SD Gashapon Senshi Forte 15

It can be hard to stay on top of news in smaller Gashapon figure lines. Senshi Forte wave 15 was supposedly released already in May but I didn't start seeing them online until September so I have some doubts about that. The next wave is expected this December and appears to go all-in on the new Witch of Mercury timeline with the Gundam Aerial, Michaelis and Gundam Pharact revealed so far.


Just like the sets before it, SF15 is available in both boxed and Gashapon machine versions. I managed to pick up some of both types and this 12-box appeared to have been unopened. The box contained 2 of each figure arranged in a slightly surprising pattern. The row of boxes at the rear (top of the photo) contained the Wing and then the Epyon. The next row was arranged in the same way. The two center rows featured the Dom and the green Leo and the two front rows the purple Leo and the equipment pack.


The boxes follow the traditional style unlike the booklets that do the new square design seen also in Mobile Suit Ensemble (and which I am not generally a fan of because they mess with my review layout format. :)


The figures are typically selling for around ¥400-¥500 per box - the Leos are just bound to go up in price while I got some of the equipment packs for only ¥200. The latter is a bit of a steal since it contains - as we shall see - some really useful accessories with universal use.



F095 : XXXG-00W0 Gundam Wing Zero Custom


Gee... Wing Gundam again? We just saw him in a recent set although that time it was the Endless Waltz version with the angelic wings. You'd think this could have been a slot better spent on say the Sandrock or Heavyarms. Having said that, it looks fine, it is colourful, it will be great if you like the design but personally I have had more than enough of my fill at this point.


The figure comes armed with the Twin Buster beam rifle variant and its shield. Do you remember when Bandai relaunched Senshi Forte with the new bases and standardized hands? At that time they would feature hands and bases in white or gold for signature mobile suits such as this one, it is a practice they seem to have got rid of for good. A cost saving measure I assume but can't say I miss it.


The new Wing Zero figure posing with its Endless Waltz counterpart (Senshi Forte 13 from February 2021) and a Gashapon Warrior DASH 07 XXXG-01W Wing Gundam (released July 2016).






F096 : OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon


The announcement of Epyon was a bit of a surprise. Although we have seen it recently also in Converge it is quite a rare figure. The figure is looking really smart in its black and red colours and the additional detail is just icing on the cake. The sculpt detail is great as always although the V-fin, being made of soft plastic, may require some straightening.


The figure comes armed with its peculiar shield which features a segmented heat rod resembling kind of a dragon's tail. The main armament included is a shiny green translucent beam sword which is connect to the suit through a power cable in the same fashion as used on the GM Flag in MSG00.






F097 : MS-09 Dom


The odd one out in this set is the good ol' Dom which continues to expand the U.C. 0079 line-up of Senshi Forte. Senshi Forte used to be really wild in the mobile suit selection and it wasn't until wave 11 that it began featuring the original television series. So far we have seen the RX-78, Guncannon, Guntank and GM on the Federation side and the Zaku II, Z'Gok (including Char Customs for both of course) and the Dom on the Zeonic side. The Dom evens the score a bit and you can never go wrong with a figure for it, it is just such a classic.


Parts-wise we get a figure with both a large bazooka and a heat sword. The heat sword can be equipped in hand if you want to but mainly features a peg that allows you to store it on the figure's back. We get access to a "clean" heat sword in the equipment pack as well so no need to modify the one found in this box if you want the figure to wield it.


SD evolution of the Dom as seen in the original SD Full Color Custom series (released in 1998), Gashapon Warrior NEXT (2013) and Senshi Forte. This latest generation is very show-accurate in regard to both proportions ad colouring and looks absolutely on point.






F098 : OZ-06MS Leo


As nice as the other figures in this set are, it is the Leo that is the star of wave 15. This is the first time the Leo is surfacing after only two previous appearances - as an SD figure from 2000 and as a 1/400 scale figure in 2005 - and just how demented is that? The Leo is to Wing what the Geara Doga is to Char's Counter Attack or the Geara Zulu to Unicorn yet for some reason it always ends up getting a raw deal. Wing Gundams in various forms are a dime a dozen, they sneak into every figure line at some point, but the Leo, with its relatively simplistic build is hung out to dry. Well, Senshi Forte finally corrects this with a real killer figurine and I am hoping that it will trigger further appearances also in Gundam Converge and Mobile Suit Ensemble.


The SF-version of the Leo is all about customization. The box contains everything you need to build the bog standard ground-type Leo with its iconic 105mm gun (with a bucket full of ammunition). However, you also get option parts with a different left shoulder that features an attachment point for the buckler-style shield (you can of course choose to make this a right arm mount if you want), a pair of heavily armored shoulder pads and the space type flightpack. I do have some reservations about the way Bandai decided to gear the Leo but I will come back to it further down in the review. Those are just minor nitpicks however, this figure is absolute killer. If you can manage to find enough of these suckers you can create squads geared for very different missions.






F099 : OZ-06MS Leo (Space Type)


The purple colour Space Type Leo may at first sight look like a simple colour swap but there are multiple changes in the gear department - notice for example the different weapon carried by this figure, a beam rifle. The basic suit itself is however similar to the basic ground type.


The purple Leo figure gets the spaceflight pack and optional left shoulder with shield connector for its shield but not the armored shoulders seen on the green variant. It also gets a total of three weapons, the mentioned beam rifle, a second "Shorty" type beam rifle and a larger support-type weapon that I have not been able to identify. I have to say I am little bit disappointed that we do not get a Dober Gun for either variant since it is one of the more iconic options.


Side shots of the optional weapons. The large weapon which resembles some kind of clip-fed bazooka fits easily above and outside of the shoulder.


Just to dig a bit deeper into the Leo family there is of course also a blue colour variant that would have been nice to see here. Notice the large Dober Gun featured for both types in Robot Spirits as well as the ground type's bazooka and atmospheric flight pack. I certainly wouldn't mind if Bandai would put another green Leo in the next SF wave together with a blue machine geared up with the Dober Gun. :)


With two out of the three latest Gashapon Senshi Forte sets focusing on Gundam Wing we now have a really good line-up available. If you dig deeper into the previous SD Gashapon series DASH and NEXT you will be able to field a pretty varied force on top of what is seen here.


OZ mobile suit force augmented here with the Virgo (DASH 03, released October 2015) as well as the two experimental Vayeate and Mercury suits, the latter two from DASH 07 (July 2016).






F100 : Equipment set for wave 15


The equipment parts set is as usual focused on action base construction parts of the same type we have seen before, as well as a couple of weapon options for some of the suits in this set.


I don't even bother with these stands anymore so here is a recycled image from a previous review. All components have multiple peg holes for a bit of customizing, this is what you will get out of one box if you put it all together the traditional way. As usual, the main problem here is that you only get one of these stands for every five Senshi Forte mobile suits. If you want to display your collection you are still looking at a custom solution...


The Wing Gundam gets its double Buster Rifle split up into two separate parts which is completely pointless in my opinion but I guess easy to manufacture. It also gets its smooth translucent green beam saber with a beautiful white handle. This weapon can of course come in handy with other mobile suit figures and you could cut pieces up to place the white hilt on a red saber and vice versa to further widen your options.


The Dom figure gets a deployed heat saber without the peg that is used to attach it at the back. It would have been extra cool if the stowed saber was in a different colour but this seems to vary from figure to figure anyway so it is not a big deal. In the second photo I managed to balance the large bazooka onto the backskirt, there is no such peg option available.


The Leo gets a nice translucent red beam saber in this pack. The second photo shows a figure with the optional armoured shoulders that come with the figure itself as well as the large support weapon from the purple Leo's gear, it just ended up in this section of the review for no particular reason. :)




Conclusion

Senshi Forte 15 is a great -even mandatory- set if you are into Gundam Wing. The Dom is also a great classic design (that feels a bit out of place here) but chances are you have him in DASH- or NEXT-form already and so it may not be as critical a purchase if you are only into the Universal Century. I am still trying to get hold of enough Leos to build some interesting squads and may update the review in the future if I manage to score a couple more of them.

SD Gashapon Senshi Forte 14

Senshi Forte continues to quietly soldier on in the shadow of its more renowned bigger brothers. Currently it carries the sole responsibility of continuing the legacy of the SD format in figure form. The Bandai development team has already teased the existence of volume 15 although I haven't yet seen the entire line-up, and they have also hinted that work on planning volume 16 is currently ongoing. Such efforts can of course be cancelled at a whim and we have yet to see if the announced Mobility Joint Gundam line that is launching next year is an attempt to finally retire the miniature line for something more kit-based.


Ever since the Senshi Forte line was rebooted (starting with volume 11) the sets have been themed around one single franchise property, with most figures coming out of the same timeline save for one stand-out figure. Volume 14 continues this trend with four of its five mobile suits coming out of the U.C. 0083 Stardust Memory anime The fifth figure however is closely related as it belongs in the Advance of Zeta storyline which is pretty much the direct aftermath of Stardust Memory. Coincidentally, the Gframe line featured 0083 earlier this year both Converge and Mobile Suit Ensemble lines will carry Stardust Memory designs next year and the premium Robot Spirits action figure series also went through this era in painstaking detail recently. It all gets a bit much in my opinion.


At the time of review I have only managed to get my hands on the boxed version figures but they as usual also exist in the capsule variant with those nice booklets. I will update the review accordingly once I acquire one.




F089 : RX-78GP01 Gundam GP01 "Zephyrantes"


To no one's surprise, the GP01 will be the first entry into the 0083 line-up. It is the first evolutionary step of the design, later improved upon with the more eclectic Full-Burner'n variant, which is more interesting with its blue and white pattern and large boosters carried on the back. If not for its decorative shield, the GP01 is a rather bland design but the figure at least does a good job of representing it. I secretly hope that the GP01Fb will pop-up in Senshi Forte 15 although it seems highly unlikely.


The Gundam comes with the traditional beam rifle and shield combo, a beam saber has been hidden away in the equipment pack which we will return to in a second. All figures in this wave also feature the typical semi-circle shaped bases and a peg to prop them up into the air if you want. At this point I just pile those pieces into a pyramid having little use for them.






F090 : RX-78GP02A Gundam GP02A "Physalis"


Showing up to duel the GP01 is of course the big-boned Physalis. The GP02A is a really unique development of the traditional Gundam design and its overall bulk is probably why we don't see it more often in product lines with standardized figure sizes. While the Senshi Forte version of the Physalis is still the same size as your average figure the addition of a pair of oversized thruster packs on the arms make for a good compromise - it looks huge and mean.


You may be surprised to see the Physalis armed with a beam saber only but hey, Bandai needs to sell you that sweet, sweet equipment pack. Notice how I have used the open expressive hand to hold the saber. I didn't have much choice as the saber's hilt was to thick to fit inside the figure's holding hand and trying to twist it in might damage the saber or get it stuck there permanently so I avoided messing with it. The open hand works as a decent compromise.






F091 : RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel II]


If you are in to both Gashapon and Advance of Zeta the Mobile Suit Ensemble series will have you covered for the most part, but it is nice to see the AOZ designs cropping up in the other series as well. The Hazel II is a rather unusual choice on Bandai's part and is a great "first" into this figure size where it will harmonize nicely with other Titans Test Team figures from the past.


The Hazel II uses the typical snub 90mm GM ballistic rifle and a shield recognized from other E.F.S.F. suits such as the GM Commander Type as well as the two GM figures present in this very set.


We now have access to around a dozen different AOZ-era figures between Gashapon Warrior NEXT, Senshi Forte and FW SD Gundam Neo. Most of them are really unusual on the secondary market though. I am curious to see if we will get any additional figures in the Senshi Forte line itself.






F092 : RGM-79N GM Custom


While there are many stand-out designs present in Stardust Memory series it is the mint green GM Custom that always comes to mind for me. The explosion of different GM types was a real vitamin injection into the E.F.S.F. hangar which is otherwise predominantly made up of various one-off Gundam type designs. I really wish that there were a couple of different basic suits to work with as the Federation line-up is rather stale compared to the eclectic range of Zeonic machine types. The Senshi Forte figure is very basic in its colour scheme so going over it with a paintbrush or marker pen to bring out some detail will be a great help.


You get a beam rifle and shield with the GM Custom. I would really have appreciated at least something extra like a beam saber in the equipment pack but this sucker will be hard to army build anyway so i can come back and moan about that if I manage to build a proper squad. I currently have two and I wonder how many years it will take to find another duo. :)






F093 : RGM-79Q GM Quel


The GM Quel is a Titans Special Forces variant of the GM Custom and comes in a sexy dark blue and black design. Titans figures always vary greatly in colour, just look at all the various tones used on the Gundam Mk-II over the years. Here Bandai has gone for a dark and menacing design that still manages to show off the different colours clearly. I can't wait to build a squad of these machines too but considering that the GM Custom and GM Quel are A/B variants of the same mold I guess they are produced in lower numbers than the rest of the figures in this wave. If someone has opened a full box-set for this wave I'd be curious to learn how it was organized.


The GM Quel has the exact same gear as the GM Custom. A menacing translucent beam saber would have been a good option for this figure and would have made it easier to army build if you let the two GM figures swap weapons with each other.






F094 : Equipment set for wave 14


The option parts set for volume 14 is really meager. Except for the standardized display/base components there are only three additional gear choices here, aimed at the GP01 and GP02. At least this means I won't have to chase down multiple copies just to equip my GMs but it still feels a bit lazy.


I've been recycling this picture for a couple of times now. It gives you an idea of what you can build with the base components included in the box. If you are serious about using these modular displays for your Gashapon collection you will have to amass a hefty number of equipment packs (and a whole lot of duplicate weapons that someone else could have used).I don't understand why Bandai doesn't just offer these bases as a n accessory kit in bundles of 5 or 10 or whatever.


So what are the cool items in this box? Well we get a nice translucent beam saber for the GP01 so it can go toe to toe with the Physalis. As you can see in the photo, I have just attached the saber very loosely into the socket, normally you'd want to see the hilt coming out at the bottom but there is no way to squeeze it in there without working it over with a knife and I can't be bothered. I guess the added coat of paint on the hilt is causing this problem and this is why we often saw Gashapon figures with unpainted weapon handles in Assault Kingdom for example.


You really only need the equipment pack if you are getting yourself the Physalis figure. Both of its signature gear choices can be found here. We have the crazy nuclear bazooka and the enormous shield. There is a peg hole on the right shoulder so that you can stow the bazooka when not in use which is a really nice gimmick. Considering the limited gear in this pack I really would have liked to see the MLRS-Type rocket launcher packs too.



Conclusion

All in all, Gashapon Senshi Forte 14 does not disappoint. While it is unusual to see an entire set made up of mobile suits from the same faction and era I think this is a great selection and I suspect it will be quite popular in its home market, which is bad luck for the rest of us. Oh how I miss the experience of spending time (and too much money) in a used figure marketplace... :)