MG Gouf Custom

 

 Pardon my dust. This kit is one of my older ones, and as such, has accumulated quite a bit of grime over the years. The MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom is, as it sounds, a customized version of the Gouf originally seen in Mobile Suit Gundam. This ace suit appeared in the excellent OVA Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team, where for an episode it became one of the most bad-ass mobile suits ever.

 

 This baby-blue version of an original series favorite comes packed with way better accessories than the original. In addition to the hand-shaped machine gun and heat saber that the original suit carried, this suit includes a shield-mounted gatling gun and magnetic grapple wire. Seeing as the kit was released in February 2001, it's a little out-of-date when it comes to articulation and ability to hold dynamic poses. Despite the fact that it utilizes screws in several of its joints, it cannot heft that heavy shield/gun in a firing pose. But despite my kit looking like it's tripod-ing with that gatling, the gun's actually held just off the ground.

 There's overall not really much to improve on with this kit, despite its age. The only things that I feel an updated version could improve on are small cosmetic fixes and maybe some fresh decals. Perhaps we could mount the head at more of an angle to create a little more attitude, and I'd like to see the shoulder armor assembled in a way that we don't have those nasty seams on the spikes. But, then again, as I'm learning to paint and do some custom work, maybe I'll just get another one and fix them myself.