Assault Kingdom EX 06 : MSN-00100 Hyaku-Shiki Set

Things have been a bit quiet on the Assault Kingdom side of the blog for a while now, mainly because we have seen no new regular figures since July last year. Instead the Bandai team have been busy with various vanity projects such as the oversized Psyco Gundam and the equally large Queen Mansa behemoth. Thanks, but I am not interested in paying 185 USD for a candy toy...

Yes, a full eight months have passed since Assault Kingdom volume 9, and we still haven't seen any mentioning of a planned volume 10. You would think Bandai would be eager to put on their best show and make something spectacular for this mini-jubilee, but instead all power seems to be spent on creating expensive EX-figures instead. That is not necessarily a bad thing however, as we have been rewarded with this rather tempting Hyaku-Shiki Set.

Traditionally, the Hyaku-Shiki tends to be released as a "common" figure (compare STANDart or Ultimate Operation for example), but Assault Kingdom is surprisingly giving it a lot of love and attention. This could easily have been a run of the mill yellow plastic figure with a beam rifle and a white toothpick for a beam saber. Instead Bandai went the extra mile and tuned up both its appearance and its toolbox.

Here we really get everything the Zeta Hyaku-Shiki is famous for; a full range of iconic weapons, including the massive Mega Launcher and a customizable DODAI atmospheric flight support vehicle. As a consequence of course, the price leans toward the expensive side, with a set suggestion of ¥2700, which is equal to almost seven standard Assault Kingdom figures. Having said that, I did pick up my figure from a shop in Japan and paid "only" ¥1800 for it.

The basic Hyaku-Shiki figure looks really great. This is the first metallic-looking Assault Kingdom figure I have seen. I had half-expected this to be a bright and plastic-looking overall yellow figure with a minimum of colour application. Instead we get this subdued paint scheme complete with logos on the shoulders and attention to details in red and black. Things that we are not accustomed to seeing in the Assault Kingdom figures. Clearly a lot of the budget has gone into the paintjob and as a result it looks excellent.

Another area where the MSN-00100 really shines is in the equipment department. We get a full set of interactive and interchangeable weapons, from the expected signature Beam Rifle to a Clay Bazooka, a translucent Beam Saber as well as a fully operable Mega Launcher (more on that one in a bit). Another neat feature is how both the Beam Rifle and the Clay Bazooka can be stored on the backpack rack in a similar fashion as the guns on the Rick Dias.

Articulation-wise, the Hyaku-Shiki is a bit of a mixed bag. It features the typical Assault Kingdom articulation points, and has especially good flexibility in the legs. The arms feel more rigid by comparison and do not offer as many nice features. The wing binders can get in the way a bit but can also be titled away to allow the arms to rotate fully in the sockets. We also have the traditional swiveling over arm and bending elbow. I just wish there was a way for the figure to extend its arms straight out to the sides.

Apart from the weapons pack, the Hyaku-Shiki comes with two major accessories; the DODAI configurable atmospheric flight support system, and the gigantic Mega Launcher weapon. A single standard hexagon base is also included which can be used to support one of the given accessories at a time. For some reason the support piece was made an opaque dark grey as opposed to the transparent pieces we have been seeing in the regular line for a while now, this feels like a silly oversight.

The Mega Launcher weapon features some minor articulation itself. The footstep titls down and the barrel can be extended forward a bit although the rubbery tubes tend to drag it back towards the back again. The two handle bars are neatly stowed on the butt of the launcher when not in use, and are repositioned to give the Hyaku-Shiki a means to operate it. This is all an illusion though, since there is no physical connection between the launcher and the mobile suit itself, instead they both have to be attached to the base through means of some fiddly but efficient pegging. It was awkward to pose the Hyaku-Shiki together with the Mega Launcher but once in place they sit nicely in place. It is a cool if gimmicky weapon although the next accessory is by far my favourite.

Yep, the DODAI is one of those highly versatile accessories that really open up for a lot of entertaining display options. The Assault Kingdom model has a good number of pegs and holes which enable some really creative use when placing figures on or around it. What is really cool is how the wings can be extended outward to make room for two figures side by side.

The obvious issue with the DODAI is of course its poor balance; the tiny base plate included in the box is nowhere near the size it needs to be to support anything but the most timid of angles. You'll want to dig out a larger action base (from e.g. the Qubeley or the Kshatriya) for the really crazy scenes.

This is such an awesome accessory, it borders on needing to be sold separately; how cool would it be to line up your entire A.E.U.G. army on a wing of DODAI:s? Hint to Bandai: Make a Karaba Dijeh with another DODAI and sell it as EX 15 or whatever. :)

Comparisons

MSN-00100 Hyaku-Shiki 1/220 scale, left to right: STANDart vol. 12 (released January 2012), Assault Kingdom EX06 (January 2016), STANDart vol. 2 (March 2008) and FW Ultimate Operation Plus 3 (March 2006).

Never before have I seen an Assault Kingdom figure which mingles so effortlessly with its brethren from STANDart and Ultimate Operation. Bandai really hit the mark with this figure.

Conclusion

The Assault Kingdom Hyaku-Shiki Set is a schoolbook example of how you do everything right with an action figure. It faithfully captures the mobile suit from the Zeta Gundam series and with its wide range of accurate and highly playable accessories this figure will add a lot to your Assault Kingdom collection.

Gundanium Gateway also came across a maintenance and performance evaluation on the Hyaku-Shiki signed by Lt. Quattro Bajeena himself. This is what he had to say:

"Overall the MSN-00100 has good mobility although its articulation is a bit hampered by the large binders on the backpack. Works well with DODAI support in atmospheric flight but the Mega Launcher is cumbersome to operate, and is not on par with the onboard targeting system, I can't seem to hit anything with it. Suggest Anaheim begins work on an upgraded system immediately. Recommend all A.E.U.G. and Karaba Armchair Generals add this mobile suit to their Assault Kingdom flight lines ASAP."