Master Grade ZGMF-X42S

When I went to Japan, I bought this model kit: ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam Extreme Blast Mode. This was my second Master Grade model. FYI, this model is a beefed up model from the normal MG Destiny Gundam.

Several differences between Destiny Gundam and Destiny Gundam Extreme Blast Mode:

	Standard Version	Extreme Blast Mode
Internal Frame	The entire internal frame + arm are gunmetal black	Any exposed frame + arm are shiny chrome plated else are gunmetal
Arsenal	Beam Rifle Shield Arondight Greatsword Beam Cannon 2 Flash Edge Beam Boomerang	Beam Rifle Shield Arondight Greatsword Beam Cannon 2 Flash Edge Beam Boomerang Palma Fiocina Hand Cannon Beam Shield Generator
Extras	–	Transparent Kira Yamato figure Transparent Shinn Asuka figure Flash Edge Extender Pair of Wings of Light Gundam Seed Base
Price	Avg. 3500 Yen	Avg. 5000 Yen

For me, it takes 16 hours of work. This is the first time for me painting the Gundam with Gundam Marker and Paint Color. My conclusion in using those two: very hard. Painting is not easy for newbie like me. I haven’t apply any dry decal or water decal to it, so it’s quite plain to see right now. The assemby itself is not quite complex (compared to other transformable mobile suits), but the details are amazing. Really worth the price.

This Destiny Gundam is not without problems. The main of this gundam is the waist unit really obstructing the movement, thus only limited to several pose. The other is the wings are heavy, and it is impossible to make it stand when the Wings of Light is attached to its wings. Fortunately this model is provided with default base, but the base itself is not that manuverable. This model really enormous and I don’t know where to put this.

Master Grade XXXG-01W

Being an impulsive buyer is dangerous. However, sometimes, it’s fun. Last Saturday night, I found my desired Gundam model which I’ve longed for years. It is XXXG-01W, Master Grade Wing Gundam.

It’s the first time I crafted a Master Grade model, so I read the whole guide book carefully before crafting it. Unfortunately, it’s written in japanese characters (I don’t know whether it’s katakana or kanji). Well, since in Jakarta I have no equipment, so I postponed the crafting, at least until I arrived in Bandung.

Sunday, Nov 18th 2012

I arrived in Bandung at 4.30 PM. However, it was blackout, so I started to craft at 5.30 PM in my workstation. It’s the whole box containing the MG Wing Gundam.

I prepared a clipper and a cutter. FYI, crafting a Master Grade (MG) require a great concentration for newbie like me. It’s on a very different level when compared to crafting a High Grade (HG) model. The plastics were so hard, even a single splinter couldn’t cut the parts from the frames. Ergo, I used clipper to cut them down.

It took 6 straight hours to complete the whole body. Only the body, without the wings, backpack, and weaponry. It consisted of a body part, a head, a waist part, two hands, and two legs. I finished my work at 1.30 AM. These are some pics of my finished work.

Monday, Nov 19th 2012

I arrived at home at 10 PM. Without further ado, I prepared all of my equipments to continue the work. The rest which I hadn’t done were the backpack, two wings, buster rifle, shield, and beam saber. Compared to the first day work, I thought it’d be easier. No, I had been wrong. The wings are one of the hardest part to craft. It took 4 straight hours to complete. I finished the work at 2 AM, then started to assemble all of the scattered parts. Here’s the pics of a completed XXXG-01W: Wing Gundam.

It’s a cool Gundam with a very high detailed model, I guess. It took 10 hours to complete. The joints are everywhere, even in places that I can’t even comprehend. But, Bandai isn’t playing game with us. They make it so every joint is movable, and has it’s own purposes. Some parts which I thought were useless were showing it’s usefullness when I transform it from mobile suit mode to bird mode. Here’s the pics.