Gundam Converge vol. 6

It is time for another look at one of the Converge releases, this time we look at the sixth wave which was released in February 2012. These figures are still reasonably easy to find online, even though they are already one and a half years old, an eternity in the rapidlymoving Converge world. As usual there is aheavy domination of Gundam units, four of the six figures are various Gundams (five out of seven counting the secret version) but the set is still reasonably successful with a couple of really interesting models.

33 : Considering that the fifth wave was opened by the AGE-1 Gundam it seems logical that this sixth wave is started by the Gundam AGE-2 Normal. This is a pretty exotic looking figure, mainly because of the large fins it carries on its shoulders. In the anime, the figure transforms into a fighter called the G-Strider. Unlike a couple of the other Gundams released in Converge the G-Strider has not been modelled which is a pity, as the fighter planes always liven up the series a bit. There's not much more to say about this figure. The head can swing a little, and the arms move at the shoulder, but it makes little sense to rotate them as the figure looks very odd with the big fins moving about at the same time.

34 : The second white Gundam in the set is the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. This very attractive figure has a classic and plain appearance but many nicely coloured details. The head turns, the arms rotate at the shoulder and you can also rotate the shield on its peg. The beam rifle is not attached directly to the hand, but is pegged into the figure's fist. A conspicious hole is left on the figure's back, this is because it can be combined with various parts of the Skygrasper figure to create the Aile Strike Gundam. This might be covered in more detail in a separate post.

35 : FX-550+AQM/E-X01 Skygrasper + Aile Striker. Alright, with all those letters out of the way, let's try giving a more colloquial description; this is a model of an awesome looking fighter jet! FW haven't messed with its dimensions all too much, so it comes off looking really sleek and capable (especially when comparing to the G-Defenser which ended up looking very harmless and cute in comparison). The model is made up of several small parts which have to be carefully conjoined, however once it sits on its peg it feels sturdy enough. There are several nice details and the colour scheme is very attractive, easily the best fighter to have come out of the Converge line so far. Again I would have preferred a clear stand, especially now that the various fighter models sit on wildly different looking stands.

36 : Next up is the familiar concept-only FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam. Although considered a failed design, that hasn't stopped it from popping up as a model in various sizes. Here is the compact Converge version, in the attractive olive colour with many fine details in various colours. Like most figures its head turns and the arms rotate at the shoulders. You can also tweak the angle of the shoulder mounted rocket cannon a bit.though this was probably not intended. This figure is hampered a bit by the slightly rounded soles of its feet, it will wiggle back and forth before coming to rest. If the surface underneath is not flat, FA-78-1 will most likely have issues standing up without help of the support.

37 : Breathing some life into the set is the lively red coloured MS-06R-2 Zaku II (Johnny Ridden's Custom). Basically it is similar to the High Mobility Zaku II (Converge no. 56) except it has the leader's antenna on the head and enlarged armor plating on its legs. The excellent colour scheme with the cheecky yellow and black detail makes it a real stand out on the among the other figures and is an excellent addition to the collection. Just like the High Mobility Zaku II, only the arms rotate, and it cannot really do much as the shoulder armor and giant bazooka gets held up by the figure's helmet. The helmet appears to be removable (so that you can adjust the monoeye) but I am not going to test it.

38 : The weirdo at the end of the set is the Zeon MSM-04 Acguy. A novelty and oddity, but it doesn't hlep it from looking really ugly. It has some really nice sculpting and a well done two-tone brown colour scheme. The feet stand firmly on the ground even when the heavy arms are pointing forward. Similar to the other Zeon mobile suits of this type, it doesn't do much. The arms can be extended a bit but it doesn't make much sense to move them around very much. The monoeye is sculpted into place in the head, and while the head can turn on its peg, its assymetric shape means it will quickly get stuck on the shoulders and gently slide off the peg if you continue to force the rotation. It is a fine collection rouding out item, but honestly makes me think more of a care bear than a mobile suit.

Secret : The secret item for the sixth wave is a colour variation of the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam. The secret figure has a base blue/white/orange colour scheme instead of the standard figure's olive/grey/orange which makes it a good complement and a failry interesting secret item to collect. Other than that its features are the same as the standard Full Armor Gundam.