Relic Knights: Some Assembly Tips

Well, having gotten into some of the small and complicated models (particularly Ameliel the Void Herald and the Royal Wrecker), I'd like to share some important tips for assembling Relic Knight models.  Because they're not exactly simple models and rival the Infinity model line put out by Corvus Belli in terms of complexity and madness.

• Test out the fit before you glue anything.  I don't mean just testing what needs to be trimmed to make it fit.  I mean clean off all the obvious flash and test fit things to understand how the model goes together.  This is extremely important for the Royal Wrecker model because you have to assemble it from the inside out to get things to fit correctly and you can't glue the pilot in before you get to the suit's arms and legs because you risk making it impossible to fit those parts on.
• Search for reference pictures when assembling and cleaning the model.  This is because there are some seriously non-obvious parts that get used in a few of these models.  You'll be wondering where something goes until you see it on a picture.  For example, I forgot the Broadside model had a lower jaw for the cannon's skull face until I looked at the box art again.
• There are parts that are not visible in the photos that you will need to use.  Examples: the Broadside has a control post that's generally hidden from view that goes between the handles in the gunner's hands, the Royal Wrecker has a part that links the suit's lower legs to the main suit body, and Relic Knight Candy has a small airfoil that goes on the mecha's rear thruster.  I only figured these out by examining everything and checking where the parts go.
• Plastistruct PlastiWeld is invaluable for cleaning up those tiny burrs and bits you get with this material.  It also has a general smoothing effect on rough areas like ones left by filing.  It only really works for very tiny bits, but it works to smooth things out.  Don't expect it to glue the resin-plastic hybrid though.
• Epoxy your models to the bases if you are using the base inserts, because the bond between the model material and the styrene of the base insert is not very good.
• Above all, be patient and work in good lighting.  Some of the mold lines are extremely subtle and you'll need good light to spot them and work them out.

That concludes this short blog post.