Master Grade MS-09 Dom

Master Grade MS-09 Dom

 

 

 

This Dom is the first Master Grade Gundam kit I owned. Dated pictures estimated that I got this kit back in 2005.

At the time, I was still relatively inexperienced with Gundam kits and basically had no idea what I was doing. I ended up partially painting it with a weird colour scheme and ended up loving the result.

It has been more than a decade since and the colouring has faded in some areas and turned yellow in others.

It was time for a new paint scheme. I had no trouble coming up with a colour combination as I have always been a fan of the Char Aznable version.

Getting the colours right posed a challenge…. It wasn’t easy to get the shades to look like they should especially with my guestimate way of mixing paint.

I airbrushed this using Faskolor paint – usually used for polycarbonate bodies of radio controlled vehicles. I have found that these paint stick well to Gundam plastic (especially with Tamiya primer) and they are much easier to work with than Tamiya paints.

I am a fan of big mechs and the Dom is an impressive looking giant. This kit certainly does justice in terms of showcasing the size and majesty of the mech. Weapons include two canons and cartridges, a rifle, a bean sabre and grenades. Simple but enough choices to allow the modeler to tell a story.

Posability of this kit can be broken down into two parts. The upper half features some of the best hands ever made for 1/100 scaled Gundam kits. Each figure is independently joined and is robust enough to look good.

The shoulder has a good range of movement though not as articulated as some of the newer Master Grade kits. It also has a movable eyepiece and a head that rotates to the left and right.

The lower half of the body is not as impressive. The waist is constructed from two sections so you get the usual flexibility but movement of the legs is limited due to the skirted design of the armor. It still provides enough movement for you to position the mobile suit in iconic poses as seen in the anime… just don’t expect it to do any splits.

I would definitely recommend fans of the Gundam series to pick up this kit. It might lack the gimmicks that other Master Grade kits may come with but it looks great and its size and unique design definitely sets it apart from the other Gundam models out there.

Verdict - Recommended