Series: High Grade (HG) 1/100
Title: GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam
Release Date: 12/2002
Suggested Price: ¥ 2000
No. of Parts: 139 + polycaps + foil stickers + 1/20 Kira Yamato figure
Plastic colors: white, red, blue, yellow, gray, dark gray
Gimmicks: Aile Strike pack, beam saber (2), beam rifle, shield, 'Armor Schneider' combat knives (2)

Introduction

Contributor: Matt "GuyverC" Bellamy
Date: December 13, 2003

This is the first of the 1/100 Gundam SEED kits. Can we expect gold, right from the beginning? Or will there be flaws abound?

Head

Pretty standard fare...looks accurate to both anime and lineart comparisons. The "V-Fin" is rounded on it's points, so it will require sanding to get the sharp look. As well, like any 1/100 kit, the vulcans need painting. Stickers are given for the eyes and front camera.

Torso

The torso takes more from the anime feel than the lineart, and it is compact and long, but looks rather nice. The torso is pretty basic, being made of few pieces, but enough pieces so that stickers or painting isn't required, but will help the look. One thing that stands out well is the shoulder joints, which allow for some very signature poses to be accomplished, rather than the old style of just a peg molded to the body. The only problem I find with the torso is the thrusters on the back are molded with the back piece, so no movement there. Of things that need painting, only the insides of the thrusters really require it.

Arms

They are standard to a fault really. Pretty basic, but still better made than older 1/100's. The hands, again, pretty standard, although, with no actual moving joints. Now you have to take part the hand off to switch weapons in it. This isn’t a big problem with this kit, as the beam sabers are easy to remove, and an extra hand is supplied for the beam rifle. So all you need to do is switch out the hands. Biggest fault I see is the elbows only have 90 degrees of movement, which is annoying, but livable.

Legs

Overall, the skirt/crotch is pretty well done, taking a bit of initiative on the design. The construction design on the legs, however, is where it shines. With inner gray parts building up the main leg, you add on the white armor later, and it makes quite the sturdy set of legs. This achieves two things: one, not needing paint for the legs, and two, a heavier bottom, making it better to balance in the end. The knees and hips sadly only have about 90 degree movement each, which is a bit of a disappointment. Feet and ankles help in this aspect a bit by not having too much flexibility, but still being able to move pretty well. Only flaw I see here is the rear skirt armor, which, sadly, is molded into place and doesn't move.

Weapons and Accessories

Beam Rifle - Pretty standard. Well detailed, with movable second handle. Fits well and sturdily into the gun hand provided. No sticker for the scope provided, however.

Shield - Very nice. All pieces molded in color, and no stickers used at all. It also has a nice thickness to it, seeming that it could actually stop something like a beam saber.

'Armor Schneider' Combat Knives - Basic of absolute basic. You get 2 pairs. Two open for the hands, and two closed to store in the hip armor.

Aile Strike Pack - The special addition to this otherwise standard Strike kit. The Aile pack is well designed, except for a few minor flaws. The first being is reliability on stickers. The majority of the stickers provided are for the Aile pack. The red tops on the upper wings are stickers, as well as the yellow vents on the articulated thrusters. However, thankfully, that's as far as they go. The lower winged thrusters are articulated quite well, and have a wide range of movement. Only thing that really requires any painting are the interior of the thrusters, and the rep tops on the upper wings, as the stickers look awfully out of place for them, being shiny foil instead of some flat red like the rest of the red on the pack.

Beam Sabers - Like the Aile pack, exclusive to this release, because of the fact they are docked on the Aile pack. Pretty standard. Hands don't hold them all that well, and the beams are pretty long, but are quite nice looking.

Conclusion

Not a bad first kit in the line for sure. It has its faults, but it's a pretty solid kit, and a very nice 1/100. Definitely a good starter for a semi-beginner, as it doesn’t have a ton of small pieces, and makes a great looking kit, even without painting. If this is a precursor to later SEED kits, it should be an interesting run. Pretty standard, but nicely done.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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