Plamo: The “Technolog Robogear Astrogladiator” Or Something

Ever roll a dice on an eBay listing? I'm a little vague on what this actually is. I know its Russian, a wargaming piece, and a giant robot. Robogear is a name once associated with Airfix circa 2007, although more recent information is behind a language barrier. The model kits of that line have a certain reputation as good conversion fodder for Ork units, but it seems in never really caught on in the west. The lack of context for this gives me pause for thought, but here's how I got on with it.

First impressions? Not great. The plastic is thick, but there is some nasty ass flash, big obvious mould lines and the parts fit is lacking. This could be some form of bootleg, or just really cheaply made, either is credible. Nothing is difficult to manage, but adds to the “toyish" feel that comes from the joint design. The good news is you can build this in sub assemblies before painting, and pose it later, not requiring glue. The bad news is that these joints are based on friction, not glue or polycaps, and you need to use a bit of force. Force isn't something I was happy applying here, because the plastic marks easily, but paradoxically, I'm reasonably certain an assembled model would survive the drop test. I'm hesitant to be too harsh or too kind here, knowing so little about its providence, buuuuuut I've handled far less robust models than this. Its got the build quality of a robot toy you find in a random papershop somewhere for a fiver, one that maybe holds up better than you'd expected, but one that could appear on a Knockoff Beatdown.

Visually, the kit evokes a Heavy Gear design, although its quite generic with other bits suggesting Gundam. It's not without its own flair however, with the gun seeming attached to the hand by a nut and bolt. It's wide shouldered and stocky, although I ended up ditching the oversized ankle guards. Articulation meanwhile is basic, leading me to the fixed pose you see here. I can see this kit being mainly of interest to kitbashers, mainly fans of Warhammer 40K looking for conversion fodder.

In terms of painting, I opted for basically what I always do for ork vehicles: dirty metals paired with bright blue. It's the same technique as The Last Gorkanaut, although using a black undercoat this time. I don't it came out quite as well, buts it certainly not bad. This is also the first time I've tried making camouflage netting from fabric bandages. I found the process messy, but worth the effort, and I think I know how to do it better next time.