Plamo: The 30 Minutes Missions Roundnova I

Righty, it seems that I might back on that 30MM bullshit.

 

Some context first. This was another Brum Toyfair purchase, there always being at least a couple of mecha stalls there. As a project, this was completed in-between drying stages of my Kommandos, the claim of 30 minutes completion time being plausible even if I wasn't rushing. While 30MM kits can get very samey, this one is very recent, and is doing something new: fabric effect parts.

The Roundnova is, shockingly, round. Its got a domed head and rounded body, and might easily be called friend shaped. This, and it's heavy backpack might lead you to think it's small going by the box alone, but no it's a fairly big lad.  In terms of construction, it's nothing revolutionary despite it's looks. There’s a 2019 joint sprue in there, but most of it goes unused, the hips and shoulders being new pieces of the same style, which omit shoulder amour. The hands are an unusual three fingered claw, although you get closed versions to hold weapons. It feels a touch light for it's size, not badly so, but it's a noticeably hollow robot. The Roy Roy is a little charmer, with a translucent piece for it's sensor, and a build that says champion hugger. The missile backpack, like everything else, is modular. And finally, there's a selection of Liefield-style pouches, cast in a beige with a fabric effect.

 

While good as 30MM kits often are, this one does have a few aspects I dislike. The gun for example seems to be screaming for an actual barrel, it's just got an exposed connector, and the shield has more of a sensor dish vibe.  Going by stock photos, the Roundnova II variant combines these two to great effect, but OK. You can swap guns, it's no issue, and half the fun. Unfortunately, the knee joints are cast in the same colour as the fabric, which prompted me to break out the paint. I also picked out the missiles and tarted up the gun. I weathered the robot in my usual way, but I used different washes on the metal and fabric bits. I dunno if it worked that well, but it worked OK.

 

Overall? A good time.