The Psycho Chariot of the False Comet

I suppose it'd be rude of me to abandon this place without at least giving you guys a good once-over of the one massive achievement I managed to accomplish, this year. This'll likely be a long one, at least photo-wise, but it's something I had intended months ago when I built the damned thing...
Just a heads up, this won't be a review, necessarily, but just more of a photo-journal of the build, including some notes (for what I can remember) of the process.

Rising from the Ashes

Now that the plan is set, it's execution time... Well, sort of, anyway.
I have completed 2 kits, rounding off my current backlog to just the Neo Zeong, but I'm still 6 kits shy of needing what I want prior to it's intended construction time. Just forewarning, you'll probably get déjà vu.

Firstly, number 92, the HGUC MS-05L Zaku I Sniper Type [Yonem Kirks]. This was a gift from my wife who bought this from a friend within the facebook Gunpla community. She intended on this first, but bought the standard release by accident, so when she became aware, our friend helped us out with this! Only issue: none of the grey is molded, and all comes in black... Otherwise, love this guy!

And number 93, the HGBF XM-X9999 Cross Bone Gundam Maoh, mirroring my Crossbone Gundam X1 from just earlier this month. The X1 was a Christmas present, but the Maoh I had a little prior, but just didn't build it at the time. I think I wanted to do the X1 first, and held off. A lot less paintwork went into this one, mainly because I have NO means of replicating that mirror-like finish on the solar reflectors. So, yes, I used the stickers for this one. (Well, and the X Maoh, too...)

I have, just today, received a couple new kits, from yet another fellow fb Gunpla friend. One, I intended on getting sometime after my tussle with the NZ...

The HGUC RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex [Destroy Mode] Ver.GFT (short name, eh?) and the HGBF MS-07R-35 Gouf R35 are now in my possession! So, with this comes the question, do I bump out a couple from my list and build these now, or hold off on these and continue the original Road to One-Hundred? Feel free to shout at me in the comments!

That's all for now. Hopefully, work will calm down enough for me to get some of those promised reviews up...

The Road to One-Hundred

As mentioned in my last posting, I'm fast approaching a hallmark of 100 1/144 HG kits since restarting my collection back in 2010, 6 years after I had stopped getting the smaller scale and subsequently got rid of my previous collection... And while I've more than doubled my numbers since those days, I've still not regained everything I've lost. But it's weening down what I have left to re-buy, so it won't be long now until I've finally hit pure excess. But that will be for another time. I have another goal in store for my milestone - or kilometerstone. (heh)

As of now, I have 90 kits built and completed,With number 90 being completed just a couple days ago.

As my 90th kit, I just finished the HGUC XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X1! I love this little guy! Lot of nice details to paint, and a ton of accessories! I wished the emblem was a waterslide, though...

My plan for getting to the 100 mark is to clear through the remaining main U.C. protagonist Gundams and/or MS, plus what I have already left to build. The ideal line up is as follows (not necessarily in this order)

Road to One-Hundred
091: GX-9999 Gundam X Maoh
092: XM-X9999 Cross Bone Gundam Maoh
093: MS-05L1 Zaku I Sniper Type [Yonem Kirks]
094: RX-79(G) Gundam Ground Type
095: RX-78GP01 Gundam GP01
096: RGZ-91 Re-GZ
097: LM312V04 Victory Gundam
098: RX-178+FXA-05D Super Gundam
099: ARX-014 Silver Bullet

and for my 100th 1/144 HG kit...

Are any of you really surprised? lol

Yes, the massive mobile armor from Gundam UC, the NZ-999 Neo Zeong shall be my celebration prize! Since I still need to get 6 of the other kits, it will be some time before I get around to this monster. If I had to guess, mid-to-late spring. We'll see when we get there!

But, yes, this is all for now! I'll keep on updating as I complete or get more kits for this goal!

Also, for those wanting to know, I bought my Neo Zeong from Gundam Planet. They were very helpful and informative, and I love supporting local (at least country-local) businesses!

Turning the coffin into shelving (Update - part 2)

Okay, returning to playing catchup here and cleaning out the cobwebs strewn about. Got a bunch more to throw your way! Also, updated the side links and my Plamo list. Figure list should be updated by my next post. So, without much further ado...

Oh my God, I knew I forgot something!!! (Update - part 1)

 ... Well, I have practically no excuse for this place's neglect. Almost a solid year without any reviews, updates, or even miscellaneous posts...

Well, for those that care, I'm not dead (obviously), just lazy. I have had a lot of... well, stuff, happen over this year. I'll probably go into detail more during my year-end post (YES, I still plan to do it and my 2015 prediction/wishlist).

Okay, soooooooooooooo...

I HAVE RETUR-- Hey, where'd everyone go...?

Okay, everyone! Been a long time coming, but I can finally get everything back to speed (well, sorta, anyway ^_^;;) It's been a crazy last couple months, but the fact that it's all over and I can now sigh with relief that I am now a married man is all the reward I need... But, plastic crack can help, too. XD

Last I left you guys, I had a good lot done on my MG Full Armor Unicorn Gundam, and was finishing up the weapons. Well, that's long done, and is ready to intimidate the room with it's over-armed presence.

T'was a tedious and overwhelming project, but I love the final look of this thing, and even high atop a shelf, it's an eye-catcher!

The decal hell this provided was a great test for my patience and really enjoyed the whole process of the build.

Now that that's done, I've acquired a couple more kits and finished them in good time, too!

The second was a a prize I had won from Daisuki.net's Second Promotional Giveaway, from which I won the RG 1/144 Zeta Gundam!

Despite my gripes about the RG series (which still hold after this build), I did enjoy this one, because the engineering in this kit is absolutely amazing! I swear, if they do decide to MG 3.0 Zeta based on this design, I may not be able to say "no"...

The next obtainment came as a gift from a friend of mine, and was one I had been wanting since its announcement back in August: The HGAC 1/144 Wing Gundam!

Just from the build, you can sense the whole new feeling of "compatibility" they're aiming for with future HGUC releases. I still have yet to determine if this is a good  thing or a bad thing, but as the front-runner to All Gundam Project, it's stood its ground very well! Wing, being what brought me into the Gundam fold, always had a special place in my heart, so I look forward to the expansion of the HGAC line.

Moving right along, I also decided to pick up another new-release kit I saw at my local HobbyTown USA that was screaming "must have!" The HG-SEED 1/144 Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Mina.

I LOVED this design! Granted, I'm very partial to the Astrays, but can you really blame me!
(Fun fact: I picked this kit up on my wedding day XD)

Between these kits, I've also finished the 2 BB Senshi kits I had gotten back at ACEN earlier this year, the Unicorn Gundam and Sinanju.

Both of these provided interesting challenges, but nonetheless, were fun to do. My wife (at-the-time fiance) did the original build for these and I just did the painting, detailing and cleanup, but she still did an excellent job, and I'm getting her some newer SD kits down the line to fuel the burning fire of Gunpla!

And while that's all I've built, now, I've obtained two more larger projects.

The first came after some finally getting some excess money, and another MG that was almost obligatory when announced...

Ooooh, the ambitions I have for this one. I also have the Expansion Set on the way for it, but have hit some snags in it's delivery. :\

The final kit in my queue is one that no one expected, but was a pleasant and wanted sight. And my obtainment of it also reflected this.

Sent as a present from a circle of Gunpla friends I reside with elsewhere in the interwebz, the MG 1/100 Wing Gundam Proto Zero Ver.EW was acquired, and as you can see from her face, will be the downfall of my new marriage. XD (Not really, she was just as happy!)

That's all for my Gunpla catch-up post, and hopefully, I won't have to do one of these again. I do have some figures I've also gotten, but will post those separately later.
After the holidays pass, I have a few kits who's reviews are being written, but I'll probably roll all of them out in the new years, so I can have a clean slate of time to work with.

So, ja-ne! Until next time, kids!!

No rest for the weary...

As you recall in my last post not even a week ago (Audible gasp!), I had gotten the HGUC Unicorn Gundam Banshee Norn. I completed it in about 2 days, which, sadly, isn't record for me. XD

But, as fate would have it, I can't finish one without something showing up to take its place...

Yes, indeed, I wasn't even gonna let this one slip away from me! The P-Bandai Hobby Online exclusive MG OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II was -while irritating in its release method- a must-have for the old guilty-pleasured Wing fan I am. ^___^;;

But, ONCE AGAIN, I'm working diligently on this kit (seriously, the kind of work I was putting into my MG Sandrock before unspeakable horrors came upon it...), when a knock doth occur on my door.
I thought to myself, "This BETTER be importa-- ... Oh!"

My copy of the first volume of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Vertical, Inc. showed up!!
My GOD, how I'd been waiting for this, and it doesn't disappoint at all!

As one of only two things Gundam still being released stateside, I highly recommend picking these up. Though, they're only doing limited prints, so get yours fast!!! (I've created a pre-order tab for the latest posting on the right-hand bar)
Or, just get it because they've done a fantastic job at not only picking up a title that VIZ dropped almost 10 years ago, but surpassing them in both quality (Nice glossy pages and top-shelf color printing on the color pages) and price (The first Vertical release contains 8 large chapters, which VIZ released over 4 books at about $10 a pop)!

I'm giving such an orchestrated shoutout to Vertical, Inc. just because this can be their breakthrough title and I feel they can go far with this level of quality. Good show, you guys, and I look forward to the future releases!

Anyway, my Tallgeese II is only a quick test-fit assembly, until I can acquire some good spray paints for this guy. Spring is finally starting to show itself, it seems...

Some Catching Up to Do

Sorry about the inactivity here (and especially on my practically abandoned RPGags page), but things have really decided to get busy real sudden-like. I've opened up art commissions on my facebook page and got hit pretty hard, so a lot of my free time had been used on keeping up on those. I'm about to close them again, so if you want anything and you're on facebook, now's the time to message me!

Anyway, on the flipside, these commissions have been helping me with quite a few items to backlog my collections with.

I got another HGUC I'd been wanting to get since it was announced, even if it is an odd-duck-out MS.

Yes, I actually - and happily - picked up the HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.]. What can I say, I have an unconditional love for Zeon mobile suits. Though I greatly look forward to the future release of the HGUC Zogok...

Also, I ordered the new up-to-date Mobile Suit Illustrated 2013 [+Drawing] MS Encyclopedia. This way, I'll have almost all the references I'll need for future Gunpla purchases, as this covers everything up to all of AGE and through episode 5 of Unicorn (and the addition of the Jesta Cannon from 6).

The next item was a long-awaited release, for, me, being the hardcore Mega Man fan I am...

The D-Arts Mega Man was a must-have, seeing that not only is it classic Mega man in scale with the other D-Arts figures, but also includes Rush and the elusive Metall!? SOLD!

Of course, everyone should have expected this, since I'd been advertizing it on the side of my page since the pre-orders went up! Yes, Gundam Unicorn episode 6 is now in my hands, and was another beautiful entry to the series. Another year until the finale, but given the supurb quality of the series thus far, I have faith in the time they're putting into them.

And, with Episode 6, I had to order one of the suits introduced in it's scenes...

Even if it's appearance was brief, the RX-0[N] Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn's screentime was impressive. I just got this in today, and needless to say, my next order will be for the HGUC Full Armor Unicorn Gundam [Unicorn Mode]...

Well, that's all I got, for now, but I have some photos taken for a few items I plan to review once I get the time to sit down and really write them out.

Until then!

HGUC 1/144 Rozen Zulu Review

At the end of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Episode 5 "The Black Unicorn," a new mobile suit appears to aid our protagonists when faced with a truly hopeless situation. And, boy, was its 2-minute appearance something! The Rozen Zulu really stole the show for that last brief moment before bowing and exiting stage-left. What's a bit upsetting is getting this kit before it's true abilities are showcased, which won't be until Episode 6. But, this aside, Bandai still decided to pull a Banshee and release the kit prior toward it's true OVA appearance. With some rather controversial sleights. I acquired mine through GGInfinite, as payment for a commission for Gundam Guy, of which you can see as the banner to his blog! ^___^

Last Shooting FINAL: LSP-001 Escape

In an uncharacteristic move, I decided to finally finish a long overdue project... Namely, my Last Shooting Project diorama, not touched since October. I guess I had my reasons, but honestly, I didn't realize just how close I was to done with it, apparently, as I did the rest of the mods and final assembly in one night!

Since it's no longer a W.I.P., I'm just gonna jump right into the final overview of this diorama!

Last Shooting Project

LSP-001 "Escape"

Recovery

If anyone remembers the riddle I left for my next obtainments, I've finally picked up the other.

For those who don't remember:

As the heavy horse's complexion pales
the poisonous rose's thorns will extend.

Now, the first one had already been fulfilled, in the form of the MG Full Armor Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, which I revealed when I got it at the end of December. However, I only just today acquired the second of these two...

Full Armor Unicorn WIP and Other Updates

I knew this thing was gonna be a beast, but the effort I'm putting into it is far more than even I expected. I've built 3 other Ver.Ka kits in the past, so I'm familiar with the Katoki's "Decal Hell," but it's a whole different monster when you put the effort to trim them down...

2012 Christmas GET!!!

I guess I sort of jumped the gun with the end-of-year posting, since I tend to get at least a couple kits for Christmas.

And are they a doozie! So, a couple new MG's, and both are one's I've been fiending for since they've launched. The MG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee -as well as the HGUC RGM-86R GM III- were gifts from my mother, who I can't believe managed to acquire the former without resorting to online measures. The Mobile Suit Gundam Complete Collection 1 was from my fiancee (Much needed since they're now out of production). And finally, the MG RX-0 Full Armor Unicorn Gundam was more of a present to myself, using Christmas money. ^__^;;  The Action Base 1 Clear was ordered specifically for the FAUG.

Thing's gonna be a beast.

I've got the Complete Collection 2 on order, finishing the original Gundam again, and I still have one more kit that will be on the way as soon as it's released...

That time of year, I guess...

So, it seems inactivity is a trend around the last 3 months of the year. ^___^;;
I'll assure you it's more of a lack of time more than a lack of interest, but working retail - ESPECIALLY during the Holiday season - is very exhausting, mentally and physically.

 Illustration by Noritaka "Tenko" Suzuki.

PROGRESS UPDATE!
The LSP diorama is on hiatus until I can afford to get some casting materials to create the LAST DAMNED PART FOR IT. I need it to be clear, and I do not have the luxury of buying everything necessary to perform resin casting right now. I was looking forward to having it completed by the end of this year, but not everything works out as planned, right? *sigh*
I'll post more in-progress photos of it when I get the chance.

I have gotten a couple new kits done, though (as well as one I've had for a bit, too). Including one I'd been waiting on since it's announcement...

HGUC 1/144 RX-160S Byarlant Custom

This is the first kit I've ever pre-ordered, and I think it was well worth it. This guy definitely has a review coming up in the future...

 BBSenshi NZ-666 Kshatriya

I bought this one right after we moved to Indy for my fiance, but only just completed it a week ago. This is my third attempt at full panel-lining (And my second successful XD).

HG U.C. Hard Graph RX-79(G) Gundam The Ground War Set

This was my most recent acquirement, and another I'd been meaning to get for a while. I decided to build this one with the intention of making it MCPO Karen Joshua's "GM Head" Gundam Ground Type.
It's a shame this set doesn't include the Gundam's beam rifle, though...

I'm compiling stuff for my end-of-year posts, so look forward to those relatively soon (obviously).

Also...

Might I just say that the design of this thing has grown on me? ^ ^;

Last Shooting WIP 3: A Baoa Qu base

Okay, the next part of this is not a kit, but the scratch build of the display base for the whole diorama.

I chose to make it roughly 10" x 10" x 10" to conserve space but still provide decent room for detail.
The frame is made up of 3/16" black foam core cut into panels. I used craft glue and painter's tape to stabilize it while the glue dried.

Testing to see if the size will be good. Orginally, I was going to have the back wall continue upward for the actual facility detail to show. But cut that out, as I didn't have the material to extend the back wall, plus the Zeong head coming up over the top will hopefully prove more dynamic.

The next step involved crumpling newspapers and ads to start the base for the rocky structure the Gundam will be standing in. This will be covered with plaster cloth to create the rocks, themselves.

With that done, I used basic acrylic artist paints (not craft paints) to finalize the detail and give depth to the terrain. I decided to add an extension to the bottom using the little bit of foamecore left over.

That's it for this part, but more will come into work on the base, as it will have some more work to hold the models themselves.

STAY TUNED!

Last Shooting WIP 2: MSN-02 Zeong

Okay! Back again with the shorter (photo-wise) WIP for my diorama.

... Probably confused, right?

Well, I wasn't stopping with just the RX-78-2 this time around.

LSP-001 - "Escape" Work in Progress Report

Episode 2: MSN-02 Zeong

That's right! I'm also doing the MSN-02 Zeong (head) to reenact the entire scene from the last episode of Mobile Suit Gundam!

 Back View.

Here, you can see all damaged parts created for this. I hand-crafted the melted surface using an epoxy.
The wire sticking out of the side is used for mounting the head to the Gundam's rifle beam.
I actually drilled out the hole in the Zeong's "mouth" Make it a bit more dynamic.

The explosion from before is made from poly-fiber, which I hand painted to give it the explosion depth. The scrap pieces being blown away are just parts of putty, which have been painted.
The centerpiece is the Zeong's right "ear" with the horn being bent toward the tip. The painting was done to look as if the part is reflecting the explosion.
Note that this is my first time working with suck detail, so I'm not ashamed to say I'm extremely proud of this outcome, thus far!

And here's the Zeong mounted onto the Gundam's beam rifle shot. I had to break out my Tamashii Stage 3 (Mega Man X customized) to balance the Gundam, since it isn't properly balanced to hold the weight of the Zeong's head above itself yet.

Once again, I could NOT be happier with the look of this, thus far. But, a couple things are still missing...

NEXT TIME: ... THOSE THINGS!