Gundam Converge Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Special Selection

Gundam Converge is in a really interesting spot right now. Beside the original retail figure sets we all love and the more obnoxiously priced spin-offs like CORE Bandai has continued to diversify the brand. We have also seen a couple of special figure sets such as the Gold Edition themed set last November and we will see a couple of additional "Selection" sets in the coming months. Today's set is a selection centered around Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, or more specifically the five year anniversary of its television adaption RE:0096. The set was released in September and individual figures had the standard suggested retail price. Prices are currently in the ¥600-¥1000 range where the two Unicorn figures are the most expensive.


With the occasional exception the figures remain like their previous incarnations. I noticed that several delicate components that came with protective cardboard sheets still were not protected by the them because the plastic bag compartments are larger than the sheets.



253 : RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 01 (Destroy Mode) (Final Battle Ver.)


The set is fronted by the classic Unicorn, or as Bandai have decided to name it here, Unicorn Gundam 01. I think this is the first time I have seen it with a designated number. The green psycho frame color sometimes known as the Awake or Awakening version goes by the Final Battle Version here. Other than the naming, there is not a whole lot going on here.


The Unicorn comes with a new weapons mix of beam rifle plus Beam Gatlings on its shield. We also get a couple of clear components to send out the shield on its own adventure, as we will see below.


The first of the Converge #Sharp figures came out in October 2017 in wave 08 and had a metallic color version exclusive for the Gundam Café released almost at the same time. We then saw the green psycho frame guard starting with the Full Armor Unicorn as a CORE release in August 2018 and a Pear Color version promo for the Narrative Gundam series in November the same year.


Let's also take a look at some of the older Converge Awake Mode Unicorns. from left to right here we see the Full Armor Unicorn (EX 02, released in March 2014), a metallic color Awake Mode figure (from an Overseas Only twin-pack with the Banshee from August 2015) and a very turquoise glowing Awakening Ver. figure (released as CORE 009 in March 2017). Notice how the new Final Battle version figure is the only one without a Unicorn logo on its shield.


The shield gimmick gives you a little action base with three different lengths of stands that you can attach the shield to. It may seem a bit odd that you get this many stands (and that the base is not matching the black colour of the basic figure stand) but this is easily explained by the fact that the components are reused from the old Converge Awakening figure.


Yep, look there is that glowing green CORE figure from 2017 again. And it is also the source of the flying shield. Or to be more specific, it actually comes with three shields and three complete bases.


If you really wanted to you could purchase three Final Battle Ver. figures to complete the shield wall gimmick from the CORE figure. Since I won't be going down that road I can at least show you the functionality from the original figure.


In short, if you would like to set up the shield wall display I would recommend hunting down the old CORE 009 figure instead, you can pair it with whatever Unicorn figure you feel like, after all.






254 : RX-0[N] Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn (Destroy Mode) (Final Battle Ver.)


Next up is of course Unicorn number 02 the Banshee with its regal dark navy blue and yellow now shimmering with a green psycho frame instead. The Unicorn V-fin covers the eyes pretty much completely but if you look in underneath you will find that they are also green. There is a really interesting paint effect on the backside on my Banshee. Parts of the black and navy blue have been chipped away at the edges and a gray metallic peeks out underneath. I don't think this was intended but the effect is really cool and resembles actual weathering. Less cool is the fact that the psyco frame component that sits in the backpack slot on the back is really loose fitting and falls off very easily.


The Banshee Norn comes with its upgraded Beam Rifle with the launcher attachment and its shield fully deployed. Some Banshee figures will allow you to store the shield on its back but that isn't the intention here. The peg sizes are pretty much the same for both Unicorns so you could mount it on the special action base that comes with the regular Unicorn if you want to.


The Banshee family released in Converge #Sharp is limited. The Destroy Mode Banshee was released in wave 12 in October 2018 and the Banshee Norn standard colour Destroy Mode that the UC Special Selection figure is based on followed in wave 16 in August 2019. So far none of the Unicorns have been seen in Unicorn Mode in the #Sharp program which is surprising.


We have a base Unicorn (Destroy Mode) in Awake Mode colours in the old Converge line, seen here on the left side. However, that figure is actually a limited "Overseas Only" release from Bandai Asia and was released in August 2015. Another odd colour choice I would like to mention is the bronze colour Banshee Norn released as CORE 006 in January 2016 (using the old destroy Mode sculpt).


The new Banshee Norn figure does features a hidden gimmick. The lower right leg is removable which allows you to simulate its last battle appearance even closer, although it does look kind of odd. This reminds meof the beaten up Re-GZ from the Alpha Azieru pack which I also wasn't a huge fan of (and yes, the review will be coming, I just can't get into the zone...).


It seems I am not the only one who forgot about this feature. Bandai will often put a heads-up on boxes of figures that feature special gimmicks. You can see it here on the Unicorn box but nobody considered it important enough to announce (or illustrate) on the Banshee box. Some figure lines like Assault Kingdom and Universal Unit would put build instructions on the insides of the boxes but Converge isn't playing that game either.






255 : RMS-179 GM II (Desert Color)


The last Earth Federation side unit is a mass production tyme GM II in a "Desert Color" scheme. I don't know exactly how dark blue is a suitable camouflage colour in such a wasteland but it does look really nice. The antenna that fits into the back of the GM's head has a really poor fit on my figure; I will need to chip it down to fit better (and I should probably just glue it in place while I am at it).


Even though the GM II does not consist of a lot of parts, it still comes in two plastic bags, with the backpack and the antenna getting a package of their own. I suspect this might be related to the different weapon kits for the GM II figures released so far but it still doesn't make sense since the weapons are in the main bag. Oh, well.


The Desert Color GM II is kind of a mix of the two figures we have seen before. The standard colour GM II was released together with the Desert Color themed Semi Striker in #Sharp 05 in January 2017 and it is nice to get more variation. The colours chosen for the Semi Striker figure aren't exactly the same as on the Desert Color figure as can be seen here.


This Desert squad has been augmented with the old GM III and Ground Type Gundam figures from 2013. The GM Head custom variant on the far left is created by combining the head from the GM II with the body of the Ground Type Gundam.






256 : AMS-119 Geara Doga (Sleeves Ver.)


The Geara Doga was one of the early figures featured in the Sharp line and so here is a good opportunity to grab it again. This version comes in a muted olive green realistic style with attractive wrist markings identifying its user as belonging to the Sleeves. There is also a stylish Neo Zeon logo on the shield but you won't see it unless you bring it out with some paint.


Besides rifle and shield te figure also comes with a moving monoeye and three head options. Two of the helmet styles actually share the same front section and so you replace the rear component only to switch between using the commander's antenna or not. In the lore the Geara Doga has a lot of interesting gear choices and I would really like to see a Neo Zeon special release themed around the Doga with option parts for the long range gunner and psycommu test units.


Close-ups of the two optional head choices. Interestingly, the original figure also featured a fourth head option for the Geara Doga Kai which was scrapped here, presumably because it belings to the Char's Counterattack-era rather than Unicorn but I still think it could have been included.


The two pairs of Sturmfaust missiles have an alternate placement option on the sides of the back pack. If you grab multiple figures you can give a single suit an additional set of missiles which is cool (and the shield looks a bit silly without them attached underneath).


The original figure has very vivid colours and better represents the Char's Counterattack style. The figure on the right features the AMS-119S Geara Doga Kai head which is not available for the Special Selection figure.




257 : MS-14A Gelgoog (Sleeves Ver.)


When the Unicorn Special Selection set was first I was really smitten by the Sleeves and Zeon Remnants colour schemes but it was the Gelgoog specifically that made my heart pound a little bit faster. I really, really, really like this figure. While it may be one of the simplest designs in this pack I think it is by far the best realization of the lot. Just look at those colours and that stylish gear. Superb!


The Sleeves Version Gelgoog gets the dual bladed Beam Naginata (which has so far only been seen on Char's Custom figure) and the typical shield. The shield has a shaped peg and fits both on the left arm and on the back at a predetermined angle only. Too bad that the standard Gelgoog figure doesn't come with two weapon options, I would have loved to see them with different gear.


I find many of the Zeonic mobile suits released in #Sharp a bit underwhelming in size, even the Gelgoog feels a bit small. The colours and styles so far seen however are excellent. Can't wait to add Anavel Gato's blue machine to the mix when it is released in May next year.






258 : MSM-07 Z'Gok (Zeon Remnants Ver.)


Finally we have an old U.C. 0079 era Z'Gok marine type mobile suit. Man, I wouldn't want to enter combat with this thing in 0096. At least you will die in style, because the Zeon remnants machine has multiple beautiful green colours and white markings on its wrists that give it some extra flair. I still think the #Sharp Z'Gok looks a bit odd with its unusual design choice of covering up the monoeye behind transparent plastic and the proportions still look a bit funky.


The Z'Gok carries all is weapons internally but you do at least get two claws that you can rotate in their sockets for some minimal variety. The new claws in #Sharp are a massive improvement over the first generation Z'Gok figure which came with loose claws that you had to cut from a sprue and insert into slots manually. These claws will not risk falling off and disappearing very easily.


Side by side with the old-school Zeon Remnants Z'Gok from Converge 12 released in October 2013. While the new figure is a massive improvement from a technical standpoint (and it gets rid of the horrible seam straight trough the face) there are still aesthetic elements of the old figure that I think work better and it has that traditional Z'Gok feel to it that the new figure lacks.


The Converge #Sharp family first saw the release of Char's red machine in Converge #15 in May 2019 and the mass production type followed in Converge #17 in December the same year. This pretty much completes the line-up, isn't it time we see a new odd custom show up somewhere in the lore? Maybe Akahana could have a black machine or why not a civilian orange Search And Rescue variant? I want more Z'Goks!






Conclusion

The first couple of Converge Special Selections were a bit underwhelming but the 10th Anniversary Gold Edition set sowed the way to greatness. I really look forward to seeing more Special Selection repaint-sets, especially if we can get some new interesting gear choices thrown in. Full Frontal's red Geara Doga would be such an example, Bandai would need to create the assault rifle accessory to complete it but surely there must be room for such extravaganza at least in CORE? Anyway, the Unicorn Special Selection set is a real treat and I recommend you pick it up soon while the figures are still easily available.