Is that what I think it is!? You bet your ass it is! While I usually don’t post news on my blog (I’ll let Ngee, Gundam Guy and others handle that) this is pretty huge to me so I felt the urge to make a post about it. I’ve been hoping for Gundam W master grades FOREVER. Say what you want to about the series but it was the first Gundam series most of us here stateside saw and because of that it’ll always be somewhat special to me. Not to mention I really loved the mecha, the majority of the designs are really good (with an exception here and there- I’m looking at you, Cancer) and never really got any proper gunpla loving. Hopefully the Wing Gundam getting an MG is followed by other W suits. Also announced was a MG Musha Mk II, which will be using the Gundam 2.0s frame supposedly, along with a SLEW of new HGs for the new ‘High Grade Across the Universal Century’ line, which I’m just going to call HGAU. Right new we’ve got the following for the line:

HG God Gundam
HG ZZ
HG Avalanche Exia
HG Astraea Type-F
HG Gundam X
HG 1 Gundam

This is shaping up to be an incredibly awesome line. The ZZ and X will definitely be on my list of things to pick up!

News care of NK/various forums.

I might as well show you a shot of the Strike, since I ran out of paint and don’t know when it’ll get finished now. You might want to brace yourselves before going any further…

Noir no more, this is the Strike LIME!

While there is no progress on the Strike-E, my roommates got me paint so that I could work on it. The color will be a peculiar one for a gundam, but I’m hoping it all works out regardless. More on that once I actually start painting it.

For other kits, my friend back home sent me the HGUC Ex-S as a very awesome surprise (considering we both love the suit to bits) and I did start cranking out parts of that.

The arms are done, but the stickers on the shoulder ripped off some paint when I was adjusting them..so they won’t be showing up until I go back and fix them. With any luck I can salvage the stickers but if worse comes to worse I have plenty of alternate waterslide decals I can use. In other news, natural lighting is AWESOME and I’ll probably do something potentially dangerous when I photoshoot both of these kits, or I’ll handle it in a sensible matter that won’t endanger my model with a two story drop.

Started work on Strike-E’s frame. While I bought the IWSP, the finished product will have the Noir backpack since I’m swapping it with a friend who’s fond of the Strike Noir Strike-E+IWSP combo but doesn’t paint. As you can see, the frame is really solid and well done!

While we’re at it, this one goes out to you, Gaijin Gunpla. Couldn’t have done this without you!

Talk about excessive…and of course, recent talks have decided that this STILL isn’t done. More on that once it’s in action.

I am also curious as to if anyone would be interested in commissioned work. I’m still looking for a job down here and this would be a decent way to make some extra scratch and have some fun doing it. It’s not an entirely serious idea right now, but I do feel comfortable enough asking you guys if you’re interested.

I wish I would have taken more pictures with the double Excalibur, but honestly it’s pretty tough to pose like that since the weapon is so oversized. The wrists aren’t the best in to world and sometimes you have to get a little creative with how you’re going to have the model hold the sword a certain way. Still, I’ve recently discovered I’m really fond of this guy.

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-Real ammunition cannot damage its armour
-Beam weapons are deflected by its I-field
-Can teleport
-Can warp its attacks (can warp a beam shot directly INTO a cockpit)
-Beam rifle at maximum power is stronger than a colony laser
-Regeneration
-The Moonlight Butterfly that destroyed Earth’s civilization was at 20% power
-System Turn A’s chest’s multipurpose silo can summon weapons (it can only “summon” stuff from Earth, and apparently it can only be done with special devices made specifically for the Turn A.)
-The Moonlight Butterfly at 100% output can cover everything from Earth to Jupiter
-The teleportation system makes it possible for, as long as there are nanomachines available at all, regenerate everything entirely, including the pilot (Teleportation system apparently “saves” the status of the machine and everything in it and sends it somewhere. The nanomachines can use that data to regenerate everything (it just takes ages, depending on how much needs to be regenerated; Complete regeneration of everything is said to take thousands of years)
-The Turn Series uses DG cell technology (not stated if they actually use DG cells, probably just using some know-how from them in the nanomachines).
-They’re actually meant for newtypes to pilot, as they were created by the newtypes (who left the Earth sphere) for interstellar war.
-The Turn A’s hands are so sensitive they can be used to pick up a regular human-sized bucket of water.
-The Keilas Guilie or however you spell it (the attack satellite and beam cannon from Victory Gundam) can’t even scratch the Turn A, and the Turn X Top can take control of it remotely (Turn A probably can too).
-Turn A’s power source is two “縮退炉” (“degeneracy engines”).
-The I-field beam drive system creates a film of particles over the surface of the machine and moves the parts (hence the lack of any need for motors and shit inside).

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Turn A is created to carry out entire operations on its own (unlike other conventional weapons which are created just to fulfill certain roles)

I-field works on physical ammunition and shock as well as beams.

The info on the “DHGCP” in the setting materials just says that it uses two degeneracy reactors.

Info on the beam rifle: Is not a mega particle cannon but a “rephaser” (kanji says resonating particles) cannon. Extremely powerful, as it was made to fight gigantic space battleships.

Beam Saber: Focuses electromagnetic fields with plasma to cut through enemies with heat.

Gundam Hammer:  The Turn A spreads the I-field over the hammer itself and messes with the power of targets this way.

Multipurpose silo: Originally meant for beam cannon drive units, missile systems, machine guns, other short-range weapons, additional power and so on.

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Continued, stuff not seen in the show:

System ∀: It is unknown what “System ∀” actually refers to, but some think it has something to do with the multipurpose silo’s weapon teleportation system.

DOC Base and 7th-GMPT

A mobile armour called “DOC (device operation control) base” and a weapon or system called 7th-GMPT (for “7th generation Minovsky particle theory”) existed as well.
The DOC base is a tactical system to come in a set with the Turn A that overturns conventional mobile suit operation. It has the ability to change the Turn A’s chest compartment’s equipment, and provide support. It was under Vicinity, but by the events of Turn A could no longer work. ART OF IT EXISTS, AND MODELS HAVE BEEN MADE OF BY MAGAZINES, APPARENTLY.

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DOC Base and 7th-GMPT never showed up canonically, but you can see their names in the model kit materials from the time.

From the comic: Black History-era Turn A had something else (not a beam saber) in its right saber rack. What it is, is unknown.

From the novels: The Moonlight Butterfly can be projected in front of the Turn A to create a barrier, if enough nanomachines and certain parts of the machine are left it can regenerate completely over a few thousand years, and it can teleport. Of these, the teleportation ability was seen in the show in episode 43 when it waved its beam sabers in front of the Bandit, and in episode 44 when Sochie and Sweatson Sutero were fighting.

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All of this was because they were considering the possibility of expanding the scale of battle in Turn. More evidence of this can be seen in other materials from around the same time, and the novelization is based on the materials from that time.

G Generation Spirits: In G Generation Spirits, the Turn A warps the beams from its rifle and snipes at targets from all directions, effectively executing all-range attacks without any funnel-type weapons.

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Turn A variations

System-∀98 Prototype ∀ Gundam
Also known as the testbed ∀. Has a different chest structure and a head more strongly resembling the Turn X’s, and its cockpit is in the head.

System-∀99 ∀ Gundam
(The mustache we don’t quite know but love)

System-∀99 ∀ Gundam Full Equipment Type
(No further info)

Mass Production ∀ Gundam
A mass production model of the Turn A with some features excluded. Seen briefly in the comic version, Has nothing to do with the mass production White Doll that Guin Lineford was planning to make.

Sumo Gundam
An early idea by Syd Mead, also known as the “M Version”. Is a Sumo with a Gundam face hiding behind the face cover. Was once modelled by Dengeki Hobby Magazine and painted in traditional Gundam colours. There is no official setting for this design, but some references to it exist (for example, it is mentioned how the Turn A and Sumo’s cockpits are compatible),

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Currently checking out ja.wikipedia.org’s general Turn A MS section.

-Kapul
See: Kapool

-Borjarnon
See: Zaku series

-Cannon Illefuto
Judging from its height of 15 metres and the cockpit block similar to those of around UC 0120, it can be assumed that it’s from the age of the Babylonia war.
Made for mid-range combat, as it is only armed with vulcans and a gatling cannon and no melee weapons at all. Has no beam shield which was standard issue for the Babylonia era, but is equipped with a conventional shield with a cross mark that looks similar to the Earth Federation’s.

-Muttowoooo
See: Bound Doc

-Turn X
See: Turn X (will do so after this)

-Bandit
Ginganam serial number: G-M1F. Original serial number: XM-0754. Can move without a pilot (controlled remotely?), but control method is unknown. Can also operate on its own using something called a “Mobile Warrior (system?)” (related to the MD system?). Actually a policing MS made for combating MS crime, and is so equipped with weapons meant for capturing other MS. Weapon rack on the back had knives and scissors. Frame uses nanomachines, and it was apparently sealed away when the use of nanomachines was banned. The beam saber is not the kind that receives energy from the hand, but is activated by a switch. Arms are equipped with “wire-claw machines” (official name unknown). Capable of atmospheric flight. It should be noted that “XM” was used by the Crossbone Vanguard, but that the setting behind the Bandit doesn’t seem to fit in with it.

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-Zusan
Refer to Zusan

-Flat
FLAT-L06D, originally a “riot mobile suit” created for riot control in cities, but were later modified for atmospheric entry.
FLAT is an acronym for “Flexible Ladder Actuator Technology”. Machine uses a unique frame called the Spine System in which everything is based around the spine.
The Sonic Blast attack is created from low-frequency audio waves generated by micromachine scales’ oscillating particles.
By extending super-high vibrations faster than soundspeed (is this a term in English? Like lightspeed, only, like, soundspeed) to the armour, this creates a “Sonic Shield”.
Can capture textures with cameras on its back and project them onto the surface of the micromachines to camouflage itself like a chameleon.
The Seed MS’ PS armour apparently uses similar technology.

-Wadom
JMA-0530. Diana Counter mobile suit, but the serial number comes from G Gundam’s Neo Japan. The beam cannon is referred to as a mega particle cannon in some materials. The name Wadom comes from “Walking Doom”. Setting-wise, the Wadom equips technology to disable Minovsky particles (7th-GMPT)

-Wad
MRC-U11D. “Walking Dumping”. Uses a “spine frame”.

-Verona
MRC-C03. Wad variant used for construction work and so on.

-Mobile Rib “Jet Stream”
MR-SP105Ω. Uses the same spin frame as the Wad. Made for construction work, but tough enough for combat if used right.

-Sumo
See: Sumo

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-Eagel
TAF-M9. Corin Nander’s MS. Once fought over the control of Mars, and is said to have technological connections to the Gundam Virsago. Uses the Wad’s spine frame.

-Gozzo
NRS-P701. Serial number indicates that it was made by After War’s New Earth Federation, and the cockpit design agrees with that. Made for use as a support unit in space combat, and so it is hard to use (loses balance easily) on Earth.

-Godwin
Modified Gozzo.

-Mahiro
G838. Ginganam’s squad’s main MS. Said to use the Mobile Trace System. Serial number comes from G = Ginganam, 8 = number of TECH-SPEAK motors, 3 = propulsion system’s databus n-count, 8 = TECH-SPEAK freedom level of the TECH-SPEAK motors. Named after its designer, Maeda Mahiro.

(original poster did not translate the terms related to the model number system, but rather opted to say “TECH-SPEAK” instead)

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Units not seen in TV/movie versions:

-Moon Butterfly
Seen in the Fukui novelization. Piloted by Diana Soriel and Kiel Heim. A large mobile armour in the form of a butterfly, equipped with psycommu, armed with butterfly-shaped funnels.

-Gekkouchou (yes, in kanji)
Seen in the Satou novelization. A machine from Gym Ghingnham’s grandfather’s collection, hidden in Mistletoe. Pilot is Diana Soriel. Described as a “big red flower bud” or “vagina” (NOT MAKING THIS UP. “乙女の秘所”.) which transforms into a “butterfly shining whitely with the colours of the moon” emerges. Almost as big as the Soleil (!?), and has an MS in the form of a goddess at its core.

-Black Doll
From the Satou novelization. A big black MS, described to sound like the Psyco Gundam, dug up from the Lost Mountain. (Note: This is where Gwen’s “Black Doll”/Psyco in Alpha Gaiden came from)

-4LEG
Another design by Mead that never showed up. Seems to be a transformable Militia utility mobile suit. Transforms from some that looks like a Flat to a strange mobile armour, and its design was reused in Gundam Seed’s Aegis Gundam. Also, full scratch models were made of it by Dengeki Hobby Magazine and Model Graphics.

-Mobile Gaudarda (Gauderda? Gaudada? Something.)
From the comic. An MS for training base on the Flat (smaller than the Flat).

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Turn X.
Concept-X 6-1-2 (Concept-X Project-6 Division-1 Block-2)

Mystery MS found in a mountain cycle on the moon, with many things in common with the Turn A.

Its name is supposed to mean “The one who strayed (turned) from the path at the tenth (X = 10) planet/star”. (No, I have no fucking idea what this is supposed to mean. Original text:「10番目（X＝ローマ数字の10）の星により道を曲げられたもの」)

Its has several different contradicting stories about its origin, and the truth is unknown.

One explanation says that it was a machine made for interstellar travel by the newtypes that somehow found its way to Earth, and that the Earthnoids, expecting an invasion, then studied it to improve their technology and created the Turn A.

On the other hand, Ghingnham says that it was created to be the successor to the Turn A, and that it is superior.

(Note: I’ve seen stuff on 2ch saying that it was the Turn A that drifted to Earth, and that the Turn X is a copy based on it)

The only definite fact we know off its past is that it fought the Turn A, lost, and that Earth’s civilization was then destroyed by the Turn A.

It is not symmetrical because it lost its shape as it repaired itself time after time. The X-shaped scar on its chest was caused by the Turn A and was too deep for the nanomachines to repair.

The Turn X Top can control the Keilas Guilie, and its face is a traditional twin-eye Gundam one, hidden behind the helmet.

-Equipment

Back-mounted weapons platform (“Carapace”):
Beam rifle
Bazooka
Hand beam cannon
Triple missile launcher
The platform can fly on its own, and seems to have space for more weapons that were never excavated. Said to also serve as a propulsion system for interstellar travel in some sources.

Wire claw:
Three equipped on the right hand. Wires with small claws and laser cannons on the tips, made for piercing enemy cockpits.

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Youdanhasai (hard to translate, but the basic nuance is “destroying by melting and tearing through”) manipulator:
Recorded in the machine’s database as “Shining Finger”. Unlike the real Shining Finger, it uses the I-field to shape a beam-thing or UGH MORE TECHNOBABBLE. The manipulator can also shape the beam-thing into a beam saber, or open fire with it like a beam rifle. The name “Shining Finger” is not on the setting materials. Also, its way of using the attack is based on the God Gundam’s God Finger used against the Zeus Gundam.

Triple beam projection system:
Beam cannons located in the youdanhasai manipulator. Used during Bloody Siege.

All-range attack system:
The Turn X can split into nine parts (head, arms, legs, chest, back, hips, weapon platform) and float around firing beams. They can also generate a machine-disabling magnetic field when they surround a target.

Bloody Siege:
The name of the attack using the all-range attack system.

Gekkouchou:
You know.

Design
Syd Mead said that the Turn X was something he drew up in half an hour, after seeing the sakura in the garden in an inn in Izu, and considers it the best work for Turn A Gundam that he did.

It didn’t show up for most of the show because the staff found drawing it extremely time-consuming, and as a result plans like having only the head show up until the last two episodes, or covering it up in nanoskin like a mummy until the last episode were tossed around. Mead originally drew it to be white, and Tomino suggested it be Zaku green, and it eventually ended up an extremely pale green.

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MG kit, page 2: Tomino’s intro. Wow he’s long-winded. Going on seeing imported American model kits 50 years ago, skipping this.

Page 6, body and head unit:
The Turn A’s head is pretty much a whole ton of sensors tossed together.

Control of the machine is carried out by the pilot, but also by the spine impulse sensors in the seat which pick up the pilot’s will.

Control of the nanomachines is in the head.

Option hangers on the back can hold beam rifles and shields and so on.

When sortying, it can choose equipment inside the DOC Base (INSIDE?), and so enter battle with the optimum equipment.

(INSIDE? I was thinking Orchis, but now it sounds more like the mustache actually piloting some massive MA.)

Pg 8. arm units:
Stuff can also be equipped on the latches on the forearm.
Support and maintenance is important in the Turn A’s design philosophy, and it was originally meant to serve as a powerful tactical system with the DOC Base.

Pg 9. leg and waist unit:
Nothing new (stuff on thrusters and the cockpit and shit).

Pg 15, weapons:
Turn A was meant to be, together with the DOC Base, the ultimate mobile weapon.
(Nothing else that’s new)

The Gundam Ace thing that came with the first edition moustache just has stuff on the kit itself, the making of the kit, the show, and some art. Eh.

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Oh, cool, the Devil Gundam article mentions Turn A.

In Turn A, the DG cells were later researched and used for various peaceful purposes, including their original one of healing the Earth’s environment. The new DG cells included an apotheosis program to prevent evolution, regeneration and growth outside of their purpose.

The nanomachines in Turn A are in other words the descendants of the DG cells, which brought a great paradigm shift to mankind, but also led them to self-destruction.

In the Turn A novelization and Turn A Gundam Record Collection 2 (∀ガンダム記録全集2), there is mention of a terrorist attack involving spreading a virus through nanomachines causing them to attack mankind and bring civilization to its feet, a veritable second DG cell crisis.

—-

I hope everyone gets a laugh out of this. God knows I did.

He’s looking a bit cold though…

Today, I am a being that surpasses even Asura!

It’s a neat kit but it’s not without it’s quirks, which I’ll discuss and/or try to fix by the next post.

Also, Lucas’ Strike-E GET. More on that as it develops.

Firstly, 00’s page is done! I love the color black.

Secondly, I have a bit of sad news. I’m going to be moving next week…which means that I’m not going to be able to build any gunpla for awhile since I can’t buy kits, paint or any of the extra stuff that now comes along with the art of building these wonderful things. I know I have a few more pages to type up, but I’ve already started to prepare for the move and have packed up the majority of my stuff, including my kits and tools and moved them in to the new place so I can’t even take pictures right now. This is by no means the end of IAG!, since I still have pages and whatnot to do…but there will not be much by way of new content until I make sure everything is stable after the move since as you gents well know, real life takes priority.

Stay classy until then, ladies and gentlemen!

It’s certainly been a fun year! I only got in to gunpla this year, but as you can see I’ve certainly done my fair share of kits. The hilarious part is that this isn’t all of them, I do believe there were five or six that were boxed up and put away due to my shelf straight up not having enough room to display all of them. Things look better when there’s space to appreciate the work that went in to them if you ask me, so the models that are out and on display are only the ones I’m very proud of or at least pleased with. Let’s go back and take a look at how far we’ve come!

The first post for this blog was made on February 13th, two days after my birthday! It was a simple test post to make sure I had things set up adequately (God, the old theme was such an eyesore at the time. I’m too lazy to make my own though) but the next day a post detailing the process of building my Hi-Nu MG…I find it amusing that the Hi-Nu resin kit was is my current bear of a project I’m trying to wrap up as I type this. Anyway, this was before I had things set up nearly as nice as I do now (thanks to people like Z, who provided a very nice template for me to copy). Going back and reading it, it’s actually a little more in depth than the current page…Oops! But my picture taking abilities have improved a large amount since then.

You can see that things weren’t really that exciting around here at first. I got excited when I hit 1,000 views, honestly not expecting much traffic to begin with. As you can see, once I hit August-September that changed an awful lot…I think I know what caused that, and you probably do too. It was the longest project I’ve done thusfar and also the most fun. I learned a lot while working on this one and got became friends with a lot of fellow builders as well.

This glorious bastard is, as I’ve said many times before, the crown jewel of my gunpla. Part of the 2009 GAF Sinanju Group Build (Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to that thread!!), nothing else I’ve done comes close to the amount of time and dedication I put in to my Sinanju. Everything came out flawlessly and the end result is obvious. Despite my efforts, I don’t feel like I’ve surpassed what I accomplished on this kit yet. Between Sinanju’s design and how splendidly everything came together for it, I don’t know if I ever will. But I’ll keep on trying! I always try to improve or try something new on each model and I think eventually I’m bound to strike gold eventually. I never though I would be able to do something like this when I haphazardly put my Ez8 together in January of this year, but here it is.

Not surprisingly the most popular page is the completed projects page (I didn’t feel like splitting everything up in to HG/MG/PG sections), but what does surprise me is that the Unicorn page is the most popular one. I’m kind of embarrassed that the two pages that rank highest are both very old and rather poorly put together…I ought to delete the playing around review in it’s entirety and update the Unicorn one with pictures of the default model more…I’m kind of surprised to see that the Blue Bersereker’s page is so low, but then again it’s much more recent than pages that have practically been up since the blog’s inception.

And of course, there is everyone out there that stops by to read the blog. You guys are the freakin’ best. From contributing ideas to friendly banter I can comfortably say that this hobby would not be nearly as fun and interesting without you. You’ve helped me out plenty of times when I was at a loss with the next step, contributed ideas for models and in general have been a crazy-awesome supportive lot. Time for some shout-outs!

Martin: The badass renditions of Astraea Type-F and Hi-Nu are gorgeous and served as what would result in eventual addiction to gunpla, and the Gunpla 101 tutorial is the basis of how I handle my kits. It’ll be great when you’re finally able to build again!

Z: Your Unicorn Gundam and detailed battle with Sinanju are what cemented the ‘extra effort’ mentality in my mind. While you don’t go as in-depth as some with your kits, you still do amazing OOB work and your models are impressive regardless of painting or not. You also set the groundwork for how a lot of us probably set our pages up with such a clean layout and review structure!

Rob: Hit the rock, bro. We both started this whole blogging thing around the same time and I know we’ve both improved a ton in the last year. I remember back when we were intimidated by the painting required on Sinanju and now check it out, we’re cranking out painted kits in a day. You also got some killer swag for those of us here in the states, ranging from Sinanju’s bazooka to BGE exclusive stuff. And of course, you’re a hell of a guy. Stay frosty, some day I’ll get a PS3 for some overseas 0081 action.

busterbeam: BUSTAAAAH BEAAAAAMU. I’ve always wanted to do that. Where the hell are our Gunbuster/Diebuster plamo? Your Sinanju was something that blew my mind when I saw it, same with your Impulse Gundam. You’ve always got some interesting discussion going on over at your blog be it from the technological standpoint or just hot asian women. Your Exia is bound to be killer, keep up the awesome work.

Tonzo: You contributed a lot to the SGB thread and answered all fourteen million questions I had and definitely contributed to the eventual huge success of that model. When you finish your God Gundam and Musha, they’ll definitely be a sight to behold.

Gaijin Gunpla: YOU’RE THE MAN. Thanks to you I’ve got a replacement part for my shield! I promise that I’ll work on it, but I want to make sure it’s PERFECT before I go and fiddle with it. You’ve got some awesome taste in colors with your yellow Sinanju and purple IWSP strike. Sucks that you’ll have to be taking a hiatus for a bit, but we all know family comes before hobbies and will be looking forward to your return to gunpla. MAD UPS for getting the Yellowbird and your awesome work recognized at Ignite.

Ren & Tako: You guys got good at gunpla FAST. Your RX-78-2 OYW is definitely my favorite kit that you’ve done so far, but I’m always expecting top-notch stuff from you after your awesome job on the HG Enact! Keep it up!

Lanky: Ausbro, you’re awesome. Enough said.

And to everyone else out there that I didn’t name or that comes by after they see this, thank you too! Like I said, this wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the community that comes with it. I’ll keep on building gunpla and trying new things, so hopefully the new year holds ton of great MG and HG kits for us to work on.

Have a safe and happy new years, I’ll see you (albeit completely hungover) in 2010!

One of my two christmas gunpla got here today and thanks to being up for about 42 hours, I polished this one off in under 24 hours. The best part is all the paint used was leftover! Proper pictures are taken and whatnot, but I’d like to get my other models caught up first..besides, this leaves a little mystery as to the exact details of the kit.

Exia’s page is up!