The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Falldog's Clear PG Zaku

Click the above image to see more photos of this kit!

Ah, the kit that welcomed me this morning in The Catapult. Long overdue? Perhaps, but to have the courage to execute this project, Falldog has got balls (a current GAF in-joke).

The kit, 1/60 PG Zaku with custom clear kits, that unfortunately came separately in the form of Set A and Set B. In buying both, you get a complete clear armour two bazookas, one light up heat hawk (from set B - the Chars Zaku cover) and a smorgasbord of other ammunition.

I've always wanted clear armour kits which prompted me to get the Expo RG 1/144 Gundam RX-78-2, the special clear armor set for the MG Red Frame and the 30th clear MG Ball, I have a 'clear' (haha, geddit?) idea of what to do with them but never just a clear coat to give it a frosted look.

He painted the inner frame and with the top coated translucent armour, lets enough detail through. If I am not mistaken, he used silver to panel line the internal frame, which made the detail 'pop'. However, one issue with clear parts that haunts me is the nub marks, which really can't be fixed, so kudos to falldog for keeping it as minimal as possible.   

All in all, this is a really beautiful kit and an inspiration for me!

Sieg Zeon!!!

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Zenma5ter's Juaggu

Being the proud and bashful type he is, I didn't think Zenny would take to the idea of featuring his own build on the GA Blog but I say to hell with that. It's cool and interesting and its going on the blog :P

The HG Juaggu is a freak of a kit. There's just no two ways about it. Some people scratch their heads and try to make sense of it. Some hate it outright. I personally love the freaks of the Gunpla kingdom, and I imagine this as the result of a herd of elephants colliding at great speed with an Acguy. PaWoo!

Add to that the speed with which Zenma5ter has painted this guy (Didn't it come out like, last weekish?)and it makes for a blog worthy feature, in my obtusely inflated opinion. xD

Simple reds, blacks, and whites working in harmony together, yet an altogether unconventional pallette for an amphibious suit. Zenma5ter does note this was a speed build and thus has not removed any of the seams (tsk tsk! For shame! Shock! Rabble!)

The colour scheme reminds me of, and would not look out of place alongside Hoardz' Mars Camo Acguy

Nice one Zenny. Embrace the freaks of the Gunpla multiverse!

More pics at Gundam Australia Forum

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - StraitStealth Epyon Wyvert Basilisk

First he gave us the gorgeous Gundam Wing, then he dropped the menacing Gundam Deathscythe Hell on us. Today it will all be about the Gundam Epyon - the Wyert Basilisk - the 5 headed dragon.

The base kit is of course the MG Gundam Epyon, with the most outstanding kit bash and scratch build. As this is a rather build, we, at the G.A.F had the privilege to view his WIP. So do check it out and you will be amazed at the amount of work done on the Basilisk.

Green, oh the wonderful flat, different shade of greens is one of the best I've seen on a Gundam kit (mind you Zaku green is for Zakus). Not to mention the complementary orange eyes and chest orb. Colours aside, take a look at the wonderful wings. It is sharp and layered. I mean, look at it! The most prominent feature of this kit is of course the 5 heads of the dragon. 1 Epyon head, check. 1 dragon head on the tail, check. 1 dragon head arm blaster, check. 2 dragon head feet. The whole thing is designed to tear giant robots apart.

There is nothing more I can say to really describe the pure win of this kit. Check out the Basilisk in the Catapult and, please please please do check out his WIP to appreciate the work done on this build.

That is all for now. Adios!

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Waylander MG AGE-1 builds

One a force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable, the other a BFG [Big F#*+ing Gun]-wielding Gundam (with a sword-wielding twin a-la Toymaker).

Lets start with the Amphion, the base kit is the MG AGE-1 Normal and the weapon set of MG Launcher/Sword Strike Gundam. The first thing that drew me in would be the muted colour tones. The pastel blue and yellow gave the [A] on the chest the chance to really 'pop', which in my opinion is one of the most prominent feature of the AGE series Gundams. The kit bash of the MG Strike Launcher set is flawless and decals from the 00 line seems oddly at home with Amphion. Brown panel lines adorning the whole kit is part of the charm that gives the Amphion a weathered look without going overboard.

Now the big guy, Titus Heavyarms aka the Juggernaut, MG AGE-1 Titus with gattling guns from Kotobukiya. This kit gave a whole new meaning to heavy arms, big shoulder, big arms, big fists, big gattlings on the side, heavy is an understatement. Waylander's attempt to give this kit a more aggressive look works for me (and most of the GAF community). He covered the kit with a more subtle grey and muted red, which in my opinion makes it look less bulky. A humble amount of decals fits perfectly with his concept

Clickety to check out his Amphion and Juggernaut. Other than that, have a whirl around The Catapult to see what our members have been up to.

That is all till the next post!!

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Anazasi VP Hi Nu Conversion

Man.. Do I love the VP Hi Nu conversion kit. So sharp and detailed. It takes an already killer design and just maxes it out.

So it is a pleasure and a rare treat to see a very well executed VP Hi Nu given the expert treatment of a senior Gunplar such as Anazasi, leader of the Gundam Mecha Arts and Crafts movement (GMAC).

What blows me away is that he says it took him only 2 weeks to prep, assemble, and paint this kit! I would be lucky to do it inside of two decades!

I haven't had much time to do a lot with the blog of late and I've really missed out on featuring some outstanding builds from GAF, so please accept my apologies and feel welcome to come and have a poke around The Catapult to see what our members have been up to.

Click on the image above to be taken to Anazasi's thread at GAF, which also links back to his blog. Plenty more pics and dialogue if you're keen for more!

Thanks for reading :)

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Falldog's RaDGoK

Secretly developed by Zeon forces well below the long since decommissioned Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, the RaDGoK emerges.
(too insensitive?)

It is with pleasure that I present to you the latest top secret project from one of my favourite U.S. members at GAF. Falldog has been working on this in secret for the past month, and just this morning unleashes the radioactive bombshell on us all!

Man I love this guy's work. I was wandering through a hardware store some time last year or the year before and I saw a can of GITD paint in the spraypaint aisle and wondered if I or someone else would ever put it to good use on a gunpla. Falldog has done so with Finesse!

I love this work. I really like Gunpla that is highly original without being too radical a departure from the original MS' design.

To see more pics, and read about how Falldog achieved this MONSTER effect, check out his thread at GAF, and also his write up at his own page at Otaku Revolution.

~Sonar

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - thegunny's "Confirmed Kill; The Reaper's Last Harvest" Diorama

"Confirmed Kill; The Reaper's Last Harvest" - Modeled by thegunny

"...As exhaustion started to overcome him he began to recall the events of the past 2 months. Being one of the only surviving members of Midnight Fenrir’s final battle deep in the outback of this god forsaken country called Australia he had continued to harass the Federation forces with any means at his disposal. He recalled how he came across a Federation research facility and had plundered it for all it was worth. That’s were he discovered the Gatling gun shield. The scale of destruction it wreaked was something he had never witnessed outside a barrage from a flotilla of capital ships. He took pleasure in the fact he was now turning it on its makers. He also discovered some unique paint that rendered whatever was painted with it virtually invisible to all forms of sensors. He was none too pleased at covering up his Zeon colours but if he was going to stay alive he needed every edge he could get. His painting skills weren’t the best but it got the job done...."

Read the rest of the excellent back story and see loads more pictures at GAF.

Simply outstanding work. I've wanted to see an Australian Military themed Gunpla work ever since I discovered Gunpla, and this absolutely nails it. Everything so masterfully completed, so painstakingly detailed, so subtley weathered. No detail left unchecked. Scratch built weapon mounts. Custom decals from a variety of sources. This is clearly a man with a military background executing this masterpiece, and what better way to achieve a realistic diorama than through first hand experience.

2011 has been a fine year for Gunpla in Australia, and this caps it off perfectly.

Congratulations Gunny. I'm proud that you would choose to share your work with us. It is truly outstanding work and a step above.

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Krescenhaze's FWS Unicorn

Sure it has been a while between GAF Blog posts. Quality over quantity would be the logical excuse but the actuality of it is I've just been too busy. So much so in fact that I've barely been able to keep up with the forum. Zeta seems to be busy with other things as well. So indeed my apologies for the gap between posts.

That said it is with great pleasure that I offer what small assistance I can to giving this masterpiece by Adrian Krescenhaze all the exposure it deserves. I have been watching his WIP at GAF over the course of this year and I will tell you truthfully that I totally underestimated this guy. I can say without reservation that what he has produced with this work is a masterpiece in scratch building, detail, and proportion. All of the booster packs and the BFG are scratch built. No room for sloppiness or carelessness at all. Everything is just a marvel to behold.

White Banshee mode. Weathered to boot.

We are honoured to have Krescenhaze share his work with us at GAF. You can check out his thread at GAF by clicking on any of the above images. Can't find a completed thread at MAC but here's the link to the amazing Build Off @ MAC Forums , Being a pinoy Gunplar of course you can check him out at Zero G Forums as well,  and lastly you will find many more photos at http://versionkrescenhaze.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! :)

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - Curtuism's EX-S

The MG EX-S is by no means an easy build. Often touted as the most complex Master Grade kit yet to be developed and with a box that rivals most PG's in size and runner content, she is a brutal mistress. The kit has a weaponry loadout so extensive and bulky that it includes a stand so that it can, well.. stand.

Both of the aforementioned reasons demonstrate why tackling this kit is a pretty big undertaking. Painting it alone would take up a great deal of your time. So when I see someone not only take on an EX-S, but recolour, modify, and extensively detail one of these behemoths it is exciting. The awesome chrome decals,  extensive pin work, thrusters, and the mesh work are but a few of the details you will be delighted by when you hit the jump to GAF for loads more pics, and also a link to Curt's blog.

You may remember Curt's PG 00 from an earlier post. I'm starting to think he likes 'em big! Curtuism is one of the names I am particularly excited to see as the author of a new thread in the Catapult. His work is of a very high standard and definitely a name to look out for.

Plenty more pics at GAF. Enjoy.

The Catapult: GAF Member Feature - GundamPRO's 1/72 Kshatriya

GundamPRO are a professional completed Gundam model online retailer and home to the Dragon Workshop, headed by Dengeki King Of Gunpla and renowned world champion Master Lung and his team of extroardinarily talented artists based in Hong Kong. These folks are true masters of their craft and spare no detail in perfecting their work. Work which you can own, for a price.

I have been a big fan of GundamPRO's work for some years now, and it has always been an honour to have them share their amazing work with our comparatively insignificant forum.

When GP announced they would be tackling the G-System 1/72 Kshatriya kit I was instantly excited by the familiar feeling of anticipation I experience when something BIG is about to go down in the Gunpla universe. Some months have gone by with little more than a facebook update or two about it, and suddenly I am confronted with the completed work as I stop to check in at the forums!

The G-System kit captures the ferocity of the Kshatriya in a way that Bandai has yet been unable to replicate. I think it is in the sharp angles that this occurs, given the obtusely bulbous design.

The beauty of GundamPRO's work is in the infinite, perfect details and the flawless finish. Sure you can glance at it and think hell, that's nice, but it is in taking the time to peer into the windows of their photographs and understand just what they are trying to illustrate in each shot that the wonders begin to unfold.

Prepare to be amazed.

The page is very image heavy so you might wanna go make a snack or something while you wait for it to load, but it is indeed worth the wait.

GundamPRO's 1/72 Kshatriya at GAF

Finding Nemo

With appropriate guilt for not doing it earlier, I present to you this absolutely beautiful rendition of Master Grade Nemo ...some 4 days after it was posted. ^~^

This master work is created by GAF member Falldog as his entry to our snowballing Grunt Mobile Suit Group Build: Ode to Cannon Fodder . Amazingly, it is painted mostly by spray can with a few touch ups and details by hand!

I feel this build has not yet received the response it deserved as it is not only cleanly built, but flawlessly painted, wonderfully detailed, highly original in colour, and creatively and very cleanly decalled. The Nemo is a simple design, a grunt suit from Zeta Gundam, and as such potentially easily overlooked.

However it is the subtleties that make this a really great design and one that has grown on me very much in response to Falldog's work with the kit.

Falldog is no stranger to the Nemo, having also created this incredible and highly underrated work named Night of the Living Nemo, a play on the zombie flick from the 80's of similar name.

When Falldog is not producing masterful gunpla works, he writes for Gunpla and Japanese pop culture blog Otaku Revolution and also has a great sub-section called A Layman's Guide to Gunpla, not just a must-read for anyone curious about the hobby but very immersive for the seasoned hobbyist as well.

As a valued member of the Gundam Australia community and a very skilled gunpla, it is my distinct pleasure to feature Falldog's work at GAF Blog.

Enjoy more of this awesome Nemo at Gundam Australia Forum and read the extensive write up about the build process plus more pics at Otaku Revolution.

THE CATAPULT: GAF Member Feature MG Sinanju by Garret Masterson

A master stroke, Mr Masterson.

Achieving a beautiful even shine with a metallic coat is all in the prep work, and Garret has demonstrated great patienece and attention to detail here with his flawless orange metallics.

A nicely selected shade for the internals, some precise trim work, and expertly applied decals round out a Sinanju that sets itself apart from the pack by way of a professional finish.

More pics at Gundam Australia Forum

THE CATAPULT: GAF Member Feature - MG Epyon by Waylander

Blink and you'll miss it...

Waylander did not waste any time getting this MG Epyon snapped up and painted for our viewing pleasure! 4 Days in total to build, paint, and decal it's little wonder he was left feeling a little burnt out.

Pink is not to eveyone's taste but I find this shade most effectively used here, complimented by a lavender and a blueish grey.

Beatifully clean decal work seals the deal for me making for GAF's first Epyon and tying in nicely with the current MG Epyon Group Build: The Harbinger of the Revolution

For more pictures and some pretty spiffy photoshop work, be sure to check out the thread at GAF:

Waylander's MG Epyon

THE CATAPULT: GAF Member Gunpla Feature - HG Acguy Mars Camo Ver. by Hoardz01

Acguy ('Ack'-guy): Mass produced amphibious mobile suit of the Zeon forces. Model Designation MSM04.

That is the definition of Acguy. Here is how one might visually define a nice Acguy:

Well ain't this just a nice little Acguy by Hoardz01 posted at GAF just now?

He (sic: Rancalus) has come up with the title Mars Camo Pattern, which I think is suitably apt. The contrast of the pink and red camos on the black is very stark and makes for a very unique Acguy.

The camo is very nicely masked using the blu-tack method. The paint work is crisp, the black is very smooth and the Alclad white aluminium comes up a treat. Very nice decal placement, again the contrast of the white on the black is very appealing. I particularly like the individual decals on the segmented arm.

Very inspiring work. Having personally met Hoardz and previewed some of his WIP works from the forum in person, this completed Acguy now bolsters my confidence that we could be dealing with some talent here.

I am always a fan of individuality and when someone brings their own creative touch to a colour scheme and does it well it excites me.

Great Acguy.

Please feel welcome to drop a comment, or respond to the original topic at GAF where you will find many more pictures of this awesome Acguy: HG 1/144 Acguy - Mars Camo Pattern