1/100 NG Seravee - The model and the 'Designer Color' features.

Although I have still a ZakuII to do, and my GN-Archer mod, I'm currently focusing on the Seravee.

The Seravee comes in a larger sized Gunpla Box. It's size can be compared with the MG Exia Repair(Ignition Mode), Zaku Cannon and such.
It has a lot of parts and was really fun to build!

(The runners and the box)

You also get 2 LED units (the same as the 1/100 NG OO-Gundam has), a sheet of marking seals and stickers.
The seals are the same as those which can be bought seperately, but unfortunately, those seals included are neither waterslide decals nor dry-transfer. The stickers included are the same as included with the regual 1/100 NG Seravee with 2 slight differences.

1. No hologram-effect stickers for the eyes
2. the stickers for the GN-Condenser has markings on them, unlike the regular one, which only are plain dark-green circles

The LED units are all green and the light-up effects are achieved with clear parts and clear PolyCaps.

(Head with activated light but not colored or temporarily painted)

The LED for the head is stored inside the chest, and the light of the LED gets redirected to the head, using a clear piece for the neck and polycap.

The LED for the backpack is stored in the Back of the Seraphim - the cover can be removed and secured with a locking mechanism.

Face Burst Mode!

Although I like the LED-effects, I don't like the green color.
I might use orange LED's (Tau drive 4tw) later on.

The LED's currently used are from my OO-Gundam - the LED's enclosed with the Seravee are still packed, like on the picture above.

So far the Seravee - see you next time.



Random thoughts:

• If the center of the V-Fin would have been clear, you might easily light up the Seravee's head-jewel.
• The Beam-Sabres stored at the wrist can also be used like the Unicorn Gundams, as a katara.
  

P.S.: If you would like to have a detailed review on the original 1/100 Seravee, I recommend rrobbert184's Review on Youtube.

New MG GN-X picture / ジンクス

Bandai released a new image of a painted MG-GN-X - damn, I like it, can't wait for it's release.

(Image from Bandai-Hobby)
January 2010 release - 3600￥ (Retail - without tax)

There are also a few photos taken from the latest Dengeki Hobby Issue (February 2010 Issue) with some information on this gem. Unfortunately, the quality of those images is bad (espacially blurry).
All I can see is, that the head movement is (obviously) alot better than the HG version, it has a Display Base for the GN[T] Drive, and maybe (don't know exactly, due bad quality and stupid watermark) a LED-Unit.
Well,... gotta wait for more high-res pictures/scans.

*sigh*

Today, I will explain you, how I modded the eye, and how it currently looks like!

In the previous post, I showed you how the original HG Zaku Eye looks like. below you can see a cross-section of the HG Zaku head, with it's helmet, the eye piece, and the part the eye piece is mounted onto:

You'll notice that the top of the eye piece is covered by the helmet, therefore I decided to modify this eye piece to have an arm, where the eye will later be attached to

With this done, the more time consuming part has to be done: the eye!
The easiest way would be to have some pla pipe with 3 to 5 mm diameter (I measured that the eye should have 3,6mm) - Anyways, I didn't have a pipe, that's why I needed to make one myself. I used 12 layers of my 0,3mm pla-plate, clued together to achive a cuboid with 3,6mm height,... however, I forgot that the cement also adds to the height, which lead to a height of about 4,5mm (well,... I soon noticed that this was good)

after the clued dried, I tried to carve one end to fit into my dremel (well, not exactly a dremel, but dremel-like)

I mounted my 12-layers-of-clued-together-pla-plate on my dremel, and now it was time to get rolling,...no, wait,... spinning. (well,... the process was more of turning instead)
With my eye-cuboid spinning/turning, I used 2 differend files. To shape the basic cylinder, I used a flat file.
After the cylinder was shaped, I 'cut' a line to highlight that the end of this cylinder is the lense (with a 3-sided file) which was later rounded off, to look even more like a lense. (well, somewhat)

(the right side of the self made eye piece was mounted on the dremel)

After I cut the original eye-piece, like stated above, I clued parts of the eye onto it.

Sexy on the front!

Oh my god,... what's that? oh wait, that are my fingers,... but what's that? A gap between this strange pole for the original eye-part to mount on and my eye part,... I will need to fix this using some slices from the remaining eye I have *sigh*

But I think it looks fantastic - now you can pose this eye similar to older MG mono-eye suits, like the gouf - with a tweezer or something else, you can easily rotate the eye, + you can work out some additional detail for the whole head, I eventually will do.

Zaku Ground War Set

Along with my Dengeki Hobby Mag, I got my 1/144 'HGUCHG' Zaku ground war set.
(High Grade Universal Century Hard Graph).

The set contains the regular HG Zaku II, and 2x2 new runners.
The new features, compared to the regular Zaku II, are as following (unless otherwise stated, everything is included twice):

• Sturmfaust
  
• optional left hand
  
• optional right hand (spread palm)
• Zaku Bazooka effect part
• standing EFF soldier with rifle
• running EFF soldier with rifle
• Zeon soldier with pistol
• Zeon Wappa (I would call it a hover bike)
• type 61 EFF Main battle tank
• damaged track for the tank
• explosion effect part for the tank
• cracker/grenade for the zaku
• 1 sheet of waterslide decals

Although the Zaku doesn't necessarily need to be painted, the option parts will surely have to.
Effect parts which have the same colour as the tank and/or bazooka just look ugly.
The Zaku has plenty of disturbing seamlines which need to be removed (forearm, legs, spike shoulder armor, and the torso).

I won't do that much modifications on the zaku itself, but I will at least modify the eye, since the original eye piece doesn't provide any detail at all.
The original eye part is just a black cylinder/cone thingy, with a round sticker for the eye.
Posing the eye is a pain, since you have to disassemble the whole head.

(The eye part)

I target to build a eye like the MG kit's have (especially like the old Gouf, but not like Zaku 2.0 or the old Zaku MG kits), which means, that the eye will be mounted on an axis.

Well, we'll see how this mod will be done the next time.

Some miscellaneous from the Dengeki Hobby January 2010 Issue.

Today, I will cover some misc. stuff I found in the latest Dengeki Hobby issue.

1/100 Scale Diorama - Featuring:
Zaku II 2.0 (J-type) and Gundam 2.0

I'm really impressed how they achieved to pose the Zaku mid-air, but I can't really understand why they used a J-Type Zaku - This diorama recreates a scene from the first episode/movie from Gundam 0079, after 3 Zaku infiltrated this colony - my complaint: the J type is used for ground combat, but they are useless to maneuver in space - that's what the F-Type Zaku was used for and needed to infiltrate the colony.

(a modded 1/100 MG Guntank)

It was well weathered and slightly modified, added some photo etched parts etc.
It's colorscheme is similar to that on of the Prototype Gundam.

1/1 scale Pulse Rifle replica from Alien 2

I was quiet surprised to see that while checking the mag - but the pricing is ridiculous - about 100.000 Yen (that are about 1000$, 800Euro,... excluding shipping and duty). The text also says something about counter and gimmick and magazin,... but can't say for sure what exactly.

Trading Figure series from to aru majutsu no index (とある魔術のインデックス)

Recently watched the anime and I really like Misaka and her 20,001 clones - although I really would like to get the PVC figure, it's a bit to expensive for my wallet, but this trading figures only cost about 700yen each. However, I didn't find any German reseller so far who will sell those figures, and I don't want to by a box of 12 pieces and eventually don't get 2 misaka - (I want to mod one with a LED inside, + a spare one, if the mod happens to fail)
Well, I will have to check eBay regularly in march, but I'm quiet confident to forget about this by then, after those trading figures will be released.

1/8 scale Rei Ayanami 'Color Resin' kit - 'Super Plugsuit ver.'

Lust, but not least, a 1/8 (17cm) scale Rei Ayanami Resin-kit with her 'Super Plugsuit' (why does it look like a catsuit?). The individual parts are molded in their final colors, but you still need to paint the details onto the parts yourself. Waterslide decals for the eyes are provided aswell.
But you'll need to spend 11.300 yen for the kit.
Well,... honestly I'd rather get a PG Zaku or try to find the 1/8 scale Mikoto Misaka & Misaka set on eBay.

The Unicorn Gundam Bust

The First Unicorn!
(and maybe the last)

Recently received my Dengeki Hobby January Issue 2010, including the 1/48 scale Unicorn Gundam Head (Display Base) (If you want to see the unpainted head, check the link)
With only one runner (+4 Psycho-Frame parts), the head was built fast and painted, too!
Therefore, all I can do is to post the finished head.

Left: the head in destroy mode - Right: with black light
after the photos were taken, I noticed that I should panel-line the mout vents.

The head is capable of transforming between Unicorn- and Destroymode, however, I will display it as Destroy-mode, since I find this to be more interesting to look at, instead of the plain, white, Unicorn.
The head itself required a fair bit of work in order to look like the Unicorn Gundam, but, unlike the 1/144 Rasiel Gundam kit, it doesn't require that much of work.
Basically, you need to paint the inside of the unicorn horn, or the V-Fin, with yellow or gold, and the neck area, the eye piece and (what I didn't) the center of the V-Fin with gray.
And finally the eyes and camera with green.
One page after the instruction manual, you will spot this:

If you are a little bit experience with electronics, you can add a cardreader and a LED to the head.

All in all, I'm satisfied with my work, but I'm not satisfied with the photos taken - a lot of the shading effects doesn't come out that well, not to speak of the gloss from the top coat. The Head itself was fun to build and looks good on display, but the ridiculously expensive shipping to Europe makes you think twice before buying an Dengeki Hobby January 2010 Issue.
For about 2500yen (incl. Shipping), I only recommend this head to people, who really like the Unicorn Gundam and/or spend a fair amount of effort building and painting this kit.
Otherwise, due it's scale, the head will just be boring to look at.

GM-79C GM Kai Jaburo Defense Unit w/ Prototype advanced striker shield (Unit 01)

Now Defined as 'Complete'
The FanFic and propably last post on GM

Although Phantom Sweep successfully eliminated the Invisible Knights, it still lingered the threat of an attack on Jaburo by Zeon remnants. Due Char's attack on Jaburo during the One Year War, it's location was widely known and Headquarters knew that Jaburo isn't that much of an impregnable fortress anymore.
As a result, a few GM-Cs were modified for jungle combat and equipped with an prototype advanced striker shield for defeating Zeon remnants, and to hinder them infiltrating Jaburo, again.

Unit 01's prototype 'advanced striker shield' was basically a regular EFF shield with 2 additional broad beam sabres at the bottom. But older MS, like the GM series, didn't have any connection for neither Minovsky particles nor electricity at the shield connector.
Since Jaburo quickly wanted to massproduce this Shield, due the GM Strikers excellent close combat results, an unconventionel method for power supply had to be used for 01 Unit's Advanced Striker Shield prototype for evaluation: A simple wire from the backpack to the shield controls the output of an ultra compact fusion reactor for the Minvosky particles for the Beam, using simple electricity.

Usually, Beam Sabres can vary their output. But this featured some problems for this 'advanced striker shield' prototype. Since a higher Beam Sabre output required a higher current from the backpack, the wire tended to melt if the output for the sabres is increased for more than 3 seconds.
Anyways, the shield production was projected to expensive, plus many other problems still remained unsolved with Unit 02's prototype.
Therefore, the production was halted, with just 2 GM-C equipped with 'advanced striker shield' prototypes ever produced.
The 1st GM was destroyed due the shield's generator being hit by a Gelgoog's beam weapon.
The 2nd GM served until late 0083 and was stored at a Hangar in Jaburo ever since.

1/100 Seravee - New Ghosty MSV Announced

All good things come in threes

With HLJ's 'Just-in-time Holiday Blowout Sale', I've been able to get the 1/100 Seravee Gundam(Designer Colors ver.) for just about 2.800￥ incl. shipping.
This Gundam was on my 'to get'-list for quiet some time now.
Ok,... I gotta admit,... currently are 2 Ghosty-MSV Suits in the making already (The GM-Kai (FanFic going to be released either this or next week) and the recently announced 'Samus Gundam')
Since I already bought the GNHW/B Seravee earlier, I'll mod this Seravee again, which will become the 3rd WIP Ghosty MSV.
The current projected LineArt:

(Original Image from Gundam00.net - Original LineArt)

So far, the main modifications will be done at the waist, the Yellow V-Fin, additional Head Vulcans, and a GM-like/GN-Archer-like Head design.

Well,... so far I can't think of anything else. Therefore I really appreciate any suggestions from your side, so please leave a comment what you would like to see.

Without backpack

Finally finished and satisfied.

Let there be light!

Finally finished the Display box for my O-Gundam.
Although there are some minor flaws, I'm totally satisfied with the result.

(photo taken with flash)

(photo taken without flash)

Basically, I find this Display Base more worthy the name of the 'Lightning Action Base' (LAB), than Bandai's LAB, which will be released about christmas.
All in all, I claim that my LAB has 2 significant advantages over Bandai's LAB:
1. Due the usage of a DisplayBase 2 and white LEDs, you are able to perform action poses, unlike with Bandai's, which only can be used for standing models.
2. The color effect depends on what Action Base 2 is used - If I want to display the HGUC Unicorn Gundam or any 'GN[T]' MS from the Gundam 00 series, I use a clear red AB 2 - or the clear blue AB.

On another note, I started with a new project, in order to acquire some scratch building skills.
Well,... until know, it's just a GN-Archer with some minor modifications.

Modifications so far and how accomplished:
-removed the 'mane' and installed a 0,5mm brass rod, which will function as an antenna (inspired by the GM-Kai)
-Installed the optional GN Particle Tank from the O-Gundam
-added remaining parts from the HG Gaddess to the shoulders of the GN-Archer.
-removed the right forearm and replaced it by one of the HG Seravee's Cannons/HG Seraphim's arms (If the arm is in cannon mode, this mod reminds me of Samus Aran, therefore I will call this mod 'Samus Gundam' while it's a WIP (I don't know what colorsheme I will apply eventually,... but the idea of a Samus Gundam is quiet tempting,... ^^'))

Still need to optimize my 'putty work', so it will look 'natural' once painted.
And I have to think how I will mod the knees,... (I don't like those wings from the original design and I think about using the HG seraphim's side skirts as knee covers)