DUEL GUNDAM ASSAULT SHROUD

MG DUEL GUNDAM ASSAULT SHROUD

You know, on my first viewing of Gundam Seed as a teenager, I didn’t even realize that the Duel Gundam had an Assault Shroud upgrade, probably due to the fact that it got overshadowed by the introduction of the Freedom, Justice and Providence Gundams. Now, 16 years later, I am in awe at just how aesthetically pleasing this Gundam is. The kit has one of my favorite color combinations I’ve seen on a Gundam with its complementary shades of blue and orange that look even better painted using various shading techniques. Put together, the kit boasts a diverse set of weaponry and neat gimmicks like movable thrusters on the armor. Whether with or without the Assault Shroud, the Duel Gundam is a stand-out kit in anyone’s collection.

And now to my major gripe with the kit! While the kit has pretty good articulation by itself, the armor hinders a lot of the mobility the Duel Gundam has. The main culprit is the front skirt of the kit which no matter how securely you attach it will find a way to come loose when posing the kit. One way you could fix this would be to glue the skirt armor on, but then you’d have the kit stuck in Assault Shroud mode. Additionally, switching between forms of the kit can easily scratch the paint or decals underneath the armor if you aren’t careful. While I wouldn’t say this isn’t huge flaw for the kit, just know how painful it was to create some of the following photos while keeping the front armor skirt on!

I’m glad that I got to finally show off this kit, as I’ve had nearly done for months now. Now that I’m a father, painting time has really become a rarity for me! I’m still making progress on a few new kits like the HIRM Wing Gundam EW and the new MG Alex Gundam 2.0, both of which are great! Next up: The long awaited Megaman kitbash!

Build details and kit review to follow the gallery:

Duel Gundam

Weapon Loadouts

Front
Back
Closeup
Beam Saber
Gae Bulg Rifle

Action Poses

Build Details

PROS:

Awesome color scheme and great overall look with or without shroud armor
Great potential for detailing with weaponry included
Flexible and articulate (without shroud armor on)
Shroud armor has interesting gimmicks like the movable thrusters and chest armor opening

CONS:

Assault shroud front skirts are a nightmare when posing
Loses out on articulation with assault shroud parts
changing between forms can easily scratch paintwork

Paints Used:

White: Grey primer followed by flat black preshade then flat white with a drop of neutral gray
Blue: Grey primer followed by tamiya blue. Added White for highlights
Light Blue armor: 80% white+15%intermediate blue+5%colbalt blue (just a few drops). Added white for highlights
Red: Grey primer followed by flat black preshade then flat red with a few drops of white
Orange: Orange base coat followed with white highlight. Then used 90% orange-yellow+10%white. Added white for highlights
Grey: Neutral Grey
Black: Black followed by white highlights
Tamiya TS 100, Bright gun metal
Mr. Metal Color, Copper

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