MegaHouse Chess Piece Collection : Gundam Ace Magazine Promo (2005)

Now here is an item I have been chasing for a while. We are looking at a promo-item for the old MegaHouse Chess Piece Collection that was distributed through Gundam Ace Magazine. I don't know the exact circumstances for how it was available, either a free magazine bundle or some kind of subscription bonus item.


This particular set is from 2005 and is not to be confused with an older Ace Magazine promo-item from 2003 featuring the Origin Version RX-78 and an Astray Red Frame of all things. This particular pair is just as wild, as we shall see. The box contains three bubble bags carefully wrapping each figure's components.



MS-06S Zaku II (Char's Custom) (The Origin Ver.)


The highlight here is the Origin Version Zaku II sporting the Type A2 Bazooka with its peculiar three-round magazine which more resembles the type of weapon you would find on an E.F.F. machine. As with all Chess Piece figures this is a soft plastic statue type mold with the figure in an action pose, usually propped up by scenery or as in this case effect parts. The figure uses the black king base which is the tallest type of pedestal in this series. The sculpting and paintwork is as you can see excellent.


Posing together with the RX-78-02 Gundam from the Gundam Ace Magazine 2003 promo set. Fortunately the two have bases of similar stature otherwise it would have looked less appealing. The chess piece bases in general make it difficult to pose these figures with other brands but then again the scale is not matching most of them either.


Group photo with Origin Version Zaku II's from the 1:220 Universal Unit and Gundam Converge lines. Noticed the unusually matching colours across all these figures, this is unusually coherent.






MSM-04 Acguy (Team Acguy Shopping Ver.)


I mean... you just have to accept the madness sometimes I guess? The Acguy is a brute of a mobile suit, taller than the RX-78 and at more than twice its weight, yet in popular media it has been relegated to play the role of kawaiiiii mascot. This eventually led to the Hellspawn that is the Beargguy but in 2005 Gundam Build Fighters was not yet invented and so the Acguy got to play the part. So here is a completely normal grandpa Acguy out doing his grocery shopping in the rain... Exactly how it holds on to that umbrella I don't know, neither do I know where the "Team Acguy" moniker comes from as this is the only time I have seen it. It wouldn't surprise me if this is indeed a thing across more media. Personally I wouldn't have minded seeing a proper sculpt of a "real" Acguy as I believe it is still missing in the Chess Piece Collection. This is a typical "love it or hate it" figure but the execution is really slick.


Overall a neat little figure set, mostly worth seeking out for the deadly looking Zaku. Finding a box will be tricky, but shouldn't be that expensive. I paid ¥1500 for this one. Be extra careful when picking up loose Chess Piece Collection figures on the second hand market as these are very frequently missing parts.