HG 1/144 Gundam Delta Kai Ver.Ka by @5793340

HG 1/144 Gundam Delta Kai Ver.Ka is a gunpla custom build by a builder with name 特林顿综合征被害人2号机 with forum bbs.78dm.net account @5793340.

Gunpla Custom Build : HG 1/144 Gundam Delta Kai Ver.Ka by @5793340

The HG 1/144 Gundam Delta Kai Ver.Ka, masterfully customized by the Gunpla builder @5793340, stands as an exemplary model of unique modification and intricate detailing.

This model comes from the manga Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. 0094: Across the Sky. In the original work, the Delta Plus most frequently appears in its land combat form, while the form featured in this kit only appears at the beginning and end of the story.

The basic structure of this HGUC Delta Gundam Kai is nearly identical to the HGUC 115 Delta Plus, with the main new parts being weapons (rifle + shield + floating cannons) and some minor changes to the body’s appearance. The clean color scheme and large, impressive armaments make the model stand out within the Delta series. Some design elements resemble Katoki’s style from Endless Waltz, and as GMACE78 says, "It makes you question whether this is really a UC series mobile suit."

The Gunpla Builder feels that the Delta Plus-based parts of the kit perform decently. While the range of movement is typical, it excels in solid structural integrity. The transformation parts are designed with smooth operation in mind, maintaining a good balance between functionality and appearance. However, due to design reasons, the Delta Gundam Kai requires more color correction, and the new parts have poor separation, making the difficulty level increase significantly. The Gunpla Builder noted the following challenges:

1. The chest, shoulders, waist wings, floating cannons, and shield have poor color separation, requiring numerous areas to be recolored.

2. For example, the gray details on both sides of the chest, the edges of the main wings, and the wireless slots on the front of the shield must be engraved for proper color correction.

3. The Gunpla Builder needed to mix paints carefully to match the violet color from the kit, with the chosen formula being AV paint (50% violet blue) + (30% deep blue) + (20% white) for reference. The work required for this kit ranks among the most difficult in the HGUC series, and the poor performance of the uncolored kit made it hard for the Gunpla Builder to be fully satisfied with the results. It is a kit that demands patience to complete.

For the decals, the Gunpla Builder mainly referenced the designs of recent Ver Ka and Ka Soul releases, incorporating Katoki's complex surface warning markings. The iconic ship abbreviation used in the Ka markings is Échalote (EL), from the Irish-class, with research help from Weibo user @o0雲之彼端0o. Special thanks are given here.