Last post, we talked about the weapons for the Gundam Ground Type, and for this post (on the very same day!) we cover the body parts.
Head
Here is the head after being touched up with some panel lining:
This is still one of my favorite head designs for a Gundam. For comparison, here it is lined up next to the heads of the EZ-8, the Gundam Mk. II, and the OG Gundam:
All things considered, it looks closest to the EZ-8, which as it should be. You can tell that they have the same basic shape, and that the EZ-8 simply has some extra pieces welded atop. I also think is has quite a few similarities to the Mk. II. Surprisingly, it looks the least like the OG, which is strange considering they came from the same batch of prototype parts.
Chest
This is the Most Interesting Part of the Model™. It is by far the most different in comparison to the original Gundam. It ditches the original’s symmetry, adds some new components (including a Vulcan cannon), and swaps the original bright blue for one that is much darker and more muted. It reminds me a lot of the color of “dress blues” used by real life military branches, which feels entirely appropriate for this military-oriented mobile suit.
In regards to my detailing work, I painted the vulcans silver, and made the yellow vent gold to class it up a bit.
Arms
The arms are pretty straightforward. You have the rails along the shoulder armor, and the rest is fairly straight and boxy. It was a bit hard to weather the arms, due to their small size.
The only other detailing of note is the numbering I added to the right shoulder. I designated this mobile suit as unit “082”, in honor of my second favorite character in 08th MS Team.
Waist
Not much to say here. You can store two ammo packs on the side skirts, just like with the EZ-8. One thing I always found interesting about the Ground Type is how it keeps the little red and yellow ‘V’ symbol near the crotch area. I think this is meant to serve as a reminder of the fact that the Ground Type is made out of spare parts from the RX78 line, and that some of those parts could not (or did not need to) be modified in any way. Hence we have a slightly goofy looking emblem in the middle of a mobile suit that has an otherwise muted color scheme.
Legs
The legs are extremely close in appearance to the EZ-8’s, though the articulation here is better. I still love the spikes sticking out of the shins. I painted them to be shiny and metallic, to make them stand out from the rest of the model.
Also, you still get the side compartments where you can store the beam sabers, which has always been my favorite feature on this mobile suit.
Feet
Surprisingly, the feet are not made out of a single piece of rigid plastic, which means they have a bit of unexpected articulation.
Most of the components of the Gundam Ground Type differ from the RX78-2 Gundam in some way, but the feet are pretty close to identical, right down to the bright red bottoms.
Conclusion
No complaints or issues with this build. Everything came together rather nicely. Maybe that is because the build was similar enough to both the EZ-8 and the Gundam Local Type, or maybe it is because modern High Grade kits are so well engineered. Whatever the reason, it was a relief to not have any catastrophic failures while building such a prized and special kit.
In our next post (also intended for the same day!), we will look at the finished kit!
Other Thoughts
- This kit involved very little hand painting. Aside from some bits on the chest, everything is either color accurate, or is made color accurate via decals. This was a relief considering that the EZ-8 required some painting, at a time when I had not yet learned how to paint!
- Compared to the RX78-2 Gundam, the Ground Type’s proportions are just a little bit wider. The legs in particular have a bit more heft to them. That being said, both mobile suits are still very boxy in shape, and it is clear that they come from the same lineage.