RX-79[G] Ground Gundam (Battle Scarred)

Synopsis: The newest Gimmick up Banda is sleeve is the wave of battle scarred mobile suits. This wave is meant to show some of the greatest mobile suits in not-so-great shape. This gives the consumer the opportunity to reenact a scene from the series where the unit was badly damaged without actually mutilating a perfectly pristine figure. The first wave features GP01fb, RX-78-2, and RX-79[G] and the next will feature a battle-ravaged Zeong and GP02.

Of the first wave, RX-79[G] was on the top of my list to grab. After all, those grunt mobile suits have had their share of battle damaged screen time and since that is the only mass produced MS in the bunch I can make dozens of scenes of this baby for the Gundam MSiA Galleries. And again the RX-79[G] never ceases to be the accessories monster like the original, presenting even more accessories then the original! So sit back and enjoy the review.

The Figure: Like the original, the head has 360 degrees of unhindered rotation however its vertical motion is limited to the design of the head itself. The arms are good, no popping off of shoulder plates of the shoulders. The elbow joints are slightly double jointed and have a good range of motion outdone only by figures of ver 2.0 Gundam design. Shield holes are placed on the side of the forearm. Another added attraction to this figure is the additional hands that come with it and this will be further explained in the accessories section.

The legs are well done on these figures, the joints stay firm, the legs are well detailed and the range of motion is great. Movement is further aided by the flexible hip armor on the waist that is made separate from the figure mold. This trait of flexible hip armor has carried on into later figures as a testament to its good design.

The torso of the Ground Gundam is well detailed and well made, however torso rotation is hindered badly by the backpack by fault of the design of the on-screen counterpart. The slightly battle-damaged backpack is removable and can be replaced with a backpack sporting the storage container mechanisms extended to hold the container but this will be explained further in the accessory section. Each booster pack features nozzles connected by a ball joint however they maintain only sideways movement. A little gimmick thats included can be found on either side of the hip is an ammo clip that is interchangeable with the clip on the 100mm machinegun.

The overall coloring of the MS is wonderful, giving just the right weathered look to it. The left shoulder plate features two scratch marks and the damage to the backpack frame is well done although the camera wont do it justice.

The Accessories:

Storage container: On the show the mechanisms on the backpack grip the container to hold it in place however the figure holds the pack by four pegs. The container itself is removable, and collapsible. However it is its latter trait that can be a problem when removing, placing, or opening the container. Some containers are more stable then others but the problem is still evident. It can hold at most two guns (collapsed) at a time.

100mm Machine gun: The gun is same as the original figure only with a colored clip matching the battle-worn colors of the gundam. It has the foldable stock, and the handle fits the gundam like it should, although I think the gun is a little small but I could be wrong. The only trivial gripe is that the handle doesnt swivel.

Beam rifle: the scale is nice, but with only a detachable barrel the rifle is rather dull in the company of other accessories. I would've liked to see a folding scope or handle however the no beam rifle received such treatment until the release of the RX-78-2 ver2.0. The Beam Rifles lighter colored regions again match the gundams exterior.

180mm cannon: Just like the Original. This gun is completely collapsible. The ammo clip is removable. The barrel detaches into two pieces, and the stock is removable. Plus as a bonus the stabilizing bar for the 2^nd hand to hold is foldable and this gun fits very well on the gundam.

Beam sabers: Featuring a removable blade the beam sabers are rather nice and the hilts feature the main color of its respectable figure. The blades are a bit flimsy and can bend a little.

Shield: Like the original. Not too much to say on it but that it holds in rather well in the arm and matches the battle-worn look of the rest of the mobile suit.

Battle Damaged Limbs: These accessories are nice especially those for the legs. The arm "nub" is essentially a small piece of one-colored plastic depicting the section of arm above the bicep with its armor stipped off. The Leg sections are far more interesting. The Right leg attachment depicts the leg sheared off at the knee joint and since there is a distinct difference in the damaged and undamaged sections the piece looks far better. The left leg piece replaces area below the knee. This section depicts the foot being blown off in a similar fashion as what happened to Sander's gundam. The calf also is fixed opened revealing the beam sabers storage compartment and although the hilt doesn't fit in snuggly it can still be placed there as a display.

Additional Hands: unlike previous releases this unit comes with 2 closed fists, 2 trigger hands, and 2 "sword" hands. I put the "" on sword hands due to the fact that the hands hold on to the saber only with effort from the owner's part.

HoverTruck: One of the unique accessories limited to the EZ8 figure is limited no longer. Like the EZ-8's truck, this one is well detailed and features a swiveling gun turret limited only by a small handle bar behind the turret blocking protrusions on the sides of the turret. Be careful of possible warping of the gun barrel. This hovertruck differs from the EZ-8s truck in that it has the same battle-worn paint scheme of this RX-79[G] and it has a pretty dented up bumper..

Play Value: To quote myself from the original ground gundams review: "hmm..Tons of accessories, well articulated, this figure has a lot to offer and at times can be hard to put down! All in all nothing bad to say in this department." I must add that the numerous small pieces can present a choking hazard to younger children.

Display Value: It can strike the poses and it's got the weapons to draw the attention your collection deserves. It also can be depicted in not-so-graceful moments, crippled and not so menacing.

Dollar Value: I guess Bandai finally figured out the accessory-monster that the ground gundam was due for a price adjustment from the "standard" figure the first RX-79[G] figure was classified as. You'll find this figure listed as deluxe figure priced at $7.87 and you'll find this figure is definitely worth it.

Conclusion: A great figure! You can't go wrong with the Ground Gundam.

Score: 9.1/10 A great figure with even more accessories!