Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)

[Watamelon]

I think I've found my people...
Hello to all my fellow plastic crack enthusiasts!

I just finished my PG strike gundam I got at a local flea market for $100, the vendor bought a local hobby stores inventory when they went out of business for pennies on the dollar so he didn't know how much he could have gotten for it. All the other kits were either trash HG's or MG's I have already built

It's the first PG I've built, and damn I love the detail level, and the mechanical parts on the frame that let armor pieces slide independently.

I'm a huge fan of heavy arms gundam (I have the MG EW, the MG regular, and the MG+ Eigel unit on my desk) and I really hope that kit gets a PG in the future because I would definitely shell out full price for that.

Holy shit, getting such a good PG for 100$ is a steal. Looks sick tbh.

But regarding PGs, I'm expecting them to pull out a PGU Zaku or Wing, since those sell like hot cakes and their PGs are a bit dated. WIth the Wing being the absolute worst PG.

If it wasn't as rare as gold and priced so high I'd need to remortgage my entire life I'd buy a Psycho Zaku in a heartbeat, even if it is just a Zaku II kit with a few additional bits. I'd buy a pack of 1/100 scale figurines used for architecture models, cut up one of their limbs, put little toothpicks painted silver on the nubs, sand and paint up the body into a Zeon suit...
Honestly I prefer the FA Gundam's design more so I was happy I could find a great bootleg that didn't require me to sell a kidney to buy, but the overall aesthetic of the Psycho Zaku with the massive backpack boosters is just Aces. Plus it's emphasis on offensive weaponry is killer.

If you're looking for a superior, bulkier and dominant Zaku kit then see if you can find the MG Geara Doga. I'm huge for the design of this one but again, it's rare and as expensive as a PG these days:
View attachment 2650069

I blame COVID for the price on the Psycho tbh. I got the Half-clear Mechanical ver. for a hundred bucks, and worth every single piece. Outfitted him with golden decals from Delpi and it's a centerpiece in my shelf.

Yeah, I dig the Doga but it's incredibly annoying to find nowadays. I'm still waiting for a reprint of the PG GP01 or even the MG versions >

 

[The Lawgiver]

UPDATE: I finally went plumbing in the basement a while back in search of the zaku but somehow it wasn't the shelf I know it's been on for over a decade. Also my ps1, which for years was in my bedroom, was somehow down there on top of a super nintendo box, as in the cardboard box a super nintendo came in. I didn't even know my family saved that!? It's clear one of my relatives has been moving shit around the house without me knowing. It's either that or the basement is haunted by ghosts that move shit around and steal stuff from the second floor. Asked the one relative aside from me that ever went in the basement recently, and has frequently been in the basement over the years, about the ps1 and they swear up and down that it's been down there in that corner for years. They probably won't be any help for finding the Zaku, so I'm gonna have to get to moving shit myself soon. I'm going to find this fucking old Char zaku model I can't find any info on even if it fucking kills me, and it very well might considering the box and shelf hell that is the basement.
Fuck it might not even be a char zaku it's a red zaku, that's all I fucking know. I don't know who the fuck pilots it. Anyways I need to find the damn thing it's bugging me now.

 

[Moguro Fukuzou]

Having to pack all my Gunpla up for a move is a very slow process when I'm taking apart all the kits and wrapping each part in newspaper. It's probably overkill being honest, but I'm not really interested in opening up a box to a bunch of broken kits. Kits I don't really care about I might be a bit more slack with though, like I have a HG ReZel Type-C that I can't really bring myself to like all that much. No idea why, might be because I never got a stand for it and it desperately needs it to not flop over or I need to give it a good touch up since it was an early kit (looking at it, the kit is missing one of its front skirts that I have no idea where it went).

Have the same problem with the HG Zogok I built, which I love the design for, but over the years the clear eye part has disappeared on me and now it looks kind of weird. Also, the back strumfaust attachment broke off from (you guessed it) a fall.

I think I've found my people...
Hello to all my fellow plastic crack enthusiasts!

I just finished my PG strike gundam I got at a local flea market for $100, the vendor bought a local hobby stores inventory when they went out of business for pennies on the dollar so he didn't know how much he could have gotten for it. All the other kits were either trash HG's or MG's I have already built

It's the first PG I've built, and damn I love the detail level, and the mechanical parts on the frame that let armor pieces slide independently.

I'm a huge fan of heavy arms gundam (I have the MG EW, the MG regular, and the MG+ Eigel unit on my desk) and I really hope that kit gets a PG in the future because I would definitely shell out full price for that.

I've always been tempted to one day pick up a PG kit, but never worked up the courage (plus willingness to spend so much on one kit). Know I was somewhat tempted by the PG Unicorn since I love the design, but I know I'd only ever display it in Unicorn mode (not the biggest fan of destroy mode).

The USA Gundam store guy said in a livestream that Bandai is moving towards producing more MG's and RG's because they sell more than the PG's and bigger kits. That, and that shipping costs are getting so insane (a $3000 shipping crate is now costing $18k to $20k+ ). Also personally I think they want to prioritize RG kits because they're impossible for bootleggers to reproduce simply due to the amount of detail and number of parts. So sadly I don't think we'll be getting a Heavy Arms PG anytime soon (although that would be kickass).

Makes sense moving away from putting out many PG kits, they always felt like kits that would only come out every so often so Bandai could flex their engineering chops. I imagine HG kits are still getting a healthy focus along with the MG and RG line, sad that it probably means the RE/100 line won't get much.

I traveled around where I am looking to see if there were any new Bandai kits and it's all bust. I saw one place with the new HG Nightingale which was fantastic but Bandai went nuts and priced it at $82. Mind you, it's bigger and bulkier than the Penelope or Xi, both of which I think were stupidly overpriced even for their size. But I just can't bring myself to shell out almost a hundred bucks for a single kit that's not PG or something.

Surprised they didn't release it as a RE/100 since I thought they made that line intentionally for those large kits. Still wish they'd do a RE/100 Kshatriya, though I remember them saying it was likely never to get a bigger kit since they'd need to use metal support if they did which would jack up the price more than they were comfortable with.

If you're looking for a superior, bulkier and dominant Zaku kit then see if you can find the MG Geara Doga. I'm huge for the design of this one but again, it's rare and as expensive as a PG these days:

View attachment 2650069

I'm still upset Bandai basically ignored Greco after giving them a pitiful amount of HG kits, that are now harder to find, when the series had a lot of great suit designs with a nice mix of chunky bois and skinny bizzare suits. Also heard that they weren't even that great of kits, which is even worse knowing that at least the Age kits (non-AG line) were pretty good and that show got torpedoed, though Age kits are also hard to find annoyingly enough.

Still remember the rage when Bandai released the nth Wing ver.ka when the kit that won the poll was the G-self.

 

[EyelessMC]

I imagine HG kits are still getting a healthy focus along with the MG and RG line, sad that it probably means the RE/100 line won't get much.

Yeah, but HG is definitely gonna keep on going strong. The last three major releases, the Penelope, Xi and Nightingale, were all HGs after all, and the next three kits from the new Build Divers are HGs. So there's no worry about HGs slowing down at all, thankfully. If nothing else the HGs are the biggest staple for Bandai, being both (usually) affordable and likely easier to produce than the more complicated RG kits.

Surprised they didn't release it as a RE/100 since I thought they made that line intentionally for those large kits.

Like I said, the HG line is a staple and seems to be getting the same engineering attention as the RGs and MGs. These three lines are producing the most sturdy and well constructed robot model kits on the market, as I've seen.

Still wish they'd do a RE/100 Kshatriya, though I remember them saying it was likely never to get a bigger kit since they'd need to use metal support if they did which would jack up the price more than they were comfortable with.

Good point. We could sooner get a 1/100 Xi Gundam than a Kshatriya simply because of those bellpepper binders. That said, the Penelope is probably also going to stay as an HG. Maybe it'll get an upgraded HG in five years when the next movie comes out, but the sheer mass of the Penelope--along with it's transformation gimmick--is even more insane to put into 1/100 scale than Kshatryia.
If anyone is wondering if it'll be a waste to spend money on some kits because Bandai will just produce a better version down the line, Kshatriya and Penelope are guaranteed one-and-done (aside from third-party kits, I guess).

I'm still upset Bandai basically ignored Greco after giving them a pitiful amount of HG kits, that are now harder to find, when the series had a lot of great suit designs with a nice mix of chunky bois and skinny bizzare suits.

Same! It's frustrating that we have more Unicorns and Wings than we do these really cool and more unique designs. I wouldn't mind some MG Advance of Zetas, too.

Still remember the rage when Bandai released the nth Wing ver.ka when the kit that won the poll was the G-self.

lol Yeah. A year on and I gotta say I think they made a good decision but putting it up as a poll, when they clearly already intended and set up the production of the Wing Zero, was stupid at best and mean at worst. It really is a great kit, though. Shame the G-Self fans had to get shafted for it.

 

[Aqua Panda]

Found a RG Hi-Nu for a decent price online today. The original RG Nu is one of my favorite builds of all time, so I hope it holds up. I already think I'm going to paint the blue parts purple to line up with the original line art coloring. (Like the MG Hi-Nu ver ka did.)

Might still go through with the new perfect grade. God damn it's pricey, but all the reviews for it make it look like a quality kit. The original PG is ancient and the entire design/molding process is light years better now.

 

[Registration]

The only good nu gundam

 

[Baby Cakes]

Having to pack all my Gunpla up for a move is a very slow process when I'm taking apart all the kits and wrapping each part in newspaper. It's probably overkill being honest, but I'm not really interested in opening up a box to a bunch of broken kits. Kits I don't really care about I might be a bit more slack with though, like I have a HG ReZel Type-C that I can't really bring myself to like all that much. No idea why, might be because I never got a stand for it and it desperately needs it to not flop over or I need to give it a good touch up since it was an early kit (looking at it, the kit is missing one of its front skirts that I have no idea where it went).

I use Kimtech wipes and masking tape. Lint free, won't scratch, and you get a ton for your money.

 

[Baby Cakes]

For anyone building a Dom Tropen or any Zeon HG 1.0 kit that has the large leg frame part (you know if you know)...

Spoiler: Leg

Cutting the lower pegs out will give the kit another, potentially kit-changing, point of articulation. It gives the feet a shifting point above the foot polycap. This is a modification I discovered on my own. Probably many other builders discovered as well but I don't browse Gunpla forums (except this one).

Here's a mod for the thighs. Works on the same styled 1.0 Zeon HG kits.

Spoiler: Thigh

Torso mod.

Spoiler: Torso

 

[EyelessMC]

The only good nu gundamView attachment 2652835

-blending the kickass bulk of the Hi Nu with the aesthetic of the Nu
MUH

Honestly I really prefer Beltorchika's Children in every way over the original novel/theatrical movie's story, so I like to think that the RG Hi Nu's redesign is the mobile suit Amuro's child would pilot once he came of age and discovered his legacy which his single mother would've kept secret in order to keep him from following in his father's footsteps because she didn't want to lose him to war like she lost Amuro. /headcanon

For anyone building a Dom Tropen or any Zeon HG 1.0 kit that has the large leg frame part (you know if you know)...

Spoiler: Leg

View attachment 2653517

Cutting the lower pegs out will give the kit another, potentially kit-changing, point of articulation. It gives the feet a shifting point above the foot polycap. This is a modification I discovered on my own. Probably many other builders discovered as well but I don't browse Gunpla forums (except this one).

Here's a mod for the thighs. Works on the same styled 1.0 Zeon HG kits.

Spoiler: Thigh

View attachment 2653593

Torso mod.

Spoiler: Torso

View attachment 2653821

Try not to double-post in threads. That said, fantastic stuff! I like sharing mod tips on certain kits and you did it a lot cleaner than I've done in the past. Thanks! I was actually wondering if I could buy an RG Zaku and try to mod it into a Psycho Zaku type, but the leg armor and certain details just wouldn't work.

 

[The Lawgiver]

Forgot to bring this up yesterday but after looking it up online I found some actual hobby shops by me, which means I was finally able to get paint somewhat close to what I was looking for though it's still a bit too dark it's fine. Also got some gundam markers from the one I went to, gonna try those out too. Fuck the scalpers charging 10 dollars upwards for basic acrylic model paints online right now.

 

[Baby Cakes]

-blending the kickass bulk of the Hi Nu with the aesthetic of the Nu
MUH

Honestly I really prefer Beltorchika's Children in every way over the original novel/theatrical movie's story, so I like to think that the RG Hi Nu's redesign is the mobile suit Amuro's child would pilot once he came of age and discovered his legacy which his single mother would've kept secret in order to keep him from following in his father's footsteps because she didn't want to lose him to war like she lost Amuro. /headcanon


Try not to double-post in threads. That said, fantastic stuff! I like sharing mod tips on certain kits and you did it a lot cleaner than I've done in the past. Thanks! I was actually wondering if I could buy an RG Zaku and try to mod it into a Psycho Zaku type, but the leg armor and certain details just wouldn't work.

My bad I didn't look before I posted. The mods are as easy as cutting the female peg in half. You just need enough surface for the male peg to set in for glue during final assembly. The leg mod is the cleanest one on the kit. I have a Mr. Hobby Dremel and mini soldering iron that also help clean things up.

I don't know exactly what proportion changes they made between mainline UC and TB mobile suits (outside the obvious armor redesigns and padded joints) but that would have been awesome to pull off.

 

[EyelessMC]

I don't know exactly what proportion changes they made between mainline UC and TB mobile suits (outside the obvious armor redesigns and padded joints) but that would have been awesome to pull off.

The Full Armor Gundam is actually a unique redesign inspired by the Full Armor Gundams which were being planned for production shortly after its time period in Thunderbolt: https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/FA-78-1_Full_Armor_Gundam Apparently the Thunderbolt version is special because it's a prototype designed so separately from the main EFSF resources and utilizing different systems and weaponry according to its financiers, the Moore Brotherhood (who originated from the Thunderbolt sector). In the model kit this is reflected in its totally unique armor, backpack, the armored clawed boots which gives it some added height, the head sculpt, etc. It's just familiar enough but also just different enough that I can't see how anyone can mod a good copy from RX-78-2 kits, since even just without the armor and accessories it's still got too many boosters on its body.

By contrast the Psycho Zaku is actually just a slightly altered Zaku II, hence why the model kit's inner frame and majority of parts for the mobile suit itself is just a Zaku II with some cosmetic changes. The fundamental changes are of course its arsenal, massive booster backpack and it's internal systems, the infamous quadriplegic-requiring cockpit that basically turns the pilot into a proto-Cyber Newtype years before they would become the EFSF's (and Zeon's) focus of study. But of course unless we had a Perfect Grade Psycho Zaku there wouldn't be a way to convey the difference in the cockpit lol So with a Kotobukiya M.S.G booster accessory package and a bit of ingenuity you could have a better chance of moding any Zaku II into a Psycho Zaku copy. Mostly. Just needs a bit of paint, some black plastic for the joints, glue and a lot of cleverness.

 

[Baby Cakes]

The Full Armor Gundam is actually a unique redesign inspired by the Full Armor Gundams which were being planned for production shortly after its time period in Thunderbolt: https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/FA-78-1_Full_Armor_Gundam Apparently the Thunderbolt version is special because it's a prototype designed so separately from the main EFSF resources and utilizing different systems and weaponry according to its financiers, the Moore Brotherhood (who originated from the Thunderbolt sector). In the model kit this is reflected in its totally unique armor, backpack, the armored clawed boots which gives it some added height, the head sculpt, etc. It's just familiar enough but also just different enough that I can't see how anyone can mod a good copy from RX-78-2 kits, since even just without the armor and accessories it's still got too many boosters on its body.

By contrast the Psycho Zaku is actually just a slightly altered Zaku II, hence why the model kit's inner frame and majority of parts for the mobile suit itself is just a Zaku II with some cosmetic changes. The fundamental changes are of course its arsenal, massive booster backpack and it's internal systems, the infamous quadriplegic-requiring cockpit that basically turns the pilot into a proto-Cyber Newtype years before they would become the EFSF's (and Zeon's) focus of study. But of course unless we had a Perfect Grade Psycho Zaku there wouldn't be a way to convey the difference in the cockpit lol So with a Kotobukiya M.S.G booster accessory package and a bit of ingenuity you could have a better chance of moding any Zaku II into a Psycho Zaku copy. Mostly. Just needs a bit of paint, some black plastic for the joints, glue and a lot of cleverness.

Ah that's what I suspected. The FATB, along with all the other suits imo, look more refined compared to their series and UC counterparts. That's what's so cool about Plamo in general - you can make anything your own. Why not give the Psycho Zaku your own take? Considering how difficult it may be to replicate the joint covers, you could call it a UC version or even a TB prototype?

 

[EyelessMC]

Considering how difficult it may be to replicate the joint covers, you could call it a UC version or even a TB prototype?

I feel like a dumbbell for not thinking of that before lol. Maybe I will!

 

[Baby Cakes]

Maybe I will!

That's the spirit! I'm still forging ahead with my Pixie Killer Efreet Jager

Spoiler: Code Fairy

I had thought of the Efreet Jager before Code Fairy was announced. GBO2's team is small and things don't leak often or I don't visit the reddit I guess.

despite GBO2 having one about to be playable in November. PBandai kits are being released as well.

 

[The Lawgiver]

I found a really weird bunch of Gundam figures amongst the model kits in target today, grabbed one of the original because they seemed to be in the same scale as the kits I've found and the last time I found a kit in that scale it was ripped open and stolen by someone. I somehow eyeballed it correctly for once with no frame of reference. Unfortunately, for some inconceivable reason they chose to not give the arms a proper swivel, and double inconcievably so, they chose to make the STANDARD ZAKU the build a figure. Might hunt them down, might not. Lack of articulation aside they have decent sculptwork.
Took a few pics to showcase the thing, shit's surreal. Might be able to mod joints onto it if I look up a tutorial on how to do so.

By the way, the inert beam sabers on the backpack are NOT removable, so it looks slightly odd when holding it.

I grabbed another EFSF Zaku kit to use as a test dummy for attempting to hand paint it into more anime accurate colors rather than a very slightly offwhite, but I'm going to have to try and mix my vallejo paints to get the right color as I didn't pick up a proper creamish looking color.

Still haven't found that old zaku, but out of nowhere last night my small toe started bleeding at the edge of the nail and has been doing on and off since. Maybe it's a sign of a curse? Probably not lmao but god if it's not annoying. probably just scraped something.

 

[Baby Cakes]

Here's the Dom Tropen so far. I had an old option part from a campaign and it basically turns this Dom Tropen into a Half-Dwadge. The articulation upgrades aren't done yet. The legs attach to hard mounted pegs; lacking the swivel the 2.0 Gelgoog and other Zeon kits have (Zaku 2 F2, etc.)

 

[Syn_32]

-blending the kickass bulk of the Hi Nu with the aesthetic of the Nu
MUH

Honestly I really prefer Beltorchika's Children in every way over the original novel/theatrical movie's story, so I like to think that the RG Hi Nu's redesign is the mobile suit Amuro's child would pilot once he came of age and discovered his legacy which his single mother would've kept secret in order to keep him from following in his father's footsteps because she didn't want to lose him to war like she lost Amuro. /headcanon


Try not to double-post in threads. That said, fantastic stuff! I like sharing mod tips on certain kits and you did it a lot cleaner than I've done in the past. Thanks! I was actually wondering if I could buy an RG Zaku and try to mod it into a Psycho Zaku type, but the leg armor and certain details just wouldn't work.

I'd be careful about the RG Zaku, the hands are very fiddly and if you cut things wrong or lose tiny pieces, the kit kinda becomes annoying to deal with (the hands have thumb and index separate but 3 fingers on one ball joint and the tubing is made using a spring and circle parts and it gets fiddly quick, so just an fyi.)

Now, I finally got around to building the baund doc and magical girl darkness mode. The Baund Doc is an impressive kit, not much to add from the other review on this forum, it scales nicely with the Zeong but idk the scale difference (both are 1/144 but the scale can be a lot different.) Overall, worth the money, fun kit.

Now I'm only part way through magical girl darkness (base model is built, the extra parts for armor and whatnot need built yet, I just wanted something to look forward to tomorrow) and its an interesting kit. It is colored in more Halloween type colors (pinks and bright purple are swapped for dark purple, black, and orange), and it makes for a fun build (its also cheaper than the witch kit, sadly the witch is $100+ while magical girl darkness is less than that). So, until I finish the armor parts, finish drinking, and finish dying inside, I leave you with a spoiler for next post!

 

[The Lawgiver]

Well, after using/testing the gundam markers, I feel like a fucking fool. The omission of the green and grey bits on the model and the light/packaging fucking with me made me think it was just a weird off-white but it actually IS close to the cream color it is in the anime. for some reason the green one would not fucking dry properly. It dried but as you can see the way it did made shit all splotchy looking. Glad I didn't fully go through with the repaint plan yet but I WILL have to find a way to fix this now,maybe by going over the gundam marker with some similarly colored brush on acrylics.


Also tried doing some of the training ammo damage but it came out looking more like a flame pattern by the end. Still cool looking.

 

[EyelessMC]

Well, after using/testing the gundam markers, I feel like a fucking fool.

Hey, at least you didn't boil the kit in boiling water.
But honestly maybe because I'm unfamiliar with the design but it kinda looks cool like that. If the splotchy look bothers you, you could always paint it over again to make it less splotchy, deepen the green, or you can add some panel liner brown or something to make it look like moss. After that, some light weathering on the kit and it'd look like it came from a rough jungle or something. Just an idea, but don't trust me on that too much since the last time I weathered a kit I ended up making it look like a dog chewed it.

I'd be careful about the RG Zaku, the hands are very fiddly

I get you. That's why most folks just stick to HG kits for their redesign creativity. That and the price.

idk the scale difference (both are 1/144 but the scale can be a lot different.) Overall, worth the money, fun kit.

Spoiler: With regards to scaling and kits

1/144 is the scale itself. It means that the model kit you own is a representation of a machine that is originally one hundred and forty-four times its size. 1/100 means that the original machine is one hundred times the model kit's size. Same for figures, etc. Here's a nifty measuring scale site: https://www.ginifab.com/feeds/cm_to_inch/scale_converter.html

Some kits are based on machines so big that the kit has to be 1/500 scale, wherein the original machine is five hundred times the size of the kit (or in another perspective, that the kit is five hundred times smaller than the machine/mobile suit). Other kits are based on designs too big to fit into a scale, like the Evangelions. The HG and RG Evangelion kits are technically out of scale because the Evangelions are something like 200 to 300 meters tall (whereas most Gundams are 18 to 20~ meters at their tallest).
Along these lines there's rare exceptions where Bandai doesn't care about scale, like the RG Sazabi, the RG Nu Gundam and recently the RG Hi Nu Gundam. These kits are produced bigger so that the parts complexity has breathing room and builders who buy them don't have to work with magnifying glasses and tweezers for the smaller complicated bits. lol In actuality the Hi Nu Gundam and Nu Gundam should be somewhere around the RG Unicorn's scale but instead they were made more like slightly smaller MG kits.

So as far as I know, RG Zeong and the HG Baund Doc are, if they are in proper 1/144 scale, exactly what they would look like in real life but shrunk to one hundred and forty-four times their size. Same with the RG/HG RX-78-2 and other HGs. Even the Penelope and Xi are actually in proper scale, unlike the RG Sazabi, Hi Nu or Nu Gundams. It's just that the Penelope and Xi are so insanely big that even at 1/144 they are bigger than a lot of 1/100 scale MG kits. Same for the Nightingale.

sadly the witch is $100+ while magical girl darkness is less than that). So, until I finish the armor parts, finish drinking, and finish dying inside

lol Well dying aside, choosing the cheaper option is always the better one. That's why I'm so harsh on describing the kits I buy, because money isn't cheap. Plus this kit looks really good so far. Harsh nub marks on those shins, sadly, but that's the way it is with darker colored plastic for any kit, even Bandai.

You should also post some of these to that gunpla and model kit hobby reddit I saw before. Like I said, Reddit is a plague but some parts aren't terrible and it seems like that's one of them. You take good pics and it'd be a shame if you couldn't share them in case something happened to this site, like if the stupid uppity haters DDoS'd us into another blackout or something. I hope everyone has back-ups they can post on for fun, not just here (although here is the peak, obviously).