Kit Review

Straight build + decals

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set (1/2)

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set (2/2)

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - They call it a briefing set, but it doesn't really feel like a briefing a

They call it a briefing set, but it doesn't really feel like a briefing at all;;
More like a picnic vibe?

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The highlight of this kit is the hover truck. Check out the detailed phot

The highlight of this kit is the hover truck. Check out the detailed photos of each section.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - If you look closely at the surface, there's a bumpy texture almost like Z

If you look closely at the surface, there's a bumpy texture almost like Zimmerit coating.
You'll need to look very carefully though. ^^;

Nice detail inside the turret. You can even see a seat in there.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - It's quite large.. around 26cm. From photos alone you might think "oh, th

It's quite large.. around 26cm.
From photos alone you might think "oh, that's pretty big," but seeing it in person is a whole different story — it's surprisingly massive;

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - This is definitely a kit where you'll struggle without tweezers during as

This is definitely a kit where you'll struggle without tweezers during assembly.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Looking through the manual.. there's this quirky little modification poin

Looking through the manual.. there's this quirky little modification point that caught my eye.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - One side of the J runner has hex bolts molded onto it, and the instructio

One side of the J runner has hex bolts molded onto it, and the instructions tell you to cut them off and attach them to the underside of the vehicle.
Probably because molding them in 3D would've been tricky, so they went with this approach.. Still gives you a nice little detail-up feeling ^^
(I actually forgot to do this during assembly, so I'm borrowing Daemang's photos here ^^;)

The front and rear sections have articulation gimmicks.

Front and rear lowered, seen from the side.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The rear truck section can also be fitted with a cover. However, there's

The rear truck section can also be fitted with a cover.
However, there's no locking gimmick for the cover, so you'll need to glue it in place.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - 5 hatches on top can be opened.. though honestly it's hard to call these

5 hatches on top can be opened..
Though honestly it's hard to call these a proper opening gimmick,
You're really just loosely setting the lids in place.
The manual actually tells you to glue these lids down too.
Meaning you choose open or closed and then glue them — but since they stay put well enough without falling off, I skipped the glue.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - There's virtually no interior detail (-_-;). So opening the hatches doesn

There's virtually no interior detail (-_-;). So opening the hatches doesn't really give you much to look at.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The hover section. There's a bit of an inner frame, and there's even mold

The hover section. There's a bit of an inner frame, and there's even molding on the inside of the outer armor. (Is this an MG?!?)

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The hover section carries too much weight to hold with just snap-fit.. if

The hover section carries too much weight to hold with just snap-fit..
If you don't glue the parts indicated by the arrows, it pops right off way too easily and it's a real pain;

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The side door panel is originally one solid piece.. but you can cut out t

The side door panel is originally one solid piece.. but you can cut out the middle section with a knife to make it openable.
Again, there's no proper articulation gimmick for the opening — you just kind of force it into an open position and leave it there.

The sonar section.. shown here with the sonar locking pins in place..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - You have to remove those locking pins for the sonar to move. So in practi

You have to remove those locking pins for the sonar to move.
So in practice, you need to glue it in the open position like on the right if you want to be able to move it freely.

Sonar articulation

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Inside the truck's cargo bay, there's a gimmick for folding the seats. Ag

Inside the truck's cargo bay, there's a gimmick for folding the seats.
Again, it's not a proper articulation gimmick — you just pull the piece off and reattach it..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The door and window parts are separated as if they're meant to open.. but

The door and window parts are separated as if they're meant to open..
But in practice you have to choose a position and glue them.
And honestly, even if you open them there's no interior detail to speak of..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The door glued in the open position. Gluing is a must, of course. The win

The door glued in the open position. Gluing is a must, of course.
The windows also need to be glued down after deciding whether to leave them open or closed.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The light gimmick on the side of the turret also needs to be glued in you

The light gimmick on the side of the turret also needs to be glued in your chosen open or closed position.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - The periscope(?) section is done by swapping out the middle part to repre

The periscope(?) section is done by swapping out the middle part to represent the extended or retracted state.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Our protagonist Shiro Amada's figure~ He can't stand on his own so I lean

Our protagonist Shiro Amada's figure~ He can't stand on his own so I leaned him against something for the photo.
But his face looks hilariously like Kim Su-ro ;;
The pretty-boy image is completely gone — he's just some middle-aged dude T_T

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Karen's figure.. she's more built than glamorous. But her face.. honestly

Karen's figure.. she's more built than glamorous.
But her face.. honestly looks just like the lady who runs the hair salon in my neighborhood;

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Sanders... I'm sorry. I attached the neck wrong and it turned into someth

Sanders... I'm sorry. I attached the neck wrong and it turned into something out of a horror show T_T

Applying decals to these tiny figures.. is brutal;;

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Eledore Massis's figure.. he can't stand on his own either — it's a leani

Eledore Massis's figure..
He can't stand on his own either — it's a leaning pose.
But why does everyone's face look so old in this set -_-;

Somehow the lying-down sleeping pose just suits this figure perfectly..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Mechanic Yaddin's figure.. the pose isn't very stable, so he can't sit wi

Mechanic Yaddin's figure.. the pose isn't very stable, so he can't sit without leaning against something;
His face.. well, Australopithecus comes to mind..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Some fun accessories. The tiny beer mug is a nice touch. The ammo box wit

Some fun accessories. The tiny beer mug is a nice touch.
The ammo box with its openable lid is especially well detailed.

Size comparison with the previous UCHG. It's overwhelmingly bigger;

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Comparison with HGUC and MG. Getting a sense of the scale? Though it feel

Comparison with HGUC and MG. Getting a sense of the scale?
Though it feels even bigger in person..

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Different scales and all.. but the backside fits right into the back of t

Different scales and all.. but the backside fits right into the back of the truck lol

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Was it the Zaku trailer?? The HGUC fits perfectly into the truck's cargo

Was it the Zaku trailer?? The HGUC fits perfectly into the truck's cargo bay.

Hauling the 08th MS Team's Ball.. somehow it just works?

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set - Transporting a Zaku head. Since the scale matches, it actually looks pret

Transporting a Zaku head. Since the scale matches, it actually looks pretty convincing.

The UCHG series just keeps getting bigger and bigger with each release.

Straight build

The third entry in the (ill-fated?) Hardgraph series is the E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set, set against the backdrop of the 08th MS Team. It's probably more accurate to just call it the hover truck set (just like the second entry was called the Zaku head set) — and right off the bat, this kit makes an impression with its large box, the kind you'd expect from a 4000-yen kit, and it comes packed with a ton of parts. The Hardgraph series just keeps growing with each new entry.

Inside the kit you get one large hover truck, five figures, and accessories.. and once you finish building the hover truck, it feels absolutely massive. Part of it is probably because there's really nothing else in the Gunpla world quite this large as a vehicle/mecha kit, which makes it feel even more imposing. The in-universe size is pretty substantial too, so even someone used to building Tamiya 1/35 tanks would find this thing impressively large..

Anyway, the sheer size gives it a pretty impressive presence, and the detail is quite heavy with lots of bits and pieces hanging off it along with plenty of molded detail, fitting for that military look (?). That said, this is only compared to regular Gunpla — next to Tamiya-style AFV kits, the detail feels a bit lacking. More than anything, there's absolutely no interior gimmick built in, so even if you open the hatches or doors, it's just hollow inside... doesn't really make you want to bother opening them T_T

And the most frustrating part of this kit... if the hatch-opening feature worked really well, it'd be useful and fun in all sorts of ways... The hatches do open, but there just aren't enough gimmicks in place to actually open and close them freely. Most of them are a choose-one deal — either open or closed — and you just glue them in place, which is a bit of a bummer from a regular Gunpla builder's perspective. It's basically become a feature more suited to military modelers. I really wish they'd at least put an open/close gimmick on the doors ^^;

The figure quality is about the same as previous releases — the color separation is reasonably clean, but the weird-looking faces are exactly the same too; The face on the main character Shiro Amada figure in particular is just completely unrecognizable... and Karen's face isn't much better T_T Don't go into this kit expecting anything from the faces. The accessories like the desk, chairs, and beer mugs are cute though ^^

Like the other Hard Graph series kits, this one takes quite a long time to build. It takes significantly longer than your typical snap-fit Gunpla. Whether that's a plus or a minus is up to you.

The Hard Graph series was always going for a military-style Gunpla vibe from the start, and in a way, this Briefing Set has ended up being the most military-feeling kit of the bunch. The previous releases like the Wappa and the Zaku head are typical sci-fi structures, but this hover truck genuinely feels like actual military equipment.

As a military kit it feels like a slight step below Tamiya in terms of quality, but it's definitely more refined than regular Gunpla — that's exactly the vibe. The build method is the typical Bandai military Gunpla style, mixing snap-fit and glue ^^; It's still a kit that sits in a bit of an awkward position, but in a way, that's just what Hard Graph is all about.

If you've had your eye on the hover truck from the 08th MS Team, or you're curious about a fresh new Bandai building experience, or you're mainly a Gunpla builder who's also interested in military stuff... this kit does have its own audience. Just wish the price were a bit lower, hmm.

UCHG E.F.G.F MS[G] Platton Briefig set | 2007.1 | ¥5,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.