Nerd Builds: HG Gundam Exia Dark Matter

Today we're featuring the 1:144 HG Gundam Exia Dark Matter from the Gundam Build Fighters series. The third mobile suit for Meijin Kawaguchi, this model was developed by PPSE for the express purpose of defeating Sei and Reji in the Build Fighters final bout. Let's dig in.

The box art makes it look invincible.

Nerd Builds: HG Miss Sazabi

Happy summer vacation nerds! Today we'll be looking at the 1:144 HG Miss Sazabi from the Gundam Build Fighters series. This is the second model that is this time personally built and customized by Aila Jyrkiainen. Notice you did not see one for the Qubeley Papillon which was her first model. That's because I just plain didn't like how it looked and didnt want the eyesore in my display case. However, this one is a vast improvement. Let's take a look see.

So much better than the Qubeley...

Nerd Builds: HG Dreissen (Gundam ZZ Ver.)

It's been awhile since we did a Nerd Builds post, but now it's back in stunning fashion because today we feature another one of my favorite builds: the 1:144 HG Dreissen from Gundam ZZ. I've never actually seen ZZ so I don't know much about the series or this model, but it's mass produced which means it isn't the principle mobile suit for a main villain or anything, but regardless, it the colors are amazing and it just looks cool.

Gotta love the box art.

Nerd Life: Earthquake!

As you all may know, La Habra, Calfornia was host to a 5.1 scale earthquake on Friday night. To put it in perspective of how intense it was, the last "Big One" in Southern California was the 1994 Northridge earthquake which was a 6.7, so this one may not have been as strong, but was still pretty intense, so intense I was feeling aftershocks until yesterday. Mrs. Nerd and I live a couple miles from the epicenter, and even though I was 13 miles away teaching Bible study I could still feel it. Unfortunately, Mrs. Nerd was home and she felt the whole thing. She said it lasted about 20 seconds and eventually she was able to make it out of the apartment. Unfortunately, when she got back in the apartment, she saw that a bunch of my figurines and Gundams had fallen off of the shelves. Some parts were just loosed by the fall, but some had actually snapped and broken pieces. I got to see the damage when I got home and in the end was just too tired and distraught to put them back together. So for now I put them back in their respective boxes for a "reconstruction day".

from top to bottom: HG Dreissen, HG GM Sniper K9, HG Sengoku Astray, MG Sword Impulse, Mega Size Gundam AGE-2 Normal

Nerd Builds: HG GM Sniper K9

Time for another Nerd Builds~! Praise the Lord that I have a new build to share with everyone once a week. Also thanks to Tamo and my friends at Robot4Less in Fullerton, CA. Today's model is the Renato Brothers custom 1:144 high grade GM Sniper K9 from the Gundam Build Fighters series. With this series quickly coming to a close (I guess they're doing something unusual and finishing the series out at 25 episodes) there will be many new Build Fighters models coming out in the upcoming months. But the GM Sniper K9 was loads of fun because of it's sheer uniqueness. Let's get into it.

How much is that doggy in the window? The one with the gigantic sniper rifle for the head?

Nerd Builds: HG Kampfer Amazing!

Today's Build post features Meijin Kawaguchi's (Yuki Tatsuya) Kampfer Amazing! (dunno why I always type the exclamation point after "amazing") from the Gundam Build Fighters series. If you remember, this is actually the second in the "Amazing" line, first one being the Zaku Amazing! Well without further much ado let's get into the build.

Anyone notice the foot in the corner?

Nerd Builds: RX-178B Build Gundam Mk-II

Greetings fellow nerds~! It's time for another Nerd Builds! Today I am featuring the Sei and Reiji's 1/144 HG Build Gundam Mk-II from the Gundam Build Fighters series. This model was featured in episode 6 and 7 when the boys needed a stand in for the heavily damaged Build Strike to make it into the world championship. This model is based off of the very old HG Gundam Mk II, which means that they build quality and parts are also pretty dated. But here we go...

Nerd Builds: HG Sengoku Astray

Hello nerds! Once again sorry for the long lapses between posts. And while the internet beeps and hoops and uploads and downloads, the real world still turns. On this rotation of the earth my grandpa had a stroke and a best friend had a baby. It's been a long week. But you can rest assured that if I ever have to choose between the internet and real life, I will choose without hesitation…real life. 

This week Nerd Builds features the 1:144 HG Sengoku Astray Gundam from the Gundam Build Fighters series. Once again every model that comes out from this series looks great because they are supposed to be customized models. This model was build by American Nils Nielsen and is a custom build of the Astray Red Frame.

Nerd Builds: HG Wing Gundam Fenice

Happy Monday nerds~! Today's build is the High Grade Wing Gundam Fenice from the Gundam Build Fighters series~! Custom built by the Italian Ricardo Fellini, it definitely has an ethnic flair as the normal Gundam colors have been replaced with red, green and an off white. The asymmetrical look really works for this Gundam also. Anyways, enjoy!

All the Gundam Build Fighters have been good looking so far including the Fenice.

Nerd Builds: HG Gundam X Maoh

Hi nerds! This is the first day of Spring Semester post of Nerd Builds. Today's build is another Gundam from Gundam Build Fighters series, but this time it's rival builder Yasaka Maoh's Gundam X Maoh. This is a high grade, 1:144 scale model and it was much more fun and cool looking than I expected. As a matter of fact, it is one of the funnest and coolest looking hg models I have built yet. He is a stunner! Hope you enjoy!

The box art for the Gundam X Maoh

Nerd Builds: HG Neo Japan G Gundam

Yesterday and today I've been on a detailing building binge since it's been my first real week of vacation where I've had really nothing to do. So today's nerd build is Neo Japan's G Gundam from the G Gundam series. This is personally one of my favorite Gundams and one of my favorite Gundam animated series. So this high grade model was more of a labor of love than anything and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

I started with the torso.

Nerd Builds: HG Gundam AGE-1 Spallow

Hello fellow nerds! It's time for another Nerd Builds, this time featuring Flit Asuno's Gundam AGE-1 Spallow (Sparrow? I dunno, this is how they spell it in Japan) from the Gundam AGE series. This is the perfect model to feature while I am on finals week since I don't have time to post (and if you're in finals then you probably don't have time to read). The hallmark of this build was: it was super easy! It was so easy, I kept forgetting to take pictures because it went by so fast lol. Also it was just fun to build, and it looks really good as a minimalist ninja type gundam.

Torso and head done. All the colors in the torso are perfect.

Nerd Builds: HG Zaku Amazing!

This week I built the High Grade Zaku Amazing, from the new series Gundam Build Fighters, and is piloted (or was created) by Tatsuya Yuuki. Yuuki is the rival of the main protagonists Sei and Reji. If you remember, I won this kit at the Gunpla competition raffle. This isn't your typical Zaku as it has been customized by Yuuki to have way more armament attached to its armor. You know the more and more I get into Gunpla and building models, the more I am amazed at how Bandai molds and creates the different parts that will become whole bodies. But I can't help but to feel that no matter who intelligent the designer is for the models, the ultimate intelligent designer is God and the ultimate creation is us, or the human body. It is perfectly made and puts me in awe of the Creator. Anyways, let's check out the build.

2013 Southern California Gundam Modeling Competition

This past Saturday Mrs. Nerd and I got to go to our first Gundam modeling competition! It was the third annual competition thrown by Those Gundam Guys at the Holiday Inn near Cal State Fullerton. They had some pretty awesome models there as well as vendors (including our friends at Robot4less!) and modeling tutorials. Here are some pictures from the competition.

My first Gunpla party!

So a month ago, I was at church just hanging out and observing everyone during their free time. I noticed that only the people who play sports or play an instrument had anything to do. They were bonding with other people with common interests. But the people who weren't into sports or music were just kinda sitting around doing their own thing, bored. What a perfect opportunity for the Nerd of Nazareth! I pulled together some of the guys and asked them if they wanted to have a Gundam building party at my place and they all agreed it would be a great idea! So this past Saturday, that is just what we did!

Jesus Loves Noobs: Gundam Scale and Grade for Beginners

So I'd like to start a new corner on the blog for beginners getting into new hobbies called "Jesus Loves Noobs! Beginners tend to get a lot of flack especially from more established veterans and naysayers (ask Jesus), so hopefully this is a safe place for you to get your questions answered on different nerd (or spiritual) topics. But bear with me since in some areas…I am also a NOOB.

So today I'd like to talk about the different scales and grades that Gunpla has to offer. I hope that more people will find a new hobby in Gunpla through this post.

So let's talk about scale first. Scale simply means the number of models it would take to fit into one life size model. So most HG (high grade) and RG (real grade) models are 1:144 scale. This means your model is 1/144th the size of a life size Gundam. 1:144 is the smallest scale that Gundam models come in (about 13cm tall).