Preamble
Morgenroete had plans for these weapons while he was out at sea, but it fell through and he never got around to assembling any of it. I decided I'd go ahead and review these weapons. What will become of these items afterwards? The world may never know.
Unbox
Like the Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons I reviewed last year, the weapons from this Build Custom kit are seen in the anime Gundam Build Fighters. A few of them can be seen along side the Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons in episode 13, and later show up in the final battle with Nils Nielsen's Sengoku Astray. As advertised on the side of the box, the weapons in this kit are labeled Kagijime (カギジメ), a pair of Water Spider (ミズグモ) with adapters, Rosary (数珠), Mallet (木槌), Axe (斧), Jushite (ジュシテ), Club (コンボウ), Pike (矛), Halberd or Naginata (ナギナタ), Matchlock (火縄銃), and three Kunai (クナイ).
The box art, like the Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons, is nothing to write home about. Bandai's way of showing these custom parts seem pretty childish to me. At least the Sengoku Astray is the prime model showing off these weapons.
In the box, we find a single bag of two runners and a sticker sheet, and the instruction sheet. Quickly looking through the instructions, most of the builds were no more than three pieces. In fact, unlike the Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons, most of the weapons in this kit are single pieces. This kit is starting to look like a disappointment.
Runners
The two runners in the kit are labeled A and B, both about the same size.
Runner 'A' uses a dull silver-ish plastic that is anything but easy on the eyes. Not much more can be said about runner 'B' and its hideous gold plastic, but it is a plus that the kit has a little color separation, unlike the Hyper Gunpla Weapons' monochrome gray. The stickers included are used mainly to put a shiny edge on bladed weapons, but from what I can tell, the silver of the stickers contrasts too much with the sort-of silver of the plastic.
All in all, the runner quality was not all too bad, however, the colors of the stickers and the plastic just looked quite cheap.
Parts
Because Sengoku Astray is the poster child of the box, I decided to borrow Morgenroete's unpainted and un-stickered High Grade kit. If you want to read his take on the this kit, click here!
First up we have the Matchlock. This rifle was one of the more attractive weapons on the list, just because I am a big fan of these classic looking rifles (like the one on the MG Shin Musha Gundam). However, assembling this three-piece weapon, one major problem arises. The bayonet, as seen in the image above, does not hold a position properly.
That's strike one, Matsuri Weapon. Not a great start for an already lackluster kit!
Next up we have the Axe. This two-piece monochromatic weapon has some interesting details, but the shape of the axe does not appeal to me, especially that strange looking chain. I guess it passes as an okay weapon, but it certainly does not win any points.
"Third time's a charm" as a certain someone put it. The club is the first weapon I am somewhat interested in. This weapon is comprised of four pieces and the way that it is assembled, the seam lines add to the detail and do not need to be filled in. Will this kit get the Gundariumsmith's Yellow Seal of Approval? We'll see how the other weapons fair.
Mallet: Bandai could not be any more creative with this name. Seriously though, a rocket propelled hammer in the shape of a Taiko drum should have a more interesting name than 'mallet.' Besides the name, the weapon itself is the most interesting weapon in the kit. With three thrusters on the back and an interesting pattern throughout, this mallet has a lot of potential! I might have to paint this up some day!
The Kagijime is a pair of claws made to look like a certain mutant's retractable claws. Though I cannot think of any uses for these claws, the handles fit in Sengoku Astray's hands snugly, and in the right pose, the claws are pretty convincing.
Somewhere between the Kagijime and the sticker application for other weapons are the single piece weapons. The Jushite, Pike, Naginata and three Kunai do not require instruction, so they are sort of inserted in parts of the instruction with other weapons. The Jushite, Naginata and Kunai are not bad looking, however, I cannot say the same for the Pike - it is much too short to be intimidating or practical.
This is where the kit really goes downhill. The Rosary seems to be a sad excuse to add plastic to this kit. Not only does this two piece accessory serve no purpose, it does not even sit right on the neck! The back end of the rosary ends up on the lower back of the head and lifts the front side when the head moves from the straight-forward position.
I'm calling the second party foul on Matsuri Weapon. Not cool, Bandai, not cool.
The last part of the instructions shows the Water Spider. This pair of discs were made specifically for the Sengoku Astray. The tabs on the back side are used to friction fit with Sengoku Astray's feet (specifically the "toe gaps"). Though the concept is okay and the fit is great, why did they have to be discs? Who in their right mind would display their Sengoku Astray with these silly looking discs under its feet? At least the adapters allow for these to be used in other applications such as shields.
Does the Water Spider deserve a strike? I am quite on a fence on this item, the idea and execution is almost perfect, but they look so silly for the instructed use!
In Closing
I expected this kit to be all sorts of lame. Trying to keep my standards relatively low, I could not help but to think this kit pales in comparison to the Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons in more ways than one. If you want to recreate the last scene of Gundam Build Fighters, you could grab this kit for the Axe and Mallet. However, not much else can be said for the rest of the kit. There are many other Build Custom weapon sets that are so much better for customizing Gunpla.
In closing, I cannot give the Matsuri Weapon my Yellow Seal of Approval. There are too many negative aspects of this kit that I cannot get over. Hopefully the next kit I review will be more attractive.
