Question about the 1/144 Tallgeese I&II

[OpMegs]

I've been considering picking up Zechs and Treize's variations on one of my favorite MS, principally because when it comes to painting, I'm really not that great, and thus investing in three of the 1/100 Tallgeese III kits would probably not work out that well. That, and the fact that the two kits are now essentially dirt cheap.

That said, I've heard worrying stories about the 1/144s durability. Finding reviews of the kits via Google has turned up nothing, really, so does anyone here have them and can give a good record of their quality?

[Hyakushiki]

I built the 1/144 Tallgeese II long ago, the only problems I encountered with it were the assembly of the thruster pods specifically the wing-lets that are on either side. I broke the pivot on one trying to attach it though that could be attributable to my own clumsiness more so than bad design. The other issue I had with it were the mounts for the shield and Dober gun are rather fragile and easy to break, the ankle joints are also loose so you have to pose it just right to get it to stand upright. Overall, it doesn't look that impressive in terms detail or proportion, personally I can't recommend it.

[Samster]

I don't have the kits but just from looking at them and their Gundam counterparts, of which I have the Wing Gundam, it's going to take just as much if not more paint and work to make them look as good as the 1/100 Tallgeese III. Not to mention the posability you would be sacrificing because of the age of the kits. The 1/100 EW Tallgeese III with the included conversion parts would really be your best bet.

[wraith1701]

The 1/100 EW Tallgeese III with the included conversion parts would really be your best bet.

The 1/100 Tallgeese III is a cool kit, but the 1/144 scale isn't bad either.

Actually, the 1/144 Tallgeese III is the way that I would go. It has 3 things going for it:

-Although packaged as the Tallgeese III, it comes with option parts & head parts that allow you to decide which version of the MS you want to build- you can make the kit either the Tallgeese, the II, or the III.

-The kit also comes with option parts that allow you to re-create some of the especially dramatic poses from the anime. For example, the kit comes with a standard torso assembly that consists of two parts and can be rotated at the waist. It also comes with a cooler, 3 part torso assembly that can do the standard waist rotation, PLUS there is a ball joint assembly attaching the upper and lower chest which gives the kit a level of poseability unmatched by any of the other 1/144 wing kits.

-Finally, I found that the parts were both well detailed and fairly sturdy- I can't see anything breaking from regular usage. Also, the kit is inexpensive enough for you to buy 2 of them. One can be kept as a spare parts back-up; just in case.

[Mark064]

If you are not good at painting don't even bother with the Tallgesse II as it pretty much requires a total paint job it's molded in white and black. And there are not near enough blue stickers to make the suit near the proper colors just part of the shoulders, chest and shield. You are better off buying the 1/144 Tallgesse III and painting that.

Other then that it's the same 90s stuff as before I found that standing can become a problem due to the way the feet and it's polycap are designed but this was most of the Wing series. If you have built anything from the 1/144 Wing line it's the same general quality.

[auriga]

I have the 1/144 TIII, and those mounts are indeed a pain. And because of the age (and the big thrusters) you really can't get a lot of poses from it.

[Gone Astray]

Of all the Wing kits, I'd say that the Tallgeese mold is one of the best (right next to the Vayeate and Mercurius, because I love those guys). I agree with Mark064 in that the TIII is your best bet for the 1/144 because of the extra parts and all, and it's much easier to paint because it's pure white, right down to the polycaps. (Of course, since it's the same basic mold as the TI and TII, you can just swap in some grey polycaps for those color schemes.)

I'd say that the 1/100 would be a bit better, though, since the weapon mounts and thrusters aren't nearly as fragile. The 1/100 also has the thruster cones attached to the blast shields of the pods and on a geared system; the 1/144 requires you to get a little rod or something to move the thruster cones out, and that can be a pain to position them if you're a perfectionist.

Of course, it's all up to you. The 1/144 models are ridiculously cheap, so if you're going for that, those would be your best shot.

[SNT1]

The 1/144 is a bit sturdier than the HG 1/100s. But, the quality of the mold is considerably crappier.

The 1/100s are a better choice (if you can find them, they're relatively rare and more expensive than the typical MSRP), its fault is a weak knee joint. It can be remedied by inserting like a pissue of tissue paper between joints, problem solved. Just get a Tamiya spray can ($5 per color), it's an easy way to paint something without needing much skill.

The 1/100s are easily the size of many MGs (its taller and bigger than any 1/100 Wing kits), kinda impressive.

[Aegis]

Aside from the fact that having the 1/144 model of the T3 means painting due to the plastic being completely white as well as having a non-foldable MC, the durability and balance on the kit is quite good. The issues of the kit when you first build it coming out of the package would be with the thrusters and the shoulder armour (if you're putting together the T3 instead of the T1 or T2). There's also the fact that the 1/144 mold truly doesn't look as impressive compared to its larger 1/100 counterpart, as the overall proportions of the MS makes it look slimmer than it really should be, nevermind the details. Be it for the Tallgeese 1 or 2 or 3, I really do want to purchase the 1/100 version mainly for the sake of having a better looking kit.

[Derringer]

The 1/144 Tallgeese I and II parts are as proportionally correct as can be.

The Tallgeese III is cosmetically different in almost every area, it is just not a simple remold. The 1/100 Tallgeese III has it down perfectly, but then the Tallgeese I and II use the III's proportions and hence isn't very accurate. On the flip side, the 1/144 Tallgeese III uses the I and II's proportions. Weird yes. For the most part, if you aren't planning on doing some major surgery to the 1/144 molds (minor restructuring, painting, some small scratchbuilding), they aren't going to turn out well at all.

[Koshernova]

No matter which way you go, you'll have to paint your Tallgeese I and II models.

If you get the regular Wing 1/144s, they do need detail painting. they're not even HG ,so a lot of vents and such are not molded in the right colours. In the case of Tallgeese I, the black line through the middle of the chest needs painting and has no stickers, for example.

The 1/100 may be a bit easier to paint since these details would be bigger. However, of course, it would still require full paint jobs to get them to look like units I and II.

If you're going the 1/144 route, also remember these kits are not too detailed. I particularly hate the hands of the 1/144 Wing kits: they are ugly polycap hands. You can get a set of B-club 1/144 hands and joints for OZ models, designed mostly for Tallgeese. Mind you, those are resin and it's a whole other ballpark. I have my set in storage with an unbuilt Tallgeese... some day...

[saneman]

even with proportions problem of 1/000 Tallgeese III, it is the best kit to go. The problem is finding one in reasonable prices.

[vaKuz]

even with proportions problem of 1/000 Tallgeese III, it is the best kit to go. The problem is finding one in reasonable prices.

Haha sorry bout' that, but that's funny to me right there.

[ghostdog]

Hey all!
This is an interesting topic as I was planning my next build to be Tallgeese III! I had never watched Endless Waltz (or any Gundam Wing) and I ended up liking the story and the scenes with Tallgeese.

I was going to build Tallgeese using a MG inner frame. My original thoughts were to use 1/100 Tallgeese III and the frame from Harrison's F91 (one of the most poseable inner frames from what I can see). But then someone mentioned that Tallgeese is bigger than the other Wing suits...

I'm not worried so much about accuracy and will do a little customizing beyond making the parts all mesh. But I'd like to start with something that fits okay scale-wise. Would the 144 Tallgeese III be a better fit with the F91 inner frame..? Especially given that the F91 is the smallest Gundam mobile suit...

Thanks!

[SNT1]

I was going to build Tallgeese using a MG inner frame. My original thoughts were to use 1/100 Tallgeese III and the frame from Harrison's F91 (one of the most poseable inner frames from what I can see). But then someone mentioned that Tallgeese is bigger than the other Wing suits...

I'm not worried so much about accuracy and will do a little customizing beyond making the parts all mesh. But I'd like to start with something that fits okay scale-wise. Would the 144 Tallgeese III be a better fit with the F91 inner frame..? Especially given that the F91 is the smallest Gundam mobile suit...

Hi,

The F91 frame is too small for the 1/100 'Geese and too big for the 1/144 offerings, plus the torso is too odd for modifications. I would say the better fit would be if you can get something like Freedom Gundam MG frame (it's a popular inner frame for scratchwork), as its height is close enough to the HG Tallgeese.

[Derringer]

Tallgeese is indeed a bit taller than the Gundams. What'd I do is use the Wing ver Ka or WZC frame and add height.

[Gone Astray]

Tallgeese is indeed a bit taller than the Gundams. What'd I do is use the Wing ver Ka or WZC frame and add height.

That seems like a bunch of unnecessary work. The Tallgeese is roughly 15% taller than the Gundams, which means you'd have to lengthen and extend numerous portions if you wanted it to be correctly scaled. It'd be much easier, I think, to just mod a skeleton like Freedom's to accept the Tallgeese parts.

[Kiggz]

Not to mention the hard work involved in modifying the tallgeese, why would you want to modify it in the first place mite i ask.

[SNT1]

because the joints of the Tallgeeses are either polycraps or plain plastic, while MG frames offer some details. Plus, it would give the kit possibly more poseability and stability, given both Tallgeese scales have very limited poseability and stability. That's the best answer from my view point, aside from the "Because he can do whatever the heck he wants with his kit" line.

[ghostdog]

While I really like model kits, and particularly the process of painting them, I definitely came to modelling from action figures. When I was a kid the only models I knew of were cars and I tried a few of those, but always returned to action figures (and modifying them).

So, yeah, mostly I just really like poseability. Don't worry, I don't make my models fight each other! The added detail is a good bonus, as well as the potential to more easily mount the kit on something like an Action Base.

Why Tallgeese? Well, I discovered Gundam early in 2006. So, I don't have a history with any particular series. I've enjoyed Zeta and 0083 so far. I just recently watched Endless Waltz and was surprised at how much I liked it. So, Tallgeese (III).

I also got inspired to do this when I found the "WeMesarion" Tallgeese III MG conversion...

Here

Very awesome!

As best as I can figure from using Google's translate features, the modeller used the inner frame of MG Gundam Mk II, version 2 (hence the ball-joint hips) and the lower legs of MG Wing Zero Custom.

I'm not in a position to buy three kits... So, I'm gonna try something different...

Double-post fix'd
~SNT1