This is Gorgom's fault!

Well, I found a Battle Hopper for black, problem is, it's too damn small to be of any use. I'll get around to modifying it to be bigger later on, right now I'm just taking in the really cool sculpt. 

Rattan Saber!

starting work on Shadow Moon and sorta delayed all the other stuff I'm making (again!), just been filling a massive void for my kiwami black, plus I have some scrap parts on hand to base the sculpt on so I might as well. 

The height difference is just about right, though it seems like the head size is small (or maybe black's is just too big), in any case it's all working out so far. Quite glad I have more control on the sculpts than I used to, making me a bit more patient with the thing. I figure I'll be done with it before February ends, then I can move on to other things. 

Form-Changing Toys.

I was playing around with my Black SIC today when I just realized something about him. Design-wise he's built to turn into 6 different toys. granted, 5 of them are repaints and 1 retool but still that's a pretty cool feature, and not uncommon for the toy market. So I decided to document this neat little gimmick with the complete sets I do have.

Do excuse me though, as I went ahead and modified the base body and parts to accommodate more articulation via revoljoints, but enjoy nonetheless! 

 Black (Green Ver.)/Battaman      

Black

Black RX

It's a very cool feature of the figure and it was definitely the draw of the original line of SICs, apart from the highly detailed sculpts, the form-changing gimmick is what sells these figures because you get 2 types of figures (or more, in the case of riders like Kuuga or Agito) in one package. Yes it was pricey, and not very well-articulated but innovative and at the time, very well-executed.

The only weakpoints I can find aside from the limited poseability of the original toy was that the form changing heavily relied on friction and the natural grip of the soft rubbery plastic (a choice in itself made to limit any breakage) though the grip can be very weak at times like on the Battaman armor, I would have preferred something more secure to increase play value. Though as it is they're interesting figures and definitely good conversation pieces. 

Today, I bought stuff.

Okay, first off this black robot thing. I have no idea what it is but it looks pretty awesome. 

The fit is perfect for my old micromen though I think it'll be cramped for the microforce bodies. the female microlady and microsisters might fit though. 

Apparently it has electronics but I'm not gonna bother with that for a while.  It probably walks and has sounds, judging from the speaker in the cockpit. 

Then this MU Spidey from a trade with a friend. Gave him the modified spidey I did a while ago. This version isn't particularly stellar but looks good to me. Right now I'm just looking for an SHS spidey to compare with him. 

Speaking of SHS I also bought the SHS Ghost Rider, probably the best Ghost Rider figure in this scale. Very much inpressed by how much detail went into this sculpt, not to mention a very superior range of articulation, almost Microman-like. 

Lots of details to appreciate on this thing, from the transparent orange flaming skull head, to the sculpted details like the belt buckle, different textures for the pants and jacket, the skulls on the belt, kneepads and elbow pads as well as the spikes. This is an absolutely well-done figure. I just wish he came with a chain and had more neutrally posed gripping hands for bike riding. 

I also got this Takumi Damashii Shadowmoon variant. 

I like these colors better than the official Shadowmoon colors, honestly.

 I intend on using it as a model for sculpting my Shadowmoon custom, though I might need to take parts from the statue itself, 

In particular, the satan saber

and maybe the heel spurs. Though I might attempt to make them from plaplates first. I predict a lot of styrene will be used when I do make that custom. 

Lastly, I bought another KT agito, to replace the one I'll chop up for a custom. I'll also review this mint specimen along with Tornador so I can build up my Kiwami Review archive a bit more. I should have reviewed Momo and Den-O but I keep putting it off, lol. 

Black Sun

Second custom of the year finished! Already got some plans for Shadowmoon and a Battle Hopper, Thinking if I should attempt an RX

Anyway, enjoy the pics!  :3 

Progress

So. Gunpla

Work on this thing is progressing kinda slowly due to the weather but considering I'm going hand brush on it, maybe it's understandable.

for the most part, it was all just filling and adding some minor pla plate details here and there, and some Builder's Support thrusters added. I'm kinda rushing it to meet a contest deadline, though I have no chance in competing against real seasoned gunpla modelers, the gesture of inviting me to compete was motivation enough. Hoping to finish this by next week, and cover the actual contest a week later on my trip back to Baguio. 

Hibiki!

So today I managed to find and by this limited clear variant of Kiwami Hibiki, albeit loose and incomplete. I was lucky to have spare parts from a custom commission lying around and decided to partially paint him so he isn't so completely purple. 

I really like the results of the repaint, I think it complements the clear violet base body well, and works as a sort of transition phase between Hibiki and Hibiki Kurenai.

It's pretty weird for me to actually complete my Hibiki variants or for that matter, other KTs that are hard to find at minimal cost. At this point the only hard to find figure that I haven't bought or owned would be Faiz Blaster form, Nega Den-O and white Momotaros and the Agito Storm x Flame set.

This is probably just good luck at the start of the year haha.