I am an unashamed lover of the Warhammer 40k series. The lore, setting, and aesthetic has been of great interest to me for years. I’m also an avid model builder. You’d assume that I would be all in for building the miniatures within the Warhammer universe and, for a while I was. I would buy the kits and enjoy building them, but then would come the most dreaded part of the process, painting them.
I hated trying to paint those tiny models. Not only because it was physically difficult (I couldn’t control those tiny brushes how I wanted) but also because every time I did it, I felt like I had detracted from the model. It was so much effort and needed so much patience for a result that really did not justify the cost. After multiple years of trying to find my way with painting, I decided that it was not for me. But I still enjoyed the model making. So, I set out to find something to fill that void.
Originally had considered LEGO as the replacement and years later it would come to be a secondary model making experience that I would add to my repertoire. However, the issue that I had at the time was a lot of the kits that LEGO were offering were not very interesting in terms of their subject matter. I did also look at brands such as Airfix and Hornby. They were almost exclusively things like planes, trains and automobiles. When you compare this to the range of some of my favourite factions within the Warhammer universe (such as The Mechanicus) you can see that this is very boring. While many of these models could be made to look passible in just a quick coat of olive green, I still didn’t want to do any painting. While roaming around the internet I managed to stumble into Gundam quite by accident. I didn’t realize that the series I had watched years prior was not only still going but boasted an entire range of model kits dedicated to it. Initially I found the kits a bit difficult to obtain. You could sometimes get them on Amazon but the number of kits available were few. However, once I got into Anime and Manga more deeply, I started finding shops that specialized in selling Gundam model kits.
I was a bit dubious of the kits at first. The models boasted a push fit construction with no painting or glue needed. I decided to pick up a couple of entry grade Leos to build and was initially very unimpressed. The models in question were made of a single colour plastic and were relatively straightforward to put together but I was not a fan of the final result. Mainly because of the single colour nature of the model. However, with a bit of research I realized that I had entered in on very much the ground floor and wanted to progress. So, I decided to buy my first high grade model and from there I fell in love with the hobby.
Since then, I have put together multiple Gundam models and purely have bought them on the strength of the cover art of the box. I tend to move around the different grades, but I have been consistently impressed with the engineering behind so many of these models and the final appearance of them. A particular highlight for me was finishing the Tallgeese model from Endless Waltz. Not only was it one of my favourite models from the series but it was an absolute joy to build.
If you would like to join me in exploring Gundam model building I would recommend the following model kits to get you started. These kits are inexpensive but give you a good understanding of the hobby.
As for Warhammer 40k, I am still enjoying the books and audiobooks as well as the various YouTube creators that have made some wonderful videos on the setting and I will continue to enjoy them all for the foreseeable future.
The Multi Hobbyist 
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