Guess What I Got Today (6)

Let's be honest; the only reason anybody buys a Japanese hobby magazine that's scanned on Gundam Guy a month in advance is to get their hands on the freebie that's eventually sold separately on eBay, where I happened to come across my latest purchase.

This is the 1/144 NG (?) Sword Calamity Custom Kit.  Originally included with the October 2004 issue of Hobby Japan magazine, it's a conversion kit for the 1/144 HG Calamity Gundam from Gundam SEED.  I've debated buying this for weeks because of the price, which was quite steep for a single runner (and a DVD).  But having to pass up better deals as I scraped and saved for my trip out of town, and planning for two SEED projects down the road, I couldn't bring myself to turn this down.

After ranking my brain over the packaging, we find an instructional DVD I've already seen on YouTube several times.

And then we find the actual runner of parts under the cardboard flap.

Here's a front view of the runner which includes variant shoulder/shin/holster parts; two "Schwert Gewehr" anti-ship swords (with beams molded on); two "Midas Messer" beam boomerangs (with no beams); two pincer-like "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchors (which don't clamp on or off); and two "Armor Schneider" combat knives (which would be holstered in the shins if not for the knives already molded on the shins).

Here's a rear view of the runner.  If you watch closely, not only will you see that the plastic bag's been torn open, but a piece of the runner's been snipped off.  I guess the previous owner had as much trouble parting with this kit as I had buying it.  But since all the actual parts are intact, it's of no consequence.

That's it for the latest addition to my Gunpla backlog.  Join me next time when I add even more to said backlog along with the long-awaited review of the 1/144 NG God Gundam.  Until then, I'm gonna pop in my first Region 2 DVD (for a refresher course).