Will it really crack my Gunpla?
It can, in one specific situation: enamel solvent sitting on bare polystyrene that's under mechanical stress, like a tight peg or a flexed joint. The solvent works into the stressed plastic and the part fails there. Unstressed surface plastic is far more tolerant, and painted or top-coated plastic is protected outright. Line smart and this is a non-issue; flood bare joints and it isn't.
Panel wash or panel line marker?
Different tools for different builds. The wash wins on speed and realism across kits covered in engraved detail, since it does fifty lines in the time a marker does five. Markers win for spot detail, beginners avoiding enamel handling, and touch-ups. Plenty of benches run both.
How do I fix a spot I flooded?
Wait for it to dry, then lift it with a swab of enamel thinner. The wash stays soluble in enamel thinner even cured, while lacquer and acrylic base coats underneath don't budge, which is the whole chemistry trick that makes cleanup safe.
Does it work over flat paint?
It works, but Tamiya notes the caveat: flat coats are porous, so the wash permeates and grips the surface texture, making the wipe-up stage harder and the panel look dirtier. The clean workflow is gloss coat, line, wipe, then your matte topcoat last.
