Bandai 1/48 Mega RX-0 Unicorn – 04
Now to crack on with the Mega 1/48 scale Unicorn’s arms. They have very basic moving parts, but are an eye‑catching parts of the build.
The lower arm armour attaches over two large psycho‑frame sections, so I followed the same preparation steps as the shoulders. Word of warning: when assembling the beam sabre housings (parts G5/G15), there’s a tiny nubs on the ends you must not sand or trim off, or the mechanism won’t function correctly. Keep an eye on it when fitting together.
To match the look of the knees and elbows, I gave the joint areas a coat of AK Xtreme Metal Gunmetal over black primer. To add contrast, I masked the inner rings and applied AK’s Pale Brass. A final touch were the tiny silver spots applied with a trusty cocktail stick which finished the mechanical look perfectly.
Time to let the mega Unicorn see. I’m not a huge fan of stickers, especially on a model this large, and the head has a big one on part A6. Instead, I used it as a chance to practice my brushwork: after a base of Gunmetal, I hand‑painted the area with enamel Coal Black.
With the red and green psycho‑frame pieces installed, the effect turned out better than I expected. The Vulcan cannons got a touch of silver to help them stand out once the face armour is attached.
The V‑fin is a significant centerpiece on the Mega Unicorn’s head, so I wanted something more striking than the standard flat yellow. I went with a multi‑layer approach:
- White primer for a clean base
- A couple of smooth airbrushed coats of Vallejo “Premium Color” Yellow
- A finishing layer of “Premium Color” Metallic Yellow
The result? A rich, vibrant V‑fin that really stands out on display.
Calling the Unicorn’s shield “big” barely covers it as it’s just over 34cm long! While the part count is low, the surfaces are full of potential for added detail.
After completing the panel lining on the main white armour, I still felt it needed more visual interest. The central front mount (part M12) was painted in Pale Brass over a coat of Gunmetal to match the elbow joints.
On the back, to add detail to the what are usually the power cells on the shield’s rear, the main piece (M1) was airbrushed with Gunmetal. I masked off around the power cell areas, and sprayed them with Vallejo “Premium Color” Magenta. It looked decent, but a bit muted to my eye.
I have been trying out some metallic colours from a firm called “Turbo Dork”, and they have a metallic red wonderfully named Spicey Meatball, and I know this will give the cells a better look. I lightly misted the cells with just 2 light coats of Spicy Meatball using a 0.2 mm airbrush. This gave them the appearance I was hoping for. I finished with black panel lining around each cell for maximum contrast.
With everything painted and cured, the shield assembled smoothly, and yes, it looks every bit as big as you’d expect when laid out on my glass cutting mat!
