HG MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom

Big thanks to Zarwiain my Reddit Secret Santa Gift exchange match. My goal this year is to finish all three of his gifts before the end of the first quarter of 2015! You can check out the first kit the Zogok here.

Suit Lore

The B-3 Gouf Custom was an upgraded variant of the standard 07B-Gouf; and was developed as a result of the 07B's field performance. The B-3 was redesigned to eliminate the fixed armament (5 barrel 75mm machine gun) and to replace the heat rod with a more versatile magnetic grappler.

Due to the changing battle field and general push back towards combat in space it's likely that the number of 07B Gouf's converted into B3's was very limited; and it's widely believed that the B3s that were converted were assigned to ace pilots such as Lou Roher from the Midnight Fenrir Corps and Norris Packard attached to the Apsalus Project.

If you're interested in picking up this or other kits consider purchasing through the Amazon links on my site. Every purchase you make helps me out tremendously and doesn't cost you a dime!

 

Kit Talk

The final battle between Norris and Shiro towards the end of the 8th MS team has always been one of my favorite scenes mostly due to how intimidating Norris is throughout the fight.

This is the second time I've built the HG Gouf Custom. The first time was in the fall of 2013, I planned on bringing the kit with me to GBWC at NYCC but a few weeks before the event a close friend passed away and I was barely able to finish the two kits I had nearly complete at the time. That Gouf (I called him lonesome Gouf) was around for a while before I ended up damaging him with a bad weather wash. But he did make several appearances in videos and photo shoots. But after I received this model in the 2014 Gunpla Exchange through Reddit I decided that it was time for Lonesome Gouf to go. In the end he gave up a few parts so that this Gouf could be a little bit different.

I did a few things on this kit to improve it from stock. It has a brand new commanders horn courtesy of the builders parts pack above. I fixed the major offending seamlines on the backs of the legs. shoulder armor and gatling gun. I also added to pla-plate latches to the legs and used BMC chisels on the backs of the legs, rear skirt and in the arm pit area.

I decided to incorporate a few painting techniques out of boredom with entirely stock schemes and a desire to indicate that this isn't Norris' B-3 Gouf. I masked the white details above the leg vents and commanders antenna, and masked all of the yellow swatches on the chest, and gatling guns. Then I went back and added a gradient fade to the shoulders, lower arms, legs and skirt buy adding white to their respective colors and then blended it back in.

I developed the decal scheme around the same time I was writing the Custom Decal Scheme article and I wanted to incorporate some of the things I discussed in the tips section.  

Hit the Bump for the photo shoot!




Photos
360

Poses

Decal Detail

Dat decal detail...
Image Source

Double Armaments