1/144 High Grade Blitz (Worse kit ever)

[Alan Britten]

*** Please not: If you feel compelled to build this kit do your self a favour and read this unless you are as mad as I am. If not don't waist your time reading this but not to be confused with the MG and FG...***

Profile
Name: GAT-X207
Grade/ Size: HG 1/144
Modeling leve: Advanced
Parts: Under 150 pieces different colours but doesn't do the model justice
Inner frame/ transformable: NO but removable Gleipnir attached to string and stand (looks cheap)

Very early kit came out befor the Gundam Seed anime reached to the west. The kit was very hard to build and at times I lost interest in it. The pieces didn't fit well and seam lines were in some bad areas. Half of the total serface area of my kit is covered in putty and dents in the body. Even with over two dozen ABS parts I was forced to model it in a single static pose. Due to the heavy putty work it wasn't true to the normal look so I scratch built a heap of parts onto it and kit bashed as my own custom. To build the kit befor the other custom pieces tock me three times longer than a normal kit...

The kit wasn't fun at all and had to resort to kit bashing. I advise other modelers to explore the First Grade or High Grade for the same gundam with out the same trouble. The kit was also a clearance item at $10Aus which I recieved for fee after buying a PG Wing Zero...

Link to what the box of it looks like...
http://www.1999.co.jp/dbimages/user/hobby/itbig/10030971.jpg

When finished will post link...
http://www.bakuc.com/modeler/deathworld_dragon/2556

[Paul Lopez]

Did you do the bootleg? I looked at the scans of the model from dalong.net and found none of the problems that you are talking about. Sure there are seams, but they look like an easy fix. Everything on the Bandai release seems to fit well and looks like a great kit overall. I could be wrong though.

[Alan Britten]

I thought this was a bootleg but in my research its real. I am confused why such a poorly made kit with such large mold flashes walked out of the factory. I sure it mught have been made by the end of the life span of the mold...

[Paul Lopez]

Did the box say Bandai or Bendi? Bendi kits are the ones you should avoid at all costs. They might be a lot cheaper, but they suck compared to a Bandai piece. I would rather spend more for quality than less just because I feel cheap.

[Alan Britten]

Did the box say Bandai or Bendi? Bendi kits are the ones you should avoid at all costs. They might be a lot cheaper, but they suck compared to a Bandai piece. I would rather spend more for quality than less just because I feel cheap.

No, it was bandai...

Those fake one's are trouble and not even good for parts, maybe I should start a thread about them. I have a few boxes laying around the place I can't use so I might write up something if it is ok with the mods. They have screwed us over befor Gundam were assessable in Australia, many of my over seas mates living here have a few too. For legal reasons we cant even trade or sell them due to being in contact with anime stores...   

[Paul Lopez]

I think it would be good to do a comparison thread on bootlegs and the real thing. Kinda to show the difference between quality. I know the PG Eva is the one that suffered the worst of the remold process.

[Paul Lopez]

I got some news! I just found out that there was a problem shipping models to Australia a while back because someone was switching the contents of the Bandai boxes with knockoffs. They were selling the real stuff on ebay. There were approximately 500 cases that were affected. They were all HG Seed. It's possible yours was one of the kits that got switched.

[Alan Britten]

I got some news! I just found out that there was a problem shipping models to Australia a while back because someone was switching the contents of the Bandai boxes with knockoffs. They were selling the real stuff on ebay. There were approximately 500 cases that were affected. They were all HG Seed. It's possible yours was one of the kits that got switched.

Yeah! I heard of something like that. I have several like that but being sold to me in trust of being real Bandai products. I still plan on finishing and displaying these kits on this site. These were not bought from ebay and were gained from registered Bandai retailers...

Sorting out myths from reality might be good for the new guys to stay away from bootlegs...   

[Bartley Atkisson]

Are you sure the kit is a bootleg? That word is thrown around a lot and doesn't always apply.
Is this model kit the 1/144 Blitz gundam you are talking about? http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN916404

If so you should change the title of this review. That is an official Bandai release 1/144, it is not high grade. It was a part of the first line of no-grade models quickly released to cash in on Gundam Seed when it first aired. They were quickly phased out as the better quality 1/100 no grades and high grade 1/144 were released.

I hope this might be of some help to anyone who wants to pick up the 1/144 high grade, as it is a pretty good kit. I own it and it was an enjoyable snap build kit. Maybe some day I will clean it up, paint it and post it on the site but for now I enjoy it standing on my desk holding up an ink pen.

[Paul Lopez]

I remember a HG Blitz at my hooby shop last week. If it's still there I'll pick it up and see if I can do anything to it. That kit looks like it's just begging for stock colors with Alclad to replace the grey and yellow.

Deathworld: the official Bandai retailers were the ones who got the shipments that I told you about. Regardless of who you got it from it was most likely one of the "infected" kits.

[Alan Britten]

Sorry epyon3245234 that is not the kit but thanks for trying. I've spent a lot of time researching this and here is a link to the real HG kit as I posted in my opening post. But that no grade one is much nicer in design then my model...

Link to what the box of it looks like...
http://www.1999.co.jp/dbimages/user/hobby/itbig/10030971.jpg

Robofreak: Im just might be one of those lucky guys, lol...

[Bartley Atkisson]

No problem, just trying to help. Man thats a bummer, sounds like you were one of the victims of the bootlegger switcheroo. Oh well thats how things go sometimes, but with your skills you should be able to make an impressive models anyway. I look forward to seeing your finished product.

[Alan Britten]

Thanks man! This was a real test and im happy how it is comming along. Just putting the final bits together, wont be long and thanks for the effort...

[Paul Lopez]

I decided to go against your judgement on this kit and picked it up at my hobby shop today for $15 and an Astray Gold Frame for $40 . I started doing the clean up work and test fitting and everything is going along well. It has the same amount of seams that one would expect from any HG  1/144, but overall it's quite nice. Everything lines up well and it's nothing a little glue won't fix. I'm waiting on an order of Alclad as I'm switching the grey and yellow areas, but I've got patience.

Sorry Deathworld, but you got a bootleg. Well have to compare Blitz models once I'm done.

[Alan Britten]

I feel you might finish yours befor me. Lets see who has the better blitz...