Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 02 : NZ-666 Kshatriya

With last week's announcement that Bandai is bringing the Ensemble Kshatriya back for one more manufacturing round it seemed prudent that I finally get around to actually reviewing it. So, apologies to Mr. Double X Gundam who was lined up for finally getting built but you are going to have sit this one out I'm afraid...

The Kshatriya is one of the early EX figures which was released in July 2017, back in the good old times when you could actually get a set of retail figures between each EX figure and not as now, where there are 2-3 EX figures in between each retail set. When it first came around it cost ¥3780 and I purchased mine in December 2017 (almost three years sitting in its box.... good job) and I had to pay ¥6000 at Mandarake so the price had nearly doubled already then. Nowadays they go routinely, and I mean they go, for around ¥15000 to ¥16000 so if you have been wanting to add this machine to your Ensemble line-up you have a really good opportunity now.

As far as I understand it the reissued Kshatriya will indeed be a simple reissue, none of that marking plus b-s that Bandai normally likes to do so I am hoping I can sit this 2020 version out. The new figure is expected to be delivered in December and has a price of ¥3850 which might seem really fair compared to its secondary market price, but you are still paying premium for what is in essence a souped-up regular figure.

The anatomy of the Kshatriya is quite interesting because the designers had to forgo the usual build due to the Kshatriya's massive bulk and look. It has an extra large crotch piece with larger ball joints for the legs, and the skirt armor is divided up into multiple components. The chest assembly is completely unique as well with special hinged shoulder components already attached to the back of the torso. Lastly the connector pieces for the legs are different from the ones used for the arms, so pay extra attention that you do not mix up the two pairs.

I have to say this figure is looking really good with its detailed Sleeves motif on the arms and torso. The colour applications are a bit lacking on the backside, it would have been nice to get the missing white trim on the shoulders and back of the legs. I have filled in some parts with black and I used red marker for the exhausts on the back of the legs. Overall I found the assembly straightforward but very finicky. It can be hard to find a good place to hold on to when you apply pressure to snap components together and it is equally easy to apply too much pressure in one end just to see pieces fly off at the other. You have probably experienced it with Ensemble before as well.

The Kshatriya can stand upright like a regular Ensemble figure but really comes into its right when flying. The basic size of its body is only slightly larger than the average Ensemble mobile suit and so they pose really well together.

Manipulating the four wing binders is also fiddly since the available space is very cramped. The forward binders get in the way of the rear ones and vice versa all the time. It is not that easy to try to set the dashing poses that you can see on the box and honestly I didn't feel like messing with it too much. Hear I have attached the four dual Beam Gatling Guns to the hardpoints at the tip of each binder. I have never seen these included with any other Kshatriya figure (are they even canon?) and honestly they look a bit ridiculous but you can always recycle them for your Unicorn Gundams to gear them up with lots of firepower.

The Kshatriya also hides 24 remote Funnel type weapons in its wing binders. Four are included with clear effect parts so that you can attach them to the various peg holes you find on the mobile suit's body or in particular on its wing binders. Once again I found it tricky to make nice looking pose out of these, I usually am not too inspired by this type of accessory, something we have seen on the Assault Kingdom Kshatriya and various Qubeleys in the past.

The two accessories I like the most are the two extra long transparent beam sabers that also come with the figure. A pair of holding hands are included so that the Kshatriya can properly wield them but as nice as they are I still prefer the expressive open hands for this figure; the beam sabers will be excellent accessories for the entire Ensemble figure line though and are much appreciated. It would have been even nicer if they were transparent yellow or green.

Posing together with the Kshatriya from Gundam Converge (EX 01, December 2013) and the Kshatriya Repaired from Gashapon Warrior NEXT (Premier 03, September 2014).
  

Conclusion

Overall the Kshatriya is a really sharp looking figure and a pleasing entry into the Ensemble line-up. It goes well together with the many Unicorns, Stark Jegans and Geara Zulus of the Unicorn era. If you are still hunting for this figure be ready to act on this opportunity that the reissue will now provide, since it will no doubt start to climb in price again once the new batch is sold out.