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

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A coworker 3D printed a Gundam size Mjolnir for me.

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Sorry for barging in here, but I have a question-
My brother asked me for a “gundam base exclusive kit” because I’m here in Seoul, Korea but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I tried googling and searching this thread but I’m still confused.
 
Sorry for barging in here, but I have a question-
My brother asked me for a “gundam base exclusive kit” because I’m here in Seoul, Korea but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I tried googling and searching this thread but I’m still confused.
Just product exclusive to a "Gundam base" store. One is at I'Park mall apparently
 
Sorry for barging in here, but I have a question-
My brother asked me for a “gundam base exclusive kit” because I’m here in Seoul, Korea but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I tried googling and searching this thread but I’m still confused.
Speaking of Gundam Base, P-Bandai is doing a summer event, primarily selling a variety of Gundam Base exclusives. It starts on July 1st and runs through the 14th, with a second drop sometime in that period. You might want to ask your brother to check and see if the kit he wants is in the list, it might be easier for him to get what he's looking for that way. (This is assuming he's in the US, since that seems to be the only region doing this sale.)
 
Since the last time here I've made 3 more Gunpla and also began going more depth with the tools I use such as sanding, etc.

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First up is the RG Strike Freedom Gundam that looks really cool but is actually a temperamental piece of shit. The feet will fall off simply by holding it, holding certain poses are too difficult to set without stuff falling apart, and it's balance is pretty tricky. Still looks cool though.

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Next is the HG McGillis custom Sweibe. It's okay esthetically and was easy to put together. I went ahead and did some poor man panel scoring and lining and added stickers from other kits to it.

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Finally it's MG Gundam Vidar and holy shit, this thing is beautiful. Great complexity, awesome features. I was eyeing this one from the start and it's easily my favorite.

Thanks for reading GunBros
 
Yeah, early RGs do have their issues, though it can vary a bit from kit to kit. They can be difficult to pose properly, they sometimes have issues maintaining their poses, and certain parts can end up flying off seemingly at random. While I don't think it can be understated how impressive the technical aspects of the early kits are (Advanced MS Joints are pretty cool, and the level of detail they were able to cram into such a small kit is something you don't really see anywhere else), you can tell looking back that there was lot of room for improvement.

And improve they did. Somewhere around the Tallgeese or Sazabi is when most people agree the RG line really came into its own, mostly thanks to the smart decision to scale back the amount of Advanced MS Joints in the kits, rather than trying to create a full internal frame out of them. As neat as they are, they're somewhat flimsy and have a tendency to go loose over time, so building up the internal frame from standard parts made for a sturdier kit, as well as stronger connections for the external parts. Now, Advanced MS Joints are used in targeted areas where their space-saving and pre-built construction can help out, like the Crossbone Gundam's Core Fighter wings, the Zeong's fingers, or the Nu/Hi-Nu Gundam's fin funnels.

I can't think of a better comparison than between the two versions of the RX-78-2. I just finished the 2.0 the other day (along with the extra weapons set from P-Bandai), and man, the hype was justified. I'm not even a huge fan of ol' Grandaddy, but this is one I'm proud to have built. The whole process was enjoyable from start to finish: no parts falling off, no wobbly joints, just a solid construction with incredible posing capabilities. They were even able to do things that they couldn't with the original, like have the actual Core Block inside and still allow for motion at the waist. The detail is stellar, even down to things like the extra molding they did to the sensor piece to make it look like there's an actual camera inside. And the best part: no Advanced MS Joints at all. It's a solid brick of a kit that highlights the best of what the RG line can be. I still love how the 1.0 looks (I actually have the RX-78-3 P-Bandai kit built, but it's identical aside from color), but the 2.0 has it beat in every way.

I'll need to take some pics of it for the thread at some point; I keep blathering on about gunpla and I never get around to showing mine off! Gonna see about ordering a photo booth and snapping some pictures soon. With this one built, it also satisfies my long-term goal of having the complete RX-78 mainline series in 1/144 scale, minus the RX-78-1 because Bandai still hasn't made a modern 1/144 kit of it. Still have a lot of detail work to do, but one thing at a time.
 
Showcasing some of my detail work:

Used this kit as practice for some Gundam markers, as well as panel lining. I put some "Tamiya X-20A" into the "Tamiya panel line accent color (Black)" to have the product run nicer.

I do not clear coat, I have tested on multiple "trash" parts to get an idea of "how much is too much", you've gotta let the product run, and not pool. I learned that any "large divet" you are trying to fill should be done in a couple passes, with drying time between passes.

For the Gundam markers, I let it pool to help with the sheen. I run it over with a mixture of sanding sponge (ranging from 2k too 10k in increments of 2k), then a final buff and polish with a "Gunprimer Balancer" sponge. I try to attack only the surface, as to not degrade where I want the paint (in the grooves)

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I'll need to take some pics of it for the thread at some point; I keep blathering on about gunpla and I never get around to showing mine off! Gonna see about ordering a photo booth and snapping some pictures soon. With this one built, it also satisfies my long-term goal of having the complete RX-78 mainline series in 1/144 scale, minus the RX-78-1 because Bandai still hasn't made a modern 1/144 kit of it. Still have a lot of detail work to do, but one thing at a time.
You totally should dude. I'm interested to see what you have with the level of insight you have on the matter.

Used this kit as practice for some Gundam markers, as well as panel lining. I put some "Tamiya X-20A" into the "Tamiya panel line accent color (Black)" to have the product run nicer.

Looks really clean. You prefer the marker to painting? I'm eventually gonna get some, myself, for convenience sake.
 
You totally should dude. I'm interested to see what you have with the level of insight you have on the matter.
Fair warning, I haven't done a lot of really fancy stuff with most of my kits. I have done some decals and panel lining on some but many are still just straight builds. I haven't really gotten into a rhythm of doing detail work, and frequently I'll just jump into building something new instead of going back and working on an older kit. So while I do talk a lot about gunpla, I'm nowhere near as skilled as a great builder. But when I get a chance, I'll post some pics of what I've done.
 
Any idea which paints makes a good metallic sky blue? I got this kit last week and I couldn't find a good color for this color that has a metallic/shiny feel to it.

It's most notable for the wings, belts for all separate modes and stripe on the legs.

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Any idea which paints makes a good metallic sky blue? I got this kit last week and I couldn't find a good color for this color that has a metallic/shiny feel to it.

It's most notable for the wings, belts for all separate modes and stripe on the legs.

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You could try a metallic silver undercoat with a clear blue coat on top. That should give you a bit more control in the exact shade of blue you're looking for by adding additional layers to darken it, as well as how shiny the finished parts look (a more chrome silver undercoat will make for a shinier end result). I don't have a good recommendation for brands, but acrylics should work well for both handbrushing and airbrushing.
 
The MG reprint poll has concluded (forgot to post about it here, whoops), and the winner is the S Gundam Plan 303E Deep Striker. Yeah, the absolute unit of a kit. But it's not the only one getting a reprint, merely the first.

To start off, there will be a lottery sale at the Gundam Base online store starting on August 27th and running through September 10th, including the Deep Striker and Perfect Zeong. Presumably this will be a first batch with a regular retail reprint to follow. I don't know if anyone outside of Japan will be able to participate in the lottery, but I assume not.
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Then, starting in early 2026, seven more kits are guaranteed to have a retail reprint:
  • Turn X
  • The O
  • V-Dash Gundam Ver. Ka
  • Gundam Double X
  • Perfect Gundam
  • ReZEL Type C (Defenser a+b-unit)
  • FAZZ Ver. Ka
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Definitely some interesting results here. Even with FAZZ scheduled to have a reprint in a few months, I'm glad that it's getting another batch considering how high demand had gotten over the past few years. And with the recent issues with getting The O stateside (Bandai apparently canceled a lot of shipments at the last minute), another reprint will be good for the people looking for it. Surprising that both the Perfect Gundam and Perfect Zeong placed well enough in the poll as well, I didn't know the Plamo-Kyoshiro kits had that much demand. But I'm most excited for Turn X getting reprinted, I've been waiting ages to get my hands on one and don't want to deal with scalper prices.
 
The more Gundam kits I build, the more I'm impressed by the skill of visual design that goes into Mecha.

With just about every kit I've put together I've thought that some limb, or torso, or skirt looked off-kilter, or too busy, or lumpy or gangly or what-have-you until the moment when the entire thing was together, at which point all the localized aberrations meld into a cohesive design.
 
AMS-119 Geara Doga, Mary Lee Walsh Custom armed with Banhammer (Mighty Mjolnir)!

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Versus the Sonichu Gundam...
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Vae Victis (Woe Unto the Vanquished)!
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Never built a gunpla but lots of model and mini painting experience. Rewarching all UC Gundam would like to do a kid or two. is master grade the move if you have modeling experience and tools? Im pretty handy with shading and highlighting 40k minis, so not looking for beginner and easy.

I know it's basic bitch but I want to do a Zaku or simply RX79, or even the MSs from 08th.
 
Never built a gunpla but lots of model and mini painting experience. Rewarching all UC Gundam would like to do a kid or two. is master grade the move if you have modeling experience and tools? Im pretty handy with shading and highlighting 40k minis, so not looking for beginner and easy.

I know it's basic bitch but I want to do a Zaku or simply RX79, or even the MSs from 08th.
Yeah, an MG would be appropriate if you have tools and experience. If you get an MG Zaku II 2.0, prepare for some tedious work with the leg, waist, and head pipes. The RX-78 would be much easier to build. I recommend the 2.0 and 3.0 versions of the RX-78. The EZ8 and Gouf Custom have MGs as well but they are very old.
 
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