Okay, without further ado now let’s get the build started.
First, a look at the runners:
That is a fairly small (but extremely well organized set of parts. Most interesting to me is the fact that it only uses a single row of ball-joint polycaps. As someone who regularly watches video reviews of new kits, I know that Bandai keeps trying to lessen - and in some cases, eliminate - the use of polycaps in High Grade kits, so this isn’t a huge shock.
What's up with Polycaps?
Despite building Gunpla for almost ten years now, I admit that I don't quite understand the hatred for polycaps.Or maybe I should say that I don't understand how a High Grade without polycaps is significantly better than one with them. I understand how a Master Grade is better - they have a full inner frame which is generally sturdier, more articulate, more detailed etc. But a High Grade without p-caps still uses lots of the same tricks as a HG with p-caps (ball joints, hinge joints, etc).
Is it because p-caps are more prone to breaking? Personally, I they haven't been the primary source of problems with any of my kits. If I ever figure out what the anti-polycap sentiment stems from, I will report back.
Feet
Each foot is made of two half pieces, which are then covered with three pieces of armor.
The feet have no articulation to speak of, which isn’t terribly shocking for a cheap grunt kit like this. Nevertheless, I am always disappointed when it isn’t there. Inarticulate feet are the one thing that I wish Bandai would focus on improving across the High Grade line (even beyond all the improvements they have made), because it is the one thing they could do to drastically improve articulation. Guess I’ll just have to keep advocating for it.
As you can see, I did a lot of painting. In retrospect, I’m a bit worried that the shiny silver color is going to clash with the rest of the model. Even the other metallic sections are going to have a much more matte finish. For some reason my muse told me that this was the way to go at the time I painted them.
Legs
These feel even more basic than usual. The upper and lower legs are each built out of two halves, with not a whole lot going on inside of them. The we have the knee joint, which is this single black piece that attaches like a hinge:
This looks stupidly simple, and yet it works quite well:
That knee joint is then covered up with the Leo’s knee armor to complete the set:
You might notice that hint of khaki color just below the knee. That’s not the only place you will find it on the leg:
Maybe it was overkill to paint these side panels, but in my defense, they do add some nice extra depth.
One more thing - the ankle guard rests on a very small ball joint, and it does not like to stay there:
It seems as if the foot is partly responsible for keeping it in place.
Lower Torso
The lower torso is built out of all the usual components you’d expect, but none of them look normal. For starters, the inside of the toros is made from this weird pyramid-shaped part:
To the right, you can see the rear skirt armor, which is more like a harness than anything. That’s because it doubles as the Leo’s backpack of sorts, as this is where it stores its thrusters:
The side skirting is made out of two short rectangles, rather than long flaps. They attach via ball joint, but you can’t get much motion out of them. By far the most interesting thing about them is how they fit so flush with the other pieces
Finally, we get the front skirting, which is still kinda funny shaped compared to what we usually see:
As usual, you can break the two skirts apart to allow them to move independently, though once again there isn’t much opportunity for movement.
Stick the legs on, and it is starting to resemble a Leo:
Conclusion
This is already shaping up to be a slightly … let’s just say sloppier build. Nothing looks exactly smooth so far, which is actually part of the plan (even if you don’t believe me). I didn’t want this kit to look weathered, perse, but I thought some blemishes and rough edges would look particularly good on the Leo. I think it looks better when it resembles a piece of heavy military machinery, rather than a pristine mecha.