Fall project

Finally a Gunpla related post, it’s actually been a while.  While the Sinanju is about 80% complete, I’ve hit the dreaded weapons block, and have stalled out right before the goal line.  That and I’m waiting on parts to finish the power cable and Thrusters.  I’m actually going to give AM thrusters a try, wish me luck.

While waiting for those parts, I’ve decided to go ahead and start my fall project!  This project is actually a kit that I started putting together last year before I got sided tracked heavily with life and other things that tend to be a nuisance.  So after building the torso and the head I put it aside.  Well, taking advantage of my left over spray paint, I figured I’d go ahead and do one more paint project for the year until I can figure out a paint setup that won’t annoy my poor wife. 

So my next project is going to be the MG Hi-Nu Gundam, a design that is constantly fighting with Zeta Gundam as my favorite Gundam Design.  I took the torso and head apart to paint the pieces this weekend, along with the fin funnels as well.  Overall, my plan is to paint the light grey parts, inner frame, and blue parts.  The white I will leave alone and simply gloss coat.  This actually gives me an easier time than with the Sinanju as there are much less parts to paint.   I’m planning on giving panel line washes a first time try with this kit as well.  Also, having less thrusters then the Sinanju, I’m going to give AM boosters a try as well.  

This should be a faster build than Sinanju, so hopefully I’ll have it done (along with the Sinanju) by the end of the month. 

Anyways, the colors decided are fairly simple, a mix of gun metal and light gun metal for the gray and frame parts.  The blue parts however… this time around I’m going to do my best to keep it a secret until the end of the project, so all you’re getting is a nice teaser.  Trust me when I say this is a color not normally seen on a Gundam!

Hi-ν Gundam Vs. Geara Doga

What better way to put the Hi-ν to the test, then against the Geara Doga!  This reveals my second HG model as being the Geara Doga.  Also, my first attempts at doing battle type photos, so hope you enjoy.  More thoughts on the Geara Doga later.

 

HGUC Hi-ν Gundam: Final Thoughts

Well, a little delayed, but my final thoughts on the HGUC Hi-ν.  Overall, I’m impressed.

I used to just dismiss the HG line as the cheap line for kids, and now I’ve been forced to rethink my stance on this.

Overall, it is a much simpler build, but actually has quite a bit of attention in details, particularly in lining, down to the few seals that were included.  This means, if you put the time into doing your panel lining, put the seals on, and drop the top coat, you’re going to have a fairly detailed kit and nice looking kit, for well over half the cost of its MG big brother.  Coming with the funnels, two beam sabers, storable in the wings, the multicolored shield, and weapons, you’re getting good quality for the price.  Proportions are good, coloring is good, and again, I just like the bad ass double wing fin funnel I’m going to kick your ass design.

 However, there are a few areas they skimped a little.  With the fin funnels, you only have two (the top one of each “wing”) that are actually openable, while the other two are then molded into a one set piece.  Of course, there’s no way to actually pose the two that are openable, but still.  With this being a 1/144, this means everything is indeed smaller, which also means weaker, I had a few parts I was afraid I was going to break trying to snap together   And while the detail is good, if panel lined, you’re also dealing with smaller lines, which can be a little tiresome and tedious.  While this HG kit doesn’t suffer the same problem that most SD kits have in that half the pieces aren’t colored as they advertise, your weapons are still going to be grey, rather than white, along with the booster tanks being all white as well.  Personally, I could care less for the bazooka though, and the gun looks fine grey to me as well.  Lastly, due to everything being polycaps, posing, while not bad, isn’t MG quality, you’re not going to have it kneeling on one knee, and looking it’s best.  Also, it goes without saying, but the Hi-ν is top heavy, and will tip over backwards.  An action base is recommended.                                                                                                                                    

Still though, for those who are interested in the Hi-ν but don’t want to drop the $50~100 dollars that the MG costs depending on where you shop, will want to check this kit out.

 

Here comes a new challenger!

Who could it be?

HGUC Hi-ν Gundam

Ok, well, here are the finished shots.   Will post thoughts later.

WiP: HGUC Hi-ν Gundam

So, let’s get the ball rolling. The HGUC Hi-ν Gundam is my first HG kit, and true to the High Grade line, it’s a quick and simple build. Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, HG Kits are 1/144 scale, lack an internal frame and gimmicks (for the most part) that their 1/100 MG brethren have. In general, the idea is that HG kits are aimed and priced for the younger generation, while the more difficult, and higher priced, MG and PG kits are aimed at the older crowd. After building this kit, I’ve formed some of my own conclusions, but I’ll save those for a future post.

So, the kit over all is quite simple, as you see with the following pictures of the torso, arms, and legs.

Simple snap together for the torso with polycaps

With the outer armor attached

The arm and shoulder

With the arms attached, the upper torse is complete

Following the same idea as the arms, outer armor snapped together and done.

Overall, with the lack of an inner frame you see a lot of polycaps standing in for a lot of sections.  Other than that, the outer armor parts are completed molded as one piece (upper arm) or a simple snap together of two pieces with a polycap in between (leg).  The waist is another simple affair, with the back skirt armor unable to move.  The front skirt armor is also one piece, but moves. 

Yep, that’s a waist

The boosters and funnel wings(?) again follow the same snap together and done.  The boosters are all molded in white, and so the color conscious will want to paint the connecting parts a metal part.  I’m lazy, and don’t have a brass color, so I passed on that.  I forgot to take a picture of the Fin Funnels, but the construction was pretty much the same as the MG version.

The shield was nice in that they at least molded snap on parts so you could have the two tone shield.  The weapons, again snap together, unfortunately, get the generic silvery/gray color, and you’ll have to paint them if you want to have it look like the promo pics that Bandai pimped.  The good thing about the color though is you don’t really have the noticable sprue damage that you get from MG weapons.  MG weapons tend to be black, or blue, or that light grey (Zaku weapons, especially) that really makes the damage stand out.  Of course you could always just be careful when putting together the weapons, but like many others, by the time I get to the weapons, I really don’t care and just want to get them over with.  Anyways, too much straying from topic.

Three pieces and you got a shield

Gun, or Bazooka, what’s your pleasure?

And finally, the last thing to to do for putting it all together is panel lining, a must to bring out some of the design elements in the HG kit, followed by really tiny seals.

All lined up and ready to go.

All that’s left is the top coat and we’re good to go.  Next post we’ll look at some final build shots.