Oh, man... here is a set I have been waiting to get my hands on for a while. I usually think of the CORE releases as something of a necessary evil if you want to get the full mileage out of the Converge collection but here is a release that does more than just the bare minimum. You know, slapping a couple of uninspired white stripes on some of the suit's extremities and repainting some details with metallic paint instead.
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| This box is really tiny... |
The Real Type selection is also nothing new for Converge and some sets are clearly more inspired than others. The worst offenders are those that just slightly dim the colours; here we are looking at complete and proper repaints. While some of the suits return from old Converge to be carried over to the updated molds there are a couple of new faces around this time as well.
How on Earth did they fit all these five figure bags into the box? Notice also how the Gundam actually comes in a separate bag from its accessories. Did they redesign it?
RX-78-2 Gundam (Realtype Color ver.)
The Realtype Color Gundam is a good example of what can be done with a little bit of imagination. Rather than just dimming the white into light grey (hello Gundam G-3) or some kind of 21st century low-visibility scheme we get a pretty wild combination of a black and red torso paired with green legs. The styling is rounded up with some gunmetal colour over the greys. Notice also the tiny white stripes on the feet and the even smaller RX-78 marking on the chest.
The updated sculpt of the RX-78 is a bit wonky and probably not for everyone. It looks short and stubby and also suffers from a bad slouch that would drive any commander crazy. On the flip side it is very functional and has a couple of built in gimmicks.
Nothing new on the equipment side. We get the same accessories as in the regular figure box. A beam rifle, a bazooka and a shield which still does not have a see through hole unlike the shield for the Gelgoog for example. I recommend painting a black stripe here to improve the look in an easy way.
The bazooka has a neat gimmick in that the handle is removable so that you can place it properly in the figure's hand. The shield can also be carried on the back of the backpack. Notice that it is not possible to stow the beam rifle on the figure's back skirt when not in use.
Above you can see the different versions of the new RX-78 sculpt that we have seen so far. And underneath the two previous Realtype Color versions of the RX-78 using the original 2010 sculpt. I still think the old figures have better proportions. Notice the painted sights on their beam rifles. Come one Converge 2019, you can do better than this.
RX-77-2 Guncannon (Realtype Color ver.)
Just like the Realtype Gundam, the Realtype Color version of the Guncannon was originally released as a Bandai 1:100 model kit quite some time ago. And considering the usually very plastic red appearance of the Guncannon this is perhaps the suit that benefits the most from the Realtype Color treatment.
While there is certainly nothing "real" about this colour scheme the mix between red and greys is very attractive but again I have to dock points for missing detail on both the head (Vulcans) and beam rifle (sights again). These details were standard on the old Converge figures so it feels pretty awkward that Bandai and FusionWorks saw the need to cut costs and remove these details rather than adding pointless decorative stripes or model designations. The model designation is interesting by the way. Usually Guncannon figures will have the unit number 108 slapped on there but this one has the model designation instead. I'm still waiting for some brave soul to release units 109 and 203 as well.
The Guncannon comes with the same accessories as its regular boxed version. The two long range cannons can be replaced with missile pods instead which nearly enticed me two buy two sets of figures... Check out the nice detail on the beam rifle. Even though the hand is permanently fixed to the rifle it is at least painted in a different colour unlike on the standard figure.
The cannons and missile pods are attached by first removing the backpack. In fact, nothing stops you from equipping one of each, just the one cannon like on a GM Cannon or removing them completely. I like little gimmicks such as this.
There is a respectable amount of Guncannons released in Converge by now. Notice how almost all of the old Guncannon figures (on the top row) have painted sights on their rifles and Vulcans on their heads.
MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type (Realtype Color ver.)
Alright, if you were hoping for say a Realtype Color GM or Guntank Bandai will have to leave you disappointed since now we are heading over to the Zeonic team. First out is another familiar face of old; the Zaku II in its green and brown Realtype Color style.
The colour changes on the Zaku are more subtle than on the other figures in the set but the end result looks very clean and has just the right amount of extra markings without going over the top. Once again we see a really tiny unit number marking on the right knee and some really thin red lines on the chest and leg.
The Zaku II figure is of the Commander Type variety only, and comes with the Zaku Machine Gun and Bazooka. Since the hands are molded directly onto the weapons you cannot store say the bazooka on the backskirt, like on the Gundam.
Here we see the Zaku II armed with its bazooka instead. Again we have unpainted weapon sights, a little red dot there would have gone a long way.
The Realtype Color Zaku as seen together with its stablemates from Converge #09, and with the entire Zaku II family from 2011 and onwards. Notice the original Realtype color version figure from 2014. I prefer its menacing look over the more cartoony style of the revised sculpt.
Bringing the two Realtype Color Zaku II's up closer to each other. Here they pose with the Special Marking version Zaku II from Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 1.5.
MS-09 Dom (Realtype Color ver.)
The last two figures in the set are my absolute favourites and also responsible for all the saliva I have been drooling since I first saw the promo pictures last year. The Realtype Color Dom has an interesting brown and red thing going together with its more traditional black and purple colours.
Notice the tiny markings on the figure's knees, the type of warning stickers you expect to see on scale model kits of contemporary aircraft. Notice also how Bandai and FusionWorks actually saw it prudent to paint the sight on the Bazooka. Why this is not standard on all the figures in this set is just perplexing.
The Dom comes with its giant bazooka and a heat saber which can only be attached to the back. It would have been so cool to see Bandai develop two variants of the heat saber, one powered down for storing on the back and one lit up to be held in the hand. No such luck here I'm afraid.
The standard colour pattern of the MS-09 Dom is both attractive and exotic in its own right. Few suits have that very ability to pull you in with their strange alien looks. The Realtype Color figure takes it to the next level.
I wonder if FusionWorks will eventually get around to the Rick Doms and their crazy large Beam Bazookas. At the time of writing we are looking forward to a couple of upcoming figures from the
War in the Pocket series, mainly different types of GMs. Imagine if they also decide to do the Rick Dom II in that sexy green and black Colony Attack colour scheme...
MS-11 Gelgoog (Realtype Color ver.)
Hey now... wait a minute... MS number eleven? Yup, that's correct. The set finishes on a real rarity - the prototype Gelgoog that was later to become the MS-14 Mass Production model. The number eleven has since been given to the Action Zaku, a suit that I sure wouldn't mind seeing pop up in Converge in the future.
While the MS-11 exists as an old Bandai 1:100 model kit I don't think it
has ever been present in figure form unless you count the sand-coloured
1:350 Gsight colour version which would be a bit far-fetched. This is
great and I hope Bandai's Ensemble and MicroWars teams will take a cue
and do some of their own. A man can dream, right?
MS-11 or not, the figure looks very much like the repainted MS-14S that it is. To no one's surprise of course. Still, this reminds me that I was supposed to customize my old Gelgoog figure with a repurposed Beam Naginata and I have some ideas for Anavel Gato as well...
Another beautiful family shot for Converge. The Zeonic ace pilots are such low hanging fruit; I can't understand why Bandai haven't churned most of them out by now.
Conclusion
As you have already figured out I absolutely adore this set. 2019 has been a great year for Converge but I think that this set sits among my favourites for the year, which is quite a feat among all the nice releases we had such as Pale Riders, Stark Jegans, Den'an Zons and exotic F91 variants. I also expect that this set will turn out to be one of the rarer ones so buyer beware. Do not sleep on this set if you really want it.
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