He was the Master of Disaster, The King of Sting, the Dancing Destroyer, and the Counter of Monte Fisto... and now Appollo Creed will store your data.
...but sticking his crotch into your USB port...
http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/YOYA743
Let it now be said that the Japanese haven't already thought of every DAMN thing.
But somehow I find this very easy to swallow after Carl Weathers rousing appearance as a parody of himself in Arrested Development.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Imperial Guard Valkyrie 3
Easily the most irritating assembly of every vehicle kit I've ever built in my life, is the cockpit. You reach a point where everything is down to an art-form and a science. But every kit throws a little something different at you. The Valkyrie is no different.
As with many cockpit assemblies, the Valkyrie uses the usual "fake legs" pilot figures. These pilots have no feet. They're just torsos with arms and heads. The tough choice tackling a new sculpt is trying to figure out what you can get away with because you know certain bits will be forever hidden from view once it's done.
As you can see, the most visible parts are the heads and the control panels. In fact, you could mostly get away with base-coating the arms entirely. That said, as is typical, the easiest way to work with a cockpit is to do the paint details by dry-brushing before putting the assembly into the rest of the nose of the vehicle.
Also to note, the biggest display screen on the RIO's panel? Just use a bit of yellow to fake some tactical info. When the canopy is in place you'll barely be able to tell what's there anyway.
As with many cockpit assemblies, the Valkyrie uses the usual "fake legs" pilot figures. These pilots have no feet. They're just torsos with arms and heads. The tough choice tackling a new sculpt is trying to figure out what you can get away with because you know certain bits will be forever hidden from view once it's done.
As you can see, the most visible parts are the heads and the control panels. In fact, you could mostly get away with base-coating the arms entirely. That said, as is typical, the easiest way to work with a cockpit is to do the paint details by dry-brushing before putting the assembly into the rest of the nose of the vehicle.
Also to note, the biggest display screen on the RIO's panel? Just use a bit of yellow to fake some tactical info. When the canopy is in place you'll barely be able to tell what's there anyway.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Imperial Guard Valkyrie 2
The main fuselage is nearly completed. The next page of the manual features the typical layouts found in a Citadel Miniatures booklet: a small blow-up box showing what needs to be assembled multiple times and then set aside.
Irritatingly, it describes a pair of turbine assemblies that do not have any supporting tabs holding their halves together. Only on the following page you will see that as you fit them, there will be tabs on the base where these pieces will go. See the photo below: the starboard turbine is about ready for assembly and the round bit at the back provides a ridge that will slot into the turbine’s grooves.
A friendly reminder: test-fit EVERYTHING. At a glance, the tail stabilizers look the same for both side, but they are indeed side-specific. The ridges slotting into the tails are angled, so try each bit before gluing. And be sure not to use too much glue. That’s common sense but is extra important in this case because those doors that are resting in the bottom guide slot will be secured by those tails at the top. Just a drop too much and you’ll wind up gluing the doors.
Another note about those tails, the diagram in the manual indicates there’s a bit that fits underneath next to the main fuselage… but I simply cannot find the corresponding pieces. I’m guessing this is some kind of left-over from the original Forge-World resin version of the kit. For example, there’s a bit in the front corners of the fuselage that, even with camera angles in consideration, it will not align exactly as in the photo. I surmise that parts of the documentation are recycled from documenting the old version of the model.
Irritatingly, it describes a pair of turbine assemblies that do not have any supporting tabs holding their halves together. Only on the following page you will see that as you fit them, there will be tabs on the base where these pieces will go. See the photo below: the starboard turbine is about ready for assembly and the round bit at the back provides a ridge that will slot into the turbine’s grooves.
A friendly reminder: test-fit EVERYTHING. At a glance, the tail stabilizers look the same for both side, but they are indeed side-specific. The ridges slotting into the tails are angled, so try each bit before gluing. And be sure not to use too much glue. That’s common sense but is extra important in this case because those doors that are resting in the bottom guide slot will be secured by those tails at the top. Just a drop too much and you’ll wind up gluing the doors.
Another note about those tails, the diagram in the manual indicates there’s a bit that fits underneath next to the main fuselage… but I simply cannot find the corresponding pieces. I’m guessing this is some kind of left-over from the original Forge-World resin version of the kit. For example, there’s a bit in the front corners of the fuselage that, even with camera angles in consideration, it will not align exactly as in the photo. I surmise that parts of the documentation are recycled from documenting the old version of the model.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Imperial Guard Valkyrie 1
I know, I didn't get around to posting my final finished Stormlord. I will, I promise! But I'm just so excited to finally get my hands on the new Imperial Guard Valkyrie kit. Not because I play IG, but simply because I think the IG faction of Warhammer 40k have the coolest looking mechanical designs. They look grounded in real Earth technology but at the same time, taken to extreme ridiculousness.
The first thing to notice is that the kit is jammed into just 4 main sprues. But thankfully, a casual glance will reveal that most of the parts from a given sub-assembly are within the same sprue. We're still a long way from Bandai's individually numbered pieces, but it's manageable.
My made a few notes going through the manual. There are lots of moving parts rather than options on this kit. Unlike my very first Tau Devilfish, I won't need to glue a hatch permanently open, it seems. And the deploying guns are on free-swinging hinges. The rear access ramp is also hinged. I'm liking this build already.
Those guns are going to be a problem, however. With all the detail on those sprues, you'd think by now Games Workshop would design a multi-part Heavy Bolter so that I wouldn't have to drill my barrels anymore. I don't know what it is, they can put reasonable dents in exhaust pipes to simulate hollow-ness, but they can't put a similar dent for a weapon barrel. Oh, and last note about the gun: pay attention to the images in the manual. It's supposed to have grips for a soldier... but for some reason this bit is ommitted on the detailed blow-up of the assembly (if you look at the port-side version you'll see it does have the grips - and there are indeed grips bitz on the sprue for this.
After test-fitting several of the panels, I started glue. But here's another tip to save some trouble. Do the sides of the main fuselage first: That is, do one side, slot the gun in place and then glue on the top part of the hinge to hold it down. Then position the rear hatch and glue the other side in place to hold that down. Slot in the gun for that side and glue down the top of this second gun hinge. The reason you must do the front LAST is simply because the side panels have a little tab near the fore that fits right between the floor and the edge of the fore panel. Just trust me on this, I know it's counter-intuitive. If you've built any of the Cities of Death kits, you know you should connect and glue 3 adjoining panels to make a stable structure first. However in this case, because of those tabs, that strategy goes right out the window.
After that, page one is done. Just glue on the "roof" of this crew compartment. You might try tying it down with an elastic while it dries. Past experience with Citadel Miniatures kits is that large chunks warp a little. I don't know if that's to do with the plastic they use or if it's just the Canadian cold. More to come soon.
The first thing to notice is that the kit is jammed into just 4 main sprues. But thankfully, a casual glance will reveal that most of the parts from a given sub-assembly are within the same sprue. We're still a long way from Bandai's individually numbered pieces, but it's manageable.My made a few notes going through the manual. There are lots of moving parts rather than options on this kit. Unlike my very first Tau Devilfish, I won't need to glue a hatch permanently open, it seems. And the deploying guns are on free-swinging hinges. The rear access ramp is also hinged. I'm liking this build already.
Those guns are going to be a problem, however. With all the detail on those sprues, you'd think by now Games Workshop would design a multi-part Heavy Bolter so that I wouldn't have to drill my barrels anymore. I don't know what it is, they can put reasonable dents in exhaust pipes to simulate hollow-ness, but they can't put a similar dent for a weapon barrel. Oh, and last note about the gun: pay attention to the images in the manual. It's supposed to have grips for a soldier... but for some reason this bit is ommitted on the detailed blow-up of the assembly (if you look at the port-side version you'll see it does have the grips - and there are indeed grips bitz on the sprue for this.
After test-fitting several of the panels, I started glue. But here's another tip to save some trouble. Do the sides of the main fuselage first: That is, do one side, slot the gun in place and then glue on the top part of the hinge to hold it down. Then position the rear hatch and glue the other side in place to hold that down. Slot in the gun for that side and glue down the top of this second gun hinge. The reason you must do the front LAST is simply because the side panels have a little tab near the fore that fits right between the floor and the edge of the fore panel. Just trust me on this, I know it's counter-intuitive. If you've built any of the Cities of Death kits, you know you should connect and glue 3 adjoining panels to make a stable structure first. However in this case, because of those tabs, that strategy goes right out the window.
After that, page one is done. Just glue on the "roof" of this crew compartment. You might try tying it down with an elastic while it dries. Past experience with Citadel Miniatures kits is that large chunks warp a little. I don't know if that's to do with the plastic they use or if it's just the Canadian cold. More to come soon.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Nanoha ...ready for summer!
Labels:
PVC figure,
review,
stuff
Just in time for the official announcement (and release of the prototype photos) for the her best friend Fate T Harlaown, I spent my OT pay on the quarter scale (but full-scale *kawaii*) Nanoha Takamachi. At first I was taken aback by the size of the box delivered to my local post-office pick-up.
Turns out the seller was just being extra generous with the packing. Quarter scale figures are pretty large to begin with, often towering over 12 inches. This seller took no chances and wrapped the package in tissue paper to prevent scratches and then a layer of bubble wrap and then settling it into this oversize box.
Nanoha is the heroine of a "magical girl" spin-off from ...where else but in Japan... an eroge. So take away the hentai, drop the cast of younger siblings into an alternate setting and voila: instant lolita-icon. But... thankfully, with continuity progression, pedophiles are out of luck and little Nanoha has grown into quite a beauty.
As far as sculpt goes, she is almost free-standing (she is, but don't even breathe on her else she will topple). She does come with the usual plastic base, which so functional that I debated whether or not to use the metal support rod. I'm not a big fan of those, I think they make a figure look stupid.
Others have pointed out that despite her large scale, there's very little detail on the sculpt. I do, however, appreciate that the strings on her bikini are separate bits in some places, which is rather cool. Can't ask for everything, but it's hard not to considering how wonderful the FREEing renditions of the Haruhi girls were.
Does this mean, I'm disappointed? Not really. Especially not when she smiles at me the way she does. ^_^;
Turns out the seller was just being extra generous with the packing. Quarter scale figures are pretty large to begin with, often towering over 12 inches. This seller took no chances and wrapped the package in tissue paper to prevent scratches and then a layer of bubble wrap and then settling it into this oversize box.
Nanoha is the heroine of a "magical girl" spin-off from ...where else but in Japan... an eroge. So take away the hentai, drop the cast of younger siblings into an alternate setting and voila: instant lolita-icon. But... thankfully, with continuity progression, pedophiles are out of luck and little Nanoha has grown into quite a beauty.
As far as sculpt goes, she is almost free-standing (she is, but don't even breathe on her else she will topple). She does come with the usual plastic base, which so functional that I debated whether or not to use the metal support rod. I'm not a big fan of those, I think they make a figure look stupid.
Others have pointed out that despite her large scale, there's very little detail on the sculpt. I do, however, appreciate that the strings on her bikini are separate bits in some places, which is rather cool. Can't ask for everything, but it's hard not to considering how wonderful the FREEing renditions of the Haruhi girls were.
Does this mean, I'm disappointed? Not really. Especially not when she smiles at me the way she does. ^_^;
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