Giant Bomb's Gunpla Build Club

I bought my first kit in over a decade thanks to Austin's GOTY video. I not even familiar with the show it's from ("Iron-blooded Orphans" I think?), but it looked cool.

Does anyone here make models from scratch? I've never done anything like that, but I like the modular nature of the armor the skells use in Xenoblade Chronicles X a whole lot, and I have a 3D printer.... Hmm. HMM. Could be a fun project to work on for a bit, even if I'd probably never finish it.

@dedbeet: Frame Arms might be what you're after.

Frame Arms are made by Kotobukiya and they use a system were you buy the frame and add armour parts to it to make a different kit. I have not done one but you can research it and see if you want in to them.

I've had a ridiculously huge pile of un-built kits clogging a corner of my room for years. Sadly they're all boxed up right now thanks to a recent move, so no pics. On the other hand, the move has given me access to some garage space that I'm planning to convert into a workshop area of sorts, so I'll finally be able to move beyond simple snap-builds and basic panel-lining (which is the main reason all those kits are unbuilt - I'd done a bunch of basic builds, and wanted to start putting more effort into them, but didn't have the space to set up an airbrush, etc).

@plasmathrower: Man that collection looks dope as hell. What are the models?

Also those unicorn models look great, not so fantastical. I haven't even seen unicorn... Damn this thread to hell... I'm gonna go shopping

@johnny5: Those 3 badboys are PG kits so its like a stupid amount of money to spend. I say worth it though. Easier to put together than MG kits and stronger articulation points. Unicorn is actually kind of a downer because of the transformation, a lot of his internals are low detail and parts are weaker. There's the strike and unicorn and some would think thats the RX78 OLD SCHOOL GUNDAM but its actually the NEWOLDSCHOOL RX178 from Zeta. White Wolf Zaku for kicks and some MG unicorn fun. Also surprisingly if you can still find it the articulation and quality of the Sinanju Stein Ver Ka MG kit I have is on par with the PG kits I have and sturdy with individual finger movements at about 1/2 the cost of a PG. Deffo get.

fwiw I think most MG kits post 2010ish have the articulate fingers...at least all the ones from that era I've built have them. All RG kits also have them. Though I agree that the more detailed/expensive MG kits have an impressive amount of detail, and the newer MG kits are probably better than the older PG kits in terms of quality. In terms of top MG quality I think most builders point to the MG Sinanju, because Bandai chose to not use any polycaps in its design due to weight concerns.

On another "big kits are dope" note, Bandai confirmed they're making a RE/100 Kshatriya sometime in the future and I COULD NOT be more excited

@dystopiax: The HG Kshatriya was the first gunpla I built. I haven't looked at much of the RE/100 series since the Nightingale ended up looking so rubbish but I'll certainly be interested in the Kshatriya.

Also regarding the MG/PG. I think most MG kits now are totally fine. They come with good levels of detail and they're a fraction of the cost of the PGs. The MG Ver Ka series is where it's at though.

@jesus_phish: Heard good things about the RE Gerbera, the line seems successful at what it aims to do imo (take kits too large/too unpopular to make MGs and give them 1/100 scale and outer detail without the inner frame and shit MGs have). Though I do think it's interesting that they came up with a line that's basically "1/100 kits that aren't detailed enough for us to call MGs" but then made a bunch of NG 1/100 kits for IBO. The thing i don't get is what the difference between those IBO kits and an RE kit

I think the only difference is that, from what I understood the RE was "relaunched/reissued" kits while the IBO kits are of new models that haven't been issued before. They generally launched most of the 1/100 IBO kits along with the HG kits or at least close enough to them.

No, all the RE kits are new. http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/Reborn-One_Hundred explains Bandai's reasoning, which again makes it so I don't understand why the IBO kits are NG 1/100. Haven't built one but from what I've seen they appear to be pretty detailed, so idk why they wouldn't count as RE

@dystopiax: Huh. That's interesting then. It was probably just me misinterperting it but I figured them being called "Reborn" meant that they where 1/100th scale kits of previous kits. I guess their reasoning behind the RE/100 makes sense though. Like I said, I built the HG Kshatriya and it's still bigger than any MG I've built apart from two Ver Ka's (Sazabi and Stein). I couldn't imagine how big it'd be in MG.

I agree with you then, I don't get why the IBO 1/100's aren't just called RE/100.

@jesus_phish: @dystopiax:

The RE line is for large/unpopular kits to get a release in the 1/100 scales as a proper MG release would be too expensive and time consuming with little chance of it being worth it.. The No grade IBO 1/100s are basicly 1/100 HG's and they are an attempt at giving more suits the 1/100 scale since a good amount of series only have Main character suits as an MG and nothing else meaning there is flat out no 1/100 scale of many kits NG or not.

The last time there was NG's was Gundam 00 line and which if it we did not have that and there wasn't for the strange choice of making the GN-X a MG then we would only be left with like 8? versions of MG Exia. However you can have more of the kits in 1/100 just lacking the MG features.

Then you have the Advanced Grade which is a step back from a HG to make things even cheaper and this was only used with the Gundam Age line.

RE/100 has a different plan than No Grade just like No grades have a different plan from MG's as well as Advanced Grade has a different plan from HG's. Due to how different their construction is and size, to lump them into the one name just because they are 1/100 would confuse people and not aid their goal with the RE/100 line.

Apologies if I missed this elsewhere in the thread, but is there any consensus on good sites for buying Gundam kits and/or figures online?

@fetterdave: There's a few places mentioned earlier in the thread. Where are you based?

In the U.S. (Rochester, NY, if anyone wants to say hi!)

I'll go back through the thread and take a look.

@fetterdave: I'm not sure about their stock right now, but Image Anime is a store in NYC that I know does sell Gundam models.

Do you have a comparison shot between the sizes of the Kshatriya and other MGs? The only MGs I have are Sinanju and Unicorn, so my reference for how big most MGs are is a little skewed in favour of the giant suits from Unicorn.

So I have been watching Gundam 00 and decided to build that sweet ass Exia. Got the RG kit on amazon. I am amazed by how intracate this thing is and I have only built the leg so far. Why are Warhammer models so damn expensive again? Here is the leg:

@ichthy said:

I literally just went out and bought this exact kit as my first Gunpla because of your photo. This hobby seems way cheaper than I thought. I even picked it over the Gundam Unicorn HGUC model. They're both from Unicorn so I will probably grab the other eventually. I haven't even watched Unicorn but I did remember hearing its more modern and has dope gundam designs and they were right. It's not too flashy too which I love. Any tips for this specific model?

Man that thing makes my guncannon look like a pile of shit.

Damn it you guys I guess I'm going to the store tomorrow

@johnny5: I think Unicorn has my favorite robot designs in any individual Gundam series overall. There are one or two from other series I like better, but taken as a whole the cast of Unicorn is hard to beat.

@johnny5: That particular kit doesn't require much work. The colour separation is excellent, so even without painting it'll look like the reference photos in the manual/box. That's something newer kits have gotten a lot better with. I'm not super anal about nub marks, but if you want you can always use progressively finer sandpaper to polish those up so they don't show. I recommend lining the panels with a Gundam marker, and if you want a matte finish you can apply some flat topcoat.

@dystopiax: I especially like the grunt designs. They're still very classic UC, but updated for modern audiences. I especially love how extra space Nazi the Geara Zulu suits look.

I should have the tools to build this sucker later today. Wish me luck!

Man, never thought I get back into this.

Wing was my first introduction to the series and so my initial purchases of gunpla were mostly 1/144 HG versions of the Wing suits. Eventually I started getting some others like the 1/100 HG Wing Gundam from Endless Waltz before I started making the move to MG when money was less of a concern.

Got a couple suits from SEED but those are all back home while I'm now residing in China. Just recently picked up a MG Deathscythe Hell Custom EW version since it was on sale but haven't found the time to start it yet. I was also potentially planning to visit Japan in the coming months and that might prove to be dangerous...

I would love to do this, never made a gunpla before, they look like a lot of fun though. Anyone have any recomendations for good starters?

@sagesebas: pick any HG kit from the past decade or so that you think looks cool. None are substantially harder than the others and it's always better to pick kits that you like over kits that other people think are good. I assume you have some gundam experience but if you're like me and actually started building gunpla before watching any of the gundam series, then do what I did and go to amazon, type in HG gundam and pick one that you think looks dope.

@ichthy: between the Geara Doga/Zulu and the Jesta/Rezel Unicorn easily has the best grunt suits. The other thing I really like about Gundam in general is that they do a really good job of making the mobile suits look like advancements of previous iterations as time passes. The Zaku lineage is pretty clear from the beginning of the series to Unicorn, and even iterations of the main suits look like advancements on each other- original gundam to the mk ii for example, or how the Sinanju is pretty clearly a sleeker version of the Sazabi, maintaining that continuity is dope because they treat their fictional dumb giant robots like actual technology. Not to keep praising Unicorn, but I love how the whole story behind the Rezel was like "yeah we were trying to mass produce the Zeta gundam for years and we finally did it". It just makes all the robots feel like actual technology instead of something that was dreamed up and designed by the people writing the anime.

That's pretty much what I did. There's some dope looking Zaku kits out there now, which is a model I'm not mad about but they've been doing cool things with. If you want to start with a basic, something like the RX-78-2 is kind of the "iconic" gundam.

@sagesebas: Also check out this site. It lists pretty much all kits that have come out in the last decade or so in chronological order, plus full builds without paint so you have an idea what they'll look like if you just do a straight build. I'd go through the sections and find an HG kit you like closer to the end of the list, since they came out later and have improvements over earlier kits. Anything from IBO, BF, Origin, or Unicorn are usually pretty good. I'm sure Age and G-Reco are fine as well, but I haven't built any from those series personally. They were also super unpopular so the kits themselves may be harder to find.

Came in the mail today. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to wait until mid-March to put it together.

I forgot how much fun it is to put these things together. I'll probably want to take some actual measurements instead of eyeballing it before I try making another custom part for one of these, though. I've got a Frame Arms kit coming soon, so that should be fun.

Barnes & Nobel sells gunpla and I have no self control so this happened.

I keep wanting to get to my kits yet I bought a new pair of side cutters and files to build them better so waiting for them....I am also waiting for Gundam Breaker 2 to arrive!!

Which if you do not know what Gundam breaker is let this trailer

I played the first one for many hours on PS3 Imported with no Japanese needed untill you get deep and then I just looked at guides and matched the Japanese characters to figure out stuff. It is a loot driven Dynasty warriors style game were you custom make your own Mobile suit.

Gundam Breaker 2 seems to have gotten way deeper sooner by letting/making to build stuff more out of your loot meaning knowing what stuff is for components and what your making seems helpfull...however THEY HAVE GONE CRAZIER WITH THE GAME SO I HAVE TO HAVE IT!.

You can go pretty crazy on the weapons such as FUNNELS!

Gundam Breaker 3 has recently been announced!! FOR PS4!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5jWNh-jWYs

Please know that this is not an insult to you fine people: How in the fuck does this thread have 181 replies? I had no idea this stuff was so popular!

@akyho: gundam breaker 2 is dooooooope

@dystopiax: I had it on my GotY list for last year. Put like 100 hours into it.

@planetfunksquad: I am also sorta a surprised a how no one ever mentioned it and now here we all are lols sharing it in and even getting new folks in.

@aterangelus: @dystopiax: I could not wait and so I have been watching a playthrough of it from someone who can read Katakana and picking up stuff so I can come into GB2 and not have my mind blown over components lols.

Before I run out and start buying kits when the kids are in bed, around how much should I be paying?

I only ever bought plan models so I have no idea what to look for.

@akyho: There's a google doc out there that translates a lot of the components and it's really useful. Made my time with the game much easier.

got a question for you all. I'm thinking about getting into building these again, the last one i built was a Death Scythe about 10 years ago. Thinking about getting this one, http://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Gundam-Version-Counterattack/dp/B0091O17LM

Is it beginner friendly? Do i need proper tools and such?

I ended up taking the plunge on this too, currently working on a Gundam Barbatos as my first kit.

Recently at work I've been messing with DSLR cameras (my job is weird) and I've been working from home. I took this opportunity to snaps shots of newbie gunpla. Not fully done, but thought I'd put them up.

@spitz1000: I was thinking to myself "Can't possibly be too out there for someone coming sorta new to the kits." then I saw what it was. MG's are not a no no for newbies however Ver Ka's are a little more on the advanced scale more so for someone just coming into the kits, its more so the price point that is the issue as you can mess up and snap something, much less of a chance with a little experiance. I would strongly urge not going for that kit first time around. The kit you linked is sort of on scale like an action man? I think that would be a fair scale and it's a bit on the complicated side.

However I do have two alternatives. If your wanting to dip in and experiance the hobby on a smaller price point and scale, then this one is should do you. Its cheap enough you can get the small amount of tools needed if you don't have them with it and and you can be really bad with it and ruin it without a hurt to your wallet. That kit is the size of your average toy figure like star wars or such.

If you still want the larger scale then I would suggest the older and less complicated MG version still a good kit cheaper in price and simpler meaning for a new start not being as intimidating.

Then all you need is nippers/side cutters and a file for nubs. Maybe a hobby knife just to help out. Over all that is you for tools!

Overall there is only few kits I advice as a beginner to not start off on RG Zeta (it's very fragile), Ver Ka kits (like the kit you linked) and most definitely the Sazabi Ver Ka for some complexity to it and PG Unicorn/Banshee, otherwise all other kits are fine to go for.

@spitz1000: That is probably one of the best designed kits I've ever built. It is relatively simple to build, but those funnels on its back will not stay attached for long unless you do some modifications. There are also a lot, and I mean A LOT of water slide markings (basically a decal you have to cut out, soak in water, and transfer onto the kit) which aren't that beginner friendly, but you can completely ignore those if you want. It also has a weird and unnecessary in my opinion transformation gimmick that is a little tricky, but you can ignore that and it is perfectly fine. Posing is the hardest part all due to those funnels on the backpack falling off.

If you don't mind putting a piece of tape across the inside of those back funnels to hold them together, and don't feel like applying the huge number of water slide markings, it shouldn't be too hard, just be prepared to spend a lot of time on it. As for tools I really recommend the set Austin used in the GOTY video, I started with the same set awhile back, you can find it on Amazon. It has virtually every tool you need and them some.

@gumdealer: @akyho:

Thanks for the tips guys. Probably a good idea for me to just get the HG and the toolkit for now to get my feet wet. Will definitely try the MG ver ka Nu and Hi-Nu once i get some experience. (I'm a sucker for funnels!) Cheers.

I picked up the MG RX78-2 3.0 yesterday, and having just finished the Core Fighter, that thing is a real joy to build so far. A lot of nice detail, and goes together quite well. I look forward to finishing my dry assembly so I can break it down into appropriate subassemblies for painting, then the real work begins.

Rough price ranges in USD. It will vary a lot though depending on the complexity/rarity of the kit.

HGs: $10 - $30

RGs: $20 - $40

MGs: $30 - $100

PGs $100 - $300

So I sliced a small amount of my thumb tip off while cutting back a particularly tough nub. Be careful fellow newbies. Really got to find a comfortable way to use my hobby knife without it facing me... It just feels natural that way. Haha

the Hi-Nu is DOPE AS FUCK especially if you put the waterslides on the funnels:

though I do think that you should get one or two other waterslide kits to practice on first, you're lining up waterslides right next to waterslides and it only looks nice if you do em perfect. There are plenty of guides out there that'll teach waterslides better than me, only thing I'll say is be extra careful, and the only difference with the big ones for the funnels and other ones is I used a qtip instead of my usual toothpick to position the waterslides, it made it a lot easier to make sure that they wouldn't tear on application.

As for when you should tackle certain kits, I'd say definitely do like an HG first and see how you feel about it, if you have no problem following instructions and putting the thing together personally I feel like you can just move onto harder MGs; I built an HG and an RG and my 3rd kit was the MG Sazabi, which is one of the biggest and most complex MGs out there. But I know others that eased into it a lot slower, so the only advice I'd give is to feel it out for yourself.

@johnny5: oooh thats not good. Sidecutters and a file is the best option as you cut the sprues. sand the nub and use a hobby knife to just scrape at any white plastic due to stress and boom your done.

I used to only use hobby knives when I made aircraft kits as a kid. However sidecutters makes everything easier and safer with a good filing getting rid of nubs way better than a hobby knife.

Against my better judgement I keep going into this thread. Also I just got paid.