The recognizable Japanese DIY figures known as Gundams come in a variety of designs and degrees of intricacy. If you’re interested in creating your own powerful robot model, take a look at these suggestions to get your project off to a great start.
Enhance your Gundam with add-ons
The creation of a Gundam is not its only important aspect. Gundam construction is a lot of fun, especially when you get to show them off. If you want to display your Gundam in a dimly lit environment, accessories like Gundam LED lights from Evan Designs may make it look much more amazing and lifelike. If you decide to display these statues in your home, they make the ideal hobby and conversation piece in one.
Look at your options
There are numerous Gundams available. There isn’t much purpose in making a model you don’t like even though some are premium even at the entry level, like the Master Grade 2.0 version of the Freedom Gundam. Before choosing a model to create, check over your alternatives and determine which designs you prefer.
Get a good pair of clippers
Gundam kits require you to separate the parts for the Gundam from the sheet holding them since plastic is poured into incredibly complex molds. The best tool for this is a set of clippers that can easily cut through plastic. Get a little clipper so that you have more control and so that it can fit everywhere you need it.
Unless you have no other option, avoid removing the parts by hand from their sheet. While many parts may be assembled in this way, you run the risk of breaking delicate parts and destroying the model.
Remove extra plastic
Most of the extra plastic on your model may be removed with a decent set of clippers. You might occasionally discover some leftovers poking out, though. Remove any extra items with care, but make sure they are trash and not items you are supposed to keep by checking the guide again.
Because they are such detailed sculptures, Gundams frequently leave little space for error. The model may not fit together properly if some plastic protrudes.
Know where to get replacement parts
Sometimes the worst occurs and you break or lose a piece. Although this damage isn’t usually catastrophic, if it’s a noticeable piece, it’s advisable to acquire a replacement. Fortunately, there are various options for getting replacement parts. Save that manual for future reference.
Apply stickers with tweezers
Tweezers are a useful tool to have on hand when creating a Gundam, just like clippers are. When working with stickers, which can be challenging to apply accurately on some models, these little grabbers are fantastic. When using stickers, there is absolutely no room for error, but the good news is that you can typically press them a little distance into position if necessary.
Building Your Own Gundam Model
The Gunpla that you select based on your level of expertise is the most exciting. Fortunately, finding the right model for you is simple because Gunpla classification is somewhat scientific.
Scale and grade are the two divisions used by Bandai, the company that produces all Gunpla models.
The degree of precision in the individual parts and the level of construction expertise required are both related to grade. The most realistic or faithful to how it appears in the software will be a very thorough grade of Gundam. However, putting it together will be the most challenging.
RX-78-2 Gundam High Grade Model Kit
The 1/144 scale High-Grade kits are a great place to start for your first model. Although the building procedure will gently introduce you to the art of Gundam construction without draining your cash account, they are shockingly realistic and poseable. What better way to get started than with the RX-78-2, the original Gundam. This model, which has a timeless style and superb articulation, is simple to snap together.
Once completed, it will proudly strike a pose on your shelf and include the distinctive blaster and shield of the RX-78-2.
Char MS-06S Zaku II Red Comet High Grade Model Kit
Char Aznable is one of the greatest villains in anime history, and every hero needs a villain. The 1/144 scale model of this machine, which is being piloted by a man known as the Red Comet and equipped with a modified Zaku mobile suit, has been upgraded with some new groovy aesthetics taken from Aznable’s origin narrative mini-series that are more in keeping with contemporary Gundam interpretations. It is similar to the RX-78-2 in that it is highly articulated, has a large number of weapons, and is painted a brilliant shade of crimson.
Crossbone Gundam X1 High Grade Model Kit
All Gundams have fantastic aesthetics, but only the Crossbone X1 can wear a cape and appear chic at the same time. This specific model is a little trickier to build, but the end result is well worth it because it strikes a striking mix between traditional 1990s mecha designs and space-pirate themes. This Gundam is one that can attract attention with ease thanks to its high-quality parts and manageable quantity of snap-together pieces.
High Grade Astray Red Frame Gundam Model Kit
The Astray Red Frame Gundam fulfills all the requirements for a mobile suit, but what makes it stand out is a gigantic sword it can deploy to slash through foes. This one comes with a ton of extra components, like a jetpack, beam sabers, and a solid shield, and it can be put together in a few hours. It’s a great balance of difficult and approachable. It was designed to strike a pose, and you’d be amazed at the excellent balance this model possesses even when put in outlandish positions.
Nu-Gundam Ver.Ka Master Grade Model kit
You have completed your studies at the 1/100 scale Master Grade Gunpla building after graduating from the 1/144 scale school of high-grade figurines. The Nu Gundam mobile suit from the Char’s Counterattack movie is without a doubt the greatest kit to commemorate your entry into this brand-new, difficult sector of schooling. This model, which is a part of the Ver.Ka line and is widely regarded as one of the best Gundam designs ever, has modern styling and will stand out on your collection.
Barbatos Gundam Master Grade Model kit
This Gundam from Iron-Blooded Orphans deviates from the typically boxy designs shown so far, not to be mistaken with the island nation in the Caribbean. The 1/100 Barbatos Gundam is leaner, meaner, and equipped with a variety of nasty melee weapons. It also features sinister design elements including exposed parts and flexible articulation. Thanks to these mechanical flourishes and a construction procedure that lets you see the frame before placing armor components to it, it’s a dependable best-seller.
Epyon Endless Waltz Master Grade Model kit
Speaking of sinister Gundams, the Epyon EW takes the idea to the next level and stands out from the crowd with its blood-red armor, angular design, and lethal articulated whip weapon. Once fully completed, the Epyon may also change into its recognizable Dragon Flight mode, living up to the legend that its animated version created in the Endless Waltz series. The Epyon, while having a more difficult build than some other figures, is nonetheless a mobile suit with a design that was decades ahead of its time when it first appeared on television.
Wing Gundam Master Grade Model kit
The Wing Gundam from the Ver.Ka series offers a more heavenly alternative, packing a sharp-dressed mecha appearance with its signature wings. The primary allure of this figure is the presence that its deceptively divine appearance may emanate before you transform this Gundam into its Neo Bird Mode, albeit a pair of buster rifles allow for effective offensive alternatives. When you’ve taken the last piece out of the runner tray, the Wing Gundam, one of the more pleasurable builds, will have you feeling entirely content with what you’ve built.
Unicorn Gundam Perfect Grade Model Kit
You have now ascended to the level of Perfect Grade kits, the pinnacle of our activity, and it is time to obtain your doctorate in Gunpla creation. These enormous projects, which might take several days to finish at 1/60 scale, have a huge advantage in that they feature a staggering amount of added detail. A great example of this range is the Unicorn Gundam, which not only allows you to spend countless hours building a large mobile suit but also allows you to wonder at how it grows larger as it changes and reveals its translucent components.
The Unicorn Gundam can be made even more unique if you’re willing to go the extra mile by purchasing an LED light kit that fits inside of it.
Perfect Grade Unleashed Gundam RX-78-2 Model Kit
This new version of the RX-78-2, which is a part of the Perfect Grade Unleashed series, may be the final iteration of the iconic Gundam. It’s a kit you’ll want to buy twice: once for the enjoyable assembly process that results in a gorgeously detailed mobile suit that does the franchise proud, and once for the second kit that displays the original Gundam’s magnificent metal components and inner workings before its armor is bolted down.
Conclusion
Building Gundam models is good for the human brain, according to Professor Kikunori Shinohara of Suwa Tokyo Science University’s Neuroscience division. Assembling the model, according to Shinohara-san, increases blood flow to the brain, allowing it to “concentrate better, react better, and remember better.”
It’s true that creating these things requires a lot of concentration. Professor Shinohara may have a point when he says that these tasks need for extreme fine motor control, concentration, the capacity to think in three dimensions, and a lot of patience when you can’t finish that one Gundam kit.