Author: Falldog

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Where to Start – Getting into Gundam (2022 Edition)

As a moderator over at /r/Gundam I often see folks asking how to get into the franchise and what shows to watch. Hopefully this guide will help you along that path.

TL;DR?

If you don’t have time to go through and read, it’s best to pick with one of the below series:  

         
Start with this
 		   Or pick one of these
 		    

Mobile Suit Gundam

 

Gundam 0080

Gundam 00

 
   

G Gundam

Iron Blooded Orphans 

  

Note that the above are in no order of preference or recommendation. Why I think they’re four good starting points is detailed below.

If you can’t be bothered as to finding out why the above are recommended, or just want me to make the decision for you, then watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The full series, all 43 episodes, is the best way to go. Though many will argue that the movies are a valid alternative. read more

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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso and Arms Complete
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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso and Arms Complete

An overwhelming sense of doom.

That’s what I’m feeling right now. While I should be pleased that this build is now officially a third of the way complete and things turned out okay I can’t get past the fact that the kit’s LEDs are royally fucked.

So that’s a third of the project complete. Still gotta do the everything below the waist and the wing binders. If I can keep up the same schedule, which is a long shot, that’ll be in about five weeks. From prep to top coat completion took about two weeks with an estimated ten hours of assembly time. Why so long? Well a lot of pieces had to be glued into place and the super clear modeling glue I use takes its sweet time to dry. That and the LEDs were a pain in the ass to work with. read more

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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Torso ready for top coat

After a couple weeks of prep and paint the torso is ready for top coat and final assembly.

I think I spent more time prepping the kit for paint than any other I’ve worked on up until this point. I feel like every piece on this kit has flashing issues. Some of the problem areas I didn’t notice until after the first coat of primer. Some I didn’t notice until after I had finished painting and started on detailing. Hopefully the ones I wasn’t able to fully clean won’t be too noticeable when all is said and done. read more

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A look at the ‘Art of Gundam’ box art

Within the past couple years Bandai has started releasing exclusive kits at various toy & model expos in Japan. They’re typically slightly modifications of existing kits using special coatings or clear parts. Generally their boxes are just the standard box art with a bit modification or a logo for differentiation. This year’s Art of Gundam expo releases featured several kits never released in a clear format with, what I believe to be, a stunning box design.

[flickr-photo:id=21725897571,size=n] read more

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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – Prepping for Paint

After a two week delay it’s time to finally get this kit ready for paint. First though, the last pre-paint photo you’ll get…

[flickr-photo:id=21510822856,size=n]

 

The wing binders went together without much issue, even if there are a few pieces that don’t fit all that well. The piece of the binder that flips outward is held by arms whose male parts are way too small for the female parts they slot into*. The funnels don’t securely fit into place either, not sure if that’s something I’m doing wrong or if it’s just poor design like so many other aspects of this kit. I’ll probably end up trying to get some gray or green coloured putty to hold them in place. The connection arms between the binders and the rest of the kit, not pictured, offer convoluted and worrisome routes for the LED cables. One of them is missing a piece but it’s purely decorative and its absence will hopefully go unnoticed. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Other Weathering Tips

Here are some other weathering tips that didn’t quite fit in any of the other sections…

Distressed Decals

If you’re going to weather a kit with decals it’s important to weather those decals as well. A scratch or faded decal can add a lot of depth to the look of a kit. For the most part, weathering and stickers don’t work well together as weathering tends to accentuate the sticker’s border.

The simplest method to distress a decal is to scrape at it with pointy end of a toothpick or similar tool. It’s important to make sure that they’re fully dry and set with decal set solution before doing so. Don’t scrape too hard, you don’t want to mess up the paint. Note that your surface is heavily chipped, the decals should not cover the chipped area, as the paint would normally have worn off there as well. read more

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Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Weathering General

Welcome to the weathering section of the Layman’s Gunpla Guide. Why a whole separate section? Well weathering is a complex thing to talk about and would be immensely cumbersome to scope out over a single plage. The good news is that weathering is a lot of fun and accessible for modelers of any skill level.

What is Weathering

Weathering is the process of taking your kit, be it Gunpla, tank, airplane, etc. and giving it the appearance of having been exposed to the elements of time, combat, day to day work, and the weather (hence the name). read more

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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya – A Mobile Suit Emerges

[flickr-photo:id=20919110851,size=n] It’s alive! Sort of…

Oh, Bandai, why didn’t you just release a MG Kshatriya years ago? Would’ve saved me sooo much effort.

Before I begin, I should point out that this project has inadvertently placed me in an informal build off with Lighted Pants over on r/Gunpla. You might have seen his astonishing MG Epyon. It’s an informal build off in the sense that I’ve pretty much already broken every rule LP has attempted to set up. The only one that still stands is that we’ve got to get these kits wrapped up by Nov 30th, or else admit defeat. Should be more than enough time assuming I don’t pick up Destiny again, or Fallout 5 when it’s released. read more

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Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya/Kastrysha – Project Start

[flickr-photo:id=20646762091,size=n] For all the kit’s faults, the packaging is pretty damn impressive…

Welp, a year ago I picked up the monster that is the Elyn Hobby 1/100 Kshatriya/Kastrysha (the mobile suit is the Kshatriya, but the box says Kastrysha). It’s a massive kit. There has to be well over 500, if not 600, individual parts. The box is as large as a Perfect Grade’s and the build is going to be even more complex. Sure, all of the pieces come pre-cut from the runners and specially packaged… but that’s likely the cause of this kit’s main issue. read more

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