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Weekly Discussion Thread
(ani.social)
What do you guys use for topcoat?
I currently use either Mr Super Clear or Gaianotes, usually matte. When I sprayed acrylics, I used Vallejo varnish.
@Akaru88 I've used Testors Dullcote, but I always seem to waste too much of it; one can usually covers roughly 2 1/144 scale kits. I've had more success with Vallejo Matt Varnish in an airbrush, but it does require said airbrush. A shop near me recently started stocking Mr Hobby Clear Matte, so I might give that a whirl if I ever feel like spending the money.
@Akaru88 In the past 4 days I've managed to find an MG Barbatos and an RG Force Impulse Gundam in person for a decent price, so my backlog has expanded. That Barbatos may jump the queue a bit, although I need to order waterslides for it.
My gunpla posting streak was broken after only 5 days, but honestly that was two more than I figured it would be. I have precisely 0 pictures in reserve and I haven't been home enough to take any or do any building.
I built RG Force Impulse Spec II, was a good build, though a bit annoying that Bandai decided to release a minor recolor as its own retail kit.
@wirelesswire I didn't even know the Spec II was a thing. That really is a minor recolor. I think I prefer the lighter colors of the base version (which is strange for me), but honestly without them beside one another I likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Edit: Yeah, that sky blue on the skirting armor is fantastic. I like the boosters better on the Spec II, though, I will admit.
https://files.catbox.moe/s6k8gu.jpg
I prefer the muted colors of the Spec II, but I'm not a big fan of the bright red/blue/yellow on Gramps and other hero Gundams. I'm glad both exist, but I kinda wish one of them were a P-Bandai thing instead of taking up a retail release.
@wirelesswire Maybe the brighter colors will break me from feeling like I have to put on every recommended decal. Haha.
A couple of ver Ka kits will break you from that lol.
Good try with the streak. And MG Barbatos is a super fun build. Until the MG Vidar released just recently, it was the only kit that used that frame so if you haven’t built it before then it will be a brand new experience. I think the only decals I used on mine were the factory “iron flower” stickers.
@Akaru88 The MG Vidar is another one I want to build one day, but I think I'll wait a while due to the price. Same reason I got the Barbatos now instead of waiting for the Lupus later this year. I have the HG Vidar to tide me over (and the HG Lupus, although that was one of my first kits).
I'm a sucker for decals on the ones I really care about. There's something about having it decked out with caution notices and such that I enjoy. Don't like the process much, though. Haha
I'm still working on my PG Strike Rouge. I wanted to wrap it up this weekend, but that won't be happening. I need to finish applying decals, spray the final top coat, then final assembly. This is by far my most involved project, and I am ready for it to be over so I can move on to the next thing.
My local anime shop had a build day yesterday, so I brought one of the kits that will be part of my GBWC entry. I keep forgetting HG kits are a double-edged sword when it comes to customizing. They're simpler, but usually require more work because of less part separation.
I guess I’ll get this ball rolling myself. I just got an MG Heavyarms EW that I’m going to paint and customize to be like Heavyarms Kai with the blue paint but with 2 double Gatlings and the IGEL unit.
Sounds cool. I recently ordered a metal frame for my Heavyarms Custom, so I'm interested to see how that will turn out.
That’s on my list. I’ve already ordered a set of 3rd party gatlings and I’m about to pull the trigger on a eBay IGEL unit.
this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2025
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