Gunpla: The Wing Gundam Entry Grade

 Now for something a bit more basic. Bandai has for a while now been producing Entry Grade releases. Kits for absolute beginners, to get them started. Loss leaders, basically. These do however tend to be very interesting to established Gunpla fans however, as these tend to be very cheap, technologically impressive builds which compare favourably with High Grades in general, and indeed other iterations of the same mobile suits. No need for tools or glue, no polycaps, and largely ideal colour accuracy. I think if they did the Zaku II in this style it would be impossible to keep in stock . They have instead kept Entry Grade as relatively simple actual Gundams, often with accessories omitted. The Wing Gundam is a recent addition to this line, possibly the most recognisable example to western fans. It comes from Gundam Wing, or more formally New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, the first series really make an impact in anglophone countries, and I've featured models from the series on this blog a few times.

First off, the obligatory context and biography paragraph. While the Wing Gundam might be assumed to be the protagonist mech of it's series, and it certainly was positioned that way, it's treatment within the series doesn't support that. It was intercepted on its approach to Earth, and so it's pilot made repeated attempts to destroy it, and himself, for fear of it being captured by the enemy. Eventually said pilot, one Heero Yuy, gets over that, but still ends up destroying it in response to a Trump style threat. It is then rebuilt by a foe, as a gift no less, subsequently outmatched by newer robots, and abandoned. It's final act was to be used in a desperate but successful attempt to get somebody to move out of the way of a big laser, a footnote in someone else's unrequited love story, but not a terrible way to go. It probably doesn't help that Heero was arguably more dangerous than the machine he piloted, and he subsequently acquired the Wing Zero, an almost total upgrade, except for that nasty habit of causing insanity. It also doesn't help, to paraphrase a friend, "that it's not the Tallgeese". But, on its own merits, what is the Wing like? A gun that flies with a somewhat unconvincing bird mode. It's buster rifle could melt whole squads of Leos in one go, and it was agile in the air. Said gun however had only a three shot capacity, and it's other weapons were unremarkable. As such, it was a machine that was mainly good for acts of terrorism, or airstrikes. Which amount to the same thing, of course.

As a build, the Wing punches above it's weight, but the budget is felt. It does have some immediate flaws, but not anything you'd consider unacceptable in a full HG that has a lot of white. It looks great immediately after assembly. You'd need a bit of black for the shoulders for example, and the inside of the shield is the wrong colour, but who cares? A flaw typical of the range is the absence of a beam saber, but no great loss. What is less acceptable is how the buster rifle is one colour when so much attention was paid to the body. Your mileage may vary on that; these aren’t necessarily difficult colours to add, nor obnoxious by their absence, but they are absent.  Meanwhile, the mecha feels light, is visibly hollow in places, and is loose in it's joints. Not fatally so, not unforgivably so, but not great. Can it transform? Yes, it can, but the instructions don't mention it. Possibly because the loose joint issues are quite noticeable and there's no securing tabs to hold things together. I decided against photographing that because it isn't worth the hassle.

For this build I opted for basic techniques such as panel-lining in grey with occasional paint applications. I experimented with gundam-markers and some conceptually similar paint pens by Posca. You can get some pretty decent colours that way, but I should mention that I have a medically recognised condition called “being cack-handed”, so things didn’t come out super-great. This why I go so hard on the dry-brushing and inking with other stuff, mistakes only help with that. I think I got something vaguely passable, but my paints just seem to hate gunpla plastic…. I ended up using a big black marker in places. Frankly, I shouldn't have bothered. Not everything has to succeed to be usefully, creatively speaking, I feel I made it worse in trying to fix it. And then trying to fix the fix.

If you’re a beginner, happily give this a go, but if you’re a perfectionist, I advise caution.

Gunpla: The WMS-03 Maganac (HG)

 Yes, it's time to talk about Wing's lesser known grunt.

The eponymous machine of the Maganac Corps is something without a clear or direct equivalent in wider Gundam. It's a good guy grunt treated with some dignity, and isn't obviously a re-imagining of something from the One Year War. Rather they are what are the box calls a Middle Eastern Nations design, with all that implies. There is possibly an Orientalist aspect to this, and if Quatre Raberba Winner isn't a nod towards Lawrence of Arabia I'd be very surprised.  But then I am British. There's supposedly 40 of them, there was even a big multipack towards that end, and how many thieves did Ali Baba have? I did attempt some research on the creative intent here, I asked around, but I did not find much, so I'll leave that discussion to other writers. Practically, the Maganac was judged to be superior to the Leo, although that's a low bar, with customised versions being common. My recollection is that these guys weren't in the show that much, but generally gave good account of themselves when they did.

 

As a kit, the Maganac is one of those 30 Minutes Missions adjacent armybuilders. It's a relatively simple design with a few polycaps, but mostly friction/clip joints. In some respects it's a transitional piece, with the shoulder joints looking an awful lot like, no, exactly like common polycaps. Colour accuracy is good, but also an annoying near miss. I don't really care that the gun's magazine is the wrong colour, or that you need to put a couple of stripes on the tower shield. I do mind that the yellow panels on the shoulders are stickers when the kit is otherwise very good at colour separation. On the plus side, there's a few weapon storage options, the gun being stowable in the shield, and there being adapters for the axe and shield to stow on the back. The latter two are functional, but don't look great. They look a bit "first draft"; doing the job, but aren't that visually pleasing.  There’s transfers though, if that’s your thing.

While this kit is more solid than the Leo, with fewer fiddly bits, I like it less. Part of that is because the Leo is a fucking classic design, and the Maganac isn’t. However part of that is execution, like the stickers which just aren’t great. The Leo has its flaws, but can easily be built up with little things like foil behind the visor, some black paint, basic panel lining, gundam markers, and/or the inkwash of your choice. Its a simple design that rewards simple techniques, but if you go that extra mile it can shine. If you want a great Maganac, this kit requires you to either sticker the thing up, or paint yellow atop of brown, both options being very annoying.  Also, while true to the animation, there's a notable lack of surface detail here, especially on the lower legs, and a some flair wouldn't have gone amiss. I’d also like the highlight the elbow and knee joints as areas where corners were cut, although they are entirely functional.

 

I ended up doing some basic weathering here, trying to conceal some cutmarks, and did up the sensors with paint. I think it works alright, but this isn't the best kit to start with TBH. 

Post-TFNation Ramble Post

 

Well, TFNation is over for another year. For the unfamiliar, TFNation is the main British Transformers convention. While frequented by increasingly large numbers of people, the Transformers fandom tends be rather close knit. Its the kind of event where you can run into somebody famous in a lift or at breakfast, although its still considered impolite to bother someone with their morning coffee. As a fan, I’ve been a regular, tending towards being a person on the other side of a stall. I traded there, and now find myself helping the charity institution that is Toy-Fu. I kinda drifted into this as I have a few friends in that group, and I like to help, but its good work to be doing. As a convention, I found myself immensely enjoying my company, but less the actual events on offer. I don’t get out much, and I was actively trying to break some habits, and on that level? A success. I got to meet many people in person, met a few new people, while having a good time. I however largely forgot about the panels and such. Something I realised recently was that I tend to view all things as a task to be completed, and that’s not a clever way to live. Its a habit I’m still trying to break, and the TFN weekend was a test for that, and an attempt to refine my social skills. The panels fell by the wayside, but I’m very happy with the social side. But let’s be honest, you’re probably here for the toys pictured above, so let’s talk about those.

 

 

Holy Grails: Macross VF1J & G2 Hooligan

The thing about Toy-Fu is that they keep on getting stuff I never expect to see in person for a sensible price. It would be my favourite stall even if my friends weren’t there. The VF1J is a reissue of an early 80’s toy, and one that was way ahead of its time when it came to engineering. Its a big boy with a lot of metal in it, and as a Macross fan I couldn’t say no. Special thanks to my friend Karl T. On the other end of the size and material spectrum, there’s Hooligan. The thing about the G2 Transformers line is that people tend to focus on the colours. Colours which often put me in mind of what happens after a toddler eats some crayons. What the line actually did though was was popularise balljoints and light-piped eyes, something which the Cyberjet group did very well in miniature. Hooligan personifies both aspects, and is an utter joy in tiger stripes.

 

 

Retool Menagerie: Medix, G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper, & Miner Megatron

A bit on an odd mix here, these guys were purchased because I hadn’t had the mould before bad/or would represent good blog fodder. Medix is a Rescuebot, whom through the wonders of mould reuse, ends up with enough dakka to satisfy your average ork. Miner Megatron is an “origins” spin on a mould we’ve all seen before, which I have a few things to say about. And the Trooper is based off Legacy Skullgrin. Now, Skullgrin is possibly the worst Decepticon deluxe of recent times... but I did find this compelling. Possibly a superior retool, but not much in it.

 

 

Oddball: Gundam Universe non-scale OZ-06MS Leo

This oddly swole depiction of the otherwise svelte Leo was acquired from Gundam Mad, whom I somehow avoided buying actual gunpla from. As you may have observed, I kinda love the Leo, so I grabbed it. Its pretty good. Nice accessories, is better than the GU Tallgeese, but it doesn’t have literally everything.

Little Bits & Stickers  

The stickers are by my talented friend Claude, and the mini-con was from fandom legend Mellowshade, whom was handing them out. Matt the ToyFu customiser was also giving out things, here the cyber key and decoy. Finally the blast effect was by @theGlaug. Thanks lads.

Favourite Purchase: Legacy Armada Universe Optimus Prime
I don't know if he lives up to the hype. But if he doesn't, he's damn close. Serious ratchets, good looks, and surprisingly good engineering touches. I can nitpick here, and maybe its the new car smell, but this is nice.

Expect further commentary on some/all/none of the above in the future, but with more Orky projects already in the pipeline.

Cheers!

The Mecha Hack: Four More Chassis Things

Something I enjoy about the Mecha Hack is how easy it is to, well, Hack. I've been able to produce no end of material because of this, a lot being used in my RPG group. Today's article is much the same, based on concepts I brainstormed in preparation for a new campaign. I don't think I'll end up using these, as I'm currently favouring a different concept, but maybe you can get use out of them? What follows is a bunch of Gundam style grunts, designed to replace the stock 4 chassis, in a smaller scale conflict. Like Zeta...

The Cannoneer Chassis

Inspiration: RGC-83 GM Cannon II, GN-005 Gundam Virtue

The thing about the Titan chassis is that it's very defensive. That's not a complaint, just an observation. Sometimes though, you might want something more proactive, hence this. The Cannoneer is intended as a durable fire platform, stopping short of the Colossus and its transformation gimmick. It has a different gimmick instead, allowing a player to shed armour for agility. This makes it look like something of a good-all-rounder, but its more about long-range stuff.

CANNONEER CHASSIS

HIT DIE D10 DAMAGE DIE D6 REACTOR DIE D6

STARTING HP
1d10 + 5

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
All weapons and armour.

LEVELLING UP
Roll your hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase, rolling twice for Presence and System. At levels 3, 6, & 9, gain a new module.

STARTING EQUIPMENT
Comlink, Heavy Armour (5AP), Small Shield (2AP), Machete (Light Melee Weapon), and Assault Rifle (Light Ranged Weapon).

DESIGN FEATURES

TWIN SHOULDER CANNONS: As an attack action, test Power. If you succeed, deal 2d6 damage, divided as you choose between enemies at far or distant range. Roll your reactor die.

PURGE ARMOUR: As a use action, spend all/any remaining AP & discard your Twin Shoulder Cannons to gain a + 2 bonus to mobility. This lasts until the end of the combat, and the equipment is restored at the next full rest. 

 

The Corax Chassis

Inspiration: OZ-12SMS Taurus

Going slightly more specific for our first Gundam Wing reference of the day, the Corax is a Scout replacement. These are perhaps slightly toned down from the Taurus, these has the virtue of an easy flight mode, and a better damage die than the regular Scout. This means its more about speed than sneaking, but doesn't have to spend a whole turn on the wind-up for an attack. The AI function is intended to suggest a technically competent, but dumb as a sack of hammers robot brain, which is quite representative of the show.

CORAX CHASSIS

HIT DIE D6 DAMAGE DIE D8 REACTOR DIE D6

STARTING HP
1d6 + 3

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
Light weapons, heavy ranged, & light armour.

LEVELLING UP
Roll your hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase, rolling twice for Mobility and System. At levels 3, 6, & 9, gain a new module.

STARTING EQUIPMENT
Comlink, Light Armour (3AP) & Beam Rifle (Light Ranged Weapon).

DESIGN FEATURES

FLIGHT FORM: As a use action, transform. While transformed, you ignore difficult terrain, can move two range bands with one move action, but may not use melee weapons. Return to normal with a use action.

DRONE AI: Your machine can be programmed and/or instructed remotely to act in combat, as fully functional drone. While doing so your mecha has no pilot type, Power: 10, Mobility: 10, System: 5, Presence: 2, and the same HP/AP. Triggering or cancelling this ability requires a Use action.

The Mock Chassis

Inspiration: RMS-106 Hi-Zack 

OK, this is an example of an idea running away with me, and I'm not sure where to take it next. As I have commented before, the Hizack is something that makes no sense in context. It's a machine objectively worse than everything else the Federation had en-mass at the time, it looks like Zeon made it, and its operated by an organisation with "Fuck Zeon" tattoos. I first thought if it as a low cost grunt with thematic flaws, and then came the inspiration. Its an aggressor for war games. Its a false flag unit. A, wait for it, Mecha of Disguise. So, this chassis has the start of a subterfuge mechanic, that I never quite finished. I also added a damage die mechanic to represent the Hizacks power issues. This could actually benefit such a player's cover story, pulling a few punches and so on. Mechanically, this fills the role of a Striker, my logic being that a conman would need a good eye and fast mouth, and that sort of thing is System and Presence.

I realise that I may have put more thought into this than Sunrise did.

MOCK CHASSIS

HIT DIE D8 DAMAGE DIE D6* REACTOR DIE D6

STARTING HP
1d8 + 4

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
All weapons and armour.

LEVELLING UP
Roll your hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase, rolling twice for Presence and System. At levels 3, 6, & 9, gain a new module.

STARTING EQUIPMENT
Comlink, Light Armour (3AP), Small Shield (2AP), Heat Axe (Light Melee Weapon) and Autocannon (Light Ranged Weapon).

DESIGN FEATURES

REPURPOSED AGGRESSOR UNIT: You may reconfigure this machine so it resembles a different mecha with relative ease. You also reroll 20s when attempting to maintain that cover, infiltrate enemy installations and general subterfuge, assuming your disguise is credible.

OBSOLETE POWER CONDUITS: As a use action, change your damage die to one of the following 3 settings. A: your damage die is d8 for melee, but d4 for ranged. B: your damage for is d4 for melee, but d8 for ranged. C: reset your damage die to normal. This effect lasts until changed or the end of the battle.

The Trooper Chassis

Inspiration: The OZ-06MS Leo

As you may have observed, I kinda love the Leo. The poor, cannon fodder unit seemingly made from eggshell and dynamite. The only time this ever did well was when a big name piloted one, so I'm gonna use that as a justification to make this a Brawler analogue. Leos are very much my platonic ideal of a Grunt unit; it's entirely utilitarian in design, it comes in broadly sensible colours, and it's got a big selection of kit. As such, the focus here is adaptability and the stereotypically Russian approach to war materiel. Modules become easily swapped in the manner of missiles on jet fighters, or SEEDs various backpacks. You may wish to create a curated module list for that purpose. Meanwhile if, sorry, when these fall in combat, they can just get a new machine, no trouble.

TROOPER CHASSIS

HIT DIE D6 DAMAGE DIE D8 REACTOR DIE D6

STARTING HP
1d6 + 3

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
All weapons and armour.

LEVELLING UP
Roll your hit die to gain new hit points. Roll to see if attributes increase, rolling twice for Power and Mobility. At levels 3, 6, & 9, gain a new module.

STARTING EQUIPMENT
Comlink, Light Armour (3AP), Round Shield (2AP), Beam Saber(Light Melee Weapon) and Drum Machinegun (Light Ranged Weapon).

DESIGN FEATURES

SURVIVABLE AND DISPOSABLE: If you are reduced to 0 HP, do not roll on the chart. Instead apply the "eject" result, and receive an identical replacement machine when there's a gap in the fighting.

FLEXIBLE MISSION HARDPOINTS: During Downtime, you may swap out any/all of your modules for the next mission, subject to GM approval. The module(s) listed on your character sheet are considered your default load-out.

If you do use these rules, do let me know how it turns out.

Gunpla: The OZ-06MS Leo (HGAC) Yes, AGAIN

 

As you may recall, this is not the first Leo I've done. I can only assume I might like the design at the point. The unfamiliar might ask what a Leo is? Well, it's a memetically expendable and faceless Grunt mobile Suit, made infamous by the series Gundam Wing. My previous comments on the design may be found here, and  here. I'm not repeating myself, when I can instead attempt to drive up traffic by crosslinking articles. We're gonna mainly talk about paints today.

This was an impulse purchase following a trying week which became an opportunity to try something out. The basic assembly and finishing of the Leo was largely the same as the last one, with panels lined with a Unipin Fine Line. The transparent sensor panel was placed atop an area of metallic gundam marker, rather than a reclaimed bit of spare sticker. This makes it a little bit duller, but that wasn't an issue as I was not aiming for shiny. This time, the tip of the gun was painted with one of those newish GW "Contrast Colours", specifically Black Templar. This was a leftover from an abandoned attempt to speed-paint some Ork Boyz. At the risk of going off topic, I found the Contrasts rather disappointing there, which is why the end products haven't been posted on here, but it was acceptable in this project. I suppose black is a hard colour to get wrong. Once the basics had been achieved, I moved on to the matter of "weathering". This was done via generous applications of GW Typhus Corrosion, one of the older but generally reliable Technical range. As paints go, it amounts to something midway between a brown wash and a textured paint which you are encouraged to smear. And smear it I did, placing emphasis on the legs and hard lines. I wanted this to look something that been in the mud like an actual soldier. 

 

The Leo is possibly not an ideal candidate for this technique due to its simplicity and scale, it is still a good one given its obvious grunt stylings. I liked the overall result so much that I decided against trying a chipping effect for the shield. Sometimes, you just look at something, and say to yourself, "Nah, that's great as is.". Plus, I've never seen a Leo survive long enough to chip the paint on a shield. 

 

Gunpla: The OZ-06MS Leo (HGAC)

Writer's note: As I run several weeks ahead on these blog entries, you won't likely see many references to current events. But, before anyone wonders: No, I don't intend to discuss the pandemic here. Moving on.



Like a significant number of English nerd people, my first interaction with the Gundam franchise was the Cartoon Network cut of Gundam Wing, AKA New Mobile Suit Report Gundam W. Fuck me. That was 20 odd years ago. Wing, as I shall call it, was Bandai's opening move to get the Gundam franchise sold to the West. Did it work? Well, we're both here, at least. Although Argos doesn't have any Gundam action figures any more. Today's subject, the Leo played the part of mecha mook in that series, one it fulfilled with memetic abandon. Obsolete even before the series started, the Leo was utterly outclassed by the protagonists, and had the life expectancy of an ice cube in an oven. If not piloted by anyone named, it would be more disposable than toilet paper. Inflatable dartboards last longer. An unguarded strip of bacon in the presence of a dog looks like Doctor Who when next to a Leo. You felt sorry for it after a while, TBH, and perhaps this is where my love of "grunt mecha" starts. In fact, I love the Leo so much I have a toy of it in a glass case. OK: bias noted, context given. Moving on...

So aside from being more pitiable than the last puppy in the petshop, what does the Leo have going for it? Well, it's pretty much where all the "real robot" tropes went in Wing, and this kit nails the look. The Leo screams anonymous military utilitarianism, even more so than its OZ sister machines. It has no flash. It technically has no face either, and you'd be forgiven for thinking it had no neck. It's green and brown, not white or bright. It's got a no nonsense gun. It can have a shield and beam sabers, plus other weapons sadly not in this kit. The Leo actually looks like a humanoid robot a military would build, but it is not without personality. While clearly a grunt, the long legs and ball shoulders add character.

Having built basically the same thing last year, this kit was a straight forward matter for me. As a model, the Leo bares many similarities to the 30 Minute Missions line of kits, and I'd like to know which project came first. This, to be clear, is a very good thing. The plastic runners are arranged in a similar fashion, with limb components being close together, colours being all but perfect and there being a general air of elegant simplicity. The kit is also designed so that cut marks and seams usually end up where they are less obvious, the forearms being a notable exception. You probably can get this together in 30 minutes also; clearly, you are intended to build several. So you can have a team of plebs to die in a needlessly one-sided manner.

It's  less refined than say an Alto, however. Joint tolerances aren't as tight as they could be, with the ankle guards being famously prone to popping off. I ended up using Ardcoat in a fair few places to compensate. On the upside, there is an unexpected bonus in that the drum magazine is removable, and the Leo moves better than it should, being able to pull off a running pose without support. The head does actually move, its just very subtle about it. Beyond that, it's a matter of Gundam Marker and some black paint for the tip of the gun. Its so close to the animation as to not actually need much work, but still benefit should you wish to. One thing I did decide to do was place a bit of foil sticker behind the transparent bit to make it shine. Possibly too well.

When you get right down it, the Leo is a simplistic kit of a simplistic Mobile Suit. Within those parameters however, it's pretty damn good.