5.25.2012

SDD Heavy Combat Armor

Being obsessed with the beefy style robots of the 80's has really influenced the building theory applied to many of the vinyl creations that pop up on this blog. There is something about a slight SD (Super Deformed) look that just appeals to me. I still love the hard edged, more real looking mechanical marvels out there, but in the end I always play with the beefballs the most. That kind of reads gross, doesn't it.

A personal challenge for this round of vinyl (outside of the base and saucer) was to create a build that used only the Wedges and Switch Pins that was big and solid. The "solid" aspect always proves to be the main obstacle when going very large with a build (vinyl or PVC), so the structure on the SDD Heavy Combat Armor shown above had to be extremely sturdy. After a number of experiments, a "dual" upper leg assembly formed and that really gave the rest of the build a strong foundation to stack on. The arm cannons have some good movement, and the multiple opposing angles help to keep their positions without the dreaded "droop" factor setting in. The thruster pack on its back can fold out into a set of small wings that can also get some fun positions. The central area has a strange assembly, as the parts are pushed through each other in a curved letter "C" style that locks into itself. Kind of tough to accurately describe it, but the result is a very tight and solid fit.

The complete build stands nearly 10 inches tall and weighs about 3 lbs! There are just under 60 Tri Hub Wedges and roughly 100 Switch Pins used in the construction. It feels like a big brick and is not fidgety or loose. It can also stand and not fall over after 30 seconds, which was the biggest hurdle.

I'm feeling very tempted to paint it up. What do you guys think? Paint or no paint? Maybe I'll leave some clear parts and use some dye to give it an extra real "Real Type" vibe.

 The above pic was shot under the kitchen light featuring an alternate central "head" assembly. The look of the parts really changes depending on the light source, which is something I've come to truly love about the tinted and colorless plastics. In general they have a slightly unpredictable quality that's pretty fun to explore.

28 comments:

  1. Nooooo!!!!
    can't buy all of it!!!!

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  2. Amazing, Matt! That looks like it was fun to build, too.

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  3. no paint for me, only fill it whit something (like che material used fot the monster machines you know it?)
    only a few triangle...

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  4. Love the creativity! Make 2, one to paint, one to keep clear! (We all live vicariously through your builds because we can't afford to purchase 60 of these!
    I would like to see this build WITHOUT the extra triangle that is currently under the arm-canon. In other words, make the arms straight out and remove the tri-hub piece that looks like the forearm under. (Does that make sense?

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  5. Holy crap! That is seriously pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen!

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  6. Yay! You should take a couple of close up(possibily partially disassembled) photos of the chest/back area so we can really see what's going on in there.

    And OF COURSE paint it up! I say go for it Mel Inferno style, allowing some light to show through in certain spots!

    Really digging this, as I've found it challenging to build something that doesn't look terrible with just the triangles and you succeeded on every level.
    My favorite part is probably the simplest- the guns! They look great.

    This is truly the drop to go huge on vinyl..

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  7. dye and paint! hell i would dye and paint it :) thats a monster beast!! awesome! :)

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  8. mmm...a big battle against the Wraith....
    need one!

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    1. Funny, I almost named this thing the "Wraith Hunter".

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  9. Wow. That is amazing! It totally exhudes that SD & Real-Type vibe. Like a giant SD Gundam The-O...

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    1. Thanks Ray! As I was putting it together I was reminded of that clear release of Robotman/Biotron that came out years ago. Do you own that one? I think that Adam M has one in his collection. Maybe John K has another hidden someplace in his archives of glory as well.

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  10. I love big, blocky, (and especially super-deformed!) robots just as much as you, Matt, so waking up to see this on my screen totally made my day. (^_^)

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    1. We have very similar tastes! Phaseons, blocky bots, SD...what is your favorite food?

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    2. Oh, lots of stuff! Strawberries, seafood, hot dogs, graham crackers, instant ramen, and even just plain slices of bread. I guess anything that's tasty and easy to eat!
      Though surprisingly I'm pretty thin. Not sure how that works out!

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  11. I think paint with some masking to leave clear lines would be cool. Maybe something Tron-like, with some colored LEDs on the inside ;)

    So how many of those wedges will be available for purchase, and how many would I need to build that beast?

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    1. A Tron version would be awesome, Ed. Just about anything "Tronified" gains in greatness after all!

      You would need about 60 Wedges and close to 100 pins to make this build. I have to do a completely accurate count later today.

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    2. Thanks, Matt. I see now you already answered the question in your text, but I guess I'm not much of a reader ;) I think the Wedge Beast may be something I have to build over a few separate drops, but I'll see what I can snag tonight.

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  12. Wow. That build is killer, Matt! Definitely getting the 80s vibe from it, and that the thing can stand and hold without issue is even better!

    As for painting or dyeing: why not both? Dye in some spots that will remain exposed as either viewports or "energy sinks," and paint over the rest, sorta like what you did with the Phase Hunters. Either way, can't wait to see what you come up with!

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    1. Thanks Roy!I was thinking of the dye/paint mix as well. The finish on those old custom Phase Hunters was almost exactly what I had in mind! Brain Fusion engage!

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  13. Dude! Do you want ALL of our money??! Seriously, you're killing me!

    I've got a couple of questions, tho, if it's not too late: you mentioned black buildmen coming back, will that be with this drop? And can we get pics of the rigs also, please?

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    1. I'm happy you like the beefball, Mark!

      The black Buildman figures will be back in the store sometime in June. They'll just sneak into the Buildstation section when they come in.

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  14. A thousand Wedges cried out and then were cut...and it took a lot longer than an instant! Ha!

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  15. Absolutely incredible. I'm among friends as I too love the SD style... I initially thought tri-hubs weren't for me. Heck I can't even afford to add them to my order, but man... I wish I could afford to buy enough to make even a fraction of that machine.

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  16. Sweet merciful crap! That thing is gigantic. O_O I made a much smaller creature/robot with the wedges I have, but no where near that size. That's an awesomely cool build, I love the gun hands on this beast. Freaking epic. O_O

    Maybe I have enough wedges to build his lower body, I have 24 or so, is that enough?

    Looking forward to the drop tonight!!

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  17. Remnant Pheydan is glorious!!

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