High Grade Build Fighters (HGBF) Sengoku Astray Gundam

I like building model kit from when I was young (yes, I’m old nowJ). But it took me some times to think whether I could post reviews about Model kit or not. Unlike figures, finished good model kit is depends on your built skill, which I do not have. But after think for a while, who cares! I made this blog just to share little information for anyone who happens to want buying the same thing that I did, not to show how good I am. So let’s just get it on!

There are so many things could happen on building a model kit, so I will focus my review on issued in building, finished bare looks and articulation/gimmick. That means no lining and i will only do sticker works if I have spare time for it. If you need details info you might want to visit Dalong website which is the most complete site for Bandai model kit review that I could find in the net.

 So here we go with HGBF Sengoku Astray. He is one of character from Gundam Build fighter Anime which happens to be one silly gundam series (not even feels like a gundam story at all ) if not because of its good animation/artworks and mecha design . Good thing is, my kids love it. By the way; I like Sengoku design more than the main hero of the series which is Build Strike. 

This is actually the first HGBF model kit which I ever build. I just noticed while building it that some of its part runner is under gated (someone correct me if I using wrong term). I think it might explain in the first manual, unfortunately I couldn’t read Japanese.

Under gated runner may have some purpose for hiding nub mark on part surfaces, but sometimes it could caused snap fit problem. This actually happens for this kit (mostly in red color runner part). So if you happen to be just like me before, which always think: “This is a Bandai mokit, lets built it with a bare hand! “, you cannot do it for this kit anymore.  You will need cutting tools to clean up nub mark for under gated parts.

The looks:

This HGBF look handsome even without stickers attached. There nothing special for color separation, just decent for a HG. This guy also has nice details all over his surface. I’m not a lining guy and I just guess he should have many room for lining jobs. It is really one of those good looking model kits. Proportions are good. 

Articulation:

Despite of his bulky looks, he has those good these days high grade articulation similar to double - 0 joints, and could perfoms them pretty well.

Head and Neck:

Surprisingly, this is one area where the articulations kind of disappoint me. Neck is just a ball peg without movement at all, just like old high grade astray neck joint. I just think that, since he has this wide open shoulder area and he is a new release, he should at least have those “chicken neck” articulations. And what make it worst, his wide mouth cover block head rotation movement because being hindered by his chest neck armor.  Not totally bad actually, I was just expecting something better than this.

Shoulder and Arms

Totally used of modern high grade joint system. Up down front back shoulder, swivel and pivot at upper arms/bicep, double joint elbow, ball joint hand. If you have built age normal high grade before, you know what you’ll get. 

 

 Those big shoulder armor did not block shoulder movement at all, instead it hinder the elbow bend movement. The ‘Sengoku arms’ limits the arms up and down movement once stay in clipped on its closed position. But when you extended them, they won’t be problem.

 These ‘sengoku arms’ extended arm consist of two parts. The upper connect at shoulder armor using a peg hinge and ball hinge connection to the lower. 

Now, the upper to armor connection has given me a bit of confusion at first. It supposed to be a swivel connection, but I keep wonder why the upper could only performs up-down movement and cannot do front and back. Then I realize that what happen is that the shoulder that actually swivels at the arms, not the arms that swivel at the shoulder. I just think that it will be better if the peg is placed at the shoulder armor while the hinged PC placed at the upper sengoku joint IMHO.

Body and hips

It performs those modern high grade joints. Could perform front, back and side crouch decently, and full 360 rotations without problems.   

 Side skirts are on ball peg, which I don’t really think it’s necessaries since they does not block anything.

Legs articulation

Also performs the same thing as double 0. Swivel and pivot at upper tight, double joint knee, double ball peg at ankle joints.  Can do full split without problems. The bulky armor does hinder its front and back movement a little, but not really an issue for me. Over all great.

 

 Accesories

 Not too much in accesories but quite likeable.

Sengoku Shield 

The shield (or not?) has good detail and pretty darn good looking. It could be clip on at the back or hold by hand. I personally think it more close to hand cover rather than shield.

 Alternative hands and katana

Two pairs of hands. One pair of open hand and another pair of bended holding hand. This is a nice unusual addition for high grade kit and it could perform new pose for holding sword.

 

 

Left Over

Another unusual for Bandai high grade to have this much left over parts. I call them left over since they not mentioned in manual (or perhaps I just miss some point?). The left parts cannot be use unless you have other normal astray. The right side is usable in certain way. Front helmet and moth cover part can be used for alternative head look (sorry, I’m too lazy to show you how it looks). Beam saber’s handle could be use with other beam saber which have square peg joint, such RG destiny beam blade, or HG sazabi’s beam saber. It is a very Limited choice i think because most of beam saber peg for 1/144 are using round peg joint. 

 

 After sticker Looks

   Just another pose

 

Using beam saber from other kits

Poses below are using modified sengoku arms joints by adding shoulder joints from others high grade kits for adding its articulation.

 

Size comparison

His head is actually about few mm shorter than an RG. But his V fin makes him look taller.

Final thought :

I actually bought this kit in my long wait for HGBF strike and RG exia. I did not expect that this kit turns out to be this good. Like this very much and definitely recommend it.