Bandai HG 1/144 Gundam 00 Command Qan[T] is a relatively new kit for with new 2021 runners for the Battlogue  custom parts, that said the Qan[T] runners are still from the original 2010 moulds.

The Command Qan[T] is a very unique kit especially this is the only HG 1/144 scale variant for the BB Sheshi Command Gundam!

I only knew about this new Battlogue series after watching one of ZakuAurelius’ YouTube video on a painting competition! Check out his YouTube channel which I have linked above, his review of Bandai new and old kits are easy to follow and has great helped in in deciding which kits to look out for and pull out to work on from my backlog “cave”!

When I was heard the announcement I knew I am going to take part in it but the Battlogue kits are so new and it was a bit difficult to find them in UK. So luckily I was in Singapore for holiday and with some help from Gunpla (Singapore) – Facebook Group, I found a sale for Gunpla is a local shopping centre.

The Battlogue series is similar to Build Divers or Fighters, where the mobile suits showcased in the series are customised or literally kit-bashed to form a unique new mobile suit. Which in this case Bandai uses the basic model of the Gundam 00 Qan[T] and gave it new armour and weapons to give it to BB Command Gundam vibe.

Now back to the Zak’s competition, it is basically a recolour challenge where your aim to be creative by coming up with a different colour scheme to make the mobile suit uniquely yours.

You can use a weapon(s) from any other kit or weapon set, but no parts from other kits, option parts, photo-etch, etc. should be used. Also, extra parts included with your kit (leftover parts) should not be used. Well erm! I kind of did not read the last sentence where it forbids you to use any leftover parts…sigh! I wasn’t really keen on the feet of the Command Qan[T], it looks like it is wearing a platform shoes for the 70’s, hence I used the original Qan[T] feet which was part of the original 2010 runner.

But just before I sent off the photos, I luckily reread the rules and just had enough time to swap the feet back to the Command Qan[T]. This is a reason why there are 2 type of photos in this collection, the black background was taken using the Qan[T] feet and the white background is with Command Qan[T] feet.

One other rule is the the finished painted kit should retain the same silhouette as the original Battlogue kit.

Thus, the photoshoot for the competition is taken without any kitbash and additional weapons apart from 2 combat knives fixed to the calves armour.

The rest of the photos are let’s just say my unique vision/version of the Command Qan[T] Custom. It has a sci-fi bazooka from F91, Fuel tanks from a 30mm weapon pack, swords and beam saber from Exia.

I have also painted the shield in Ukraine Flag colour scheme with an image of Statue of Liberty, which is my way of supporting the Ukrainians and hoping for the war to end and their return to freedom!

I really like that I was able to do some colour graduation to the swords and bladed weapons, it looks like it is glowing red hot just like a Zaku Heat Axe.

I also painted the fuel tanks with a colour gradation to show that the tank is just not a fuel tank but also a tank filled with the Celestial Beam GN Drive technology.

One thing about one blog is that I will always do a side-by-side comparison to the other similarly scaled HG 1/144 kits. Not sure why, but I guess it is the engineer in me that I like everything to be in the correct scale. So the first comparison is with my HG ME02R-F01 Messer Type-F01. This kit is now my go to for a big boy size comparison, which you can very quickly see that the Command Qan[T] is just half of the Messer size. I know size is not everything but kid you not, it is like David and Goliath, and I will still shake in my boots if I see a Messer coming for me.

The other comparison is with the more familiar kit which is the Gundam RX-78 and the Zaku 2 both from the Origin series. If you have not had any of these kits please do yourself a favour and get your hands on them, they are one of the best RX-78 and Zaku 2 in the HG series. In terms of sizing, the Command Qan[T] looks more “normal”. The RX-78 is my submission to Otaku ME 2021 competition.

The last comparison is me trying to do a side-by-side with other mobile suits from the Gundam 0 and 00 series. The first one is a RX-78 lookalike GN-000 0 Gundam, this is practical the Granddaddy of the 0 series and I believe it is one of the fist operational mobile suit fitted with a GN drive.

The other kit is the GN-001REII Exia Repair II which is kit-bashed with a F91 beam shield which I believe makes it looks more fitting to be used on a GN equipped mobile suit.

And finally I have a GNR-101A GN Archer which I trimmed off the “wings” from the shin to give it a more feminine look and next to her is the MSJ-06II-A Tieren Ground Type which is my submission to Plamo Labs Open 2021 competition.