Review 045: HG 1/100 Serpent Custom (Bandai)

Introduction:

I can’t remember which article was it where I posted that I will build two kits and this is one of them. So yes, this is already finished way back just after I built the RX-78-2 “ver Ka”. It’s not a popular model but it has an impact for a lot of builders or collectors familiar with the Endless Waltz OVA of Gundam Wing. If I remembered correctly, this mobile suit only appeared in that particular series. The model received two releases for a 1/144 and 1/100 scale, although both scales are still in High Grade and never received any Master Grade treatment.

I was still a young kid when I first saw the box art so that makes the kit a really old one. I am not sure if this is a newer production even though it’s an old kit (1998?). I only based that last statement because of the plastic’s quality when I trimmed the nubs. Anyways, this is a short review and you guys can comment anything I might have missed here.

You know my problem with typos, so just ignore them. If I have used any wrong info or terminologies, please do correct me.



Unboxing:

At the very least, some builders who like the 1/100 scale are considered fortunate that Bandai managed to release it. Same with the other G-Wing EW kits, the serpent custom is featured on the front but not the same art it has back on the 1/144 scale. The 1/144 version gives them in a “midst of battle” environment with lots of battle damage. Well we see a lot of newer kits now from Bandai (not the “ver Ka” ones) in a battle-themed art. And I hoped Bandai did the same back them for the 1/100 version.

The side of the box features the info about the mobile suit as well as some of its weapons.

The contents are not full and you still have some space to put inside.

There are 5 plastic bags with 1 to 2 sprue frames packed inside.

The construction manual shows you a finished model of the Serpent Custom but this is this is painted. When I was a kid, I get deceived so easily with the models presented in the box so I always try to get the kits and then get disappointed that it wasn’t the actual model I will have. Moving on, the last page of the construction manual shows you the rear side of the model.

More about the mobile suit’s specs is shown here in the 2nd page. So it’s a 16.6 meter mobile suit.


Okay, I will take this time to explain why some models are huge or tall and I hope a lot of beginners will read this. Just because you see Xi Gundam and Psyco Gundam being tall in their 1/144 scale doesn’t mean it was meant that way. Please do some research about mobile suits and how they are scaled down. (I think this is one of the reasons why there are certain people who don’t like “spoon feeding” >_> = “Huwag magalit kapag sinabi nilang ‘i-google mo’”).

Let’s take an example then for those who don’t know. The mobile suits have a specific height in their series and Bandai carefully follows the exact height of the MS when turned into a miniature model. The meters is converted to centimeters and divided to the scale needed (144, 100, 60). I just learned this from a fellow builder when I was still new.

The Xi Gundam (RX-105) is 28 meters in overall height (26m if from head) because of the beam saber handles standing out. Now what you will need to do is convert that so that makes 2800 centimeters. In a 1/100 scale, it is an automatic 28 centimeters when divided into 100.


28m = 2800cm
2800cm / 100 = 28cm


That’s near the size of a Perfect Grade Strike Freedom! (30cm in 1/60 scale)

So guys, when you see a kit and you are wondering “Wow this is huge!” or “Why is this model small but Psyco gundam blah blah blah is already big even in a HG 1/144?”… try to make friends with google. I am trying my best to share my info so don’t get mad at me for helping you learn a bit.

Okay, If you flip a few pages you will see this cool section called Film File. It’s about the Endless Waltz OVA and intel about the mobile suit’s specs. Bad thing, I can’t read them so I had to rely on gundam wikia for some background.

Here is the list of the sprue frames.



Sprue Frames:

So you have 9 frames in total and the gates are thick back then. So assume a lot of nub marks or stress marks if you are going for a full straight-build. If you try sanding the parts, the nub marks might still appear if you cut the gates too close on the surface. I didn’t nipped the gates too close but it was my fault for using a half-used X-Acto blade so the nubs are pushed back while I cut them, thus creating a crescent-like stress mark.

You have the usual foil sticker sheet and there’s a green sticker here.

I looked at it closely and it’s not flat. It has a rounded shape like a water droplet. This is your eye sensor sticker.

The surface of the plastic is smooth and there are no flashes. So it was nice that even though it is an old kit, Bandai makes sure their product is not good, but great. The detailing I just right and the panel lines are not that deep compare to the newer models.



Body Unit:

Parts here are below average and it can’t be blamed on the kit knowing it is just a High Grade.

It was straightforward and there are no snap-fitting issues. The male pegs are movable and you can twist it upward to a certain degree.



Head Unit:

The part separation is below average and there no separated parts on that missile-like design. There are stickers though, but it could have been nice if Bandai designed it with a separate piece instead. :/

It was another easy build with no other issues. The green sticker for the eye fits perfectly on the surface. My apologies for the visible seam lines. :v



Waist Unit:

You only have 4 pieces to build the waist and it is indeed a straightforward one.

It was kind of bland but that is the Mobile Suit’s design. But if I were to add some mods, maybe a few stuff to add like smaller front skirts with missiles same with the Heavy Arms Custom.

It’s also using a ball-joint male peg so expect a very short angle if you try to stretch the legs sideways.



Arm Unit:

I have included the parts for the Upper Body or Shoulder Armor so there are more pieces here. But overall both arms and shoulder armor features average amount of parts.

There were no issues but the seams really bugs me out. :v

As for range of movement, the shoulder armors are connected to the arms via ball-joint pegs and PC sockets. You can move them sideways to a very short angle.

Because of the bulky-like design, you can only bend the arms that much.

But the good thing is that Bandai included its gimmick. Slide the brown section outward to reveal those missiles. I have used my metallic blue to add some color on them.



Leg Unit:

The legs feature average amount of parts and there are no gimmicks included here.

It’s another easy and smooth build like the rest.

Because of the bulky design, the range of movement is below decent. You can only bend the legs that much. The foot doesn’t give many angles as well if you try to move it back and forth.



Backpack Unit:

Here are the parts for the backpack and I could it’s the average amount. The only thing that made it looked many because of those extra fin parts.

There are no snap fitting issues here but the gates were annoyingly huge and that creates big nub marks.

Given the right position of the thrusters, you can rotate the fins smoothly. You can also rotate each thrusters to a full 360-degree, but that’s not possible once it is attached on the back.



Armaments:

Double Gatling Guns:

Parts were the same with the Heavy Arms Custom but it’s in a different color. This one features a purplish tone.

The main body of the Gatling gun doesn’t have any snap fitting issues. But when it comes to the barrels, they shake a bit.

You have two of these weapons for the model and I think that is nice. I remember that most of the mobile suits in the OVA have a single Double Gatling guns and Trowa Barton was the only individual who took two of these when used a Serpent Custom. I may have forgotten that there may be Serpent Customs in the series that use two of the Double Gatling guns.



Beam Cannon:

Here are the parts for the beam cannon. At first I thought the larger one was the beam cannon because of the size and design. After a few search in the internet, I got the confirmation that this was the mobile suit’s Beam Cannon.

Gates were huge thus creating huge nubs and ending up with several nub marks if they are cut too close on the plastic’s surface. For me, that is the only issue and there are no problems in snap fitting.



Bazooka:

The weapon parts were very straightforward with no extra parts to use. It’s just two halves and a polycap piece. :v

Now this is one huge bazooka that you don’t get too see very often. Of course there are no snap fitting issues. xD



Extras:

Same with the rest of the HG 1/100 Gundam Wing kits, they have a decently scaled down figure of the characters. For this particular kit, you get two of them – Relena Peacecraft and the daughter of Treize, Mariemaia Khushrenada. At least they are bigger than the 1/100 pilots you get in the Master Grade kits, so this can be painted easily given you have the skill and materials.

Part of the backpack and considered extras are these connectors.

Attach them on the side of the thrusters like so and you can put the Beam Cannon and Bazooka on the back. Just take note that it will put all the weight on the back so you may want to do something about it. :/



Completed Model:

Range of Movement:

After completing the assembly, the arms still gives a decent but not impressive range of movement.

As you already read earlier, you can’t bend the legs to a good angle but you can lift it backwards with ease because there are no front skirts that will hinder its movement.



Rest of the Shots:

 

Here is my personal rating chart for this kit...

Plastic Quality: 7/10

It’s not bad but it’s not the best either. Even with a fresh X-Acto blade, there were some instances when I cut the nubs I get this “chalky” rough feeling. And sometimes the nubs breaks in half like before I can even cut the whole nub. It leaves a nub mark instantly because of that. :/

I sanded most of the parts that will be bared and the result was below decent because the stress marks are still visible. You will need to find a good way to clean them if you are going for a straight build.

Some of the frames (brown) have a soft plastic. I remember I forgot adding the polycaps for the shoulder armor so I had to disassemble it again. The plastic is easily damaged even with a blunt tip to pry it open.


Assembly: 9/10

I have no problems building each unit but like I said in the Plastic Quality section, the plastic is a bit soft. Not the actual soft or squishy, but more of easily to get scratches from pointy objects. Unlike other parts I have encountered from different kits, they are not easily damaged from screwdrivers and such. So yeah, you have a solid 9 for assembly, but probably a 4-rating if you try to disassemble the parts.


Detailing: 7/10

I am impressed that even for an old model and High Grade to boot, the detailing is nice. There were decent amount of panel lines on the parts. The downside however is that the “sharpness” of the molding isn’t good so some portions of the detailing seems a bit similar to TT Hongli’s kits. The panel lines are not so deep and the raised parts aren’t molded perfectly.


Articulation: 6/10

I am not surprise that the number of articulated parts in this model is really low. The bulky and large proportion of the parts also affected the range of movement thus giving very little angles you can do. Well it is a High Grade so it’s more focused as a collectible model with a bonus of building it yourself.


Gimmicks: 5/10

I think it is just fair I have out my rating on the middle. The only gimmick I can count is the hidden missiles in the shoulder armor. You can slide it outwards to reveal them but that’s just about it. There are no other things to look for so it’s quite bland especially for builders who love intricate designs.


Weapons: 7/10

You have decent amount of weaponry to use. You have two Double Gatling Guns, a Beam Cannon, and a huge Bazooka. So even if you are limited in extreme poses, you still have a number of action poses to use with the armaments included in the kit.


Extras: 5/10

Relena isn’t the pilot nor she has piloted a Serpent Custom MS but it was nice Bandai included here because she is a key character along with Mariemaia. And since Mariemaia is somewhat the main antagonist in the Endless Waltz OVA, it is only fitting her fig is included in the kit.


Patience: 3/10

This is far easier to build than the 1/100 FM IBO models. I’m sure you can finish this in a day’s time.


Overall Rating: 7/10

First of all, these are High Grade kits and they are the “easy to build and collect” models. So do not blame certain HG 1/100kits if they don’t meet your expectations. And do not even try to compare them on a Master Grade’s level. You can do comparison to their detailing but that’s just about it.

Anyways, as mentioned, it’s a kit that can be built so easily without problems. For those who just feel nostalgic when they watched the series, this is the best way (so far) to collect all of them. The Master Grade G-Wing models are kind of expensive knowing that 3 of the Gundamm are in the Premium Bandai line (not to mention you also have Tallgeese III in P-Bandai). But if you still aimed for the complete Master Grade set and this is the only model left to complete the Endless Waltz line, then go ahead. So if you lack budget but you want the full line of the EW series, you have the HG 1/100 option. And the builders with the “deep pockets” can hunt down the Master Grade kits.

I forgot to mention that there’s an alternative for the Tallgeese III and that is Daban Model. We also have Super Nova but they still lack 3 of the main Gundams used in the series. We are still waiting for any updates from them and most of the images I received were a hoax or just edited for fun.

This is definitely recommendable for beginners and more like a stepping stone before they start a much challenging line like the MG or the RG. Also, builders who love to modify or add gimmicks to the kit can use this model. It looks plain and bland but that just means more ideas or like a canvass to create a better version of the Serpent Custom. By the way, if this becomes a Mater Grade kit, I see a lot of room for improvements and I’m sure Bandai will improve its articulation. I am looking forward that this model can finally kneel even with those huge legs (LOL).

So that’s my review for this kit and I’m sure I made a lot of typos. I just type down straight without any rest while looking at the pictures and notes I have. If I have missed something, don’t hold back and share them. My possible next review would be the 1/100 FM Barbatos Lupus Rex but I think I might go for Freedom 2.0 because there are still a lot of builders out there getting the Daban version. I have the Bandai one but it’s a good model for the stuff copied by Daban Model (except for their new detailing).