Review: Strike Noir (Dragon Momoko)

Here's another kit coming from Dragon Momoko. Yet another version of the strike. Don't get me wrong it looks great and all but what's new with this one.



The Strike Noir is one of the main suits used in Gundam Seed Stargazer. It’s basically a specialized Strike E. with a more melee/close ranged IWSP pack.


For those who don’t know, Dragon Momoko a manufacturer of third party kits. The designs they use are redesigns of Bandai so the details of the details of their kits are different from Bandai’s (more on that later). Did they bring their “A” game with this kit? So with that in mind, here's the review of Dragon Momoko's Strike Noir. 




THE BOX







Again with the same white cover. The same white manual. Even the same brown box that we know and love. It comes with 33 runners, carefully placed in 9 plastic packaging. The manual has another momoko trademark, the unusual, unexplainable names of the runner (like pj2 or xb?? Like what the heck?) Other than that it's more or less the same as the other strike. It also comes with the usual sticker and waterslide decals. 

THE KIT

Sharpen your hobby knives cause yo gonna do a lot of shavin'. The Noir keeps its signature Dragon Momoko tight fitting pegs. Almost all polycaps needed it. Some armor panels (like the back armor, elbow, details on the wing) also like to pop out. Nothing out of the ordinary for a third party kit.

BUT THE DETAILS… Incredible work from DM for the details. Really really nice. It's all I can say about it. Really good job. Aside from that, it comes with 2 bendy wire for the rocket anchor. But I'm not really a fan of that. 

PLASTIC

Good plastic quality. It's not coated so awesome for straight build. Not really daban standard, but really far from hongli. 

POSABILITY

Very posable. Arms doesn't go falling off. Make sure you hear a snap when fitting the legs, so it won't go falling(just like the dm tallgeese). Overall good posable kit. 

MY THOUGHTS

Shoulder armor is hard to snap. Results into stress marks.

Be very careful with the articulated hands. It is prone to tearing when you're not careful. (I lost a finger and the connecting joint to the gunpla gods)

Non articulated hand have problems holding the handguns.

 Super tight fit when changing the hands. 

VERDICT

It's a cool looking gundam. DM really did a great redesign with this kit. The tight fit issue is not really a big problem. Overall, awesome kit. Get this kit! It's worth the moolah.

85/100 

peace

Review: Empire Stormtrooper (Nuclear Model)

Hey there guys. I'm doing something different this day and I'll be reviewing the Empire Stormtrooper model kit from Nuclear Model. It's a new model kit manufacturer that I haven't heard off before.So without further ado here is my review.

Packaging.

So... Apparently this is a copy of Bandai's stormtrooper kit. So just like BL gunpla the box of the stormtrooper looks a lot like Bandai's (minus the bad translations)

Manual.

Okay. Color me impressed. This is one good looking manual especially from a third party company. The colors are bright. The details are sharp. The quality of paper is good as well.

Good job.Nuclear model

The kit proper.

The Stormtrooper is a 1:12 scale model.  It has no true internal frame. So comparing it to gunpla it is a RE 100. Great details but no inner frame. The pegs fittings are firm. Although some require shaving specially in the torso.

Plastics.

The plastic used to make this kit is really remarkable (no bs) it feels almost Bandai like though a tiny bit softer.

Posability

Okay. At first I thought that this kit would be highly flexible but sadly this is not the case. The problem is the kit's simple joints system, armor design and the lack of an inner frame.

To be more specific. The shoulder armor keeps popping out and it hinders arm movement.The stormtrooper's elbow joint also tend to easily pop out.

As for the torso. No problem there.

The waist armor/tactical belt of the stormtrooper also tend to detach when posing the legs of the kit, since they tend to restrict their movement.

Trooper: You are the droid I am looking for!

Gundam: Me? K.

Thoughts:

Plastics: The plastic here is great. Better than the plastics used by Daban. Almost near Bandai.

Fitment: parts are snap fit. Although some pegs need shaving to go in without using too.much pressure.

Posability: lacks posability because of joint and armor design.

Details: details are good. Very good.

Pewpewpew

Proton cannon!!!!

Verdict

I might get me two or more of this kit. I need to make a squad. I wasn't too into star wars kits. Now I'm hooked.

You won't be disappointed.

Get one.

Score: 90/100