Kit Review

Straight build

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (1/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (2/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (3/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (4/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (5/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (6/7)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (7/7)

Upper body & head close-up

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Arms and rifle (1/3)

Arms and rifle

Backpack/wings

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Legs and rail cannons. The rail cannons have a pearl coating, giving them a chameleon

Legs and rail cannons.
The rail cannons have a pearl coating, giving them a chameleon-like color that shifts depending on the viewing angle.

Rail cannons folded back with the rifles stowed at the hips

Three 1/100 figures including the cockpit pilot figure

Strike Freedom's articulation is top-notch, as expected.

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Action base poses (1/4)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Action base poses (2/4)

Action base poses

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Dual sword action (1/3)

Dual sword action

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (1/2)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (2/2)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Interestingly, this kit includes a separate adapter part for Action Base compatibilit

Interestingly, this kit includes a separate adapter part for Action Base compatibility.
This part was not included with the original Strike Freedom or the Full Burst Mode.

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Dual rifle action (1/3)

Dual rifle action

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (1/5)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (2/5)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (3/5)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (4/5)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. (5/5)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - All Super Dragoons deployed (1/3)

All Super Dragoons deployed

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Alongside the standard MG Strike Freedom. The Extra Finish version has better joint s

Alongside the standard MG Strike Freedom.
The Extra Finish version has better joint strength, so the proportions come out much nicer.

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. - Alongside the Extra Finish version Freedom Gundam. Strike Freedom looks bigger and th

Alongside the Extra Finish version Freedom Gundam.
Strike Freedom looks bigger and the design feels more refined..

Every now and then, Bandai releases an MG Extra Finish plated version for no particular reason — and this time it's the Strike Freedom Gundam. There was already a precedent with the MG Freedom Gundam getting the same treatment, so this feels like a natural continuation of that.

First, for the Strike Freedom kit's own characteristics, MG Strike Freedom Review— check that out first. This kit applies the typical Extra Finish semi-gloss coating to the outer armor. The original MG Strike Freedom already had a special version called the Full Burst Mode with a coated inner frame, and this Extra Finish version does have a coated inner frame as well. But... take a look at the runner photos below.

Here's the thing — in the Full Burst Mode, a total of 2 frame runners were coated in gold, but in this Extra Finish version, only 1 of those runners gets the coating. (-_-) The inner frame runner for the wings, which was coated in the Full Burst Mode, is just molded in that plain brownish color here. If you're going to charge a premium price for a plated version, you'd think they'd at least match the Full Burst Mode's coating — what kind of cost-cutting show is this... ^^;

And the coating quality is also a bit... questionable in places. I've built all kinds of plated kits, so I know that coating quality is largely a matter of "luck of the draw," but this one feels like it was rushed — the plated surfaces are a little rough in spots and you can see areas where the finish isn't quite up to par. It's not glaringly obvious, but compared to other Extra Finish versions, the quality does feel a notch lower. If you're just looking at this kit on its own, it's not bad enough to immediately notice, but it does give off a feeling that a bit less care was put into it.

Coated kits generally end up with tighter tolerances due to the added coating layer, which means better joint strength — and the Full Burst Mode was the same way, with improved joint strength and grip compared to the standard version. Honestly, the MG Strike Freedom is a great kit, but the joint strength — especially around the ankles — has always had a tendency to loosen up over time. That's probably part of why a stand is always included with the kit. Fortunately, this Extra Finish version Strike Freedom, with its coated inner frame joints combined with the coating-covered outer armor, delivers pretty solid joint strength all the way down to the ankles.

So as you can see in the comparison photos above, it stands up on its own much more firmly than the standard or Full Burst Mode versions, and the proportions naturally look better for it. Probably the biggest advantage of this kit over the standard version is those sturdier joints.

As a bonus, there's one extra part included that wasn't in the standard or Full Burst Mode kits — an adapter for the Action Base. Since the MG Strike Freedom came out before the Action Base was released, it seems like they went ahead and threw it in with this Extra Finish version.

In conclusion, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill Extra Finish version of the Strike Freedom. If you love Strike Freedom and enjoy that Extra Finish coated look, it's a decent enough item, but the price tag of over 10,000 yen will probably be the sticking point for most people.
Either way, the one thing I really do love about it — it stands up straight on its own without any help. :-)

MG Strike Freedom : Extra Finish ver. | 2008. 9 | ¥10,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.