Universal Unit Volume 4

Yep, it's been a while since Universal Unit popped up here on the blog and I still have a couple of figures sitting in their boxes waiting to be assembled. So I have at least finally pulled myself together and completed piecing together the last figures of volume four. I actually begun working out on this set hot on the heels after the Universal Unit volume 3 review last summer but... I only progressed halfway before my attention was diverted elsewhere...

Universal Unit volume 4 is the last of the four regular figure waves that saw the light of day in this relatively short-lived series which didn't even last a full year. The first figures were out in August 2016 and this set which was also the final release came out in May 2017. The figures were initially sold in semi-blind boxes (you'd know which mobile suit you were getting but not which equipment variant) but at this stage Bandai had given up that shady practice and labelled the boxes with A and B versions accordingly. The figures  had a recommended price of ¥500 and were distributed in 10-boxes which would typically net you a complete sets and a couple of extras.

Ultimately the Universal Unit figures were a kind of stepping stone towards Gframe and are perhaps best known for putting an end to the Assault Kingdom action figure line and replacing it with miniature model kits.
   

RX-93 Nu Gundam

Volume 4 has some rather eclectic figure choices but it starts out with a really overused and done-to-death figure, the RX-93 Nu Gundam. I think that in many ways Universal Unit managed to do a good job of releasing some unusual mobile suit choices but there were plenty of common figures as well. Somewhat surprisingly there is no Sazabi in the UU line-up (and none of the other machines from Char's Counterattack either for that matter).

Combination photos displaying contents from both the A and B versions of the figure. Notice the common bag marked 1 which is included with either version. The bags 1-A and 1-B are included in the boxes marked A and B respectively.

The equipment on the left side of the figure is exclusive to the A-version, and the one on the right to the B-version.

The component shot above will give you an idea of the points of articulation of the basic Universal Unit figure. All the figures in this set share the same build and the joints are in many places quite similar so that you could customize the figures a bit if you wanted. Say, putting the Nu Gundam legs on the Alex and so on, as long as different bulky components don't get in the way of each other that is.

The basic mobile suit before adding equipment. It has been touched up a little with various paint apps since it is quite white out of the box.

The A-version of the Nu gets the Beam Saber, the nice two-colour Beam Rifle and the shield...

...while the B-version receives the large Fin Funnel pack and a bazooka.

This figure combines all the accessories from both the A- and the B-version of the Nu Gundam.

As bored as I tend to be with the Nu Gundam I have to say the Universal Unit figure is looking really on point. I guess you can always ask for extra features such as the same nice two colour-scheme on the bazooka or a black inside panel on the shield etc. but overall one of the best UU figures for sure.

Can you spot the UU-figure in this line-up of other proper prepainted 1:220 figure? Here it mingles with the STANDart versions (012 with dual Fin Funnels from 2009 and 054 from 2012), the Funnel-less Ultimate Operation figure from 2006 and the rather anemic Assault Kingdom figure from 2014.
   

LM312V04 Victory Gundam / LM312V06+SD-VB03A V-Dash Gundam Hexa

Here is where UU4 takes a turn for the more unusual and interesting. The designers have taken a step out of their comfort zone and left the bulky angular Gundam designs behind and take on the sleek and rounded shape of the Victory. This is actually a first for the League Militaire in the entire 1:220 history which I find commendable.

The A-version of the figure has parts to create the Victory Gundam while the B-version makes it possible to build a Victory Dash Hexa.

The Victory figure is the only figure in this set which offers two distinct mobile suit options in its A- and B-modes. While the A-box lets you build the standard LM312V04 Victory Gundam the B-version offers up a LM312V06+SD-VB03A V-Dash Gundam Hexa. The latter actually also has a different head sculpt which is not something you would normally find in Universal Unit.

LM312V04 Victory Gundam armed with both a beam rifle and a beam saber. It has been panel-lined as well as painted in places.

The basic Victory Gundam is a really beautiful design and the seam lines on the figure aren't too bad 8especially when compared to the Ground Type Gundam in this set). The mobile suit stands around 15 meters tall instead of the usual 18 meters for your typical Gundam and the figure is also somewhat shorter than the other Universal Century suits although scale is usually not a super strict thing in candy toys.

LM312V06+SD-VB03A V-Dash Gundam Hexa armed with its Overhang Pack granting additional speed as well as two powerful beam cannons and a mega-beam rifle.

The B-version pack really transforms this figure into a very different beast. i think the Bandai engineers have done a really great job with this figure. The only thing I kind of wish for is its beautiful beam shield but as it would be a large translucent piece I understand why it was axed.

Concept art for the LM312V04 Victory Gundam, LM312V04+SD-VB03A V-Dash Gundam and then the LM312V06 V-Dash Gundam and its LM312V06+SD-VB03A V-Dash Gundam Hexa variant.

One neat thing about the Universal Unit Victory figure is that you can take the parts from an A and a B box and scramble them to create the remaining two versions from the line-up above; the V04 Victory with and Overhead Pack creating the Victory Hexa and a V06 Victory without the Overhead Pack. It is something I didn't realize until I sat down with this review and I may actually go through the trouble of picking up a couple of extras for that purpose.

The Universal Unit Victory together with a Strategy of Gundam 1:300 Victory Dash Gundam (notice the different heads).

Amusingly, Strategy of Gundam features the opposite modes of the Victory - here the Universal Unit V-Dash Hexa poses next to a Victory Dash.

It is a shame that the Universal Unit figure line didn't stick around long enough to produce also the Victory 2 Gundam and the various Assault and Buster configurations. It would have been a perfect P-Bandai product (can't believe I just typed that...).
   

LM111E02 Gun-EZ

So far we have seen two really well executed figures in this set but here comes my real favourite. It is the only non-Gundam figure of the set and also a brand new mobile suit to enter the 1:220 figure line-up. I guess you can think of the Gun-EZ as the Mobile Suit Victory Gundam equivalent to the mass production type RGM-79 GM.

The A-version of the Gun-EZ comes with a beam saber and a beam rifle, the B-version only with a bazooka.

It appears that all the effort spent on the Nu Gundam and the Victory figures meant that the Gun-EZ will have to suffer as a result. I mean, look at that equipment selection. There are only three simple weapon choices here and Bandai decided to split them up like this? Very poor effort. I get that they like for us to buy more figures than we need but surely the Gun-EZ could have been a simple A-version figure only (like the Wing Gundam in volume three). I have a feeling the skimping on equipment is one of the factors that killed Universal Unit.

As you can see this is a very basic design but it stays pretty faithful to the original mobile suit. Notice that both arms are able to equip the beam shield, an accessory that is only available in its deactivated mode. Imagine if the Victory and Gun-EZ Universal Unit figures had been allowed to get their beautiful pink translucent beam shields. Even if they only appeared as an expensive P-Bandai pack I would be all over them.

The Gun-EZ posing with Strategy of Gundam counterparts; the LM111E02 Gun-EZ (right) and LM111E03 Gunblaster (left).

I know it would not have made sense from a financial point of view but imagine if Bandai had spread the love and also developed the LM111E03 Gunblaster for the 1:220 line-up. It is not as easy as switching out the head of the Victory Gundam but I would easily have taken it over something bog standard like a zillionth 1:220 scale Nu Gundam...

Overall the Gun-EZ figure is simple but quite accurate. As evident from the above photo I really enjoy it and perhaps one day I will look into pimping them with beam shields recovered from some of the other Victory or F91-era figures out there. Gundam Converge and Ensemble may have something of value to recover.
   

RX-79[G] Ground Type Gundam

I'm sorry but the last figure in this set feels like some kind of afterthought. I love the Ground Type Gundam as much as the next guy but it feels like it was just thrown in here because it is relatively cheap to manufacture. This is a figure that should have been so much more.

The A-version figure gives you two rifle options and the shield while the B-version comes with the 180mm cannon.

Just take a look at this component shot. Are you telling me that only one of the figures comes with a shield? You know, the shield which is supposed to feature the iconic "08" stickers? Bandai even included a sticker sheet with optional unit numbers but only fifty percent of the figures will even be able to use them? I'm sorry but this is pathetic. And hold on... where is the backpack? You couldn't even give us a simple plastic rectangle? Incredibly disappointing. Look to Mobile Suit Ensemble to see how it is supposed to be done...

The A-Box comes with the S-000011 Beam Rifle, the Type.37/100 Machine Gun and the Ap-A Shield (not equipped in these photos).

The Ground Type Gundam comes with some really distracting seams lines on its knees. Other than that its appearance is quite nice and its multiple colour applications on the torso are much appreciated.

The B-version figure comes with the 180mm Cannon only, here it uses the Ap-A Shield from Box-A.

I just can't get over the fact that not only is the shield not a standard accessory for both the A and B versions of the figure but if there is one figure who needs it it is the one that equips the cannon. The missing back-mounted weapon rack is also a huge disappointment. I wonder if it would be possible to equip one from the Ensemble Ground Type figure, which unfortunately is in very limited supply as it seems to be really popular.

While the Universal Unit figures are not the best at posing it is at least possible to do some kind of poor version on the classic Ground Type Gundam knee-bending pose.

Ground Type Gundams from Assault Kingdom, Universal Unit and FW Ultimate Operation.

Imagine if the Universal Unit Ground Type Gundam had been allowed to flourish, it could easily have been one of the best figures of the entire line. Again, an equipment pack with some of the missing accessories, a backpack and a GM head would have been pretty great. Then they would have the excuse to do a limited Ground Type GM as well...  :)
   

Conclusion

While the review did kind of end on a sour note I don't really want to chastise the figures too much. Sure, the Ground Type Gundam implementation was rather lazy and yes, more could have been done with the Victory Gundam figures as well but I really enjoy all the figures in this set (even if some of them are starting to overstay their welcome at this point). If you enjoy Universal Unit these figures are an easy recommendation. At the time of this review, Bandai has completely abandoned the 1:220 line-up after 14 consecutive years of awesome figures and I just hope that they will return to it eventually.

The latest MS Ensemble news...

In the latest developer blog the Bandai development lead for Ensemble talks about how the figure series is coming up on its third anniversary in December (still half a year out...). As part of the musings he speaks about the very first EX figure, the today ludicrously hard to find Full Armor Unicorn, a figure I personally missed out on because I was still on the fence about jumping in (it was the later EX 03 Hazel TR-1 figure that lured me in). The figure was originally offered in the green Awake Mode colours in a very complete gear package at a price of ¥2700 plus tax. Last I saw one of these rare figures popping up on Mandarake it sold for ¥15000 within minutes...

Naturally, when K. Sawa begun talking about this figure in the blog entry I immediately begun drooling at a chance to see it reissued. It turns out though that although this is also something they had in mind, they will be clever enough to redo it in standard Destroy Mode white and red colours. Cheeky... To add a little extra value the set will also feature two additional shields intended for the brand new Unicorn Mode Unicorn figure which is being released this month as part of Ensemble Part 10.

The new Full Armor Unicorn figure is priced at ¥2970 which is nearly the same price as that of the original figure. Preorders for this figure opened today (link here). There is actually also a discussion about the Ensemble series' history in the same blog entry but Google Translate does such a poor job of translating it that I can't really learn that much from it unfortunately.

SD Gashapon Senshi Forte 06

Senshi Forte part six was released in June 2018 and it has taken me this long to finally gather all its components for review. For some reason I didn't encounter a full set so picked the figures up piece by piece. It was only recently that I managed to dig up the white Qubeley (after the initial attempt where I ordered one which arrived two months later only to be a completely different miniature... pffft).

Ensemble figures don't have a very long lifespan on the market. Once the initial wave has sold out you will be in a rather tricky spot. I imagine it could be somewhat easier if you have access to the local second hand-market in Japan but it seems even there they are less likely to be encountered than say e.g. Converge figures.

Senshi Forte volume 06 were released both in Gashapon capsules (which come with the full colour booklets) and in random boxes with standardized artwork.
   

F032 : MSZ-010S Enhanced ZZ Gundam

Set six leans heavily into Zeta and Double Zeta Gundam which was true also for volume five before it. The set is spearheaded by the ZZ Gundam in its enhanced configuration, a figure we recently saw also in Gundam Converge by the way.

The Senshi Forte version of the Double Zeta looks really nice. It has a bright and colourful design with standout fins on its arms and shoulders. The large backpack is very detailed although it is too bad that the beam saber hilts didn't get some white colour applications on them.

The Enhanced ZZ Gundam comes with only one accessory, its classic double barreled beam gun. The figure is a bit of a brick though. The gigantic backpack as well as the large fins do impair articulation a bit so it typically just gets to stand around doing nothing.

Size and style comparison with some regular ZZ Gundams from Gashapon SD Full Color, Gashapon Warrior NEXT and Gundam Converge. Notice how the NEXT figure from 2011 does feature white beam saber hilts on its backpack only for the Senshi Forte figure to lose them again. :)

The mobile suits operated by the A.E.U.G. and its friends in the Karaba as available in the Senshi Forte figure line. A pretty impressive selection, although I wish there were also the friendly faces of the Methuss and the Nemo in this line-up. For the skilled painter it will also be possible to paint up the new Zeta Plus A1 figure from Senshi Forte 09 in Karaba colours as well.
   

F033 : AMX-004 Qubeley

So here is the figure which eluded me for almost a year. It is definitely a nice representation of the Qubeley and the translucent beam saber is a really nice touch. Not sure what happened to its eyes though, where are the pupils? And I think there is a pretty severe production error in this figure as well. Notice how the two wing binder shapes don't line up properly. It looks like they accidentally painted the three pink stripes on the binder which is supposed to go on the back side and left the front component unpainted. Ouch!

I am curious if any other Senshi Forte collectors also encountered this problem with their Qubeleys or if this is a Monday sample... Manufacturing errors aside I have to say I am a bit disappointed by the decision to skip paint applications on the wing binder backsides. I suppose it could be relatively easy to fill in the missing markings (as long as you can find the proper pink and purple colours that is).

Notice also the graceful open hands of the Qubeley figure. I love how Bandai gave all the Senshi Forte figures unique hand sculpts, something we can probably forget when the replacement Gashapon replacement series hits the market.

Qubeley as seen in SD Full Color Stage 44 (October 2003), SD Full Color Stage 8 (April 1999), Senshi Forte 06 (June 2018) and as a Banpresto Keyring Figure from its 2005 Zeta Gundam Part 2 collection.

More Quebely fashion from Gashapon Warrior NEXT 02 (April 2011), Senshi Forte 06 again, and original appearance from Converge (August 2013).

Just for fun, let's check out some other Qubeley figures and their ever changing colour schemes. Not only do the colours of the eyes change drastically but so does the colour apps on its torso.
   

F034 : AMX-004-3 Qubeley Mk-II (Ple Two Use)

Ok... seriously. What in the world is going on here? Having just recovered from the mistake in the Qubeley figure the Mark II is going to double down. On this figure they goy the yellow paint apps on two wing binders of matching shapes yes, but they are supposed to go on the back side. At least they got it half right with the previous figure... Bandai, where is your QC department? :)

While paint mishaps such as these are annoying I won't lose any sleep over it. To be honest I didn't even discover this until I sat down and worked on the photos for the review. However now I am really curious to find out if everyone has received figures with completely random paint apps or if the same mistakes are propagated throughout the entire Senshi Forte Qubeley line.

If there are indeed different variations out there it could help explain why the Senshi Forte Qubeleys are hard to find. I will be keeping an extra eye open for additional figure myself. Perhaps it is possible to construct a fully painted figure from swapping parts from different figures (and then paint up Unit 2 while we are at it...).

As you can see the two Senshi Forte Qubeleys are simple colour swaps and I can't really fault them for it. The Mark II is supposed to have two additional funnel bits stored on its skirt armor but they both feature ten here.
   

F035 : PMX-003 The-O

Next up is the peculiar The-O mobile suit operated by the great Paptimus Scirocco himself. It is a pretty dismal design to come out of the epic PMX line which opened up with such evergreen designs as the Messala and Palace Athene, designs we only rarely get to see in figure form, presumably because they are hell to design. Much easier to take a lumpy design like The-O and convert I suppose...

The short and stumpy SD version of the The-O almost looks better than the oddly shaped full figure form. The figure is a bit light on colour applications though. I wouldn't have minded seeing at least a few decorative paint apps on here as the figure is very yellow.

The Senshi Forte The-O comes armed with its signature high output beam rifle and a nice translucent beam saber. Really, three figures in this volume are given translucent beam sabers, this is such a nice treat. While you can equip either in the figure's regular hands you also get two optional sub arms that can also wield any weapon you please. If you pick up a second The-O you could have both sub arms equipped with beam sabers for example, definitely something I would like to do.

Here we see the Senshi Forte figure with a greenish yellow figure from SD Full Color Stage 8 (April 1999), a very yellow version from Gashapon Warrior NEXT (March 2015) and the Converge figure (September 2015) with its ridiculous pointy head.

The Titans have a decent selection of mobile suits in Senshi Forte although it could do with some fleshing out. There are a number of suitable candidates for this in the FW SD Gundam NEO collection that I could recommend.
   

F036 : AMX-014 Döven Wolf

The third Neo Zeon representative in SF 06 is the mighty Döven Wolf mass production type mobile suit. It employs technology from advanced machines such as the Psycho Gundam Mk-II and Gundam Mk-V as well as advanced tech based on Psycommu systems field tested in the Hamma Hamma. It stands taller than most regular mobile suits and has a massive output from its ultra compact fusion reactor.

I wish that the Döven Wolf got more screen time in the Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam television series but at least I can compensate somewhat for it and army build in Senshi Forte. The SF figure doesn't really betray its high performance and I kind of wish Bandai had put a couple of extra millimeters on its height.

Much like your average Gundam the Döven Wolf is armed to teeth with a powerful array of weapons. Here we get its most iconic gear option only; its gigantic beam rifle.

The head contains a black cylinder with the monoeye painted on it so that you can rotate it freely 360 degrees. It is a nice feature although I generally find that the monoeye figures looks best when their eyes are center forward.

The weapon can connect directly into the two mega particle launchers seen on the figures torso (the two red circles) and the Senshi Forte figure does a good job of mimicking this. In this configuration the weapon turns into a Mega Beam Launcher which almost quadruples its energy output.

It is hard to create an SD figure of a monster of a mobile suit such as the Döven Wolf. I find that the Senshi Forte figure has an overall bulkier feel than the recent Converge figure (above right) put when compared to a scale figure such as the 1:400 Gundam Collection figure you can see just how much of the suit's impressive design that gets watered down in the process.

I am nevertheless very happy with how the Döven Wolf figure turned out in Senshi Forte and just the fact that it exists is enough to put a smile on my face.

The Senshi Forte Axis/Neo Zeon line-up is quite strong when compared to many other figure series. Still, there are so many gaps in this line-up that will never be filled, not even by foraging into different SD figure sets.
   

F037 : Musha Gundam

The last figure in the set is an SD Gundam character, a fine tradition upheld ever since the first Senshi Forte set was released (set 09 is the first set to omit one completely). The Musha Gundam design is kind of the granddaddy for all the weird variations that followed and is probably also the most iconic of the bunch.

I love how Bandai have decided to splurge on the Senshi Forte Musha figures with exquisite colour schemes which often include metallic colour applications; detail that the regular figures of the line can only dream about. Musha Gundam has an attractive red and black colour scheme with detail in white and gold. And just look at all the texture in the design, it looks phenomenal.

Not only is the Musha Gundam lavishly decorated, it also comes with a whopping six pieces of equipment. The main headache here is how to equip as many of them as possible because it feels like such a wasted effort to only be able to wield a few of them at any given time. :)

The Musha's nice and shiny blade, the Nichirinmaru Katana, even comes in two different configurations. We get one piece which has the sword sheathed as well as a separate blade and empty sheath. The Gundam Converge figure did the same thing in its day and it feels really excessive and awesome. John Hammond of Jurassic Park would be proud.

Other equipment choices for the Musha Gundam is its Sankoumaru Jumonji Yari, a very powerful spear, and the Tanegashima gun which draws its visual style from traditional Ozutsu guns (don't ask me from which century though...).

Not counting the Knight, Full Armor Knight, Satan, Monster Black Dragon or Command Gundam here is the full Musha Gundam line-up from Senshi Forte. On the top row we see the Musha next to the Musha-Nu. The front row features the Musha Psycho Mk-II, Musha Mk-II and Musha ZZ Gundam.
   

Conclusion

Overall the Senshi Forte 06 set is hampered a bit by some production mishaps but to be frank they are also quite minor. I find the set as a whole great with many iconic mobile suits that I was more than happy to add to my Senshi Forte line-up. It would be great if Bandai would choose to continue fleshing out the different line-ups with new mobile suits types and not fall into the tired recycling of the same old suit choices once the Senshi Forte follow up comes online. I am not holding my breath that they will.