On the same weekend in which I built the Gundam Ground Type, I found myself in Barnes and Noble scouting out their latest batch of model kits. The first thing that caught my eye was not a kit, perse, but rather something else:
In addition to making all sorts of model kits, Bandai also makes (or licenses out) a number of Gundam toys. Unlike the models, the toys do not use any sort of grading system, nor do they have any sort of consistent branding. Every so often they come out with a new line that has some sort of theme or gimmick. Sometimes a given toy line will have multiple series of releases, and sometimes they do not. The whole toy side of the business feels so ephemeral to me, which is a shame, because in my experience these toy lines often feature mobile suits and other tech that, for one reason or another, does not get any model kit love (such as the Red and blue Rick Dias figurines I found a few years back as part of the Gundam Standart toy line).
This time around, the store was selling what are called Gundam Microwars toys. They are basically tiny, super deformed mecha (or other vehicles) that come with two or three pilot figurines. I guess the idea is that you can collect a bunch of these things and have a few small armies to pit against one another. One of the Microwars toys was of a vehicle that happened to be extremely appropriate for the weekend – the Hovertruck from Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
For those who do not know, the eponymous 08th team consists of three mobile suits and a Hovertruck, which serves as a communications and sensor hub. While not as cool as a robot, the vehicle plays an extremely vital role during the course of the story. So much so that If I had two Gundam Ground Type models and an EZ-8 model, and I didn’t have a Hovertruck to go with them, I would consider the squad incomplete.
Thankfully that will no longer be the case. Let’s look at what these Microwars toys are all about. Unfortunately I do not have photos of the toy as it was originally packaged, as I put it together very late on my last night alone at home. However the box itself shows you everything it comes with:
The truck itself is made of three parts – the main body, the gun turret, and the missile-shaped exhaust pipe on the back. Assembly is simply a matter of attaching those two accessories.
The toy also comes with three figurines. These are generic looking fellas with no discernable differences between them. I like the idea of including these, but the execution makes them pointless. For example, why give us a figure wearing a normal suit when no one would wear that while piloting the truck? I would have much preferred if it only came with two figures, and they were molded to look like Mikael and Eledor, the two members of the 08th team that man the Hovertruck. You could even leave them unpainted if you had to – in that case I would have happily taken care of it.
Instead, I trashed the figures. They serve no purpose for me.
Here is the hovertruck once I got done with it:
Looking at the truck itself, the main body is one big chunk of plastic with some details molded into it. I suppose you could paint them to add some color separation and depth, but I would question whether it is worth it. The thing about this toy is that the proportions are (deliberately) wrong. The Hovertruck should be much longer and much shorter in height. Trying to make it more realistic only does so much good when its dimensions are stuck in a permanently cartoonish state.
That said, I did add some really sloppy weathering effects and painted a few spots here and there. Along with some clear coat, it does make it look a little bit better. It is still clearly a toy, but it feels less like a “Happy Meal-quality” toy.
In terms of features, you can open a door in the front of the craft, as you can see here on the back of the box:
I guess the turret moves around too.
All in all, this is not a perfect Hovertruck, but it is a Hovertruck, and that counts for something. Placing it next to the rest of the 08th team, it serves its purpose just fine.
