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Monaghan posted:Huh I'm painting(or trying to paint) my mg char z'gok as well. We had the same idea of making the claws metallic looking. I think someone mentioned it earlier in this thread? Or I read someone suggesting it elsewhere. Regardless, it was pointed out to me that the claws on the box photo were metallic, so that was a good example. The box photos have also made me consider making different parts (based on the color) different top coat finishes. Like, matte for the torso, maybe semi-gloss for the shins and wrists? I'm not sure, and I'm also not sure about the arms and legs themselves.
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Jun 16, 2016 17:11
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Neurolimal posted:Is that the Barnes and Nobles in Clifton NJ, or does every B&N have the same display? I actually went there today for the novelty of getting a gundam kit from a generic retailer store (got the burning gundam and the blue bearguy). hi5 North Jersey buddy, my in-laws are in Little Falls, my parents are in North Caldwell, and I know that lovely display too well. The same people did Springfield's. They have some 1/100 Gusions/Rebakes, a 1/100 Graze, two MG Exia Dark Matters, I think three MG Rinascitas, and a few HGs that I didn't see yet if you were hunting, although Gundam Planet is probably a less schleppy drive + a local biz.
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Jun 16, 2016 20:27
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boom boom boom posted:No that's way over complicating it. Just have a guy at bluefin build them and send them out. Involving random local Gunpla fans is guaranteed to be a shitshow Frankly, given Bluefin's size, I dunno if it's practical for them to have one guy whose main duties are snapping together kits for display. You're probably right about the shitshow, tho.
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Jun 16, 2016 21:24
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Bimmi posted:Yeah, I'm thinking about the folks who aren't into this kind of thing at all. Modeling is one of those hobbies that I imagine would be sheer torture for anyone not totally on board with that particular idea of "fun." Plus, it's practically guaranteeing a substandard and unattractive display for your product. Just dumb all around. I spoke to a fairly skilled east-coast based builder who, while somewhat prone to exaggeration from time to time, rarely completely lies. This builder claimed to have been contacted by Bluefin for negotiations to build 20 HG Sinanjus for display at some of the first B&N stores that test-marketed Gundam models. There was some back and forth but it was heading for an agreement and they claimed that eventually Bluefin said "thanks but we're going to do something else" and that was the end of it. Then we got the displays we got - I wondered who built the models. I was joking with my group that we should have one of our monthly gatherings at the nearby B&N; everyone bring tools and cutting mats, we buy kits there, and we set up in the coffee shop and build what we bought while ordering drinks continually to pay for the tables we occupy for a few hours. Something like that could be kind of a neat sponsored promotion but I doubt the little shelf of models is a significant revenue center for the bookstore plus they might freak out about the X-Acto knives.
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Jun 16, 2016 23:54
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I was surprised to see just how small those Gunpla displays really are, but they're still going so I guess they haven't been a complete failure?
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Jun 17, 2016 00:24
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They seem to be emptying at a slow but steady pace around me.
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Jun 17, 2016 00:39
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It's such a weird mishmosh of items, but I guess they do what they can with the space they have.
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Jun 17, 2016 02:35
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The one in Wilmington has a slow but steady turnover of poo poo, but they occasionally have weird moments where they order/receive shitloads of the same model and they just hang around next to the display in a pile because there aren't enough people buying to justify stocking 20 hg kamiki burning gundams.
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Jun 17, 2016 04:26
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Ah yase, the "Mandala Gundam" syndrome. Why am I not surprised?
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Jun 17, 2016 04:35
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Hiya guys! Me and some friends are planning to kitbash some post-apocalyptic robots this summer, just for fun. I'm thinking that the 1:144 scale Gundams could be a good foundation, so that I don't have to spend too much energy on building the general shape, but I also don't want it to look like, you know, a gundam. I've been looking at kits that I think could be a good foundation, and came up with these: Hyakuri Grimoire Gusion Rebake Graze Kai High Mock z'gok Any other ideas of a "non-Gundam Gundam" that could be a cool start for a robot? Any of these kits that are especially good or bad? E: and is ordering directly from Japan the best way to do it for non-UK Europeans? lilljonas fucked around with this message at 12:22 on Jun 17, 2016 |
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Jun 17, 2016 12:15
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None of the things on that list except the Gusion Rebake are Gundams, which is why they don't look like Gundams.  Any HG kit branded as HGUC or made after 2001 is going to be at least a decent kit, so you're safe with basically anything you want. If you're kitbashing post-apoc mechs, you'd be better off starting with UC Zeon suits rather than more rounded stuff like the Grimoire or Hi-Mock. Pretty much every Zaku/Dom/etc. variant has the right level of bulk and spikiness for post-apoc stuff. As far as ordering kits goes, it boils down pretty much entirely to shipping - the actual kits cost less from importers, but on common kits, you usually end up paying enough shipping that the difference is small. If you're ordering in bulk, see how much it would cost to ship to you from HLJ or HobbySearch, then check your closest Amazon variant (or failing that amazon.co.uk) and see how much shipping you'd be paying there - none of the kits you're going to want for kitbashing are rare or brand new, so Amazon resellers should have enough variety at non-ripoff prices for you.
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Jun 17, 2016 12:54
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Lemon-Lime posted:None of the things on that list except the Gusion Rebake are Gundams, which is why they don't look like Gundams. Cool. I'm thinking that keeping the "skeleton" exposed for some parts and kitbashing stuff from 2-3 kits should be enough to make them look more like robots than Mecha.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:20
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lilljonas posted:Cool. I'm thinking that keeping the "skeleton" exposed for some parts and kitbashing stuff from 2-3 kits should be enough to make them look more like robots than Mecha. If you want exposed skeletons on your 1/144 kits, the Iron-Blooded Orphans line are where it's at. Grazes and Gundams only, though.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:29
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lilljonas posted:Cool. I'm thinking that keeping the "skeleton" exposed for some parts and kitbashing stuff from 2-3 kits should be enough to make them look more like robots than Mecha. HG kits don't have inner frames! The only sort-of-exception are Grazes and the Barbatos from IBO, and those are only partial inner frames, they still require the external armour pieces to hold together. Lemon-Lime fucked around with this message at 13:41 on Jun 17, 2016 |
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Jun 17, 2016 13:38
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Lemon-Lime posted:HG kits don't have inner frames! Clearly, someone has not heard the (limited, but very promising) good news of HG IBO.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:42
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Lemon-Lime posted:HG kits don't have inner frames! The HG Graze has an almost perfect inner frame. The only essential external parts are the back of the head, the backs of the hands, and the feet. That's pretty decent. The HG Barbatos and other Gundams have less perfect inner frames, but you can get away with exposing a remarkable amount.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:45
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Darth Walrus posted:If you want exposed skeletons on your 1/144 kits, the Iron-Blooded Orphans line are where it's at. Grazes and Gundams only, though. Sounds promising, as I thought the Iron-Blooded Orphan kits looked a lot more promising for the kind of look that I'm going for. I'm checking 1999.co.jp, and is it correct that the 1:144 kits are only HG? I really like the Graze Kai kit, and think it could be a cool frame for a robot.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:45
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lilljonas posted:Sounds promising, as I thought the Iron-Blooded Orphan kits looked a lot more promising for the kind of look that I'm going for. I'm checking 1999.co.jp, and is it correct that the 1:144 kits are only HG? It is. There's also a 1/100 line somewhere between HG and MG in build quality. Also note that the limb joints are universal, so in addition to being able to swap armour plates, weapons, and backpacks designed for the same frame, you can have, say, a Barbatos or Rebake with a Graze Ritter's arms, legs, and/or feet.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:49
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Darth Walrus posted:It is. There's also a 1/100 line somewhere between HG and MG in build quality. Note that this is true for IBO, but not neccessarily for other lines; a lot of HGBC models have bizarre and inconsistent pegs and limb construction. Build Fighters/HGBF are also pretty good for interchangeable parts. Hobbylink Japan is having a sale right now that includes a few customization parts, including emblem reliefs (one of which is a skull), so you may want to check those out. This is a good tutorial on adding weathering and rust to your paint jobs, might be a bit too complicated for beginners though.
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Jun 17, 2016 14:22
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Neurolimal posted:Note that this is true for IBO, but not neccessarily for other lines; a lot of HGBC models have bizarre and inconsistent pegs and limb construction. Build Fighters/HGBF are also pretty good for interchangeable parts. Anything newer than the HGAC Wing Gundam, No. 162 in the main HG line, (Build Fighters, IBO) is part of the All-Gundam Project and generally standardized. It's still hit-and-miss with some kits, but it's generally a lot more standardized.
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Jun 17, 2016 14:31
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Neurolimal posted:Note that this is true for IBO, but not neccessarily for other lines; a lot of HGBC models have bizarre and inconsistent pegs and limb construction. Build Fighters/HGBF are also pretty good for interchangeable parts. Thanks. I've built some model kits before, so I'm not a complete beginner at least. I do think that the right paint job will do wonders for giving them a more rugged look.
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Jun 17, 2016 14:50
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Some local comic shops around my area have begun stocking gunpla again and all of them have those loving terrible hg wing kits from the mid nineties. I know wing's the most known in Canada guys, but seriously, there's been remarkable improvements in gunpla the past twenty years!
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Jun 17, 2016 15:45
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Monaghan posted:Some local comic shops around my area have begun stocking gunpla again and all of them have those loving terrible hg wing kits from the mid nineties. There was this big recent reprint/reissue of NG 1/100s, and I think - don't quote me - the lovely 90s Wing kits got in on it too. Both 144 and 100 scale.
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Jun 17, 2016 16:21
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How could you knowingly and willingly release that evil back upon this world
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Jun 17, 2016 16:25
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Darth Walrus posted:If you want exposed skeletons on your 1/144 kits, the Iron-Blooded Orphans line are where it's at. Grazes and Gundams only, though. The HGUC Jagd Doga and the Revive Gundam MKII also have skeletons (but the Revive MKII just has skeleton limbs)  
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Jun 17, 2016 16:35
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Ignimbrite posted:How could you knowingly and willingly release that evil back upon this world Because it sucks to pay 200% value for some really lovely kit just because it's out of print. Don't knock the old NGs too much, in many cases they're still the only available kit of a design. If you ever want to practice more advanced techniques like seam filling, panel line scribing, or modifying a part to fit on some other kit's frame, I can't recommend them enough.
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Jun 17, 2016 16:38
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Ignimbrite posted:How could you knowingly and willingly release that evil back upon this world Because nobody should pay $70 for a 1/100 Gunner Zaku Warrior 
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Jun 17, 2016 16:40
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BlitzBlast posted:Because it sucks to pay 200% value for some really lovely kit just because it's out of print. I've go the full set of NG 1/144 G, Wing, and X kits and each series really is better than the last. G was barely a step up from the 80's stuff, but it's easy to see how Bandai got to HGUCs. And the X line really isn't THAT bad, as such things go. And if you can make one of the old NGs look decent, you can make modern HGs look downright amazing. They're great kits for learning how to model.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:17
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Can anyone recommend some Kotobukiya models? I bought their Metal Gear Sahelanthropus and I want to build it at some point, but since the Kotobukiya models are apparently significantly different from Bandai's stuff, I would like to start with something simpler so that I am not too surprised by any of the construction techniques.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:20
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Slanderer posted:Can anyone recommend some Kotobukiya models? I bought their Metal Gear Sahelanthropus and I want to build it at some point, but since the Kotobukiya models are apparently significantly different from Bandai's stuff, I would like to start with something simpler so that I am not too surprised by any of the construction techniques. it's a crapshoot which ones you can find, but most of their Super Robot Wars kits aren't that complex.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:22
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Monaghan posted:Some local comic shops around my area have begun stocking gunpla again and all of them have those loving terrible hg wing kits from the mid nineties. Doing a full range of Katoki-style Wing MGs while virtually ignoring the TV show still strikes me as one of the most peculiar treatments of a series I've ever seen.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:39
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lilljonas posted:Sounds promising, as I thought the Iron-Blooded Orphan kits looked a lot more promising for the kind of look that I'm going for. I'm checking 1999.co.jp, and is it correct that the 1:144 kits are only HG? I really like the Graze Kai kit, and think it could be a cool frame for a robot. There is another line of 1/144 kits other than HG. They are called RG and are a significant step-up in complexity but are the same size as HG kits. They all have inner frames, though. Not really suited for beginners.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:41
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I'd disagree there, at least for the Z'Gok; their inner-frames come pre-built on the sprues, and the majority of your work is just putting armor onto said skeleton. I've heard that the gundams themselves have their own unique issues though. The only problem my RGok has had was the elbow armor sometimes falling off.
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Jun 17, 2016 19:45
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Too bad the RG 1:144 Z'Gok is backordered on hlj. 
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Jun 17, 2016 20:05
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Bimmi posted:Doing a full range of Katoki-style Wing MGs while virtually ignoring the TV show still strikes me as one of the most peculiar treatments of a series I've ever seen. 
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Jun 17, 2016 20:13
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A lovely Reporter posted:Wrong! There's still no Leo!
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Jun 17, 2016 20:31
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They'll be P-Bandai sooner or later. Gotta milk those Wing suckers for all they are worth...
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Jun 17, 2016 20:36
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Neurolimal posted:I'd disagree there, at least for the Z'Gok; their inner-frames come pre-built on the sprues, and the majority of your work is just putting armor onto said skeleton. The earlier RG kits have some issues with loose parts. I've already lost the trigger finger for my RG Zaku II and had to swap it out for the solid gun hand. Ironically, without the trigger finger, it actually holds the heat hawk better because I can wrap the thumb around properly. The Gundam MK II RG is a lot better for stability, but again, those manipulator hands are very fragile, and the beam sabers do not fit in them well at all. I want my next RG to be one of the Zephyranthes variants, though I've heard they have some loose parts around the Core booster.
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Jun 17, 2016 20:43
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Is there anywhere in the US that I can order 1:144 decal sheets from? The ones I ordered on ebay were cheap, but they will be in the mail forever (and I have a feeling my postman is gonna gently caress them up by cramming the parcel into my mailbox, wasting all of that time)
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Jun 18, 2016 00:56
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Neurolimal posted:I'd disagree there, at least for the Z'Gok; their inner-frames come pre-built on the sprues, and the majority of your work is just putting armor onto said skeleton. The reason RGs aren't recommended for newcomers is because there's so many small parts. They can be kinda annoying even for people comfortable with the hobby, I usually don't want to risk frustrating any newcomers. Also it seems like every single new person never ever listens to "just put on the stickers you think look cool" and goes and puts them all on and drat near almost always complains about how many stickers there were and ugh. Uuuugh.
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Jun 18, 2016 06:44
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