Kit Review

Coming soon.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with HGUC / MG

Upper body

Head

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - Arms, shoulders, and weapons (1/3)

Arms, shoulders, and weapons

Backpack

Weapons mounted on the backpack

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - The chunky leg section. (1/3)

The chunky leg section.

The backpack's over-boost can be opened.

All 5 missile units on the shoulders and back can each be opened individually.

You can swap out the tail piece to attach Ariya's stabilizer.

Leftover parts.
The blue tail piece isn't really a leftover part though — it's a swap-out part..

Articulation isn't great.
The knee range of motion in particular is pretty limited.

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - High laser cannon mounted on the back and missiles — full-open attack pose (1/5)

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - High laser cannon mounted on the back and missiles — full-open attack pose (2/5)

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - High laser cannon mounted on the back and missiles — full-open attack pose (3/5)

High laser cannon mounted on the back and missiles — full-open attack pose

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - Railgun firing pose (1/4)

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - Railgun firing pose (2/4)

Railgun firing pose

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - Railgun / laser rifle double action (1/4)

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus - Railgun / laser rifle double action (2/4)

Railgun / laser rifle double action

Together with Ariya.
CY01-Tellus is the bigger of the two overall.

The second kit in the Armored Core: For Answer series is CY01-Tellus, and unlike other units, it goes for a more traditional style rather than heavy mechanical detailing. The overall silhouette is thick and voluminous, so when you actually build it, it feels noticeably heavier and more substantial compared to other Armored Core kits.

Above all, the color separation is incredibly thorough throughout, so the straight build looks really impressive right out of the box, and the smooth, flowing body lines are quite attractive. It's a very different feel from the spiky, angular design concepts of previous kits. Maybe that's why building it feels a little different from other Armored Core kits too — it's got a slightly more Bandai-kit-like quality to it.

Despite the overall bulk, joint strength is excellent — nothing feels loose or unstable, and you can even hold the large weapons with the arms extended straight out. On the flip side, the design does limit the articulation on the arms and legs, so there aren't many poses you can pull off convincingly, which is a shame. The knee joints in particular barely bend at all, and that's a pretty big letdown..

Among Armored Core kits, this one delivers a really strong sense of presence and satisfaction after a straight build — it honestly looks much better in person than in photos. The articulation isn't great so posing is a bit of a struggle, but thanks to the relatively straightforward assembly and the incredibly flashy color separation, this is something I'd strongly recommend to straight build fans. :-)

Armored Core Next CY01-Tellus | 2007. 10 | ¥3,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.