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Andrew Gunney's Battletech Hellbringer Kit Preview


By Tim Fusco - images & text © 2003

Scale: Depends on source ~ approximately 1/35
Parts: 34 Resin pieces, plus a baggie of rivets
Instructions: None
Decals: None
Molding Quality: 9 – no flash, few bubbles, no voids
Detail: 10 – Unbelievable detail
Accuracy: 9 - Looks extremely accurate, matches all of the TRO images I have seen
MSRP: Limited run; currently unavailable
Overall Rating: 9.5


[Main bits]

^ Main body

Image: Smaller parts are equally well done

[Click to enlarge]

^ Detail

Battletech fans have always had a limited number of kits available to them. About all that was out there was Dougram kits or Robotech kits…mechs that the game designers incorporated into the original Battletech. Kits of the original designs are few and far between. Large scale kits are even harder to find. Until now, the only large scale kit (greater than 1/60) had been Horizon’s Madcat…then cometh the Hellbringer.

Once in a blue moon a kit comes along that raises the bar for everyone. In my opinion, this kit is it.

I am not going to address price. This kit is a very limited run and probably will not be available to the masses in the States. In fact, I had to beg, plead, sell my soul, and promise my first born to get this kit! Why did I do this review then? Simple: Great models and great model makers need to be acknowledged…especially when the work produced is of this quality.

All of the parts were cast beautifully. The detail is sharp and there are no voids. The few bubbles I have found were a result of my over sanding. I have found a few seem lines, but the have been real easy to sand down. Fortunately, the few places I had to sand are going to be hidden. I did end up sanding off a few rivets but no worries…Andy included a baggie of photo-etched rivets! The legs will be static but the arms have joints at the elbow. The ER PPCs will be able to pivot up, down, left and right. The torso will also pivot left and right.

As for accuracy, this kit closely matches all of the TRO illustrations I have seen. Even the armor panels match what is in the TROs. I like that the ‘mech has feet that are true to the original TRO illustrations. The Hellbringer has seen many an incarnation in different video games and the feet have often been changed. These are “classic” feet. (By the way, no I do not have a foot fetish).

Scale is hard to determine. I have been through all my reference material to determine scale. Unfortunately, there is no one “official” piece of info that states what the height of a “real” Hellbringer would be. After extensive research and comparing it with the Armorcast kits and my Horizon Madcat, I would have to say this kit is real close to 1/35 scale…maybe 1/40.

No instructions came with the kit, but if you can not figure this kit out by looking at a picture of a Hellbringer, than you need a different hobby.

Conclusions

This kit should be fun build. Construction should not take too long. The real fun in this kit is going to be the painting and detailing. There are so many Battletech color schemes and camo patterns I will probably spend more time deciding which to do than in the actual painting. All in all, the best lump of cash I have spent in a long time!


Many thanks to Tim's wallet for providing the review sample. Manufacturers and retailers, interested in getting your wares reviewed and publicized on a site averaging 3500+ readers a day? Contact us!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the reviewer.

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This page copyright © 2003 Starship Modeler™. Last updated on 20 October 2003.