Kit Information :
Scale : 1/144
Grade : HGUC
Made by : Bandai
Completed : June 2013
Box Art :
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Acguy
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As the guy running the Gundam-Forum.com.au Group Build #2 entitled 'Under the Sea', I thought it would be fitting to use the opportunity to finally build an Acguy. The Acguy is one of those suits that everyone loves but not many build. After building this guy, my first thought is to tell everyone to build it, for an old HGUC kit it's THAT good!
Taking some inspiration from Wild River's book G-World, I decided to make this guy walk through the ocean. I began by posing the Acguy in the way I wanted it to look and then took a modelling saw and cut off the lower part of the legs. The idea was to attach it to some glass which was to be made to look like water and having the feet and lower parts of the legs gone, it will look submerged.
Some simple mods were done like some extra minus molds, some vents, a new monoeye and a little ladder that runs from the cockpit up to the head. Painting was straight forward with a three colour camo free handed with the air brush (Brown, Olive Drab and Sail) and the internals done with Red Steel.
Weathering was done using the sponge chipping method and then dusted with some MIG Pigments after decals were added.
The base consists of a picture frame with the backing board painted in various blues and smoke blue to get a dark blue watery colour. The island is just some polystyrene cut to size and coated with some plaster filler and was painted and detailed with brown ballast and sand. The palm trees were specially made by an Australian online business called Modellers Warehouse and the trunks needed to be cut to size to fit as I was sent different sizes due to the ones I wanted being out of stock. The rest of the island was done with some lichen and clump foliage from Woodlands Scenics.
The kit was attached to the base using 2 part Epoxy glue which was generously applied and then, using a skewer, made to look like flowing water behind the legs. A thin coating of Vallejo Water Effects was applied for the waters rough surface and then was dry brushed using some white pigments.
Overall, the Acguy is an excellent kit to work with especially considering its age. I recommend that anyone get this one and it is one that I will probably do again in the future (maybe even in Master Grade form).