...we took a look at the kit, HGRC G-Self Assault Pack, focusing mainly on the G-Self itself. In summary, the kit feels like it took a few steps back in articulation and color separation, however, the build is as solid as many modern kits, if not better. Specific to the Assault Pack, the modified legs are great and if you were to purchase the kit purely because of the modified legs (like I did) you will not be disappoint. The only question is can you rationalize spending 40+ (28 in my case) for small things like the legs, or is the actual Assault Pack worth your money? We will find out in the second half of the review!
Runners
In the previous review, I only quickly went through the runners. While working on the Assault Pack, I looked at the massive polycaps labeled PC200 and noticed the year 2007 printed on the label. I decided to look around for where this runner shows up. Apparently the polycaps used on the Assault Pack are from the Master Grade Zaku II 2.0. Obviously this fact means nothing to the build, I just thought it was a fun little fact.
Parts: Assault Pack
The main body of the Assault Pack is made up of two massive half shells. This piece is a pretty solid piece and makes for a great base for everything else to be mounted to. On the lower side, the main thrusters are mounted to the sides and both connected on the bottom. This cluster of plastic can pivot. I am not sure what the reason for this design is, but it does not help or hurt the overall aesthetic.
The main fins are beautiful. Two red half shells are accompanied maroon and accented by gray. Since the connection is a ball joint, these fins should be able to move and pivot in good positions.
The beauty continues with the main cannons. These twin red cylinders have a great multi-colored bracket holding it at the base and handles that drop down from said brackets. Other than the drop down handles, nothing moves. The piece shown below is quite static.
Secondary fins, which seem to serve as controls, continue that nice color separation with a gray core.
These fins are held by a multi-jointed contraption that are pretty
tight but, without polycaps, may become loose if moved around too much.
The last part is the rocket pods. These pods have the most internal articulation and painting opportunities. The yellow pieces are doors that open up to reveal a massive array of missiles. More missiles are revealed through the double doors in the front. All these rockets are just asking to be painted. The major problem with these two pods are the gray fins on the sides. These pieces can fall off with relative ease. Other than that, the rocket pods are pretty solid.
All Together: Assault Pack
Using a stand modified from the Master Grade Wing Zero Custom, this kit rests on the Assault Pack, rather than the crotch of the mobile suit, like we typically see in most stands. An Action Base 1 adapter is included so the Assault Pack has a few more display options than this rigid piece.
When all the pieces are put together and set on the stand, the beast looks slick. The size of the main fins and the length of the cannons definitely give the suit the illusion of size while the rocket pods fill out the pack's mass. This might even make Heavyarms turn his head in a double take!
Even so, the main body lacks in panel detail. The subtle color separation makes up for this, but there are a lot of panels that feel very under developed, especially the massive plastic pieces that make up the main body. In addition, like the G-Self, there is a strange dependence on stickers for the blue color separation. For a kit that has a lot of large plastic pieces, I would have expected a few places where clear plastic could be inserted with ease.
Attaching the G-Self to the Assault Pack, I found no problems - The G-Self did not depend on the handles to stay in the kit, and the friction fit between the back and the attachment point was pretty tight.
The Full Package: Verdict
When this kit first came out, I held back because of the price. I was not sure if the build would be worth the money. Now that I have built it for a cheaper price, I personally do not believe this kit is worth the MSRP (let alone the price after import to the US), especially after finding out the cannons are static. The kit definitely looks nice out of the box, but with Bandai seemingly cutting corners on the kit, I cannot recommend this kit to anyone purchasing at full price.
That about covers all the praises and problems I had with the kit. I think if I were to start customizing this, I would paint and detail this kit as if it were a 50s Corvette. That should be a fun project for the future, though it most likely will not happen for awhile.
In the next article, I will be covering my 2015 GoodGuy Competition entry. Most likely nothing else will be posted between now and Hallow's Eve. So until then, may your cuts be clean and sandpaper rough! See you in the next one.
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