Assault Kingdom EX 09 : FA-010S Full Armor ZZ Gundam + FXA-08R Mega Rider

Assault Kingdom is nearing its end of the line and I am playing catch-up with the recent string of rather expensive EX-releases pumped out over the last five months. I get the feeling that the engineers had a stock of prototypes in their cupboards which were all grabbed and finalized as quickly as possible once the project got the axe. EX 09 was released in May 2016 at a suggested price of ¥3200, making it one of the priciest Assault Kingdom kits (not counting the oversized Psychos of course...).

Just like the recent Hyaku Shiki kit we are presented here with a rather well rounded mobile suit with loads of extra parts and a stylish ride to go with it (if you can come to terms with the outlandish concept of space horses or space motorbikes, that is...)

The box is absolutely loaded with stuff. It has to be said that unboxing the Assault Kingdom figures is always a treat involving slightly hysterical giggling and rubbing of hands. No shokugan gum was present in my box, typical for the Bandai-Asia versions coming out of Hong Kong. The only thing I am missing here is a leaflet with assembly instructions, instead it is going to be the tired glancing into the box and trying to figure out what is printed on the inside walls.

Just look at all those colourful parts! In total, we will be able to create three different machines from the ZZ Gundam timeline here, two versions of the titular ZZ Gundam, and its space horse... eh, Mega Rider.

MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam

Almost ready to go straight out of the box, the MSZ-010 only required some minor assembly. The only part that will give you a slight headache here is the backpack, which has a novel construction in the form of a jointed arm which extends out from the pack to attach to the figure's back. This was rather fiddly to attach and doesn't feel all that stable. The figure is a bit back-heavy thanks to this, so the included base plate is going to see a lot of use here.

Articulation in the ZZ Gundam is decent, but a bit cumbersome. Apart from the backpack getting in the way, the shoulders and other assorted huge fins and crap make everything a bit tricky. The legs and feet are much easier to work with, but overall the ZZ can get the job done.

The Assault Kingdom ZZ Gundam compared to the old Ultimate Operation figure (FWUO Plus 4, released in June 2006).

As far as equipment goes, the ZZ does come up a bit short. We get the iconic Double Beam Rifle of course, which has two different attachment points. It attaches to the forearm or can be hand-held, which is rather nifty. We also get the oversized Hyper Mega Cannon (sigh...) intended for the Full Armor ZZ of course, which can also be swung around as your average Beam Rifle if you feel like it. But do you see those towering beam saber hilts on the back? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could remove those and instead place two extended huge beam sabers in the figure's hands? Apparently not, because Bandai decided not to go down that route. You can always borrow someone else's sabers I suppose, and you can flip the saber hilts down 90 degrees to create an illusion of the saber being in use (as long as the figure is facing its audience directly ahead that is).

So, let's make things more interesting. Time to attach all that extra armor. This also involves exchanging and removing the shoulder pieces and the rubbery belt-like part strapped around the figure's waist. A lot of thought has clearly gone into this and the engineers have done a really commendable job here.

To install the Hyper Mega Cannon you remove a piece of the back pack and attach it this way. It was very fiddly and I didn't really get the hang of how to do it properly. I had considerable problems getting the figure to be able to reach the cannon's grip. I was considering detaching the gun from the backpack but in the end I somehow managed to do it. The slightest twist of the arm and the link will pop though. Perhaps a rubbery component would have been more useful here.

FA-010S Full Armor ZZ Gundam

The Assault Kingdom Full Armor ZZ is really a beast. It towers over the smaller figures and the extra bulk makes it look even more formidable. The figure retains most of its articulation in the Full Armor mode, although if you want to equip it with the Hyper Mega Cannon this will limit what you can accomplish with it. Attaching the Double Beam Rifle instead (see pictures further below) will give the figure more room to maneuver.

As I mentioned earlier it is a shame that the figure doesn't come with more accessories, here I have borrowed one of the awesome beam sabers that come with the Qubeley figure. I have also disconnected the Mega Particle Cannon to be able to create some different poses. As cool as that thing is, there's not a whole lot you can do with it.

The Assault Kingdom Full Armor ZZ Gundam is a true behemoth. Here it towers over its namesake in the STANDart figure line (released in volume 9, March 2011).

As you can see in the above pictures, the Assault Kingdom ZZ-figures compare quite nicely with the normally much more colourful figures from other lines. The recent Assault Kingdom EX-figures have been very good in this regard, coming very close to the static painted figure standard.

Assault Kingdom A.E.U.G. Gundam development, from left to right: RX-178 (the slightly chunkier reissue from volume 9, released July 2015), the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki (EX 06, January 2016), the MSZ-006 Z Gundam (Volume 6, September 2014) and the new FA-010S.

Overall, the ZZ Gundam is an excellent Assault Kingdom figure, in either of its two modes. Now I am considering picking up a second figure just to be able to display one of each type, perhaps even repainting the Full Armor variety into a knock-off FA-010S FAZZ from Gundam Sentinel.

FXA-08R Mega Rider

The last item in this package is the odd Mega Rider support craft. If this isn't the result of toy maker merchandise interfering with story development I don't know what is. A mobile suit space motorcycle? Really? Honto? Surely a contraption such as this can only stem from the desire to sell expensive toy accessories?

Anyway, moving on... The Mega Rider is an odd fusion of a spacecraft and a giant Mega Particle Cannon. The design itself is actually not that bad, it works well as a generic support craft and can easily be thought of and displayed as a generic spacecraft if Space Easy Rider is not your thing.

"You want me to sit on that... thing? Man, this is awkward... it feels like every Zeonic kid is staring at me."

The only thing I find a bit lacking in the presentation of the Mega Rider is that we got an action base in dark grey. This should have been transparent. It has been accomplished on so many of the regular figures though, so you can always swap it out (which I have done here and there in this presentation) but it seems like petty cost saving for a figure this expensive.

"Two-seater!? Forget it kid, you're walking!"

The main idea of the Mega-Rider is that your ZZ Gundam is supposed to straddle it like a horse or bike, its feet resting on extending footrests and the hands held forward to simulate holding a space motorbike handlebar (as stupid as that sounds yes). Well, I looked at the photos on the box, and I came to the conclusion that Bandai are cheating. It is absolutely impossible for this thing to sit down on the Mega Rider, thanks to the rigid fins on the backpack getting in the way.

"Aaahh... much better!"

There is just no way these two were designed for each other. Smaller figures like the RX-78-2 or Hyaku Shiki should fare better, but that is really beyond the point when you box and market these units together. In Universe, the Mega Rider is supposed to carry up to two mobile suits... yeah sure, keep dreaming.

"This feels oddly satisfying..."

I do really like the Mega Rider model however. It is a faithful representation of the vehicle, and as I mentioned earlier it looks really good when displayed as a generic attack-role spacecraft (my Gundam Collection 1/400 A.E.U.G. team features several Mega Riders acting as support ships and fill that role well). But I don't think it goes that well together with the ZZ Gundam figure as far as Assault Kingdom is concerned.

"Yes ma'm, only one previous owner. And if I may say so, orange is really your colour!"

In conclusion, the ZZ Gundam box is in my opinion a clear purchase for any Assault Kingdom collector. There is a lot of fun to be had just messing with the two modes of the ZZ Gundam, and I am sure you can put the Mega Rider to good use with the smaller figures in the collection. So, ladies and gentlemen, grab it while its hot, the Assault Kingdom series is bound to enter obscurity (and a pricy secondhand market) very soon now.

Are you ready for the Mini Kit Collection?

I have to confess, when I first saw the ads for the up and coming Mobile Suit Gundam Mini Kit Collection I was less than impressed. Not only did it (together with Universal Unit) butt out both STANDart and Assault Kingdom from the official Bandai Gashapon page (and into oblivion), but just exactly what was it we are looking at here?

Well, a bunch of simplistic miniature model kits, each featuring a handful of parts (just enough to require some cutting from sprues and polishing the pieces). The introductory gang featured grandpa RX-78, a Zaku II and some Iron Blooded Orphan suits and didn't exactly wet my appetite. Making the models available in grey, white or transparent seems kinda silly since you really want to paint them anyway but I guess it made the pre-release photos a bit more snazzy. A pig-tailed girl was brought in to sell the deal...

Yeah, the wife has that same look on her face when I bring home plastic junk...

 THIS is what we get instead of STANDart!? I raged. But not everything seemed bad. We also saw some very rare birds in here. There was a little Neo Zeong, a Ra Cailum-class Battleship, even the Shamblo mobile armor and the friggin' Gate of Zedan Titans asteroid base!

Mini Kit Collection Wave 1.

Over time more figures were introduced. A Geze! When was the last time you saw a Geze? A Rewloola-class Battleship. Even the Nightingale alternate represenation of the Sazabi. Suddenly the Mini Kit Collection is starting to look really interesting as complement to other gashapon sets such as Gundam Collection, HG MS Selection etc. (depends a bit on the individual figure sizes).

And now Bandai just unveiled wave 2. I stared at the screen and my mind was filled up by a Garuda-class transport. The world around me melted away for a second. A Public-class missile boat!? Even the Rafflesia!?

Mini Kit Collection Wave 2 (all kits in this set appear not to have been unveiled yet).

I am absolutely stoked about this turn of events. If Bandai continues to chuck out things like these this will be an absolutely vital series. Now I pray for some UC0079 ships like the Papua or Salamis, or how about the Axis asteroid, Gryps or perhaps Solomon Base?

Please Bandai, do not falter. :)

The Mobile Suit Gundam Mini Kit Collection is premiering in Japan on June 28th. Wave 2 is scheduled for September. Individual kits are priced at ¥250 (half the price of a Converge figure) but the international market can not be expected to be so forgiving on our wallets. We are also still a bit in the dark regarding how the figures will be distributed. I forsee random packaging Gashapon style boxes full of Acguys and those Iron Blooded things...

Are you ready?

Gundam Converge #02

Converge #02 is the second volume in the relaunch of this popular mini-figure series. Hotly anticipated also at the Shokugan headquarters, the May arrival of Converge promises some serious mobile suit business, but will it live up to these expectations?

Converge figure are usually released in waves of wildly different figures, and this motley crew is no exception. The mobile suits in this wave come from the recent Bandai animes The Origin and Iron Blooded Orphans which finally premieres here, with some appearances from 00 and Zeta trailing them. Most surprising is perhaps the inclusion of the TR5 which is sourced from the Flag of Titans photo novel.

Figures in wave #02 follow the new pattern set in wave #01. Converge figures now feature personalized black bases, each with a single peg adapted to that particular mobile suit, although usually the figures have no issues standing to attention without the bases if you feel they are too clunky.

126 : The leader of this pack is the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos from last year's Iron Blooded Orphans. I have yet to watch this show but from what I have seen in the way of artwork this appears to be a very faithful reproduction of the Barbatos in its fourth form. The many colors and patterns on its body are typical of this new wave of regular Converge figures, and is a marked improvement over older figures.

The Barbatos features the traditional Converge articulation and as a little bonus comes with two different weapons, something highly unusual for regular figures although we have been spoiled in this manner also by some previous figures. In the previous Converge era, you would have been forced to buy two separate figures, one of which would have appeared as a "secret" version in the same type of box, thankfully this praxis has (so far) been done away with in the Converge relaunch.

As you can see from the above pictures an extra accessory goes a long way to making a figure that much more interesting, and the Barbatos really benefits from the additional long sword which displays just as well as its otherwise mighty mace. This is a very well done Converge figure and a great way to start of the Iron Blooded Orphans gang.

127 : The next face doesn't need much in the way of introduction. The MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type, here in its Gundam: The Origin version and custom Char Aznable colours is now a cultural phenomenon in its own right. They even make cars in this colour nowadays. What is kind of peculiar about this figure though is that, contrary to what I just mentioned regarding the Barbatos, the Zaku II also features alternative accessories. However, here Bandai thought it would be a good idea to divide all that nice gear in two boxes, forcing you to buy two very similar figures just to get all of them. Hey Bandai, I thought we were done with this tired practice in the Converge relaunch?

Anyway, the Converge 127 figure features Char's very long anti-ship rifle and classic axe like heat hawk. Both the rifle and the heat hawk can be wielded in the right hand, and the latter can be stowed on the mobile suit's left hip when not in use. Again, this is pretty spectacular for a standard Converge figure and works very well.

Articulation follows the Converge standard. For a Zaku II that means that the arms rotate at the shoulders and that the shoulder shield can be repositioned within its socket. The right hand is also freely adjustable.

The updated Zaku II also keeps the old swiveling monoeye functionality. While the head itself appears rigid (at least it is not giving way when I try to pull it and I dare not twist harder) the monoeye sits on a doughnut shaped disk inside the head which is freely adjustable. It is a neat gimmick although a moving head would have been cooler.

128 : No doubt looking familiar. This MS-06S hasn't changed much since figure 127 except that it now comes with a Zaku Bazooka and extra ammunition instead. The extra missiles go onto the right shoulder shield, and the bazooka can be mounted in hand or stored on the back when not in use. Notice the special attachment point for the bazooka on the figure's back. This component is not present on figure 127, and is how you can tell the two apart. I guess it is a nice touch if you are a real puritan with a dying need to display the figure's back for all to see, otherwise it seems a bit overkill to create two different figures for this purpose. It would seem more prudent to remove the attachment points on the shoulder shield on figure 127 instead, something which is visible from the front, but there you go.

Both the Origin Zaku II:s look very nice and are an improvement over the old Converge Zaku II design, which suffers from unsteady feet and a tendency to list to the left side. The new figure's commander antenna however is quite loose in comparison though; you may want to consider gluing it in place to avoid losing parts. I foresee many future secondhand figures missing this vital part.

The big deal about the two Zaku II:s in this set is of course the gimmick in how they can be combined to create the Full Weapon variety. This is done by taking the rifle and heat hawk from figure 127 and attaching them to figure 128, and placing figure 128's bazooka on its back. The result is a Zaku II armed to the teeth which is of course very cool, but I still feel that we could have got all accessories in a single box...

Char's Zaku II, Converge major variants: Dengeki Hobby limited figure with machine gun, released August 2011, Converge Vol. 5 with bazooka (released November 2011), metallic paint MS-06S with machine gun from the "Converge Limited" double pack released in March 2014, Converge Revive MS-06S (comes with both the bazooka and a heat hawk) released in volume 16 in September 2014, the Full Weapon combination Origin Version figures 127+128 from this review and lastly a translucent figure with bazooka from the Gundam Front Tokyo special twin pack, released April 2016.

Char's Custom Zaku II army is now getting quite large. The early figures were quite rare up until recently, now every Converge collector has plenty of opportunities to add at least one of these to their line-up. Hopefully Bandai will put some more attention on the mass produced Zaku line, which is strangely empty with not even so much as a Zaku Ground Type available. The possibilities here seem endless.

129 : The second mobile suit to get a make-over in this set is the GN-001 Gundam Exia. This face is no stranger to Converge having seen half a dozen variations by now, and I wish we would see more mobile suits from the 00 era instead (and finally it seems Bandai are thinking the same thing as the Dynames is scheduled for release this fall).

Due to a kind of Gundam Exia fatigue this was the figure I was least excited about in this set, but once I laid my eyes on the actual figure I had to reevaluate this assessment. The revised Exia figure has many subtle changes in the sculpt improving its appearance over past incarnations. The major innovation is in its weapon suite however. This figure is bristling with optional equipment making it very fun to fiddle around with.

Not only has the GN Sword been upgraded so that the blade can be stowed or extended at will, we're also given not one but two translucent beam saber. Even more surprising, these beam sabers can be removed from the figure's hands offering a wealth of combination options. Just like with the Barbatos, this goes such a long way to creating a playable and customizable figure taking Converge one step further from their often static appearance.

Converge GN-001 Exia major variations: First release from volume 1, released back in November 2010, the metallic colour variant from the "Converge Limited" double pack from 2011, the long and short sword wielding Exia from the Revive Premium Edition pack (released February 2014, also includes the standard GN Sword/Shield combo) and finally the updated Converge #02 variant.

From a purely technical and functional point of view, the Exia is the star of Converge #02, and a vast improvement over its predecessors. Why Char's Zaku II wasn't packed with all accessories in one box remains an even bigger mystery by now. If you are only getting one figure from this wave, I would strongly recommend this one which will no doubt grow quite scarce.

130 : At the end of this set we find two similar figures. The first is the mighty ORX-005 Gaplant, a masterpiece in design from the Zeta Gundam era. This is the figure form this set I have been salivating about ever since the announcement and I am happy to say that the figure turned out really great. The Gaplant is a huge mobile suit and it has been given a reasonable size here although a little size increase would have made it that much more intimidating.

Due to its complex design the articulation in the Gaplant is a bit limited. The head sits fixed and there is no messing with the monoeye on this one (which makes sense since you can't see much of it anyway). The arms still rotate at the shoulders and although the mobile suit comes with no accessories (booooooh) both hands are actually replaceable and can this swivel in their sockets. The reason for this seems clear; rather than spending the money to give the Gaplant the translucent yellow beam sabers it so desires, we can at least settle for the next best thing and replace its hands with those from another figure.

What could have been. Stealing the Exia's beam sabers and the Nu Gundam HWS's beam rifle to trick out the Converge Gaplants which have been given the short end of the stick as far as equipment goes.

The Converge relaunch actually takes modularity to a new level, we have even seem official Fusion Works photographs indicating that this is also intended. I am seriously considering picking up some extra figures to donate their hands and weapons to both my Gaplants, but it would have been better if Bandai held the line and had made the proper accessories for these figures from the start. Still, it is better than nothing I guess.

131 : The last figure of the set is the ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 [Hrairoo], a redevlopment of the Gaplant as featured in the Advance of Zeta photo novels. I am very happy to see these obscure figures being developed for Converge.

This is basically a heavily resculpted Gaplant with a new face and a new colour scheme. The basic features of the original figure are all the same and this mobile suit also comes without any extra accessories. Again, these figures would have been just as awesome as the rest of the figures in this set had they been given at least something extra, a beam saber here or a beam rifle there would have gone a long way towards this. Still, both are very attractive and unique profiles for the Converge collection and in my Titans fetish-opinion must haves of course.

Conclusion

Overall Converge #02 reaffirms some of the things we save in the first volume. The figures maintain a very nice level of detail in both sculpts and colour schemes, and optional equipment and weapons still feature among several of the figures though not all. This set should be a no-brainer for any Converge collector, the relaunch figures have so far been a great source of excitement as far as the Sergeant is concerned.

[ Mystery Gouf ]

The latest weekly E.F.F. security bulletin featured among other items this recent reconnaissance photo from the Caspian Sea. Battalion Command believes it to be a new type of advanced mobile suit. Further scouting missions into the area have resulted in no additional data and Battalion Command have tasked us to identify the new unit. Perhaps you, dear reader, can assist in this endeavour?

This tiny Gouf figure stands only two centimeters tall which places it somewhere in the 1:930 scale range and that is pretty darn small. Highly detailed for its size, it looks and feels very much like a Mini Figure Selection figure, except for the fact that it isn't even half that size!

The Mystery Gouf is completely dwarfed by the normally tiny Mini Figure Selection Gouf.

The figure has (as you would expect) no articulation and is made from the same soft and bendy plastic that the MFS figures feature. The feet have large size-differing pegs that go into the base, which is the opposite design of the MFS figure, where the peg sits on the base instead.

Comparing the Mystery Gouf to the 1/400 Gundam Collection figure and the deformed Converge figure.

Sometimes you can pick up a few clues from the figure itself, since the factory will typically put an awkward stamp on it somewhere, in this case the only option was the underside of the base. The clues left stamped into the plastic are a little bit enlightening though: #06 © SA • S   B. CHINA  28741

A couple more size comparisons...

The number #06 clearly identifies this figure as the sixth in an unknown set of kawaaaaaaiiii little mobile suits, and 28741 is most probably stamped into the base of each and every figure of this set. Each wave of Mini Figure Selection figures for example, share the same number in this manner. Based on similar figures, I'd guess it was manufactured somewhere around 2000-2005.

Do you know anything more about this little Gouf? Production year? Brand name? Total figures in the wave? Were there more waves? Any tidbits or puzzle pieces would be highly appreciated. I have never seen this type of figure before or after, but I would wager it can't be very rare if you just know what the hell you are supposed to look for.