Finished model and project duration

The build took 12 days. The many small pieces required substantial time in painting and drying, especially because I separated the body and Tactical Arms into manageable subassemblies.

Why the English edition has three pages

The original Japanese journal includes dry fitting, a brief detail-up article, and painting/weathering. For an international reader, I would combine assembly and the small detail modifications into one substantial guide rather than publish a thin stand-alone page.

01. Assembly & Detail Up: first impressions, fine parts, Tactical Arms, combat knives and selected plastic-rod additions.

02. Custom Paint & Weathering: black surfacer, muted blue-grays, accents, panel lining, sponge weathering and the finished result.

Changing the color palette

I didn’t especially like the original blue and orange combination for this build, so I experimented with a calmer palette. The main blue areas used Blue Gray FS35189, and the orange accent areas were changed toward a lighter Azure Blue. The darker undercoat helped control the overall tone.

Honest production notes

Not every planned detail made it into the finished model. I struggled with some dry-transfer markings, and I also ran out of the planned gray-white paint while working on the equipment. The replacements and compromises are part of the actual build story.