Gundam Model Kits

The Ground Gundam’s head is slightly more complicated than your standard Gundam head. Aside from the two halves enclosing the faceplate and eyes, you have an extra piece for the forehead, upon which you add the 2-piece antenna. Two more pieces are added, one to each side of the head, adding to the feel of complexity to the Ground Gundam’s head. Stickers are provided for the eyes, front and rear cameras.

Torso

Construction of the torso is a rather simple affair. The core chest has ball-joint receptors for the shoulder, but the waist is fixed onto the chest. The cockpit (with miniature pilot) is located at the top of the chest, which is unusual for Federation MS. The cockpit hatch can be opened. The left side of the chest is the air vent, while the right side is the “nipple gun” with grenade launcher.
The backpack for the Ground Gundam is a storage rack for the equipment container, which will be discussed in the accessory section below.
The upper and lower waist is connected via a ball joint. It was a good idea initially; but the skirt armors are in the way on all fronts, and thus reduce the waist’s ability to rotate into uselessness. The joints to the legs are not only ball-jointed, but also individually movable, which are supposed to aid the Ground Gundam when it is posed in a kneeling position. Fixed rear skirt, movable front skirt armors are standard affair; but the side skirt armors can each be equipped with a spare ammo clip for the 100mm machine gun.

Arms

A pair of neat arms, featuring a ball-jointed shoulder and a 2-part elbow, which allows for much movement and articulation. The arms use a complete “inner skeleton” system, which means that the armors are sledded onto the arm instead of snapped onto it. All the armors on the arm (including shoulder armor) can be removed. The upper arm is neat, but there is a nagging problem with the lower arm: instead of following the Ground Gundam’s own seam lines, the model has a separate seam line right below the elbow. It is a flaw that could have been avoided.
Hands: 3 sets, including open hands, closed fists, and standard gripping hands for holding weapons. The shield is attached to the arm via a plug, and can be attached onto either arm.

Legs

The Ground Gundam’s legs, like the arms, are each connected to the body via a ball-joint. The thighs have sliding armor coverings like the arms. Each of the lower legs has a storage area for the beam saber handles, on the outer calves of the leg. The storage rack can be adjusted into an open position, to display the saber sheath. The leg armors can be removed to show the inner details. The ankle employs a 2-part joint, which results in great articulation hindered only by the ankle armors. The knee armors require a little painting.
One of the features of the Ground Gundam is its ability to kneel, when it deploys the famous 180mm cannon. Unfortunately, although the Ground Gundam can kneel, it does so with some difficulty. The kneeling pose is tilted to one side, and requires careful posing so that it won’t fall over.

Weapons and Accessories

As seen in the OVA The 08th MS Team, the Ground Gundam is equipped with a variety of weapons and equipments.
Shield- Can be attached onto either arm, or held by hand. Aside from the defend position, it can also be tilted in a forward, more aggressive stance, like a combat weapon. An extra piece can be attached to the top “handle” part of the shield and connect it to the 180mm cannon, so that the shield can act as anchor.
Beam saber- Two handles, 2 transparent-pink removable blades. Handles can be stored on the legs (see “Legs” section).
100mm machine gun- The Ground Gundam’s main weapon. The gun itself is a 5-piece affair, but it has 3 ammo clips, which allows you to pose the Ground Gundam in a reloading pose.
Beam rifle- Three-piece affair. It is molded completely gray, however, which requires a lot of painting.
180mm cannon- The prized weapon of Ground Gundam. It can be separated into 4 parts plus the ammo clip. It has a specific rack to hold the 4 parts, but not the ammo. The rack, parts and clip can all be stored inside the equipment container. An extra piece is given to attach the cannon’s barrel to the shield, so that the shield can act as anchor when firing the cannon.
Backpack storage rack + container- A great feature. The backpack can be converted into an “open” position and carry the container. The problem, however, is with the “close” position. The grapples, especially the upper ones, are too tight. Handle with care and patience. The container is a simple, 6-piece-plus-joints affair. An extra rack can be put inside to hold the 180mm cannon’s parts.

Conclusion

Some additional notes before closing:
-Coloring: the basic coloring is done well and can be tolerated without painting.
-Posing the Ground Gundam in kneeling position requires skill and patience, and even so the resulting pose is a bit tilted to the side.
-Posing the Ground Gundam with the 180mm cannon requires skill and patience.
-Posing the Ground Gundam with the Container: remember to remove the 180mm cannon inside, so that the Ground Gundam can be balanced better.
-Exchangeability: can use the weapons of Ground GM and Ez-8. The Ground GM’s missile launcher can be taken apart and stored with Ground Gundam’s Container. Also, Ground Gundam’s storage rack backpack can be replaced with Ground GM’s backpack, or vice versa.
-A side note: the Ground Gundam model is slightly shorter than my RX-78, Ver 1.5 Gundam model. However, Ground Gundam’s beam saber blades are longer than Gundam’s.
To be honest, I regret purchasing the Ground Gundam. Not because it has any serious problem, no; the model itself is a great kit. The problem rests with me: I have previously obtained the Ground Gundam’s 180mm cannon, beam rifle and container from another source. Instead of purchasing the Ground Gundam, I should have bought the Ground GM and Ez-8 instead, so that I can have different armaments. Now that I have the Ground Gundam, though, buying the similar models of Ground GM and Ez8 seems a bit excessive.
Yet, after reviewing the various aspects of the model, I will be honest and tell you that the Ground Gundam is a good buy and, with a lot of good things and some tolerable flaws, will be a decent addition to anyone’s model collection. (Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars)

Contributor: Wilson “Oruma Yar” Lam

General and Technical Data
Series: Master Grade (MG) 1/100 Release Date: 05/2000
Price: ¥ 3000