This is about the newest Gundam Generation; where the world faces rising fuel costs, political unrest, and the Gundam war on terror. Of course, there will be Gun-Pla!

It is the end of 2007, after nearly five years of living in the Cosmic Era of Gundam SEED, the Gundam Legacy enters its new age and one of its boldest steps since its beginning. Welcome to the age of Gundam 00, a time of rising fuel costs, intercontinental unrest, and the Gundam War on War on Terror.

Since its inauguration, each Gundam has been associated with its own Calendar. The Universal Century (UC) was the first Gundam calendar which spanned across its own legacy of generations from the One Year War (UC 0079) and beyond. In later years, Gundam branched into new “Alternate Universes” (AU) to separate stories from the time line of the Universal Century. These then took place in individual calendars: such as the After Colony (AC) table of Gundam W and the more recent Cosmic Era (CE) of Gundam SEED. The year 2007 of our calendar introduced the next Alternate Universe: Gundam 00. Unlike its predecessors 00 takes place in the Anno Domini or simply the “Real Calendar” in the year AD 2307, marking the first Gundam to take place in the post modern age. With that comes a much closer look at the times in our current history. Underneath the glisten and glamour of the idea of a Better Tomorrow, Gundam 00 sets itself with a strong political undertone that takes much of its material from the current geopolitical structure and gives a harsh realization of mankind’s future in a progressive and divided manner. Additionally, Gundam 00 is the first Gundam to be broken into two seasons separated over a long break period (much like Western television series), with Season 2 coming sometime towards the end of 2008.

In the late 23rd century, mankind has finally abandoned its hopes of Ethanol and Petroleum based forms of power and begun seeking the advantage of solar energy. Through Orbital Elevators set in strategic locations to collect and distribute this abundant energy source, technology has reached a peak of proto-space colonization. However not all countries can reap the benefits, these lesser known and forgotten countries are forced to either crumble or join with one of the main national groups: The Union formed mostly by the American continents, the Human Reform League of Eastern Europe and Asia, and the Western European and African colony group AEU. Because of the fragile nature of the orbital elevators, each nation refuses to trust one another and continue to exist in a stalemate of never ending conflict. In the year 2307, a paramilitary organization has presented itself in order to eliminate war through armed intervention. They are Celestial Being, and they will end war with force through the power of Gundam!

Four is the Lucky Number

The Gundams of 00 are shrouded in mystery, from their conception to construction. Celestial Being is an even greater mystery; formed nearly 200 years ago by the enigmatic Aeolia Schenberg. The earliest mystery surrounding the Gundams is the glistening particle emitted from their cores that blocks out communications dubbed “GN Particles” which can be compared to the UC’s “Minovski Particle.” The Gundams’ power sources are called the “GN-Drive” which is powered by the “Solar Furnace,” a perpetual if not nearly limitless energy source that once powered can sustain and continuously produce energy for the mobile suit to operate and enhances the mobile suit’s basic performance. While the true functions of how the GN-Drive works remain a mystery, it is clear that these superior engines make the Gundams more powerful and adaptive than the current state of mobile suit technology.

Gundam 00 follows the unwritten rule of the AU and introduced not just one, but multiple Gundams as their lead mobile suits. Unlike the previous chapters where there were five Gundams, 00 introduced four Gundams as the lead models. While past AU series make note of these being the first Gundams known to the world, it is revealed amongst Celestial Being members that these are the third generation models. Continuing the tradition of the multiple Gundams law, the Gundams each conform to a particular combat style:

GN-01 Gundam Exia: close quarters blade combat. piloted by Setsuna F. Seiei
GN-02 Gundam Dynames: long range sniper combat. piloted by Lockon Stratos
GN-03 Gundam Kyrios: transformable, aerial combat. piloted by Allelujah Haptism
GN-04 Gundam Virtue: heavily armored assault combat. piloted by Tieria Erde

The Gundam Exia is the current poster child of the 00 generation because of its role as the lead mecha up until now. Its dynamic shape complimented both by its unique arsenal of blades and the traditional Gundam color scheme helps to make it familiar and more acceptable to long time Gundam fans hesitant to accept Gundam 00 as a whole. The Exia is a real spectacle in motion. Compared to its siblings it is the most simplistic in design and is relatively under armed by being a Close Combat machine. Still, it lives up to its purpose in the hands of Setsuna F. Seiei.

More Things Change, the Color Stays the Same

Within weeks of 00’s premiere, Bandai had already rolled out the first wave of models based on the series’ machines in Low Grade and High Grade 1/144 scale kits and slowly begun filling the ranks with 1/100 scale kits, and pushing for 1/60 scale for the primary Gundams. Naturally, selecting a kit can be narrowed to simple choices of scale and execution of the design. So what better scale to get into than 1/100? In this review, we take a look at the first 1/100 scale kit of Gundam 00, the GN-01 Gundam Exia.

In plastic, the Exia comes molded in full color: white, blue, red, yellow, gray and clear parts. The clear parts are one of the unique features of the Gundam 00 mobile suit designs, used in the Gundams at important hard points which represent reservoirs for the Solar Furnace. The second design point is the arrangement of flat cables and soft plates in the Gundams set around their joints. These cables channel the power of the Solar Furnace through the Gundams as they activate “Trans-Am” mode where the suits exceed their limiters to their full potential.

Before the build I surveyed the most of the kit’s needed paint work, and much to my surprise there is very little need to paint parts in a color that does not exist in the current color pallet. As such, the Exia’s only demand for paint is black and gray for panels and filling in around some of the model’s hard points. The solar furnace disks (clear parts) have some room for creativity, by either painting under them or painting over them with a clear coat or metallic colors. In mine, I chose to paint the under side with a clear green coat, and a coat of Gunmetal (metallic black) where each disk lays. The result is a stable contrast of green with a glistening underside.

Constructing Intervention

The torso sports a range of the innovation and execution into the Exia’s agile shape. The central body is built around its Solar furnace, which takes up the bulk of the upper torso. Had it not been built sandwiching the main chest and waist assembly, the furnace almost presents itself as a whole kit. The basic design is almost like an aircraft turbine engine, minus the fan assembly. The rear section is a cone shape built outward. The base, solar cell ring and cone tip. From there the furnace is locked by a series of clasps which locks it into the back. On the front side, there is the round cell disk enclosed by a ring and covered by the outer armor cowling and cockpit hatch. In between the halves of the body are two of the rubber parts that fit into the arm pit and lock under the armor that fits around the waist. In the bottom of the torso there is a detail plate, a simple box shaped sheet of plastic that fits under the torso armor to block in the armor.

The Waist of the Exia is built according to the design’s minimalist form. Construction is simply a central block with pegs for the legs to connect, a front block with skirts, and a rear section. There is some paint work to be done on the front skirts, but there is really not much as building that is concerned here. The rear section however is constructed with a rolling bar with hinge mounts on it, to which a set of docks for the beam sabers are attached. This is one of the Exia’s unique action features that a pair of sabers mounted on its rear skirt can roll up and fold out to the sides for it to grab them.

The arms take into consideration a method of construction that has only been used in the 1/144 scale HGUC line and rarely done for anything in 1/100 scale outside of the Master Grade line: double hinged elbows. In a 1/100 scale, the model’s elbows have been faked using polycaps and a decorative ‘elbow sock’ to cover the polycap and bicep peg. Instead of that, the Exia’s elbow is a set of plates sandwiching two hinges, one with a peg to go into the bicep and the inner hinge block that goes into the forearm. This block in the forearm is also used as the docking point for the Exia’s weaponry and shield.

The bicep and shoulder armor are linked together by the rubber strip cable in a fashion that could be considered free floating. The shoulder armor is built around a plate hinge, this fits onto the shoulder block of the torso and then held down by the actual arm, but what unites both the armor and the arm is the cable itself, one end going into a groove in the arm a while the other fits into a block of armor on the inside edge of the shoulder armor. When completed, the arms have a significant range of motion, from the nature of the double jointed elbow to the separation in the shift of the arm rotation compared to its free floating shoulder armor.

Typical of the past few years, the hands of the Exia are simple open fists constructed in three parts: the fingers, palm, and backhand. There is one additional open palm hand for the left arm. Unlike the early entries from SEED the new hands connect together at an added point in the base of the palm rather than just the thumb and fingers region. This improves the stability and grip strength for the hands and makes them less likely to separate.

The legs of the Exia are particularly interesting form of engineering. The hip joint is a sphere shaped component with a cover plate (which is then removed and adjusted to dock its swords), which connects to the upper leg assembly consisting of a stable blend of underlying skeletal structure and outer armor construction. The upper portion of the leg is constructed as two square halves with a rubber plate laid into the front, with a long conjoining peg that locks it into the knee. The lower leg is built into the knee through the knee’s lower subassembly which is then covered by an outer layer of armor, and a rubber strip in the front that is neatly tucked into a groove in the inner leg which floats just above the outer armor layer. Continuing the trend of the kit, the legs also have reservoirs and such they are built into the knee armor.

The base build starts with the knee, as two large circular blocks come together and joins the upper and lower leg from within as a single unit rather than individual sections. The knee itself is rather large than the typical assembly has been in the past. According to the design, the knee is integrated into the lower leg, but is not locked in place. This allows for a greater range of flexibility and makes the Exia physically impressive. At the ankles, the Exia abandons the typical style of wrap-around ankle armor, and goes for a front guard with a rolling guard on the rear. The feet are also a combination of the classic style but done with a sort of ‘floating’ block for the upper portion of the foot, so there is a distinctive gap between the sections of the feet.

In the essence of ending conflict with conflict, each of the Gundams surpasses the typical load of weaponry to compliment the specialty of each machine. As sword combat is Exia’s field of focus; it has an assortment of cutlery at its disposal. As expected for a Gundam, the Exia comes packing beam sabers: four to be exact, built from two halves for each blade. These sabers are stored in docks on the back of the shoulder armor and the waist unit. To compliment the sabers’ versatility, the Exia comes with four clear beams in different lengths, two long beams and two short dagger beams. Unlike past entries, these are not the typical tube shaped sabers of past generations instead they follow 00’s style of a squared shape with smooth round edges. The end result is they conform to the grip of the Exia’s hands much better. Also, due to the extreme range of flexability, the Exia can be posed reaching for them more naturally than any other Gundam outside of the Master Grade line.

Exia’s additional arsenal consists of two ‘GN-Swords’ which are solid blade weapons set at two different lengths; a long blade and a short sword. While different in length, both share the same volume of parts: six pieces to form the grip, scabbard, and blade (the body with a fill-in strip for one side). The GN-Swords are then stored on the Exia’s hips. However as mentioned before, the swords requires two additional canister shaped parts that fit onto the outside of the hips. These added parts makes the Exia lose some of its flexibility unfortunately.

Clearly noticeable is Exia’s primary weapon, the GN-Blade, a large folding sword that runs a full arm’s length and mounts to the shield docked onto the right forearm. According to its design, the blade folds back and shifts underneath the shield. However to simplify the design in plastic, there is no secondary shifting, and the blade simply folds back at the hilt.

In addition to its swords, the Exia comes with a short shield which docks onto the left arm. Constructed in four parts; the back side, outer shell and two flairs on the sides with an added polycap on the back side which connects it to a docking mount. According to its design there is no grip or realignment points for it to move on. This makes the shield a single point mount with some rotation via a polycap socket in the back of the shield. There is relatively no impact on the Exia’s range of motion, and the shield makes a nice contrast to the GN-Blade on the right arm.

As a small bonus to the kit, Bandai has included a docking cradle to connect the Exia to their ‘Action Base.’ This has been an increasing trend as of late, where kits come with mounts for the base rather than coming with a base of their own. The Exia’s dock is a small ‘Y’ shaped piece fits on the under side of the Exia’s waist, and locks into a small groove between its legs. Although easy to miss in the Exia’s parts, it makes for a nice addition if one has the Action Base to go with it.

OVERALL

The Gundam Exia 1/100 scale kit is a nice introduction for the new generation of the Gundam franchise. From the execution of translating the design in plastic to its engineering, the Exia sports a few new design components and makes 00’s presence known in the hobby world. It shows incredible promise for what Bandai has in store for the future of the series and their next generation of models.

Made in Hong Kong for the Italian market, this is a popular junior machinder and a another neat, old school Gundam toy.

Exactly how many "Junior Machinders" were made and of what characters is still very much a mystery. We've seen a great many of them over the years, but it seems new things will never stop being discovered. But among the ones that we know to be out there, perhaps this Gundam figure might be the most highly regarded and sought after.

Besides being a toy of one of the most popular robots out there, this is special because it's features many parts unique to this toy, whereas so many other junior machinders share lots of parts. Really, the only parts on this toy that we've seen elsewhere are the fists (which are used on almost all junior machinders) and the missile on the shoulder cannon, which was taken from the Daimos Jumbo Machinder. Gundam probably has a bigger arsenal than any other junior machinder, too. Besides the shoulder mounted missile launcher, he also has a hand held gun, a sword/axe kind of weapon and a shield. The shield can be held in either of it's hands, or stored on the left shoulder.

Gundam is a mixture of polyethylene for the legs, soft vinyl for the head and torso and hard plastic for the arms. Both stickers and paint applications provide more detail to the colored plastics. Besides the missile, both fists can fire. Gundam is approximately 15 inches tall and comes in a colorful box with some neat artwork on the front.*

There is a logo of "SMC" on the back of the toy, but the box seems to indicate it was made by Ceppi Ratti. This toy pales in comparison to the other Ceppi Ratti Gundam Machinder, the elusive Jumbo. To date, I only know of three collectors to own one of those. But I certainly like this one much more than the more recent Easter Basket Gundams sold in the US.

* Thanks to Jerilock for the image of the box. Even though that should have been my box!**

** I found the auction for the toy he won but didn't bid because no box was shown. He bid and won and then the seller said he had the box! It should have been mine, dangit! ;)

First, I want to apologize for the condition of the toy that I’m going to review. I received this one from my mother (thank you mom) around 1984. It’s over 20 years old, so the condition may not be to good. But at least it’s still intact, eh.

First, I want to apologize for the condition of the toy that I’m going to review. I received this one from my mother (thank you mom) around 1984. It’s over 20 years old, so the condition may not be to good. But at least it’s still intact, eh.

Let’s start, shall we? This is a Clover made Gundam toy. Basically, it’s a windup toy with Gundam character. The Gundam itself is the RX 78-2 Gundam. The main character from the first Gundam.

It made mostly from ABS Plastics with tin covering for the body and kind of Iron plate for the shoulder and knee. The plastics is strong enough to withstand hard beatings. It had a shield that you put in the left arm and it’s made of tin and iron. Unfortunately, I lost it, so I can’t show it to you. I think it is about 75% plastic, 15% tin and 10% iron.

They toy itself had a blocky look. Although very uncommon these days, it is the standard for 80’s toys. But the blocky look is what attracts me (maybe some of you) to collect vintage toys. The sculpt and the paint although not Anime accurate, succeed in bringing the Soul of Gundam. It also had what vintage toys should have, It’s name written in the chest. The details are a far cry from today’s Gundam kit or figure, but, again, it is a vintage toy, so it’s forgivable. It has wheels in it’s feet for the walking mechanism. The wheels made of plastic.

The only articulation is in it’s arms. The legs and the feet only had articulation for the walking feature.

Considering the material, it’s not a Chogokin. But the love magnet of this toy is not the diecast part. As I mentioned before, it’s a wind up toy. So, after you turn the knob, watch as the mighty Gundam walks with glory across the battlefield (or your room). Beside the walking feature, it also has a shooting feature from the Bazooka that it carries on it’s right shoulder. It is supposed to imitate the Bazooka that Gundam uses in the Anime.

The bottom line… this is a simplistic toy that is what a toy should be about. Endless hours of play value. Imagine having it walk across the room, and stop just in time (there’s a lever to stop the toy) to shoot your enemies. Also it doesn’t disappoint us collectors. A truly must-have for toy enthusiasts or just Gundam fans.

Super Robot Wars and Gundam SEED, one might imagine that revisiting classic, less flamboyant designs was a thing of the past. However, it is good to return to the past and revisit a classic design with a new flair of the modern.

Between Super Robot Wars and Gundam SEED, one might imagine that revisiting classic, less flamboyant designs was a thing of the past. However, it is good to return to the past and revisit a classic design with a new flair of the modern.

Its Name Is Gundam

The RX-78-2 is the first Mobile Suit to wear the Gundam name. By design, the RX-78-2 was an open ended, multipurpose machine that could use an assortment of weaponry and functional tasks. It would also work towards becoming the test bed for future machines such as its descendent the RGM-79 “GM” Mobile Suit. Moreover it would set the benchmark for series to follow, creating one of the most successful anime mecha franchises in history, Mobile Suit Gundam.

Mobile Suit Gundam is set in the first Gundam universe called the “Universal Century.” In the year UC 0079 at the time called the “One Year War,” a war was fought between the Principality of Zeon (leading a rebellion of Earth’s orbiting space colonies, called Sides) and the Earth Federation. Zeon, having declared its independence was the first to introduce Mobile Suit technology with the introduction of the MS-05 Zaku, their front line infantry for the war against the Federation’s limited arsenal of tanks and warplanes. The RX-78-2 was the first machine for the Earth Federation’s “Operation V” produced in secret at the Earth Federation controlled space colony Side 7. It consisted of three machines: the RX-75 Guntank, the RX-77-2 Guncannon, and of course, the RX-78-2 Gundam along with the Space Carrier White Base.

Before Kira Yamato and Heliopolis, there was Amuro Ray and Side 7.

Having learning of the Federation’s Mobile Suit program, Zeon launched an assault on Side 7 to seek out and destroy the “Operation V” prototypes. In the chaos of the assault, the citizens of Side 7 are unwittingly forced on board the new Federation carrier ship White Base. Among them is Amuro Ray, son of the creator of RX-78-2, whose curiosity and love of machines would unwillingly throw him into piloting the same machine his father built, the Gundam. With the Federation forces occupying Side 7 weakened, the Civilian refugees aboard the White Base are forced into becoming the ship’s permanent, active crew. Amuro stayed among them to pilot the RX-78-2, claiming the Mobile Suit as his own personal property. In the beginning, their mission was to deliver the Operation V prototypes to Federation headquarters in Jaburo (located in the South America), but as soon as the order was given did it become clear that this ship and its Mobile Suit were destined to fight until the end of the war.

Version OYW

From the very beginning, Bandai has always had model kits for Gundam. Considering that toys were not as pronounced as they are today (say Masterpiece Optimus Prime compared to G1 Prime), model kits were a readily available solution for the marketable occasion. The RX-78-2 has had models from the very conception of the franchise, quite literally one version for each year and in every one of Bandai’s model classes. There are versions of the Gundam in First Grade, High Grade (first generation), High Grade Universal Century, Master Grade, and Perfect Grade. Version OYW joins the ranks of the many Master Grade forms the RX-78-2 has seen:

Version OYW, or Version One-Year-War was released initially as a tie-in for the Mobile Suit Gundam -The One Year War- video game. Although typical promotions would include just another remold of a previous RX-78-2 kit, Bandai went to greater lengths to make a new model for the occasion. The end result is one of the best versions of the RX-78-2 they have ever created. Focusing on creating a ‘game accurate’ edition and showing off advancements in Master Grade designs, proving that no matter how old the design may be it still has plenty more to offer.

Tone it Down a Hue

The first edition of Version OYW comes out of the box in a different color scheme than the Gundam is known for. Instead of being in Gundam’s solid primaries of Red, Blue, Yellow, Gray, and White, the colors are much softer, pale colors. The White is more of a sun bleached color, the yellow is a much richer ‘creamy’ yellow (almost like a hint of orange), and the red is very pale, almost pink. While this might put off some builders, this tone of pink is not so bad when executed in moderation. On the other hand, the Infinite Justice Gundam was almost solid pink but was a pretty good kit. The Gray color compared to the others of the kit is the closest to the RX-78-2’s normal tone.

On a side note and as a throw back to my previous breakdown of the RX-78-2’s lifetime in plastic, the Version OYW has already seen a number of remolds in its time of circulation. The first was a convention exclusive in Gundam’s typical primary color scheme in chrome followed closely by its second and most likely expensive “Real Design” exclusive. This version consisted of duplicate runners for the outer body in alternative colors such as black, gray, drab green, and white to create the design in its varied “Mass Production” colors. Finally, there is another version in standard circulation that is in Gundam’s ‘Anime Accurate’ primary colors of red, white, blue, and yellow. Although the exact same kit as the one reviewed here, this one can often be found to be a little expensive due to its more recent release.

Building

Version OYW is almost an entirely new kit, short of borrowing parts from the RX-78-2 Version 1.5 model such as its prefabricated endoskeleton leg parts and its subsequent runner. The other parts included on the same runner are also used because these parts are needed to build the Gundam’s mace weapon dubbed the “Gundam Hammer” which is an included part of the kit.

The rest of the model is brand new, with new parts to build the Gundam’s primary endoskeleton and outer body. Aside from the differences in color, compared to previous RX-78-2 models this one’s outer body has a vast amount of panel markings. This frame lining style works to make the mold more accurate to its source from the video game. Additionally it serves as a reminder of the original Master Grade RX-78-2 and the earlier 1/100 scale High Grade lines from back before Gundam SEED.

The construction of the Version OYW features a number of differences from the previous incarnations of the RX-78-2 and introduces some of the latest advancements in Bandai’s Master Grade engineering. Of the differences to other Gundam models, the designers opted to remove the Gundam’s Corefighter (a fighter plane that transforms into the mobile suit’s primary control) and replace it with a fully articulated inner skeleton although there is a front plate that resembles the collapsed nosecone of one. While the lack of a Corefighter reduces the ‘Accuracy’ of the RX-78-2 design, removing it from the model’s design allows for a wider range of motion. In its place, the torso is built with a double ball joint assembly between the chest and mid section that connects to the waist. Add in the two ball joints for the neck, and the Version OYW has some of the most articulation ever made for the RX-78-2. The shoulders are a three piece assembly that allows for an added range of motion to the arms. Even though the shoulder parts are done without polycaps, they hold up resiliently with limited stress and friction.

The outer armor for the torso is made of five primary parts and its detailed components. The Primary pieces are two collar-like parts for the midsection which fit around and lock onto the inner skeleton, and the chest armor which are front and back skins. The detail parts include the collar of the chest and the front hatch as well as the exhaust vents. As an extra step in value, the exhaust vents on the front of the chest are hinged. This is a nice change from the previous RX-78-2 kits where the front vents are typically single pieces with gashes to see through to the inner frame that are molded into their frame. The Gundam’s rear thruster pack is another example of Bandai simplifying construction with a single body piece to make up its inner body with the necessary parts for the Beam Saber docks and thruster swivels as the only assembly work. This is then covered by the backpack’s housing.

The head of the Version OYW has the most common with its RX-78-2 relatives in terms of assembly. The head is comprised of the eight parts, the face plate, chin/nose arch, optics (normal eyes, forehead optic), the “V” crest and its locking piece, and the front and back halves that make the head. As always, the head is connected to the body by a swiveling cup polycap. Although standard in construction, the details are remarkably tight, with etched details continuing the armor plating look. There is some paint work needed here for the barrels of the forehead mounted guns. There are some grievances here, as the head is connected to the runner at an area that seems like extra flack plastic, but that is not the case, as that area is meant to be a raised panel. If cautionary steps are taken, this can be done neatly and without ruining this added detail.

The Waist of the Version OYW features one of the latest additions to Master Grade engineering with the adjustable hinge line frame for the legs. This single molded piece is sandwiched between the two components in the waist that connects the waist into the torso (which also mounts the side skirts), can shift forward and back on its guide frame. This works to compliment the model’s posture to push the legs forward more when in a lunged kneeling posture to push the legs out further than the skirt armor. This new piece, although a great addition, has some minor frustrations attached. Because of the legs being attached to the hips via ball-cup polycaps, these caps tend to hold tight and the tension has a tendency to pull the hinge while performing even the slightest rotation.

Gundam’s skirt armor remains as close to the source as it has ever done. Bandai did another good job in keeping the details on the exterior matching the integral lining of the rest of the body. While the side skirts are simply hinged on a polycap cup, the four main skirts are articulated via a ball socket that is locked under the main body housing (crotch and central rear armor). This adds a much wider range of articulation, allowing the legs to rotate further back, and to some degree out to the side. Sideways articulation is limited due to the construction of the legs.

On the matter of the legs, Bandai opted to simplify their work load by reusing a set of parts from their second attempt at the RX-78-2 Gundam. Version 1.5 was produced after Bandai’s introduction of the Perfect Grade line and was a testament of their progression in Master Grade technology. By a process of double injection similar to their original System Injection molding, articulated parts could literally be assembled on the runner. The end result was first used in Perfect Grades for joint pistons and fingers. Continuing the same process, Bandai’s technique evolved from simple double runs (first layer finger tip and joint, second layer the conjoining knuckle) to the entirely complex. As such, the prefabricated leg was born, some assembly still required.

The prefabricated assembly resolves some of the minor technical issues of creating a balanced and functioning system of piston joints in the leg. The bare leg parts are molded with the needed pistons at the knee and ankle regions pre assembled and floating at their hinge points. Also present are a set of floating hinges for opening panels in the armor. At this stage, the leg is only half built and requires more assembly with the needed parts. These parts consist of the upper thigh which holds the polycap socket to connect it to the hips (also acting as the track for the upper knee joint), the outer knee covering, and the upper calf armor which locks into the lower knee pistons. The knee armor is the real locking point of the assembly, reinforced by screws to adjust tension. This screw is hidden beneath the joint cap armor. The final product is one of the most solid constructs in the entire kit.

Although the legs are built with the internal mechanism from the Version 1.5, Version OYW has an entirely new skin, with armor plating that fits the motif of the design’s integral look. The floating hinges I mentioned with the prefabricated leg connect to armor plating on the back of the leg that can open and expose parts. However these parts are fickle and tend to fall off when the hinges are open. There are some minor changes with an additional component at the ankle. The ankle armor of the Gundam is executed by three parts, segmented at the panel markings which are then held in place by a “Y” shaped guide rod with a ball stem. This stem is then built into the heel of the main foot assembly. This adds a delicate, refined touch that continues the separation of Version OYW and its RX-78-2 relatives on which this armor is just hinged at the ankle where it houses the ankle’s ball joint. Another difference is in the feet, where Bandai’s advancements in articulation have allowed the design of a hinge assemble at the toe to allow the foot to rotate forward and curl backwards. Although the legs are built with an old assembly, the minor difference in the Version OYW armor’s plating breathes new life into the process.

The arms are a compliment to the legs and armor design of the entire kit. Using a simplified method for an endoskeleton, the arms are built around the elbow, a sandwich assembly that holds the forearm and bicep in place (this is locked by an elbow plate on the back). Polycap sleeves set in place to hold the wrists and connect the arms to the shoulders. The shoulders are a series of plates holding a sleeve, which connect it to the shoulder stem. Starting at the shoulder, the primary armor is a set of plates, two making the top section (exterior armor, and underlying vent), back plate and the front plate. Additionally there is a hinge plate which connects to the inside of the front and back plates. This plate has a sleeve hole, allowing it to be held in place on the stem that connects the arm to the torso. The bicep armor is split and fits to the sides of the arm with the elbow ‘joint cap’ molded into it. The forearms armor is done using a shortcut technique of sleeves, often reserved for the bicep armor but easily translated for the forearm. The sleeves are two parts, the upper section below the elbow, and the main body. Locking the armor in place is the wrist plate, which also helps in hiding the polycap socket.

From experience, hands in a Master Grade kit have always had that air of frustration. For the longest time, Bandai’s use of hands have been limited to six piece assemblies, the thumb, index finger, and fingers sandwiched in a split palm and locked down by a backhand. The thumb, held by a ball socket whereas the fingers were simple hinges. The shifting thumb and loose tension in the finger hinges often left weapons falling out of the hand and greatly depreciating the display value. In Bandai’s first MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam Master Grade, they attempted to create a new set. This assembly used ball joints for all of the fingers and included hinge joint at the knuckles of the molded fingers (which were suspended by a single ball). While the idea might have been sound on paper, the practice was less than stellar in execution. The results suffered from a combination of loose joints and the same grievances of weapons not holding in place.

Making their debut with the Version OYW is the Master Grade version 2.0 Hands (their name given by fans and hobby enthusiasts). These hands sport a number of differences from the standard MG hands. The standard assembly has been upgraded, now a palm front and back hand pieces, a hinged ball joint for the wrist, and ball jointed fingers. The palm now has a protruding rail that is now used in locking weapons into the hand. The thumb and index finger of course are molded separate from the remaining fingers which are fused together. Unlike the Zeta attempt, the fused fingers have three corresponding balls for each digit, instead of just one. This introduces another “Bandai Extra Mile” technique for advanced building.

The Bandai Extra Mile is a technique that can range from extra clean up to making simple adjustments to parts that are typically molded as single pieces, from clearing excess tabs off the end of the Gundam “V” crests to splitting the skirt armor of a High Grade. For the Master Grade 2.0 Hands, this technique is incorporated into making the hands fully articulated. I learned about this from a Korean modelers’ resource site, and this prompted me to experiment. Due to the size and proximity with each ball joint, cutting them free from each other takes a very fine blade and steady hand. The reward however is something that can not be expressed in words, but in the end results. The fingers can now conform to the grip of a weapon, and the kit just looks that much better with the hands cut freely.

The Version OYW comes equipped for battle with the basics of the RX-78-2: its beam rifle, two beam sabers, shield, hyper bazooka, and the Gundamhammer. Complimenting the changes to the design and its new incorporation of the Version 2.0 hands, each weapon is fit with a groove to fit that mentioned palm-peg. This is a greatly appreciated inclusion especially for the sabers and rifle. Missing the groove however is the Gundamhammer, whose entire construction is comprised of RX-78-2 Version 1.5 parts.

The Gundamhammer is a spiked mace suspended on a chain, and is a very popular weapon of the Gundam. Done to scale, the hammer is suspended on a pre assembled (eight inch) plastic chain and connects to the handle and mace ball via slip rings. The mace ball itself is an example of repetitive construction with each of the 14 spikes needing to be cut and placed into grooves of the ball (which in itself is composed of two separate halves). When finished the hammer is a fun addition to the classic design. The additional melee weapons of the Version OYW are the Gundam’s trademark pair of beam sabers. With both of the sabers molded in solid pieces, they require only cleaning and detailing before being applied to the model. As for the saber beams, Bandai gave the Version OYW a set of curved blades, a much more accented beam than the typical MG “tube” beams. Missing in action however is the Gundam’s beam javelin, but between the hammer and the projectile weapons this weapon is easily forgotten.

The shield, beam rifle, and hyper bazooka are all reinvented classics for the Version OYW. The shield, while molded in entirely new parts, reflects greatly on the original look of the design. The main viewport has a clear plastic window that needs painting to hide it into the backside of the shield. The shield’s grip is mounted on a snap clip that holds it into place on the arm, but when the grip is rotated it reveals a secondary peg that can attach the shield to the Gundam’s backpack. The main grip component piece is mounted to the shield via ports in the track rail on the interior. While this might seem like a lazy, last minute detail, the shield really doesn’t need to be adjusted to any of its other ports when posed in hand.

Gundam’s beam rifle returns as its primary weapon, but features a few differences to its history. The overall look of the rifle remains unchanged, with minor changes to the exterior look to compliment the panel marks of the model it is included with, and very subtle changes such as its length and height when compared to its relatives. The scope eye and the forward balancing grip are of course hinged to move but there is also a swinging tab on the side of the gun that allows it to dock to ports mounted on the Gundam’s backpack, back skirt, and additional ports in the shield.

The hyper bazooka is the last of the Gundam’s reinvented weapons. While compared to the previous incarnations shows that little has been changed (except for Version KA which has a mounted scope), it was given the same port-tab like the beam rifle on the side of the weapon. Construction follows the rule of the rifle, split down the middle with an extended solid cut cap-barrel, and additional cap parts that hold the halves in place and add more detail. The biggest and only major gripe here is that the bazooka is molded in solid gray plastic, but requires being painted white. The drawback is the shade of white is somewhat bleached and mixing the right tones can often backfire. Having painted mine, I can say that was the biggest fault on my part. Still, the bazooka is a welcome addition, and makes for some exceptional display poses complimented by the OYW design.

Simply put, the Version OYW RX-78-2 Gundam is a nice reminder of the design’s importance to its legacy. It introduced the world to the Gundam and Bandai continues to use it as the test bed for introducing new and exciting changes in the world of Master Grade models. As stated earlier, those not enthused by the default Version OYW color scheme will most likely want to go for the later released “Anime Accurate” edition. In either case, this model was well worth the time and building.

I go to buy tools and walk away with a model

I go to buy tools and walk away with a model

Around a year and a half ago, before I built the Master Grade version of the Freedom Gundam from Gundam SEED, there was the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, Bandai’s first installment of the SEED franchise in Master Grade form.

Bandai’s infamous Master Grade line of Gundam models has forever and a day been dominated by machines from the original Gundam universe known as the ‘Universal Century.’ Variants such as anything “Char” and Side Story machines aside, there have only been a few kits to come from the ‘Alternate Universe.’ These AU series are the stand alone Gundam tales that have been fortunate to receive Master Grade kits as well include G-Gundam, and the Wing Gundam Zero from Gundam Wing. Joining their ranks is the Strike Gundam from Gundam SEED.

Following the tradition of the Gundam name brand, Bandai capitalized exceedingly on the popularity of Gundam SEED with model kits. With a total of three 1/144 low grades, one 1/144 high grade, three 1/100 scale High grades, and its 1/60 scale the Strike needs no introduction. However since Master Grade is more of a status than any other model, the Aile Strike had to stand out as something different than its previous incarnations.

Planting the SEED

The Strike Gundam is the first Gundam declared for Bandai’s last generation of the franchise: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Set in its own universe of the Cosmic Era, SEED seemed to most as a ‘rehash’ of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. The normal, terrestrial Earth Alliance against the forces of ZAFT and its space dwelling super-advanced “Coordinators” in a bitter genetically driven Civil War. Neither side was greater than the other short of ZAFT’s technological superiority with the development of Mobile Suits and the Neutron Jammer, a device capable of eliminating Nuclear power sources, thereby crippling the Earth Alliance.

A few years into the war, in a cooperative effort between the Earth Alliance and the neutral colony Heliopolis and produced through Morganrate, the Alliance began producing its own mobile suit forces. However in a cunning attempt, ZAFT successfully captured four of the experimental mobile suits, save for one. The GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, piloted by Kira Yamato.

The Model

Using a minimal amount of weight and sticking to the character value of the Strike Gundam, the MG Aile fills its role very well. Construction is simple but uses just enough parts to do the job. The model stands very sleek and slender which is a complete contrast to the rounder, more “clunky” looking version like the 1/100 scale High Grade.

Out of the box, the Strike comes molded in its primary colors: white, blue, red and yellow with the additional gray plastic for interior parts and weapons. As for the “Aile Striker” parts are molded in the darker gunmetal gray with an additional red parts tree. Your average builder will be please to know that there is hardly any paint work to do. There are a few points such as the usual red-points inside thrusters and gray spots on the front of the skirts and back of the shield.

The head of Strike is made up of nine parts. This includes the face (3 parts) head casing (2 parts plus polycap) and the ‘Gundam crest’ (3 parts). Detailing is very streamlined and done to above the initial character value. Paint work includes the gun barrels for its ICWS machine guns and the vents on the back of the head. The mold of the parts is really good and tight.

The torso is a solid assembly with the armor plating done around a central subassembly. The neck is one solid piece and is mounted on a swivel point to raise the head up or down. The cockpit is built into this as a box which fits inside. The pilot figure comes separate and unpainted and needs work; I painted mine like the Strike’s late pilot Mu La Flaga. The shoulders of the kit are a new simplistic articulated assembly. This acts as a fixed rotary block and allows the arms of the model to have an enhanced range of motion and flexability. Finally, as always the cockpit can open and close, but in the Strike’s two door housing.

The hip section of the Strike is very loose fitting but snug. It features the standard of Gundam with its interior section with polycaps for side armor and the main ball joint socket (for the torso). The additions for the Strike’s unique launch base though include a secondary polycap in the back of the rear skirt and another polycap at the base of the tailbone underneath. The rear skirts are hinged and are held in place by a rear block piece. On the front however is something different, the absence of a front skirt polycap. Instead the sockets are done in the undercarriage and front block. This sounds problematic because of the threat of plastic on plastic friction, but there is no weight to cause any. The last parts of the hips are the side containers. Because they hold the Strike’s back up weapons, the Armor Schneider, they can open and close.

The arms of the kit are really great. With the shoulder armor separate and the addition of the new shoulder mechanics, they have a higher range of flexibility. The biceps use a more advanced method of the HGUC style assembly with the polycap inside a housing piece that connects to the elbow. The elbows are double jointed to allow a better range of motion. The shoulders’ armor fits over the arm bar from the torso/shoulder mechanism and features a nifty opening shell. There is one questionable region at the top though; inserts for possible future Striker packs. Seeing how this kit is made with the AILE equipment in mind, these go unused. The hands in the kit are some of the best Master Grade hands, period. They have the plated knuckles of the Strike but also in crisp articulated detail that the 1/100 scale High Grade generation lacked.

The legs of the Strike are done with the simplest amount of assembly with a healthy bit of good looking. Starting at the foot, the soles of the feet are done in full detail. They are separately cut; toe piece and heel piece with panel lines and with the thrusters molded into the heel piece. They are joined together on a simple hinge and polycap ankle to allow for a better degree of posing, and a more dynamic step. The legs themselves are built like the rest of the body with the inner frame making up the real assembly work with the armor just being plated on. There isn’t any real piston/joint system like Master Grades are famous for, but the detailing is good and articulation is as well. The knees are double jointed but the upper leg portion is on a very simple mock quadriceps. This can be seen with the armor plating being able to shift forward when the knee is flexed.

Essentially, the Strike Gundam is an all purpose mobile suit, not confined to a particular style or excessive gimmick and so it is complimented with any array of additional weapons known as Striker packs. From the start of the SEED series, it was equipped with three unique types: ‘SWORD’, ‘LAUNCHER’ and ‘AILE.’ The Aile pack is made for long distance flight and is the more notable Striker pack from the show. While it had been done in 1/100 scale for the High Grade incarnation, the MG Aile Striker was lacking in both accuracy and detail. The Aile pack is divided into two sections; the upper wings section and the lower thruster blocks. The wings were not even worthy of being stabilizers let alone primary wings. The MG version is how it should have been; WINGS! They are articulated wings to be exact, with a double hinge mechanism that allowed them to fold down.

The dual rear blocks are also given some much needed detail with the tails having ventilation down the insides. The only pet peeve I have from this is that no matter how advanced Master Grade construction gets or no matter how detailed tiny parts can be, there is no such thing as a separated thruster assembly. The rear sections of the back boosters and thruster packs are done in red plastic and the detailed engines inside them are done in the same part. Painting can be a real chore if you’re looking for a real separation.

The Strike comes with the bare essentials; shield, beam rifle and beam sabers. The shield is a more streamlined variation of past SEED shields, less bulky and with a new mounting assembly. The mounting assembly is a down graded version of what is now on Perfect Grades; two plates that either fit flat on the back of the arm or fold the shield around to the side of the forearm. It also comes with the basic grip handle that fits on pegs.

The rifle is another modified piece of weaponry; it’s thicker and longer than the prior versions and also sports a clear lens piece. Its detailing is worthy of the new MG treatment. The sabers that come with the Aile pack are more narrow and longer than those of the 1/100 scale but compliment the new sleeker look of the MG kit. Finally comes the one feature weapon of the Strike’s basic arsenal; the Armor Schneider. These two folding daggers are stored in the side pockets and are an actual folding blade which really makes for good toyetics.

An Added Bonus:

I like to think that Bandai’s having fun with giving new ways to display models: the PG GP-01 with its hangar assembly, the Zeong with its ‘pyramid’ or even the EX-S with its slab. The MG Aile Strike comes with its own piece of its hangar away from home. The launch base is to be a simplified replica of the launch pad inside the Archangel. It sports a set of foot blocks that slide back and forth and a raised block in the rear which holds the Strike’s battery cables, with REAL cables! Sadly though these aren’t electrical but the steel wire cables are flexible and hold their shape when disconnected from the rear of the Strike. It also features an additional raising arm that fits into the polycap in the undercarriage of the hips to put the Aile Striker into the air.

On a side note from later builds, this action display base is also compatible with the Master Grade Freedom Gundam. However there is no port on the back of the Freedom to connect the battery cable.

Details:

 While this was a tie-in in for the popularity of SEED, a lot of genuine Master Grade love went into this kit. This can be seen through the amount of decal work. From basic ‘CAUTION’ marks to tags unique to the Strike. The Dry transfer decals in this kit are very different from the normal ones seeing how the word markings are almost one solid sheet rather than being separate letters. This made application to those that bend around corners extremely easy. The ‘correct’ application really shows how much the Bee-Craft crew had fun with their work. The only unlisted decal of the dry transfer series that is a real show of the pilot is the “ENDYMION” which comes from the last pilot, Mu La Flaga.

Closing:

Albeit a simple kit, the Master Grade Strike fills in all the desired gaps from Bandai’s work with the design and the SEED series. It combines the character of the MS but also has some nice new generation toyetics from the Master Grade line. On the downside, Bandai has all but given up on making the additional Striker packs in MG form. For those, Bandai relies on B-Club to make adapter parts that use the original 1/100 scale High grade versions. Even so, the Strike Gundam is another welcome addition to the Master Grade collection.

Every once in a while I would give Sazabi a new weapon, or make him battle it out with the other toys on my shelves. But for the most part, he gathered dust. A silent guardian of my workspace, he would watch as I toiled away in my life as a web designer.

As I cull through the box of debris from my old office, I keep finding new and interesting treasures. The box is your average office copier paper box, but the contents are an interesting look into my toy buying history.

This MSIA Sazabi had been on the shelf in my office for years. I think I bought it at KayBee back when Gundam was winding down. I have always been a sucker for the Sazabi design, and this toy is actually rather large and bulky. It’s loaded with accessories and decently poseable. What’s not to like?

Every once in a while I would give Sazabi a new weapon, or make him battle it out with the other toys on my shelves. But for the most part, he gathered dust. A silent guardian of my workspace, he would watch as I toiled away in my life as a web designer.

Now that he is no longer at work I don’t know what to do with him. Most of my Gundam has been put away or sold. He would look odd amongst all the chogokin.

Sazabi comes with a slew of accessories, including various swords, guns, and small bombs called Fin Fannels. The holders for these open up and the individual pods are removable.  He’s made out of a hard rubber, and can move in all the right places.

He is really a nice figure, but I have moved beyond Gundam.

Do you want this figure? Leave a comment below and I will randomly pick one CollectionDX member to receive it!

Another Gundam bootleg for Easter! Cheap and silly, but worth the $6 for Gundam and bootleg fans....

Last year's Easter Basket Gundam Junior Machinder caught me totally by surprise, but this year I started looking a couple months back. Every time I stopped in a Walmart or somewhere that was selling Easter Baskets, I'd check to see if there was anything similar this year. No dice. All this years offerings seemed pretty boring. Cars. Dolls. Balls. Typical kids toys. But the other night I got the word from JoshB that there was indeed another Gundam up for grabs this year. But it was only sold at K-Mart, a store I really never go to. The hunt was on.

But either this one was produced in smaller numbers than the other baskets, or just sold much quicker, because between Sanjeev and I, we checked 4 different stores before I was lucky enough to find this one specimen, buried in an aisle display at a Big K-Mart. I had thought it was just a recolor of last year's toy, but as soon as I picked it up, I could tell it was drastically different.

As you can see, it's packaged the same, carded and placed inside a basket with some candy and a bow on top. But everything else is different. The most disappointing thing about it is it's size. While still a significant toy at 11" tall, it pales in comparison to the previous one. The whole thing is molded in black with gold and silver painted highlights and with some absolutely garish and nonsensical stickers all over it. "Power Robot", "V Power RX08 GP00"", "H-02", "MSF-0071", "King", and my favorite, "Win" are written on the stickers.

This Gundam is not as cool as the last one. While it has a new gun and shield, it is not nearly as well articulated. It can move at the neck, shoulders, hips and knees. The arms only raise and lower, though. You can't spread them out sideways like before. And the legs are permanently in that slightly outstretched position. Techincally, I suppose this gives it even more of a Machinder aesthetic than last year, which makes it even more a disappointment that it's smaller.

This one does have a feature not included before though. By pressing a button on the back, you get that favorite of bootleg toy makers....a light on the front.

It's interesting that this says it is made by a different company than the last one, especially since the card from last year has a picture of a black Gundam toy that looks much like this one. The mold is not the same, but all the stickers are.

As with before, this is only for Gundam and bootleg fanatics and I'm not a big enough Gundam fan to know where the design is taken from. So if anyone would like to clarify, please leave a comment.

With the SEED Destiny television series over, a new chapter of Side-Stories for the Cosmic Era would reintroduce the Strike. In the new micro-series, Gundam SEED CE-73 Stargazer, new incarnations of the Strike, Duel, and Buster have emerged. In this review, I look at the first, the GAT-X105E Strike Noir Gundam.

Building a Better Mobile Suit, one series at a time.

In Gundam SEED, there was one mobile suit that got things going. No I don’t mean Freedom, I mean the Strike. Like the RX-78-2, the original Gundam, the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam reset the bar for standardized mobile suits, with optional weapon packs, a sleek exterior, the introduction of Phase Shift Armor, and for laughs I’m sure it had a cup holder in the cockpit. While the RX-78 brought us the friendly Federation cannon fodder GM (Gundam Mass produced), the Strike gave birth to a generation of not so friendly forces.

When it comes to mobile suit warfare, whoever has the best wins, or rather when not going against the main characters, in which case they win. In the long run, ZAFT had the mobile suit technology, and with enhanced physical and mental capacities of the Coordinators (biologically ‘superior’ humans) were able to operate them to their fullest potential. Along with the technology came the variety of suits: ranging from the mass produced Ginns, leader type Cigues, aquatic Goohns, aerial assault type Dinns and the quadruped, animal like Bacues for terrestrial warfare. The Alliance, on the other hand, whose armed forces comprised of Naturals (normal, unaltered humans) developed Mobile Armors, enhanced armored crafts like their Mistrals and Moebius class. While ZAFT built for elegance and strength, the Earth Alliance built for shear numbers and firepower with the development of the GAT series, starting with the mobile suits Duel, Buster, Aegis, Blitz and Strike.

My Gun’s better than Your Gun…

. When ZAFT stole them and developed their new dominating machines, the Freedom, Justice, and Providence, the Alliance built their own new models, the Raider, Calamity and Forbidden. However these were your out of standardized machines. While the limited series machines were impressive in battle, not everyone had a mobile suit. With the GAT-X105 Strike as the base model, the Alliance later developed their own mass production MS series, the Daggers. Unlike ZAFT mobile suits, the Daggers were not built for looks; no trim work, no fancy crown, not even a cup holder, however in the tradition of the Strike were capable of using a wide series weapon packs for any given situation.

Going into SEED Destiny, ZAFT extended their mobile suit arsenal with the ZAKU Warrior (a new incarnation of the classic MS-06 Zaku from the Universal Century) and the GOUF-Ignited (again, based on the UC classic MS-07 Gouf), and an array of new Gundam types; the Chaos, Gaia, Abyss, Impulse, Destiny, and Legend. The Alliance seemed pretty fit with the Dagger however a new variety of weapon packs would emerge like the Doppelhorn double barreled cannon. As response to ZAFT’s new artillery, the Alliance rolled out the Windam, a more dynamic looking but equally powerful machine that was a vast improvement on the Dagger concept.

…but what about Strike Gundam?

In the final episodes of Gundam SEED, the Strike Gundam was destroyed in a blaze of glory. Also casualties of the final episodes were GAT series Buster and Duel, although reparably damaged, they were finished. Sadly because going into Destiny, neither the Duel nor the Buster made a come back and the only Strike Gundam to be seen was the ‘Rouge’, personal machine of Cagali Atha. As a fan-pop, the original Strike did make a three minute cameo when the Rouge was commandeered by Kira Yamato so he could claim the Strike Freedom. Hence, the fate of the Strike was then left to the MSV department, being the basis for future ideas and concepts.

“Starlight, Star bright. First Stargazer MS Tonight”

With the SEED Destiny television series over, a new chapter of Side-Stories for the Cosmic Era would reintroduce the Strike. In the new micro-series, Gundam SEED CE-73 Stargazer, new incarnations of the Strike, Duel, and Buster have emerged. In this review, I look at the first, the GAT-X105E Strike Noir Gundam.

“A Black Gundam?!?” “Why not!? It worked in Blazing Saddles…”

The term noir is defined as the prototypical attitude, a shadow of mystery and the color black. That translates perfectly for this design and model. The Strike Noir comes as the first model of the new SEED serial. From their work in the SEED MSV line, it’s good to see that this machine comes in a high grade form rather than the static low grade form or an action figure assortment.

While called the Strike, this kit shares very little in common with its namesake. The torso is visually identical, shoulders have some common looks and the head’s shape is almost close. Considering this is a much darker, more advanced version of the classic machine, I’m not surprised how different this kit is. Also noted, is that while it is a new Strike, it does not recycle any parts of the original Strike HG kit.

Out of the box, the part come molded in their basic colors, black, yellow, red, gray, light gray, and dark gray. The yellow parts are almost a bright orange, nearly neon, so for sake of creativity, I painted gold (over a base coat of Yellow Zinc Chromate). There are several parts that come molded in one piece but need more than three tones, such as the shoulders front skirt, v-crest, and the face. The crest needs to be gray, yellow, and black but comes molded in the yellow plastic. An example of paint needs would include the shoulders: molded in black and needing to be red, dark gray, and yellow.

Moving onto the assembly; assembly for the head is the standard for SEED HG 1/144 kits, you have six parts; the crest, crest lock, face, chin, and helmet front and helmet back. As stated, the face needs paint and so does the crest. The face has a very deep cut to it, making the details much sharper and almost easier to paint. I explained to some friends wanting some help, that it’s smarter to work from the nose up. With the red paint done first, you can come back in and black out the eye areas with a detail pen and do a fine tipped touch up on the eyes last. The V-crest also has some touch up points such as micro tabs on the back side of the tips that you have the option of cutting off, I cut mine off and the crest looks measurably better because of that. The overall assembly of the head is much better than anything I’ve seen out of the SEE HG line in a while. The head is done in the scale without too much compression, keeping an even scale between the helmet and face.

The torso assembly is really something I could have expected from a 1/100 scale kit. The part count is well around thirteen, ten if you discount the polycaps. The part count includes the four parts for the basic body, two shoulder joints, and four more for the vent pieces and the gray frame pieces on the front. The shoulder points inside the upper chest are for the new ball socket shoulder pieces. The chest block’s cutout for the polycap neck is considerably wider than normal, giving the head a more dynamic range of motion, able to go forward or backwards much further. The vent pieces and the frame parts really surprised me about this kit, much like the other yellow parts that fit areas I had expected to need paint. Next to the chin, these vents are the smallest parts in the kit, dangerously small. Cutting them free from the runner I almost lost one in the confusion. Luckily it got stuck in my beard so no worries.

The arms of the Noir show signs of the original Strike but with some major modifications: a newly sculpted bicep, new forearm, and the extended fins on the shoulders. The forearm’s joint assembly is made for an extended flex range, making the fists nearly able to come up to the top of the shoulder at a full flex. As mentioned before, the arms connect to the torso via a ball socket, but unlike previous ball socket assemblies, the joining part for the arms and torso is a double ball stem. Having the ball socket on both ends, gives a really new feel to the arms. According to the Dalong resource site, the same assembly has been used in the ORB-01 Akatsuki model kit.

Paint is really required for the shoulder pieces. While the basic Frame points need a touch of gray, the extensions off the end need a serious paint job. The paint work is as followed: red on the underside, and yellow in these indentations on the sides. Since the part is molded in black, a base coat is needed for either work. For the red, I used the same gray I used to match the plastic was a flat coat, it made the red area easier to paint and without over coating. The yellow could work in the same fashion, but since I went with gold for the yellow areas, a splash of dull yellow worked even well.

The model comes with three pairs of hands and two sets of back guards. This comes as two closed fists, two gun hands, and two open palms. While the open hands have back guards permanently attached, the two weapon hand sets share one set of guards. It’s a short cut for part production and makes sense if you change hands for different weapons anyway. While the hands fit tight in the sockets of the forearm, they hold weapons very loosely. Considering the Strike Noir’s arsenal of pistols and sabers, this isn’t very good.

The waist is an entirely retooled idea of the original Strike and sets the standard for the new series. The skirts are sharper but identical to the Strike, but the side skirts are not compartments for folding daggers. Instead they are plates with docking crevices for the Noir’s pistols. The new waist has a swivel block for the legs to turn 30 degrees forward and backwards. This new assembly also has a detachable plate, this allows for the base stand included with the kit to hold the Noir via an insert peg.

A new stunt to kick of the Stargazer series in the Strike Noir is the front skirts. Fans of 1/144 High Grades will know that skirts come attached to one another. Normally front skirts come in single parts joined by a shaft that runs through the central block on the crotch. With some High Grade Universal Century and some of the SEED kits in 1/144 scale, Bandai has come up with a solution for advanced builders to take advantage of and make articulated skirts such as a thin wedge running along the midsection of the skirt shaft. With a skill saw and by cutting down the center, this wedge prevents the skirts from falling out and allows for articulated skirts. However none of that is here. Instead something new, already detached, ball tipped front skirts. The ball tipped neck for them to attach allows for dynamic adjustments when the legs are pushing the skirts out.

The legs of the Strike Noir show nothing in common with the Strike. With an entirely new design, the legs are sharper, more sturdy and dynamic in shape. The legs almost look identical to the legs of the Strike Dagger series. The lower legs have a good bit of assembly, the frame portions go down from the knee to the ankle and then the body armor attaches from the front, sides and rear. The amount of assembly adds weight and stability for the body. The feet are new, five part assemblies with the common three layer feet but with the new parts for detailing the ankle.

Weapons; no mobile suit or car is complete without an array of guns, blades spikes and other gadgets to make a body good. The Strike Noir’s back pack is a full arsenal pack. Almost like the Tactical Arms pack from the Astray Blue Frame Second L. The back pack is comprised of a set of wing blocks that rotate freely and can be turned up right and out to make something like the Mobile Suit Variation system called the IWSP. The IWSP was a popular concept of adding all of the Strike Gundam’s arsenal packs: Sword Striker, Launcher Striker, and Aile Striker into one. The Strike Noir’s tactical pack minimizes the features from all three into a more permanent assembly.

The first weapons in the tactical pack are the new short swords. These swords are on outer side of the pack and have rotating grips that look like little laser barrels. They detach by sliding up and popping out, also they come with short beam blades that can be attached to small ports on the edges for an activated mode. On the insides of the pack, there are two cannons. These guns swing around to the top of the wing housing for flight mode via a swing arm assembly. These cannons have remarkably small but detailed assemblies, to make its swing arms and outer casing. Like the vents on the chest, there are micro sized tabs that fit on the outside and smaller barrels that fit inside. The main bodies of each cannon unit have paint work to be done. With a red tab that needs color and a black fin. Word of caution however; while the cannon is mounted on swing arms, these swing arms are delicate and almost fragile due to the tight part on part friction.

The last bits of the Strike Noir’s arsenal include its pistols and anchor. The pistols are simple shell assemblies and make two guns. These pistols are simple but remind me of the “Lawgiver 2” from Judge Dredd. They fit into the gun hands loosely and fall out at the slightest shift, or they can dock into the hip skirts. The last part of the anchor is almost forgettable due to its size and use. It comes with a small stretch of double bound wire and fits into ports located on the open palm hands, ankles, toes, and back pack.

The last addition to the Stargazer collection is a base stand. While not fancy like the Limited Edition units sold with the SEED Destiny 1/100 scale line, these base stands are packaged with the Stargazer kits already. The stand comes with two display blocks, for high and low arrangements. Displaying the model requires you to remove the tab plate on the bottom of the waist.

OVERALL

Overall this was a breath of fresh air for the 1/144 scale high grade lineup. The Strike Noir uses some tricks and bits from the HGUC line while improving a great design from the SEED garage. With its abundance of small, almost microscopic parts the Strike Noir isn’t something for the novice, but it’s a great start to a new line up.