2011 – All Wrapped Up

So, the years over. What’d I get up to?

Apologies in advance for the blur-o-vision in these photos. Camerta/tripod/lighting setup are on holiday.

2011 – It started off quiet and ended with me standing knee-deep in piles of giant hailstones on Christmas Day. Inbetween that I managed to do some gunpla though.

Prior to 2011 I think I’d build 2.5 kits in about 4 years. (A MG Wing Zero Custom, a MG Unicorn ver. ka, and half of a MG HiNu). So for me 2011 was productive!

First off, I finished snap-building the Hi-Nu. I’m a fan of this design, but I’m a fan of white and blue, so that’s a given.

HLJ had a sale on PGs. So I got a few, and this fellow. Loved building it, hate the fact bits fall off when you look at him. Somehow he stayed together for this shot.

It was around this time I discovered GAF, while researching ideas and colours for my PG Strike Freedom. (’cause the normal colours are bleh). You guys are fruit loops. Seriously. You’re all great though, too.

During the build phase of the PGSF I hand-painted these two guys.

First, a MG Freedom; has a few flaws that need fixing, mostly from falling off a shelf. You can see the waist joint is a bit flopsy.

Then a MG Wing Zero ver. ka, who came together much better.

After a purchase of an airbrush, I spent the next 3 months on this bugger – my build for the Gauntlet of the Apocalypse. While taking this photo I remembered I need to finish the swords…

After the Gauntlet, burn out sets in, though I manage to snap a HG 00 7 Swords. I like this design a lot.

Took a break from Bandai kits and built a Kotobukiya Frame-Arms Rapiere. Painted a few of the bits that weren’t white in white to match the boxart.

Started on my Delta Plus for the groupbuild. Glad the timeframe got extended, I would’ve missed the original deadline by a large margin.

Upcoming projects:

A SD Destiny that will be done in Alclad Golds and probably a white pearl for the missus. If I do things for her occasionally she lets me buy stuff! Win-win.

And a bunch of other things. The GN-X is a great design, because it’s a bit different! Yes, that is a car model in there. Sssh, it’s a “secret” project.

The kit I’m currently looking forward to the most next year…

Although I didn’t build many kits this year, I couldn’t stop buying the bloody things.
Here’s my current untouched backlog. Anything I’ve actually started on isn’t there.

Must. Stop. Buying. The 1/48 Gundam box looks kinda small in that context…

In closing I’d like to thank Sonar and everyone from the Gundam Australia Forums for forming and being part of a great community! Here’s to a great 2012 everyone!

September 4, 2011May 29, 2014

Redemption – Gallery

Enjoy!
PS: Image three is for you, Gaigun. Taken just before the weight of the wings made him sink backwards and fall over.

September 1, 2011May 29, 2014

A Conclusion

This is not my official wrap up post, it’s only a tribute to it. Proper post coming later on.

To my fellow Gauntletees – I salute you all. I’ve been inspired, and had a fucking great time building with you all!

To Busterbeam: thanks for starting this groupbuild! It’s your fault I’m addicted to gunpla again after a 3 year hiatus! Can’t wait to see your build!

To Falldog: Your black and red vs. my white and blue. Deathmatch, out front, in five minutes! Your gold frame made me want to paint mine, and from there I found this group build…

To Lupes: White and blue, unite! The silver frame works great! Your chrome/trans blue parts look fantastic.

To Gaigun: Inspiring. Awesome. What else to say? You need to get that displayed somewhere; it’s an astounding vision!

To Kman: You and I both borrowed a little from Keita! His MG SF made me want to do mine in white, and your version is great! The metal decals are win!

To American Salaryman: The greatest build of your life has just started, and I wish you all the luck in the world! I look forward to seeing you PGSF, but your kid should take centre stage!

To Talanor: My condolences and best wishes. I know when you finish your kit, it will be fantastic!

To Sonar, ZETA, Fury, Kjasi, Quang, Deikun, Khaotikz, gunny, Shifty, Hemish and everyone else: You guys rock. A community is only as good as the people in it! You all are what makes this community great! If I forgot anyone important, hey, it’s 12am.

A special mention to my partner. She’s had to put up with paint smells, plastic everywhere and expensive trips to local hobby shops. If I hadn’t have got spousal dispensation, I’d not be in this build!

To the local hobby shops: Sorry about buying all your white paint.

I’d like to thank my cat, the neighbours, and that guy up the road, my 3rd grade teacher and…

“Hey, this isn’t the Oscars’ Shaid, shut the fuck up already.”

Anyway, apologies for the kinda crap photos, I will be getting a better camera to do a better photoshoot with better lighting.

Also, I’ll be doing a proper write up and so on, too, for Catapult and my neglected blog and so on. Kit review, backstory for Redemption, all that.

A few comments: No decals. The stickers that come with the kit look kinda odd (not to mention a bit silvered) on the white and blue. I never got my custom set finished to order. The custom swords I was making (Deliverance and Damnation) are almost finished, but I fucked up part of them, had to get replacement parts, and they only arrived last week. Then the wings for the kit took longer than expected, so I sacrificed them for this build to be completed.

I must say though, the dragoons? What the hell. Stay on, damnit. They fall off mine whenever you look at them funny. The wing joints also suck, once painted the wings are too heavy and they sag a lot. I can understand why this kit is pretty much on a constant 40% off on HLJ. It does have some flaws. The weight of paint on parts wasn’t accounted for in the design, I suppose.

Still, regardless of that, the kit looks damn awesome.

Ok, enough waffle. Presenting: