[Figureview]FAF DX Huckebein Mk-II

Good day guys! As promised weeks ago, this is the review of FAF DX (Full Action Figure Deluxe) of Huckebein Mk-II from Super Robot Taisen Original Generation video game series, manufactured by Banpresto and an exclusive Dengeki Hobby item sold only on Japan. This is an old figure, not vintage level old but quite old, but as I'm quite lazy to dig information of this product, please bear with me XP

Character History

On the reality, Huckebein series are an original mecha designed for SRW game by Katoki Hajime to pay homage to Gundam, that's why it really resembles Gundam. In-game story-wise, Huckebein's origin is it was the first mecha to use an Extra-Over Technology, a term for technologies came from outer Earth on the SRWverse, with its Black Hole Engine. Too dangerous after failed first test run, after many more experiments the Mk-II was made without the dangerous Black Hole Engine, thus made it safer but inferior in term of power even though it's still superior to many Personal Trooper units. As an test-type for mass-production model, Mk-II is also used as testbed for new technologies such as T-Link System and Gravity Wall barrier system. The Mk-II was one of initial mecha player get for the main character of SRW Alpha game, and later on SRW OG game one Mk-II unit is handed to one of ATX member, Brooklyn "Bullet" Luckfield.

Packaging

Comes with plain-looking, black-colored box, Banpresto didn't apply any seal to FAF series so don't be too surprise when you receive it. With windowed format, you can see the figure and some of the accessories inside as well some provided data and picture of figures and accessories included on the back. The box is two-layered, the front/first layer is storing the figure and its accessories on a mica while the back/second layer is used for storing an instruction manual, booklet, stand, and smaller accessories on a plastic sheet.

Set and Accessories

Huckie Mk-II comes with lot of weapons, that's for sure. What caught my attention is those weapons are molded with Huckie's arm on it, so you can also take those as optional/replaceable hand. The bright side is you don't have to worry the weapon comes off easily because it won't, but the bad side is the weapons is only applicable on right hand. So anyway, what you get from the set are:

Figure and accessories

• Huckebein Mk-II figure
• Set of wing backpack
• Extra optional hands for open hands and grip hands
• Photon Rifle molded with right hand
• Beam Sword set (handle molded with right hand version, individual handle version, and beam part attachable to both versions of handle) 
• G-Impact Cannon
• Chakram Shooter Set (comes with 2 chakrams)
• Stand set
• Instruction sheet
• Booklet

  

Sculpt

The sculpt looks really great but the soft plastic used make it delicate. I mean I'm having hard time to assemble the wing pack, and when I finish, it snaps! Luckily it's not power glue can't fix, but still it worries me to further pose the figure. It also hard to remove the hand for the first time, as I'm afraid I will break the fragile joint after what happens before.

Huckie stands about 12 cm tall and it's a non-scale. This is the comparison with SRC Alteisen and Robot Damashii 00 Qan[T]:

Almost in-scale with Robot Damashii Side-MS

Paint Job

Although plastic-y, but I love the paint. It's overall well-applied, with the exception of white part that rougher and messier, but you won't really notice it unless you take closer look.

Articulation

Being a figure enthusiast who like mine to have wide range of articulation/movement, Huckie disappoint me greatly even though I know it's an old figure. The head can move upside-down and left-right just fine, but it only has swivel joint on body-shoulder thus we can only rotate it 180" front-backward. There's additional little hinge joint inside the shoulder so the arm can be moved further to side only a little bit. The elbow and knee are using hinge joint, its range aren't that great. I can forgive the lack of stomach movement, but Huckie can hardly move its legs due to the limitation of the joint and its waist design. So, it's hard to make him look good on dynamic pose.

Gimmicks

There's no special gimmick for Huckie other than its weapons. Just like I mentioned earlier, Photon Rifle and Beam Sword are molded with its right hand so you can't make Huckie dual-wielding. G-Impact Cannon on the other hand is little bit different since it doesn't molded with both hand. You have to use the gripping hands to make Huckie properly use it, after you remove Huckie's crotch part so you can connect G-Impact Cannon there. The Chakram Shooter does have gimmick of its own since you can actually store its chakram inside or rotate the arm to make it on stand-by mode by pulling its back part. And for the stand included, it also limits Huckie movement since it's not used by connecting peg into hole on Huckie but you just simply put Huckie's crotch on it. Lame...

Pose

Even with the limitation it has, I manage to take pictures of my Huckie on action pose. This is pose of my Huckie with its given weapons.

  

When it's given to Bullet, of course it has to wield Shishioh Blade, a special mecha-sized katana forged for Bullet's personal use by his master, Master Rishu! Shishioh Blade I use here comes from Kotobukiya's plastic model of Alteisen Nacht, by the way.

Using parts from other figures I have.

"Tachikiru, Gravity Impact! Sha-la-la so never cry, sore ga egesu no chouken"

Closer look with a Gunpla's System Base

Bullet and Huckebein with his senior of Jigen-Ryu swordmanship, Sanger Zonvolt and his Dygenguard. Not in-scale as Dygenguard should be way bigger, but oh well...

Both: Warera ni!
Sanger: Tatenu mono nashi!
Bullet: Teki nashi!

And lastly, the ATX team!! Feauturing the Steel Beowulf, Kyousuke Nanbu with Alteisen and Silver Fallen Angel, Excellen Browning with Weissritter!

ATX Team

End Verdict

Sorry for being subjective here, but having get use to newer, better-articulated action figure, I feel disappoint of FAF Huckie. I know, I understand it's old and limited by that time's engineering, but I also understand that after Sunrise ban (or other reason) that makes Huckebein can appear on any SRW adaptation anymore, Huckie figure is worth-getting for any SRW or Katoki Hajime fans, even just for sentiment reason. But if you still can't handle the high price tag for FAF due to its Japan-only nature, Huckie Mk-II is also available on Unifive or Kotobukiya's plastic model line, IIRC. But for me, I'll only give this figure 2.5 out of 5 points due its fragility and very limited movement.