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MG Gundam Astray Red Frame

red-astray-master-grade-gundam-gunpla-hlj

User Content (UC): MG Gundam Astray Red Frame
Submitted By:
beamknight87

The Red Frame is hands down, one of my favorite Gundams ever, probably the best design ever made in the whole SEED franchise, reason why I was very happy when they finally announced the MG model.

However, I was a little disappointed by the fact that this MG was actually a variation of the Red Frame and not the classic Gundam we all love. Sure, the inclusion of the Tactical Arms was pretty nice but come on, it simply looks way too much either as a backpack or as a weapon, not to mention that after reading through a couple of reviews of the previous MG Blue Frame, I knew the Tactical Arms would also be very difficult for the model to handle properly.

Fortunately, as soon this thing was released some reviews showed that you could build the classic Red Frame by just using the required parts of the old 1/100 Red Frame and boy, I was happy to know that, as I did exactly that! You don’t need to modify anything major to the kit, just make the beam saber backpack of the old 1/100 model compatible with the bare back of the MG and you’re done.

Mostly it’s a straight build, although I added some Gunmetal and silver color to the torso, along gold and silver details in the back and vents of the Gundam. Notice the fingers. I decided to paint those with some white paint. You just need to apply like 3 layers in order to get a solid white color. I decided to add one of the Armors Schneiders that was recycled from the MG Blue Frame. I think it is a pretty cool looking blade (which I painted silver and the handle with Gunmetal) and frankly I’m no too much of a fan of dual wielding katanas.

Next we have the beam rifle and shield, both directly from the old 1/100 model of the Red Frame. I just painted them with Gunmetal for a more decent look. Surprisingly, the connector of the shield attaches with no problems to the arm, although it then becomes a little heavy so beware. Anyways, I really like how it looks with these weapons. As for the beam sabers, I just painted the beams with clear red to improve their look. The Gerbera Straight sword is quite impressive. I used some gold and mica red on the scabbard to give it more detail. Love the chromed effect they gave to the blade, which is also surprisingly long.

Finally, the Tactical Arms, I’m not much of a fan of the Sword form, as the weight of the weapon sags down the arms of the model but I have to say that the Arrow form certainly looks impressive. When was the last time you saw an archer Gundam? Truth is the display of this configuration takes a lot of space, and I could only get it just right combining the action base you get in this kit and another one I had.

The main flaw I noticed in this model is the connector in the form of a ball of the shoulder joint that fits in the upper part of the arm. They quickly eroded in my case, making the arms fall from their place quite easily, so I had to so add some glue there in an attempt to fix them.

In general, this is the most impressive kit I’ve worked on to date. The level of engineering and detail is simply amazing, making it a joy to put together. Simply put, if you’re into gunpla, this one is a no brainer, just get it (along perhaps the old 1/100 version if you want to build the classic Red Frame like I did).

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7 Comments

  1. Ussually when i have weak ass shoulder syndrom, I just paint the ball joint with a laquer based paint or topcoat, this will stiffen it up and make it more durable.

    Reply
  2. Hair spray also works to stiffen joints. =P
    You made specific mention of changing the backpack, then don’t take any pictures from behind! Can kinda see the beam sabers sticking out in 2 or 3 pics, but I wanted to see what you modified. ^^

    Reply
  3. These beam sabers look a little big IMHO. Could you please tell, what kind of decals are used in this model? I just do not know ho to apply them 🙁 . Also, I suppose you missed two foil decals on chest for purpose?

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  4. now tis is wat i call a true mg red frame, y can’t bandai givs an mg red frame makeover? ori backpack, gerbera strike n tiger pierce, holders at 1 side like pg red frame, if can make it for both sides (dual side, 2 left/right side) is more than enough, beam rifle n shield is optional. ppl who wanna make it look like this 1 hav to buy d mg n d ng red frame which just (sorry for sayin tis) bandai wanna make $$$ out of it

    Reply
  5. The mod is nothing major, you just need to add a extra polycap in the bare back of the MG model, then use a little segment of the cylindrical perimeter of any runner as a bridge to join that polycap with the one of the old 1/100 backpack.
    As for decals, I just used the ones that came with the MG.

    Reply
  6. Hey, my MG Astray Red Frame has a problem with the Tactical Arms. The part that connects the blades to the Beam torch and wing things, got bent upward on the connection, any tips on how to repair?

    Reply
    • If you’re hoping to repair a bent part you can always heat it slightly and try bending it back into alignment. You may need to reinforce it after with plastic. Or you could try making a new part. Things like this always seem daunting at the beginning, but it’s good practice and experience at this kind of thing lends itself well to scratch-building.

      Reply

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