An Objective Review of the Dragon Momoko Tallgeese II

Note:  If you want to comment, identify yourself, with a LINK to your email when you comment, instead of posting as anonymous.  I do not allow anonymous comments (and I do track comments), even those who commend, praise, or worship me, let alone IDIOTIC uninformed comments from CHEAPSKATE and cowardly bootleg lovers who simply don't know what OBJECTIVE means.

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Ever since the Dragon Momoko (DM) Tallgeese III (along with I and II) was announced, people have been raving about how good it looks, how DM did a number on Bandai by releasing a III before it did, and that the DM TG III is an "original" (more about that later). This review will cover the comparison between the Bandai and DM TG II, on the technical aspect, to keep it as objective as possible, since there is no Bandai MG TGIII to compare with DM's.  I, for one was impressed with the early images of the TG III, and was looking forward to it.

First off, a review about copyright and copyright infringement. I've mentioned this a few times here, and at Facebook several times. The terms "Gundam" and "Gunpla" are trademarks of Bandai and Sunrise as a "brand." After the "court battle" between Bandai and TT Hongli, bootlegs stopped having "Gundam" on their boxes. Consequently, TTH resurfaced as "GaoGao" or GoGo (making Bandai's effort futile, if you think about it) and continues to produce substandard products. Also, though the Bandai Tallgeese is not a "Gundam" per se, it is Gunpla nevertheless. Bootlegs ARE NOT brands, that's why they're called bootlegs to begin with, because they COPY or knock off an actual brand.

(Update:  This is a statement from Katsumi Kawaguchi of Bandai, verbatim, with regards to bootlegs not being "gunpla."

はっきり言っときます。
ＦＢ上で海賊版キットを掲出している人には私はフレンドの承認をしません。
海賊版だと知らずにアップロードしている人も申し訳ありませんが同様の対応をします。

I say clearly.
I do not have approved of a friend who has been posting pirated model kit on FB.
Model kit does not have the name "BANDAI" is not a GUNPLA.
Sorry some people are uploading without knowing's pirated, but I will be the same correspondence.

That's coming straight from the horse's mouth.  I'll post a separate article about this, since he said a lot of things in that FB post.) 

I'm familiar with the "rumors" going about that DM claims to be a Bandai sub-licensee, and I've even speculated that DM may be a Bandai subcompany (others have speculated this as well), but, until either of those are confirmed, DM is a bootlegger and their products are all bootlegs (not that it matters in the long run for bootleg "collectors").

New Molds

Unlike other earlier bootlegs, I consider the DM TGs "nextgen" bootlegs, primarily because instead of simply remolding an existing runner, they may actually have produced their molds from scratch. DM hit 3 birds with one stone, since the TGs after all only have minor variations across the 3 variants.

Here's a shot and a close up of one of the main runners of DM and Bandai



This actually didn't give it away while I was inspecting the TG II at the shop, since I didn't have a Bandai TG II to refer to, but I suppose, the Daban TG II is a runner mold of Bandai's.  What I noticed right away though, were the additional armor details that are not present in the Bandai TG II.





DM has placed additional detail on some of the armor parts, making it look "unique" as compared to its Bandai counterpart.  Because of its material, though, DM's details are "softer" than that of Bandai's.

Material

Based on the manual, all the runners, except for the clear parts (PS) and the polycaps (PE), are made of ABS, but soft, unlike Bandai's ABS which ranges from stiff to hard. Bandai's PS plastics are stiff and glasslike, but sturdy, DM's "ABS" plastics are soft, and if you try bending or twisting a runner stem, it'll take a while for it to break (an advantage? Maybe). Bandai's runner breaks with a "snap" while DM's is barey audible. Cutting through a DM runner will produce a low "crunch," like snapping a soft cookie in two, while cutting through a Bandai runner sounds like a cracker.

Bandai's white PS has a bluish tinge, while DM's white ABS is slightly grayish yellow (which indicates it's recycled plastic). The polycaps can be an issue, since they are rather stiff and has an odd texture, and similar to old generation Bandai PCs which crack later on (this posed a problem during the build and fitting).

Fitting

This was something I kinda hope DM would have solved, since, as mentioned earlier, they might have produced their molds from scratch. Since they have control over the production, they could have at least minimized the fitting problems, but I guess, this issue is still because of the quality of the plastic they've used. If they indeed used (recycled) ABS plastics instead of PS (the quality of PS degrades severely during recycling), therein lies the problem. ABS shrinks or bloats far more than PS. Even with Bandai plastics, some of their ABS frames have fitting issues mainly because of the ABS shrinking improperly.

Off the bat, I tried fitting the thigh armor parts sans the frame, and I've already encountered issues since the pegs won't fit without due force. The knee armor doesn't fit snugly over its side braces and pops off rather easily, the same with the ankle brace, which simply won't stay in place during fitting (despite the leg armor it attaches to has a significantly larger connection"notch."  The toe section, both the frame and armor keeps popping out, and its articulation has become useless. I've encountered several problem spots, just on the leg alone. Even the polycaps have fitting issues, I had to trim off the edges of a knee joint part so I can insert it in a polycap. The knee even has limited articulation; whereas Bandai's TG II's knee can bend fully, the DM's cannot.







Dispelling the 99% Myth

Over the course of bootleg releases, I've heard of people randomly saying that a certain bootleg is 70%, 80%, 90% close to Bandai quality (if not by detail alone). The DM TGs, especially the TG III, for obvious reasons, so far has gotten a good reception from the bootleg enthusiasts (and some Bandai-only collectors), mainly because it has exceeded previous bootlegs in terms of production and detail.

But 99%? Hardly. No bootleg will reach that percentage of closeness, since even Bandai's kits only have 95-99 percent production accuracy during molding (95 being really bad and usually goes to the recycling bin). We must realize that production accuracy is not just about detail alone since material quality is also important. The main reason why bootleggers choose substandard plastic is because of cost considerations, otherwise, why bootleg at all? And from there, quality cascades down.

Even with DM producing their own molds, they don't even come close to 80% of Bandai's overall quality. In fact, I believe that in their effort to produce their own molds and probably to avoid a Bandai lawsuit, they've actually decreased in production accuracy because they've "thrown away" Bandai's original mold in the process (hence, the fitting issues). Think of it as Adidas making shoes; no two pairs of authentic Adidas Red Crosstrainers will exactly be alike regardless, what more an Adidas Red Crosstrainer made from scratch by a bootlegger?

So, is it a bootleg or not?

Dragon Momoko may have taken steps in improving their production, even coming up with "new" box and manual designs instead of simply ripping off a Bandai box, but, they could have gone further by actually producing ALL of the content themselves (as Model Comprehend has done with some of their stuff).  Instead, they simply scanned most of the Bandai TG II's manual, adding to it the instructions for the extra stuff. And if you ask what that "Copyright 2014 Dragon Momoko" is about? Well it's simple, as they did do the boxes and manuals differently, photo shoot, layout and all, they can claim copyright over that portion at least.  And since they made their own molds, they can claim they did not bootleg a Bandai product.

But, is in no way an indication that they made an original product. What they did is known as pre-emptive bootlegging.

Take note of my first statement above. The Tallgeese is a BANDAI product. I've seen comments all over that the DM Tallgeese III is an original; it is not. Dragon Momoko, however they did it, was able to produce their own molds, but that doesn't make their TG III an original, even if they came out with it first.  They've pre-empted Bandai with a bootleg, making the phrase "original bootleg" more oxymoronic than anything (than ever before).  It's the same case as a bootlegger recording a concert and selling CDs of that concert, before the production can.  It's a bootleg through and through, especially if one considers that, despite how nice it looks at first glance, it still suffers as a bootleg does.

I've also seen comments like "you don't own a bootleg so you don't know anything." Tell me, do I need to do drugs to know that it's bad? I recall my adventure at Divisoria a year ago, when I came back to a shop 3 times, swooning over a Daban DSH custom, with the price going down each time I came back. From 600 pesos, the shopkeeper finally relented and offered it to me for 400, but when I finally opened the box and checked the item up close, I decided to keep my money and buy Bosny paints instead.

Regardless, for this review, to keep my objectivity, I bought each of the DM TGs. Sure, I was impressed with how clean the moldings are. I was even impressed that they used new molds, and maybe DM has a future in producing their own originals. Being a graphic designer, I'm even impressed with their relatively new box and manual designs.

But is it worth shelling money out for? I'm a practical person. I believe some Bandai kits are a waste of money and are not worth it.  Some people practice with bootlegs, but to me, that's tantamount to practicing on a Sarao Jeep to make a Ferarri. Sure, the Sarao can look like a Ferarri, but, it's still a Sarao.  (Practicing with bootlegs is okay, especially for students who don't have a ready budget for kits, but, you won't be a student forever, right?  As for those who want to have a hobby, but "can't afford" Bandai, maybe you need a hobby that you can afford [to those asking what this means, it means exactly as I said it.  If you don't have bootlegs as an "alternative," get another hobby]).  I practice on Bandai scraps, that's why I'm always on the hunt for built kits which I would mangle later on, but hey, that's just me. 

I consider Gunpla an investment, and I cannot, despite my evil, consider this an investment.  This hobby is expensive, as such, I always try to set my priorities straight.  Before I set my sights on that shiny new MG Sazabi ver Ka, I made sure I have food on the table.  And since these kits are investment in themselves, I can sell them later on to augment my finances.  Never will I prioritize a hobby because I needed one, nor would I settle for a bootleg just because I needed a hobby.

Are they worth it?  Maybe this will answer that question.

I've sold partially built DM TG I, an unbuilt DM TG I, and a DM TG III AT A LOSS.

Addendum:  See my note above?  I don't allow anonymous comments (even with assumed names with no backtracking links).  But, since the idiotic comments I received have become humorously relevant, I'll share it with you as to how truly IGNORANT some people are about bootlegs.

Comment 1: "Okra pa mamen nasobrahan ka sa mga imported stuffs.. next time sa japan kana tumira with all your para wala ka nang hinanakit sa BL's "

Comment 2: "yung bang sibuyas na ginagamit nyo pang-gisa eh sibuyas tagalog o sibuyas tsina?"

Comment 3: "I'm so glad bootlegs exists. Bandai will have something to compete with. So they will strive to make their kits look better and more accessible and cheap. Judging Bandai 's history., I don't want to see them gaining monopoly"

1.  Bootlegs, in this case, plastic "fighter" kits, come mostly from China.  China is the premier bootlegger nation, bootlegging everything from CDs to toys to even milk.  The bootlegs available in the market today are produced mostly by China.  They "export" it worldwide.  The bootleg sellers here import dem fighter kits from China.  Last time I looked, China is still a FOREIGN country, so any product we get from there is imported.

So, to assume that only Japan Bandai kits are imported is not only ignorant, but downright stupid.  Bandai also has a production facility in China, and soon, here in the Philippines (though the latter is said will produce capsule toys).   What's more, most bootlegs you're getting are SMUGGLED into the country, with very few exceptions.

2.  Bootlegged onions.  That's new.  See, when making analogies, do try to look up what an analogy is, and how analogies are applied.  For commenter #2, since China is a hotspot for bootlegs, everything that comes from there is a bootleg.  Even onions.

3.  The comment was actually posted in the "Kawaguchi" post, but, I'd tackle that here.

First things first: Bandai OWNS Gundam and Gunpla. There is no monopoly when it comes to Gunpla.  If they come after bootlegs OF THEIR KITS and stop their production, they have ALL the right to do so.

Bandai, however, does not have a monopoly on toys and plastic kits. If they did, we wouldn't have Tomy, Kotobukiya, Hasegawa, Tamiya, etc.

Please, people, oh bootleg people, KNOW the facts before you spit.

Sheesh.  The internet indeed has made some people dumb,  and dumb people dumber. Or at least, simply revealed who the dumb people are.  To these people, truth are relative, and facts are optional.  The internet has made cowards feel as if they are 10 feet tall, but in real life wouldn't be able to stand up to anyone and say what they say online to ANYONE's face (Yes.  I am challenging you to come up to me and tell that to my face). 

A word of advise to would-be anonymous trolls; when trolling someone, make sure you're smarter, or at least, MORE articulate.

Of Dreams and Nightmares

Time has passed so quickly, and I barely noticed it was halfway through September. I've given myself a deadline; If I haven't started painting by now, it'll be another photofinish to the end of the line. Worse, I might not finish it on time at all. In most cases, I dream about my builds, often having a solution to a tricky thing upon waking, but sometimes, it comes to a point of it being a nightmare. Well, at least, close to it. (I no longer "fear" nightmares).

The weather isn't much of a help either. With it the main enemy of any painting stage, an unpredictable weather (redundant, if you ask me) condition can prove detrimental to a the smooth tango of a well-planned painting schedule. Paints curl. Topcoats frost. Oil residue defines itself.

I keep telling myself that majority of the crucial modifications are done anyway, so, there's a good chance that SIN will make it. But, I later remind myself, I started this project as early as June. The kit, I bought as early as April.

So, as the two inevitable ends each bare their proverbial teeth, I now prepare myself to more delays, as "real-life" work projects literally slammed themselves on my lap. Some have been on-going since the year started, some, just recently started, and others, though speculative, have a high possibility of pushing through. Murphy hasn't bared his teeth yet, but I suspect he isn't too far behind. If my experiences with the Ronin, the Angelus, the Bathala and the Haribon has anything to say with regards to the matter, is to not be to sure of anything.

The Pillars

I've cleared my actual work table so I can already mount the diorama's individual parts. I've been working on the couch ever since I got a laptop (and got a little more than I bargained for, gaining a little weight and a few inches in the process), And all my clutter along with it. The diorama is made from several sections; the main base LED-lighted, the modified Keiko Action Base 1, and what I'd like to call The Pillars, which are mostly scratch-built, augmented with a couple of parts from the Keiko base. The overhead section mounts onto the Pillars, and will also have strips of LED to provide the Overhead lighting. The Pillars themselves each might have a 3pc LED strip, to light the front of the kits if needed.





Pop Quiz: What do you suppose is this contraption is?



Last entry coming soon...

Misdirection

As per my previous post, I've already blown my budget as much as I can afford to, but, I guess there's nothing wrong with having something but not need it, than needing something but not have it. I actually need some of the stuff I've recently purchased; it's getting extras of each of them that blew my budget like the Hiroshima. The recent storm actually derailed most of my projects since I couldn't go out to get some of the other stuff I need, and while stuck at home, I couldn't prioritize properly, since my brain was mush all the time.

Anyways, In my quest for a solderless (or at least almost solderless) circuit design, I've stocked up on the essential solutions. Ironic, though, I bought a new soldering iron (from eGizmo), but a couple of weeks before that, bought a soldering gun at CD-R King. The soldering gun took a tad too long to heat up, and barely, so, with my old iron rusting, and the new gun unreliable, I bought another one from a reliable source as back up.

Winded Wiry Worries
Solderless circuits are almost next to impossible especially when dealing with wires that need to be soldered. A few years back, I wouldn't have thought of these simple solutions because I wasn't trying to avoid having to solder anything back then, because I had nothing to solder.



Wired pin connectors; top left, F double-pin (Alexan); top right FF single-pin (eGizmo); bottom left, FF double pin (eGizmo); bottom right, MM single pin (eGizmo). The ones on the center are 9V battery clips (DEECO). In all my hunting expeditions, eGizmo has the most complete stock of items, though they do run out from time to time.

Geared Gnawing Gets Going
Although having a turntable display is but an add-on if I finish everything on time, my mush of a brain couldn't help ponder on how I will make the SIN's diorama base spin, or turn.





On separate trips to eGizmo, I bought gears, rollers and geared motors, with a devious plot to rule the world, but even with those assortment of gears, I couldn't finalize a design schematic for the turntable. For one, them gears don't have standard shaft diameters, that even with my varied stock of beams and pipes nothing would fit the ones I needed. So, while rummaging for gears on the RC section of Lil's, I remember them having 3-speed crank gearbox kits, so I got that one as well.

Dastardly Detail Disasters

The support structures I built for the overhead hangar repair module was too bland for comfort that I initially planned to simply scribe panel lines on them to liven them up. But, the more I looked at the modified base, the more convinced I became that it needed raised and recessed sections, to balance it with the rest of the structure.



So I made detail parts using sandwiched 1.0s then beveled them to give them more depth. These are affixed on a predetermined spot on the support structure.



More to come...

Serendipity

Twice, so far, that I went or passed by a certain place because I was looking for something specific or the location was along the way and found something else that is nevertheless somewhat an "ongoing" necessity (in these cases, for Project SIN). I'm already over budget as it is, with just the cost of Stein alone, so I wasn't too keen on a splurge.

There were two sets of things I was actively looking for: cranes, haulers or anything similar, and chains small enough to pass as 1/100 scale. The logical place to look for the cranes/haulers were in TK or TRU, but each cost about PhP150++. I could also go and look at Divisoria (which I still intend to do later on, but I'm so swamped, I didn't even get a chance to go there the last time I was in the Binondo area). I looked for the chains at silver stalls, and even found a few "faux gold" ones at Japan Home/Daiso, but I just wasn't ready to give up looking since I do still have enough time.

I have made rounds a few times at the newly renovated Glorietta, seeing "old" shops mixed with the new. I was there to pass time because I was waiting for my new camera to get cleaned at a service center "nearby" (a story for another time, but I believe mentioning the camera is significant to the continuity of this story). I window shopped in the usual places, and there I found the first of what I was looking for:



Mobile cranes. I found a couple of them, "hiding" in plain sight, but out of clear view, in one of the shelves at Japan Home. It was easy to miss if one wasn't looking for it, and in that clutter, I might have.

A week after, I had an "impromptu" meet with a model, who then decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. The route to the designated meeting place will take me to a place I rarely got to nowadays because it's either out of the way, or there was just no reason for me to go there. But, little did I know, my curiosity as to why a flock of girls/women were all battling for position in front of a shop at Farmers Plaza, Cubao, gave me that tingling sensation of serendipity after I saw what they were buzzing about.



Chains. LOTS of them. They are not as fine as what I need, but at 1mm diameter, and P50 each, they would do just fine for my SIN. I found it quite funny how one girl's badly designed fashion jewelry can become one modeler's source of material. These chains will be part of SIN's Hangar Bay scenario.  At this point, I realized that the camera is the commonality in these two serendipitous events.

There is no Rust In Space

I've seen quite a few well-made Hangar Bay dioramas set in space, and when I say well-made, I believe the modeler has taken care in making it look as realistic as possible, except for, maybe one tiny detail: There is no Rust in Space, especially in an active Hangar Base. Most Gundams and mobile suits also won't rust, even on Earth, so, it's one particular detail I don't ever intend on putting on any of my current and future projects, unless of course the theme actually calls for it.

I'll leave it to your imagination (or googling skills) as to why.

Anyways, the SIN's diorama/base is almost done, with most of the main components built or modified. Previously, I've shown a teaser of the main diorama base and I plan to reveal it by then end of September or early October along with everything else. For the meantime, I've done something totally different with the detail on top of the main base, instead of the usual walled hangar (which I see quite a lot nowadays, especially with ready-made chain bases available). Kotobukiya has quite an assortment, but the one I needed/wanted was unavailable locally (it's out of stock online as well), and I wasn't about to order online mainly because of time constraints. Bandai's mechanical system bases are 1/144 scale, which I could probably modify, but again, I was already over-budget. Also, I took note of the fact that if I do use chain bases, it might look just like any other hangar-based themes whether I intended it or not (and I've seen recent and older entries not to be doubtful), so I dropped the idea together.

A year or so ago, I bought a Keiko Action Base at GTO on a whim (even at that time, I wasn't too keen on hangar scenes and chain bases, especially after my first attempt at it was a bust).  But, this one is rather rare, and I've only seen a few of them around being used anywhere. As I have already started modifying it, I had no before shot to speak of, so I'll simply borrow one from Kakashi and a generic shot from the manual.



Regardless, I wasn't about to use it as is, so I modified it later on to fit the "overhead repair bay" concept I had in mind. First, using 1.0mm WHIPS, I scratch-built whole sections as vertical support systems, using excess parts from the main kit as added detail, and shaping them as similar as possible. Earlier, I thought of getting another such kit so I wouldn't have to build anything else any more, but, with the weather and my schedule as bad as a woman having hot flashes, I decided against it and made most of the time I'm stuck at home working on other projects.





I separated the parts into useable sections, modified them to increase the structural integrity (the plastic is made of glass-like brittle material, similar to what most Kotobukiya kits are made of), and the kit itself is a complicated mish-mash of interlocking parts, making it rather easy for me to repurpose them.





As it is, without it mounted on the main base, it kinda reminds me of imperial walkers.

More soon...

Deception

What's a hangar base without lights, right? When the year began, I actually already had the idea of a hangar diorama brewing in my head, mainly because my very first ever hangar dio was a rushed bust. Simple as it was, it took me a long time to build, mainly because of inexperience. I wondered back then, as I was engaging my warp engines if I can even pull this one off, because of the lighting it will involve.

A couple of months after, March to be exact, I already had a circuit in mind, bought 5mm and 3mm LEDs, to augment the 5's and 3's and SMCs I already had on hand, as well as some two prong wafer connectors, a new soldering gun and batteries. That being said, I don't like soldering because it's too inconvenient for me, and I try to avoid it as much as possible, hence why I developed non-soldering methods. Little did I know that those purchases (and my soldering woes) would prove to be somewhat "useless" since I "discovered" something I've known and been aware of for quite some time, but, the gears in my head was on low. CD-R King has them for quite some time, but, with my mind being set on building a circuit myself, I ignored it.

In one of my sojourns to Quiapo (Hidalgo for camera stuff and Raon for electronics), hunting for parts and such, I saw an assortment of the thing I ignored at CD-R King. It was then that the gears in my head kicked into high gear, and I told myself, "why didn't I think of that sooner?"

LED strips. They come in all sorts of color variants. This particular roll contains 60 LEDs per meter at 5 meters per roll, and can be bought at P100 per meter. Prices range from P100 to P400 depending on the type (there are multi-color and double types which of course, are more expensive), and for this particular type, the cheapest I found so far is at P100/m. They are rated at 12 volts, but they can run on a 9V battery as well with a slight (but acceptable) dimming.

With these, I can lay down a strip of lights with little soldering involved, and no worries about the overall circuitry. The strips can be cut in 3 LED sections, and each section can be re-soldered onto each other or onto a circuit. I can simply cut a strip of appropriate length, and since it is self-adhesive, is easy to mount on almost any solid surface. I've used a 120LED/m type to light the underside of the base, and will use the 60LED/m type (the one pictured above, which incidentally has a black mount wrapped in weatherproof silicone) for overhead lighting. It's a good thing I ignored my impulse to buy the LED strips at CD-R King, because the non-weatherproof type they are selling is already at P680 and the weatherproof type at P780, the only plus is, both have an AC power source included (which I won't need).

Dark Power

Now, with that out of the way, I had to figure out how to power the LEDs. I've always managed with button cells for a switch-less single or double LED setup, but with this, those wouldn't be enough. Four 3V button cells in series can power an entire roll, but since they are not made to handle high loads, the batteries got depleted in a matter of minutes. So, I opted to power them up with 9V batteries. I got 9V battery clips, easy enough to set up with the LEDs and the switches (I will till try to avoid soldering altogether by using two-prong connectors), but to ensure longevity, I'll wire two 9V batteries, either with an interrupt/interchange switch, making one battery the main power, and the other an auxiliary. Switching from main to aux will still be manual, with a main power switch.

Connecting the batteries would be simple, but I didn't want to just leave the batteries loose inside the dio, especially if time permits, I'll be rigging the diorama to a turntable (for that effortless 360° view). So, I built battery cases that will mount on the underside of the dio. At first, I cut pieces of HIPS using the battery as a guide, but I realized it was taking too long to wait for the individual pieces to mount and cure, more so, I would have to reinforce each joins, making the case too thick and heavy as I would like.

So, I did what should have been obvious. WHIPS are more flexible and easily bendable, so, I wrapped a strip of 1.0mm WHIPS onto a 9V battery and cemented the sides with another strip of WHIPS centered on one of the longer sides of the battery, then I cemented a base on one of the ends. The battery fit snugly into place, as such I drilled a 3mm hole on the center of the base so I can simply push the battery out when needed.

More to come...

A Sinner's Tease

Getting back into Gunpla (or more like it, cutting plastic), proved to be another painful transition as my hands adjust from light to heavy handling and vice-versa. As I type this, my right-hand fingers are all stiff. mainly because of the pressure I had to apply in cutting the patten I plan to use for the Sin's diorama base. In this case, however, I could have made it simpler if I just cut the pattern through and through and reassemble the pieces like a jigsaw (and used a 0.5mm piece of WHIPS instead), but, it wouldn't serve the purpose of the effect I have in mind overall.

I laid down half of the pattern on a large piece of 1.0mm WHIPS and cut off pieces where I needed, leaving notches in between cuts that would hold the entire piece together, marked by a pencil crossing the main lines and adjusting them as I went.



And viola! I simply mirrored the piece onto another piece of same sized WHIPS and assembled them side-by side. I was able to replicate the mirrored pieces closely as if it was done on Photoshop. This is the main piece that will lay above the diorama's base.



Trick Question:  What do you suppose this is?



More to come...

Sin is Inevitable

As July drew to a close, I realized that I haven't really thought of what I'll be doing as my (possible) entry to this year's GBWC. This is quite a busy year for me, mostly in the "real-work" department. I had to put the Hellraiser on hold because I couldn't quite get enough steam to continue working on it even if I wanted to, especially when I always get a call from clients just as I was about to start working on it.

Which was somewhat a good thing. The Hellraiser's wings need a radical redesign, not that my initial design wasn't radical enough to begin with. As usual, I had to contend with weight issues. The magnet solution didn't quite work as I have planned, even with the strong neodymium magnets I got. So, I'll be integrating gears to the redesign.

For the moment, GBWC. Even with ample time, I still wasn't able to start on anything, but I have had the plan in my head for quite some time. My initial plan of making a "frankenstein" monster using a Sinanju and a Stein will take a back seat as I realized there simply wouldn't be enough time for me to do all the modifications needed to make the project work. So, for the first time ever, I'll be working on an entry with very "basic" modifications, and will simply call it "SIN."

What? Another Sinanju? Why?

For one, I consider the Sinanju one of the best MS designs ever. It has a nice combination of curves and lines. It's well-balanced proportion-wise, and has ample detail, that it is sometimes frustrating to add more details to it without ruining it. The Stein, as the lore depicts, was based on the Nu and is actually more its counterpart. I believe, and I'm just speculating, that after the events of Char's Counter Attack, Anaheim was able to recover the Nu, then later on redesigned it as the Stein.

When the Stein was announced, I didn't like it because it was a) white, b) too blocky, c) white. I outgrew that ill-conception as soon as I got one for my planned entry. I still have reservations because its shield's construction is too basic, but it was the shield that made me believe it was the redesigned Nu. It's rifle was also based roughly on the Hi-Nu's rifle. <<<<(You may want to ignore this part altogether, it's just me over thinking the obvious).

I will still use two kits, the Stein I bought last April, and parts from my now dismantled Angelus, plus armor scraps I got recently. Even with all the scraps, I still had to get a few pieces from one of my unbuilt Sinanju kits, plainly because I didn't have any of them in the scrap pile.

Those two kits, side-by-side, will be on a hangar-type diorama. Some, if not most, of you who have seen my work and my modifications would probably wonder why I have resorted to such a "simple" task when most entries nowadays have become so complicated and vast, that, it might just be a waste of time.

I'm not competitive. When I work on something, It's because I want to work on something. Sure, I time certain projects with the GBWC, but I won't rush them into completion just so I could enter, as in the case of the Haribon last year, and the Ronin 3 years before that. As some of you know, I rebooted the Ronin, and the result couldn't have been more ideal at the time.

The modifications were simple enough (I have literally done half of it in a few days), but I'm banking on the concept behind the diorama to boost its chances competition-wise. As we all know, dioramas score 30% of the overall, so a well-made diorama with a good story behind it can score high with the judges.

Well, at least that's how I see it, judging from how the past winners were chosen. It seems there was no clear pattern, but, there's a logic to it, albeit random.  Somewhere in this post there is a ruse.

I won't be posting a WIP, but I'll be taking photos of the project's progress as a whole, and would be posting tidbits and teasers from time to time, if and when time allows it. Half of the time I spend on entries actually involved taking step by step progress, including how I do things, for tutorial later on, but, right now, I can't really afford that luxury, as I still do have projects coming in soon.

So, whether I finish this in time or not, you'll see SIN this October or November.