Finished it a couple of days ago, just posting some pics of this 1/100 Red Astray. Seriously, if you can, GET IT:
MeesesGlokmah: I would recommend you first get a couple of HG's to more o less get a vibe. Model kits aren't hard at all, but they do require patience and some work to make them look good (but duh, look who's talking, my first model was a MG Strike Freedom Full Burst so...
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As for the prices you mention... well, $45 for Impulse sounds like a good deal for me. My Hi-Nu was 80 bucks, so maybe you should go and get the one that is the most attractive to you.