Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack
It's noticeably bigger than the older Armored Core kits.

Size comparison with an MG Gundam

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Various angles (1/7)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Various angles (2/7)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Various angles (3/7)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Various angles (4/7)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Various angles (5/7)

Various angles

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Detail shots (1/4)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Weapons included are the Burst Rifle, Burst Handgun, and Laser Slicer.

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - The Laser Slicer comes in both folded and unfolded forms, and you can swap the center joint block

The Laser Slicer comes in both folded and unfolded forms,
and you can swap the center joint block to attach it accordingly.

Weapons mounted on the backpack

The plasma missile connector can be selected for either left or right side mounting.

Replacement parts are also included to recreate the open state of the plasma missiles.

It works by removing the existing parts and swapping them out.

Plasma missiles in open state

Various weapon mounting parts can be attached to the weapon hanger.

Deployed parts for the back are also included.

You can disassemble the upper body and swap in the deployed parts.

Leftover back parts after swapping in the deployed parts

A total of 3 hand types are included.

The back-of-hand parts can be swapped out for weapon-mounting parts.

Joint parts for a stand.
These are primarily designed for Kotobukiya's Flying Base Neo.

Limb articulation.

The knee range of motion is limited, so it's hard to spread the legs far forward or backward.

The ankle tilt angle is pretty good though.

The upper body can lean forward, but tilting it back tends to cause the waist to pop out.

The binder connection point at the back of the thigh is also articulated.

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Aerial pose with the backpack deployed. Compatible with the Flying Base Neo, but the pin size doe

Aerial pose with the backpack deployed
Compatible with the Flying Base Neo, but the pin size doesn't match Bandai stands.
In my case, I modified a Bandai Action Base to make it work.

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Burst Handgun pose (1/3)

Burst Handgun pose

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Plasma missiles & backpack deployed + Burst Rifle aerial firing pose (1/4)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Plasma missiles & backpack deployed + Burst Rifle aerial firing pose (2/4)

Plasma missiles & backpack deployed + Burst Rifle aerial firing pose

Armored Core VI Steel Haze - Laser Slicer pose (1/3)

Laser Slicer pose

Together with Armored Core Stasis.
It's way bulkier than the older AC kits.

This kit is the Steel Haze released as part of Kotobukiya's Armored Core VI series. It's a completely new-tooled Armored Core kit — the first in 10 years since 2015 — and it comes out as a massive kit that sits somewhere between an MG Sazabi and a PG in terms of sheer size.

Starting with the box art, which features premium printing that makes it clear this is a high-end kit at ¥15,500. Given the size, the number of runners and parts is quite substantial. The first thing that surprised me during the build was the assembly feel. Unlike the somewhat stiff feel typical of Kotobukiya kits, this one feels like a Bandai kit with top-tier snap-fit. The parts snap in smoothly yet click together precisely, and the part retention is solid so everything holds together firmly. Kotobukiya's Armored Core series had a reputation for being nearly impossible to build without glue due to all the tiny parts flying around — but this kit, coming 10 years later, has completely overcome that.

And despite being as big and heavy as a PG-class kit, the overall joint strength is excellent. The joints are smooth yet hold their position firmly, so posing is pretty much stress-free. The one exception is when you spread the legs wide apart — the upper body weight can be too much and the legs tend to splay out. Aside from just that one issue, the overall durability is more than impressive for its size.

In terms of appearance, the kit delivers great color combinations and visuals through Kotobukiya's signature piece-by-piece parts breakdown. Weapons include the Burst Rifle, Burst Handgun, and Laser Slicer, all showing fine detail and impressive volume. The Laser Slicer in particular comes in both folded and unfolded forms, and by combining the joint block with dedicated back-of-hand parts, it can be mounted on the hand. Additionally, the plasma missiles that attach to the backpack can be swapped out to recreate both front and rear open states.

On top of that, weapon hangers can be attached to both sides of the backpack, and by swapping the joint parts, you can mount both the Burst Rifle and Burst Handgun on them. Separating the upper body and swapping out the back parts also lets you recreate the deployed state. With all these generous options, you can pull off a wide variety of distinctive poses. You can also do aerial poses using Kotobukiya's Flying Base Neo, but it's a shame that it's not compatible with Bandai stands and requires some modification.

By the way, some of you might want a comparison with the Steel Haze from Bandai's 30MM series. Unfortunately, due to a lack of time and money, I haven't gotten into the 30MM series. (I think I'm already reviewing plenty as it is.) That said, I have seen the display model, so for a rough comparison — this kit is about twice the size, and the detail, color separation, and proportions are all clearly a step above. The catch, of course, is that the price is also four times as much.

All in all, this is an A-grade quality kit that Kotobukiya clearly put serious effort into — the assembly feel and durability are actually better than most Bandai Gunpla. It's pricey, but it's a premium mecha model kit that's worth every penny. Armored Core fans are going to go crazy over this high-quality new release after 10 years, and even if you're just drawn to the style, this is a kit I can wholeheartedly recommend on quality alone. :-)

Armored Core VI Steel Haze | 2025. 12 | ¥15,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.