Showcase: Bandai TIE Fighter & TIE/x1 Advanced

I finally got around to taking some showcase photos of the TIEs for the ongoing Star Wars commission. I wanted to play around with using a white backdrop instead of the black backdrop that I usually use. Overall, I like it; the pictures seem brighter (duh!) and more vivid. I forgot to adjust the white balance on my camera before I shot these so they're slightly off but not too bad. I also need to get a higher quality backdrop than the ones I currently have, so look for that in the future.

WIP: Darth Vader and Black Squadron TIEs

I'm nearing completion of the first phase of my Star Wars models commission. These three TIE fighters will be displayed chasing down Luke Skywalker in his Red 5 X-wing. I haven't been making a detailed build log of this project, but I have snapped a few pictures here and there to share with my client.

Showcase: Bandai 1/12 Darth Vader

I managed to get this kit put together yesterday and I must say... Impressive, most impressive. I elected not to use the stickers or decals because I am going to paint this kit. It will require a few gaps to be filled, most of which are hardly noticeable as is. The way the kit is built will make it easy to paint; everything is in easy-to-handle sub-assemblies.

The cape is still my biggest complaint with the kit. There is a small clip that the cape connects to on each shoulder, however, the cape does not want to cooperate with the clip on the left should. I will be the first to admit that it doesn't look that bad on the finished model. I have a few commissions that I am sending away this week and after that I'm going to start getting some paint on this kit.

Model Kit Review: Bandai 1/12 Darth Vader

BACKGROUND

 There is no denying that Darth Vader is one of cinema's most iconic villains: cloaked in black, face hidden behind a sinister mask, and armed with an powerful knowledge of the Force and piloting skill matched by no one, this Dark Lord of the Sith will stop at nothing to bring the enemies of the Empire to justice.

His unforgettable appearance was designed by the legendary conceptual artist Ralph MacQuairre, though the mask was originally designed to only be used as a spacesuit and was not part of the normal costume for the character. Luckily, it was decided to make his mask/suit part of the character and his terrible visage was forever cemented in to cinema history!

THE KIT

This is one of three new offerings from the Japanese company Bandai after they assumed the Star Wars license from Fine Molds following the sale of Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 to the tune of over $4 billion. Bandai is best know for making Gundam model kits and is well known within the modeling community for producing kits the "Bandai Way": intricate (sometimes over) engineering, multicolor molding, and snap together assembly. The question is, how does that translate to the world of Star Wars?

The kit comes on six sprues molded mainly in black (for obvious reasons!), with the pieces having either a high gloss or satin finish, depending on where the piece goes on the finished model. There is also a clear red piece for the lightsaber blade and a dark gunmetal piece for his shoulder armor. The kit is also supplied with a base resembling the floor of the Death Star and both waterslide decals and stickers to use on the kit. The detail on the pieces is fantastic with fine casting on the padded parts of his armor and sharp detail on the mask and chest. The cape may be the only weak part of the kit as it is solid plastic, making it unable to flow like a real cape. However, it is molded in several pieces so hopefully that will make up for an apparent lack of movement. This kit can be built with absolutely no painting, but should the modeler choose to add paint, Bandai has give a short color call out on in the building instructions.

THE VERDICT

Even without having built this kit, it definitely appears to be a solid addition to any Star Wars modeler's collection. This kit would look great built straight out of the box, but an experienced modeler could have a field day making the small improvements needed to this kit to make it truly worth of the Dark Lord of the Sith!