@@WillPowellMakesContent Not entirely true, it's mainly just the RX-78-2 and Strike that don't. All of the Nu ones have stickers, and several of the variants of the RX-78-2 and Strike have them.
@@WillPowellMakesContent The Nu has the Amuro emblems and the leg band, the ff adds some stickers for the Long Range Fin Funnel. RX-78-2 (US Type) has the shoulder stickers, a leg band, flag stuff for the shield, and a few others. The GBE one has decals for the shoulder and shield. I think most of the Strike Variants don't, but the new Strike Rouge will have them unlike the original version of it, the Gunbarrel one that came with GB4 has them... All of the 7/11 variants have them...
The EG RX-78-2 we did in the previous episode didn't have stickers and it was glorious. The most fun Gunpla I've done so far. I bought a Strike EG for a friend and that also didn't have stickers.
Definitely beautiful as something to look at. For me the stickers ruined my experience, and my recent experience was building EG of having a complete, amazing experience just before this coloured my comparison
@WillPowellMakesContent there are some HGs with good enough colour part separation that they require very few stickers outside of marking stickers. A few I've built have grey or black stickers but I just colour those spots in with my gundam markers. Problem with the EGs (and some HGs) is that plastic on plastic joints can wear very easily. I only started a few years ago but both my EG RX-78-2s went very floppy. I did end up taking the head off one to replace the head on the Revive HG version though. I think the thing to remember is that Gunpla is at the end of the day a model, and sometimes you need to apply the model skills as with 40k or military kits. I got the HG Kshatriya and the stickers suck so bad but I painted the parts that required them and it worked out great. If you think of them as being like a 40k model but you only have to paint some parts instead of the whole thing it feels reasonable.
Build the HG Calibarn, it's easily one of the best HG kits ever. It's an unfortunate truth that not all plamo/gunpla are designed to meet the same standards, even within a single manufacturer like Bandai. I've built 8 x HGs, 8 x SDs, 2 x 1:72 (Motor Nuclear Cao Ren, Einta Industries Level Ultimate Sky Defender) and 1 x 1:48 (DaBan Mega size Unicorn). Aside from the SD's, the easiest and fastest to build (by a wide margin) was the 1:48 Unicorn despite it needing a ton of sanding with a glass file. I finished it in 4-5 hours The longest was definitely the Sky Defender, that easily took 40-50hrs over 2 months. That one is definitely my pride and joy right now, but it's instilled a loathing for metal etched stickers. The most enjoyable is a toss up between the HG Calibarn and the Cao Ren (this one took about 8-10 hrs though) The worst and least fun to build was some knock off HG Astaros. It took longer to build than all of my other HGs, despite being the least stable and least impressive HG.
Calibarn does look great. At the moment it's hard to get in the UK. Gunpla UK is where I order from usually now and they are out of it. Will give that a try when I can. The stickers are the worst. But as many have pointed out you don't have to do them, you can paint them. However for me showing the kits on camera I kinda have to do them and show what a pain they can be. Makes good watching at least haha
I only use stickers provided in the kits to make a "current build", after all if I wanna do a much more cleaner or different color afterwards I'd paint them. I also prefer not to do decals when first built and put it away until I wanna level it up.
Yeah thats a great workflow. Had I had more time to do the extra steps for each of the build in this series thats what I would do! I wanted to show the kits as the come intended from the manufacturer, which mean alas struggling to get them perfect and failing. Hope you enjoyed the video
Also since it's multi colored and older kits has less work on categorizing them, ppl have different way to organize the parts. Personally I had a case layout as head/chest/waist/LR arm/LR legs/Weapon/Others, and I cut them all off from the runners and organize them first (leaving a little bit of plastic), then after checking that no parts are missing, I cut them a second time (to have perfect beautiful flat surface) to build them.
@@WillPowellMakesContent Oh yeah I did, I like seeing ppls honest opinions and found it interesting since we at the eastern side are way more familiar with Gunplas these days
Had I had more time and was doing this for my own projects that’s what I would have done. But due to the way this series was produced, ie filming all of these back to back in a short period of time, I didn’t have time to do either of the painting steps. Also for me it goes against the intent of the series, which only about this building experience of each. To me, stickers are a physical part, so were mandatory as that’s how Bandai decided the kit should be put together.
I mean the fact that the grade down from this has none and is better building experience whilst having a wide range of quality of each of the kits says a lot about high grade to me at least! But also, it turned out to be a funny bit.
Three hours and fifteen minutes? You call that a long build? It's just a warm-up. If you come across much more complicated builds like Real Grades and Master Grades, you'll understand what I mean. I remember building my first RG, and it took me 17 hours! I spent that time cleaning off nubs, fixing loose joints, and carefully assembling the entire kit. I even added panel lining and applied decals to its armor. If you truly want to experience a rewarding building experience, I recommend trying the Master Grade 1/100 scale Heavyarms Gundam. It has more detail than the HG version, though it does come with some color-correcting stickers (which you can paint over if you prefer). It also features a full inner frame and even includes a tiny pilot figure inside the cockpit, something you won't find in most HG kits. It's a time-consuming build, but it's incredibly rewarding. However, if you're not prepared for a more challenging build, perhaps consider a pre-painted model or a statue instead. There's no shame in enjoying the hobby in your own way.
Rookie numbers, ROOKIE NUMBERS! I've filmed both the RG and MG parts of this challenge already, and yes they were way longer than this. I'm looking to start the Perfect Grade as well, And I know thats going to take several sittings. MG Heavy Arms is on the way for my own personal projects, but that may end up as another video to 'redeem' this one. The way that is built seems so much better than the HG.
Thank you 🙏 this comment made me a smile. I’m surprised even 100 subs has happened when this channel is just me being goofy and bad at being a hobbyist 😂 Thanks sticking around for the journey
as someone from asia i have a question, are gunpla prices really that that high in the uk because it felt like you got ripoffed cause the hg heavyarms gundam is not really the best high grade to warrant that kind of price, id give that credit to the moon gundam and also would you review gigantic hg kits like the Kshatriya, nightingale and destroy gundam just to compare the scale
Yes, on average Gunpla here in the UK costs nearly double what it does in Japan. The reason being there is no distribution network in the UK for Gunpla. It's all import only. from my anecdotal research. I'll be making a video on this topic soon at why the state of buying Gunpla in the UK is so bad! I did this break down in one of my other replies: Heavy Arms, bought from forbidden planet in the uk last year, for £21/$26/4100 Yen (exchange rate at time of writing). More than DOUBLE the price in Japan at 1650 yen. Armigers (calculating based on it being a single model, but you do have to buy them as a two pack.) Purchased from The Warp (a discount retailer I used to be the manger of) - £47.50/$58.90/9260 Yen. Then divide that by two as we are only comparing one of the two models brings us to: £23.25/$29.45/4630 Yen. This is one of the cheapest in the world thanks to being in the country of origin for Warhammer and being bought from a discount retailer in the country of origin.
Totally valid. To me, the stickers are a mandatory part of the building as they are a physical component in the kit. This series is only about the experience of building each one. I chose to do it that way to try to keep it as far as I could to each side
@WillPowellMakesContent ... so... if it is a Tau Crisi Battlesuit and it comes with transfer... you have to put all the transfer on in order to count it as completed? There is a reason why people say this is very much an orange vs apple situation. They are both fruits, but one you eat the skin, one you don't, one definitely has pips, and the other is a lottery if you might choke on a seed.
I hear you. This example is a bit more different than you first imply, only because the water slide decals that come in 40K set are designed to sit on top of paint. They don’t stick to bare plastic very well. But in principle, I see where you are coming from. The comparisons won’t stop now Bandai is launching there own Gunpla 40K type table top game. These fruit comparisons are here to stay. Also total tangent, but the water slider decals SUCK in the crisis set. Also tau in general. They come in red, which only ever works in certain paint schemes. I paint OG T’au Sept and red on orange looks weird. So I just free hand in my Sept markings instead.
It's just unfortunate your fingers are a tad large for placing stickers. The smaller your hands are, the easier it is to place stickers. Also it's not just 1 chance, more like 2-3 chances, and it takes a surprising amount of skill to make a sticker look good on a given surface. Some stickers are well-placed, some are clusmy but necessary, and some are horrible and wrap around complex shapes. But when you get a knack for stickers, the good ones will look great and the middling ones will look better than expected. Also, the Nataku & Altron are arguably the best of the HG Wing gundam kits.
The leg stickers on this were very complex. needing to wrap around a 3d vent with multiple folds. But you are right, my hands are quite large for a 6 foot 1 man. Makes instrument playing very easy for me, but small model stickers a nightmare! Thinking about it, as these are mainly designed for a Japanese market, which are on average smaller people than westerns, they might not struggle as much with it as some westerns do. Its an interesting insight.
I'm trying to understand your logic with all of this. 1) you overpaid like crazy for the heavyarms. That's a 20USD kit and you can easily find them on places like newtype. 2) When I look up the prices for the armigers on the offiical Warhammer site they go for about 100USD. So it costs like five times as much as the highgrade, and would be priced similarly to a master grade. Maybe they were cheaper when you bought them. 3) It's cool that you're more comfortable with building a simpler kit that you're more familiar with and have built before, but I don't know what that proves. Stickers suck, but you can also paint those elements - like you will have to with that entire mini. The gunpla manual actually provides painting guides - you can even use your citadel paints if you want to Like sorry to be complainy, it's just that I came in interested and left disappointed. Like you're trying to encourage gunpla fans to get into building 40k minis (something I AM interested in btw, in case you think I'm here just to hate on 40k) but anyone who's built gunpla will feel like this video is super dishonest.
Hey Toaster, let me break down some extra context for you that might inform you better as to the thinking behind this video. 1) Here in the UK, Gunpla is more expensive. It's not widely available and only available from some direct importers or high mark up retailers. I wish we had good access to kits here for a relative good price without having to wait weeks for kits to be imported from Japan. Not a lot of retailers have a relationship with this part of Bandai in the UK and need to direct import from a Japanese distributor. Hence the higher prices. 2) A set of Armigers here in the UK, at time of filming was £47.50 ($58) from discount retailers. Half that for just one as shown in the video is around £23.50 ($29) those are were the last time I check the exchange rate yesterday. I bought Heavy Arms for around £21ish from memory. So price wise here in the UK, the comparison on price is valid in my local market. I understand Gunpla is cheaper outside of the UK, and Warhammer is more expensive. These are the options available to me here locally. 3) This series aims to show what just building experience the average builder would have. I am the average builder, as shown in the videos, as are my guests I have on with me. A lot of people don't paint their armies, or do anything further than what is set out for them in the kit. Painting parts would have been something to go above and beyond, which is not something the average builder would do, and then wouldn't be an authentic experience. I think it's more fair to compare just the experience of building the kits in that case. I hope that extra context shows, that for me as an entertainer, this was an authentic genuine experience/reaction to the kit; and not something made to mislead fans of either system. I hope you still found the video enjoyable and that it made you laugh. Thats why I do spend time to do this.
@@WillPowellMakesContent i have to agree with him tho; you seemed skewed against gunpla. Apart from price & stickers, which are common grievances, you didn't set out clear criteria for your review. You built the Heavy Arms in about average time, but it was unfair to compare a new building experience to something you already built twice & enjoy. Pointing out the time spent seemed arbitrary too, since time only increases with the higher grades & parts count (HGs were always the de facto entry point before EG was revitalized, especially since there are thousands of unique HG gunpla) Even going by average building experience, you didn't point out how much more color accurate Heavy Arms was compared to the Armigers even without stickers. So, even average builders for gunpla will find it easier to get into post build customizations like decals & panel lines. A sure ball choice to showcase for a HG kit comparable to EG kits would be anything after 2020 or any of the G-Witch gunpla. You wouldn't be far off picking up the Solari Zaku or Gundam Ex from the Netflix gundam show too, or any of the 30mm Armored Core 6 kits, which were also produced by Bandai. The surface detail & engineering on those are off the charts for HGs. That all said, it was interesting to see your experience as someone new to gunpla. I'd even go as far as to suggest you go straight into some RG, like the Nu Gundam, Sazabi, or God Gundam. You might want to also check out 'Gundam Assemble' which seems to be Bandai's foray into table top & attempt to challenge 40k.
In the first video I went over some of the detail of the criteria; but you are right I should probably film a bonus video discussing a lot of the feedback I've got from this episode, talking about how difficult they are to get in the UK, Price, how I'm reviewing/rating each one in more concise detail. Thanks for this input, I was thinking of doing this but now you've made a good point. I don't want to seem like I am biased against one or the other. The comparison to something I've already built is also a fair critique. My choice of the Imperial Knight Armigers was made with these ideas in mind: Feel to the universe it was from (Knights are very 40K), size, scale, bipedal robot shaped, and complexity. I tried to keep the pairings as close as I could. Could I have found a 40K kit I haven't done that fits that bill? Perhaps. Further episodes of this series have already been shot, and include 40k models that are entirely new to me and my guest presenters. I do wish I had picked a newer HG based on how wide the quality is between HG's, but that also shows the luck of the draw nature of this grade! Luckily with some of the newer grades video upcoming (like MGSD and MEGA) these are relatively new so should be the best of the best of what Bandai can produce. I glad you enjoyed the video regardless of these flaws, I aim to make entertaining content over all else, so I hope at least being a goofball on camera brought some laughs. Gundam Assemble will DEFINITELY be getting some content here, even battle reports of the game, how many depends on how difficult it is to get in my region. As long as Gunpla UK or Forbidden Planet sell it, it should be pretty easy for me get.
@@WillPowellMakesContent Going to have to concur with the other comments here. There is a slight skew against the HG kit here, but at the same time with the context you’ve provided in these comments I do see where you’re coming from. I’d definitely be down to check out an update video. Now some words of my own (please read to the end as I also give some pretty big info on RGs): - You will have to expect stickers in HGs. It’s just the nature of the grade since they are created with simplicity in mind. Bandai have done a great job with the EG line, but you also have to notice that they’ve also chosen designs that don’t have all too much colour for that line. - Stickers suck. I think we all know that. You’ve pointed it out, many comments concur with that, and so do I. Those triangle pieces on Heavyarms’ chest and the leg vents suck especially. But otherwise, it ain’t all that bad on this kit. Not to mention you didn’t really point out how accurate the kit is compared to the 40k kit, even without taking the stickers into consideration. - The amount of stickers will depend on a few factors. Mostly on the design itself. Something simple like an HG Zaku only actually has one sticker, that being the eye. Meanwhile even the beloved HG Aerial from Witch From Mercury has a decent amount for colour correction. I’d say Heavyarms has a pretty middle ground amount. Though it’s the placement of those stickers that make Heavyarms a little more frustrating. - I’ve seen some comments say that the HG Heavyarms is an older kit and not really all that good as representation of the grade. This is false. 2020 is not old and the kits engineering is still pretty up to date. Even the (practically worshipped at this point) Witch From Mercury kits don’t have some of the points of articulation that Heavyarms does. And I believe you’d probably faint at the sight of the sticker sheet of the HG Rising Freedom which released early last year. The Rising Freedom itself has some incredibly good build quality and arguably some of the best engineering we’ve seen in an HG in terms of mechanics, but GOOD LORD that sticker sheet. Well at least the kit looks good without stickers too. - At least you didn’t pick in HGIBO kit, and HG Thunderbolt kit, or the aforementioned Rising Freedom to represent HG. If you did, I’d fear that you’d write off the grade altogether. - Honestly, if I were to pick a kit to represent the HG line as it is today. It would be the HGCE Infinite Justice or the HGCE Destiny. Both of which are actually older than the Heavyarms, but are actually more up to date in engineering and more importantly, colour separation. Now I’d like to give some advice for when you get to my favourite grade: RG. When you get to RG, I’d like to warn you about something: The line can essentially be split into two ‘generations’ so to speak. RG was a very experimental line for Bandai and it took some time for them to really find their footing. There can’t be a more hit-or-miss line in Gunpla than the early days of RG. The earlier RGs liked to rely on pre-articulated frame parts, while these were a marvel of Bandai’s moulding tech and engineering, they did come with the caveat of being very prone to loosening with handling. Its these parts that both allowed the RG Zeta to be a fully transforming kit at its size and also made it a veritable hand grenade and becoming nicknamed ‘the Dark Souls of Gunpla’ alongside the equally notorious RG Sinanju. Then in 2017, the 25th kit in the line: the RG Unicorn came out. While still utilizing the pre moulded frame, they were used only for parts that really required them with the rest of the structure was constructed much like an MG. This ushered in a new generation of the grade with every RG kit since then (that wasn’t based on an older mould like the Johnny Ridden Zaku or the Akatsuki) becoming a massive hit. That’s not to say the older kits should be ignored though, I did say ‘hit or miss’ after all and not ‘all misses’. The RG Mk II, the RG Wing EWs, and the RG 00 kits (especially the Qan[t]) still hold up really well for being classic style RGs. Honestly if you’re up for it, may I suggest building two RGs when it comes to that video. One to represent the old days of the line (again, highly suggest the Qan[t]), and another to represent the modern era (you could go big with something like the Sazabi or Hi-Nu, but since you’re seemingly a Wing fan, I highly suggest the Wing TV or the Epyon). As the grade has evolved so much in such a short time, the classic style ones and the new style ones basically go together like two completely different grades.
@@Jc88500 Wow, that is some passion for Gunpla to type all that out.Thanks for your comment! I'm scripting the extra video(s) today, hoping to potentially get some film in the following days should I get time. Yes stickers aside HG Heavy Arms is a good build. However the stickers make the experience of doing the build all in one go not enjoyable, to me anyway! Yes Bandai have done such good job with EG that it makes HG(or this particular HG) look weak in comparison, because of how the stickers are implemented. Eye stickers and other usual stickers in gun dam kits are often fine, but this ones were just so bad. In terms of the Real Grade, that episode has already been shot and the in the EG episode, you can see the RG I picked for this series (it was the hand grenade lol). There could be the chance I go back and film second one. RG Wing would potentially be a good choice for a second RG.
@@carlzerris6566 For production reasons yeah. There is a guest who gets introduced in a different video who I want to get on the channel asap as he is really funny and he is in the MG episode! And unfortunately I may need to re film the RG episode. So yes we will be skipping RG to go to MG for now, but RG will be soon after. We did the same with skipping SD. I had intended to originally include SD in this video, but changed to just do one grade per video to give them more space in the edit. Also with MGSD and MEGA becoming available here in the UK. I need to shoot episodes for those as well
EG line is relatively new. Usually newer models = better models, because engineering technology keeps improving constantly so that you can see improvements between models produced 5-10 years apart. EG focuses on accessibility (not requiring tools to build) and being the cheapest gunpla, cheaper than HG (mostly due to removing some accessories from the HG version, since Bandai prices mostly based on the amount of plastic in a box) The currently available EG kits are actually just an updated and improved models of the same older HG kits they took as a base. The EG Nu Gundam (2022) is an improved HG Nu Gundam (2008), minus the fin funnels on the back and the bazooka. The EG RX-78-2 (2021) is an improved HG RX-78-2 (2015), minus the bazooka. Even the yellow V mark on the crotch is color separated on EG, but requires a sticker on HG. The EG Strike Gundam (2021) is an improved HG Aile Strike Gundam (2014), minus the Aile Striker pack, which they later re-released as a separate Option Parts set which costs twice as more than the EG Strike itself High Grade is called like that because back in 90s before the first HG was released we only had very simplistic mono-colored plastic models you had to paint yourself, known today as First Grade. Compared to those the first High Grade model kits looks like a huge jump in grade, with their fancy color separation and articulation never seen before. Today HG is the most basic grade because since then they've introduced many more grades. It varies from HG model to model but many come with stickers to compensate the lack of color separation. Usually the result is much better (and it's easier) if you paint the details even with a gundam marker, instead of applying stickers. The biggest difference is that EG is plastic on plastic since they got rid of the rubbery PC parts often used in HG models which with time degrade and make the model flimsy. But you can easily strengthen the joints using varnish or even a tiny piece of plastic bag stuck int here. HG Heavyarms officially costs 1650 yen, which is around $10 usd or 9 pounds. No idea why it's priced so much over there. Probably just not to make games workshop look as bad in comparison for their insane and unreasonable pricing.
Hi Haohmaru, Thank you for taking the time to write this, and the additional knowledge and context on the grades. The EG was a great experience, seeing what is possible with today's modelling tech does, for me at least, cast a bad light on some past HG's. I have good hopes that Bandai will release more of EGs based on His to improve the experience. The stickers were the thing that made me not enjoy this kit. Great trick with using varnish on the joints or bits of the plastic baggie. In terms of cost, It is such a shame the UK market is massively over paying, for either system. I posted it in a different reply, but here is the cost breakdown for both in the UK, both in GBP/USD/YEN. Heavy Arms, bought from forbidden planet in the uk last year, for £21/$26/4100 Yen (exchange rate at time of writing). More than DOUBLE the price in Japan at 1650 yen. Armigers (calculating based on it being a single model, but you do have to buy them as a two pack.) Purchased from The Warp (a discount retailer I used to be the manger of) - £47.50/$58.90/9260 Yen. Then divide that by two as we are only comparing one of the two models brings us to: £23.25/$29.45/4630 Yen. This is one of the cheapest in the world thanks to being in the country of origin for Warhammer and being bought from a discount retailer in the country of origin. It's as fair a comparison I can make here where I can buy the kits.
@@WillPowellMakesContent Yeah, due to logistics shenanigans there's no way that prices overseas will be same as in Japan, unfortunately. The MG Heavyarms while a very solid build is still a pretty old model kit from 2012 so it's pretty basic and straightforward compared to how much we have advanced with the modern Master Grade kits. This goes for all EW kits. Wing isn't as popular in Japan compared to the West so the gunpla releases were pretty scarce. Do mind that MG Heavyarms still has a couple foil stickers for the eyes and the head camera sensors, but they are optional for people who decide between either covering the clear plastic with light reflecting foil stickers, or not covering it so you could let the light from the inserted LED module shine through them. All the color separation is done with plastic. If you want a more modern Wing kit than MG Wing Zero EW Ver. Ka from 2020 got you covered. Btw If you hate stickers then you should definitely avoid the SDEX line because 70-80% of the build is applying stickers since the plastic comes only in 2-3 plain colors and the rest must be covered for. The SDEX can be good for practicing hand brushing but not that good if you're there just for the straight build.
@@HaohmaruHL I've filmed a SD for this series, but that was mostly my guest building it and the stickers weren't actually too bad. But yeah chibi is not my style so I don't tend to buy SD's for my own projects. Though the MGSD Barbatos is in my Wishlist to buy next as that is intriguing. It's a shame Wing isn't more popular outside of the west, but its mostly because thats the first Gundam anime we got, so it seems super nostalgic to us I suppose!
YOU SHOULD HAVE BUILD MOON GUNDAM AND/OR *GUNDAM EX* OR NEW RECENT HIGH GRADE FROM *SUISEI NO MAJO* SERIES OR *SEED FREEDOM* MOVIE OR GQUUUUUUX SERIES INSTEAD 🫵🫵🫵
It's a high grade. Guaranteed stickers. (Tbh, all grades come with stickers but hg includes them because they usually need them)
Seeing how now the EG don’t need stickers for a complete perfect build, looking back it’s such a shame that is the case. Bandai so nailed the EG
@@WillPowellMakesContent Not entirely true, it's mainly just the RX-78-2 and Strike that don't. All of the Nu ones have stickers, and several of the variants of the RX-78-2 and Strike have them.
@@AzraelThanatos In EG? Really? Damn that sucks if thats the case. Strike and the RX are just way better than the Nu in my opinion then.
@@WillPowellMakesContent The Nu has the Amuro emblems and the leg band, the ff adds some stickers for the Long Range Fin Funnel.
RX-78-2 (US Type) has the shoulder stickers, a leg band, flag stuff for the shield, and a few others. The GBE one has decals for the shoulder and shield.
I think most of the Strike Variants don't, but the new Strike Rouge will have them unlike the original version of it, the Gunbarrel one that came with GB4 has them...
All of the 7/11 variants have them...
The EG RX-78-2 we did in the previous episode didn't have stickers and it was glorious. The most fun Gunpla I've done so far.
I bought a Strike EG for a friend and that also didn't have stickers.
this is a little bit of an older kit but from personal experience i think it was pretty simple to build and it looks really cool when i was done
Definitely beautiful as something to look at. For me the stickers ruined my experience, and my recent experience was building EG of having a complete, amazing experience just before this coloured my comparison
@WillPowellMakesContent there are some HGs with good enough colour part separation that they require very few stickers outside of marking stickers. A few I've built have grey or black stickers but I just colour those spots in with my gundam markers.
Problem with the EGs (and some HGs) is that plastic on plastic joints can wear very easily. I only started a few years ago but both my EG RX-78-2s went very floppy. I did end up taking the head off one to replace the head on the Revive HG version though.
I think the thing to remember is that Gunpla is at the end of the day a model, and sometimes you need to apply the model skills as with 40k or military kits.
I got the HG Kshatriya and the stickers suck so bad but I painted the parts that required them and it worked out great. If you think of them as being like a 40k model but you only have to paint some parts instead of the whole thing it feels reasonable.
I guess the less stickers HG would be HG Graze since the stickers is mostly for the Ahab reactor and the head and sensor parts.
Build the HG Calibarn, it's easily one of the best HG kits ever.
It's an unfortunate truth that not all plamo/gunpla are designed to meet the same standards, even within a single manufacturer like Bandai.
I've built 8 x HGs, 8 x SDs, 2 x 1:72 (Motor Nuclear Cao Ren, Einta Industries Level Ultimate Sky Defender) and 1 x 1:48 (DaBan Mega size Unicorn).
Aside from the SD's, the easiest and fastest to build (by a wide margin) was the 1:48 Unicorn despite it needing a ton of sanding with a glass file. I finished it in 4-5 hours
The longest was definitely the Sky Defender, that easily took 40-50hrs over 2 months. That one is definitely my pride and joy right now, but it's instilled a loathing for metal etched stickers.
The most enjoyable is a toss up between the HG Calibarn and the Cao Ren (this one took about 8-10 hrs though)
The worst and least fun to build was some knock off HG Astaros. It took longer to build than all of my other HGs, despite being the least stable and least impressive HG.
Calibarn does look great. At the moment it's hard to get in the UK. Gunpla UK is where I order from usually now and they are out of it. Will give that a try when I can.
The stickers are the worst. But as many have pointed out you don't have to do them, you can paint them. However for me showing the kits on camera I kinda have to do them and show what a pain they can be. Makes good watching at least haha
Which rg wil it be
Can't wait to see you build the FM, MG, MGEX, PG, and PGU
And SD, MGSD and MEGA! Trying to get to as many I can
@WillPowellMakesContent hell yeah...
I only use stickers provided in the kits to make a "current build", after all if I wanna do a much more cleaner or different color afterwards I'd paint them. I also prefer not to do decals when first built and put it away until I wanna level it up.
Yeah thats a great workflow. Had I had more time to do the extra steps for each of the build in this series thats what I would do! I wanted to show the kits as the come intended from the manufacturer, which mean alas struggling to get them perfect and failing. Hope you enjoyed the video
Also since it's multi colored and older kits has less work on categorizing them, ppl have different way to organize the parts.
Personally I had a case layout as head/chest/waist/LR arm/LR legs/Weapon/Others, and I cut them all off from the runners and organize them first (leaving a little bit of plastic), then after checking that no parts are missing, I cut them a second time (to have perfect beautiful flat surface) to build them.
@@WillPowellMakesContent Oh yeah I did, I like seeing ppls honest opinions and found it interesting since we at the eastern side are way more familiar with Gunplas these days
@@KevinBrooks_c I might use this idea on my next build. Thats a really good idea to pre organise them and not just work straight from the runners.
other than the eyes the stickers arent really required. you can still paint it.
Had I had more time and was doing this for my own projects that’s what I would have done.
But due to the way this series was produced, ie filming all of these back to back in a short period of time, I didn’t have time to do either of the painting steps.
Also for me it goes against the intent of the series, which only about this building experience of each.
To me, stickers are a physical part, so were mandatory as that’s how Bandai decided the kit should be put together.
Gets a high grade and HOPES there's no stickers...
I mean the fact that the grade down from this has none and is better building experience whilst having a wide range of quality of each of the kits says a lot about high grade to me at least! But also, it turned out to be a funny bit.
Three hours and fifteen minutes? You call that a long build? It's just a warm-up. If you come across much more complicated builds like Real Grades and Master Grades, you'll understand what I mean.
I remember building my first RG, and it took me 17 hours! I spent that time cleaning off nubs, fixing loose joints, and carefully assembling the entire kit. I even added panel lining and applied decals to its armor.
If you truly want to experience a rewarding building experience, I recommend trying the Master Grade 1/100 scale Heavyarms Gundam. It has more detail than the HG version, though it does come with some color-correcting stickers (which you can paint over if you prefer). It also features a full inner frame and even includes a tiny pilot figure inside the cockpit, something you won't find in most HG kits.
It's a time-consuming build, but it's incredibly rewarding.
However, if you're not prepared for a more challenging build, perhaps consider a pre-painted model or a statue instead. There's no shame in enjoying the hobby in your own way.
Rookie numbers, ROOKIE NUMBERS!
I've filmed both the RG and MG parts of this challenge already, and yes they were way longer than this. I'm looking to start the Perfect Grade as well, And I know thats going to take several sittings.
MG Heavy Arms is on the way for my own personal projects, but that may end up as another video to 'redeem' this one. The way that is built seems so much better than the HG.
really entertaining, it's a shame you don't have more subs! keep it up!
Thank you 🙏 this comment made me a smile. I’m surprised even 100 subs has happened when this channel is just me being goofy and bad at being a hobbyist 😂
Thanks sticking around for the journey
We need the next video! I'm excited to see what you do next
More to come soon!
Another banger thanks will!
Hoping to get out more just like this, So many more 'grades' to go!
as someone from asia i have a question, are gunpla prices really that that high in the uk because it felt like you got ripoffed cause the hg heavyarms gundam is not really the best high grade to warrant that kind of price, id give that credit to the moon gundam and also would you review gigantic hg kits like the Kshatriya, nightingale and destroy gundam just to compare the scale
Yes, on average Gunpla here in the UK costs nearly double what it does in Japan. The reason being there is no distribution network in the UK for Gunpla. It's all import only. from my anecdotal research. I'll be making a video on this topic soon at why the state of buying Gunpla in the UK is so bad!
I did this break down in one of my other replies:
Heavy Arms, bought from forbidden planet in the uk last year, for £21/$26/4100 Yen (exchange rate at time of writing). More than DOUBLE the price in Japan at 1650 yen.
Armigers (calculating based on it being a single model, but you do have to buy them as a two pack.)
Purchased from The Warp (a discount retailer I used to be the manger of) - £47.50/$58.90/9260 Yen. Then divide that by two as we are only comparing one of the two models brings us to: £23.25/$29.45/4630 Yen.
This is one of the cheapest in the world thanks to being in the country of origin for Warhammer and being bought from a discount retailer in the country of origin.
Please try any witch from Mercury kit and it may change your mind..
Which kit? Aerial HG?
@@WillPowellMakesContentin my opinion the best wfm kit is the calibarn, but my fasvourite is the beguir beu
Will get it on order! Several people have said that is a good one
Now add the time to do basic paint and detail (the "stickers") on the warhammer one 😂
Totally valid. To me, the stickers are a mandatory part of the building as they are a physical component in the kit.
This series is only about the experience of building each one. I chose to do it that way to try to keep it as far as I could to each side
@WillPowellMakesContent ... so... if it is a Tau Crisi Battlesuit and it comes with transfer... you have to put all the transfer on in order to count it as completed?
There is a reason why people say this is very much an orange vs apple situation. They are both fruits, but one you eat the skin, one you don't, one definitely has pips, and the other is a lottery if you might choke on a seed.
I hear you. This example is a bit more different than you first imply, only because the water slide decals that come in 40K set are designed to sit on top of paint. They don’t stick to bare plastic very well.
But in principle, I see where you are coming from.
The comparisons won’t stop now Bandai is launching there own Gunpla 40K type table top game. These fruit comparisons are here to stay.
Also total tangent, but the water slider decals SUCK in the crisis set. Also tau in general. They come in red, which only ever works in certain paint schemes. I paint OG T’au Sept and red on orange looks weird. So I just free hand in my Sept markings instead.
It's just unfortunate your fingers are a tad large for placing stickers. The smaller your hands are, the easier it is to place stickers. Also it's not just 1 chance, more like 2-3 chances, and it takes a surprising amount of skill to make a sticker look good on a given surface. Some stickers are well-placed, some are clusmy but necessary, and some are horrible and wrap around complex shapes. But when you get a knack for stickers, the good ones will look great and the middling ones will look better than expected.
Also, the Nataku & Altron are arguably the best of the HG Wing gundam kits.
The leg stickers on this were very complex. needing to wrap around a 3d vent with multiple folds. But you are right, my hands are quite large for a 6 foot 1 man. Makes instrument playing very easy for me, but small model stickers a nightmare!
Thinking about it, as these are mainly designed for a Japanese market, which are on average smaller people than westerns, they might not struggle as much with it as some westerns do. Its an interesting insight.
I'm trying to understand your logic with all of this.
1) you overpaid like crazy for the heavyarms. That's a 20USD kit and you can easily find them on places like newtype.
2) When I look up the prices for the armigers on the offiical Warhammer site they go for about 100USD. So it costs like five times as much as the highgrade, and would be priced similarly to a master grade. Maybe they were cheaper when you bought them.
3) It's cool that you're more comfortable with building a simpler kit that you're more familiar with and have built before, but I don't know what that proves. Stickers suck, but you can also paint those elements - like you will have to with that entire mini. The gunpla manual actually provides painting guides - you can even use your citadel paints if you want to
Like sorry to be complainy, it's just that I came in interested and left disappointed. Like you're trying to encourage gunpla fans to get into building 40k minis (something I AM interested in btw, in case you think I'm here just to hate on 40k) but anyone who's built gunpla will feel like this video is super dishonest.
Hey Toaster, let me break down some extra context for you that might inform you better as to the thinking behind this video.
1) Here in the UK, Gunpla is more expensive. It's not widely available and only available from some direct importers or high mark up retailers. I wish we had good access to kits here for a relative good price without having to wait weeks for kits to be imported from Japan. Not a lot of retailers have a relationship with this part of Bandai in the UK and need to direct import from a Japanese distributor. Hence the higher prices.
2) A set of Armigers here in the UK, at time of filming was £47.50 ($58) from discount retailers. Half that for just one as shown in the video is around £23.50 ($29) those are were the last time I check the exchange rate yesterday. I bought Heavy Arms for around £21ish from memory. So price wise here in the UK, the comparison on price is valid in my local market. I understand Gunpla is cheaper outside of the UK, and Warhammer is more expensive. These are the options available to me here locally.
3) This series aims to show what just building experience the average builder would have. I am the average builder, as shown in the videos, as are my guests I have on with me. A lot of people don't paint their armies, or do anything further than what is set out for them in the kit. Painting parts would have been something to go above and beyond, which is not something the average builder would do, and then wouldn't be an authentic experience. I think it's more fair to compare just the experience of building the kits in that case.
I hope that extra context shows, that for me as an entertainer, this was an authentic genuine experience/reaction to the kit; and not something made to mislead fans of either system. I hope you still found the video enjoyable and that it made you laugh. Thats why I do spend time to do this.
@@WillPowellMakesContent i have to agree with him tho; you seemed skewed against gunpla.
Apart from price & stickers, which are common grievances, you didn't set out clear criteria for your review. You built the Heavy Arms in about average time, but it was unfair to compare a new building experience to something you already built twice & enjoy. Pointing out the time spent seemed arbitrary too, since time only increases with the higher grades & parts count (HGs were always the de facto entry point before EG was revitalized, especially since there are thousands of unique HG gunpla) Even going by average building experience, you didn't point out how much more color accurate Heavy Arms was compared to the Armigers even without stickers. So, even average builders for gunpla will find it easier to get into post build customizations like decals & panel lines.
A sure ball choice to showcase for a HG kit comparable to EG kits would be anything after 2020 or any of the G-Witch gunpla. You wouldn't be far off picking up the Solari Zaku or Gundam Ex from the Netflix gundam show too, or any of the 30mm Armored Core 6 kits, which were also produced by Bandai. The surface detail & engineering on those are off the charts for HGs.
That all said, it was interesting to see your experience as someone new to gunpla. I'd even go as far as to suggest you go straight into some RG, like the Nu Gundam, Sazabi, or God Gundam. You might want to also check out 'Gundam Assemble' which seems to be Bandai's foray into table top & attempt to challenge 40k.
In the first video I went over some of the detail of the criteria; but you are right I should probably film a bonus video discussing a lot of the feedback I've got from this episode, talking about how difficult they are to get in the UK, Price, how I'm reviewing/rating each one in more concise detail. Thanks for this input, I was thinking of doing this but now you've made a good point. I don't want to seem like I am biased against one or the other.
The comparison to something I've already built is also a fair critique. My choice of the Imperial Knight Armigers was made with these ideas in mind: Feel to the universe it was from (Knights are very 40K), size, scale, bipedal robot shaped, and complexity. I tried to keep the pairings as close as I could. Could I have found a 40K kit I haven't done that fits that bill? Perhaps. Further episodes of this series have already been shot, and include 40k models that are entirely new to me and my guest presenters.
I do wish I had picked a newer HG based on how wide the quality is between HG's, but that also shows the luck of the draw nature of this grade! Luckily with some of the newer grades video upcoming (like MGSD and MEGA) these are relatively new so should be the best of the best of what Bandai can produce.
I glad you enjoyed the video regardless of these flaws, I aim to make entertaining content over all else, so I hope at least being a goofball on camera brought some laughs.
Gundam Assemble will DEFINITELY be getting some content here, even battle reports of the game, how many depends on how difficult it is to get in my region. As long as Gunpla UK or Forbidden Planet sell it, it should be pretty easy for me get.
@@WillPowellMakesContent Going to have to concur with the other comments here. There is a slight skew against the HG kit here, but at the same time with the context you’ve provided in these comments I do see where you’re coming from. I’d definitely be down to check out an update video.
Now some words of my own (please read to the end as I also give some pretty big info on RGs):
- You will have to expect stickers in HGs. It’s just the nature of the grade since they are created with simplicity in mind. Bandai have done a great job with the EG line, but you also have to notice that they’ve also chosen designs that don’t have all too much colour for that line.
- Stickers suck. I think we all know that. You’ve pointed it out, many comments concur with that, and so do I. Those triangle pieces on Heavyarms’ chest and the leg vents suck especially. But otherwise, it ain’t all that bad on this kit. Not to mention you didn’t really point out how accurate the kit is compared to the 40k kit, even without taking the stickers into consideration.
- The amount of stickers will depend on a few factors. Mostly on the design itself. Something simple like an HG Zaku only actually has one sticker, that being the eye. Meanwhile even the beloved HG Aerial from Witch From Mercury has a decent amount for colour correction. I’d say Heavyarms has a pretty middle ground amount. Though it’s the placement of those stickers that make Heavyarms a little more frustrating.
- I’ve seen some comments say that the HG Heavyarms is an older kit and not really all that good as representation of the grade. This is false. 2020 is not old and the kits engineering is still pretty up to date. Even the (practically worshipped at this point) Witch From Mercury kits don’t have some of the points of articulation that Heavyarms does. And I believe you’d probably faint at the sight of the sticker sheet of the HG Rising Freedom which released early last year. The Rising Freedom itself has some incredibly good build quality and arguably some of the best engineering we’ve seen in an HG in terms of mechanics, but GOOD LORD that sticker sheet. Well at least the kit looks good without stickers too.
- At least you didn’t pick in HGIBO kit, and HG Thunderbolt kit, or the aforementioned Rising Freedom to represent HG. If you did, I’d fear that you’d write off the grade altogether.
- Honestly, if I were to pick a kit to represent the HG line as it is today. It would be the HGCE Infinite Justice or the HGCE Destiny. Both of which are actually older than the Heavyarms, but are actually more up to date in engineering and more importantly, colour separation.
Now I’d like to give some advice for when you get to my favourite grade: RG.
When you get to RG, I’d like to warn you about something: The line can essentially be split into two ‘generations’ so to speak.
RG was a very experimental line for Bandai and it took some time for them to really find their footing. There can’t be a more hit-or-miss line in Gunpla than the early days of RG.
The earlier RGs liked to rely on pre-articulated frame parts, while these were a marvel of Bandai’s moulding tech and engineering, they did come with the caveat of being very prone to loosening with handling. Its these parts that both allowed the RG Zeta to be a fully transforming kit at its size and also made it a veritable hand grenade and becoming nicknamed ‘the Dark Souls of Gunpla’ alongside the equally notorious RG Sinanju.
Then in 2017, the 25th kit in the line: the RG Unicorn came out. While still utilizing the pre moulded frame, they were used only for parts that really required them with the rest of the structure was constructed much like an MG. This ushered in a new generation of the grade with every RG kit since then (that wasn’t based on an older mould like the Johnny Ridden Zaku or the Akatsuki) becoming a massive hit.
That’s not to say the older kits should be ignored though, I did say ‘hit or miss’ after all and not ‘all misses’. The RG Mk II, the RG Wing EWs, and the RG 00 kits (especially the Qan[t]) still hold up really well for being classic style RGs.
Honestly if you’re up for it, may I suggest building two RGs when it comes to that video. One to represent the old days of the line (again, highly suggest the Qan[t]), and another to represent the modern era (you could go big with something like the Sazabi or Hi-Nu, but since you’re seemingly a Wing fan, I highly suggest the Wing TV or the Epyon). As the grade has evolved so much in such a short time, the classic style ones and the new style ones basically go together like two completely different grades.
@@Jc88500 Wow, that is some passion for Gunpla to type all that out.Thanks for your comment!
I'm scripting the extra video(s) today, hoping to potentially get some film in the following days should I get time. Yes stickers aside HG Heavy Arms is a good build. However the stickers make the experience of doing the build all in one go not enjoyable, to me anyway! Yes Bandai have done such good job with EG that it makes HG(or this particular HG) look weak in comparison, because of how the stickers are implemented. Eye stickers and other usual stickers in gun dam kits are often fine, but this ones were just so bad.
In terms of the Real Grade, that episode has already been shot and the in the EG episode, you can see the RG I picked for this series (it was the hand grenade lol). There could be the chance I go back and film second one. RG Wing would potentially be a good choice for a second RG.
Should have got an mg, don’t need stickers for them
That’s the next episode up in the series! We are showing all the grades. Real grades after that!
@@WillPowellMakesContent get the *RG RX-78-2 GUNDAM 2.0* 🫵🫵
@@WillPowellMakesContent Your going MG then RG?
@@carlzerris6566 For production reasons yeah. There is a guest who gets introduced in a different video who I want to get on the channel asap as he is really funny and he is in the MG episode! And unfortunately I may need to re film the RG episode. So yes we will be skipping RG to go to MG for now, but RG will be soon after.
We did the same with skipping SD. I had intended to originally include SD in this video, but changed to just do one grade per video to give them more space in the edit. Also with MGSD and MEGA becoming available here in the UK. I need to shoot episodes for those as well
EG line is relatively new. Usually newer models = better models, because engineering technology keeps improving constantly so that you can see improvements between models produced 5-10 years apart.
EG focuses on accessibility (not requiring tools to build) and being the cheapest gunpla, cheaper than HG (mostly due to removing some accessories from the HG version, since Bandai prices mostly based on the amount of plastic in a box)
The currently available EG kits are actually just an updated and improved models of the same older HG kits they took as a base.
The EG Nu Gundam (2022) is an improved HG Nu Gundam (2008), minus the fin funnels on the back and the bazooka.
The EG RX-78-2 (2021) is an improved HG RX-78-2 (2015), minus the bazooka. Even the yellow V mark on the crotch is color separated on EG, but requires a sticker on HG.
The EG Strike Gundam (2021) is an improved HG Aile Strike Gundam (2014), minus the Aile Striker pack, which they later re-released as a separate Option Parts set which costs twice as more than the EG Strike itself
High Grade is called like that because back in 90s before the first HG was released we only had very simplistic mono-colored plastic models you had to paint yourself, known today as First Grade. Compared to those the first High Grade model kits looks like a huge jump in grade, with their fancy color separation and articulation never seen before. Today HG is the most basic grade because since then they've introduced many more grades. It varies from HG model to model but many come with stickers to compensate the lack of color separation. Usually the result is much better (and it's easier) if you paint the details even with a gundam marker, instead of applying stickers.
The biggest difference is that EG is plastic on plastic since they got rid of the rubbery PC parts often used in HG models which with time degrade and make the model flimsy. But you can easily strengthen the joints using varnish or even a tiny piece of plastic bag stuck int here.
HG Heavyarms officially costs 1650 yen, which is around $10 usd or 9 pounds.
No idea why it's priced so much over there. Probably just not to make games workshop look as bad in comparison for their insane and unreasonable pricing.
Hi Haohmaru, Thank you for taking the time to write this, and the additional knowledge and context on the grades.
The EG was a great experience, seeing what is possible with today's modelling tech does, for me at least, cast a bad light on some past HG's. I have good hopes that Bandai will release more of EGs based on His to improve the experience. The stickers were the thing that made me not enjoy this kit. Great trick with using varnish on the joints or bits of the plastic baggie.
In terms of cost, It is such a shame the UK market is massively over paying, for either system. I posted it in a different reply, but here is the cost breakdown for both in the UK, both in GBP/USD/YEN.
Heavy Arms, bought from forbidden planet in the uk last year, for £21/$26/4100 Yen (exchange rate at time of writing). More than DOUBLE the price in Japan at 1650 yen.
Armigers (calculating based on it being a single model, but you do have to buy them as a two pack.)
Purchased from The Warp (a discount retailer I used to be the manger of) - £47.50/$58.90/9260 Yen. Then divide that by two as we are only comparing one of the two models brings us to: £23.25/$29.45/4630 Yen. This is one of the cheapest in the world thanks to being in the country of origin for Warhammer and being bought from a discount retailer in the country of origin.
It's as fair a comparison I can make here where I can buy the kits.
@@WillPowellMakesContent
Yeah, due to logistics shenanigans there's no way that prices overseas will be same as in Japan, unfortunately.
The MG Heavyarms while a very solid build is still a pretty old model kit from 2012 so it's pretty basic and straightforward compared to how much we have advanced with the modern Master Grade kits. This goes for all EW kits. Wing isn't as popular in Japan compared to the West so the gunpla releases were pretty scarce.
Do mind that MG Heavyarms still has a couple foil stickers for the eyes and the head camera sensors, but they are optional for people who decide between either covering the clear plastic with light reflecting foil stickers, or not covering it so you could let the light from the inserted LED module shine through them. All the color separation is done with plastic.
If you want a more modern Wing kit than MG Wing Zero EW Ver. Ka from 2020 got you covered.
Btw If you hate stickers then you should definitely avoid the SDEX line because 70-80% of the build is applying stickers since the plastic comes only in 2-3 plain colors and the rest must be covered for. The SDEX can be good for practicing hand brushing but not that good if you're there just for the straight build.
@@HaohmaruHL I've filmed a SD for this series, but that was mostly my guest building it and the stickers weren't actually too bad. But yeah chibi is not my style so I don't tend to buy SD's for my own projects. Though the MGSD Barbatos is in my Wishlist to buy next as that is intriguing.
It's a shame Wing isn't more popular outside of the west, but its mostly because thats the first Gundam anime we got, so it seems super nostalgic to us I suppose!
YOU SHOULD HAVE BUILD MOON GUNDAM AND/OR *GUNDAM EX* OR NEW RECENT HIGH GRADE FROM *SUISEI NO MAJO* SERIES OR *SEED FREEDOM* MOVIE OR GQUUUUUUX SERIES INSTEAD 🫵🫵🫵
I filmed this in a block back in spring last year, definitely before GQUUUUUX came out. Also this was what was available to me locally in the UK