SD Gashapon Senshi Forte 07

It has been a while since we covered Senshi Forte here and while we are doing a pretty large jump over to SF volume 07 the previous two volumes will be covered eventually. I do not preorder these figures (in their 12-pack boxes) but normally pick them up piecemeal from Mandarake or actual shops in Southeast Asia. I still haven't managed to complete the full SF volume 06 while set 05 is ready and mostly completed. There are still a couple of those darned Bawoos awaiting final assembly (they are really hurting my fingers...)

As for Senshi Forte volume 07 I picked up this set from a shop in Bangkok, or rather I was forced to pick up two sets of four figures each. One set included the Strike, Buster and Satan plus the grey GINN type while the other pack contained the orange GINN version instead. This is how Bandai continues to frustrate me with their A+B type figures in their Gashapon sets. I think all figures should be just as readily available, and it really ticks me off when the army builder figures are rarer than the unique mobile suits but that is just how the story always goes. I still haven't managed to pick up a single extra GINN figure, something I would have loved to have a dozen of. : )

Senshi Forte volume 07 released in October 2018 and the figures come with a recommended price of ¥300. I purchased my 8 figure set for 800 Thai baht which would be pretty much the same price.


F038 : GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam

Senshi Forte volume 07 focuses primarily on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, with no less than four figures picked from the original TV series (well, one of them is a SEED MSV that was retconned into the universe). First out is of course the Strike Gundam, here with its Aile Striker backpack.

The Strike Gundam is looking pretty good, with several nice colour applications especially in its face. The backpack is a bit black for my taste, I would have liked to see some more red on there but overall the figure looks fantastic, especially when equipping the shield and translucent beam saber.

Apart from the beam saber the mobile suit also comes with the 57mm high energy beam rifle and a pair of optional hands. The optional hands are as always greatly appreciated and a true staple of Senshi Forte. The fact that we keep getting these unique hands for each retail figure is something that shames the Mobile Suit Ensemble line in my opinion.

  
 
F039 : ZGMF-1017 GINN

Here is the absolute highlight for me, the figure that was driving my interest for this set ever since I saw the promotional pictures. The Z.A.F.T. mass production GINN type mobile suit is what the Zaku II is to the Universal Century (no, the ZAKU Warrior from SEED Destiny can't compete here...). The design is one of my all-time favourites with its uniquely shaped wing-like thrusters.

The Senshi Forte figure has a beautiful two tone grey livery and a couple of white and orange details which make it look very functional and matter-of-business. The figure comes with two of its signature weapons, the MA-M3 Heavy Blade (which, unlike the beam saber, is not an energy weapon) and its 76mm MMI-M8A3 Heavy Assault Machine Gun. While I do miss its third classic weapon; the dual M66 anti-ship missile launchers attached to its arms I can understand why they have to be dropped here.

Overall the GINN figure is a really good representation of the mobile suit and I wish I was able to build up a squadron of figures to show off here like I did with other grunt types like the Rick Dias and the Galbaldy Beta. Perhaps at some point I might stumble on a few of these on the secondhand market, but Bandai's current distribution model really isn't helping. Buy this one on sight!

Senshi Forte GINN parading with specimen from SD Full Color Stage 39 (Sword and rifle) and SD Full Color Custom 03 (Missile launcher).

  

F040 : ZGMF-1017 GINN (Miguel Aiman Custom)

While colour-swap figures aren't always a thing with Senshi Forte we do get them in the sets from time to time and when they do show up they are indeed rarer than the rest of the figures. Kind of like the secret variations they used to do in Gundam Converge. Here we have an orange GINN which is assigned to Z.A.F.T. ace pilot Miguel Aiman. Aiman features briefly in the beginning of the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED television series piloting a bog-standard gray GINN. His story is later expanded upon and his custom orange GINN is conveniently in the garage at the time of SEED's opening... :)

The two GINN figures are exactly the same as far as parts and accessories go. The orange colour scheme is working out really well too, although the figure looks decidedly more plastic than the standard GINN would.

While the GINN:s don't have any attachment points to store unused weapons it is fairly easy to find suitable places to squeeze them in between the arms and various bodyparts. The chunky design of the mobile suit works rather well in this regard.

    

F041 : GAT-X103 Buster Gundam

The last of the four mobile suits from the SEED-era is the Buster Gundam, a real classic design that tends to show up quite often also in figure form. I think that out of the "original five" Earth Alliance machines, the Buster is second only to the Strike and after that there is a bit of a gap down to the Duel, and then there is a further drop to the Aegis and only then the Blitz.

The Senshi Forte version of the Buster is looking pretty slick. Perhaps not up there with the Strike figure but its nice three-colour livery goes along way here. The Buster comes armed with two weapons, a 94mm high energy rifle (which is pretty much your standard beam rifle) and a 350mm gun launcher, which is a electromagnetic projectile weapon.

The main gimmick of the Buster Gundam figure is that the two weapons can combine into the over the top Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle, the two-handed weapon you kept seeing in recycled animations over and over again in the television series. While a Senshi Forte figure obviously doesn't have much in the way of arms you can still do a decent pose with the weapon held in both hands.

Buster Gundams from SD Full Color Stage 39, SD Gundam Full Color Custom 04 and Senshi Forte 07.

 
F042 : Satan Gundam

So far each set in Senshi Forte has been ended with a character mobile suit from one of the various SD Gundam franchises. Up until this point we've seen only variations on the Musha Gundam concept and volume 07 really isn't an exception as the Satan Gundam is born out of the Musha Gundam Mk-III design (which we also saw in the recent Gashapon NEXT Sengokuden review).

The Satan Gundam has a pair of really evil looking eyes and beautiful golden paint applications. The figure is dressed in a cloak which is made out of soft rubbery plastic. One part is attached to the figure's back and the front section then slots into the edges of the back section. This holds together pretty well but it of course also hinders the figure articulation. And with hindering, I mean totally eliminates it.

The Satan Gundam comes with some kind of wooden magic wand type of accessory. Interestingly the EX 05 version of this figure also comes with the same wand but without the wooden colour application. Its hands are also of the same navy blue colour rather than grey as here (see further down). In these regards, the retail version of the Satan Gundam seems superior.

Removing the cloak from this figure isn't really an option. While you can certainly do it, you will find all the detail underneath it unpainted which leaves the figure looking unfinished.

Here the Satan Gundam poses with its Senshi Forte EX 05 Monster Black Dragon variation. Notice the painted detail on the Black Dragon's torso and the different colour of the latters hands and staff.
 

Conclusion

Overall, volume 07 is another superb entry into the Senshi Forte figure series. While some Universal Century fans will no doubt will be a bit disappointed with this set if you enjoy Mobile Suit Gundam SEED you have most likely picked it up already. Now, if only I could find myself some more GINNs...