Reddit reviews Bandai Hobby #08 RX-178 Gundam MK II (AEUG) 1/144, Real Grade
We found 5 Reddit comments about Bandai Hobby #08 RX-178 Gundam MK II (AEUG) 1/144, Real Grade. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Features of a MG and PG kit at lower priceMolded in separate colors, no paint requiredEasy to snap together, no glue required
Bandai is (IMO) the top of the Japanese heap, model-wise - well-engineered, complex but not fiddly. Their Eva offerings are OK, but where they really shine is the Gundam stuff. Currently, they're available as 1/144 HG (no inner frames, decent articulation and detail), 1/144 RG (inner frames and high detail) 1/100 Re/100 (no inner frames, decent external detail, 'niche' MS) 1/100 MG (current ones have internal frames and high detail; older ones, not so much), 1/60 PG (big scale, high detail inside and out), and some 1/144, 1/100 and other 'No Grade' (older, low-articulation, low color separation kits), and some non-Gundam stuff like VOTOMS (we'll get there in a bit). Like everything else, newer kits will have better parts layouts than older kits. You can check Dalong.net, for visual reviews, parts counts, scale comparisons, and so forth.
In HG, most of the kits from Char's Counterattack, Unicorn, Build Fighters/Try and Iron Blooded Orphans on are excellent kits, with prices running from £6 up to £35
In RG, (IMO) the best kit, in terms of detail, design, and durability is the RG Gundam Mk II AEUG, priced at a very reasonable £15.
MG run from £16.75 up (Ball is love; Ball is life) up to the mind-blowing, £95 Sazabi ver.Ka. Yes, it's pricey, but it's one of the best-engineered models you'll ever build. 37 runners of multicolored, snap-fit glory.
PGs are well out of your price range, all well over the £100 mark.
Outside the Gundamverse, Bandai also does 1/20 VOTOMS; but slightly over your cap at £65 They also do Macross kits (the current series is Delta; kits are just now being released), but their transforming requirements make them a little explodey. They also do Yamato and other spacecraft; I don't have a lot of experience with them.
Past Bandai, Kotobukiya does some excellent Armored Core (among other properties) kits; they are a little finickier fit wise, and a little pricier, coming in at around £45 and up. They work best for experienced modelers who aren't afraid of complex painting jobs. Hasegawa does non-transforming Valkyries; they will need glue and paint to look good. Hasegawa also does the love-to-get-grubby, need-glue-and-paint-and-patience Maschinen Krieger line.
Beyond that, you start getting into smaller makers, and resin kits, and imports direct from Asia, and probably out of your area of interest.
If I were you I would search on Amazon. They are usually running deals and you can find something really nice. If you don't want to be ambitious something like this will suffice.
http://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Gundam-Age-1-Normal/dp/B0056FTJI8/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1381366536&sr=8-13&keywords=gundam
You can order it now and get free shipping super quick. If that's too simple go for something a bit more like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-RX-178-Gundam-Grade/dp/B007EAIF6A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1381366536&sr=8-4&keywords=gundam
I started with a master grade, and I'm sure you would do well, but try whatever you feel comfortable with! You can search through related searches and find a lot in the 10-20 dollar range. Good luck, let us know what you choose!
I started building gunpla early this year and have done about 30 kits, so no expert but I have some experience to stand on. That being said, the HGUC RX-78-2 Revive was my first kit and I'd recommend that to anyone. The kit is forgiving (white doesn't show nub-marks/stress marks as much as dark colors), it doesn't require too much from the builder, and the end result is very stable and articulate. It's what cemented my new hobby. And it's relatively cheap at ~$14 US.
For a lengthier and more complicated build (though I would argue not really more difficult) I'd suggest the RG Gundam Mark II. Again, the kit succeeds in being stable, articulate, and the build progresses rather seamlessly. It also looks really awesome when completed.
There are a few other builds that for me stand out as being just very satisfying-- the HG Gerbera Tetra, the RG Char's Z'Gok- but the two I've singled out above are superlative in my opinion.
> You'll still be paying that 20% vat/customs even if you buy with Amazon since gunpla sellers are all third party
That may not actually be true any longer; the example I chose seems to be sold by Amazon themselves, and is available with Prime shipping for delivery tomorrow.
http://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-RX-178-Gundam-Grade/dp/B007EAIF6A