Is Gunpla push-fit ACTUALLY better than Games Workshop?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
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Before this I had no idea about Gunpla or Gundam. It's been a fun journey to learn about it.
Ever since the Leviathan 40k starter box video talking about Games Workshop's Pushfit offerings I have seen many comments about Gunpla and Gundam being a far superior system. I could take youtube comments' words for it. Or I could test it myself. So I did.
However, I accidentally bought a Master Grade Gunpla as my first Gundam model. This was a mistake... I couldn't resist the name Deathscythe Hell. Who could?! I dunno what an Endless Waltz is though...
It took 6 hours. It was an interesting experience and I hope you join me as we discover is Games Workshop really IS slacking or if Gunpla is over-rated.
0:00 Introduction
0:35 Enter the GUNDAM
1:06 What is a Gunpla?
2:13 My inner edgelord cannot be contained
2:44 I made a big mistake...
3:45 Oh no...
3:59 The Instructions are really GOOD
5:00 A poorly translated summary of this Gundam Storyline
7:55 Let's build this thing!
9:46 The only time I hurt myself making this and it's because I'm lazy
10:25 The remainder of the build
12:01 JUST HOLD THE SCYTHE!
12:46 So...is this better than Games Workshop Push-fit?
15:05 Let me know all the stuff I did wrong!
"Groove Grove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Hey you! Are you about to comment about Deathscythe Hell being an old kit?!
I know. I'm sorry. I have bought a newer one as penance for my crimes. Please don't hurt me.
But thanks for watching the video I hope you enjoyed it.
Can't wait to see how your Gundam Schwarzette will turn out!
A little word of warning regarding the small little pegs that come with the kit. These little guys have a solid side, and a hollow side. Make sure to read the instructions as it shows which way you're supposed to insert them into the model for its different forms. If you don't, the small pegs may become stuck and you'll need to force it out with something like pliers. Somehow, Bandai's magical plastic engineering is able to have the pieces magically pop out of you put it in the orientation that they recommend, so do be mindful. Another note to elevate this model is to invest in a display stand and weapon base. Since this guy is built for space combat, he poses naturally well when suspended in the air. In the show, the individual sword bits can become remote controlled drones that fire lasers, so having bandai's witch from mercury weapon display stands can help you emulate this effect if you're wanting a more dynamic display with this model.
No worries! It's just one of those gunpla quirks that's easy to miss for newcomers.
One of the reason why gunpla is such an evergreen hobby is because practically nohing is ever discontinued.
Even kits from 1980s are still getting reprinted every once in a while, so newcomers can't miss anything -also there are no rare expensive stuff.
Also there are two camps of modelers in gunpla: those who believe that they should be played with, like train models.
And those who believe that they're for display purposes only, like automotive models, or dioramas.
Both can be correct, depending on how they build their kits. What really important is you're having fun
Cheers!
Now the deathscythe is not a bad kit, but i would pick somthing more new. Now if you dont mind i have some that would be nice for someone whos is fairly new to the craft
Eg- rx-78-2 gundam
Hg - gundam aerial
Mg - barbatos (a fan favorite)
Rg - Hi-V or V gundam (2 variants)
@@gavindrake6525 I'd like to add to the MG list any of the kits that come with the strike ootori
And the rg red frame is great for posing (though I always struggle to get the katana exactly how I want it)
I think, beyond the kit being old and fiddly (even for its era), the fact it's an MG is the biggest problem when comparing to 40k. MGs are 100% just display pieces. They're like those giant space marine action figures, which you'd also never actually use in a game.
Meanwhile there are actually a handful of fan made war game rule sets out there using High Grade kits, which are much smaller and simpler to build (I can usually knock one out in an hour or two of work, and that's me still being a complete amateur at building) and a bit sturdier at only a slight hit to posability (due to fewer moving parts and simpler joints). Also even better would probably be - as some in the comments have mentioned - the SD kits. While they aren't as posable, they're almost just the right scale to plonk down on a game board and they're surprisingly stable standing even without a base.
As for the point of fragility, at least if a part falls off you can usually put it back together and I've only had a part actually BREAK on me once... Meanwhile somewhere a Mechanicus player is crying in binary because someone looked at one of their models wrong and it disintegrated.
Edit: Also I've seen this pop up in the comments a couple times but I second the recommendation of looking into Bandai's other kit line, 30 Minute Missions. They're my personal favorite and a lot of fun to put together and customize.
The thing is, that Death scythe is $60-ish for a dozen sprues, where GW will charge you the same price for *two sprues.* It's living proof that GW is horribly over priced.
Gunpla is also a lot more complex compared to gw models
@@angellara7040and bigger. A knight which is about the same amount of plastic, is best case cenariou double the price and up to quantuple.
Gunpla can still be insanely expensive in Europe depending on what country you’re in. France and the UK are probably the best places for it since Bandai actually knows those countries exist. Everyone else relies on third party distributors to get their hands on whatever is left after the Asia and US market get their kits. Thus, due to demand and hardship of getting ahold of the kits, it can be pricey. The cheaper stores always have costly shipping too
Not exactly directly comparible, gunpla benefits from economics of scale, Gundam is $1billion franchise and the amount of Gundam kits produced dwarfs GW's output considerably. The costs of plastic injection molding are mostly frontloaded so the more you produce the cheaper each unit effectively gets. Add to that each part on a sprue is generally far more detailed on GW kits than Bandai's due to the type of models they're making and that tends to lead to a more intricate, and so expensive, cutting of the mold.
Not saying GW aren't overcosted, they are, but a comparison with Bandai could never come out well due to the nature of the products and the size of the fanbases.
@@Herr_Gamertry mandarake, japanese retail shop with international shipment.
At least for my country (poland) it's cheaper than buying from local 3rd party shop, and faster (i got my hands on michaelis and darilbalde 1 month before they appeared in my shops).
I will let you know as someone who's built a lot of both warhammer and gundam, that this particular kit is over 12 years old and they have improved a lot since. High grades (the most detail for the price, 15-30 for a standard one) are the best entry point i can see for someone new to it. they also hold together better and can be treated more like an action figure if you glue the fiddly bits. I also recommend the gundam base premium clippers for any plastic kits you put together. I bought some when i was in japan and i don't think I can go back to anything less. Plastic is now butter.
Were the Gundam Base clippers Single bladed (only one side is actually sharp?) Those type seem to be the best, they are buttery smooth like that and leave no stress marks. USA Gundam store and a few other places make a decently priced pair of these if you ever need to replace em.
@@kameoosama both sides seem sharp to me, but when I look them up on Google I see the same ones are described as you say.
@@kameoosamaI just got the Godhands and those are a game changer
I am 12 years old and just build this for one of my first kit
Doesn't needing glue defeat the whole purpose of push fit?
I think the biggest problem is that it looks like this is a kit from 2011. In the time since then, they have started adding English captions and the quality has largely improved. And, based on what you said, you lucked out not being taken in by a RG kit. Imagine the detail of your MG, but done at 1/144 scale with hundreds of tiny decals that are things like 'Warning: Stand Clear' near joints. Granted, they look amazing out together and the text is actual words scaled down rather than squiggles, but they aren't necessarily the first build you want for something like this.
Ah yes I remember when first time build RG Nu it have so much detail even in parts that cover by armor
Was just about to say that actually, why pick one of the 2010's MG lol!
He should have gone straight for the PG RX78-2 ROFL😆
MG Barbatos, HG Aerial, RG Nu Gundam, RG Force Impulse are just some kits off the top of my head that are just absolute solid Kits when it comes to possibility. No falling off here
Oh man, my first RG kit was the Zaku II and holy heck was I a bit in over my head there, especially putting on those tiny tiny thrusters.
And those leg hoses, all those beads.....
Course I went and got another RG kit later on ,the Zeong, haven't started on it yet.
funny you say that, rg stuff is my favorite ones to build because of the price/detail value, its not much more expensive than hgs where im from, and theyre much more fun to build for me/much more sturdy due to having the skeleton and everything. aside from one hg set and one sd set, ive only built rgs since and its the best hahaha
The gundam Wing master grade kits are notorious for being rather "flimsy" it's due to their shared smaller frame from other master grades. Also yeah they are display pieces
One more thing: they're all 70% legs
This is the first time I'm seeing anyone saying this, mine are 5 years old and still strong.
@sheepfly compared to other MGs I've always found their frames to be as I said more flimsy than say MG Gm sniper II or Jesta etc
Also the wonderful problem with their ankles and waists, plus the Epyons arms literally just fall off on my copy. I don’t own a Deathscythe, but I don’t think I need one
I am lucky I fell in love with the tallgease from the Endles waltz line... that is a solid kit
The newer Gundam kits are almost incomparable to these older ones. I’d strongly recommend giving any of the more recent witch from mercury kits a shot. The instructions are in English, the parts are better organized, and since they’re high grades, they’re simpler, more solid and easier to pose~
I wouldn't suggest anything from "witch from Mercury"... some of the worst designs from a modern series. Just go with 30 minute missions or anything UC instead
I jsut got an Aerial kit mysel,f not gonna guild it yet as I have others in the works, but I'm looking forward to it.
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271although I prefer UC myself, that's just personal opinion, the kits from witch from mercury are objectively great, the vast majority of UC kits are simply outdated, with a Witch from Mercury kit you're garanteed it's gonna be great, with a hguc it's gonna really depend on the year, you imagine if he got the unicorn hg? Or the zeta Rg?
Witch form Mercury kits are not a higher grade. HG remains HG but the full mechanics Aerial gundam is a step bellow MG.
even if YOU personally don't care for the aesthetic, the build quality and articulation on the Witch From Mercury kits are some of the best kits bandai have ever put out @@fillerbunnyninjashark271
I collect both games workshop and Gunpla kits. After trudging through painting 20 marines, I find it a treat to sit back and 'clear the palette' with a simple Gunpla build for exactly the reasons presented in your video. Sometimes the repetition of the limb construction can be painful, but so is building and painting an army of near identical models. So a bit of both is a good idea.
This is exactly why I could never subject myself to starting a horde army. Having to build (let alone paint) 25 of the exact same model over and over is hair rippingly tedious.
I agree, it's a chore, but there's something cool about horde armies, attacking with 100 imperial guard is a sight to behold
Thats now, and only apllies to certain armies.
Not to long ago, Space Marines got so many kits, that despite the familiar look, they would be different.
Space marine commander; vanguard vets; sternguard vets; dark angel company vets; tactical marines, the old kit with only special weapons and a rocket launcher, the new kit with the grav gun, the blood angel tac box, the wolves kit, the upgrade sprues for iron hands, imperial fists, dark/blood angels; assault marines, the old kit and the new one with tactical rocks and the eviscerator; devastators, the kit of 5 with metal parts, the first full plastic kit and the most recent one with the grav cannon; bikes, the normal and the ravenwing kit; black templar kits and sprues; death watch power armor; sanguinary guard; death company; grey knights power armor; terminators, be it assault or ranged ones, blood termis, wolves termies, the dark angels termies with 2/3 builds, the tartaros and the cataphracti termis and the grey knights termis; the mk 3/4 power armor from prospero burns and betrayal at calth.
And i wont add the upgrade kits and small squads sold at forge world, since they were quite pricey.
Space Marines were the biggest and best range GW ever made.
Bandai has another line of kits, tangentially related to gunpla. They are called 30 minute missions, and 30 minute sisters. Very simple to build, and designed to be customized and moved around a lot.
30 minute missions are so amazing for their price point. I want a Rex so bad
They're definitely 15 dollar kits which is more expensive than most hguc kits at the same scale
They are awesome but I find them to be rather flimsy in general. I suppose the old joint thickening technique could work.
There's a group actually working on developing a tabletop game with 30 Minute Missions kits
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 but the attachment points. 30 mm kits are basically big attachment points
Important to note you're building a Gunpla from 2011, which is the equivalent of Sixth Edition minis. The current generation of RG and higher models are so much better that it's staggering how far the engineering has come in so few years.
To add, a strong beginner contender (cheap, simple, and very very solid construction) would be the latest HG Witch From Mercury line. Look up the flagship HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial and give that a go!
Great video, as a hobbyist of both 40k and Gunpula I really enjoyed it.
But I must say if your goal is to compare Gunplua to GW push fits, picking a Master Grade is a pretty bad choice. Higher grades of Gunpula are designed to fit more details and features on the model while still keeping it being a push fit, causing some of the older models to be not so solid builds. A much fairer comparison would be an Entry Grade or a newer(post 2019) High Grades, both have lower part counts, take shorter time to build, much cheaper in price, and are solid models that can withstand normal levels of handling.
I think GW can really learn more from the lower grade Gunpulas, not the fancier ones. If you are interested in visiting this topic again, or just want to build more Gundam without spending too much time or money, I recommend trying to build at least one EG.
I mean, he literally explained he didn't realise until after he'd bought it about the grading system, TBF
@@TheDaemond6 I understand that, I don’t mean to say he purposely picked a kit that's bad for this kind of comparison, if that's how my comment read then I should’ve worded it better.
Like I said I do enjoy the video and there is nothing wrong about picking your first kit based just on looks. I just trying to add that if he’s interested in more Gunplas, then there are kits out there that doesn't have the problems he pointed out(stability, build time…etc)
Good thing he didn't throw himself into a PG kit >< (regrettably at the age of 10 back in 96 i bought a RX-78-3 when i was in HK)
I do find that more modern high grades are a lot more sturdy.
I’ve also found painting high grades to be really enjoyable when I’m burnt out from painting miniatures.
i had to check before commenting, but this particular model is from 2011. which might not sound like that old, but in gunpla age its borderline ancient.
@@marcosdheleno that is like 12 years of new Plamo engineering. Which is quite a long time
@@laurenmations4978 exactly. and one of the reasons gunpla is so big, and why people will buy newer versions of the same model, is because that time diference, pays in a better quality.
If you want to do another gunpla kit I’d recommend researching what some of the “best of *insert grade here*” are because all gunpla are NOT created equal.
Some kits are old, some kits are essentially hand grenades, some kits have poorly executed gimmicks (some transform).
So doing a little bit of research into which to avoid will do wonders for your experience.
As many others have said, the MG kits from Gundam Wing are notorious for the exact things you mention in your video. So I feel like getting one that’s a better build would be much more enjoyable, especially when it comes to posing.
Not the recent MG Wing Zero Custom ver. Ka 2.0 though. This thing is far superior to the original MG Wing Zero Custom in every way possible.
There is no "best of" gunpla. It's a matter of git gud, because I've happily dealt with the RG Zeta.
By burning it.
@@titantitties had me in the first half, not gonna lie 😂
"some kits are hand grenades" *Stares at RG Sinanju*
@andrewcipriano2890 it's an experimental weapon
I’d also want to note that generally the Grade isn’t necessarily a difficultly metric. Its mostly a metric of size.
Hight Grade (HG) is the Smallest scale.
Master Grade (MG) is the middle sized scale.
Perfect Grade (PG) is the largest regular scale.
The exceptions are Real Grade and Entry Grade. Both are in the standard smallest HG scale but boast either a lot more details and difficulty (RG) or a very simplified and streamlined build (EG).
Some larger kits that are older or simpler designs can be as simple to put together as a Modern High Grade Kit. Some Real Grades have enough details and fiddly bits that they make the Deathscythe Hell look solid by comparison. Honestly while I do think a Master Grade was an ambitious place to start a lot of your issues were from the age and build process of this kit rather than the Grade itself. Something like an Entry Grade or a recent High Grade might have been a better point of comparison.
Though you really did nail some key points between Warhammer being for play and Gunpla being for display.
There are also the Mega Grade/Scale kits that are a semi-regular grade that are on an even larger scale that comes at random.
Technically, there is a smaller scale than the 1/144 of the EG/HG/RG kits, but its more used with ships and certain mobile armors and a few mobile suits that are scaled to them.
I just want to add there is new grade
SDMG (Super Deformed Master Grade) = basically SD kit with scale of 1/100 with MG gimmick
MGEX (Master Grade Extream) = Master Grade with more detail like add light effect or more detail in inner frame
PG Unleashed = Perfect grade with more detail in inner frame and armor
1/144 scale
1/100 scale
1/60 scale
1/24 scale
1/12 scale
These are the scales you can get Gundam in
I think it's more precise to say that the grade indicates a kit's scale AND relative level of detail. For example: HG is 1:144/low detail, RG is 1:144/high detail, FM is 1:100/low detail MG is 1:100/high detail, etc.
This does reflect the difficulty, but not in the way you'd necessarily expect. For example, compare an MG with an HG - the individual parts end up about the same size between the two kits, so the assembly doesn't really get more difficult with the MG, it just takes longer.
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 There are some at smaller scales than the 1/144 scale.
There were several Bandai Battle Diorama kits at 1/250 scale, and a few sets that were to scale with the 1/1700 starships such as ones aimed at the models for the White Base to be used alongside the model kit for the White Base...and some large sets of them as well that you could get and still find from time to time.
As a Gundam fan who found this video from the algorithm, this was a fun video to watch and I’m glad you enjoyed building it.
If you’re looking for models that aren’t, what we call, plastic hand grenades, so you can use them as Game Pieces, the High Grades/HG are probably your best option. Kits I would recommend are; Gundam Barbatos Lupus, Gundam Aerial, Earthree Gundam and the RX-78-2 Gundam (Revive), the Deathscythe (not Deathscythe Hell) recently got a new HG as well!
And in regards to the manuals, they gained English text as well as Japanese as of late 2016, so anything released 2017 onwards will have English
I look forward to a follow up video, take your time and have fun!
I would probably not recommend any of the IBO HGs (like Gundam Barbatos Lupus), since all of them suffer from kinda loose joints. Good recommendations otherwise though.
@@INTCUWUSIUA Agreed. The designs are good, but if you're someone who doesn't do anything extra to their kits after they build 'em, they definitely don't feel the best. If you tighten up the joints and paint the parts where those god awful, colour correcting stickers go, I'd say they're pretty good kits
There’s loads of things I really like about your videos, but one awesome thing is that you can use some pretty minimally animated figures and yet make me laugh out loud with the facial expressions you give them. So good 😂
Would recommend the 30 Minute Missions line of gunpla models. Lore is free to ignore, what's important is the sheer amount of customization available.
gunpla sprues have improved slightly since this model released, more recent models are better with their sprue management so you wont have to have multiple sprues out while building one segment. If you do decided to build another I highly suggest one of the more modern kits since they are more solid and more poseable compared to some older kits. If I were to give a recommendation i suggest the RG God gundam since its practically black magic for it to be that articulate and solid
The God Gundam aslo has a plethora of miniscule parts though. I’d say a good idea is to either seek out modern master grades or HG kits for an easier experience
@@Herr_Gamer Modern master grades are near nonexistent now after bandai forgot about their master grade line
@@anuninterestingname6293 basically just Barbatos
@@Herr_Gamer Mobile Ginn is pretty solid like barbatos as well came out in 2021.
As someone who put together his RG God Gundam recently, I have to agree that this thing is practically black magic. But MY GOD the myriad of small parts. This is definitely something not for beginners, especially if you are also doing a lot of proper parts cleanup.
Some gunpla can be more finicky especially old ones like mg death scythe. Which can be fixed by using clear nail brush, top coat paint of your choice on joints and ball sockets. Newer kits that arnt ten years old are more solid, have better instructions, better range of motion, better posability, just better everything. Gunpla improves every year unlike GW 😅
just comparing the multiple freedom gundam kits goes to show how much better gunpla has become.
To prove your point even further, compare a gunpla from 25 years ago with a GW model from 25 years ago.
What a pleasant surprise to see this. Also yes, the plot is completely right.
Gundam takes up most of my pile of shame and ill be happy to introduce you to more.
I think this is what we call “early MG Syndrom”. Early MGs require a lot of work and some glue. Try picking up some of the new HG models from the Witch From Mercury line, like the Aerial. Also I can recommend the MG Gundam Barbatos. People have also used the Gunpla bases to make tabletop modes, since they are hexagonal
No master grade has ever *required* glue to build.
Give the current Entry Grades a try. Many fewer parts, much more sturdy. You lose some color separation in the mode itself, but they go together quickly and are quite sturdy. They also don't use the polycaps (the flexible joint bits) of the older or larger kits, but still have no trouble moving and posing.
A lot of people have remarked on how old this kit is and it shows. I've only gotten into the hobby recently, most of the kits I've built are quite new. But yes, overall Gunpla kits are intended as display pieces, not active objects or action figures you'd let kids play with. RG and MG contain too many small parts that might shake out with use, although the MG Barbados I have is quite solid otherwise. Gunpla is, in the end, about the experience of building and posing a figure, an additionally painting or customizing it further if you wish. This is especially true at higher grades, where you will get high detail interior frames, that you then cover in high detail structure support, which you then cover in high detail armor. You'll never see the insides again, but the journey of building it up is the experience.
I think in the context of tabletop, HG kits or even SD (miniature, super-deformed chibi versions of gundams) would be more equal a comparison. The HG Zaku II and HG RX-78-2 I have hold poses very well and can stand on their own, although if I were to use them as game pieces I would probably attach them to some kind of simple base. Most kits are intended to be display in action, and are thus aided significantly by having a base. However, a lot of Gundam are space-based and pretty much require these bases in order to stand due to engine or wing units (after all, they don't need to account for being top-heavy in 0G).
As for price, if your intent is to collect and build and paint, it doesn't seem like there is a question. You could build, pose, customize, and paint a whole army of HG Zaku II's for the price of a single Hydra tank half their size. Or you can grab a massive MG (preferably one not as old as the Deathscythe) and spend weeks on it. WH40K models are more detailed, but that also means the Gunpla has a lot of room for detailing it yourself. But then again, you can't place a Gundam on the battlefield, so if your intent is to tabletop you're mostly paying for that. In terms of straight plastic prices, there's just no comparison.
I’m sure others have pointed it out, but one factor that doesn’t always strike you as important with Gunpla is the age of the kit. A modern kit, for example the MG Gundam Barbatos, is gonna be rock solid and able to take on damn near any pose you can think of. That kit is from 2019. Kits from 2015 and after are what I would generally call «modern» kits as by that time, a lot of the less great ideas had been ironed out, such as overreliance on rubber polycaps, stickers for colour correction and for the Real Grade like, prebuilt rubberized inner frames/skeletons. Also worth noting all modern kits have english in the manual as well.
I’m very glad you decided to just throw caution to the wind and choose your first kit based on the rule of cool alone. That is, in my opinion, the best way to get into Gunpla. If the kit is cool enough, you don’t need the lore. That said, the lore is very good, at least for Universal Century. I won’t get into that now, but I’ll mention Deathscythe Hell is from an alternate universe and is entirely unrelated to the original old boxy white, red, blue and yellow robots.
Hope you get deeper into it. There are a few growing communities around Europe that are all more than happy to help you with any questions or advice.
Oh, and Sieg Zeon!
yep, was gonna comment that. this model is from 2011. and those were more focused on looking good first, with so many being borderline grenades.
also, i feel like for what he wanted to do, it would be better to go with the 30 minutes models. as they are exactly the thing he was commenting about. sturdy, customizable, poseable and easy to handle.
DBZ, SpyXFamily and Nichijou is such an unlikely top 3 (especially for an avowed non-otaku) that I’m now desperately curious to learn how that happened.
Paul, have you tried Lego? Has it both - push fit models and is very posable 😂
P.S. instructions don't use words, so no google lens needed!
I honestly hope you do more gunpla. Seeing someone new get into it is always cool.
12:30 I will say this is an older set to they can be a bit fiddly, but more moderation sets are pretty solid and parts falling off aren’t that much of an issue (unless it’s one of the more complex ones like the unicorn gundam). Also I’m surprised you didn’t pick a zaku since they look similar to a space marine.
ah yes zaku enjoyer
Siege Zeon!!
This was really interesting to watch. Earlier this year i crossed from Gunpla into 40k.
A couple of thoughts and tips:
>The Bandai parts spread over the Bandai sprues are that way for a couple of reasons: some sprues get used in several different kits (especially for the internal frame), so for any particular step you may have parts coming from one of these "recycled" sprues, and some coming from a sprue unique to that particular kit.
>Bandai puts a lot of thought into where the gate (the bit of plastic between the piece and the sprue) connects to the part, especially in newer kits. This, combined with the comparatively smaller gates on the Bandai sprues makes cleaning up and/or hiding nub marks sognificantly easier.
>I have a MG Wing Gundam from the same line as the Deathscythe you built. Can confirm, they fall apart if you look at them too long. The friction between press-fit pieces is a compromise: firm enough to hold a pose, loose enough that you're not going to snap plastic trying to pose things. An easy fix for loose joints is to brush a thin layer of glue onto one of the surfaces and let it dry before connecting them. This will stiffen the joint up SIGNIFICANTLY, especially on ball joints.
>While not directly applicable to the Deathscythe, a quick and easy way to panel line on white (which a lot of Gundams predominantly are) is with a mechanical pencil.
Yup, Gunpla push fit is better than GW as Bandai has had decades to get it perfect. I’ve been building Gunpla for years now. What I want from GW is to make their Knights, Vehicles, and, Dreadnought kits push-fit. It’ll make building them so much easier and switch load-outs easier.
Also, some old Gunpla kits can be plastic hand grenades. They'll just fall apart with simple movements or posing as you came to witness by yourself.
PSA: The newest Gunpla kits also now come with English in the instructions.
Knights better not go push fit, the lancers best feature is how posable it is
I don't think a knight should be push fit. You don't pick up a knight like a normal model. If a model is fragile you grab it by the base. You simply can't do that with a knight; you need to grab it under the arms like a toddler. If they were poseable and push fit they would crumble if you tried to pick them up.
Hi, new to this channel here! Gunpla has been around for somewhere around the ballpark of 50ish years, and has used every moment to innovate the model kit experience.
_And it shows._
The one you picked up is actually pretty old, and comes with a lot of that old build experience. A few people have made the ballpark of about over a decade, and _that's actually a long time ago for Gunpla._ If I remember correctly, that was before the HG Revive project went live, let alone the when the HG Moon Gundam rolled around. Since then there were a ton of quality of oife improvements for Gunpla builders in the building department, making for less finnicky builds.
If you're looking for playability, the HG lineup is actually where you want to look into. Also the Entry Grades. These are made of a lot more chunkier plastics and less moving small parts(most of the time). And also because of their small size, they tend to be more compact. You'd still have to watch out for things like V-Fins and antennas, but that's unavoidable with hard plastic.
Your mileage may vary of course. What I mean by this is that MG and HG isn't a perfect indicator of build complexity, things like the HG Nightingale and Moon Gundam are infinitely more complex than the MG G-Cannon, for example.
Gunpla is _extremely_ varied compared to something like Wh40K, and I don't mean in terms of quality control, you may want to look into reviews of a particular kit, and look into the release date of a particular kit, to know what you're getting yourself into, because Bandai sometimes releases updated kits in any given line(HG or MG being the most likely, RG hasn't received any updates yet, though that's probably because that particular line appears to constantly innovate itself with each new release).
One last thing, the more you build Gunpla, the more you kinda just get the hang of the instructions and you stop needing to translate it(at least, that seems to be the common experience). It's entirely possible to shave build time down to an hour or less if you're only doing a straight build and none of the painting.
This is a pretty great take tbh. Though I'm in a really small of people who say that GW should do what Gunpla and bandai are doing by lowering the damn prices.
Like holy shit man, a single squad of intercessors retail, can cost as much as 5 regular HG kits.
Firstly, thank you for posting this video. I'm a 40k player and was wondering what gunpla was like. Models do look amazing. Secondly, love your content. Thank you for sharing the ups and downs of the hobby. I think your honesty helps new and experienced players alike through their hobby struggles.
I hope you try out a Gundam model! Definitely get something newer than he got
Nice choice for your first kit.
What I would say that you got right was picking based on what you designed for your kit. The fact that you went in blind was fantastic, versus building something that is on a community accepted "good model" list. Some of the recommendations had flaws that could have made for a worse experience. You avoided the RG line, which likely would have made your first experience a lot worse due to the sheer size of the parts being excessively small, due to the excessive color separation on those at the smaller scale.
In terms of what you got wrong, only the scale indication of difficulty, each grade has their share of more difficult and easy kits. EG kits are meant to be the ones at the easiest difficulty as they are made for children and don't require tools or decals to get a consistent color separation.
I am positive many gunpla fans are going to go on about the age of the kit not being representative of the current technology, and that is fair. But there are flaws with some of the suggested kits that could have made this a much worse experience. Every bandai kit has some sort of quirk that needs to be overcome, and part of that comes from experience with the products. Both Versions of the deathscythe have the same issues with floating parts causing assembly issues in the head, waist, and knees.
But to help out with that scythe pose. Take the hands off first, attach the hands onto the scythe then move the arms to where you want the scythe posed, then reattach the hands. That was how I managed to get mine posed with a double handed grip.
Well sure most Bandai model kits have flaws, but when looking for something to compare to a game model, buying a kit from a line that's known for being flimsy doesn't really seem like a great choice.
I do however agree that the suggested models in the comment he showed were also significantly flawed and would give a much worse experience than this as he didn't even like the models.
A great choice for starting your Gunpla collection though, unique and definitely a cool design.
I mean in terms of picking what you think looks awesome yea it’s a fine first kit but in terms of reviewing gunpla in general it’s a terrible first kit… this kit is literally like 20 years old.
Just so you know the Master grade you got is old there's a few problems with the older kits that they refine than the newer kits, however you did very well for newbie
the algorithm works in mysterious ways, I accidentally backed out too far trying to look at a video on the recommended page with a provocative thumbnail image, it disappeared and I tried in vain to refresh the page hoping it would reappear, and I got this vid instead, something that would usually never come up. worth it
personally i think master grades can be easier than high grades, depending on the model, simply because the parts are bigger. real grades are definitely usually harder because it’s a similar level of complexity but at a smaller scale
The end point is a fairly spot on one, end of the day do I want a flexible, reposable space marine size or smaller infantry model? Hell no and that is completely unpractical for gaming, what I want is being able to pose and customise it to how I want then glue it together and its fairly solid and usable from there. Do I want maybe a more centerpiece model like a dreadnought or something similar to posable? Maybe but then they kind of are, just not the push fit ones so much.
That is what you get really, push fit models are for starter sets, quick to put together (and generally cheaper) way of getting models. You then accept the custombility is not there on poses and weapons etc. but they do the job and they are still robust for that job.
The more complicated kits with weapon options and more poses etc. you stick together how you want and some of the bigger ones come with a bit of movement if you should wish.
I think GW push fit does exactly what they are supposed to do, quick easy to put together cheaper models so people can get them on the table and get an army together. You don't want complicated or flimsy for that.
The only main criticism is the organisation on the sprues, the numbering is crazy, but more and more sprues you see now they seem to be getting certain models all the bits onto one sprue.
This kit is actually a really old kit so there will be plenty of finnicky and flimsy parts. If you want to avoid older kits, buy the ones that has the blue Bandai logo. The red ones are the old Bandai kits, so not all of them are made properly. If its for tabletop stuffs , High Grade is pretty much your easiest choice, they are made to pose and build rather easily too. And also cheap.
I'd love to see where your Gunpla journey goes next! I'm not huge into warhammer, but I love Gunpla, and seeing people make the jump is always fun for me.
There's ways to counter the older MG models fragility like adding some paint or glue to a joint or slot and letting it dry before assembling it to add friction. I'm a former 40k fan and current gunpla builder so i don't have much experience with GW snap fits but from what i remember, having modular models seems like a necessity for the amount of wargear. It just needs to be designed for function. A space marines fingers don't need to be articulated for example. Lessons can be learned, it just doesn't have to be copied
Man, that explanation of Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz was epic!
I would love for the older Gunpla models to get the Witch From Mercury line treatment. They got rid of most of the polycaps and made the limbs a lot more durable for posing.
I think GW's main issue for the push fit models is the awkward angles of some of the pegs and they can be hard to actually push fit, leading to gaps.
He has the newer HG Deathscythe to go with.
So.... "Paul is Bad At Recapping Anime" series coming when?? :D
That'd mean I'd have to watch anime and I'd rather do some painting!
@@PaulIsBadAtStuff to be fair most Anime you can do both. Dragon Ball Z that you and most people love, myself included, has enough recap per episode that you can skip every other one.
@@PaulIsBadAtStuff”Paul reconstructs anime plots from Google translated toy pamphlets” is what we truly want.
I love your mix of short to medium length content!
Looks at title a thumbnail: "OK, neat."
Sees the Runtime: Let's GOOOOOOOO!
As someone who is a long time Warhammer collector who only resently started to build and collect Gunpla i really like the ease i can put a HG together in an hour or 2, and have a nice display model vs say well any Warhammer model.
If you plan on doing any future gunpla I recommend Witch from Mercury HG kits its where i started myself, and i've not be disappointed with them.
The only g-witch kit I’ve had problems with has been the Mechaelis (oh god those stickers) but they are so fun it’s sorta hard to start building older HGs afterwards
If you ever do look back at the hobby of Gunpla, consider getting some more recent high grades; they’re a step above entry grade, the same size as them, but they have a higher sprue count (not as much as Deathscythe!) and the pegs are smaller which makes them easier to put together. Granted, smaller size than master grades mean smaller parts, but seeing the hands on some warhammer kits they should be alright
Yeah, the Deathscythe Hell Custom is a little finicky at times, but he does look cool.
More recent kits tend to be higher quality and more stable.
As for the pulling from every sprue thing, it’s because, to save time/money, a lot of kits from the same show will share a lot of parts. So, the common parts will have dedicated sprues and the other pieces that make the kit visually unique are on a different sprue.
Going back after my first build to say this video actually got me into gunpla and after building the hg Ariel I very much enjoyed it and will be buying more in the future so thanks Paul hope to see more videos about builds in the future
I’d recommend trying one of the witch from mercury hg kits. Those are the newest ones coming out this year and might make the building experience easier than a Mg from over a decade ago. I mean grades do make a difference. Entry grades are relatively new and the most beginner friendly . So it’s not the best comparison for getting an understanding of gunpla now and the strides they’ve made technology wise.But they are the usual ones for people to start with. PG are the biggest and insane challenges, RG have tons of detail. MG are for me the best mix. But yeah welcome to Gundam and Gunpla. You definitely should watch gundam and build gunpla.
Oh no...the High Grades are just a step above the Entry Grade. Newer Real Grades are basically just MGs but smol. 😂
What a fine choice! Even if this kit is old, it still holds up.
One of my favorites. I'm glad you chose the DeathScyth as your first kit. There are also "upgraded" versions that you should try of this kit.
Here's a through in regards to using after posing. Can you pose the model and the glue it into place so it dose not fall apary when posed.
Push fit are not simpler. I have put together hundreds of models and the leviathan was the worst to put together
Paul, this was an older gunpla model (red label).
Old gunlpa have a red bandai label on the box. Newer gunpla have the blue bandai label. The newer gunpla is made with better materials and many have better push-fit connections.
This is just an informative post to explain the blue and red Bandai logos. SEp. 2019 Bandai Co., Ltd split into 2 companies, Bandai and Bandai Spirits. Bandai has a red logo and will focus on toy products aimed at younger demographics and other markets such as confectionery, trading cards, and apparel. Bandai Spirits has a blue logo and contains products aimed at the mature collector demographic, these would be Model kits + Collectible figure products + the lottery items from Ichiban kuji. so if the gunpla has a red label it is 5+ years old and out of current standards.
I've been building gunpla for 25 years and never once needed to read the Japanese instructions in the manual. The pictures are so clear and self-explanatory that it's hard to mess most of it up.
Also, I'd say Real Grade are more complicated to build than Master grade. They're basically modern master grade kits, but at a smaller scale, making them more fiddley.
If you want something quick and simple, go with High Grade.
A little late in commenting but really fun video. I've been building Gunpla for a long time so it's nice to find a video that kinda slaps me with the reality of what new people to it are walking into. Friends in the past have asked my what I recommend for a first timer and honestly I think you did the right thing. Like as much as the entry grades or high grades are designed to be simpler, but if you aren't digging the design it doesn't matter much. I haven't dabbled too much with warhammer stuff but maybe taking some of the color separation ideas from the entry grades to kinda make a ready out of box thing for beginners would be neat. At least as someone that loathes painting, I think that'd be cool. Great video! Hope you pick up another kit!
master grade TH-cam work, respect, im on my first master grade after 3 high grades, it realy helps to have the tools and knowledge
The Entry Grade kits are by far the best thing i've ever seen in terms of push to fit kits.
For something so cheap, it gives such a good product that im comfortable kitbashing.
15nzd is a steal.
To Basically Summarize what Google Lens Translated
in the Original Anime, Duo Maxwell was attempting to Destroy the Gundam Deathscythe before the start of Operation Meteor as the Original Planw was to Drop a Shit Ton of Colonies onto earth and causing mass destruction to the planet, once phase 1 was completed, 5 Gundams would be sent down to the planet to basically do a "Clean Up" Operation, Professor G, along with the other Scientists were already against the idea of the original plan, and he not only convinced Duo to just steal Deathscythe, but to also use it by his own means and he experiences a ton of hardship and the Deathscythe being destroyed one time and getting upgraded, after the end of the Anime he and other Gundam Pilots thought peace would finally come but there was one more thing they needed to do which leads up to Endless Waltz
Endless Waltz is an OVA/FIlm that takes places 1 year after the Anime and the other Three Gundams (Deathscythe, Heavyarms, and Sandrock) should be destroyed too in order to achieve true peace, one of the other pilots, Wu Fei doesn't give the Altron Gundam (Nataku) assuming he'll be disposing it himself and the two other pilots of their respective gundams were originally supposed to be smelted directly at the sun which was suggested by Quattre (Sandrock's Pilot), the idea was going ahead quite well, until a splinter group known as the Marimeia Army basically wanted to restart Operation Meteor's Original Plan and they took over a Government Base first in Brussells, the three Gundams fought the Marimeia Army making sure to not actually kill anyone and just disabling their Mobile Suits all three were basically at their Ammunition and Weapon Limit but luckily the Wing Gundam Zero basically destroyed the Bunker and the Preventers stopped the attempted coup, at the end of the Anime all of the 5 Pilots finaly Destroyed their Gundams using Remote Detonation
This was an amazing choice, I always wanted one of the deathscythe hells ever since I was a kid. So cool
The fiddly fall-apart-ness is mostly a product of this specific model being rather old. The master grade deathscythe hell is a kit released in mid 2011, having assembled both older and newer kits stability is something that has been improved on a lot. For a more modern more solid experience I reccomend something in the high grade witch from mercury line! All very solid yet inexpensive and easy to assemble kits with about 9 years more engineering prowess behind their designs
Great video, by the way! I find it fascinating to see what someone who assembles a very different kind of plastic models thinks of the kind I build as a hobby
This was nice surprise from TH-cam recommends. I have been building Gunpla myself and have finished 5 kits most are High Grade but I do agree with your gripes with how finicky these kits are as some have feet too narrow to stand properly you need an action stand for them to display at all without them falling over and an arm pops off.
When you showed the RX-0 Real Grade I audibly said "Please tell me you didn't get that one".
It's a good kit, it's just a really bad first one. I got one for my first Gunpla and I did the typical "break the bicep of the RX-0 RG"
Okay. That reaction on reading the Deathscythe manual is entirely relatable. That was like my second model and boy howdy was it a struggle getting it together...
Long time gunpla builder here, I just found the channel from this video. I do like seeing gunpla from a warhammer's perspective.
I actually play a tabletop game for gunpla, it uses rules very similar to warhammer 40k even using a point based system with the army, thou usually needs much much more room if you want a cool big game. Its called mobile suit gundam skirmish, and its just a game a buncha people made for 1/144 scale gundams.
Personally I know most people have said what I would probably say so i wont repeat it but one thing I would love to see is a follow up, maybe a grunt unit, or a more simple unit that will show they arnt all grenades of plastic.
My personal recommendation are some newer HG like the "HG Dagger L". Personally a top their grunt unit and really shows a simple solid build that you could toss all around and it would be fine, bonus almost completely color accurate with no stickers. I have a small army of about 6 of them for my skirmish games.
I do understand the "you dont want warhammer to just do what gunpla does" but theres a lot of things that games workshop can learn from them. Mostly pricing, but im sure many people have said that.
LOL dude 10:26 Paul here did better at building the head and leveling the eye stickers than I did in my first ten model kits. Nicely done. Eye stickers still piss me off to this day since I always assume they're slightly off kilter. Also good comedic timing this was fun
This was a really great video to watch as someone who only builds Gundam and doesn't do Warhammer, because you had some really interesting insights and a fresh perspective, thanks! One of the funny things about your video is that I've probably build over 30 kits five of which have been perfect grade and I've never used Google translate on the manuals at all I actually have no idea what any of it says or what any of the symbols really mean lol 🤪
as a person who has built gunpla from back in 1999, the high grade models have made leaps in quality. the witch from mercury kits are top notch. you can shake those little things and they will hold their pose.
I’m just glad he didn’t get the old HG wing Gundam from that era, that thing was absolute garbage. The only kit I’ve trashed because I hated it in the 60+ kits I’ve built. It looked like a bad McDonalds happy meal toy. 🤣🤣🤣
Please do another one of these videos with some of the recommended builds below.
Great video though.
As a gunpla builder whose never done a Warhammer piece there were some parts I winced at but people below have said most of them.
Do you have any recommended games workshop builds for someone who has never done one?
Your assessment is fair. Gundam builders have cultivated a number of techniques to tighten up those joints when needed and ways to make the kits more solid. Decades of experience have taught gunpla builders how to handle the issues you encountered. People often forget that when they say things like, "Gunpla is better!"
Just got linked this video, ironically enough for the last couple of weeks I've been busy with a major customisation to turn a Gundam model kit into Magnus
If you build again i suggest an "Iron blooded orphans" kit. Ibo has a different style where you build the body frame then add the parts. They are fun and fantastic builds
We need more long content like this! I can't imagine the time it took to edit though..😅 But it's your best one yet!
A recommendation from an experienced Pla hoarder and builder, anything from the HG Universal Century line, with a kit/series number above about 200 are the most modern kits on the market, most things in the series before that are more and more similar to your MG Deathsycthe Hell as they are older and less well engineered
Two-handed posing is really difficult even for more experienced builders. As for keeping stuff from falling off, there are parts you can glue in place without limiting the articulation. MG kits from around the time of this Deathscythe MG can tend to have nonessential parts fall off, so gluing certain parts on is recommended, especially if you're not going to paint it. If you're worried about gluing anything in place, you could always apply the glue, out the oieces together, take them back apart immediately before the glue has time to set, and let the glue dry. Then put the pieces back together again and they should fit more tightly together.
My experience with Master Grade kits is that there will usually be at least a piece or two that has trouble staying on, but it's not usually an important piece.
Honestly, if you've been building minis a master grade gunpla is a perfectly fine starting point. Though that line has a lot of variation in effort required with stuff like the Nu, Unicorn, and Sazabi at the high end of the difficulty curve (though still perfectly doable), and stuff like the gundam wing line, and all the zaku variant kits at the lower end of the difficulty curve (they're still fun kits and look pretty good.) The instructions are very well done in terms of clarity since you don't need the text at all, and anything you learned painting minis absolutely translates to painting these kits if you so choose.
Love your content. Helped me so mych
It was a great first build for sure.
However, If you really want the absolute best of the best that the current Gunpla line of kits has to offer in terms of rigidity, I would recommend looking into the newer High Grade "The Witch From Mercury" (HGTWFM) kits from the most current standalone tv series of the same name. These kits are pretty inexpensive ($10 - $30), and are absolutely rock solid once put together. Judging that you're a 40k fan, I think you'd get a kick out of a mecha mobile grunt suit called the "Dilanza". There are 3 versions of this kit, but they all pretty much build the same with the only difference is color and certain accessories. They are chunky bois and can be painted to look like they'd fit with the Warhammer aesthetic. Another simple, yet incredibly rigid, kit would be the HGUC Gouf Custom. This guy has an amazing construction for its age, with a really cool shield that also has a gatling gun built in.
If you would like an example of this, I'd recommend watching a video from a channel called "Millennial Model Mayhem", where he takes a gunpla kit, and paints it like a warhammer miniature. And if you're still on the fence for Gunpla as a whole, another great video to help you understand the gunpla hobby more would be an amazing video done by a guy called YouSeeGundam where he made a video called "The Ultimate Gunpla Beginner's Guide." It's 30 minutes long, and taught me all I know to set me on my plastic addiction journey.
Also PS: That model kit you built has an updated model in the High Grade (HGGW) line that was made in 2021 which is leagues more Robust than that old plastic Grenade of a MG that you built. The difference is the model is 1/144 scale and not 1/100 like the MG.
To be fair that’s a really old kit. Gunpla kits nowadays are SIGNIFICANTLY sturdier and the instructions have English in them nowadays. If you wanted to try a Gunpla again I’d recommend the Master Grade Gundam Barbatos, that kit is absolutely sublime. Only issue I’ve experienced with it is the armour for the back of the hand can be a bit loose so I just applied a small blob of blu tack and the problem was solved
Totally agree on the conclusion, the closest GW came with push fit was providing precast magnet holes in the Adeptus Titanicus models. My first build was an MG too and yeah, god damn so many pieces.
They're definitely a nice hobby experience all the same and I still have a small pile of them in backlog, along with the built ones above my painting desk.
For the loose joints you could just put a bit of topcoat on the harder plastic in the joints (not the rubbery parts) or a thin layer of painters tape in the joint to help it hold stiff better.
Oh, it's always adorable to see someone try Gunpla for the first time almost blind. Everyone else seems to have pointed out the age of the Deathscythe Hell EW kit, but another note on complexity: The grading is more EG < HG < MG < RG < PG, in my opinion. Entry Grades, High Grades, and Real Grades are all marked by being 1:144 scale, but because the "Real Grade" stuffs roughly the same amount (or more) detail and articulation than a Master Grade into the scale, it often ends up being more complicated and fiddly than a Master Grade to put together, especially the earlier Real Grades. Some of the early Real Grade kits are famous for being "grenades" -- prone to popping parts off at the slightest nudge. But more recent kits like the RG Hi-Nu and God Gundam are absolute master classes in 1:144 scale modeling, and push the boundaries of what you can do with injection molded push-fit models.
Perfect Grade, at 1:60 scale, is a league of its own. Go watch the Adam Savage gunpla build to get an idea of the kind of stuff the PG line gets up to.
For the actual conclusion though, I think GamesWorkshop could learn something from the tooling and engineering that goes into Gunpla, but I agree that the engineering requirements are much higher for game pieces that need to be moved around a lot and display pieces that decorate shelves. But that's also the point where I start breaking out the Tamiya Extra Thin and Milliput and at that point the line between push fit and traditional assembly starts to get a bit blurry.
Deathscythe Hell was my second Gunpla, albeit in a lower grade. The only trouble I had building it was that I used a wire cutter to chew the parts off the runners. The lower, newer grades are more durable and the instructions come translated. Can't say as much for CW. I bought one starter set cuz a nearby store had it. It's sitting at the bottom of my dresser.
as my first one I got a real grade model, not the easyest to build, had a few absolutelly tiny pieces, but really satisfying to finish, it was super fun. I do intend to keep up with this hobby
This was the first gunpla model I got. It sat on a shelf for over a decade before I touched it earlier this year.
The deathscythe hell MG is a older kit, most kits after 2010 (barring a few exceptions) are rock solid. Totally recommend an entry grade or a newer high grade.
I've only built one Gunpla and that was the entry grade classic original Gundam and that one still had really small pieces but I thing grade has more to be with complexity and the overall size of the model. Because they're so detailed the bigger they get the smaller individual pieces get lol
the thing about that model you built is that, yeah, some models are what we call grenades. they break apart easily... but the thing you gotta understand is, that model is more than 10 years old. and belive it or not, that matters ALOT when it comes to gunpla. as one of the things they are working every year is to make models that are more stable and solid.
of course, that's not to say newer models are like a brick(well some actually are that sturdy), but for beginners its always advised to go for newer models as your first.
they even have what's called an entry grade, which are simpler to build.
there are also a few good gunpla reviewers who can give you a hint on good models to start with, as they do talk alot about their durability and stability.
I started with they perfect grade freedom model... that was fun as hell but also dumb as hell prob one of the craziest most complicated models. Prob triple the runners you had...... fkn thing is GIANT
Remove the loose parts and put a drop of glue on the joint, then reassembled once dry. That should tighten it up and make the model less prone to exploding in your hands.
I agree that the last thing GW needs is more complicated models but, there has to be a middle ground between no options, push fit, monopose and, a whole ass gunpla, war gear is free now so you can't really screw up options as a beginner and, push fit individual limbs/weapons would be easier to swap out, space crusade had a similar idea so it can't be that hard
I think the general sentiment behind GW learning from Bandai is pricing and layout and the actual build experience, not whether or not the models are going to have moving joints or mechanical effects. They shouldn't be charging the $60+ they are for a single sprue or two, the layout and numbering could be better, etc.
That said, check out the Hellscythe High Grades if you like the general aesthetic! They are smaller but the refresh of the Gundam Wing high grades from 2020 onwards should be more structurally solid than the Wing MGs
I bought my 9 year old nephew 2 Entry Grade kits and a High grade. He was SO excited, he built one of the entry kits right away, with no major help from me other then getting a few parts to properly snap into place. And even as an Entry Grade kit, it looked great, and I was kind of shocked at how GOOD it all moved.
And that's the story of how I spent $90 on models on Amazon this morning...for mysef.
I also started with a master grade kit. I had never built model kits before but a friend showed me the trailer for the RG astray red frame, i now have way too many astray kits in my collection. Not all kits are made equal unfortunately so one of the best places to figure out what kits are good is a youtuber called mechagaikotsu
Gunpla is just one of many options. There are smaller figure lines called Assault Kingdom and G-frame which are usually around 3 inches in height that can do calisthenics around push fit with the level of articulation and poseablility.
If you want a kit that punches way WAY above its weight, I highly recommend the High Grade Moon Gundam. Not only does the Moon Gundam just have an exceptionally striking appearance, its detail and color separation is absolutely incredible and the build is a ton of fun
It's really cool to see someone get into Gunpla, here's some random notes that might be useful based on the time that I've spent with it.
Some gunpla kits are more solid than others unfortunately, like some might as well be action figures and some are plastic grenades. Some also stand on their own better, while ones with huge wings and stuff generally need a stand. Kits made around 2015-onwards have dual language manuals, and there are unofficial sites taking on the task of doing proper translations for the old manuals. While High Grades are less complicated and may be better for a first build, they tend to have less good color separation so most HG kits will want at least a little paint in spots (or will have stickers specifically for color corrections. Also no grade is really"hard", they just take more time really) The rub-on decals are pretty much entirely on (mostly older) Master Grade kits, and will be a supplement to a big sheet of aticker-style decals. Bandai often sells waterslide versions of the sticker sheet separately too, which do look a little better if you wanna spring for em.
speaking of games workshop learning from gunpla kits, have you bought any of the space marine heroes blind box kits? They were originally exclusive to japan and come on sprues that look and feel like gunpla sprues rather than games workshop kits. i kinda wish all the sprues were like those.
Ive never translated the pages, never thought about it. I have 6 now and im going for. A 7th one, you even have to build the display bases for them which is fun
If you are thinking about getting another gunpla I would recommend the IBO kits (iron blooded orphans). IBO kits have some of my personal favorite designs that are all battle ready with occasional gimmicks that make them even more fun to display.