Gundam in all guises

[kurdt_the_goat]

Have you played with the Super HCM Pro? It's in the same scale but obviously it comes assembled, i'm wondering how they compare!

[kurdt_the_goat]

I've essentially finished my RG Aile Strike Gundam (only stickers remain) and my sentiments echo Stompy's RX-78 impressions!

WOW, for the size this things really packs a lot of attention to detail! It's well constructed so nothing feels flimsy - it compares pretty favourably to the Super HCM Pro's, only really missing the diecast (& maybe the plastic isn't quite as good too). But for the price, i would recommend anyone try these out - highly recommended!

I've only done about 20 of what seems like hundreds of stickers for it - it's gonna look awesome when finished!

[jazzcomp]

which versions dont need assembling? i'm too lazy

[Stompy]

which versions dont need assembling? i'm too lazy

You can try the action figure lines of Gundams. There's different brands:
- Super HCM Pro
- Bandai Fix Configuration
- Bandai Robot Damashii

They are usually more costly than kits and is about 1/144 scale (10-12 cm tall) but is more action figure-like. I don't really have much experience from them as I'm a gunpla kit builder personally.


Anyhoo, speaking of kits...

Master Grade 00 Raiser:







This was pretty darn good. I haven't been impressed by a Master Grade for so long until now. It's a sturdy kit and represents the 00 Raiser as an avatar really well. The gimmicks are great but only comes with 1 LED light. It can house 5 (for the two Raiser side binders, the two GN Drives or Condensers and the head).

Estimated (straight up) build time was 9 hours total. A fantastic and more affordable alternative to the Perfect Grade. Although the Perfect Grade has so much bells & whistles all over the place despite it's articulation flaws.

Very very pleased and an awesome Master Grade kit for my favorite Gundam mech of all time.

[Vector Prime]

That figure looks awesome Stompy (as do most Gundams).

I've never looked into any of the Gundam figures to be honest, but since I am in the continual pursuit of buying items that have a certain 'cool' factor, I've come across this Musha Gundam on RK.

Can anyone shed some light on it? In terms of size, poseability, assembly requirements, etc?

[Stompy]

From my own research that figure is 1/144 scale. So about 12-15cm tall. Poseability looks good, as with most Fix Figuration figures. There should be minimal basic assembly required to put on the alternative parts/armor on but nothing that will take longer than 10 minutes.

They are good if you want a stress free, highly poseable gundam as gunpla kits while for the most part solid but can sometimes have pieces that can fall off if you are rough with playing/posing. With saying that though, the actual Master Grade Kit of the Shin Musha (+ Shin Musha Mk.II) is more my preference. Note that this is the special edition with a glossy finish to the plastic and gold parts.



Here are better shots, I took a while ago. Remember that this is bigger in size than the Fix Figures as this is 1/100. Roughly 22cm tall:

[Vector Prime]

Thanks for the info Stompy.

Those blinged out Master Grade ones look sensational!

I'm assuming that with the MG ones, assembly is required?

[Stompy]

Yep. Full assembly is required as they are model kits and come looking like this initially:
http://www.dalong.net/review/mg/m110g/m110g_i.htm

Then it can take anywhere between 5-12 hours to build, depending on skill. Mind you that the assembly really only requires cutters to get them off the gates and they will look like that out of the box as a straight assembly. No painting or extra detailing work required.

If ever you want to dive into Gunpla, I'd suggest you start small with a No Grade (or unmarked/ungraded) kits that can vary in size class, probably best to stick with the 1/100 00 Gundam or Seed range. These are easy to make and the finished product looks good. Roughly 2-5 hours. Cost from $15-$100

Then go for High Grade kits or HG. These are 1/144 scale and have really good detail, on par or better than the Figuration kits at good prices. Roughly 2-5 hours to build. Costs between $20-$80. Averages at $30 each.

Then there is the Master Grades or MG. These are the detailed kits with full internal skeletons and excellent detail. Can take anywhere beteen 4-15 hours to build. Costs anywhere between $35-$200

There is also the very expensive Perfect Grades or PG. These are 1/60 in scale, so about 30-40 cm tall and have a ridiculous amount of detail and gimmicks. Builds can take anywhere between 18-48 hours. Costs between $150-$450

There are also Real Grades or RG. New line that are 1/144 in size with the detail of a Master Grade. You'll need a bit of experience with these as the parts can be quite small. Build time can be anywhere between 4-12 hours.

If you want to see the kits I suggest you go to Dalong's site. The most famous Gunpla Gallery site:
http://www.dalong.net/

It is a Korean site but is good for browsing.

At the very top you can navigate by clicking on the series you want to see.
MG = Master Grades
MG2 = special/limited edition Master Grades
HG = High Grades
PG = Perfect Grades
SEED = Gundam Seed Series No Grades & High Grades
00 = 00 Gundam series No Grades & High Grades

Once in, just click on the "English Catalog & Menu" option to see the names in English. They will be in released order from earliest at the top to the latest at the bottom. Click to see Pictorial and Korean write-up review. At the very top you can click on "Information..." to see the kit still in parts and gates.

Phew this became a Gunpla 101. Also, Bandai reprints about 99% of the kits regularly (not including special/limited editions). So you can get almost all of them at any time.

[Vector Prime]

Wow! Thanks for the detailed response Stompy.

Your post should be moved to the first post as "Gunpla 101" for Gundam newbies like myself to reference.

Ok, so it seems they're quite intricate and take hours to build (which I'm not really a fan of), so I guess I'm going to stick with the Fix Figuration ones for the time being.

I did have a look through that site you linked to and I must say that the majority of the Gundams are very very cool (and that guy's collection is insane!)

[liegeprime]

goodness 15 hours!! and I get bored when I can't transform at Tf within 30 minutes..... I just leave them to the mode they're in heheheh