Plamo: The 30 Minutes Missions Extended Armament Vehicle (Mass Produced Sub Machine Ver.)

Something which 30 Minutes Missions has been doing on the side, but I've largely missed, is the idea of an Extended Armament Vehicle.These are mech-adjacent things that can operate as a self-contained unit, but also offer modular parts for use a thematically similar kit. There is for example a tank that matches colours and vibe with an Alto variant released at the same time. The Mass Produced Sub Machine, in addition to having an unwieldy and decidedly uncool name, is a little bit of a change. It's largely humanoid you see, if not entirely. If anything, its like the Rifleman from Battletech, a pair of autocannons on legs. I wonder if this also has a reputation in universe? 

 

 

 

"Little Mac" as I choose to call it, has a few interesting things going on, both visually and internally. It uses the Spinatio joint runner, but in its own way, placing the hip joints in the shoulders, with what would otherwise be arm joints in the legs. This helps give the mecha its kinda metal-gear look, and means that it is not merely a simplified EXMACS mecha. The arms have a quirky sub-arm thing going on too. It's meant to use the built-in guns most of the time, but you can flip out a forearm with a limited grip to hold regular weapons. The legs are also a set of spare hands away from being credible spare arms, which you will have, as there are 5 black plastic hands included in box. That's a major mark in the kits favour, aiding customisation of older 30MM releases which often omitted such things, although I’m not overly fond of the hip armour. Sweetening the deal further is an internal cockpit, and a frankly adorable option to mount a regular head atop it. While the spread of dates stamped on the runners suggest I'm late to the party, I was impressed with all this. I then proceeded to apply some basic weathering techniques to finish it off, and drilled out the gun barrels.

Is Little Mac good enough to stand on its own as a release? If its not, it's damn close. The visual style is possibly a marmite, as it's mainly a neutral gunmetal grey, which is useful for kitbashing but rather dull to look at. Differences in the joint usage also mean that its not as articulated as its larger kin, although that's more characterful design choice than a design flaw. Between its own merits and opportunities for customisation, though, I've paid a lot more to get less.