Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 21

After five sets of Ensemble waves containing six different figures (or rather, five plus one equipment pack) we are coming back to the classic five-figure line-up. Granted these extended waves would typically contain two figures that were colour variations with slight differences while Part 21 contains five completely different minis. Part 21 was released in April 2022 and is the second set to feature the latest frame structure and come with improved build instructions both online and in the packaging.


I wasn't sure exactly how many figures I would want to pick up for this set. Except the two mass production types the Hazel figure has some combinations going on as well and I knew from its previous outings that sometimes one equipment set would not be enough to build one single variation. There is also the premium EX35 TR-6 Queenly figure that can combine with this figure so keep that in mind if you have your big spender pants on.


The availability of wave 21 has been quite good on the secondary market so far. Apart from boxed figures I also found some of the Gasha versions which as you can see continue the mix of differently sized capsules. Notice also the new square booklet design they cram into the capsules with clearer build instructions and a list of distributors in the local geographic region.



133 : RX-78GP01-Fb Gundam GP01 "Zephyrantes"


Wave 21 features a 100% Earth Federation line-up although each figure has been grabbed from a different era. First out is the GP01 which is the first of a number of Stardust Memory-themed releases, culminating later this year with both the Dendrobium and Neue Ziel as premium wallet-killers. In addition, the GP02A and Xamel have recently been delivered as a very expensive box set and Ensemble Part 22 will add the GP03 and Gerbera-Tetra. I doubt we will be seeing any of the cool GM variants or the Gelgoog Marine variants however. Perhaps I should say a couple of words about the figures as well. Well, as you can see it is a really classic Ensemble design with no particular gimmicks or unusual features. The only thing I don't like about it is its bendy plastic shield.


I added parts shots for both the capsule and the boxed variants where I have them. As far as equipment goes you might be surprised to see that there are no options for the GP01 at all, there isn't even a toothpick beam saber in the equipment box (however you will most likely have plenty of those already). I had somewhat expected a cheap parts option pack to turn the GP01 into the Full Burnern variant but, nope. Perhaps it will be allowed to front Ensemble Part 23 but its' chances looks a bit grim if you ask me.






134 : RX-94 Mass Production Type Nu Gundam


Oh, wow. The unveiling of the RX-94 was a real jaw-dropper moment for me. I jumped onboard the Ensemble train because of the rare mobile suit choices it began to offer with the Advance of Zeta designs and Ensemble continues to drop exotic suits from time to time. It might be a Nu Gundam but it is a mass-production type with a really unique colour scheme; that is all that it takes for me to embrace it fully. For me this is the real highlight of the entire set and the colours are what sell it to me. Gorgeous!


Apart from its beam rifle and shield this figure has a couple of extra weapon options. You get a small Beam Spray Gun that attaches to either underarm, the backpack features the INCOM remote weapon system for pilots not cursed with newtype abilities. As you can see, the weapons pack is quite big and heavy and may present some issues posing the figure without support.






135 : RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Owsla]


The Hazel figure is a heart-warming blast from the past. The first variant of this mobile suit premiered in July 2017 and Ensemble is still dropping new figures of it from time to time. While this latest iteration features the new frame structure with better mobility in the shoulders you have pretty much seen everything here in Ensemble form before. If you have been building the Hazel figures before this will be very familiar territory and there isn't a whole lot to say about it. If Ensemble continues to live I guess there is a fairly good chance that we may see an Ensemble Part 21.5 drop some time in the coming years with a navy-blue color counterpart.


The Hazel Owsla comes with its characteristic stubby beam rifle and large shield booster. I was a bit dismayed to see that one of the Hazel figures I unboxed had a beam rifle with the peg at its stock end missing, which is a crucial component in the parts transformation process that turns it into the Long Blade Rifle.


The new figure inherits its components from the RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 [Advanced Hazel] and of course the TR-1 [Hazel Owsla] Gigantic Arm Unit premium figure.






136 : RB-79 Ball (Type C)


Just like the old saying goes, "you don't bring a ball to a mobile suit fight". This hasn't managed to dissuade Bandai from placing one in this wave's mobile armor slot but at least it has been upgraded to the late war RB-79C variant which features an extra pair of grabbing arms. As you can see, the proportions of this figure are really... unusual. Whether you approve of this or not is a matter of taste but I'm generally not that impressed by how it turned out. On the plus side, this is the first mass produced Ball figure that features multiple-joint arms. The gripping claws are not articulated however and there you have to make do with peg holes for any carrying purposes.


The Ball figure does not come with any accessories, not even a standard Ensemble action base (and the figure also is not compatible with one). I think Bandai missed an opportunity to include the Type-K dual cannon weapon option but then again, if they are planning a Part 21.5 wave further down the road that would be a perfect time to add it.


Here is a quick comparison of the Ensemble Ball with the RB-79 from Assault Kingdom (center) and Micro Wars (right). This clearly shows the different stylistic choices made by the designers.






137 : Equipment Set for Wave 21


The equipment pack is geared for the Nu Gundam and the Hazel this time around, but also includes a complete mobile armor on its own. We'll begin by checking out the Nu since it only gets a few pieces.


While the RX-94 was indeed a mass-production type intended to be flown by regular pilots it also retains support for the psycommu controlled remote fin funnel weapon. The equipment set lets you replace the INCOM pack with the classic RX-93 Funnel-pack and it looks really good with its golden paint detail (something Bandai may easily have decided to skimp on). There is no dual fin funnel option - for that you would have to dig into the Mobile Suit Ensemble history and unearth the expansion pack for the original RX-93 figure and bring a paintbrush to it.


I will be building a full squad and utilize gear from previous figures. Here is the Hyper Bazooka from the regular Nu Gundam figure as well as an old toothpick beam saber.


To my knowledge the RX-94 has been issued in figure form only once before. It also exists as a rather rare super deformed variant in the Gashapon Warrior NEXT figure series. It was released in NEXT volume 15 in 2013, both with newtype funnels and the regular pilot INCOM backpacks.


Ensemble has a really strong line-up of Nu Gundam variants by now and so I wish that the focus will be placed elsewhere for a while... you can dream, right?




Emergency Escape Pod [Primrose] (Types I and III)


The equipment set comes with all but one component needed to construct the Primrose-type escape craft. It is a small and boxy looking craft slightly reminiscent of the G-Defenser onto which a large shield binder with a Mega Particle Cannon has been mounted. A glass cannon if I have ever seen one. Unlike the Ball figure the Primrose is compatible with the standard Ensemble action base. The base is really unstable though and so I always recommend putting four support struts on it rather than the two included in a box. This gives the figure a nice and stable footprint. Notice that you have to steal the Hazel Owsla figure's booster pack to complete the figure, a strangely cheap thing for Bandai not to include in the box.


The Primrose Type III comes with two Mega Particle Cannons in the box and so you can double up the fire power. You also get the large Tri-booster unit which also functions as a backpack on the Hazel Owsla itself.



RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Owsla] (Full Armor Form)


The regular Owsla figure is rather bare bones; the equipment pack gives you everything you need to set it up in a more threatening full armor mode. The beam rifle is replaced with the elongated Long Blade Rifle and the tri-booster back pack adds mobility and firepower. The most notable difference is otherwise the Mega Particle Cannon which attaches to the figure's skirt armor and is carried over the right shoulder.


A good thing about the Full Armor form is that it does not require the booster unit that the Primrose I figure "borrows" from the Hazel figure. Thus you are able to construct a full quartet by using two Hazel Owsla and two Equipment Pack boxes if you are so inclined.






Conclusion

At the risk of repeating myself when it comes to Ensemble, I think that volume 21 is a great figure set. It features three mass production type machines out of which two are stylish mobile suits that offer lots of customization options. The GP01 that Bandai chose to sit on the box cover is the least interesting figure here and I think that is an indicator of the overall quality throughout the set.