Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 08 : MSN-04 Sazabi and BWS

The Sazabi is both a highly popular and a rather beefy mobile suit. These qualities make it a good candidate for milking it for a special release. As such we have seen EX and SP figures focusing on it in Gundam Converge and Assault Kingdom. In fact, Mobile Suit Ensemble takes a page from the Assault Kingdom history right here and presents us with a figure which comes bundled with the Back Weapon Set accessory for the Re-GZ, a mobile suit that was released in the basic Ensemble figure line.

The Ensemble EX08 pack is a Premium Bandai special which was released through their limited P-Bandai service in November 2018. The kit could be preordered at a cost of ¥4200 and I picked up mine from Mandarake in early December paying slightly above that, ¥4500, so it will probably be one of those figures that will retain its value quite well.

Just like the EX07 Gundam Double X the Sazabi and the BWS come in individual boxes numbered one and two chucked into the overall box. These boxes are typically so tightly packed that it is difficult to manage to fit everything back inside them again.
 

MSN-04 Sazabi

We'll begin by examining the Sazabi mobile suit. In fact this figure is large enough that not all of its parts fit in just one box, so you will find some of its components inside box two as well. Here is however the contents of box one; missing are the standardized Ensemble connector pieces and figure stand, which are found in box two.

If you are familiar with the Ensemble figures you will find that the Sazabi build is pretty straightforward. You also don't need to look up instructions on the Bandai website since an instruction sheet is included. As always the main challenge with Ensemble figures is inserting the connector pieces in the arms and legs correctly and not upside down. The Sazabi also has a replacement sprue with its own custom torso and hip connector pieces since the suit is slightly bulkier.

The Sazabi is completed and it is looking pretty good. I can't put my finger on it but somehow it looks a bit slimmer than I had anticipated. Even as a deformed figure it looks pretty anorectic, surely it should have been a bit bulkier? Look on the box front cover and tell me is this the same figure as shipped in the box?

However I can understand why it looks the way it does. Real-life mobile suits don't just move as fluidly as their 2D-counterparts and the articulation is pretty limited even in this slimmed down configuration. You won't get a whole lot of poses out of this figure but that is the way Ensemble usually goes.

The figure comes with three weapon choices apart from its funnel rack attached to its backpack and an optional shield. The main Beam Tomahawk is composed of a nice mix of transparent and opaque plastic while the two rifle choices (the Beam Shot Rifle and the Long Beam Rifle) are simple one colour pieces with the all-too-usual ugly Ensemble connector holes punched right through them. Unlike the previous Assault Kingdom figure the Ensemble Sazabi cannot deploy the Funnels in any way.

Apart from gear choices we also get three different types of hands. This is something that is very unusual for Ensemble figures and it is very welcome. Apart from the two standard holding hands we also have expressive open hands and clenched fist choices for both left and right hand.

The figure comes with the standardized MSE stand which is as useless as ever. This is in my opinion one of the least successful features of all of Ensemble. The stand does not allow for any expressive posing, the figure is just lifted straight up from the ground so it can dangle its legs. Figures on these stands are easily toppled if they lean too much in any direction. You can build a sturdier variation of the stand by combining pieces from two figures; giving the base four legs instead of two. I wish they would have come up with a way to make Ensemble connector pieces that went on to the fantastic stands that come with the Assault Kingdom series instead.

The Sazabi facing off against its rival the Nu Gundam and being backed up by a pair of Geara Dogas. The other figures are standard retail Ensemble figures.

Overall the Sazabi is a fine Ensemble figure and it fills out the Char's Counterattack suite really nicely. In fact this is one of the better line-ups you can find from a Gundam TV-series or movie in Ensemble.
 

B.W.S. Re-GZ Back Support System

Included with the Sazabi is the bizarre Back Weapon System for the Earth Federation Re-GZ mobile suit. You can find the Re-GZ itself in Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 07 which was released a couple of months earlier in August 2018 as a regular ¥500 retail figure. Interestingly, at the time of this review the Re-GZ figure has gone up in price rather significantly. This is probably due to the fact that its distribution in the blind boxes appears to have been very limited since the Part 07 boxes were absolutely crammed with Geara Dogas and equipment parts for them. In our own review of Ensemble Part 07 the box we looked through contained only one Re-GZ and only one G-Defenser while there were two Gundam Mk-IIs and three Geara Dogas (plus three equipment sets for them) inside.

While the Re-GZ Back Weapon System accessory is fairly complex for what it is not all pieces in the photo are intended for it. The three (somewhat) circle-shaped sprues are in fact components used by Sazabi that could not fit in the first box.

We can build and display the Back Weapon System both as a stand-alone fighter and docked together with the Re-GZ figure. Above you can see the stand alone fighter mode, i.e. what you can expect to assemble based on the components included with the Sazabi. It is a pretty solid construction that will hold together well, which isn't always the case with this type of support craft. The BWS also comes with its own custom stand which is modular (to accommodate both display modes of the figure) and here we have a sturdy and stable base plate keeping the figure upright easily. Of course it is also completely unarticulated so the pose you see here is the pose you will get.

"Blink and you miss it" would be an apt description of the B.W.S.' appearance in Char's Counterattack. We see it getting blasted to pieces only a few moments into the movie, where Amuro Ray is duelling Gyunei Guss' mighty Jagd Doga. The way the story goes, the Re-GZ was an attempt at mass-producing the transformable MSZ-006 Z Gundam, by removing its high-speed mobile armor-mode and replacing it with this dockable support craft. The Re-GZ never reached beyond prototype stage however, since the cost involved was still too great.

To combine the Re-GZ retail figure with the BWS craft you will first do some parts-swapping on the Re-GZ figure itself. The feet are removed and replaced with a pair with toes pointing backwards, the rifle and shield accessories are completely removed and a new shield component is attached to the figure's chest by removing the little red cockpit hatch. Then the figure can easily be inserted into the hollow of the support craft and two clamps are moved up to close it in. The stand is modified somewhat and attached to the mobile suit's chest.

The engineers have done a good job putting this figure combo together, and the final construction is also solid. Still, the figure retains the boring non-customizable flying straight forward in a line-pose which means interesting dioramas are out of the question.

There are a lot of hardpoints available on the BWS if you want to deck it out with some other custom gear. And on that topic it is hard to ignore the ugly red circles popping out through the top of the wings. Why this hole was not covered up on the topside I don't really know.

The good news are that the Re-GZ's shield is compatible with the Assault Kingdom action bases so if you also have Assault Kingdom figures in your collection you can create more interesting poses for the figure. The modular AK bases are in fact great for posing pretty much anything in Gashapon or Shokugan scale if you allow yourself to rely on basic physics rather than connectors to hold them up.

 
Conclusion

Although there are a few areas for improvement here and there I think that the Sazabi and Back Weapon Set is a pretty solid Ensemble figure release that is bound to please most Ensemble collectors. It doesn't appear to be completely unobtainable just yet but I have a feeling that this set will be one of those that become tricky to source in the future. Kind of like the first EX set - the Full Armor Unicorn figure which I ignored for a little too long...

The latest Gashapon news...

Just a quick heads up as per the Bandai Gashapon blog today. Both the Senshi Forte Alpha Azieru and the Ensemble Apasalus II are now sold out. They were apparently popular enough for Bandai two make a second run, destined for shipping in August. New preorder pages are here and here. Meanwhile the dev team has revealed two figures of the upcoming Mobile Suit Ensemble volume 10; the Strike Gundam and the Skygrasper companion aircraft. These will be the first appearances for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED in Ensemble. We can look forward to more information about Ensemble Part 10 as well as Senshi Forte vol. 09 in the near future.

SD Gashapon Senshi Forte 07

It has been a while since we covered Senshi Forte here and while we are doing a pretty large jump over to SF volume 07 the previous two volumes will be covered eventually. I do not preorder these figures (in their 12-pack boxes) but normally pick them up piecemeal from Mandarake or actual shops in Southeast Asia. I still haven't managed to complete the full SF volume 06 while set 05 is ready and mostly completed. There are still a couple of those darned Bawoos awaiting final assembly (they are really hurting my fingers...)

As for Senshi Forte volume 07 I picked up this set from a shop in Bangkok, or rather I was forced to pick up two sets of four figures each. One set included the Strike, Buster and Satan plus the grey GINN type while the other pack contained the orange GINN version instead. This is how Bandai continues to frustrate me with their A+B type figures in their Gashapon sets. I think all figures should be just as readily available, and it really ticks me off when the army builder figures are rarer than the unique mobile suits but that is just how the story always goes. I still haven't managed to pick up a single extra GINN figure, something I would have loved to have a dozen of. : )

Senshi Forte volume 07 released in October 2018 and the figures come with a recommended price of ¥300. I purchased my 8 figure set for 800 Thai baht which would be pretty much the same price.


F038 : GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam

Senshi Forte volume 07 focuses primarily on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, with no less than four figures picked from the original TV series (well, one of them is a SEED MSV that was retconned into the universe). First out is of course the Strike Gundam, here with its Aile Striker backpack.

The Strike Gundam is looking pretty good, with several nice colour applications especially in its face. The backpack is a bit black for my taste, I would have liked to see some more red on there but overall the figure looks fantastic, especially when equipping the shield and translucent beam saber.

Apart from the beam saber the mobile suit also comes with the 57mm high energy beam rifle and a pair of optional hands. The optional hands are as always greatly appreciated and a true staple of Senshi Forte. The fact that we keep getting these unique hands for each retail figure is something that shames the Mobile Suit Ensemble line in my opinion.

  
 
F039 : ZGMF-1017 GINN

Here is the absolute highlight for me, the figure that was driving my interest for this set ever since I saw the promotional pictures. The Z.A.F.T. mass production GINN type mobile suit is what the Zaku II is to the Universal Century (no, the ZAKU Warrior from SEED Destiny can't compete here...). The design is one of my all-time favourites with its uniquely shaped wing-like thrusters.

The Senshi Forte figure has a beautiful two tone grey livery and a couple of white and orange details which make it look very functional and matter-of-business. The figure comes with two of its signature weapons, the MA-M3 Heavy Blade (which, unlike the beam saber, is not an energy weapon) and its 76mm MMI-M8A3 Heavy Assault Machine Gun. While I do miss its third classic weapon; the dual M66 anti-ship missile launchers attached to its arms I can understand why they have to be dropped here.

Overall the GINN figure is a really good representation of the mobile suit and I wish I was able to build up a squadron of figures to show off here like I did with other grunt types like the Rick Dias and the Galbaldy Beta. Perhaps at some point I might stumble on a few of these on the secondhand market, but Bandai's current distribution model really isn't helping. Buy this one on sight!

Senshi Forte GINN parading with specimen from SD Full Color Stage 39 (Sword and rifle) and SD Full Color Custom 03 (Missile launcher).

  

F040 : ZGMF-1017 GINN (Miguel Aiman Custom)

While colour-swap figures aren't always a thing with Senshi Forte we do get them in the sets from time to time and when they do show up they are indeed rarer than the rest of the figures. Kind of like the secret variations they used to do in Gundam Converge. Here we have an orange GINN which is assigned to Z.A.F.T. ace pilot Miguel Aiman. Aiman features briefly in the beginning of the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED television series piloting a bog-standard gray GINN. His story is later expanded upon and his custom orange GINN is conveniently in the garage at the time of SEED's opening... :)

The two GINN figures are exactly the same as far as parts and accessories go. The orange colour scheme is working out really well too, although the figure looks decidedly more plastic than the standard GINN would.

While the GINN:s don't have any attachment points to store unused weapons it is fairly easy to find suitable places to squeeze them in between the arms and various bodyparts. The chunky design of the mobile suit works rather well in this regard.

    

F041 : GAT-X103 Buster Gundam

The last of the four mobile suits from the SEED-era is the Buster Gundam, a real classic design that tends to show up quite often also in figure form. I think that out of the "original five" Earth Alliance machines, the Buster is second only to the Strike and after that there is a bit of a gap down to the Duel, and then there is a further drop to the Aegis and only then the Blitz.

The Senshi Forte version of the Buster is looking pretty slick. Perhaps not up there with the Strike figure but its nice three-colour livery goes along way here. The Buster comes armed with two weapons, a 94mm high energy rifle (which is pretty much your standard beam rifle) and a 350mm gun launcher, which is a electromagnetic projectile weapon.

The main gimmick of the Buster Gundam figure is that the two weapons can combine into the over the top Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle, the two-handed weapon you kept seeing in recycled animations over and over again in the television series. While a Senshi Forte figure obviously doesn't have much in the way of arms you can still do a decent pose with the weapon held in both hands.

Buster Gundams from SD Full Color Stage 39, SD Gundam Full Color Custom 04 and Senshi Forte 07.

 
F042 : Satan Gundam

So far each set in Senshi Forte has been ended with a character mobile suit from one of the various SD Gundam franchises. Up until this point we've seen only variations on the Musha Gundam concept and volume 07 really isn't an exception as the Satan Gundam is born out of the Musha Gundam Mk-III design (which we also saw in the recent Gashapon NEXT Sengokuden review).

The Satan Gundam has a pair of really evil looking eyes and beautiful golden paint applications. The figure is dressed in a cloak which is made out of soft rubbery plastic. One part is attached to the figure's back and the front section then slots into the edges of the back section. This holds together pretty well but it of course also hinders the figure articulation. And with hindering, I mean totally eliminates it.

The Satan Gundam comes with some kind of wooden magic wand type of accessory. Interestingly the EX 05 version of this figure also comes with the same wand but without the wooden colour application. Its hands are also of the same navy blue colour rather than grey as here (see further down). In these regards, the retail version of the Satan Gundam seems superior.

Removing the cloak from this figure isn't really an option. While you can certainly do it, you will find all the detail underneath it unpainted which leaves the figure looking unfinished.

Here the Satan Gundam poses with its Senshi Forte EX 05 Monster Black Dragon variation. Notice the painted detail on the Black Dragon's torso and the different colour of the latters hands and staff.
 

Conclusion

Overall, volume 07 is another superb entry into the Senshi Forte figure series. While some Universal Century fans will no doubt will be a bit disappointed with this set if you enjoy Mobile Suit Gundam SEED you have most likely picked it up already. Now, if only I could find myself some more GINNs...