Youtube review: https://youtu.be/1SsJXJuGAcw
Strike Gundam is one of my most favorite machine of Cosmic Era. It was versatile and could adapt into any combat situations, thanks to its ability for utilizing the striker packs, from the highly maneuverable aile striker, the powerful close-encounter sword striker and the deadly long-range launcher striker. While the original Gundam Seed showed that Strike mostly utilized one striker pack at a time, the remastered version revealed the mobile suit in the form that the audiences had in their wild imagination: Perfect Strike, when all striker packs are combined into one machine.
The Perfect Strike has been released several times in gunpla form, most notably, by 1/144 HG Seed Remastered and 1/100 MG (as P-bandai) in 2013. Of course, long before that, many gunpla fans have tried to recreate this iconic mobile suit, especially in RG line. While it is possible to make RG Aile Strike Gundam to be equipped with Sword/Launcher Striker packs, a modeler has to modify the Aile Striker with some parts from HG Perfect Strike Gundam or even stratch-built parts to perfectly recreate the Perfect Strike Gundam. It took at least 7 years until Bandai officially released The Perfect Strike Gundam in RG line.
I know what you're thinking right now: Is this just an RG Aile Strike Gundam with Launcher/Sword Striker packs slapped together? Well ... 90% correct! This is indeed the very same RG Aile Strike Gundam plus Launcher/Sword Striker packs, minus the Skygrasper. Nevertheless, the RG Perfect Strike came with several new parts which were previously absent from RG Aile Strike or RG Skygrasper.
Firstly, it came with battery packs and parts of modified Aile Striker packs for hosting the Swords and Launcher Striker packs. So, no need to cannibalize the HG Perfect Strike anymore! The new Aile Striker also has slightly different design from the old one. The bonus is, there are parts to make the original Aile Striker, if you want to make it instead the perfect one, of course. The battery packs could be removed individually if you wish.
Secondly, and this is an important addition: a special support part for the waist-body connector. Aile Striker is heavy already, and you can imagine what will happen if another two heavy weapons are attached to it. The purpose of this support part is to fill the gap between waist-body connection, hence preventing the body from bending backward when Perfect Strike pack equipped to the Strike Gundam.
The last new additions are a 'standard' clear stand (with new connector) and a big sticker sheet. The stand is necessary since the backpack is so enormous and it's impossible for this kit to stand on its own feet (if you could do it, please teach me how). The stickers are identical with RG Aile Strike + Sword/Launcher Strike with some new stickers for battery packs, which made me a little bit disappointed, because I would like to see some new 'Perfect Strike' markings as MG version.
Having nearly identical parts with RG Aile Strike makes this RG Perfect Strike posses all the weakness of the former: flimsy parts and weak joints, typical of early RG kits. While I had no problems with the limbs and articulated hands, the joints of front/back/side skirts really got on my nerves! They kept falling off every time I tried to pose this kit. Another annoying thing is, the figurine of Kira Yamato which came with it. Bandai seemed so lazy to give us a new figurine of Mu La Flaga who was the 'real' pilot of Perfect Strike. This kit also comes with fixed hands (of Sword/Launcher Strike), Strike Shield, and the beam effects.
Anyway, another bonus which is a big plus (in my opinion) is the ability to make Launcher Strike Gundam or Sword Strike Gundam individually, even though the manual has never mentioned about this. Yes, this kit also came with the backpacks for both Strike modes. It's a shame that the new Aile Striker doesn't have gimmicks to switch between normal and perfect Aile Striker as MG version did. Otherwise, this kit will be truly 'perfect'.
Posing with this kit was basically same with posing RG Aile Strike. While the stand could basically do its job, I eventually used action base 4 and 5, with 8mm U-shaped connector for posing purposes because the standard RG action base connector was really easy to wear off. Nevertheless, once it's get into the proper poses, this kit was really cool to watch!
Verdict? Despite few additions, the RG Perfect Strike Gundam is a cool kit, especially for collectors. The support part did its job pretty well, even though the kit couldn't stand on its own.If you don't have RG Aile Strike Gundam and don't want Skygrasper just to make Perfect Strike Gundam, then this kit is truly for you. Otherwise, I think you shouldn't spend money for it (except if you don't bother for having nearly identical kits, of course).
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GAT-X105+AQM/E-YM1 Perfect Strike Gundam
Pros:
I know what you're thinking right now: Is this just an RG Aile Strike Gundam with Launcher/Sword Striker packs slapped together? Well ... 90% correct! This is indeed the very same RG Aile Strike Gundam plus Launcher/Sword Striker packs, minus the Skygrasper. Nevertheless, the RG Perfect Strike came with several new parts which were previously absent from RG Aile Strike or RG Skygrasper.
 |
| A single new runner of RG Perfect Strike with battery packs, new aile striker and stand connector |
Secondly, and this is an important addition: a special support part for the waist-body connector. Aile Striker is heavy already, and you can imagine what will happen if another two heavy weapons are attached to it. The purpose of this support part is to fill the gap between waist-body connection, hence preventing the body from bending backward when Perfect Strike pack equipped to the Strike Gundam.
 |
| Special support part for body-waist section |
The last new additions are a 'standard' clear stand (with new connector) and a big sticker sheet. The stand is necessary since the backpack is so enormous and it's impossible for this kit to stand on its own feet (if you could do it, please teach me how). The stickers are identical with RG Aile Strike + Sword/Launcher Strike with some new stickers for battery packs, which made me a little bit disappointed, because I would like to see some new 'Perfect Strike' markings as MG version.
Having nearly identical parts with RG Aile Strike makes this RG Perfect Strike posses all the weakness of the former: flimsy parts and weak joints, typical of early RG kits. While I had no problems with the limbs and articulated hands, the joints of front/back/side skirts really got on my nerves! They kept falling off every time I tried to pose this kit. Another annoying thing is, the figurine of Kira Yamato which came with it. Bandai seemed so lazy to give us a new figurine of Mu La Flaga who was the 'real' pilot of Perfect Strike. This kit also comes with fixed hands (of Sword/Launcher Strike), Strike Shield, and the beam effects.
Anyway, another bonus which is a big plus (in my opinion) is the ability to make Launcher Strike Gundam or Sword Strike Gundam individually, even though the manual has never mentioned about this. Yes, this kit also came with the backpacks for both Strike modes. It's a shame that the new Aile Striker doesn't have gimmicks to switch between normal and perfect Aile Striker as MG version did. Otherwise, this kit will be truly 'perfect'.
Posing with this kit was basically same with posing RG Aile Strike. While the stand could basically do its job, I eventually used action base 4 and 5, with 8mm U-shaped connector for posing purposes because the standard RG action base connector was really easy to wear off. Nevertheless, once it's get into the proper poses, this kit was really cool to watch!
Verdict? Despite few additions, the RG Perfect Strike Gundam is a cool kit, especially for collectors. The support part did its job pretty well, even though the kit couldn't stand on its own.If you don't have RG Aile Strike Gundam and don't want Skygrasper just to make Perfect Strike Gundam, then this kit is truly for you. Otherwise, I think you shouldn't spend money for it (except if you don't bother for having nearly identical kits, of course).
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GAT-X105+AQM/E-YM1 Perfect Strike Gundam
Pros:
- All Strike Gundam weapon packages in one kit
- A special support part to prevent body from bending backward
- Ability to switch into Launcher/Sword Strike Gundam individually
- Suffers from early RG 'syndrome': fragile parts and weak joints
- Old figurine of Kira Yamato instead of Mu La Flaga
- No 'Perfect Strike' markings on the sticker decals as MG version
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