As a Unicorn aficionado I was pretty excited to hear about the 1/48 scale Mega Size Gundam Unicorn. My wallet not so much, because you just know there’s going to be half a dozen variants Bandai can release now. Anyhow, just wanted to spend some time reviewing this kit ’cause honestly, as a straight build, it’s sort of meh… but as a “beast of possibility” this kit has more going for it than any previous Unicorn release. PS. this kit is only Destroy mode, you cannot transform into Unicorn mode.
Did a quick, straight build, of my BSC 1/35 scale Unicorn Gundam bust. It went together over the course of three evenings with very little difficulty. There’s not too much I can say about the build that Great Lakes Gunpla hasn’t covered in two great video reviews. They’re highly recommended for anyone looking to build the kit.
For the most part the BSC Unicorn is essentially a sized up version of the Perfect Grade Unicorn with extra detail and some modifications. These modifications include external detail, additions to support an extensive LED network, more ways for the kit to flap open, and changes so that the kit is built from the ground up compared to the PG. A lot of the pieces are ripped right from the PG, you can even see vestigial connection points no longer used. Of course the mechanical looking stand is original (not sure if it’s pulled from any other busts) and has a lot of potential to look stunning with some added paint.
Another build complete, and my first one of 2017. At the very least it can’t get any worse from here. Behold, Dragon Momoko’s PG Unicorn. It’s actually pretty good looking, though the devil’s in the details, and the details is where things went south for me.
Before I discuss my work I want to add to my initial review of DM’s Unicorn…
Wait, there’s more!
Final verdict on the Dragon Momoko Unicorn? If you can get it for retail, it’s a hell of a steal and worth a pickup. If you’re looking for a show quality kit, get the real version. Or at least the real LED set.
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The next in another long line of “screw it, I’ll build another Unicorn” is Dragon Momoko’s 1/60 Perfect Grade Unicorn Gundam. As a huge proponent of buying official Bandai kits wherever possible, you’re probably wondering why I’d bother with a standard bootleg Unicorn. Dragon Momoko’s Unicorn kit unlike the other Chinese copies out there in that comes redesigned with a plethora of added detail to the outer frame.
Back in 2014 I swapped out the pyschoframes of a MG Unicorn Gundam and a MG Phenex Gundam. While I had intended to paint them, they unfortunately got set aside as different projects popped up. Now, over two years later, I’ve picked up the project again, starting with Hell.
Not too much to say about this project. For the most part things went well, though I was delayed a few days as I sanded and repainted a few times to get the gold coat as I could reasonably hope to obtain. There are a few pieces that I would’ve reworked a few more times, but I set myself up to get the kit completed by October 31st for a r/Gunpla group build. Paint wise, I used four different golds; Tamiya Titanium Gold, Tamiya Gold Leaf, Model Master Gold, and Valspar Brilliant Metal Gold. The red is Tamiya Flat Red and the frame Tamiya German Gray. To keep the gold looking gold, I didn’t use any top coat on the gold pieces.
As is tradition, I’m going to open up with a lengthy recap of this build. I always figure some folks out there will benefit from knowing my trials and tribulations as they work through their own builds. If you’re not interested skip on down to the pretty pictures at the end of his article. If you like this build please check out my last PG Unicorn, which I built and painted in a single week, or my last painted kit, the 1/100 Elyn Hobby Kshatriya.
The first thing you’re probably looking to ask, “What’s that sexy purple?” Well it’s Mr. Crystal Colour’s Amethyst Purple (XC04). For the most part it’s straight on top of the gray frame, but in various areas it’s properly painted over gloss black. More on that later. The rest of the colours used on the kit include…
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted anything Gunpla related. This has been partly because I’ve been super busy, and partly because the kit I’ve been working on has been yet another Perfect Grade. This time, it’s the PG Banshee. Since I’m not attempting to build this in a single week, like my last PG Unicorn, this one has taken ages. The first paint tests took place a whopping 3 months ago. The backpack and beam magnum got finished a month ago while I only finished the torso yesterday. If all goes well, I’ll finish this kit by the end of the month. In the meantime, here’s how things are currently looking…
Welcome to my end-of-build write up for the 1/100 Elyn Hobby Kshatriya. I’m going to spend quite a bit of time talking about the kit and the build so if you’re just interested in pretty pictures you’re more than welcome to scroll down toward the end of this article.
It’s perhaps the most ambitious, and disastrous first model release from a company ever.
A few years back Elyn Hobby released a 1/100 scale model of the NZ-666 Kshatriya from Gundam Unicorn. A bootleg out of China, it was very hard to acquire both due to its price tag and, from what I’ve heard, legal action from Bandai preventing distribution outside of the country. It may be 1/100 in scale but it’s more of a Perfect Grade kit than a Master Grade. With well over 1300 pieces (if the guide is to be believed) the kit comes with photo etched metal details, metal stickers, regular ol’ decals, plenty of metal detailing parts, and an extensive LED system.
It took longer than I would’ve liked, but three weeks and 12-15 hours of assembly/final detailing later the Elyn Hobby Kshatriya is now 2/3 of the way complete.
The biggest issue I had was, again, with the LEDs. The first was the lighting that’s supposed to be in the thrusters on either side of the legs. The documentation in this section of the guide is pretty shit-tastic, shows wires going this way and that but not really how the circuit is supposed to work or where all the leads are supposed to sit. I got one wired up and found out that it didn’t work. Not sure if it was an issue with the circuit, or dead batteries, or what. The second set had a bunch of broken wires including one that connects to the super small switch and doesn’t appear to have an easily attachable point to re-solder the cable. I ended up just saying “fuck it” and pulling the wiring out and assembling those parts without the LEDs. It looks nicer anyway as it looked like there wasn’t any way to hide the cables, they would’ve just wrapped around the back of the leg.
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.
