I’ve teased, I believe in one of my HG 00 Raiser WIPs, building one of the Ultra Action 1/144 scale kits from Sheik Mainland. Besides SNAA, Sheik Mainland is the other Chinese model kit manufacturer that I have the most purchases and I have curiosity with their Ultra Action line of 1/144 scale kits which, at the moment, prominently feature grunt (or mass produced) mecha. I tend to stay away from grunts in my Gunpla collection, but for a line that is just grunts, I found the concept and the actual designs interesting.
This is the ZA-11 Zi-Kron from their aforementioned Ultra Action line. While there’s no accompanying fiction to these designs, at least as far as I’m aware, these mass-produced machines are called “T.R.O.O.P.E.R.” and yes, it’s apparently an acronym for something. Besides good-looking grunt units, I also like how some of them come in a farily consistent color scheme. It’s eithermostly white with some purple highlights, or a dark to black color scheme, like this guy, with accents of varying colors.
Build-wise, the kit hasn’t given me any fitting issues or what not. It does have several really small waterslide decals that I was forced to get a vise to keep the parts in place while I stick the decal. And being a Chinese kit, it’s of course made from ABS so there’s your warning.
I also want to highlight some gold/brass colored parts in this kit and how they look really good! Not the swirly plastic seen in Bandai kits. And mind you, these aren’t prepainted or plated in any way. The plastic just comes with such a luster. I know Bandai is able to produce the same with some of their Gundam Base exclusives, and I wish the same can be done in regular retail kits.
I mentioned doing this build in the interim as my plan is really to start with the HG Gundam Zilius. Unfortunately, my copies (yes I got two) are still in customs waiting to be released. So, I might finish this guy once that happens. Or worst case, I can just continue with my original planned build, the HG Gundam AGE-3 Fortress.
