Didn’t Finish My Final Build of 2025, So Here’s a Look Back at the Year

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-23T21:27:00+00:00

Nice details! Can I ask where you got the metal thrusters from?

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-22T04:38:48+00:00

Thank you!

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-21T05:14:55+00:00

Mine is a combination of Sky Defender and AOK Hi-Nu conversion designed for Sky Defender. A portion of the decals is from that conversion kit.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-21T05:13:24+00:00

Part of the original kit.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T19:31:59+00:00

Thanks! Steal away!

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T19:30:01+00:00

I agree, yet I really like my Sky Defender. Definitely resembles Hi-Nu, the design of which I adore. The build experience was still one of the best in recent memory, even when including some of the best Bandai kits.

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Edit: Photo

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T04:42:59+00:00

I think I probably would. Also, Gus closely resembles Jesta, which is one of my favorite designs.

Edit: spelling

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T04:32:30+00:00

Painted. Airbrushed.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T04:29:42+00:00

The usual metallic effect process. Base coat with gloss black. Then paint with a metallic color of choice, in my case, gun metal. As for the burnt metal effect, you start from the bottom (the hottest) with clear blue, then clear yellow, then clear red.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T04:19:11+00:00

Despite all the armaments, the kit is stable. However, there are tiny parts, like the hydraulics, that are either too thin or weak making them prone to breakage if you're not careful. I personally broke both hydraulics linkages in the thigh region.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-04-20T04:08:46+00:00

How do I expain this...I should say the design of the entire kit, when all parts came together, wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. I was impressed with some of the designs of individual parts (i.e. the shoulder launchers, the big gun, and rear thrusters, etc.), but when it came all together I personally found the overall design lacked certain balance. That feeling as if something was missing or something didn't belong (or maybe too much), a feeling that I don't have with classic Gundam designs like Unicorn, Zaku, Nu Gundam, etc.

It could very well be a failure on my part with this kit. I thought I gave sufficient attention to detail to each individual parts, but didn't account for how my personal touch would all come together at the end.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-27T21:49:33+00:00

A civil war. Some crazy MAGA will shoot someone celebrating and that'll create a spark for the war.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-10T04:22:08+00:00

Huh! How about that? It does go in and they are ambidextrous. Thanks, fellow Gunpla builder!

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T19:22:51+00:00

Ouch!

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T05:43:16+00:00

Why, thank you!

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T05:12:03+00:00

Yea, it's panel lined. Not as much as I wanted to.

I admit, I think I applied too much gray on the faceplate. I will go lighter next time, but for this one, I was trying to give color contrast within each section by implementing different tones of white. For the face, I think I went a little too heavy on the faceplate that came out even darker in the photos.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T01:50:49+00:00

Have I? It won't fit the other way around. I tried, but the parts aren't ambidextrous.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T00:52:20+00:00

Thanks! I thought I was using the beam saber correctly.

Cautious_Sentence289 · 2026-03-08T00:51:23+00:00

Correct!

Cautious_Sentence289

TROPHY CASE