Customer Reviews

Gundam MG MS-18E Kemper

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first thing to be said about this kit is aimed at the beginning gundam modeler; the Kampfer should not be the first kit you've ever built. Go ahead and buy it, as any price below $35 shipped is a good one, but hold onto it until you've had experience. I'd recommend starting with a 1/100 HG, then moving up to a MG Zaku II (which is basically a slightly overgrown HG), and then another master grade or two of your choice. I say that because this is one of the more difficult Master Grades that I've built. Now on to the meat of this review.

It is important to note that this is an older kit. That doesn't detract from its design or its construction, per se, but to those modelers who are familiar with the plastic of the newer kits it will become apparent that the plastic used in the Kampfer isn't as easy to work with. It's certainly not horrible, and is leaps and bounds above the HG plastic, but it's not the super soft kind used on the Zetas or Freedoms.

Bandai's skill ratings are based on piece count, thus certain kits such as the Zaku II may recieve a Master Grading by virtue of those little plastic rings you slide onto hoses-- that is, they have a fair number of pieces, but there is no complexity or special detail in it. That cannot be said of the Kampfer kit. All of the parts had a purpose, and added to the overall detail of the kit while not being too "cheap" as in the Zaku II. While the outer paneling may suggest a certain simplicity of construction, it can all be pulled away from the appendages to reveal a moderately detailed endoskeleton. There are also a fair number of moving parts, including the wrists and fingers (thumb and forefinger move independant while the remaining 3 fingers move in tandem), the elbows (flex and unflexed only), the shoulders (away from body, into body, rotation along the Z-axis, forward and backwards, as well as the movement of the pauldron), the legs and feet (bending of the knees, slight flexibility around the ankle though the armor restricts this somewhat, forward and backwards at the hips with slight play side to side, and toes that curl under...oddly enough) as well as the head (normal X-Y motion along with the monocle which moves along the X-axis). There are also some rocket thrusters which slide in and out of housings on the legs.

While the Kampfer's overall kit design and construction process is in good order and great fun, it is not perfect. Some of the joints are secured by screws in order to stay tight, but the pilot holes are not horribly useful. I couldn't tell you how many times I pulled the screws out to start over, and I probably would have continued with that cycle had the screws not stripped down. Other kits have the same method of securing the joints, but without the same amount of difficulty. Furthermore, there are a couple of "hoses" which are plastic with a mesh or cloth tubing around it. The effect is pretty cool once completed, but the mesh is finicky and a bit annoying to work with. Still, these shortcomings are paltry in comparison to the overall benefits of the kit.

In summation, this was a lot of fun to build with decent (if not always wonderful) poseability, and a detailed design and construction. Though there were a few rough edges, this is otherwise a wonderful kit with hours of fun and great number of accessories to boot. I highly recommend this to the moderately experienced builder, and to those that haven't quite that level of experience I suggest you jump on this kit for when you do have the experience suggested. I am confident that gundam and mecha fans alike will not be dissapointed.

This Gundam model kit is from the 0080 War in the Pocket series. It is a Master Grade 1/100 and comes with an internal skeleton and is usually more durable and takes longer to build than HG. The Kampfer has a large variety of weapons ranging from shotguns to bazookas and a beam saber. I would recommend this to someone 11 and older with supervision for the first time. Or I would try a 1/144 or 1/100 HG version which are much cheaper. Always helps to have practice. Sadly I do not know why the price is so high on the English model kits. I bought a Japanese version for 37 USD and had to go by the pictures on building it but thats fine by me.

This is one of the more popular Gundam models out there, and one of the more detailed amongst the MG series. Truly worth the price I paid. If you're just starting out building models, I'd suggest one of the 1/144 scale models instead, as you'd probably want to get the hang of it with those first. You'll come to realize that you'll want to do everything with more and more care as you build more and more models. Having everything perfect with this one will be well worth the patience and time in the end. Painting is not a must as the parts are all colored plastic, but for the advanced who have air brushes, this is definitely one of the models you'll want to use for that diarama you've been wanting to build. Check the internet and you'll see many built ones with many variations and color schemes. It'll not only motivate you and show you the potential this model has, but will give you great ideas as well. Happy building!

Master Grade Gundams are great model kits that have extreme detail. Fully colored parts make it suitable to be built just out of the box! You build the internal robotic skeleton and piece together the exoskeleton. Once you are finished, the model is a work of art. Very durable for a model kit, but not for play.

Keep in mind this is an MG kit, which is higher in detail then HG or regular smaller kits. The scale is 1/100, which will build a fairly large figure around 6-7.5 inches.

These MG Gundam models are not for the meek. Many parts are involved, and it takes time and patience. Good luck, have fun. You won't regret buying these MG's for so cheap. Kampfer in particular costs around 40-50 in Japanese Toy stores! So you're really getting deal.

This was my first ever gundam model purchase. With the price under $10, I could not resist purchasing it. I am a 25 year old male and have not build a model in ten years but have always been handy so I wondered how challenging it would be. The model is extremely intricate with over 350 pieces including moving wrists and fingers. It took me 5 hours to complete by carefully following the instructions and I only made one mistake (I broke a piece and had to super glue it back together). The instructions are in chinese, but they are all labeled with numbers so it is easy once you figure out what to do. I only needed three things, a sharp hobby knife, screwdriver, and a ruler. No glue or paint required. I did not paint any parts, although I can definitely see how painting could make this an even more beautiful model.

I have submitted some pictures of the completed model. It is quite durable and posable, but still is not a toy to play with. My only disappoinment is that it is a shame to cover up so many of the detailed parts in the skeleton with the model's taste for blue armor. Also, the model's mesh hose is somewhat difficult to work with as the end gets frayed after cutting. Overall, quite a fun weekend building experience that I highly recommend.

MS-18E Kemper is a Master Grade model kit, the model come from ONE of the Gundam series, called "Gundam 0080", this Mobile Suit (MS) is piloted by zeon's ace pilot, whos plan is to destroy the prototype Gundam NT-1, but unfortunately, he was driving under influence... after rampaging through the city, it was stopped by Gundam NT-1.
The model itself has the signature mono eye from the zeon's mobile suit. The design of this machine is similar to the robots in "Mobile Police- Patlabor". The multiple weapon and the detail on the thrusters make it one bad axx MS.

WARNING: this is a MOBILE SUIT that is piloted by the "BAD GUYS", disregard the detailing and the multiple weapons... it's not suitable for kids whom just want to have "GUNDAM" models... this model is not a GUNDAM, it's from the series Gundam 0080, but it's not a Gundam.

PS: Get it for less than 10 dollars is a good deal, don't miss this opportunity. (I got two of them at 9.98 each)

This is by far one of the most armed model ive seen in a while. The Kampher is loaded to the teeth and they do a great job by giving you all the weapons as seen on the show. Little to no painting is needed to make this model look like it does in the show. This model takes about 3-6 hours for the average person to make. The wired chain whip is a real bonus. It looks great when finished and will make any shelf look better, or be a great little toy to go play with if you want. For the price its a great buy.

This gundam model kit was great and for this price who could pass this oppertunity by. This model kit will look good painted or not but I highly recomend you do for best apperance. Pluse this is a MG model with many parts, for that extesive detail. I liked this model alot and so should you.

Simply put, it's an amazingly detailed model. Bought it as a gift for an 11 y.o boy. An instant hit. I wish I had such models as a boy!

I purchase this model kit and was my first time building model kit and found it to be easy and fun. The instruction are clear and to the point as long you look at the pictures there is no English instruction it took me 30 minutes to build