RX-178 Gundam Mk.II (AEUG colors)

Synopsis: While I have yet to see the Zeta Gundam series several of the designs used in the series have always interested me. The MKII design was always interesting for me and I was happy to receive this as a birthday present 2 years ago. The overall design looks like a beefed up RX-78-2 Gundam. And while the Zeta MSiAs will be coming soon to the U.S. soon I might as well let you in on a sneak preview of what may be coming your way soon!

The Figure: The head is well painted and well designed and at the sides of the head are two rectangular slots to fit the vulcan pod (described below). In terms of articulation, the rotation is about 360 degrees with the head able to tilt up and down at a decent range.

The arms are well detailed and you have to love the panel lines on this figure to contributing to it. The shoulder armor does not hinder movement that much granting nearly unrestricted movement of the upper arm. The elbows move 45 degrees like most average MSiAs and the hands connect to the lower arm via a peg connection. The hand sets included 2 fists, 2 sword hands, and 2 gun hands. One thing to note is that in the gun hands of the AEUG Gundam has thumb is fused to the middle finger while the Titan's one is not fused.

The legs are well painted and detailed giving the figure a great appearance. The articulation of the MK.II is also great. The Skirt armor is short and flexible allowing the leg plenty room to move. The knee assembly of the Gundam allows for 90 degrees of movement. The lower leg is a real treat. With movable ankle armor the leg has some nice mechanisms that are for show that look like movable hydraulics and some of those parts are painted silver.

The Torso is well painted and well detailed. The hip armor has slots to fit the Beam Rifle or the clip of the Bazooka. A rear part of the skirt armor has a removable piece of armor that can be interchanged with an attachment to store the bazooka. The torso twists well with minor interference from the hip armor. The hip armor can pop off when twisting the torso. The backpack is removable featuring swiveling mounts where the beam Saber hilts are stored. The backpack also features pivoting thrusters that can be moved with a lot of range due to the ball joints that connect them.

The Accessories:

Beam Rifle: The Beam Rifle is well detailed though a little large. The support handle is one of the first MSiAs with a movable handle (remember this figure was released around 3 years ago). The gun hand holds it well however the trigger finger does not fit into the trigger guard like later figures. The power clip of the rifle is removable and interchangeable with the two clips included in the shield.

HyperBazooka: I was impressed with the weapon and the removable clip. The Gundam can hold it well. Though the attachment used to store the bazooka in the back is a shade of blue looking like it belongs to the Titans variant.

Beam Saber: I think the Z line seemed to be the first to sport Beam Sabers with the blades removable at the hilt. These sabers look like 2 typical beam sabers you find now in most MSiAs now.

Shield: This attaches to the back of the forearm and can rotate freely. The shield can close up hooking the slot to one of the visual slot. The extra rifle clips fit in the back of the shield.

Vulcan Gunpod: Since the RX-178 was made without Head vulcans built in The vulcan pod was the answer to giving this Gundam an added punch. Unlike the Titan's MK.II this gunpod fits very well on the head though lacks the paintjob of the Titan's variant.

Play Value: The MK.II is loaded with accessories and articulation giving this figure tons of replay value as well.

Display Value: With tons of accessories and a great design this figure looks good in any Gundam collection. Displaying this figure with the Titan's variant provides a good contrast that should attract some attention towards it; offsetting the possibility of being lost in a sea of similar looking Gundams.