MVF-X08 Eclipse Gundam
This is only my fifth Master Grade, and it was definitely a design worth giving the MG treatment. The other MGs I’ve built all have or feel like they could be High Grades, but the Eclipse is a design that doesn’t feel possible as an HG or possibly even an RG. The MA Mode transformation it so complicated that I can’t imagine how they’d pull it off at a smaller size without omitting it entirely. But how does it stack up as a model kit?
The Good: This was a very complex build, with a lot of intricate moving parts in areas you wouldn’t expect, like the shoulders or lower legs. It might have been a little too complex at a few moments, but it was a large kit that felt worthy of its price tag, which I feel not every big kit does.
Because of the sheer amount of moving parts, posability is a little strange, but it still has a wide range. Its accessory pool is small, but very cool, with its shield generator effect parts, and beam rifles that store its beam sabers inside them.
Lastly, the transformation is crazy. The amount of moving parts throughout this kit just to get this high-speed flight mode perfect is ridiculous.
The Bad: But that complexity is just as frustrating as it is impressive. You have to compress the forelegs, but it took me several minutes to get that single motion to work, and the amount of small movements in places like the shoulders or waist to get things at just the right angle, slightly off where it was originally, is very confusing. The MA Mode, while a nice inclusion, is not a selling point, and I will likely never transform it again unless I get another MG with and MA Mode to compare.
The Details: As Master Grades already have good color separation, there wasn’t really any need to do anything besides panel lining. I think I painted the eyes green? But even looking at the kit on the shelf behind me, I can’t tell.
Overall, it’s a very fun kit to build, with its main issue being the complexity of the MA Mode, and how some of that engineering affects the base design. Even with that, I still say it’s worth its price, but I don’t think I’ll be getting Reactor 2. I might grab a backpack, though, if I can easily find one.
