Out of My Wheelhouse - Bandai Hobby HG 1/144 #39 Ptolemaios Arms "Gundam Build Divers"

This kit caught my attention while shopping around on Amazon. It looked like it had potential as a "ship of the week" for games like Star Trek Adventures and as a miniature for spaceship combat games. Eaglemoss Star Trek ship models look great on the tabletop, but the price tag means that I only use them for the player characters' ship and those operated by major gamemaster characters. Wizkids offers less expensive options, but I've run into scaling issues. This model would fit a lower technology culture - either pre-warp or early warp drive. For spaceship combat games - well, it's always nice to have more variety on the tabletop.

I'm not familiar with Gundam or Gunpla, so I have no idea what anything on the box means.

I'm not a Gundam fan, but I gather that this ship - the Ptolemaios or Ptolemy - is a mothership that first appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The ship also made a cameo appearance in Gundam Build Drivers. This model kit is part of the Gundam Build Drivers line. And that's a far as I'm willing to research. The last thing I need is another long running series to binge watch while painting miniatures.

Ptolemaios encounters USS Thunderchild. The Starfleet crew advises caution around cube shaped spaceships.

The main selling point of this kit is how it can be broken down into its components. These are intended to be attached to other 1/144 scale Gundam models to customize their appearance. My interest is using them to depict smaller spacecraft on the tabletop. There are four easily removed components on the main body that resemble shuttles or transports. The completed model is about four inches long and the shuttle components are about an inch in length. I'll need to experiment to see how the engine sections and main body can be reconfigured.

Shuttles detached!

Building the kit was a pleasure. Everything in the box came neatly sorted and bagged. The instructions were clear enough, but I did end up squinting at a couple of things until what I was supposed to do finally clicked. All of the parts fit smoothly and cleanly. There was no need to force or "convince" them together. I completed the build in about 45 minutes, but that's largely due to my taking my time and my inexperience with this kind of model kit. There are even a few unused parts left on the sprues - additions to my bits collection are always welcome!

Still a few morsels left on these bones.

Ptolemaios is shown here without paint, wash, or panel lining. I also have to go back and clean up the bubs left from cutting the parts off the sprues. Spray priming and painting will have to wait until the humidity dies down around here.

The one thing I don't like about this kit is the lack of a stand. I'm aware that this is common to Gunpla, but it's still annoying. I had to improvise a stand with a clear plastic cup for the photos in this post. Maybe I'll hunt down a compatible stand for Ptolemaios sometime.

Ptolemaios encounters a cube shaped spaceship.

The cost of this kit varies. It retails in Japan for the equivalent of about $8 USD. However, importing the kit adds considerably to the overall price - doubling it in some cases. I opted to pay $15 USD on Amazon, but that's with free shipping.