Post by bleen on Apr 16, 2005 18:33:10 GMT -5
Last wednesday I got a pleasant surprise: I got a notice from my local customs that said a 3.5 kg package was waiting for me... it didn't specify the contents but I already knew... the RX-79G MG and the EX-S MG. When I saw the box it was huge, and I wondered just how big could a couple of MG kits be... For all of you who don't know, this is my 2nd gundam model, the first being the awesome PG Strike. That being so, I had never seen the size of the MG kits.
I opened the package and two boxes greeted me. The RX-79G was the size I thought it would be, no surprises here (by the way, I still haven't touched the kit, when I do I'll probalby write something about it).
What shocked me was the sheer size of the EX-S box to begin with: exactly the same size as the PG Strike box. And here I thought this would be a easier kit...![::)](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/rolleye.png)
I didn't think much which kit to begin with: the EX-S was calling me![8-)](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/cool.png)
I'm writing these lines after 15 hours of EX-S building. So far, I have a nice stand, a core fighter which is probably the ugliest one I've seen, and an armless, boosterless, weaponless EX-S.
Being my previous kit the Strike, I couldn't but feel a little down when building the EX-S... I already knew a MG is NOT a PG (complexity-wise and price-wise), but while building the legs I was a little nostalgic about the strike's.
Building a MG differs completely from building a PG! when I built the Strike, I just did the whole mecha and then dissassembled the armor and panel lined it. When I started with the EX-S it was obvious from the instructions I couldn't ressort to the same MO. while the EX-S has some inner frame in SOME parts, most of the armor HAS to be panel lined before assembling. This makes the whole building process much, much slower.
I'll also pregnant dog a little about the manual... the strike's one had different sections which had before their first step a list of the trees that one would be using. this made the assembly a lot more organized. This doesn't seem to apply for the EX-S. You DON'T get a list anywhere, just a general one at the beginning of the manual. And even if you try to separate the trees, a lot of times to have to search for another tree for just 1 or 2 pieces.
What also turned me off was the assembly order: first the stand, then the core fighters (even the extra one! If I knew it was an extra, I would have left it for last!), then the lower torso, then the legs, then the upper torso, then the boosters, then the arms, then the gun, lastly add-on parts for the extra core fighter (!?).
I only became very enthusiastic when I was working on the legs... finally, something that resembles a robot! When I hooked up the legs with the lower torso I was satisfied, at least the thing could walk (sorta
).
I started building it on the stand as the manual says, but when I finished the legs I took the thing off the stand and it didnt' fall over. I made the ankle joints extra-hard, since I heard the ex-s can't stand by itself... I wonder if it's true
Don't get me wrong, the stand looks great, and you can pose the legs in ways you cannot with a standing pose... but I think I would like a standing pose better... I guess I'll work on the arms now (I'll leave those huge boosters for later), and I'll see if it can keep standing... I'll post some photos when I finish the model...
Regards,
B
I opened the package and two boxes greeted me. The RX-79G was the size I thought it would be, no surprises here (by the way, I still haven't touched the kit, when I do I'll probalby write something about it).
What shocked me was the sheer size of the EX-S box to begin with: exactly the same size as the PG Strike box. And here I thought this would be a easier kit...
![::)](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/rolleye.png)
I didn't think much which kit to begin with: the EX-S was calling me
![8-)](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/cool.png)
I'm writing these lines after 15 hours of EX-S building. So far, I have a nice stand, a core fighter which is probably the ugliest one I've seen, and an armless, boosterless, weaponless EX-S.
Being my previous kit the Strike, I couldn't but feel a little down when building the EX-S... I already knew a MG is NOT a PG (complexity-wise and price-wise), but while building the legs I was a little nostalgic about the strike's.
Building a MG differs completely from building a PG! when I built the Strike, I just did the whole mecha and then dissassembled the armor and panel lined it. When I started with the EX-S it was obvious from the instructions I couldn't ressort to the same MO. while the EX-S has some inner frame in SOME parts, most of the armor HAS to be panel lined before assembling. This makes the whole building process much, much slower.
I'll also pregnant dog a little about the manual... the strike's one had different sections which had before their first step a list of the trees that one would be using. this made the assembly a lot more organized. This doesn't seem to apply for the EX-S. You DON'T get a list anywhere, just a general one at the beginning of the manual. And even if you try to separate the trees, a lot of times to have to search for another tree for just 1 or 2 pieces.
What also turned me off was the assembly order: first the stand, then the core fighters (even the extra one! If I knew it was an extra, I would have left it for last!), then the lower torso, then the legs, then the upper torso, then the boosters, then the arms, then the gun, lastly add-on parts for the extra core fighter (!?).
I only became very enthusiastic when I was working on the legs... finally, something that resembles a robot! When I hooked up the legs with the lower torso I was satisfied, at least the thing could walk (sorta
![:P](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/tongue.png)
I started building it on the stand as the manual says, but when I finished the legs I took the thing off the stand and it didnt' fall over. I made the ankle joints extra-hard, since I heard the ex-s can't stand by itself... I wonder if it's true
![:'(](http://lemonstre.fr/robot-japan/smileys/cry.png)
Regards,
B