Arblade Custom

Intro

Another in Kotobukiya’s line of Super Robot Wars plastic model kits. This is number 21 in the line which is currently up to 37. This kit is very good overall with a few minor problems. The mecha appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 and is piloted by Ryusei Date.

Contents

A standard 31x19cm box. Artwork is uncredited this time but I assume it is still Yuji Kaida.

A total of 21 runners molded in various colors, polystyrene and abs plastic.

Construction

This kit can be built in two different modes which drives up the parts count. The kit can be swapped between the two modes freely. As usual for Kotobukiya there is no inner frame, but it is not necessary. Almost no painting is required except for some blue and gray on the wings and tonfas. No glue is required but it will help in some places. Most parts go together well, a few pieces were a tad difficult to assemble.

Features + Accessories

As mentioned earlier this kit can be swapped between two modes. It has extra armor and a different backpack that can be attached. It also comes with a rifle that can be changed from long to short, and pistols and tonfas which can be stored on the hips. Several hands are also included.

When in the armored mode there are cannons that flip up over the shoulders. The wings can flip up into flight mode or into the front to act as a shield.

Articulation

The kit is pretty well articulated and moves everywhere you would expect. The only problem is that the ankles and elbows are somewhat loose. This can make posing difficult at times. The elbows can’t hold the weight of the large gun. and the figure sometimes falls over due to the loose ankles. Balance can also be problematic at times due to the weight of the backpack.

Conclusion

Overall this is a pretty good kit. I recommend it to any fan of the design but it certainly isn’t a must have design or anything groundbreaking.