Written by 7:33 pm My Builds

Completed : Bandai HGUC 1/144 MSA-003 Nemo


The Kit
Brand: Bandai
Scale: 1/144
Media: Injection Plastic

The Subject
The MSA-003 Nemo is a mass production mobile suit developed by Anaheim Electronics. It is an upgrade of the RMS-179 GM II with improved power, armor, acceleration and maneuverability. The Nemo was first fielded in UC 0086 by the AEUG and Karaba during the Gryps Conflict and FIrst Neo Zeon War.

The MSA-003 would remain as a frontline unit well into UC 0096, where they saw action during the Zeon attacks on Dakar and Torrington Base.

Info adapted from Gundam Wiki

The Build
The Nemo first appears in the series Gundam Zeta however the first HGUC of this MS is the variant that appears in Gundam Unicorn. Besides the different color scheme, this Nemo is armed with the same bullpup-styled rifle as the GM Custom and not a puny beam pistol. Otherwise, everything is the same.

Like most recent HGUC kits, this one is a marvel in engineering with nearly no seamlines. The breakdown of parts also cater to painting in sub-assemblies. While it’s still not perfect, I can safely say it’s on par with the older MG kits for sure. Bandai however, still has a habit of molding the weapons in two long halves which means there’s a seamline running down the whole thing.

As usual, snapfitting the thing is no issue at all. And prep work was thankfully minimal (the vents on the shoulders are particularly hard to fix so I didn’t) even though Bandai likes to have a lot of sprue connections on each part for some reason. The visor was given a coat of Future and set aside. As is my standard practice now, this will be an OOB build.

I used the following colors for this kit:

  • Model Master Acryl Blue Angel Blue
  • Model Master Acryl Insignia Red
  • Model Master Acryl Prussian Blue
  • Vallejo Air Metal Silver
  • Vallejo Model Air Black Gray
  • Vallejo Model Air US Gray
  • Vallejo Model Color Dark Seagreen
  • Vallejo Model Color Deep Yellow
  • Vallejo Model Color Foundation White
  • Vallejo Model Color Gunmetal Gray
  • Vallejo Model Color Pastel Green
  • Vallejo Model Color Sky Blue
  • Vallejo Model Color Transparent Green

I decided to go with the default color scheme with a slight deviation. So it’s Pastel Green for the primary color, Blue Angel Blue and Prussian Blue for the blue parts in a splinter pattern and US Gray for all the exposed internal frame. For the red and yellow parts, I added a layer of white color first before the actual colors so they will be bright. For the transparent green parts, I used silver as a base. To break up the monotony of an all gray rifle, I decided to paint the handguard Pastel Green. The rifle now looks even more like the real-life L85A1.

Most of the parts are airbrushed over a very thin layer of Vallejo White Primer with details/mistakes picked out/fixed with hand brushing. To add a bit of detail I masked and handpainted a yellow band on the right skirt which I didn’t do properly. I also handpainted the cockpit hatch Insignia Red. For the record, Model Master Acryl just doesn’t compare with Vallejo when it comes to brush painting.

After a coat of Future, I added a minimal number of decals from Bandai and third party sheets. As per my usual practice, I decorated the shield with some art: this one in particular is of a kangaroo with boxing gloves. Apt since the Nemo can be found in Torrington Base which is in Australia. The decal itself is from Hi-Q Parts. After the decals have cured I wiped them down with a wet tissue to remove any remaining residue then brush painted more Future over them. It was at this point that I realized I should have used the EFF markings instead EFSF ones. Oh well.

After that has cured, I then panel lined with Vallejo Model Wash Grey which is lighter than the Dark Grey version I used on the Guncannon. The end result is that the panel lines on the Nemo are very subtle. Not sure which one I prefer yet though. For the blue parts, gray for the panel lines will be useless, so I went with a very thinned wash of sky blue. I think it may be a bit too bright but I’ll live with it. No other finishing techniques were used so as to keep the Nemo looking clean and new (-ish).

To finish the kit off, I sprayed Vallejo Polyurethane Matt Varnish which required a few passes to be really flat. I ended up with only 2 passes to maintain a slight sheen on everything. The visor was inserted last right before final assembly.

One of the ankle guards broke during final assembly and now there is a gap at the joint that I decided not to fix. Throughout the process of finishing this kit, I noticed that paint was chipping off in various joints due to the tolerances of the fit. In the end, I decided I shall keep this kit in a static pose for the final gallery photos. I will also need to figure out how not to get too much paint onto the joints themselves as it causes the fit to be too tight in some areas (the feet are particularly bad on this one).

And I’m done.

Number 1 for 2016

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Tags: , , , , , , , , , Last modified: 13 August, 2020
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