Series: Mobile Suit in Action!! (MSiA)
Title: GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam w/Sky Grasper
Release Date: 05/2004 (US)
Suggested Price: $10.99
No. of Parts: 1 Strike Gundam figure + 1 Aile Striker Pack + 1 Sky Grasper + 19 parts
Plastic colors: white, blue, red, black, gray, blue/ gray, translucent pink
Gimmicks: Skygrasper + base, 2.0 MSiA articulation, Aile Striker Pack, folding and storable "Armor Schneider" combat knives

Introduction

Contributor: Derrick "tomduo" Lang
Date: May 6, 2004

With the release of the newest Gundam series in America, the products of this capitalist driven series have come rolling off the assembly lines, and into our stores. I have anticipated the release of some of these MSiAs, especially the Aile Strike and Sky Grasper pack, since both were piloted by Mu La Flaga. I have come to expect much from the new MSiA releases, and here's hoping this new line makes the grade.

Head

Very highly detailed, and well colored. Compared with lineart and screenshots, it's dead on. The scale is nice, considering previous MSiAs being released with small heads. It has a nice vertical swivel, and can turn 360 degrees without stopping.

Torso

This is a definite improvement over past MSiA releases. The waist is connected with a ball and socket joint, allowing the waist to have full movement, and a more realistic range of bending. Another thing I am impressed with is the side containers for the 'Armor Schneider' combat knives, which can fold up like in the show, and store securely in the storage packs

Arms

Praise be, this has the 2.0 elbow articulation! This gives the arms full bendability. The plastic joints are sturdy and don't droop when holding heavy objects. The shoulders are rather limited in movement, but don't detract from much. The shoulders give the arm about 80 degrees of articulation, and the connectors to the torso bend forward and backward for more 'human' motions.

Legs

Unlike the elbows, the knees are 1.0 jointed. They are very nice, however, and give good movement, including a nice swivel at the top of the calf where it connects to the knee joint. The hip connections of the legs are very sturdy, and don't pop out like my Alex's legs do. The feet are also not 2.0 articulated, but are nicely molded and give good movement.

Weapons and Accessories

Hand sets- 3 HAND SETS!!! Fist, saber, and gun!!! And they are a good 2.0 release!!! The handsets are sculpted very nicely as well.

High-energy beam rifle- A nice solid piece, with a swiveling handle. It fits in the hand nicely, and can attach to the side of the Sky Grasper using a special third piece specially designed for the hook up. The sight is painted, as well.

Shield- The Strike's shield also attaches to the side of the Sky Grasper. The shield itself is well painted, and is modeled after the Jegan's shield. The handle slides down the backside of the shield, and the arm mount fits securely onto the arm of the Strike.

Aile Striker Pack- Perhaps the main gimmick of this release is one of the most used of the Strike's equipment packs. With 2 maneuverable binders, and a nicely molded wings, it is finished off with a wonderful paint job. My only gripe is the heaviness, and how the weight can cause the pack to de-attach, and fall off. The pack fits better onto the Sky Grasper, though this can easily be fixed with some hairspray.

Beam sabers- The handles fit onto the Aile Strike pack, much like other Gundams store their sabers. The handles fit into the Strike's hands nicely, without much wobbling. The one thing wrong is the length of the beam blades. They are much longer than they should be, and decrease from the look of the suit.

"Armor Schneider" combat knives- These are tiny little things that will easily get lost, and are too small. They have very little detail, but fold up like a pocket knife to store in the hips. These could have been made a bit bigger.

Sky Grasper- Nicely molded, and capable of fitting the Aile Striker Pack, and the Launcher and Sword Striker Packs (sold separately). While it has nice coloring, like most MSiA ships, it's a hunk of plastic.

Sky Grasper base- A well sculpted base for the Sky Grasper, it's a nice touch for display. It features the logo of OMNI inscribed in it.

Conclusion

Among the five (yes that's right, five) releases of the Strike model, this is the best I've seen. All come with the knives, beam rifle and shield, but only this comes with the Aile Striker Pack and the Sky Grasper. I enjoyed this, and I am glad this was released instead of the horrid AMSiAs. Aside from some size and weight issues, this is a very nice release. If you want a nice piece of SEED memorabilia, this is the suit for you. Good painting, lots of accessories, and poseability make this a wonderful release!

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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