Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body

Head and top view.
The top of the shoulders is a bit unique.

Back section

Painted/decaled areas on the head and shoulders.

Non-woven fabric on the lower body.

Non-woven fabric on the shoulders.

The shield is painfully plain.

Legs

Break Blade Fafnir - The gimmick for securing weapons on the back uses an open/close locking mechanism as shown, but the larg

The gimmick for securing weapons on the back uses an open/close locking mechanism as shown,
but the large sword known as the Gand Type 2 doesn't hold well at all and wobbles around badly.

Break Blade Fafnir - There are two weapon-mounting gimmicks on the back — one for the lancer and one for the sword — and you

There are two weapon-mounting gimmicks on the back — one for the lancer and one for the sword —
and you choose which one to attach.

Gand Type 2 sword mounting gimmick.

Heavy Lancer Type 4 mounting gimmick.

The weapons consist of a rifle called the Gale Sigma, the Heavy Lancer Type 4, and the Gand Type 2 sword.

Leftover parts are on the slim side.

Arm articulation is average, but leg articulation is quite good.

Forward/backward range of motion for the shoulders.

The shield can be secured using both the hand and the forearm.

Break Blade Fafnir - The ball joint at the neck is oddly flimsy — the head doesn't stay in place well and tends to wobble aro

The ball joint at the neck is oddly flimsy — the head doesn't stay in place well and tends to wobble around.

The good leg articulation means you can pull off something close to a deep squat pose.

Break Blade Fafnir - Stable kneeling pose. (1/4)

Break Blade Fafnir - Stable kneeling pose. (2/4)

Stable kneeling pose.

Break Blade Fafnir - Gand Type 2 action. (1/5)

Break Blade Fafnir - Gand Type 2 action. (2/5)

Break Blade Fafnir - Gand Type 2 action. (3/5)

Gand Type 2 action.

Break Blade Fafnir - Heavy Lancer Type 4 action. (1/5)

Break Blade Fafnir - Heavy Lancer Type 4 action. (2/5)

Break Blade Fafnir - Heavy Lancer Type 4 action. (3/5)

Heavy Lancer Type 4 action.

Break Blade Fafnir - Running action using the Kotobukiya display stand. (1/4)

Break Blade Fafnir - Running action using the Kotobukiya display stand. (2/4)

Running action using the Kotobukiya display stand.

All three Break Blade kits together.

Each one has a pretty distinct personality of its own.

Break Blade No. 3 is the standard Fafnir — a ground-combat-style kit with a solid, heavy design. Like the previous releases, it's based on the Frame Arms body, and the overall feel is similar to those earlier kits. The eyes and shoulders come pre-painted and decaled, but no waterslide decals are included, which will still be a bit of a headache for anyone who wants to paint it themselves.

Since the base is Frame Arms, the basic articulation is good, but the joints feel noticeably stiffer compared to the previous kits. Stiff is better than loose, but it does make posing a little awkward — and beyond that, the overall quality feels a slight step down from the Delphine and Eltemus.

The main gripes are the oddly loose neck joint and the Gand Type 2 sword mounting gimmick that barely holds the sword in place. On top of that, the hands are a bit fragile since you have to remove a finger to swap weapons. To switch between the lancer, sword, and rifle, you have to pop one finger in and out each time — and the connection point is weak enough that there's a real risk of breaking it. (I actually broke mine T_T) It would've been much better to include separate hands for each weapon like other Kotobukiya kits do, but instead you're stuck using one fixed hand for all the different weapons, which is inconvenient in a number of ways.

Overall the kit shows decent quality, but since the previous Delphine and Eltemus were among the cleanest Kotobukiya kits out there, this one inevitably invites comparison. There are a few nagging flaws, but the buildability and parts layout are still a huge improvement over early Kotobukiya kits, so if you like the design, I think you can enjoy this one without too many complaints. :-)

Break Blade Fafnir | 2010. 8 | ¥3,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.