[Hearthstone] Fractured in Alterac Valley Pack Opening (EU Server)

 

Opened 53 Fractured In Alterac Valley Hearthstone Packs in the EU server:

• Common - 193
• Rare - 54
• Epic - 13
• Legendary -  5 (Bearon Gla'shear; Saidan the Scarlet; Caria Felsoul; Wing Commander Mulverick; Najak Hexxen)
• Total: 265
• Golden - 6 

Some highlights after the break

[Hearthstone] Fractured in Alterac Valley Pack Opening (NA Server)

 

Opened 55 Fractured In Alterac Valley Hearthstone Packs in the NA server. The distribution was

• Common - 192
• Rare - 65
• Epic - 14
• Legendary -  4 (Wildheart Guff; Xyrella, the Devout; Cera'thine Fleetruner, Captain Galvangar)
• Total: 275
• Golden - 15

Some highlights after the break 

Star Wars 1/12 Clone Trooper

Inspiration:

I always considered myself a casual Star Wars fan: I watched the original trilogy on VHS multiple times and every movie in the prequel and sequel series in theaters. It wasn't until Episode II: Attack of the Clones came out alongside the original Star Wars Battlefront I and II that I took a deeper interest in the story, especially the Clones themselves. The Clone War is my favorite era - full scale campaigns with sides of comparable power fighting against the other. The Clones' stories as individuals trained to be soldiers without the freedom and choice in the matter. In trying to absorb as much media as possible, I read the Star Wars: Republic Commando series twice, because it finally told the story from the Clone perspective. I am currently watching the Star Wars Clone Wars animated TV show which is giving me a similar sense.

I was ecstatic when Bandai announced their intention to make the Clone Trooper. Their design has always spoken to me, especially their Phase I helmet and gear. The kit being a blank slate also gives us modelers the opportunity to customize it as we see fit. One of the issues when it was first released was actually getting the kit though - no American/US shop seemed to sell it and the import of it (and many other Bandai Star Wars kits) seemed to be banned for a while. It wasn't until a few years after its release that I found one at Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA

In my curiousity about the kit, I looked up reviews online and found a few modelers. The one that got me most excited was IC Model Kits and Sculpts's "How to make your Bandai Clone Trooper Look Like a SideShow Figure" video (unfortunately, he has taken down the video). After watching this multiples times, looking at the process and techniques, I was ready to tackle my own.

Now, while I had the option to pick one of the many trooper designs and color schemes, I elected to keep the Clone Trooper in Phase I with no decoration, because I wanted this to represent the Trooper's first sortie in the Battle of Geonosis.

Haropla Haro - Penguin

Inspiration:

I've usually found Haros to be cute, cheerful characters. Their inherent roundness makes them good comedic characters with a lot of personality. I also like birds, stemming from my family having parakeets for a few years now. When a someone on YouTube ran the "Balls for Balls" contest, I decided that now would be a good time to purchase a Haro from Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA.

My original intention was to paint this kit in a lighter shade of blue that would match our wedding colors, but it seemed too simple. After some thought, I had the idea to make the Haro look like a round birb. After finding a suitable lineart file that would be compatible with Microsoft Paint, I came up with two color schemes and multiple layouts. With the help of my wife, I decided to go for the Penguin color scheme with the hoodie layout.

WIP: HaroPla Haro - Penguin

Inspiration:

    I've usually found Haros to be cute, cheerful characters. Their inherent roundness makes them good comedic characters with a lot of personality. I also like birds, stemming from my family having parakeets for a few years now. When a someone on YouTube ran the "Balls for Balls" contest, I decided that it would be a good time to purchase a Haro from Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA.

    My original intention was to paint this kit in a lighter shade of blue that would match our wedding colors, but it seemed too simple. After some thought, I had the idea to make the Haro look like a round birb. After finding a suitable lineart file that would be compatible with Microsoft Paint, I came up with two color schemes and multiple layouts. With the help of my wife, I decided to go for the Penguin color scheme with the hoodie layout.

You can follow my progress on my Twitter @chetario starting on March 3rd, 2019.

1/144 HGUC MSZ-008A1 ZII-A1 Amuro Custom

1/144 HGUC MSZ-008A1 ZII-A1 Amuro Custom

Below is the first Gunpla kit that I had built after a two year break and my entry into the Gunpla Time Discord Server Universal Century Competition in 2019.

Inspiration:

When the Gunpla Time UC Competition was announced in the Discord server, I felt like this was the inspiration I needed to build gunpla again. I took the opportunity to go to Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA and look at their stock of kits. After browsing their selection, I opted to go for the unusual design of the ZII over the other typical options due to its origins in the Mobile Suit Variations. 

Being a Zeta series Mobile Suit, I looked to other Federation and AEUG designs for inspiration, which is when I came upon the Zeta Plus. While the grey variation seemed monotone and hard to pull off in plastic form, I really liked the red and white version, especially with the Amuro connotation.

Since I knew what colors I wanted, I looked online and was relieved to find that there was lineart that was compatible with Microsoft Paint. This helped save some time in the long run. Now I just had to play around with the layout - did I want to go for a straight pallete swap or something closer to the "inspiring" mobile suit. I was stuck on three options, so I put out a call for help which @TimberNewtype on Twitter responded to quickly. I sent him the three choices and we came together to come up with the final design below.

Process:

The entire model, save small details, was airbrushed using the Badger 105 Patriot with a Central Pneumatic 100 PSI, 3 Gallon Air Compressor. I used 3 stickers on the head for the eyes, front, and back camera.

 

You can follow the process of building this model on my Twitter page @chetario starting in October 9, 2018 forward. You can also read the Work-in-Progress post from last week.

Colors:

• Mission Models Mecha Master Acrylic Primer - Off-White
• Red: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Bright Red, Orange, White custom mix
• White: craftsmart Acrylic Paint White, Tan
• Frame: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Brown, Gray, Tan
• Light Grey: craftmart Acrylic Paint Grey, White
• Yellow: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Yellow, White
• Green: craftsmart Acrylic Paint Green, White
• Vallejo Gloss Varnish
• Vallejo Matte Varnish
• Vallejo Model Wash - Black

Basic Shots:

Mobile Armor:

Accessories:

Action Poses and Detail:

Verdict:

Overall, I found this model kit to be an enjoyable build. I keep finding it hard to stand though due to the different directions the lines in the design want to go - between the feet and chest, the angles make it seem as if he is squatting. The beam rifle and Mega Beam Cannon run into some interference issues with the elbow or backpack too. 

If I had more time, I would have attempted to fuse more of the seam lines and seal the paint a little better. You may notice some unintentional paint chips revealing the blue base plastic. I asso need to be more aware of painting every surface, some blue can be seen poking out of certain places. With the above reasons and the high caliber of competition, this model did not place in the top 3, but congratulations to the winners.

The pictures above were taken with a Canon 6D Camera, with a Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. All pictures were post-processed using Adobe Lightroom.

Thank you for viewing this thread and the support. Constructive criticism is always welcome and I will respond to each comment. Advice on how I can improve is also appreciated.

Keep Building, My Friends!

WIP: 1/144 HG MSZ-008A1 ZII-A1 Amuro Custom

Inspiration: 

    When the Gunpla Time UC Competition was announced in the Discord server, I felt like this was the inspiration I needed to build gunpla again. I took the opportunity to go to Discount Hobby Warehouse in San Diego, CA and look at their stock of kits. After browsing their selection, I opted to go for the unusual design of the ZII over the other typical options due to its origins in the Mobile Suit Variations. 

Being a Zeta series Mobile Suit, I looked to other Federation and AEUG designs for inspiration, which is when I came upon the Zeta Plus. While the grey variation seemed monotone and hard to pull off in plastic form, I really liked the red and white version, especially with the Amuro connotation.

Since I knew what colors I wanted, I looked online and was relieved to find that there was lineart that was compatible with Microsoft Paint. This helped save some time in the long run. Now I just had to play around with the layout - did I want to go for a straight pallete swap or something closer to the "inspiring" mobile suit. I was stuck on three options, so I put out a call for help which @TimberNewtype on Twitter responded to quickly. I sent him the three choices and we came together to come up with the final design below.

You can follow my progress on my Twitter @chetario starting on October 9th, 2018.

1/144 OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II - The Martyr #Gundamber

1/144 OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II - The Martyr #Gundamber

Manufacturer: Bandai

Scale: 1/144

Inspiration: 

    After completing the HG Chedurim SAGA, I needed another Gunpla project to do during the remainder of #Gundamber. Once I remembered I had this kit, I had to think what I wanted to accomplish. I set myself the goal of not taking any shortcuts in regards to the seam lines, which, a kit of this age, is sure to have. After some thought, I remembered that this suit had a short debut, but it's demise was climactic - which led me to try to recreate the scene.

Final shots after the break.

WIP: 1/144 OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II - The Martyr #Gundamber

Inspiration: 

    Every November, @GunplaClub starts the hashtag #Gundamber - a gunpla building challenge to work on a model kit every day and hopefully finish the project at the end of the month. It is very much like #NaNoWriMo, or "National Novel Writing Month", and #Inktober. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, GunplaClub took a more hands off approach, but I still participated as my way to stay connected to the community at large. 

I usually choose to leave my Gundam kits "factory fresh" with little wear and tear, but I decided this kit would get a different treatment. One of the more memorable scenes in the anime is how the suit is destroyed - this kit will pay an homage to that scene. Its destruction and what he inspired gives this kit its namesake.

I won this kit through my local IPMS's local raffle still wrapped in plastic. There were English instructions included,  the Gundam Wing pamphlet contained information the American model kit releases.

You can follow my progress on my Twitter @chetario starting on November 20th, 2020.

1/144 HG GN-008/SA Chedurim SAGA #Gundamber

 

Manufacturer: Bandai

Scale: 1/144

Inspiration: 

    The MS Variations of the 00 Season 2 suits are some of my favorites. After having to make my own Seravee Gundam GNHW/3G/B, buying the Robot Damashii Arios Ascalon, I was thrilled to see Bandai release a model kit of the Cherudim SAGA. The commando nature of the model kit lent itself well to a camouflage. I had always respected builders who did Digital Camo schemes, but due to the size of the figure, I went with a stripped winter pattern instead. 

Final shots after the break.