Gundanium Gateway: Gundam Converge #13

It feels like an absolute eon ago since we featured a good old Gundam Converge figure set here on the blog. And there is the sad fact to back it up as well. Half a year has passed since we covered Converge #11 during the unusually hot and sunny summer of 2018. So whatever happened to Converge #12? Well, it sits somewhere on a dusty overloaded shelf courtesy of the Postal Services which have now held onto the parcel for about two months "processing" it. The delays have been extreme with many parcels from Japan recently and I have to place weekly calls with their "customer service" department asking for held up shipments...

Anyway, we will of course get to cover Converge #12 when it decides to show up here eventually. In the meantime we are jumping straight to Converge #13 which is the most current set released in mid-December last year. And already Bandai are getting ready to begin shipping volume 14, expect to see it here when all the snow has melted and the spring birds have returned.

Converge #13 is one of those "reissue-sets" where the majority of the figures are reworked from earlier sculpts although it manages to put in a couple of new and significant entries into the mix as well. We have a lot to cover so let's jump straight in.

194 : XM-X1 Gundam Crossbone X-1

Riding on the trend of late 2018 this volume opens with yet another well-recognized machine from the F91/Crossbone-story arc. I guess we can call the X-1 the most iconic design to come out of this era although the F91 isn't that far behind. The mobile suit was originally released as figure number 65 back in June 2013 and is now due for a relaunch.

There is no beating about the bush here; the updated X-1 figure is simply delicious. A striking colour scheme now with more painted detail and a less deformed anatomy where components are overall taller, slender or longer. Even the backsides of the Core Fighter boosters are painted this time around.

The Crossbone X-1 Gundam is the only figure in this set to come with two accessories. The figure receives two of its iconic weapon options, the Buster Gun, a beam pistol (which was also present on the previous Converge version) and its shiny Beam Zanber, a massive beam saber. I did notice that the saber was slightly warped and the X-shaped Core Fighter is even more beat up. It is tricky to package a piece such as this one without bulky cardboard protection so your figure might require some adjusting straight out of the box.

Notice how the new X-1 is bigger and better at pretty much everything that its now very diminutive older counterpart. Still, the old X-1 figure remains very good looking and it does sport a Crossbone Vanguard crest on its chest which the new figure unfortunately will have to do without.

195 : XM-X2ex Gundam Crossbone X-2 Custom

The Converge Crossbone X-2 Custom (or X-2 Kai as it would be known in Japanese) is not a straight-up modernization of the older X-2 figure but actually depicts its XM-X2ex variation, which is a nice touch. The X2ex is basically the X-2 with a new set of even larger thrusters. These are something of a field modification prompted by the X-2's Core Fighter being stolen. Jupiter Empire engineers thus had to create a custom thruster set. As a consequence, the machine now lacks a Core Fighter for the pilot to use.

The X-2 Custom figure is just as impressive looking as the new X-1. The new thrusters make it look even more impressive and the toned down colour scheme is even more menacing. One of the best looking Gundams I have seen in Converge for a while.

Unlike the X-1 Gundam, the X-2 has to do with only one weapon but at least it is suitably large. While the typical X-2 figure comes equipped with a Shot Lancer the new Converge X2ex is armed with the Buster Launcher heavy beam rifle.

The new X-2ex figure is an even more impressive improvement of the original X-2 than was the case with the X-1 figures. Since the X-2ex is now operated by the Jupiter Empire it also makes sense that the Crossbone Vanguard crest is removed. The new figure is almost black where the older figure is more navy blue. I don't know if this is a colour correction or if the mobile suit actually received a new paintjob during its takeover as I haven't read the comics, but the new colour scheme is pretty striking.

The Converge family of Crossbone Gundams has already doubled and we have a seventh figure due to pop-up early 2019 as well, a Bandai Converge CORE limited figure of the XM-X3 Crossbone Gundam X-3 which will be a brand new mobile suit for the Converge line-up. Looking forward to that one.

196 : MSN-06S-2 Sinanju Stein (Narrative Ver.)

Moving on from Crossbone Gundam our next stop will be in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Unicorn era. Or to be more specific; the new Mobile Suit Gundam: Narrative movie (worst Gundam title ever?). Appearing here for the first time in Converge format is the Sinanju Stein, but I have to admit I was a bit miffed to see it as a Narrative Version after having longed for this suit to make an appearance ever since I grabbed the STANDart 1:220 version. Apparently the Narrative Version Stein is a conveniently appearing unit 2 after the original MSN-06S Stein was modified to become the now classic MSN-06S Sinanju. Surely this is a ret-con? Unimaginative concepts such as this and the new Neo Zeong II are an embarrassment to the Mobile Suit Gundam brand.

Alright, ranting aside, the Sinanju Stein is here in Converge form and it is looking pretty slick. There is something about it though... it feels more like a Neo Zeon concept than stolen Earth Federation design. And why would Neo Zeon steal the MSN-06S Sinanju Stein and paint it red yet fly the Narrative Stein unit two more or less in its original E.F.S.F. colours? Just as silly as claiming that the equally white Neo Zeong II is built from leftover parts of the red Neo Zeong. Sorry, it seems I just can't let this go... : )

For all the moaning here though the Narrative Stein is one of the best looking figures in this set and that is actually saying a lot. Not quite up to the slick design of its 1:220 big brother in my opinion, which I would also recommend you to seek out if you like this design.

Since the Sinanju Stein is such an obscure design it doesn't get much love in figure form. To this day it has never even appeared in SD form, hopefully this is something that might finally change now that Narrative is beginning to spread into the various Gashapon and Shokugan series. So far we only have the two FusionWorks figures to play with.

The original Sinanju Stein design, also sculpted by FusionWorks and released in STANDart in April 2013.

Comparing the actual Sinanju Stein and Sinanju designs with the Converge Stein v.2 and Sinanju counterparts.

197 : OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III

Next up we turn our attention to the After Colony timeline of New Mobile Suit Report Gundam Wing and the latest in a string of Oz mobile suits to roll out from the Converge conveyor belts. For the longest time Gundam Wing was pretty much ignored in Gundam Converge, we had a couple of Wing Gundams and the old Tallgeese until the series finally begun to get some proper love in 2017. It took Bandai and FusionWorks a little bit more than a year to work through the five titular Gundams and after that we have had a couple of adversary mobile suits as well which I really enjoy. Still, all the grunt type suits such as the Leo, Virgo and Aries are nowhere to be seen.

The Tallgeese version 3 is also a brand new design for Gundam Converge. It is the final evolution of the family started with the OZ-00MS Tallgeese which also produced the really striking Tallgeese II variation. While the one and two are featured in the original television series the Tallgeese III hails from its sequel Endless Waltz.

The Tallgeese III figure comes armed with a super-heavy shoulder-mounted Mega-Beam Cannon. On the opposite shoulder sits its shield which hides inside it a nasty extending Heat Rod type weapon (think a beefy segmented Gouf-whip) which is sadly not modelled on the Converge figure. The Heat Rod is easily the most impressive gear choice for this figure and I hope it will one day find its way into some expensive option set or similar because this figure comes off as a little bit plain without it.

The Converge Tallgeese III borrows heavily from the FusionWorks STANDart design. The Gundam Collection 1:400 figure feels much more imposing.

And speaking of plain, those shoulder boosters do feel a little bit anemic as well. The mobile suit design features so much white that it would have added a bit of character if they were to peak up above the shoulders a bit more.

The Gundam Converge lineup of Oz mobile suits has now grown to a decent team of five, still I hope Bandai and FusionWorks will not consider the After Colony era complete. After all, the Leo is arguably the most iconic design from this entire era...

198 : FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam

The Full Armor Gundam is one of the early Mobile Suit Variation designs and pretty genius at that. Basically you take the RX-78 and slap on chunky armor and a couple of impressive guns and finish the whole thing in military green and metal finish, with some nice orange highlights to boot. Simple, yet effective.

The FA-78 is another reissue of a figure that was released in February 2012 as number 36, so it has been off the shelves for a really long time by now. The updated design sees the figure with elongated limbs and weapons much like the other reissues in this set. And it is a phenomenal improvement over the older figure.

The Full Armor Gundam comes with a dual barrel beam rifle permanently attached to its right arm and a variable 36cm rocket launcher atop its shoulder. You can see how many of its design ideas stuck in other designs such as the Gelgoog and GM Cannon designs or the dual beam rifle of the ZZ Gundam.

While the original Converge Full Armor Gundam remains an attractive figure it cannot really compete with the improved figure in Converge #13. However it is disappointing that Bandai and FusionWorks are not going the full mile and also doing an updated blue colour version of the figure. Perhaps we will see it in a ridiculously expensive P-Bandai or CORE release sometime in the future.

199 : MS-09 Dom

The last figure in this wave is also a reissue of an old figure. The MS-09 Dom follows on the heels of other One Year War designs which have been inserted into recent Converge sets. Volume 12 featured the Gouf, eleven has the Guntank, ten the Guncannon, nine the Zaku II and volume #08 the RX-78. Converge #14 will see the High Mobility Type Zaku II and fifteen the Z'Gok. I keep comparing these to the recent surge in "Version A.N.I.M.E." releases in the 1:144 Robot Spirits figure line.

The Dom of course retains the characteristics of the other reissues in this set, it is overall larger and bulkier and with bigger weapons. However the design is also more true to the original U.C.0079 anime appearance both as far as colour and overall aesthetics go. The new Converge Zeon figures also look more cartoony than their earlier outings.

While the Dom figure technically does come with two different weapons it can only equip the bazooka. The Dom has no generic holding hand and the heat sword can only be plugged into a shaped slot in the backpack. This is one of those things that just seems so glaringly obvious. Create three different accessories and put three Dom figures in a pricey P-Bandai Black Tristars Custom SP-pack. Just like printing money...

The original Converge Dom figure is also one of the early designs, releasing all the way back in November 2011 as figure number 32. However, it has seen a number of minor tweaks and versions of it were released regularly until July 2015 so it is high time to bring it back. And the new version looks better than ever.

Taking a stroll down the Converge MS-09 line. Top row left to right: MS-09 Dom from the Operation Jaburo box set (2012), the original MS-09 Dom figure (figure number 32, 2011), the Converge #13 resculpt and the subtly resculpted MS-09R Rick Dom (April 2013, figure number 62). Bottom row: A custom MS-09G Dwadge based on the original MS-09, Char's MS-09RS Rick Dom (Converge Book exclusive, December 2013), a darker version of the same (Art of Gundam exhibition special release, July 2015) and the secret version of the Rick Dom armed with the Beam Bazooka weapon (again, figure number 62).

Conclusion

Converge #13 is yet another extremely solid release in the rebooted Converge series. I am always for expanding the mobile suit selection into new directions and this set may be a bit heavy on the reissues but there is no question that the revised figures are all very attractive compared to their predecessors. As a set I would consider this an instabuy for any Converge collector out there.