The Ball might have had a pretty humble debut in the original Gundam series, but when legendary designer Hajime Katoki got hold of it for Gundam 0083, this little mobile pod suddenly got a whole lot more respect.
Now Katoki’s version of the Ball has been brought to life in Master Grade form, and it’s a fantastic little kit packed with detail.
The kit comes with over 100 parts, along with polycaps and a sheet of clear “Gundam stickers” featuring all the tiny in-scale warnings and markings that really bring the finished model to life. Everything is colour-moulded and designed to snap together, making the build straightforward while still delivering that crisp Master Grade detail.
Once assembled and armoured up, the posable Ball can be displayed on the included stand and base, which really helps show off the design. I added the warning marking to remind you to keep clear! You also get a few nice extras in the box — two standing mechanics and a seated pilot figure — perfect for adding a bit of life to your display. I suck at figure painting (especially at this scale!) so I’ve left them out of this build. I might come back to them at some point.
It’s a fun build, full of character, and a great addition to any Universal Century collection.
I picked mine up from UNION GUNDAM. Click that link for £5 off your first order!
Build Notes
Build Thoughts
What a FUN kit!
It builds its self with plenty of option to customize.
Assembly Notes
- No problems with the build.
- Loads of painting and display options.
- The inner frame builds in layer so painting was super easy.
Painting Notes
- All the paint was thinned 50/50
- The red cockpit was sprayed with the HSM Super Metallic Silver then a copuple of light passes with the H90 Clear Red for a deep luster.
- The arms have 3 colours, H1 Gloss White, H21 Off White and H515 Faded Gray.
🎨 Primer
Mr Hobby Aqueous – Mr Surfacer 1500 Black
🎨 Paints
Mr Hobby Aqueous – HSM Super Metallic Silver
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H1 Gloss White
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H18 Metallic Steel
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H21 Off White
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H38 Metallic Red
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H90 Clear Red
Mr Hobby Aqueous – H515 Faded Grey
💧 Thinner
Mr Hobby – Aqueous Thinner
✨ Top Coat
Mr Hobby – GH101 Premium Topcoat – Smooth Clear UV Cut (Matte)
🔧 Airbrushes Used
Decals
- No decals added yet… Wait and see!
Weathering
- I used AMMO Oilbrusher Starship Filth for the panel lines.
- Ammo Enamel Odourless Thinner
Final Thoughts
If you don’t already have one, Id say go get one! Its different from the normal builds and looks great on the shelf.
10/10 from me.