I won’t go so far as to say the Guntank is an entirely different build than any other Gunpla, but it does feel at least a little bit different on account of its overall shape. Not only that, but it’s so simple that you can reasonably figure out its assembly just by looking at the parts:
The most notable - and weird - aspect of this build is that I had two different pegs break off of the lower body. One here:
And one here:
I don’t know what happened. These aren’t exactly tiny pegs, and it’s not like I needed (or tried to) apply any lateral force to them. Maybe they use a more brittle kind of plastic for these older, 2000-era models.
Or maybe I have a tendency to Hulk out a bit too much … 😥
Anyway, the good news is that, because these are all flat surfaces, super glue did the trick. The bad news is that some of the glue seeped out and got on the outer surface, and when I tried to clean it off, I accidentally rubbed away part of a decal on the backside. I tried to save face by applying some “battle damage” using paint and weathering compound (you’ll see it later on in this post).
One of the tragicomic bits about this model is the pilot that’s molded into the cockpit. It looks less like a human and more like a crash test dummy. I still tried to paint it - and looking back, I could have done more - but at the end of the day no one is going to be focusing on the little guy in the cockpit:
I managed to take a few shots of the Guntank right after I assembled it with my kid. Aside from a bit of panel lining on the bottom half, and a rough attempt at a paint wash on the wheels and treads, this is basically a straight build:
It certainly looks like a Guntank! But in my opinion it also looks extremely toylike, even moreso than other straight builds. That makes sense, considering that the base design itself was intentionally made to be very toyetic. But let’s see if a bit of TLC can’t make it look a little better.
Here now is the Guntank with panel lines, weathering, decals, and top coat:
I’m not completely in love with how it came out. The shading and weathering is a bit too heavy in some spots, and not heavy enough in others. I should have done a bit of practice before diving into it (which, not for nothing, is the subject of a future post).
I’m also frustrated that you can still see the outline of the waterslide decals from up close. I’m still using Mark Setter and Mark Softer, but either I’m not using them correctly, or they don’t work exactly the way I’m expecting them to.
(I’m also not 100% sure that I used Mark Softer on all the decals. By the end I was rushing to wrap this one up)
Still, I think it’s an improvement over the straight build. The top coat kills the plasticky sheen, which really goes a long way here. Meanwhile, the decals help make it look a bit more visually complex, while the shading and weathering add a bit of extra “texture”.
Let’s briefly look at the Guntank’s limited articulation. First things first: the wheels and treads do not move. As much as this may look like a toy, it was never meant to operate like one.
Second, the torso also doesn’t move (as expected). Or at least it’s not meant to. You can wiggle it left and right a little bit, but not enough to really make a meaningful difference.
Now on to things that are meant to move, starting with the shoulder cannons. They easily move up and down:
They also move a bit side to side:
The arms can move up and down:
And you can rotate the missile launchers:
The arm also has a nice amount of flex:
Which gives the Guntank a surprising amount of personality if you want it:
About the Visual Design
It feels a bit weird writing this section at the tail end of a build, but I’m still going to give it a shot.
The Guntank is a goofy looking design, no doubt about it. And I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time slagging it during this build. But the truth is that I’ve always had a soft spot for the Guntank.
Part of the reason is that, goofy as it may be, it’s also hard to laugh at the weird tank/mobile suit hybrid when it rolls in bearing that much firepower. It looks like it can easily blast you into the stone age if you were to get in front of it, and that’s worthy of respect.
I also appreciate how much it visually mirrors the Gundam, what with the blue upper torso, the red lower torso, and the yellow chest vents. You can trace a sense of lineage from one to the other, which ensures that the Guntank never feels out of place next to its comrade.
Lastly, regardless of what its creators intended, there is a certain amount of logic to the idea that the Earth Federation would make a half-mobile suit like this on its way toward learning how to make a full one. There is a sense of purpose one can ascribe to the goofiness, and that takes away any desire I’d otherwise have to ridicule it.
Plus, the Guntank has always looked like the “Little Machine that Could”. Like a lot of folks, I enjoy rooting for underdogs.
What happened with this Build?
This is one of the only times I can think of where I did a straight build and went back late to doll it up. I don’t plan on doing it again if I can avoid it. Psychologically, it feels taking a step back in your progress when you have to take apart a fully assembled kit in order to (re)work on the individual bits and pieces. That sapped away a lot of my motivation. Honestly, the only reason I got this done is because I had a few hours in the morning to myself, when I was rested and ready to work on something. If I had to wait until the evening to finish this build, I’m not sure if I would have managed.
The other problem is that I didn’t devote my very best effort to the detailing work, and tried to rush through it at the back end. Usually that’s because I’m so excited to see the finished piece that I grow impatient, but in this case it was more a matter of me not feeling that 100% was worth the investment.
Let me put it this way: Most HGUC kits need some amount of help in order to reach their full potential (even the newer ones, though they definitely look better than ever as straight builds). But what matters is that the potential is there. There are little bits and details that you can fill in in order to make them look more detailed, more mechanical, etc.
I think that’s only half true with this Guntank. The little bits are there, but they feel half-assed. Take the pilot. No amount of painting is going to mask the fact that it’s arms and legs are formless tubes. We know that Bandai can make frighteningly detailed humanoid statuettes at this scale - just look at any of the pilot figures that come with the old Real Grade kits. Either didn’t have the tech to do so back in 2000, or they simply chose not to for this particular model.
Or consider the pistons molded into the sides:
It’s a great idea, but some of them are covered up and rendered invisible. The rest just look like they’re floating there, unconnected to anything. Painting them in doesn’t necessarily look better or worse than leaving them alone.
To put it another way, it’s worth dolling it up, but I’m not sure it’s worth plussing it up, because you end up getting diminishing returns.
Conclusion
At the end of this build, I looked back at that screenshot I took from Gundam Evolution:
And then I realized something - I think my Guntank looks better than that. I think the proportions are a little weird, and the detail a little lacking.
So for as much as I’ve beaten myself up about the quality of the work, I do think it came out well enough.
Other Thoughts
I was previously of the opinion that the Guntank is a simple enough design that it has no need for a Revive model, but I’ve changed my mind. All the little details could use some sprucing up (though I don’t necessarily think the proportions need to be tweaked).