Gunpla

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe (part 3) 2021-06-14

Followup on super special leg articulation

Well that didn’t take too long. Yesterday I couldn’t figure out how to make use of the Deathscythe’s special leg articulation, but after a stroke of pure luck I have the answer.

It turns out that I was using the wrong poses to test the feature:

For example, this bend involves the hip, knee, and ankle, so it isn’t really a test of what the knee, on its own, can do. Instead, we need a way to test the knee in isolation.

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe (part 2) 2021-06-13

Deathscythe’s weapons came together with a bit of strife, but maybe now I have “The Messies” out of my system. Let’s move on start putting together the body.

Feet and Legs

This is by far the most complicated section of the body. Just look at this pile of pieces!

And that’s not even all of them! (I forgot to add two to the pile when I took this photo)

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe (part 1) 2021-06-12

Normally I take a little break between builds, but not this time. As soon as I finished writing about the Entry Grade Gundam, I had this thing unboxed and ready to go. I can’t wait to put Deathscythe together.

The Runners

We’ve seen this before with all the High Grade Gundam Wing kits - it always looks like there aren’t enough parts on the runners. But I know better now. These pieces are going to transform into something great.

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe 2021-06-10

My last two builds were … not great. I don’t think I’ve had a “two-game skid” like this before. It’s not great for motivation.

But this next build will break the streak. I know it will. This is a surefire knockout if ever there was one. It is another High Grade Gundam Wing kit, and so far every single one of those not named Leo has been incredible.

It is also a model of the very first mobile suit I ever liked. The original favorite of every edgelord teen. The inspiration for several thousand Anime Music Videos set to Linkin Park songs.

That’s right - the Great Destroyer is back:

Gunpla Build - Entry Grade Gundam Postscript 2021-06-10

This is an attempt at a followup to my review of the Entry Grade Gundam. That previous post was hardly my best work. I spent three nights in a row working on it, and at the end of each night I ended up falling asleep at my desk. I just couldn’t figure out how to put my thoughts into a cohesive argument, and my dislike of the model meant there was only so much time I wanted to spend on it. I had other things I wanted to do with my free time, and this review was blocking them all. So after three nights, I cut my losses and published what I had.

Now I’m back to try one more time. Not with a full review, but to at least try and mount my main argument more cleanly. I think that it might be easier with a fresh start in a fresh post.

Gunpla Build - Entry Grade Gundam 2021-06-06

I’m really excited for this one. I’m not sure if I should be, but I am. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that I built not one, but two Grandaddy Gundams. And while I hear nothing but good things about this Entry Grade kit, there’s still a possibility that it isn’t as great as I’ve been led to believe. As always, there’s only one way to find out.

New Gunpla in Target 2021-05-22

Back in the fall, I wrote a lot of words about how Gundam model kits were being sold at Target. It was a pleasant surprise, but I wondered whether it was a one-time deal, or whether they would continue to bring in new product over time.

Here now, in the middle of 2021, I can confirm that Target is not quite done with Gunpla. In addition to restocking a few of the “old” models from the fall (I’ve personally seen resupplies of the Revive Gundam and the Wing Zero), they’ve added at least two new kits to store shelves. Once again, I did my duty and showed my support through my patronage: