Kit Review

Straight build + Partial paint + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack — the universal standard for scale reference.

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - The Sword pack does stick out pretty far to the back... but it doesn't topple over easily and st

The Sword pack does stick out pretty far to the back...
But it doesn't topple over easily and stands up nice and straight. ^^

3-part separation

Individual transformations

Chest Flyer. I've seen that awkward pose so many times now that I've actually grown fond of it. ^^;

Leg Flyer

Core Splendor.

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - Sword Silhouette. The Silhouette Flyer at the front is not included in this kit. It's meant to b

Sword Silhouette. The front part — The Silhouette Flyer is not included in this kit.
It's meant to be shared with the 1/100 Force Impulse Gundam, so don't get confused~

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - Some parts of the Sword pack require touch-up painting. The sword handle needs to be gray... and

Some parts of the Sword pack require touch-up painting. The sword handle needs to be gray...
And the black on one side of the V-shaped beam boomerang is handled with a sticker...
But as you can see in the photo, the sticker for the center section is missing. -_-;;
Even the HG Sword Impulse included a black sticker for that center part, so what's the deal with leaving it out on the 1/100~

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - The sword with the handle painted dark gray. The way the beam attaches is a bit different from o

The sword with the handle painted dark gray. The way the beam attaches is a bit different from other swords —
Instead of pressing it in tightly from both sides, you insert the beam part from the bottom first and then plug the top in at a 90-degree angle,
Which makes attaching it a lot easier.

The Core Splendor really does need quite a bit of touch-up painting to look the part.

Articulation isn't amazing, but it's decent enough.

Beam rifle action pose

The beam boomerang is way too far to reach by hand;

Beam boomerang action pose

The sword can be held in the hand well enough.

Action pose with that long sword~

Dual sword action. The beam parts are a little warped;

It's looong~

Dual wielding.

Action pose with both sword ends connected.

Connecting the two already-long swords together makes it over 30cm — absolutely massive.

Opening the Armor Schneider storage compartment on the side.

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - The Armor Schneider comes in two separate forms — folded for storage and unfolded. (Same goes fo

The Armor Schneider comes in two separate forms — folded for storage and unfolded.
(Same goes for the 1/100 Force Impulse Gundam.)

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - Armor Schneider action.. but with those big cool swords right there, fighting with the Armor Sch

Armor Schneider action.. but with those big cool swords right there, fighting with the Armor Schneider feels a bit...

The included Shinn Asuka character card.

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam - A shot together with the 1/100 Force Impulse Gundam. Just changing the color scheme gives it qui

A shot together with the 1/100 Force Impulse Gundam. Just changing the color scheme gives it quite a different feel.

A commemorative photo with the HG Sword Impulse.

Whether it's Strike or Impulse, the Sword pack is always the coolest.

Straight build photos

Following the Force, the Sword Impulse has now gotten the 1/100 treatment. Even back in the Strike days, the Sword pack was widely recognized as the coolest of the three weapon packs (which is probably why it sold out the fastest), and in the Impulse era, that sword count doubled to two. And being a 1/100, the color separation is vastly better than the HG, meaning fewer touch-up painting spots — so it actually builds up faster than the HG.

The most noticeable improvement over the previously released HG is the color separation on the swords — the white and light blue sections are perfectly separated. The gray on the handle does come molded in light blue, so a quick touch-up paint is still needed there, but thanks to everything else being so clean, the overall look is much sharper.

That said, while there are black stickers for the beam boomerang on the Sword pack, the center mounting section is missing one. The HG even included a sticker for that part, so I'm not sure what the reasoning was for leaving it out on the 1/100... Hmm. The Core Splendor's color separation is still just so-so as well — you'd need to touch up about half the surface to get it looking right. Interestingly, the black and yellow triangle knee stickers that were missing from the 1/100 Force Impulse Gundam are actually included here in the 1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam. Probably just forgot to include them the first time around;;

The joints feel neither too loose nor too stiff... though I'm not sure if it's just me, but the legs feel a bit looser compared to the Force Impulse. Maybe the polycap mold has worn a little? It doesn't topple over easily or anything, but it does feel slightly off — especially at the connection between the torso and legs. The Sword pack does extend quite far back, but thankfully it's not that heavy, so the center of gravity holds up reasonably well. The wrists aren't super sturdy though, so holding the sword up high is a bit of a struggle — you'll need to use the arm joints to support the angle.

Overall, it's a solid, no-frills 1/100 kit. Compared to the HG, the color separation is much improved, articulation is decent, and the joints and backpack presence are great. In terms of sharpness, it actually feels crisper than the 1/100 Sword Strike that came out a few years back. Whether the molds have gotten a bit more refined I can't say for sure, but it gives off a nice clean impression.

Personally, I was never that into the Force pack — the wings just felt too big and plain — so the Sword pack, with its red color scheme and great overall style, is definitely the more recommendable kit in my book. As always, the anime design beats the original concept art, and Bandai's Gunpla beats the anime design. Build it and put it on display, and it looks pretty great. ^^

1/100 Sword Impulse Gundam | 2005. 5 | ¥2,300

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.