Space Police
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
MACH SPERION KOTOBUKIYA IS COMING. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE ARE GETTING A SECOND BAAN GAAN TOY
Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)
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- Joined
- Sep 24, 2019
RG Shining Gundam announced for next year. I was hoping for RG Master or some badass Devil Gundam HG or something, but I'll take what I can get for G Gundam stuff. MG Vidar remains my most-needed upcoming kit. Apparently the cockpit has two different modes for spoilery reasons, a cool little detail. Please give me an MG Gusion now.
- Joined
- May 4, 2024
I've been making an effort of picking up a gunpla kit on the vacations I go on, for the recent one I picked up the HG Gundam Heavyarms XXXG-01H from my Florida trip.
Was debating on that or the "cold weather GM." But I may wait for an MG release of the GM
Was debating on that or the "cold weather GM." But I may wait for an MG release of the GM
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2018
A couple of perhaps obvious questions. How long do models remain "in print" after release? What are some good options when it comes to getting them in the UK?
I'm interested in the 30 Minute Mission Baskyrotto (preferably the urban version but any will do), and the recent Scopedog kits. There are others, but I don't know the names off hand. Most normal online retailers like amazon* charge through the nose for postage (more than the kits themselves), likely importing from Japan. While local "geek" shops have a limited selection. ie. the most normie gundam stuff only.
*of course, I check when making this post and it's there, with free postage. But will make the post anyway just in case.
I'm interested in the 30 Minute Mission Baskyrotto (preferably the urban version but any will do), and the recent Scopedog kits. There are others, but I don't know the names off hand. Most normal online retailers like amazon* charge through the nose for postage (more than the kits themselves), likely importing from Japan. While local "geek" shops have a limited selection. ie. the most normie gundam stuff only.
*of course, I check when making this post and it's there, with free postage. But will make the post anyway just in case.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2021
For the second question I've got nothing but finding hobby shops that stock them or buying them international sorry dude. But the the first question, bandai doesn't really stop printing alot of the catalog outside really old ones. They reprint them once in a blue moon for fun but the average kit usually gets reprinted once every few months to couple of years. It's all based on popularity.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
I was holding off on making a post in case they were going to announce any more kits, but that's the big announcement of this show, it looks like. I too was hoping for a RG Master, but the RG Shining looks pretty good. People were saying its shoulders look plain, but honestly, they did in the anime anyway, so it's not surprising. And it's not out of the ordinary for Bandai to release another protagonist RG before getting around to an antagonist suit; they did the same for Seed and Wing releases. I think a RG Master will come out eventually, but it'll probably be a little while longer yet. And there's also a possibility of a RG Rising since that's mostly the same as the Shining, though if they do then it'll probably be on P-Bandai.
Other announcements include RG Sword Impulse Spec II as a P-Bandai release, grunt Zaku II variants of the Requiem for Vengeance Zaku that will be sold as two- or three-packs on P-Bandai, rereleasing the Meteor Hopper from Build Divers as an option parts kit, HG Scopedog Turbo Custom, HG Ashsaviour from Super Robot Wars, and a few various 30 Minutes kits. Nothing too crazy, but it's always good to get some teasers.
For the first question, retail releases will have a large initial printing that pretty much guarantees you'll be able to find it somewhere at retail price for about a year or so, especially if it's for a currently airing anime since they want to capitalize on people wanting kits of the new thing (I swear it felt like half of the posts on the gunpla subreddit were WfM kits for most of 2023). I don't really pay attention to specific dates so don't quote me on that timeframe, but I think it's rare to be unable to find a new kit within a year of its initial release, barring somewhat obscure mobile suits.
As for reprints, that varies based on popularity. Bandai sends out order forms to retailers who will request X number of each kit, and they use that information to determine how many of that kit they should produce. If it's just been reprinted, then you should be able to find it within a few months. If it's been a while since its last reprint, your odds are slim, and you'll likely have to either wait for the next batch or deal with reseller markup, which can be killer if it's particularly sought after. I'd love a FAZZ Ver. Ka, but I'm not spending $400 on one. Everything gets reprinted eventually, it's just a matter of whether you're willing to stick it out. The gunpla subreddit has a monthly thread that covers the latest order forms so you can find out what's going to be reprinted next, which will be available a couple months later.
For the second question, I don't really have a good answer for that since I'm not Bri'ish, so hopefully someone else can provide assistance there. One site you might try is Suruga-ya, a Japanese retailer. They have a wide selection that varies constantly, including a lot of P-Bandai releases. While they do have a sometimes substantial markup over retail, what makes them worthwhile is their frequent free shipping promos with no minimum purchase (one's going on right now, in fact), which greatly reduces the total cost. Coupled with the currently somewhat weak yen, this means you can get kits that you might not otherwise have access to for not terribly exorbitant prices. I would advise against using the search on their website because it's pretty jank; just look for "[name of kit] surugaya" on your search engine of choice instead. Note that a lot of their gunpla kits will be marked as "used;" they haven't actually been built or anything, that's just how they have to label kits that they're reselling.
Space Police
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
Is there any sort of guide for kitbashing the Guntank so that it has hands rather than cannons? By the way, it really looks a lot better without its excessively long shoulder cannons because it has a collar, which makes it look more like Mechander Robo or the SD Priest Guntank.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
You might be able to get something working with the Mobile Worker from the Gundam: The Origin line, since it has similar round bulky arms. The only real issue I see is that there's a mismatch between which side has the male connector and which has the female. Guntank has the female connector coming out of the elbow, while the Mobile Worker has a male connector there. Should be a relatively easy fix if you cut down the peg and drill a hole in one side.
Since I couldn't find a specific tutorial on how to do this, I think you'll be generally well served by looking up kitbashing tutorials and figuring out how to apply different techniques to what you're trying to do. I have no experience with it myself because I can't really come up with any ideas for an interesting kitbash, so all I can really do is wish you luck.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
Man im excited for RG Shining Gundam. I will pose it looking up with its faceplate open like when its doing the shining finger sword. Also i hope they start to do more kits for Super Robot Wars. Honestly this is the year ive been most excited for model kits since they are releasing things i genuinely like.
Space Police
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
HG Rising Freedom is surprisingly good, even in its MA mode. It's such a smart idea to make the SEED backpacks into airplane wings! I bent one of the shoulder cannon joints, so it's not pushed in all the way and it won't go on top of the shoulder, but one cannon is okay. I'm so happy to have a robot toy bristling with these cannons since it's such a staple of the Brave series. I mainly got the Rising Freedom because I wanted a Kira suit, and Rising Freedom is my favourite. Now we just need Saviour and Sword Impulse, and we'll have a complete SEED crew! Also, any other recommendations for transforming HGs with little/no partsforming?
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
My advice would be to look into Zeta Gundam kits, as that was the series that put the most emphasis on transformable mecha. Some are fully transformable, some have a little partsforming. And because it's a popular series, nearly every mobile suit featured in it has had a HG kit released; they're just now getting around to a couple of the stragglers, Bolinoak Sammahn in November and Psycho Gundam Mk-II in March. Scroll through the list of mobile suits and see if something jumps out at you design-wise, then check Dalong's page for a detailed breakdown so you can determine if it's the right amount of transformation for you (it'll be under the HG link at the top, unless it's a Premium Bandai release, those are under the Club-G link).
Speaking of fully transformable kits, I finally got around to building RG GaoGaiGar and Goldymarg. Man, those were an experience to build, and it was really cool seeing them come together fully. The detail is stunning, everything looks absolutely perfect, down to even having the "G" molded into the G-Stone piece. The transformation gimmicks are well thought out, and even when I thought it wouldn't be completely sturdy, it managed to surprise me. GGG holds together well when totally combined, aside from the sides of the mane that like to pop out, but it's easy enough to put them back in. And they included parts for all the various attacks too, including combining the two kits for the Goldion Hammer.
If I have to give downsides, Goldymarg on his own is a little lackluster. He's difficult to set up in anything other than a simple standing or punching pose, which is mostly due to the lowered articulation to support the transformation gimmicks. He seems mostly designed as an expansion to the GGG kit, which is fine, but I wouldn't recommend just getting him on his own (though why would you when GGG is the star of the show). On that note, posing with the Goldion Hammer is a challenge and a half since you need to balance the Marg Hand with an included Action Base, and figuring out the right angle to set that in to prop up the hand while simultaneously trying not to knock over GGG and break something is a pain. You're also somewhat limited in the kinds of poses you can do with the different attacks due to the articulation, but most of those would only be done in one way anyway.
But the most important thing is how they look, and they definitely look fantastic on the shelf. I still need to do the detail work, but that can come later. For now, I'm going to enjoy the finished product and impatiently wait for HG ChoRyuJin to come out.
Space Police
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
Oh, I'm definitely on the lookout for a Methuss, Gaplant, Messala, Hambrabi, and ZZ. It would also be nice to track down a Wave Shooter Zeta. I'd also love to see the F91 Guntank and Zuoot get HGs someday, as well as the R-1 from SRW and maybe just maybe the main robot of Sunrise Eiyuutan (which is basically a Saviour but blue and with a better head), but alas. As it is, I'd love to build the transforming Jeep robots from Metal Jacket Squadron out of Lego; that seems feasible at minifigure scale.
I consider RG the definitive version of GGG because of how much more detailed it is than the anime version. It's amazing that they had labels for all the vehicles. People tend to complain about that stuff (like Infinitism Mazinger), but I love it because it looks so much more futuristic yet not dull, gritty, or overdesigned. Same with Goldymarg; I love the GGG logo on his shoulder, and the extra detail truly makes him look like a construction/cleanup robot.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
Have to agree, i got RG GGG earlier this year and it was super fun to build, i genuinely felt like a kid again while seeing my favorite mech come to life. Combining them to become GGG was a treat.
Speaking of transformable suits, i dont own many, the only ones i have if you even count them as such is Wing, Arios, Kyrios and Cybaster.
Speaking of transformable suits, i dont own many, the only ones i have if you even count them as such is Wing, Arios, Kyrios and Cybaster.
Space Police
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
Cybuster transforms? Wow, that's really cool! Once I had a dream about a transforming Huckebein; I should realize that vision sometime.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
I mean it has its Cybird mode
- Joined
- May 4, 2024
Do any of you have experience the the Zeta Ver.Ka? I have it sitting in my backlog, but the transforming ones make me a little hesitant.
The pack came with an HG ZZ, so I've been thinking of warming up with that. Yet from what I've read they can be a little floppy, and I can't imagine the parts they include to transform. It's probably going to be a personal layer of hell for me.
The pack came with an HG ZZ, so I've been thinking of warming up with that. Yet from what I've read they can be a little floppy, and I can't imagine the parts they include to transform. It's probably going to be a personal layer of hell for me.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2021
With transforming gunpla I've come to the conclusion to pick a form you want them in and stick with it. The Zeta 2.0 was a mess to transform and I never did it again. The ver ka probably is less of a pain but swapping them wears shit out and you'll probably break something if you continue to do it, and if it's painted you're probably gonna run into paint scratches. HGs however are usually parts formers so you should be better off but still stay on the safe side.Do any of you have experience the the Zeta Ver.Ka? I have it sitting in my backlog, but the transforming ones make me a little hesitant.
The pack came with an HG ZZ, so I've been thinking of warming up with that. Yet from what I've read they can be a little floppy, and I can't imagine the parts they include to transform. It's probably going to be a personal layer of hell for me.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2019
Everything I've seen about it from reviewers and posts, I think it's agreed upon to be the best version. Very stable. I think there's a 3rd party addon that gives an alternate, more elongated head that a lot of people seem to like. As one of the most recent Ver Ka kits, it's also pretty easy to get. My local Hobby Lobby always has it and with their 40% off deals almost every week I've been tempted to buy it just for the price.Do any of you have experience the the Zeta Ver.Ka? I have it sitting in my backlog, but the transforming ones make me a little hesitant.
The pack came with an HG ZZ, so I've been thinking of warming up with that. Yet from what I've read they can be a little floppy, and I can't imagine the parts they include to transform. It's probably going to be a personal layer of hell for me.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Personally no, though I've heard it's an excellent kit; echoing the Commander above, the general consensus is it's the best version of that suit. The only 1/100 scale kit I have that transforms is the Victory Gundam, but I haven't touched it since I built it. However, I do recall it was pretty fiddly, especially getting the Core Fighter into position. Granted, it's a late UC suit so it's smaller than most, and that could have something to do with the transformation feeling iffy; quite a few of my HGs are a lot larger.Do any of you have experience the the Zeta Ver.Ka? I have it sitting in my backlog, but the transforming ones make me a little hesitant.
The pack came with an HG ZZ, so I've been thinking of warming up with that. Yet from what I've read they can be a little floppy, and I can't imagine the parts they include to transform. It's probably going to be a personal layer of hell for me.
That said, I think that transformation gimmicks stand a better chance of working properly at 1/100 scale, so I don't think you should have a problem with it once it's built. As I discussed with RG GaoGaiGar above, it's a little trickier to transform kits at a smaller scale, but the extra size of an MG should mean a sturdier design. Then again, I'm not typically someone who plays a lot with my kits once I have them built and detailed, it's just a question of finding a pose I like that I'll change up from time to time. In that regard, I also probably wouldn't transform a kit back and forth a bunch of times.