Series: Advanced Mobile Suit in Action!! (AMSiA)
Title: GAT-X370 Raider Gundam
Release Date: 09/2003
Suggested Price: ¥ 2000
No. of Parts: 1 Raider Gundam figure + 10 parts
Plastic colors: black, red, yellow, gray & light puke green
Gimmicks: transformable to MA mode

Introduction

Contributor: Winn Sevilla
Date: January 24, 2004

Gundam SEED, being a hit to new and old Gundam fans never seems miss an opportunity churning out all sorts of merchandise. One of these is the AMSiA line, a currently "exclusive" toy line promoting the MS of Gundam SEED. However, the "first batch" of AMSiAs (featuring the "inner frame system") gave consumers a lot of disappointment in terms of poseability despite the great details. With Bandai learning fast released the second batch of AMSiAs, things seems to have gotten better.

Even after ZAFT stole their four prototype Gundam units, the Earth Alliance continued their research and development to create new units. The GAT-X370 Raider Gundam was one of the three latest units. A transformable mobile suit similar to the GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam, it featured the "Trans-Phase" armor technology that uses a different approach than the "Phase-Shift" armor. (Trans-Phase armor only activates upon contact of enemy fire upon the unit - giving the mobile suit extended battle time and power for its weapons.) Another development is the "Living CPU" - a pilot strengthened with performance enhancing drugs making them at par with coordinators thus can efficiently use the MS to its fullest. (These drugs however have a limited time of effect and causes problem for long extended battles.) Crot Buer is one of the test subjects assigned as the pilot of the unit.

In mobile armor mode, the Raider is equipped with a variety of weapons: "Ahura Mazda" claw cannons, several machine guns on the nose and shoulders and a "Zorn" energy cannon located on the mouth (which can also be used on MS mode). In mobile suit it can use twin machine guns and a special "Mjonir" hammer that can be both used as an offensive and defensive weapon.

Deployed on the Alliance's attack on the Kingdom of Orb, the Raider also served as a flight unit for the GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam. Transferred to the space on the Archangel class battleship Dominion, the Raider continued to wreak havoc on ZAFT and the Clyne faction until it was destroyed by the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam.

Head

Details and articulation are just fine. The "Zorn" energy cannon is well detailed.

Torso

Front and rear skirt armors are ball jointed (HGGS style). The side skirts where the claws (for MA mode) are housed looks great but looks rather awkward since it comes in contact with the wing binders all the time, hence I removed them.

The backpack, weird as it is holds well thanks to support braces to the torso. The wing binders can be extended outwards but the connection to the backpack is loosens when moved too much. I would suggest you permanently glue it to the backpack (with allowance for movement) so it'll stay fit.

Arms

The shoulder armor, despite being too long doesn't sag due to the weight. Dual jointed elbows give the arms great poseability As usual in AMSiAs, there are only two pairs of hands: closed fist and triggered.

Legs

The legs follow the Zeta Gundam's design (which is required for MA mode). Overall, the legs are ok but foot horizontal articulation is very limited because there's no allowance for it.

Weapons and Accessories

Twin machine gun- The barrels are long and overall, they look very cool as it can be held on the hand or attached to the arm's hardpoint (which I prefer). In MA mode, it can be attached to the folded shoulder.

'Mjonir hammer'- Two versions: retracted & an extended cable version. The extended's cable is somewhat too short, but overall it fits well into the trigger hands.

Mobile armor mode- The MA mode is a fine result, but distasteful in design. (It's like a cheap version of the Zeta's WR mode.) Playability is great. There are lots of omitted gimmicks when compared to the HGGS kit: the nosecone doesn't open to reveal a hidden machine gun and the Mjonir Hammer cant be stored to the waist hardpoint in MA mode.

Conclusion

I would have to say that for an odd and "recycled" design, this AMSiA performed fairly only well due to some design limitations (loose wing binders, omitted designs). If you like the Raider's design, then this is the one for you.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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