Unboxing: Iron Shark Pattern Jetbike by Kromlech

With Dark Angels having just been released, I have some aspirations on a Heresy-Era force, utilizing said codex. One kit in particular that vexed the community at large for quite some time are Jetbikes. Everyone and their brother wanted jetbikes, including me!

Forge World has recently released the "Scimitar" pattern Jetbike, and I like it quite a bit, actually. What I do not care for is the price point of said kit. I know, I know, it's Forge World, and sky-high prices are to be expected. But are there any alternatives?

Enter Kromlech's "Iron Shark" pattern Jetbike.

When I got my hands on this little treasure from across the ocean, I opened it immediately! what I found was a solid kit, cast in very few parts, and cast in a very high quality. But is it worth the purchase? Is it a better buy than the Forge World bike?

Pros:

 

Ease of Construction

This was a breeze to put together. A little cleaning of the flash and extra resin fiddly bits, and all three pieces went together very well. That's right, I said three. There are a very few parts to this kit, and it's a touch refreshing, really.

Quality

The casting quality is far better than your average finest, still, and very solid. The detail is very crisp and makes sense, will some open, flat areas for freehand painting available. Minimal release agent will make prepping this for assembly and paint a snap.

Spirit in Design

This looks like a Space Marine should be sitting astride it and screaming down towards foes, blotter rounds splitting the air. It's boxy, utilitarian and would not look amiss next to other Marine vehicles and models at all.

Size

It's a touch bigger than a standard Space Marine bike. No arguments on the counts-as front foreseeable in my opinion.

ebay Storefront

That's right, in my opinion, this is a "Pro" worth mentioning. Why? Because since were dealing with a country across the seas, it can be a touch difficult to communicate and have security in buying with the shipping and all. There's a reason I don't order much Forge World any more… However, being able to purchase through bay gives you automatic buyer protection and security for your purchase.

Cost

You knew it was coming. Each jetbike is only 20 dollars US. Each Forge World jetbike is 25 British Pounds. You'll get two Kromlech bikes for the price of one Forge World bike, approximately.

 

Cons:

Where's My Legs?!?!

There are no legs included in this kit. Yes, standard Marine biker legs fit this kit perfectly, but that means I need to buy standard marine biker legs…somehow. Buying a full Marine Bike squad, just for the guys, isn't very cost effective any more, and Forge World is looking mighty nice in that area as you get the figure with the bike.

…yup, that's about it from me on the "Cons" front.

I like this kit. For me, it's main competition isn't Forge World, it's MaxMini's Gothic Jetbike. They both have about the same price-point, but entirely different aesthetics, so really, I feel there's room in the market for both, and wouldn't mind owning both!

So has anyone else taken the plunge and gotten his kit? Maybe you've bought other products from Kromlech? How has you experience been?

- Tim