Gundam Plamodel Thread IV

[Nekko Basara]

Ok, you convinced me. Ordered !

[mecha2241]

Ok, I finished my Mk II!

MkII.jpg

After completing it, I'll say that the Mk II is hands-down the best RG kit I've done, by a very wide margin. Like I said before, the other RG kits looked great but there was always something fiddly with them, in some cases it was minor (Strike Freedom's shoulder armor coming off, being back-heavy) in others more serious (if you look at Zeta the wrong way his head is going into his chest like a turtle). Well, there really isn't any of that with the Mk II. He moves the way you want, with nothing popping off or anything. Even his skirt armor and backpack thrusters have stayed put for me. He's very solid, plus he was a the most fun to build. Plus, stuff that wasn't really a problem on other kits actually works better here, like the cockpit door or the clip to carry the bazooka on his butt-skirt. My only complaints would be that his feet have less articulation than the RX-78's, so the bent-on-one-knee pose is a little more work to balance, and that the vulcan pod on his head doesn't leave his head with a lot of room to move. Personally, I'm cool leaving the vulcan pod off.

Seriously, if you only buy one RG kit in your life, make sure it's the Mk II. This kit is so good I'm rethinking my decision to just to do the AEUG version.

I built that one a few months ago and liked it too. I've built four RGs, the Mk. II, the Zeta, Char's Zaku and a green Zaku and the Mk. II was the best kit. I have no idea how to get Zeta's wings to no flop around and the Zakus' power cable were a nightmare. Mostly I'm building MGs now, though.

[mikeszekely]

Ok, you convinced me. Ordered !

Are you getting AEUG or Titans? Either way you won't regret it. The Titans Mk II just made my list, although I think the regular Green Zaku and Exia will be next for me.

[Nekko Basara]

I grabbed the AEUG from Amazon Warehouse deals. Although I am intrigued by the color scheme and extra thruster parts on the Titans, I prefer to keep my Gundams all roughly Gundam-colored. Also, I haven't seen Zeta, so no attachment to the source material.

Your Mk. II looks excellent, by the way, and I am awed by your speed. I also appreciate the shot of the legs - I'll see how close to that stance my GP01 can manage, and get a picture of it.

[Hikuro]

IGNORE Zeta...again it's the worst of the RG's I think. Transformation is just a b1tcha. There are these little C shaped pins that connect the upper legs intot he hips, if you move it just the slightest at times it'll pop right out and shoot a half mile out of sight, or 10 inches out of sight which ever! I can't tell you how many times I almost cried cause I'd spend 20 minutes looking for a missing pin.

The MKII is on my list....actually lemme see here...

I have both the green and Char's Zaku...I've already built a green one 2 years ago but I want an army dammit.

Another RX-78-2 which I plan to do as an RX-78-3 or 1, hadn't decided. It'll be tough!

MKII in both AUEG and TITAN colors

and if the price ever goes down 20 bucks I'll maybe get the Amuro custom Zeta Gundam......but it's gotta come down to the 60 dollar range and it'll just stay in it's box unassembled for collectors purposes.

I've just finished the old RX-78 G type, stained and weathered and applied into Sander's unit since I already have an EZ-8....I'm not happy with that EZ-8 so I'll probably get another one and stain the crap out of that! Then I'll be buying a Ground type GM and another G type so I can put a GM head on it and call it Karen's suit!

[Nekko Basara]

You could probably save some money and get some hovertrucks to boot if you got the Hard Graph ground war set with the HGUC RX-78 ground type and GM heads, rather than kitbashing. Just to mention it.

[close313]

I guess I'm the only one who likes the RG Zeta alot.

[anime52k8]

RG zeta is my favorite of the one's I have.

[mikeszekely]

I guess I'm the only one who likes the RG Zeta alot.

I love the way mine looks. I haven't had Hikuro's problems with the hips, either. But, either the way his hips join or the way his skirt armor is hung seems to restrict his range of motion. I liked it enough that I might try to get and built the Zeta 3.

He's not wrong about the transformation, though. As I said previously, there's a peg near the bottom of his torso that is supposed to lock down the cockpit, but a light breeze will cause the cockpit to come off. His waist armor is on swivels that can leave gaps, or pinch in when his chest is unpegged and get in the way. There also doesn't seem to be anything but friction keeping his head from retracting into his chest.

I think the result is a fantastic-looking display piece, but an extremely fiddly one that requires care to pose (and always ends with pinning the chest back down and pulling his head back out). It's also one that doesn't need to be so fiddly, if they'd used a more standard inner frame and skipped the transformation gimmick, especially because the fiddly nature pretty much ensures that you'll never bother to transform it.

I think I honestly like the RX-78 less. There's no way I'm buying the RX-78/CA repaint, nor would I buy the Prototype repaint. I'm a sucker for G3's colors, though, so I might buy it... If it were released in the main line, not as an expensive exclusive.

RG zeta is my favorite of the one's I have.

Do you have a MK-II? I've always like the Mk-II, the way you can see the linear evolution from the RX-78 to it, without all the gimmicks that would come on later Gundams, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I think the Mk-II isn't just the best RG kit I've built, but that none of the other kits are even close. Not only was it so good that I'll get the Titans version, a RG Alex based on the same frame is now the kit I most wish Bandai would do next.

[anime52k8]

I've only built the RX-78, Zeta, Justice and Freedom.

[Scyla]

I would love to build the Strike Freedom but the frame parts are just ugly and bring down the entire kit for me. I was thinking how hard it would be to paint the frame. I think the best way would be to build the frame and then spray paint it once. The next step would be to bend all the joints for their maximum angle and paint it again.

I wonder if this would be worth the hassle.

[mikeszekely]

Suppose I wanted to build all 16 RG kits, line them up in the order they were released, then photograph them.

Does that sound like an art project to you? Specifically, does that sound like an art project that I could use Kickstarter to fund the models for?

I would love to build the Strike Freedom but the frame parts are just ugly and bring down the entire kit for me.

I didn't think they were as bad in person as in some of the pictures, Especially the Super Dragoons, which have a mirrored gold finish. Granted the frame doesn't have a shiny metallic look like you might expect in a real robot, but is actually a pretty good match in color to the duller gold used in the show.

The biggest strike against Strike Freedom's gold frame isn't the color, but the fact that the gold plastic seems a bit more brittle than the gray they usually use. The index finger on the left fixed-posed, fingers-splayed hand was broken at the middle knuckle, (not a huge problem, because there are three other left hands for the kit). Also, part of the inner frame chest near the shoulder (where a human clavicle would be) was broke out of the box. This too turned out to be a minor problem: I glued the edges of the broken piece back together, which held it together long enough to put the armor on. Once the outer armor was in place, the broken pieces are sandwiched tightly in the space where they belong.

[mog_kupo]

I would love to build the Strike Freedom but the frame parts are just ugly and bring down the entire kit for me. I was thinking how hard it would be to paint the frame. I think the best way would be to build the frame and then spray paint it once. The next step would be to bend all the joints for their maximum angle and paint it again.

I wonder if this would be worth the hassle.

I've seen some SF with the frame painted in Tamiya Gold, or Metalic Gold

It does makes a huge difference, I'll be painting mine next week, just waiting for the weather to improve

[Nekko Basara]

Can the plastic used on the inner frame hold paint, though? It's at least partly ABS - I thought paint wouldn't stay on that stuff very well in normal handling, let alone in all of the areas the frame rubs on itself and the armor.

[mog_kupo]

Well, as far as I know there is no problem with the frame holding the paint

I'll let you know how it goes when I paint mine

[Hikuro]

Can the plastic used on the inner frame hold paint, though? It's at least partly ABS - I thought paint wouldn't stay on that stuff very well in normal handling, let alone in all of the areas the frame rubs on itself and the armor.

yes! during my early building days I use to take the inner frame parts and paint them a gunmetal color for a more realistic frame appearance. I never had any flaking or issues to contend with...just make sure the color you use on those parts are the colors you want.

I've grown very accustomed to doing partial assembly to certain areas after snipping them off the trees and giving them a nice even flawless paint job. Can't believe it took 15 years to get it right but once I found the trick when I did the mega grade RX-78-2, everything has been a cake walk for anything I need to paint.

[Nekko Basara]

That is great info. I guess I have to put the Strike Freedom on my list. I wonder how it would look with a gunmetal or even silver frame. I haven't seen the series, so I have no special attachment to show accuracy.

[mikeszekely]

That is great info. I guess I have to put the Strike Freedom on my list. I wonder how it would look with a gunmetal or even silver frame. I haven't seen the series, so I have no special attachment to show accuracy.

I'd imagine that, with a darker frame, it'd look like regular Freedom, just with a gun in it's belly, different wings, and modified railguns.

But don't let that stop you. I'm probably going to wind up building regular Freedom.

[mog_kupo]

New Blue Frame announced

[close313]

No place to equip extra swords? Attach them on your head!

[mikeszekely]

Been trying to help out my parents by going over their place when I have time and doing their yard work for them. My dad decided to thank me today with a $200 Amazon gift card. So I went home and ordered RG Exia, Strike, Justice, GP01, green Zaku, Char's Zaku, and the Titans Mk-II. That just leaves Freedom, GP-01fb, Char's Z'Gok, and the Skygrasper.

Actually, I would have ordered Char's Z'Gok instead of Char's Zaku, but it's still a pre-order item on Amazon.

Oh, and I've started building Destiny. Pics and impressions to follow, but spoilers, I'm not loving him.

[anime52k8]

I decided I didn't want to wait on chars Z'gok, so I ordered it on HLJ (mostly because I decided I couldn't wait a month and a half for my sailor Jupiter figuarts when HLJ has it in stock, and I needed something to ship with it).

[mikeszekely]

I decided I didn't want to wait on chars Z'gok, so I ordered it on HLJ (mostly because I decided I couldn't wait a month and a half for my sailor Jupiter figuarts when HLJ has it in stock, and I needed something to ship with it).

Get a Mk-II.

[anime52k8]

too late, also HLJ wont be getting the mk-II Titans version back in stock until September. one of these days I'll get one.

[Hikuro]

Titan variant is still available on amazon for 32 bucks. I'm gonna wait till this weekend and see if a hobby store downtown will have a MKII or anything real grade.

Exia shows up tonight and on excited to look at what needs to be done.

[mikeszekely]

Titan variant is still available on amazon for 32 bucks.

I guess I'm lucky I ordered one when I did for $30.

Exia shows up tonight and on excited to look at what needs to be done.

Let me know what you think. I think Exia's the first one I want to build when they get here.

Until they get here, all I have to work on is finishing Destiny (I just have to do the backpack/wings and apply the stickers) and building an HGUC Gouf Custom that should be here tomorrow.

[Nekko Basara]

My Mk II showed up today. Box was pretty well bashed, but everything inside is perfect. I hope to start on it this weekend. Maybe I'll make an album with in-progress shots as it comes together. It certainly had a great profile in the booklet.

[mikeszekely]

My Mk II showed up today. Box was pretty well bashed, but everything inside is perfect. I hope to start on it this weekend. Maybe I'll make an album with in-progress shots as it comes together. It certainly had a great profile in the booklet.

That was fast!

Man, are you in for a treat. I really hope you enjoy building it as much as I did!

[Hikuro]

I guess I'm lucky I ordered one when I did for $30.

Let me know what you think. I think Exia's the first one I want to build when they get here.

Until they get here, all I have to work on is finishing Destiny (I just have to do the backpack/wings and apply the stickers) and building an HGUC Gouf Custom that should be here tomorrow.

Gonna mess with it lil later tonight, I already got all the packing out and going "Damn, this is really small!"

Not big on Destiny, it was okay of a build, not horrible or anything, but I don't like the way the weapons attach on the back pack mine always fall off.

[Hikuro]

I can't find my replacement blades for my exacto knife...so I'm not getting the stickers lined up the way I want...but I'm finished with Exia's right leg and I LOVE how solid and flexible it is all together. My only gripe so far are the clear parts...they're very thin, very flimsy, and require bending and feeding to get into the slots of his exo skeleton. They're also very easy to lose SINCE they're translucent and tiny. Scared me putting the one on his shin in.

[mikeszekely]

Well, I finished Destiny.

It probably wasn't the best kit to do right after the Mk-II. I mean, everything about the Mk-II was perfect... everything fit perfectly, and the final model was solid, well-balanced, and gorgeous. It was a joy to build, and a joy to display.

Destiny, on the other hand, was a pain. For starters, don't even think about building him without a hobby knife! Several of the parts come off the runners with chunks of gate still attached to the underside that you can't get with a clipper. Worse, some of those parts are tiny, like the yellow beam shield emitters on the backs of his hands (oh, and they included 7 hands). I wound up poking myself in the finger a few times.

Then there were other issues with the build. For one, I don't know if it was just a bad part or what, but I couldn't get the cuff armor over the inner frame's wrist on the right arm. I'm positive I built the arm right, and I had no trouble at all with the left arm, but I wound up having to take my hobby knife and trim a tad off the inner frame's wrist. If that weren't aggravating enough, before you peg a hand on there's a tiny square flat gray piece that goes inside the cuff. The directions make it seem like the hand is supposed to hold that piece in place. Nope. Not long after I put the arms on and peg the hand in and it looks like Destiny's wearing a bracelet. I wound up gluing them down.

After I got the arms done, things started to go a little more smoothly, save a for a very small gap between the pieces that make up the left and right halves of his head, just under the antenna. I stickered him up, and this is more of an observation than a complaint, but still, Destiny comes with a lot of stickers, but most of them are on his wings. Without his backpack, he actually looks a little barren compared to the UC Gundams, but with his backpack I guess his wings make him look busy enough.

But, here's another thing... he's back heavy. Much more so than Strike Freedom. I was actually having trouble posing him for a picture without him falling over. Speaking of falling, he can be a little fiddly. The weapons that store on his back like to fall out, as do the beam weapons in his shoulders. Like Zeta, you have to be very careful posing him, then you have to be careful to balance him so he won't fall over.

Still, the result is worth it, I think. I know that Strike Freedom was supposed to be the most overpowered MS, but I think Destiny looks much cooler. The wings look cooler, the beam saber/knives look cooler, and the way they're stored looks cooler. The design of his face and the way the red dips down his cheeks looks cool. The beam guns in his palms are cooler. The fact that he's got a real shield and a beam shield is cooler. He was a pain to build and a pain to pose, but at the end of the day, I think I like him better than RG Strike Freedom.

[renegadeleader1]

I've out of contact with gunpla new, is the RAG-79 the only "GM" comming down the pipe in the near future?

[DarrinG]

I got a 1/100 resin Jagd Doga kit. Can anyone help with eBay links to the right upgrade and fancy doo-dads for this?

Like metal nozzles and hoses and such that are the right scale to spruce it up?

[Hikuro]

I've out of contact with gunpla new, is the RAG-79 the only "GM" comming down the pipe in the near future?

Haven't seen anything that even suggests a GM from the OYW is getting model treatment.

[Hikuro]

DAMN! Today is not my day! I lost one of the yellow blade parts that goes on Exia's collar area. I had it in my fingers and was ready to clip it on and suddenly PING! off it goes into some unknown area of my bedroom. And knowing my dog, he's gonna find it first.