Background
The M-300 Claymore is one of the most iconic heavy weapons in the Mass Effect universe, known for its immense power and distinctive design.
This project transformed the in-game weapon into a 47% scale desktop collectible, preserving its recognizable form and surface details within a display-friendly size. Limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, each replica was individually hand-painted and paired with a numbered metal plate and Certificate of Authenticity.
Challenge
One of the main challenges was preserving the details of the M-300 Claymore at only 47% of its original scale. Once reduced in size, many structural lines, color separations, and small graphics became much harder to reproduce consistently on a hand-painted resin body. Some details were simply too small for reliable painting, so it was necessary to determine which elements should be reproduced with decals, while controlling their size, placement, and transition into the surrounding painted areas.
Another challenge was determining the correct support position based on the replica’s center of gravity. The replica is approximately 30.5 cm long and weighs nearly 895 g, with an irregular weight distribution across the weapon. Placing the support too far forward or backward could cause the replica to tilt or become unstable. At the same time, the support could not block important visual details, so its position had to balance stability, load distribution, and overall presentation.
The collectible also included a metal plate engraved with the Mass Effect logo and an individual edition number. Its size, engraving clarity, layout, and placement all needed to be considered carefully so that each numbered plate remained clear and consistent across the limited production run.
What I did
I focused on the detail execution, display structure, and production-ready appearance of the scaled replica.
For smaller graphics that could not be reproduced consistently through hand painting, I worked with the factory to determine which details should use decals, then adjusted their size and placement according to the actual resin body. This helped preserve smaller visual elements while keeping them integrated with the surrounding painted finish.
For the display structure, I evaluated the actual center of gravity using physical samples and tested different support positions. I balanced stability, load distribution, and visual obstruction to determine where the stand should contact the replica, allowing the nearly 900 g resin piece to remain securely displayed without unnecessarily covering its details.
I also reviewed the metal plate specifications, including its dimensions, Mass Effect logo, edition-number layout, and engraving result, ensuring that the individually numbered plate worked as an integrated part of the finished collectible.
Outcome
The M-300 Claymore was successfully translated from an in-game weapon into a 47% scale, 30.5 cm desktop collectible. By combining hand-painted finishes with carefully applied decals, the final replica retained the recognizable form and smaller visual details of the original weapon while remaining stable for desktop display.
The product was released as a limited edition of 1,000 pieces worldwide, with each piece including a Certificate of Authenticity and an individually numbered metal plate. Its official product presentation specifically highlighted its “great attention to detail and faithfulness to the in-game weapon,” reflecting the level of detail that was maintained throughout development.
