GUNPLA: MG Shin Musha Gundam Ban Dai

After completing another HG build (XXXG-01W Wing Gundam) and my first RG (Gundam Mk-II Titans), I felt confident enough in my Gunpla skills to take on my first MG.  This came in the form of the Shin Musha Gundam.  I saw this kit, in all its samurai glory, at a toy store and just had to have it.  But I felt it was too expensive at the store since I just got back from Japan and knew just how much exported kits were marked up.  So I searched a couple of Gundam Facebook groups and discovered Toybox PH which was operated by Reynold Tamayo.  After a few Facebook messages and texts, I got my Shin Musha Gundam a few days later at a very reasonable price.

My first thought upon opening the box was, "there sure are A LOT of runners."  The amount of build details is one component that definitely separates the MG from the HG kits.  This was definitely my most ambitious build to date but I was determined and up to the task.  "Bring it on!"

After putting together a few of the components, I felt it needed more than just your regular panel lining to bring out its "awesome-ness" and so I decided to try spray painting for the first time.  I didn't have the guts to completely paint the kit so I just focused on painting the gold parts/piping and black pieces to give the kit some "umph".  I also hand painted the small gaps on his skirt armor which added nice, subtle details.

Here are some the materials I used for this build.  I used a panel lining marker which I recommend for beginners (like me) and for those who don't do complete paint customs on their kits due to their ease of use. TIP: I use a soft eraser to clean up the panel lines which works well in my opinion.  The bronze colored sharpie was used to patch up nub marks on the painted gold parts.  Bosny spray paints (Bronze Gold and Flat Black) were used as they have a fairly controllable spray nozzle which gives out a decent, consistent spray.  WARNING:  All cans are not created equal and you may occasionally run into pressure problems half-way through the can which may ruin your work.  You can reduce this risk by using short controlled sprays when painting your parts.
      

I thoroughly enjoyed building this kit and don't recall having any major issues.  Kudos to Ban Dai for the great quality and design of this particular product.  The end result is one of the most visually pleasing Gundam models available.  If you don't already have one, the Shin Musha Gundam is definitely worth adding to the collection.  I'll leave you with a few more pictures to help you decide.  Till my next post.  Thanks, everyone!