Gundam Converge #17

You may have seen me ranting and raving from time to time here on the blog about how it feels that figure quality keeps dropping while at the same time figures get more and more expensive. As Bandai have moved away from prepainted figures towards half-baked model kit-style minis with standardized part, accessories or even figures spread out over multiple boxes and so on. I do harp on Converge every time they do yet another CORE reissue but the line is without a doubt the finest and most exciting Gundam figure series out there on the shelves today. And while other figure lines struggle Converge seems to be standing tall and continues to offer more and more elaborate and over the top designs even in its base figure assortment.

Converge #17 was released in early December 2019 and may well be one of the most complex volumes ever produced. The set features not one but three overblown and parts-heavy figures while at the same time keeping the bar high for the remaining six. This set was a real joy to finally get my hands on.
   

218 : GX-9901-DX Gundam Double X

We already saw a couple of After War Gundam X figures during 2019 and here comes the Double X pretty much staggered in between its two Mobile Suit Ensemble releases in 2018 and 2020. This appears to be the last Converge figure from the series for quite some time, seems the G-Falcon and Gundam Ashtaron will not be getting any love this time around.

The Double X is looking really striking and perhaps a bit busy with all the stuff that is going on. The Satellite Cannons are fully deployed together with the reflector panels on the arms and legs, displaying shiny golden panels. I would have liked to see some black detail also on the Buster Rifle but it should be relatively easy to modify it in that regard. Notice that the Satellite Cannons plug into both the backpack and the shoulders looking the arms of the figure in place, so the limited articulation in this figure is all for naught.

There are so many components for the Double X that FusionWorks saw it fit to squeeze in two parts bags into the box, a feat they also repeated for the Silver Bullet Suppressor and Cluster Gundam figures. Impressive stuff.

The old Converge Double X from 2014 is a tad bit smaller than the new figure and is more or less outclassed by it. Still it is great that the old sculpt shows the Satellite Cannons stowed on the back and the reflector panels closed, while at the same time a shield and rifle are being carried as the main equipment.

Line up of the Gundam X, the X-Divider and the Double X; all from the Converge 2019 reinterpretations. Too bad Bandai and FusionWorks do not continue to focus on more mobile suits from this era, there are many unsung machines that could do with some figurine love.

   

219 : ARX-014S Silver Bullet Suppressor

Here we have the first fresh face for Converge in this set; in fact this is the very first time the Suppressor appears in any figure form. It is one of the many competent and realistic looking designs from the Unicorn era and made its first appearance in Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative in 2018. The base design looks very menacing and reminds me of a cross between a Zeta Plus and the Unicorn Banshee.

Just look at all that crazy detail. Normally you do not need to engage in any detective work when assembling a Converge figure but this figure left me scratching my head quite a bit. I ended up going online to figure out just what the deal was with the crane assembly on its rear skirt.

The Suppressor figure is one of those over the top designs that must be an absolute nightmare for the Converge designers to wrap their heads around. Still they took it on unfazed and it left us with a lot of parts that you will probably end up losing over time unless you consider a drip of super glue here and there.

The Suppressor is an impressive evolution of the original ARX-014 Silver Bullet figure from 2014. Notice also the super deformed Silver Bullet released in the Gashapon Warrior NEXT series, also in 2014.

The Converge Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative collection is coming along nicely. I wonder if we will also get an updated Narrative version Dijeh or perhaps one of the updated Geara Zulus. My absolute dream would be the RAS-96 Anksha though that will never happen...

   

220 : RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 "Alex"

Next up we have the good ol' Alex from the hard-hitting 0080 War in the Pocket miniseries. It feels a bit weird to state this but without a doubt this is the least refined figure in Converge #17. Not exactly a fitting fate for such an iconic figure and one which has been due for a proper release ever since the rather lackluster appearance it first made in 2012.

Perhaps I am being a bit harsh here, I mean it is a nicely sculpted figure and there are a lot of nice painted details on the figure but it just lacks that extra oomph that we saw in the previous two. Care was given to paint the exhausts on the leg thrusters but the backpack is all white, there are two little red specks on the figure's armored knees, but the iconic orange triangle emblem on the shoulder should really have been in place. Not to mention the large "Alex" style decal on the shield. The head also looks awfully white in general.

As far as accessories go we are back in traditional Gundam Converge territory again. A rifle and a shield is pretty much par for the course. This is another slight against the Alex as it really should have got at least one arm-mounted Gatling Cannon as an optional part (and preferably both). I imagine that the Alex is simply picking up the tab for the extravagance in the other figures that are part of this set which is a bit of a raw deal. Maybe Bandai and FW can do it justice in some Realtype reissue set further down the line.

Quite a bit of size difference between the old Converge number 42 Alex and the updated design. While the new design and paintjob is clearly better I still think the figure deserved a bit more. Notice the deployed Gatling on the old figure, the only gear option it got. Man, what does FusionWorks have against the Alex, their Ultimate Operation 1:220 Alex figure is my all time favourite depiction of this machine. Let's just move on...
   

221 : MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai

The Alex has been paired up with the second new mobile suit type in this set; the compact and sturdy looking Zaku II Kai. This Zaku II evolution does everything right, giving the suit an even more menacing and advanced look and feel, and the little colour changes also help to make it more interesting looking.

Check out that nice and shiny backpack. Oh if only the Alex could have gotten some of that luster as well. FusionWorks really nailed the look of this figure completely.

While the Zaku Kai is rather limited in its gear choices I can sort of forgive it because they bothered to paint up the blade on the Heat Hawk. Notice how half of the handle is molded directly onto the figure's right hand. This is the first time I've seen something like this in a Converge figure and while maybe not a perfect solution it works pretty well.

Of course the Kai retains the Zeon gimmick of a moving monoeye. Just open up the head and reposition the disc on which the nice reflective eye has been painted.

Here we see the evolution of the Zaku II into the Zaku II Kai and ultimately the RMS-106 Hizack which is an older figure. This line-up also reinforces just how tiny the updated Zaku II sculpt is, can't say I was a fan of that decision. Fortunately the Zaku II Kai retains the average Converge figure size and avoids the cartoony aesthetic we have seen in many of the recent Zeon mobile suits.

I think Wiseman has the edge in this fight. At least he won't have to worry about that nasty NT-1 beam saber...
   

222 : F90III-Y Cluster Gundam

The third new mobile suit of volume 17 is also one of those which got the most attention to detail. The Cluster Gundam, a really obscure suit from an F91 side story called Silhouette Formula 91 and is the third dark horse mobile suit from this series to make it into Converge (together with the RXF-91A Silhouette Gundam itself as well as the RX-99Neo Gundam).

The Cluster Gundam is another busy design with a lot of things going on primarily on its back. It also sports several painted vents and details although I think the paint apps on its chest look a bit spotty in places. My figure also suffers from a warped right leg that does not want to touch the ground. By the way; see that nice F90Y decal on the shoulder? Now that's the type of attention to detail that FusionWorks should have given the Alex.

Most of the accessories for the Cluster Gundam are elaborate fins which fit on its flight pack. The translucent beam shield must of course also be mentioned. You know; the type of accessory they should have given to the Crossbone Vanguard suits of last year. Ok, I'll shut up about that now...

The F91-era mobile suits have really exploded onto the Converge scene during the past year or so. Someone over at FusionWorks has been really persisted in bringing out a majestic line-up of rarely seen machines and I for one love every second of it. However, it seems that we may have reached the end of the road by now - no more F91 suits have been announced up until summer at least.

   

223 : MSM-07 Z'Gok

The last figure in the set is a recoloration of Char's Z'gok which we recently saw in Converge #15 last May. A that time I was a little miffed that Bandai didn't do the massproduction type machine but it seems they were just saving it for future release and so here we finally have it. Great news as far as I am concerned.

I don't really know what it is about the new Converge Z'Gok but some of its proportions feel a bit off somehow. Perhaps the head is a tad too large but I can't help but think that it has lost some of its personality in the makeover. Other than that it is of course a stellar looking figure.

The main improvement of the new Z'Gok figure is that its claws come preassembled whereas the old figure used to come with a mini-sprue containing six little claws that you had to insert into slots on the figure's hands. This wasn't really an elegant solution and it was easy for the claws to fall out and become misplaced. The second big thing is that a transparent see-through windshield of sorts has been added to the head. While it looks pretty snazzy I can't really say that it makes the Z'Gok look more like a Z'Gok. Perhaps this is where some of my reservations stem from.

The old Converge mass production type Z'Goks is one of those Holy Grail type-figures that quickly became hard to find. It was released as a colour variation and only featured in a 7-Eleven promotional set in 2011. It wasn't unusual to see this figure priced around ¥5000 so the new figure is a godsend for less obsessive collectors that would still like to own one.

The old Z'Gok sculpt wasn't all that great to be honest. It primarily suffered from that nasty seem running straight across its chest. One thing that the older version of this figure got right however, is the darker coloured backpack. This is obviously a design choice for the new figure but I liked the old style better.
   

Conclusion

Converge #17 is, of course, to no one's surprise, another stunning success for the brand and another awesome entry into your collection. This set also has something for everyone, regardless of if you are a vintage U.C. fanatic or you love the more extravagant mobile suit designs.