Pre-Build Note: Because the Command Quan[T] uses two tones of green, I decided to use a combo of grey, tan, and brown for panel lining, to give it a bit of a camo look.
With that out of the way, let’s get on with the build …
Feet
These are not the Quan[T]’s original feet. They’re wider, and they these little ridges running along the sides. I think they look a bit like combat boots:
As you can see, the bottoms also look like they have wheels (I don’t think they’re actually meant to be wheels, but it would be cool if they were).
Color Correcting Decals
The grey section on the top of the toe is made using a pair of color correcting decals, the only such two in the kit.Legs
I’m not sure if I’ve seen a knee joint quite like this one. You start by building these two sections:
Which then hook together like so:
Slap on the rest of the armor, and you’re all done:
Right off the bat, I’m not loving the look of the legs. I think the big rectangular armor plating looks at odds with the fairly curved nad streamlined legs. Furthermore, there are just too many (clashing) colors.
And on top of that, they make the feet look weirdly small and narrow.
I’ll reserve judgement until the model is complete, but the legs don’t look quite as nice in person.
Lower Torso
I don’t think this section reuses a lot of parts from the original Quan[T], though most of the new parts at least look similar.
Oh, and it almost looks like it has a mounting bar for a winch or something (just in case you have to pull it out of the mud or something):
Upper Torso
Rather than having traditional chest vents, this Gundam instead has two big yellow blocks.
I’m not convinced by this look. I think it would work better if the chest blocks weren’t so large, and/or they were a different color. Imagine if they were dark grey, and were embedded deep inside the chest.
Conclusion
If it seems like I’ve been down on this model so far, it’s because I am. It just isn’t looking as cool in person as it did in photos.
Between this and the Leo, I’m convinced that if you are going to make a mobile suit green, you need to go with a sufficiently dark green that is complemented by some good color contrast. So far I’m just not seeing anything like that from this kit.
But hey, it’s not done yet. We’ll see if the rest of the body can make up for its shortcomings.