HGUC 1/144 Gundam GP01Fb “Zephyranthes” Full Burnern — LINKIN PARK: UNSHATTER Commemorative Build

With LINKIN PARK: UNSHATTER scheduled for release on 30 September 2026, I decided to commemorate the occasion with a Gunpla build.

For this build, I worked on the HGUC 1/144 Gundam GP01Fb “Zephyranthes” Full Burnern, the Gunpla with an existing Linkin Park connection.

Painting

After unboxing the kit, I airbrushed the parts while they were still on the runners with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 2 Gloss Black.

Parts requiring bright colours were painted with Mr. Color No. 107 Character White, while grey parts received Mr. Color No. 8 Silver. Parts intended to remain dark retained the Gloss Black.

I left the runners containing the pre-2000 polycaps unpainted. Their rubbery-like material made me concerned that paint might not adhere reliably, potentially flaking off and affecting the joints.

Panel Lining

I used different Tamiya Panel Line Accent colours according to the base colour:

• Character White — Pink-Brown
• Gloss Black — Light Grey
• Silver — Black

After allowing the panel liner to dry, I cleaned up the excess with cotton buds dipped in Tamiya X-20 Enamel Thinner.

Assembly and Decals

Assembly was pretty straightforward.

After assembly, I applied the waterslide decals. The round Linkin Park logo was particularly important to the build, but I noticed that its ink had a tendency to crack or flake.

To protect the decal and paintwork, I sprayed the completed model with Mr. Hobby Top Coat Semi-Gloss.

I would have preferred to retain the full Gloss Black shine, but protecting the model as a whole was more important. The semi-gloss finish was a worthwhile trade-off.

The Shield — A Thousand Suns

The shield received a custom treatment inspired by the silhouette artwork from A Thousand Suns.

I first traced the silhouette onto hobby masking tape, cut out the profile and used it as a stencil. Mr. Color No. 107 Character White was then airbrushed over the exposed areas, while the masked sections retained their Gloss Black.

After removing the first stencil, the complete album-art silhouette could be seen as one continuous shape.

I then used the original paper stickers supplied for the shield as a second masking stage. These stickers covered the silhouette while leaving the outer rim/perimeter of the shield exposed.

I diluted Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 2 Gloss Black and airbrushed it over the exposed perimeter. After allowing the paint to dry, I removed the stickers.

This resulted in the A Thousand Suns silhouette being segmented into two sections, with the shield’s outer perimeter defining the separation.

I then applied Tamiya Light Grey Panel Line Accent to the shield and removed the excess with a cotton bud dipped in X-20 Enamel Thinner.

The shield remained on its runner while the main Gunpla was assembled. It was deliberately the last piece I cut from the runner, before attaching it to the completed GP01Fb.

Final

This build combined airbrushing on the runners, multiple paint treatments, colour-specific panel lining, custom masking, waterslide decals and protective top coating.

The Linkin Park logo and the custom A Thousand Suns shield design give this GP01Fb its particular connection to the occasion.

I would have liked to retain the full Gloss Black shine, but protecting the decal and the model as a whole mattered more.

This GP01Fb was built as my personal commemoration of LINKIN PARK: UNSHATTER.

30 September 2026.