for a Standard Edition sized model.  The $40 price tag didn't shock me as there were not any US sellers advertising this model yet.  But I'm going to be honest, if I had seen this model first, then had to decide to spend that $40, I would probable gladly pay it.  

This is one of Eaglemoss' better produced models.  The mold and sculpt work and the paint work are a perfect partnership which leaves you with a very eye catching piece that will easily draw attention to itself among the other ships of your collection.  I highly recommend that you try to add this model to your fleet as you will not be disappointed with it.

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   

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.