This kit is the MG Narrative Gundam B-Packs Ver.Ka, released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. Essentially, it's a combined set of the standard retail release
MG Narrative Gundam C-Packs Ver.Ka and the Club G release of the MG Narrative Gundam C-Packs Ver.Ka dedicated B-Packs expansion setbundled together. On top of that, a white Action Base 5 has been newly added.
Since the main body and B-Packs are just the existing kits bundled as-is, you can check the individual reviews for detailed info on each. Back in the day, combined kits sometimes came in different molded colors from the individual releases, but this one is bundled without any molded color changes. Instead, the gray psycho-frame runners A and B that were in the main body kit have been removed, and the pink psycho-frame C runner has been changed to fully clear. Since the B-Packs are meant to be attached to the Narrative Gundam body anyway, the psycho-frame parts aren't really needed — but they do guide you to paint the clear psycho-frame however you like for a custom look. (It's basically leftover parts at this point..)
The MG Narrative Gundam body and B-Packs connect solidly, and the body's joint strength is good enough for stable upright standing. That said, the newly included white Action Base 5 feels a bit undersized for a kit this big and heavy. Action Base 5 is really only durable enough for HG-class kits, so putting a large MG on it tends to make it lean to one side or even topple over depending on the center of gravity. It's a shame they didn't throw in a sturdier Action Base if they were going to include one at all.
When the wired remote attack units are mounted on the backpack, there's no issue with stability — but things get tricky when you detach them to display in the launched state. The included small stand is just too tiny and weak relative to the size and weight of the wired remote attack units, so you can only use it at limited angles with the center of gravity carefully balanced. Even then, the slightest bump will knock it over, so displaying the wired remote attack units in the launched state for any length of time is a real hassle. I had quite a struggle just getting photos of them in the launched state — honestly, you'd be better off borrowing an Action Base 7 for a more secure hold.
The wire that connects to the wired remote attack units is also tricky to get hanging down naturally. When you pull out the wire that's been coiled up inside, it tends to stay all curled up and float around in weird shapes. If you want the wire to hang down naturally, it's probably best not to store it coiled inside in the first place. Once you've coiled it up inside even once, it seems pretty hard to avoid the curling problem even after you pull it back out.
So while this is essentially just a combined kit with stands added, it's a shame that the included stands feel a bit unreliable. It came out at ¥9,500, which is ¥100 cheaper than buying the main body (¥7,000) and B-Packs (¥2,600) separately — with two runners removed and Action Base 4 added, the price adjustment seems reasonable enough. Still, if they were going to include a stand, it would've been nice to go with the newer, sturdier Action Base 1 instead. It honestly feels like the developers never actually tried displaying it before releasing it. The main body and B-Packs themselves are great quality, but for stable aerial display, I'd recommend picking up an Action Base 1 and 7 separately.
To wrap things up — if you already own the main body kit, there's really no reason to pick up this combined pack. The molded colors and waterslide decals are identical, and the included stands aren't much help either. On the other hand, if you've been wanting the MG Narrative Gundam B-Packs but don't have the main body kit yet, this combined set is a pretty solid choice. :-)
MG Narrative Gundam B-Packs Ver.Ka | 2024.11 | ¥9,500
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
