We are continuing down the Build Model Gundam memory lane, moving into set two which was released in June of 2015 and features figures number six to ten out of the total of fiften figures in the series. This time the spotlight is shining brightly on the Universal Century 0079 Principality of Zeon forces with not a single E.F.F. unit in sight, something highly unusual for a product of this kind.
06 : MS-06S Zaku II (Char's Custom)
As we discussed in the feature on volume one, these figures have a rubbery feel to them sort of like the old eraser figures of the 1980s. Colour separation is primarily handled by different components dyed in different colours and so you can pick these apart to a ridiculous level. This also leads to somewhat imperfect appearance in general as pieces sometimes bend slightly or refuse to attach exactly to specification. You can see the left tube attached to the Zaku II's mouth area for example wanting to slide back out of its hole while the right side does not have this issue. The material also introduces some white patches here and there where the material is scratched or stressed but overall the appearance is quite neat and colourful.
Somewhat surprisingly the figure comes completely unarmed in a little baggy with just the commander antenna requiring assembly. This being a Shokugan toy also means we get the traditional chewing gum so prevalent in this period, seen also in Gundam Converge for example. The weapons you see in the squad photo above all come from the weapon set box, requiring collectors to chase that box down like crazy. I will never give Bandai a pass for this evil marketing strategy.
07 : MS-06F Zaku II
The mass-production Zaku II is similar to the Char Custom version save for the head sculpt which does not include the commander antenna. There are no secret version figures in the Build Model Gundam series but I think it would have been neat to have an Easter Egg in the form of a green MS-06S figure tossed in as a secret version as a B-type version of this box.
No weapons included here either, just the figure ready to go. As you can see from the arms the figures are articulated and you usually get head, shoulder, hand and waist movement out of them. Below you can see some alternate weapon configurations using the gear from the weapon set box.
08 : MS-07B Gouf
Big boy Gouf is next and it has a really nice colour scheme, the designers did their utmost in both sculpting and parts separation to allow for this vibrant appearance. The BMG figures may be a cheap gimmick but no effort was spared on giving them a sharp and crisp overall look.
The Gouf for some reason does come armed with its Heat Rod weapon which looks a bit on the thin side if you ask me. The left hand is also the five-finger machine gun variant, I wouldn't have minded a traditional hand as an option part. The best weapon is the bright yellow Heat Sword which is once again hidden away in the weapon set box.
09 : MS-09 Dom
Completing the Zeon team we have the mighty Dom with its striking look. You can see how the designers have modelled different body parts to be able to replicate its complex colour scheme. Due to its chunky style articulation is more limited than on your typical BMG figure.
The Dom also comes with an accessory, its Heat Saber - in powered down mode - with a large peg to store it on the back. My main criticism of this figure is that we don't get a yellow powered-up version without the peg to equip in hand properly. Sure, the mighty bazooka is included in the weapon set but surely it wouldn't have been too hard to design a yellow stick and include as well? The current accessory looks more like a police night stick than something to bring into combat.
10 : HT-01B Magella Attack + Principality of Zeon Weapon Set
Lastly we have the combination Tank + Weapon set to round out this set. This is where all the magic happens, we have the Zaku Machine Gun and Heat Hawk for the Zakus, a Heat Sword for the Gouf and the Giant Bazooka for the Dom. The E.F.S.F. weapon set featured a couple of shields and two buggies but here we get a proper Magella Attack Tank instead, making the weapon set a figure in its own right. The tank is well sculpted and can separate into the flyer configuration, the only thing I don't like is that its cockpit windows are of the same colour as the rest of the canopy. This is understandable, splitting this into multiple components would have made for a flimsy design.
Conclusion
In summary, the second wave of BMG figures is fantastic and while it heavily skews the figure series in favour of the spacenoids the third and final volume will rectify this a bit. This set is absolutely essential if you collect the Build Model Gundam figures but are otherwise not really to scale with anything else and as such mainly a novelty that can be safely skipped. The Build Model Gundam figures are fairly hard to come by these days but not very expensive so it pays to keep eyes peeled and ears to the ground if you wish to find them.
