When the Senshi Forte series was introduced in January 2017 it appears to have been a bit of a sleeper hit. The Bandai design team laments to this day on their blog how it was always living under the shadow of the executioner's axe the figures themselves seem to have been positively received on the market. Several of the early figures were hard very early and the first set is nowadays extremely elusive. Come summer of 2018 Bandai decided that they would put the figures back on the shelves again following the "half-bullet" modus operandi introduced with Ensemble. And so Part 1.5 arrived in July 2018 as a slightly revamped set.
The six figures in this reissue set have all received some gentle colour modifications and the simple action bases have been upgraded into the sturdier variant which also features two slots for each figure's two spare hands.
This review will be a bit relaxed in that I will mix things up a little. I finally got around to assembling these guys since I was painting Sturm Fausts for the Ensemble Geara Dogas so they got to tag along. You can check out the original review for part 1 here.
By the way, I know we all like to think that Japanese don't make mistakes but someone was obviously sleeping on the job when the booklets were produced. As you can see here the individual figures of Part 7 and 1.5 have accidentally been given the same numbering. Part 8 continues at F049 so at least these two offending sets do not mess up the numbering of the following sets. I don't really know which of the two sets is incorrectly numbered; Part 1.5 appears to have been released first but Part 7 was probably already in or completed production at that point anyway. I have decided to run with the number from the booklet for now.
By the way number two; check out this fine journalistic image taken by yours truly in a Hong Kong toyshop in late 2017. This is an interesting price list (prices given in HKD) showing the relative popularity of the early Ensemble and Senshi Forte figures back then. Note the extremely low prices on some cool figures like the Efreet and Galbaldy Beta. Unfortunately the shop was closed when I visited otherwise I would have emptied it of Geara Dogas...
F038 : RX-93-v2 Hi-Nu Gundam
The first figure to get the makeover is the Hi-Nu Gundam which now sports a light blue colour variation. The RX-93-v2 is a popular candidate for SP colouring in various figure lines and we have seen it in everything from pale violet to dark blue. This version is not too extreme but you still have to wonder why they can't just do a nice reissue of the original design.
You get two different weapon options for the Hi-Nu, one of which is a really nice translucent blue beam saber. Senshi Forte doesn't do beam sabers all that often but usually outclass Mobile Suit Ensemble when they do. Notice also the optional hands which were always a thing for Senshi Forte before the great nerf that took place when volume 10 was launched as the standardized budget-conscious figures we see today.
All the comparison shots in this review will show the original Part 01 figure up on its stand and the Part 1.5 figure without. In this particular case we also have the all blue All Japan Model and Hobby Show special on the right (which uses the revised type of stand that is also shipped with the Part 1.5 figures).
F039 : RX-0[N] Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn (Awake Mode)
Whoever came up with the whole Psyco Frame shifting colour thing was a genius; one swift stab with the pen and suddenly the Unicorn model kit army doubles out there. At least this makes our next Forte figure a bit more relevant than a simple manipulation of the original colour scheme. We already have the standard Destroy Mode Banshee Norn and here we get a solid entry with the Awakening colours in its place. Simple but effective.
While I keep dreaming about those beam tonfas we have to make do with the Beam Magnum rifle, at least with the under-barrel launcher add-on. The elegant shield can be attached to the left arm or be worn on the back in style.
Both variants of this figure looks great but you can create a real killer combo if you give the standard Destroy Mode figure the metallic hands and gear from the Awakening version figure.
F040 : ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos Lupus
When Iron Blooded Orphans was all the rage I expected we would be seeing quite a lot of the mobile suits from the show in figure form. Converge made a decent start during the first few months of the Sharp reboot but everything died down after four figures in January 2017. Universal Unit had four variants of the Barbatos but nothing else and Ensemble so far hasn't bothered at all. DASH is the best attempt, with a total of eight different figures that mix well with the single figure from Senshi Forte. While I still haven't given up hope on a Ryusei-Go it seems pretty grim right now.
The Senshi Forte Barbatos Lupus isn't all that exciting in my opinion, but it looks the part and has nice markings on its shoulders going for it. I had some fun with the 1.5 figure and had it exchange gear with the Musha Mk-II. So here you see him with a sword than the typical mace which I think is a nice change of pace.
Posing together with the original Part 01 figure which holds the mace. Check out those nice two-colour armored hands as well, this Senshi Forte signum was lost with the volume 10 Ensemble-style reboot and a lot of the line's identity went with it.
F041 : AMS-119 Geara Doga
I got into Senshi Forte with volume two but even at that time the Geara Dogas from the first set had reached something like Unicorn status online. I have never found a single duplicate but now at least with Part 1.5 I will have two. It is a shame really because it is such a cool little figure with lots of features. Apart from the range of gear designed for it it also features a moving monoeye as well as two types of heads with or without the commander antenna. The only real disappointing feature is that the Neo Zeon emblem on the shield isn't pre-painted. This is something a steady-handed painter can fix easily but for me I don't have the guts to try. :)
The mass-production type Doga comes with three weapon types plus a shield. The two carrying hands let you gear the figure freely and there is even an option to select placement of the Sturm Faust missiles. There are four storage slots on the shield as well as two additional ones on the backpack so with access to two figures you can increase the total payload to six missiles.
The revised figure has been given a nice metallic shine to its armor and thrusters but I still like the warmer green colour of the old figure. Those who were lucky to build up a squad of these figures will have a lot of posing options to choose between.
F042 : AMS-119 Geara Doga (Rezyn Schnyder Custom)
Rezyn's custom blue machine has also received the metallic treatments seen on the mass-production type figure and retains its different weapons load. It is pretty wild that they designed four different handheld weapons for these figures (plus the additional shield and missiles).
Rezyn's machine comes with a beam saber in place of the tomahawk style close combat option of the mass-production suit, and has an entirely different beam machine gun type.
The metallic colours on the new Part 1.5 figures are really attractive and help the figures look more life-like, yet there is something about the simple colours of the original figures that I can really appreciate.
F043 : Musha Gundam Mk-II
The axing of the Musha-type character figures is another part of the Senshi Forte series' soul that was given up early on, after wave seven. While these figures were never my main interest they were a part of the series' soul and I always enjoyed their style. I had really hoped that we would eventually start seeing some of the styles designed from the Zeonic suits. The original Mk-II figure already featured quite a bit of metallic colouring but the Part 1.5 version goes even further.
As you may have noticed I equipped my Mk-II with the mace belonging to the Barbatos Lupus figure. The two beautiful swords that accompany this figure can easily be borrowed by many other figures.
The 1.5 figure has essentially replaced everything white with silver and I wonder if they didn't perhaps take it a little bit too far. Still, you could easily mix and match if you wanted to create something in the middle.
Conclusion
The Senshi Forte era started really strong with the original volume, and the 1.5 set was a chance for newcomers to catch up. Today both sets should be considered rather hard to find even though they are only a couple of years old. Figures from part 02 and 03 show up routinely but this elusive first wave is something of a unicorn. I don't even know what the prices would be today but I suspect painful unless you happened to stumble upon them somewhere in Japan.
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