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Rating 3.5 -

Originally as I started to put together this model, I had intended to give it a four star rating. It's extremely unforgiving and if you make a mistake it's not easy to fix, but that's the nature of the beast with these metal models. It's difficult, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially as this is rated so highly on the difficulty scale.

So what tipped the scale? Simply put, I could not finish. I was willing to glue one piece, even two pieces, but when the third piece broke I became so frustrated I gave up.

The problem is, there are lines on several of the pieces, designed to help you fold them into shape, but these are too deep, almost perforations and far too delicate. I put them together very carefully, but while attaching one piece to another, they were so delicate they frequently fell to pieces. After a part of the model is secured, it's my opinion that it shouldn't be able to break just from the force of gentle building.

The feather on top of his helmet too, for example, breaks far too easily and due to how it's attached I had a lot of trouble getting it glued back on. Really when using one of these kits you shouldn't need glue unless it's user error, but this kit just has some issues.

The pictoral instructions are pretty clear (if you can do Ikea, you can do this), but it is annoying that the chinese text (presumably pointers and extra instruction) isn't translated at all. The instructions are also tiny and I recommend using a magnifying lens or being prepared to strain your eyes. It would be nice if they showed which side of the piece to use via shading or something else in the instructions, as it can be easy to get something backwards accidentally.

Despite these flaws, this is still a fun kit and I enjoyed the time I spent building it before the quality issues forced me to abandon the project completely. If you're willing to use glue, you should be able to complete this. Be aware that the finished project is around 7-8" and you'll want some tweezers or pliers and possible even a wire clipper to get the most out of this kit.

SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Detailing is lovely looking. Lots of intricate pieces and details.
+ Pictoral instructions are reasonably clear.
+ Fun and interesting to build.

Cons
- Model is too delicate and has some quality issues were pieces that should be bended came apart entirely even when handled gently.
- Feather is not attached well and breaks easily.
- Chinese instruction tips are not translated for english language users.
- Instructions do not specify which side of the panel to face outwards.

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Note: I received this product at a discounted rate in exchange for an unbiased, honest review as provided here. As a consumer advocate, I believe in providing quality and honest feedback and receiving a product at a discounted rate will never affect my opinions.