Mamerto Adan is a feature writer back in college for a school paper. Science is one of his many interests, and his favorite topic.

My action base lost an arm, and I didn't want to have to break the bank to get the coolest poses. When your gunpla is on its action base, it can do a lot of things. It can do flying poses, fighting forms, and an additional action base can even support heavy weapons. Now that modern gunplas have improved mobility, mounting them on stands helps maximize their awesome flexibility.

Action bases are also good to look at. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I like how most action bases look. The base resembles a robotic arm, and for me, gunplas on bases are aesthetically pleasing. They look awesome on the shelf. But that doesn’t mean action bases are completely necessary.

For me, they are optional parts. It is up to the buyer whether he or she will buy one or not. Though recommended, a base is not really needed to show off the mobile in its plastic mobile suit. Even without the aid of a base, a gunpla can still strike the most awesome poses. Again, modern gunplas have evolved well in terms of possibility. They are no longer static and stiff. This increased mobility began with big MG kits, and nowadays even budget HG kits sport improved mobility.

In this article, I try posing my gunpla without a base using the things I've learned on the net. Interested? Just read below for more.

Can Your Gunpla Stand on Its Own?

Before we move on, we must first consider that not all gunplas are good at posing by themselves. It should be pointed out that:

Some kits have trouble standing up. This problem is rampant on suits with small feet. A notorious example is the Gundam 00. The weight of the suit. Massive monsters won’t support themselves. Unbalanced body structure. I have problems balancing kits with overly large backpacks, wings its giant body parts. Giant weapons. Ever tried making an MG Red Frame Kai do fighting pose? It is possible if not for the Cloud Strife sword. Gundam Qan T has the same dilemma when its sword is fully formed. However, some kits are good at balancing despite the vast weapon size Some kits are not meant to stand. I mean you can find live samples without a functioning leg. I will give you a nickel if you can make an MG Deep Striker stand without its base.

I did say that an action base is just an optional part. But please keep in mind that this is only true for stable kits.

The Gunpla and Action Figure for This Article

When I did a toy/kit related article last time, the star of the show was my prized RG Gundam Qan T. As an added bonus, I borrowed a Kamen Rider Black action figure from a friend. I checked my gunpla inventory, and this time the RG Gundam MK-II will be the one striking a pose.

The Gundam MK-II will take the stand!

Poses Will Also Be Demonstrated With the Kamen Rider Black Figuarts

No more borrowing this time. I bought my own Kamen Rider Black Figuarts, and he will be making a comeback for this article. I’m beginning to love this neat action figure. He looks like a miniature version of the suit actor from the live action show.

Rider change!

Decide on the Pose

Enough said, let’s get posing! To begin, we need to decide how our figures will strike their poses. That shouldn’t be a problem because we have a lot of source material.

The answers are literally written on the box. Yup, all you got to do is to check the box art for great poses to mimic. Doing the box art pose should be the easiest. (Though it annoys me when the box art shows a flying pose instead.) Look for stills. The internet is crawling with anime stills of your favourite mobile suits, whether you're looking for fighting stances or flying poses. All you have to do is to stretch an arm and Google it. Look for existing pose images. They may come from your kit’s website or other people’s photos.

In my case I found this cool fighting stance involving a Robot Damashii version for my RG Gundam MK-II. Free standing poses are simpler to follow.

It's a Robot Damashii, but let's see if an RG could pull it off.

As for Kamen Rider, a fighting stance should look good. I love to see him in a traditional martial arts form, but this should do:

Let's see if I could do this...

Doing It Step by Step

After searching the net, I found several hints on how to do that wicked pose. First, we need to reset the gunpla. That’s my way of saying to start out in a static and toyish stance. Manipulating the miniature mobile suit should be easier from this position.

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Starting With a Standing Pose

You can also strike a standing pose first, so that the rest will be easier to do. You can find the tutorial on standing poses in my previous article.

Step 1

Step 1: Pose the Arms

Now that we have the standing pose, we are ready! Start with the weapon arm/lead arm. This should be the easiest way to begin, considering that you are just stretching the arm.

Step 2

Step 2: Follow With the Offhand Arm

Follow with the offhand arm. In martial arts we call it "offhand," but in layman’s terms, it is the arm holding the shield or any back-up weapon. I'm referring to the arm that isn't the figure's main fighting arm.

Step 3

Step 3: Pose the Legs

Set the lead leg to the desired pose.

Step 4

Step 4: Adjust the Back Leg

Follow with the back leg.

Step 5

Step 5. Pose the Head and Torso

Rotate the head to the desired position. If it is difficult, consider using tweezers or any other tools that won’t damage your gunpla.

Step 6

Step 6. Rotate the Waist

Lastly, rotate the waist.

Note: If your gunpla has extra body parts (wings or beam, saber, holster), fix them to a desired position so they won't look messy.

The finished pose...

The Result

Voila, my suit is now ready to brawl! By doing this pose, the gunpla looks less toyish and more like a model kit. You just gave it personality!

What works in a kit will also works in any action figure with similar articulation. Kamen Rider Black now looks like he is about to kick a monster’s arse.