SD Gashapon Warrior NEXT Premier 03

The Gashapon Warrior NEXT range features 24 basic figure sets, a couple of recoloration variant sets as well as eight Premium Bandai boxsets. You will find that while NEXT Premier 03 leans towards the very cheapest of these boxes it is also one of the priciest ones if you decide to break it down per individual figure. The set originally shipped in September 2014, not that terribly long ago (Converge vol. 16 was released around that time), and had a price tag of ¥2600. Today the price still seems to hover around that level as I have picked up several sets paying between ¥2500 and ¥3000 myself.

As usual with these secretive black boxes you will not have any clue what is in store for you inside without prior knowledge or actually opening it up. Thanks to the magic of translation apps we can at least decipher the text on the box to read something like "Gashapon Warrior NEXT Premier 03, partially assembled kit, limited to Premium Bandai" which isn't terribly helpful if you ask me... At least the booklet inside is helpful in offering some assembly instructions and the actual names of this rather unusual trio of mobile suits.

I messed up a bit with the parts shots here since I didn't take any sealed bag shots and I had already built the Kshatriya repair figure so i took it apart a bit to give a better representation of what is actually in the box. It features the same type of articulation as your find in the average NEXT figure.
   

NZ-666 Kshatriya Repaired

The Kshatriya is a majestic mobile suit design but unlike the RX-0 Unicorn it hasn't exactly got a whole lot of exposure in figure form. In part this can be explained by the fact that the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn television series aired 2010. This has to be considered part of the sunset era of mass produced Gashapon figures. Another cause is of course the comparative size and complexity of the design itself. I can, off the top of my head, only think about half a dozen or so appearances of the Kshatriya in Gashapon or Shokugan form. The Kshatriya Repaired variant itself, is as far as I know only available here or as a 1:220 Assault Kingdom figure (a figure that still sits in its unopened box in my pile of shame I might add...).

Well, super deformed figure collectors rejoice; the Gashapon Warrior NEXT figure is superb. It features really great paint applications, lots of detail, two handheld weapons (well, the Hyper Beam Javelin is integrated into the left arm but the triple Sturm Faust launcher is removable) and it towers nicely over the average NEXT figure. The bulky booster tanks on its back are quite heavy though and no match for the connector joints, so these quickly droop down to the ground but at least act as added support.

Here the Kshatriya Repaired poses next to the Gundam Converge version of the Kshatriya Besserung, which is the middle stage between the full Kshatriya and the field-repaired machine. The NEXT line actually also contains the regular NZ-666 Kshatriya in its very first set from 2010, a figure that I sadly do not own.

   

AMX-101E Schuzrum-Galluss

The AMX-101 Gallus-J is a low-spec urban warfare machine of Axis origin with a rather attractive appearance and a birdlike face. It can be seen in the early stages of Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam where Mashymre Cello bumbles around in one inside the Shangri-La colony searching for the Argama. A truly despicable fate for this proud eagle. Imagine if someone made a The 08th MS Team style series where a unit of Gallus-Js and ZSSAs fought a desperate battle against Earth federation forces in a hellish cityscape. One can always dream, right?

Still, in spite of its troubled first appearance it does have a cameo in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and it also received a couple of lovely variations. I just wanted to add some pictures here courtesy of the Gundam Wiki. From left to right we see the Gallus-J, the Gallus-K, the Schuzrum-Gallus and the Gallus-S. The last design hails from the Advance of Zeta Reboot concept series. Maybe 5-10 years from now as production techniques continue to refine we could see some really crazy beautiful and outrageously expensive 1:220 limited edition figure series. This baby would fit right up that alley.

The Schuzrum-Gallus is a quirky mobile suit concept which sacrifices a thruster backpack and features less armor in exchange for mobility. Even more idiotic is that it carries no weapons into battle except for a pair of knuckle shields and a chain mine; you know that ridiculous weapon featured in a single scene in War in the Pocket. Why you couldn't just give it the simplest of Beam Gun or Saber I don't know. The Chain Mine accessory is here though, and it doesn't really look that cool in SD figure form and is completely static as well. At least the spiked knuckle shields and the two larger Geara Doga-style shoulder mounted shields can be mixed and matched to create your favourite brawler configuration.

Questionable gear choices can always be retrofitted though, and the rest of the figure looks absolutely great. The colour scheme is really on point and the detail on the Sleeves crest on the chest armor is so fine you need to go really close up to notice all the fine detail.

  

RGM-89De Jegan (ECOAS Type) (Conroy Haagensen Custom)

In Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, the Schuzrum-Gallus has a bit of a Kämpfer-moment onboard the Nahel Argama including an altercation with an ECOAS Type Jegan so it is fitting that the last figure in this set is that very combatant. Actually there are so many cool throwaway mobile suits featured in Unicorn that it would have been amazing to see this set expanded with a couple more figures but at least this trio is excellent.

The De Jegan has more of a low-visibility colour scheme but there is just enough detail in the paint applications to make the figure visually appealing, well unless you count the backside which is just all brown. I can't say how much I appreciated little details like the E.F.S.F. logo on the shield for example, when a figure misses such an obvious mark that can drastically increase its appearance and ultimately its appeal.

Haagensen's De jegan features some distinct weapons that differ from the regular RGM-89De. You can find them in this figure as well, such as the beam rifle being replaced with a metal combat dagger and a beam gun attached to the left leg. Even the grenades stored on the side skirts are modified. The dagger comes both as a shiny metallic hand held gear option or sheathed as a dull brown attachment to the left shoulder (the peg is not compatible with the leg mount for the beam gun). Technically the knife is supposed to be stored upside down but I just didn't like the look of it, I guess it has to do with the super deformed dimensions of the figure.

Both the RGM-89D Jegan and the rifle-equipped RGM-89De Jegan are available in the NEXT line, but I haven't been able to find them... :(

The Gundam Converge RGM-89De is an amalgamation of the basic De Jegan with beam rifle and traditional grenade pack as well as the option parts from Conroy's machine. On the right is a regular RGM-89 Jegan from Senshi Forte for comparison.


   

Conclusion

You have no doubt already figured out that I am really into this set. Unusual and obscure mobile suits are a personal favourite of mine and I love expanding the line-up with as many variations as possible and this set delivers in spades. Due to the relatively low price of admission I have picked up four boxes and sold of the spare Kshatriyas and formed up a pair of interesting combat squads. Now if only I could manage to repeat this achievement with some of the regular Gashapon NEXT figures as well...