The most impressive model in Bandai’s history is finally here! This kit has too much to list in detail, so please be willing to settle for the highlights:
30-plus runners of parts (670 total pieces). About 30 locations secured by metal screws. Two different locations (eyes and chest) light up on the finished kit. Full inner mechanism detail on all limbs. Opening panels on the head, chest, and more. Fingers are individually jointed. Comes with two beam sabers and two huge beam rifles. Locking systems provide stability so things don’t flap around like they tend to do on the Master Grade kit. Comes boxed in three separate inner boxes plus a special box that contains the 14 individual “feathers” made from plastic-coated thin metal, plus the metal joint parts, screws, and other goodies. Two separate manuals are included. The first, the INSTRUCTION manual (text is in Japanese), has numerous photos of the kit in various construction steps plus painting guide, history of the unit and the Battle Zero unit, cross sections, and an interview with the designer of the kit. The second, the CONSTRUCTION manual, has the actual assembly instructions and details. No English text but the diagrams are self-explanatory.
This is a very complex model kit and, as our “Skill Level 4” rating indicates, is not recommended for beginner modelers..
RadRed1985 –
An absolute top-tier showstopper of a build, love seing them. Suprisingly easy to build (with enough patience). And plenty of weight from the chest-unit keeping it rather stable for standing poses.
Does come with a few faults though:
1) The ‘feathers’ are subject to light damage unless you’ve perma-posed away from sunlight. A cheeky custom paintjob is reccommended because of this.
2) From factory-to-home, the plastic contents can be subject to warping, larger more heavier components such as the spring-loaded wings can suffer from final build actuation. This is usually not the shop/store fault, but beware of Gen#1 versions, those are the most succeptable to density loss. Later re-productions are the way to go if they are in circulation.
3) Battery and lighting can be a pain to keep active and a little finniky wire up. The standard lighting equipment provided can be quite boring, consider a custom lighting job to go with your paint job!
4) No posing plate provided! While easy and cheap to remedy and there are a bunch available online. Still feels like a let down that you can’t recreate ariel poses without incurring additional costs.
Final thoughts:
Everyone should attempt this build at some point, it’s an absolute beauty and a bonefied classic! New builders and shop owners should beware to keep it protected from heat and sunlight, unless you are planning on a custom paint and/or lighting job. And find a pose plate for twin beam-rifle blast.