Good Afternoon guys!
If you have been following me on my instagram (which you should >:D) You probably know that I've been working on something for quite a while.
As usual, I got this kit from my favorite hobby shop:
They offer really affordable prices and they ship internationally as well! Do check them out!
If you haven't followed me yet, here's my account: https://www.instagram.com/x88x/
Please follow! I'm very active in posting my WIP kits there since making reviews take time because I need to build the kit first LOL and seeing my posts might entertain you while the actual review isn't available yet :D
Let's get it on!
Boxart:
This is technically a "Revive" kit even if they didn't indicate it in the box. There was an older release of this kit which looks more blocky and has darker colors.
On the corner of the box, it shows that they included extra parts so you can recreate the Manga Version or the Game Version. Basically, you can assemble two heads but only one of each visor color so choose well haha!
Anyway, I decided to custom this kit because I want to step up my game in building Gunpla. I used ti build OOTB with painted details etc.. They look good but I want to see how I do with an actual proper build.
So.. Why this kit? Well, I love grunt suits and mainly because of the military aesthetics. Also, weathering looks good with simple ground type units. You can do it with Gundams but I wanna try with a simple kit first. I've weathered some already if you've been following my IG account and if you've seen my other reviews.
But the only difference this time is that I will fully paint this kit from top to bottom.
I've already weathered an MG kit, my recent EZ-8 which you can view here:
Contents:
So yeah... Mostly blue. Haha! Love that clear red and green for the visor.
B plate have duplicates to separate each arm and leg but the other one has the waist parts.
The C1, C2, D and E plate mainly comprises the inner frame parts and accessories. If you look closely, there two sets of hands. The main difference is that one set has rounded fingers while the other has the more blocky shape.
Polycaps, stickers and clear stickers (they're really generous with these) and the beam effect parts which I really find longer than the usual ones they give.
Also, this advert.. Not sure but I think you go to their site and answer a survey.. I think.
Manual:
Standard HGUC manuals but this time it includes English translations in every section. Cool! I think they do this with some of the IBO kits as well.
It's a good way to help beginners understand some of the symbols to avoid doing major build errors.
Assembly:
I basically just did a straight build to test fit the parts and to see it's aesthetics.
Removed the seamlines and made a gap on one of the connector so I can insert the armor with ease haha!
Same with the arms and legs, just test fitted them and disassembled them afterwards. I haven't removed the seam line in the forearms yet since I want to prime and color the inner frame separately.
Shield and weapon. Reminded me of the EZ-8 accessories but smaller haha
Onto the painting process:
Priming:
I just bought alligator clips and clamped them on BBQ sticks haha it's more cheaper than buying the ready made ones..
If you're gonna use spray cans like me, it's best to do it outside. Wish I made a video to show the actual thing.
But, always shake the can well and spray atleast 25cm - 30cm away from the piece. Don't spray the piece directly. Spray from side to side and just let the piece catch the paint midair while rotating it to avoid getting thick layers.
So, after spraying, you can now inspect if your seam line removal was a success haha! You can also check for other part deformities like dents.
It's an overwhelming process for beginners. I know, because I always get conscious when applying the primer because I might put too much or something.
Now I know why builders love assembling primed kits. Feels like I'm making an original design haha! But yeah, assembling them can help you see for aesthetic flaws or if you missed an area.
It's tedious and I used to think it's not necessary but after doing it, I now understand the importance of it.
Here's an example of spraying too much primer or if you're too close to the piece. It gets clumped up and forms bubbles. Only way to resolve this is sand the primer or get some lacquer thinner and apply it on a cotton ball and wipe it off like nail polish.
The latter options tends to be costly so be patient with sanding. That's why every step counts haha!
Here's all the parts primed and I separated them into sections.
Masking:
Masking, make sure you do this well or else you need to strip the paint down to the bare plastic again haha! It's torture... But yeah, you learn a lot.
Make sure each tape is nicely secured and has a tight fit to avoid the paint from seeping in.. That's the last thing you wanna happen.
Second pic shows that my masking was done well haha! Although I redid the backskirt a couple of times because I keep scraping it accidentally when removing the tape... lol.
Painting:
Before I painted the parts, I did try the paints on plastic spoons first to see how strong the shades are.
Seems good to me haha!
I was suppose to hand paint the inner frame and joints but I feared that the top coat might ruin acrylic paint so I got a spray can isntead LOL!
After coloring each part, I assembled it then sprayed some Gloss top coat first on the body and Matte Flat coat for the accessories.
I forgot to mention, this MS has a "transformation" gimmick for the EXAM mode. It's like a power up where the pilot will get enhanced reaction times. Think of it as the Barbatos Berserk mode.
It's not really that obvious aside from the visor and cameras turning red. The transformation includes, pulling out the shoulder pieces, lowering the leg vents and extending the backpack thrusters. I'll explain more later.
Gloss top coat is recommended before lining or applying decals to ensure smooth applications but after I applied it is when I realized that this kit doesn't need a lot of lining if I'm gonna weather it hahaha!
Anywa, after applying the decals, I used the Matte Flat coat to seal everything in. Matte coat is perfect for weathering because you clearly see all effects you're gonna do to a kit.
Gloss is pretty much good for metallic finishes.
Remined, don't use Matte coating on clear parts, it'll just ruin the clarity of the piece.
Onto weathering!
Weathering:
Disassemble the kits of course before starting.
Time to take out my trusty tools. My flat brush, fine tip brush, ever reliable enamel paints and weathering sets haha!
It's up to you how extensive the paint chipping is but don't over do it, there's always a thin line between realism and exaggeration haha!
I mainly use chrome silver for dark pieces. Paint chipping in a nut shell is using a fine tip brush and dab paint on to corners and areas that are prone to chipping. Try to control how wide the chip is because sometimes it'll look weird.
The closest painting concept I can think of is pointilism. It's where you make tiny dots to come up with a picture. In this case, just make dots on an area and expand slowly. It's up to you if you want do big scrapes or just small chips.
For the shield, I tried doing an initial german gray chipping then use chrome silver on top of it to simulate the layers of painted metal. Since this is the shield, I battered it up a bit, mostly near the tip since they stick this on the ground a lot.
After that, I applied the tamiya weathering master, using the applicator, you can smudge the colors to simulate stains. In this case, I combined Soot and Rust to give it that grimey look.
Onto to the legs. I did some extensive paint chipping here since these are the parts that move a lot and scrapes a lot of armor in the process.
I mainly use german grey for lighter colors but it actually depends on the shade of the armor. It so happens that german grey goes well with this armor shade.
Armor chipping is very tricky and challenging to make it realistic because these are plastic kits and not actually metal. Try to make each chip unique because paint chips never happen symmetrically.
This looks good in person, the picture makes it look brighter. The matte coat really helps make the armor look dry and gives it a stiff rough texture.
That's thing about weathered kits, you don't need to make sure everything is in place because over time, those pieces do wear out like actual machines.
For the waist, I mainly did dry brushing. Dry brushing is when you use a flat brush and dip it in paint but wipe off the excess.
The process involves brushing the edges of the pieces to make it look like it was scrapped or was dragged forcefully. It adds a subtle effect and it looks really good with lighter colors.
I added some paint chippings on the feet as well since they do cross rough terrain a lot. After all the chippings and dry brushing, I again use my weathering sets to smudge in some soot, rust and light sand.
When weathering, you need to imagine where the MS is or what it is doing. So.. my idea was, fighting in the dessert.
So yeah, lots of sandy textures and soot from the explosions. The rust shade is mainly for added texture since it's relatively brown in color.
Same process for the Head and Torso. For the forehead camera, I hand painted that because using a spray can just for that is too much.
Since the upper body also gets in the way in most actions and is probably the target most of the time, it gets really dirty and scrapped as well.
Completion:
Seeing it complete somewhat gave me a sense of accomplishment hahaha! It was a tiring (and expensive) process but seeing it now makes it all worth it.
Details:
Front and back view. The more I look at it, the more I appreciate the color scheme I chose hahaha!
Upper and lower close ups. Damn, I really did good (not great but good.. There are others way better than me XD.) with the weathering.
I got the 01 decal from my MG RX-178 Titans 2.0. So lucky I had leftover decals.
Mid section close up. I really love skirts. That's the effect of dry brushing. Still trying to practice stains with out depending on weathering sets. I tried it on the chest vent. It when you apply paint and lightly smudge it with thinner to give it the liquid texture.
I still need to make those chips realistic but for now it looks damn good hahaha! I need more variety of shades.
Gotta love the sandy particles haha! For the transformation, you just lower the vents a bit... It's not even obvious so I didn't go with that set up.
Some angled shots. So dusty @_@ The shoulder pieces can extend for the transformation but as I said it's not that obvious so I kept it extended.
The backpack. You get another part where it would look like it's closed and not extended like this.
Other angles?
Accessories:
Pretty basic stuff. I didn't bother weathering the beam handles because you won't really see them when he's holding it or when it's stored.
Just like with any other ground type shield, it has a movable leg to act as a stand and the connection point move as well.
The peg connector on also rotate in place and can move forward to use a blunt melee weapon.
Your basic machine gun. Did some dry brushing with this since it's used a lot. Extra handle and stock can move as well. Ammo clip can be removed and you have 2 more attached to the side skirts.
You can store the sabers on his thighs just like the other Ground type suits. There's not mechanism to open it.. It's mainly friction to make it look like its opening.
Articulation:
Legs have pretty decent range thanks to the waist skirts being able to spread widely. Ankle guards can move up and down with no problems.
Not so much movement backwards but the front can give way nicely for forward movements. Knees and arms are double jointed which is cool and it gives more range.
Shoulder can rotate and can move upwards thanks to that separate shoulder joint. Torso can bend forward, backward and sideways thanks to the ball joint and can rotate with ease as well.
Ankles can move forward and back a bit can can rotate in place.
For ground poses, the legs can manage but the feet can flatten in wider stances because the ankle guards gets in the way and somewhat limiting him from doing more dynamic poses.
The kit has nice balance though.
Poses:
Some generic dual wielding poses.
Open hand adds a bit of flair in posing.
Box art pose haha
About to charge pose?
The pulp fiction pose.
Kill shot.
Damn, he looks so bad ass here.
Reloading...
Staaaare....
YES! An awesome kneeling pose! Those double joints help a lot!
Just a soldier doing his job.
So... Why is the color scheme brown? Well, my main inspiration was suppose to be this:
I'm a huge Metal Gear fan, played the first one until MGSV and yes, MGSV was a disappointment. Wish Hideo stayed to give it the ending it deserved. Screw you Konami.
Anyway.... Another reason is because I worked in Qatar the last 3 years. Qatar is middle eastern country and the Middle East is mainly sandy. Lol.
So, I wanted to make color scheme designed for Desert Terrain. I'm really glad the colors I chose nicely blends together.
I was planning to do the exact Uniform of Big Boss, with the red arm and all but I dropped the idea and just wen with a basic Desert Color scheme.
I also planned to do a digital camo but I find it difficult to do in a smaller kit... Maybe I'll try it with an MG kit.
Moving on... Some size comparison:
Here he is with my recent builds:
Gundam Astaroth, click here if you wanna see more of this kit:
Gundam Barbatos Lupus:
You can really tell that he's in a different world when standing beside these two demons.
Here he is with the Weathered Grand Daddy Gundam. I was to compare him with the Revive version but went with this because he's also weathered haha!
Click here to see his review:
Conclusion:
I'm reviewing this as the Blue Destiny being a model kit and not as my Custom haha!
Details 10/10:
This kit is amazing as is, it definitely fits the "Revive" motif because everything from the old kit was indeed updated for better purposes.
There isn't much lining but the aesthetics of the kit in general is amazing. The old kit looks blocky compared to this modern release.
I love how all the mini triangles are carved and not just a flat surface. The torso looks amazing with all those things sticking out giving it more visual appeal than the plain chests most grunt suits have.
I know it's mainly a recolor and retool of the Ground Type Gundam but it still manages to stand out on its own despite being derived from previous existing units.
I love how they included subtle optional parts just so that you can recreate the Manga Version.
Articulation 9/10:
It was almost perfect... Those feet were a let down though. If you can trim those ankle guards then maybe it can achieve more dynamic poses. I haven't really read the Manga but since it's a Ground Type, it's bound to have some sort of dynamic movement especially with the EXAM system activated during battle.
Aside from that, I was really surprised how mobile this guy is. It has nice double jointed arms and legs, non-restrictive waist armor and the torso's range of movement is really something.
It's close to the Grand Daddy Revive gundam in terms of articulation.. The feet are the only let down but it's not enough to affect the overall experience.
I guess a display stand is needed for those aerial and dashing poses but ground poses can be done with satisfaction as well.
Accessories 10/10:
It has everything it needs. Well, based on the manga screenshots I saw. I don't think he needs more than what he comes with.
It's nice that they give you two beam effect parts. The size bothers me a bit though, ever since these "Revive" kits came out, they elongated the beam effect parts.. Dunno why, it look unproportionate. Maybe it's just me haha! I used beam effects from old kits and they fit well into the peg hole.
Shield retains its standing gimmick since it did come from a ground type suit. You get 3 ammo clips as well, perfect for those reloading poses.
Like I said in the Details section, they give you optional parts to make either the Game Version or the Manga Version.
They also included another set of hands that has more rounded edges.. Not sure why but extra parts are always appreciated.
Parts 9/10:
For the most part, everything is solid and secured because it has a semi-inner frame which is cool. I wish they retain this with future kits. it's just a matter of visible seam lines. In this kit however, there are two areas that have very visible seam lines.
The ankle guards and the forearms. The first one is easy to manage but the forearms can be tricky. Since this is a painted a kit, you need to plan well or else you'll just waste time in the assembly.
The forearms are pressed together from top the bottom not from the usual sides. So, when you assemble it, the sides of the forearms have a huge seam line across the sides...
Which is somewhat ok than having it in the middle where it passes panel lines and other details. Aside from that, every other parts is nicely fitted and snaps well. I really love how they engineer the legs on newer kits.
It's not the old 2 pieces slapped together and then held together by a knee armor. It's like an MG assembly now because aside from the 2 pieces the encases the inner leg frame, you also have one front piece to cover the gap and another knee piece making everything look so fluid.
In fact, most recent HG kits are coming close to MG standards of assembly, only thing missing is a functioning cockpit and moving pistons and hydraulics.
Verdict 10/10:
Despite the limiting feet movement, it's not enough to damage the overall experience. It's definitely a modern kit and far from the old HG kits we used to have back in the early 2000's.
Bandai keeps on innovating their kits but at the same time retaining the affordable price point. I love that they keep surprising us with new tech in terms of assembly.
Like with the Gundam Revive, that kit is pure awesomeness and closely matches or even surpasses some RG and MG kits.
Here's a review of that kit if you're interested:
Also, I got this kit mainly to challenge myself on what improvements I can do as a builder. After building OOTB kits for years, you tend to question yourself if you can go beyond that.
Sure tools are expensive but honestly, if I had this mindset when I started out.. I probably have better builds. I don't regret my previous builds but I just wish I invested in tools from the beginning hahaha!
My friend always told me that kits will always be there so invest on tools because building with complete tools feels amazing.
It feels like you can do anything.
Speaking of tools, here's everything I used in this kit:
I got the kit prior to my airbrush paints so I bought spray cans haha! These are the main colors I used to color the kit.
The only thing I hate about spray cans is that you can't fully control it unlike an AB where you can adjust the PSI. I technically used 2 primer cans and 2 light sand cans because they finish so fast.
Yes, I do the flicking motion but still, the amount of paint that come out in each burst is just too much.
Also, Mr. Hobby colors have different shades compared to Tamiya even if it's the same color. Example, their Gunmetal is slightly darker compared to Tamiya's.
Main tools for detailing. I used Mr. Hobby for the top coats, Gloss and Matte.
My seam line removers, I have the Tamiya Cement but I didn't use it in this kit. Mr. cement dries fast and melts the plastic really well to ensure proper combining of parts.
Putty acts like one of those sealants you use on walls in your house. You get the amount you need and fill the gap you to be removed. After drying, use 600-800 grit of sandpaper to even out the surface.
I didn't include pictures of the Hobby knife, nippers and sandpaper because those things are kinda general and self explanatory.
Anyway, would you like tutorial posts on how to use these tools? I know there's a lot around the internet already but I just thought of sharing my own insights with these things.
There you have it, my first attempt in doing a fully painted and weathered kit. It was very tedious and time consuming but the end product really exceeded my expectations haha!
It kinda motivated me to paint more kits! Which I'll probably do so stay tuned for my future posts! If you have any questions just leave a comment below!
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Stay tuned for more reviews and updates!
Also.... Anyone here played Metal Gear solid 5 The Phantom pain? Why I ask? because...
If you played the game and heard the song, you'll get this meme hahaha!
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