- Joined
- Oct 2, 2023
Thanks for the info. I've got all the equipment to paint them so want to give that a shot. Considering a MG and a HG, the hg to practice painting. Been awhile.
Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)
- Thread starter cool4cats
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- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
To add onto this, as I like to point out, there's really not a huge difference in how a kit builds regardless of grade, it's just a question of how much work you have to put into it in total. A MG will take longer than a HG, obviously, but despite the more complicated construction, you're still just putting plastic parts together. Of course, that's not to say that some kits don't have a more enjoyable build experience, but that can be kind of subjective.
As for kits, I always give recommendations to EGs for practicing on; they're cheap and quick to put together, so you don't have to worry about messing up something you invested a lot of time into building. They also happen to look and pose rather well too, especially considering the price. Not a lot of options in the line, but it's a good place to start practicing painting and figuring out how to translate your skills from Warhammer to gunpla. (Not that HGs aren't also a good option for practice!)
Since you're already experienced, MGs are a good entry point. Give Dalong's site a perusal; he's been posting detailed reviews of gunpla for decades now, with plenty of pictures of every aspect of each kit he builds, as well as full manual scans. Even if you don't bother reading the reviews (thanks Google Translate), the pictures should give you an idea of what to expect. Ver. Ka MGs are particularly noteworthy, with exceptional detail and water slide decals included.
As a rule of thumb, the newer the kit is, the better its quality will be. This doesn't always hold true (HG Gundam Tristan being an infamous example), but it's usually the case. Bandai's always improving their design and manufacturing processes, and the stuff they're able to pull off today is really impressive.
With that said, there are only so many gunpla that release in a year, and most of their output is focused on creating new kits instead of revisions of older ones. It's pretty rare for a kit to get an updated rerelease, especially for a MG, so odds are good that if it's had a kit made, it's probably not getting another one. (The exception, of course, is the RX-78-2, which has had so many releases and rereleases that you could fill a whole shelf with nothing but Grandpas.) So don't let age put you off from picking up a kit if that's your only option for it; what matters more is that it's something you want to build.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2023
Picked up a couple random kits, wife saw me watching painting videos and said "oh I miss when you'd paint and id knit while we watched TV" and just like that an airbrush and portable spray booth purchase was approved so gonna give that a shot after some research. Never airbrushed models before. Excited.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Your wife is awesome. Hope you have fun!
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Apologies for double posting, but this is worth it. A couple of news items:
The latest P-Bandai announcement caught pretty much every gunpla fan off guard. Feast your eyes on the glory that is HG Mandala Gundam:
Previously, I figured that it was going to be very unlikely that Bandai would make any more G Gundam kits outside of the most notable, and I thought that after they finished the Shuffle Alliance, they might not make more than a couple others like Gundam Spiegel or Rising Gundam, and maybe Devil Gundam. But this has completely thrown my predictions out the window. Not only was this announced before Bolt Gundam's kit (rip my boy Argo), but it also means that Bandai is indeed open to making kits out of any of the mobile fighters, no matter how obscure they might be or how crazy their designs are. To think, we might actually get an official Tequila or Nether Gundam kit! On top of that, it looks like they're continuing to produce these kits to the same standard, including an action base and all the effect parts you'd need for their attacks.
I will add a caveat by saying that even if this does open up the possibility of more mobile fighters, it might still be a long time before one you're interested in gets a kit. From a cursory glance, I count 32 mobile fighters in G Gundam, 36 if you count the Devil Gundam and the Heavenly Kings, 40 if you count the original Shuffle Alliance, even more if you count mobile fighters from flashbacks or other kinds of mobile suits. Of those, only seven have had modern kits released (eight if you count Gundam Spiegel getting a MG for some reason), and Mandala makes eight (or nine). That's a lot of potential mobile fighters for them to choose from, and given the slow release schedule so far, I don't expect more than a couple a year to be announced unless they really ramp things up.
Also, new product announcements are coming on the 27th, for kits releasing late 2025 and early 2026. Fire up those predictions; once again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some Gundam X announcements.
The latest P-Bandai announcement caught pretty much every gunpla fan off guard. Feast your eyes on the glory that is HG Mandala Gundam:
Previously, I figured that it was going to be very unlikely that Bandai would make any more G Gundam kits outside of the most notable, and I thought that after they finished the Shuffle Alliance, they might not make more than a couple others like Gundam Spiegel or Rising Gundam, and maybe Devil Gundam. But this has completely thrown my predictions out the window. Not only was this announced before Bolt Gundam's kit (rip my boy Argo), but it also means that Bandai is indeed open to making kits out of any of the mobile fighters, no matter how obscure they might be or how crazy their designs are. To think, we might actually get an official Tequila or Nether Gundam kit! On top of that, it looks like they're continuing to produce these kits to the same standard, including an action base and all the effect parts you'd need for their attacks.
I will add a caveat by saying that even if this does open up the possibility of more mobile fighters, it might still be a long time before one you're interested in gets a kit. From a cursory glance, I count 32 mobile fighters in G Gundam, 36 if you count the Devil Gundam and the Heavenly Kings, 40 if you count the original Shuffle Alliance, even more if you count mobile fighters from flashbacks or other kinds of mobile suits. Of those, only seven have had modern kits released (eight if you count Gundam Spiegel getting a MG for some reason), and Mandala makes eight (or nine). That's a lot of potential mobile fighters for them to choose from, and given the slow release schedule so far, I don't expect more than a couple a year to be announced unless they really ramp things up.
Also, new product announcements are coming on the 27th, for kits releasing late 2025 and early 2026. Fire up those predictions; once again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some Gundam X announcements.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2016
Nice.
Kinda wish they'd do more AU grunt suits. I mean, we got an HGAC Leo. I've been waiting a quarter century for a 1/144 scale Aries from Wing.
Kinda wish they'd do more AU grunt suits. I mean, we got an HGAC Leo. I've been waiting a quarter century for a 1/144 scale Aries from Wing.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
So some of those kits were announced a bit earlier than expected. The wording is vague, so I don't know if these are the only kits in this batch or if they have more coming in a day or two, but here's what's been announced so far:
If there are more announcements, I'll add them later.
- GQuuuuuuX is getting two more HGs: the GQuuuuuuX with the Endymion Unit active, and Challia's Rick Dom. They're releasing in January and February respectively.
- For Seed, the Legend Gundam is getting a modern HG update, and the next MGSD kit is the Destiny Gundam, complete with wings of light effect parts. Again, releasing in January and February respectively.
- Hathaway gets another kit in the HG Gustav Karl Type 00, presumably to promote the second movie. Releasing in February.
- Gundam X finally gets some kind of acknowledgment of its existence, but not as gunpla. Instead, a Figure-Rise Standard kit of Tiffa Adill is coming out. If you want a model of a Newtype autist, it'll be out in January.
- A new Option Parts set of Nu Gundam fin funnels is also coming out, especially handy for people who want to deck out their EG Nu with the full loadout. The kit includes six funnels, backpack, bazooka, and both small and large beam sabers. Releasing in January.
- Finally, the biggest announcement of the batch is both not terribly surprising and also kind of surprising it took this long: MG Full Armor ZZ Gundam Ver. Ka. Not to be confused with the FAZZ, this is the final version of the ZZ from the anime, though it also includes the hyper mega bazooka from the FAZZ. If you want to pick up this biggun, it'll be releasing in February.
If there are more announcements, I'll add them later.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2023
I'm just mad that I waited for them to make the rest of the Shuffle Alliance for years only to discover they had already made them...as P-Bandai. Where I can't buy them.
Unless I pay some fucking reseller.
Fuck this whole hobby.
numetalborder
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2014
Yeah, nearly everything being P-Bandai makes my eyes glaze over these announcements. It's why I don't mind buying bootlegs.
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2021
Huge update Gunbros, I have gone all in on Gunpla and I have discovered autism within myself that I never knew was possible. Point being, I've been busy and more invested. Started painting and even got the Godhand nippers (they really are a fucking night and day difference)
MG Unicorn- It's pretty and complex but the waist is the flimsiest bullshit I've ever seen. It's got the gamer lean, bad.
MG Sazabi- It's close to perfect in my eyes. It's beautiful, it has a ton of features, it's the hands do not mesh well with the guns at all. I can't get the beam rifle in either hand without it falling off. The forearm area is just too wide.
MG God Gundam- Honestly should've went with the RG instead. It's okay esthetically but it's very solid and the only kit so far with screws.
I forgot the name but the one on the left is from Armored Core. It was way overpriced for what it is.
The others are HG Graze, HG Barbatos, and entry grade NU gundam I did with my girlfriends son. They're all okay.
Left to right:
HG Sugai's Gelgoog- It's amazing. I love it.
HG Gquax (or whatever)- I'm indifferent to it really. It was an interesting build I suppose.
HG Red Gundam- I was kinda disappointed in this one. There's nothing inherently wrong with it and it's solid. I just kinda feel meh.
RG RX-78 2.0- It's perfect. It's really that good. It's stable, it fun, it's detailed. Nothing to hate about it.
HG Sinanju, HG Amazing Barbatos Lupus, and HG Kimmaris Vidar. I like them all, mostly Sinanju (great design.) Barb is pretty unstable tho.
That's it for now. I am in deep now and I'm okay with it.
MG Unicorn- It's pretty and complex but the waist is the flimsiest bullshit I've ever seen. It's got the gamer lean, bad.
MG Sazabi- It's close to perfect in my eyes. It's beautiful, it has a ton of features, it's the hands do not mesh well with the guns at all. I can't get the beam rifle in either hand without it falling off. The forearm area is just too wide.
MG God Gundam- Honestly should've went with the RG instead. It's okay esthetically but it's very solid and the only kit so far with screws.
I forgot the name but the one on the left is from Armored Core. It was way overpriced for what it is.
The others are HG Graze, HG Barbatos, and entry grade NU gundam I did with my girlfriends son. They're all okay.
Left to right:
HG Sugai's Gelgoog- It's amazing. I love it.
HG Gquax (or whatever)- I'm indifferent to it really. It was an interesting build I suppose.
HG Red Gundam- I was kinda disappointed in this one. There's nothing inherently wrong with it and it's solid. I just kinda feel meh.
RG RX-78 2.0- It's perfect. It's really that good. It's stable, it fun, it's detailed. Nothing to hate about it.
HG Sinanju, HG Amazing Barbatos Lupus, and HG Kimmaris Vidar. I like them all, mostly Sinanju (great design.) Barb is pretty unstable tho.
That's it for now. I am in deep now and I'm okay with it.
Seething Bazelgeuse
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2023
I think the 30MM stuff is actually fine for the price. AC is more niche than Gundam and that Orbiter kit is the cheapest of the AC stuff, if I remember correctly, as it only comes with the single CURTIS rifle rather than 4 weapons like almost all of the other kits.
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2021
It is the cheapest, yeah. I didn't wanna get a more expensive one and be disappointed in the act of building it. It was not a bad build but I was very disappointed when it only came with a linear rifle because I was under the impression I'd have a pile driver and shoulder units. That's completely my fault though, I didn't pay enough attention. I'll still probably get another, better AC kit since I've been a fan since the PS2.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
If AC kits gets a resurgence i want Nwgix kit.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Welcome to the curse of gunpla; you really can't ever have enough.
I do recommend the RG God Gundam, it's fantastic in both design and function. It's great on its own, but with the P-Bandai expansion, it's even better, with effects parts for more attacks and a Fuunsaiki model to pose on.
Speaking of, there's currently a large drop of in-stock items on P-Bandai (not pre-orders, so you'll get them quick), with free shipping if you order at least $100 worth. If your wallet can handle it, there are a lot of interesting items there, the God Gundam expansion included.
Also speaking of, it's about time I actually post something from my own collection. Didn't get around to buying a lightbox yet, but the lid from another kit's box will suffice.
Here's my latest builds, the Stardust Knights from Gundam Wing G-Unit:
I like grunt suits, but I also like customized grunt suits. Based off of the Leo, these three are high-performance machines piloted by an elite squad of OZ soldiers. They have a unique look to them that I really enjoy, really living up to the Stardust Knights moniker.
First up is the Leo-S, which comes with a beam musket, two beam sabers, and an awesome cloak. You can display the head with the standard Leo visor or the modified one for the Leo-S, but I don't see why you wouldn't do the latter. The cloak can also be removed if you want to display it without, but again, why would you?
Next is the Leo-R, whose only armament is a beam lance. Built for speed, it has its standard Leo limbs swapped for Aries parts, as well as additional thrusters. Also, quite obviously, it has a slimmer, more feminine shape that calls to mind the Nobel Gundam, especially in the "hair." Like the Leo-S, you can display it without the custom visor, but I still don't see why you would.
Finally, we have the Leo-N, which comes with a big honkin' axe and two beam sabers. Built for defense, its limbs are swapped for Tragos parts, and it has some massive shoulders as well as additional vulcan guns in the chest. The beam sabers can be stashed in the shoulders when not used.
Overall, I really like this trio. They have unique designs from the typical Leo, but still retain enough of that heritage. Posing is sometimes a little bit of an issue; in particular, the Leo-S cape, the Leo-R hair, and doing a two-handed weapon pose can make things tricky. Still, they more than make up for it with their design, and they look even better together. They also come in full-color boxes unlike most P-Bandai releases, which adds to their appeal.
I'll give them some more love with detailing later. Aside from panel lining, there are a few small details that need to be painted; most of those have stickers, but I'd prefer to paint instead, especially the Leo-R's elbows which have ridiculously complex stickers to color correct them. At any rate, definite recommendation.
- Joined
- May 1, 2024
Probably covered already but whats the top tier place to get your gunpla kits? My hobby lobby has a rotation of the same 8 kits.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Depends on what you have in your area, but here are some suggestions for brick-and-mortar stores:
- As you mentioned, Hobby Lobby. It's honestly a lot better than it was when I first started getting back into gunpla a few years ago. Initially, they were carrying maybe three or four kits at a time, only HGs with the occasional RG. Now, they're usually packing a couple dozen across HG, MG, and RG, as well as other Bandai lines. And their 40% off sale every other week means you can score some pretty good deals, though they usually jack up the normal prices a bit to make up for it.
- Michaels has started to become a good option too, carrying a variety of kits in stores and online. The prices are usually okay from what I recall, and while I don't really notice them doing full sales on model kits frequently, they do have coupons on a fairly regular basis.
- HobbyTown is excellent for gunpla if you have one near you. I have one about an hour away, but it's worth the drive, as they have a whole wall full of gunpla to peruse, all the way up to PGs. My last trip scored me some kits I've wanted for a while and didn't expect to find.
- I've also had luck with GameXchange stores after a post on the gunpla subreddit brought them to my attention as a source for gunpla. They don't update stock too frequently, but they have a very wide selection of HGs, MGs, and RGs.
- You should also try your local comic/gaming stores, many of which have branched out into other general nerd hobby things like model kits. My local store hasn't had as much stock rotate through lately (he said he'd been having trouble getting Bandai to fulfill his orders), but they usually have kits I don't see on other stores' shelves.
Special mention to Suruga-ya, though with some caveats at the moment. They're a Japanese store that sells all kinds of hobby stuff, gunpla included (if a listing says "used," it only means they're reselling it, not that it's already built). It's a good place to find P-Bandai kits especially, and might be your only source if it doesn't look like a reprint is happening anytime soon. They have frequent free shipping events that make it an attractive option, especially if it happens to coincide with a model kit sale. Depending on exchange rates and the current pause on JP Post shipping to the US on orders over $100, though, it might not be your best option, but it's something to consider. (Protip: don't use the search on their website as the English transliteration might not match up with what you're searching for, and the search only looks for your exact spelling. Use your search engine of choice and look for "[name of kit] surugaya" instead.)
- Joined
- May 1, 2024
Didn't even think to try Michael's. Ill give them a shot, my local comic store seems to overcharge for everything so ive been avoiding them. Thank you for the tips
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2021
Man, you're telling me. It's been on my wishlist for a while. It looks perfect. Only reason I got the MG was because it was for sale cheap at Hobbytown near me. I didn't expect it to be so cartoony. I don't hate it but compared to aesthetics of the RG it doesn't compare imo.
I don't think I have ever seen these kits before. They have a pretty unique look to then. Are they older?
For actual retail stores I'd probably rank it from my experience as:
1. Hobbytown- best selection of models, paints, etc.
2. Hobby Lobby- Probably less than half the amount of kits but the ones I saw weren't that bad
3. Random comic stores- I've never bought from these places but they had the least, didn't like as much, and were marked up.
I mainly use Gundamplacestore online.
Edit: I've done this a few times with larger orders but you can use Shop Pay and actually do 4 payments interest free on the site above. Obviously you have to be responsible about it but I feel less raped if it's over time rather than all at once.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
The manga they're from, G-Unit, came out about a couple years after the anime, but the kits are fairly recent; Leo-S came out in 2021, while Leo-R and Leo-N came out this year. They each come with the full A and B runners of the standard Leo kit released a while back, though they use barely any of the parts, mostly parts for the limbs. This Dalong pic gives you an idea of how many parts are left over when you're done:
That's standard Bandai procedure for kits with parts variance: if it's easier to print the whole runner, they'll include it. Sometimes they have the foresight to design runners to be broken up accordingly for future kits, but they can't always predict what parts might end up reused. And it's not like it's a bad thing to have spare parts around for kitbashing or replacement.
Seething Bazelgeuse
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2023
I order almost everything online. If you don't have a dedicated model/nerd hobby store then your selection is always going to be poor as far as actual kits go. I've checked out a ton of "normal" hobby stores and have been repeatedly disappointed. It's probably a bit better in bigger cities but I'm not driving all the way to my nearest big city to check the stores there. My personal choice is usagundamstore and newtypehq for online storefronts.