Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

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

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam - The Launcher Pack's volume looks just a little lacking compared to the Sword. (1/3)

The Launcher Pack's volume looks just a little lacking compared to the Sword.

Since the base body is the same, articulation is 100% identical to the Aile/Sword.

The combo unit on the shoulder has pretty decent color separation.

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam - However, the yellow on the wing section of the combo unit is handled with seals, which isn't g

However, the yellow on the wing section of the combo unit is handled with seals, which isn't great.

The launcher on the backpack unfolds via multiple joints. Very similar to the Buster's setup.

The launcher's support arm is stiff enough to hold its position without you having to hold it.

Action shot. It can be held with both hands.

"Come at me!" shot

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam - Comparison with the Sword Strike. The lengths look similar, but since the Sword has a beam plu

Comparison with the Sword Strike. The lengths look similar, but...
...since the Sword has a beam plugged into the back, it's actually longer in its full configuration.

The backpack designs are completely different.

The three musketeers — Aile, Sword, and Launcher Strike — together at last.

All three weapon packs laid out on their own.

And here it is — the Tri-Striker, with all three weapon packs combined.

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam - The weapons on both shoulders and the Aile Pack get in the way, so the arms have to be bent in

The weapons on both shoulders and the Aile Pack get in the way, so the arms have to be bent inward a bit.

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam - Well... it does look pretty cool in its own way, but with all that stuff hanging off it, could

Well... it does look pretty cool in its own way, but with all that stuff hanging off it, could it actually fight properly?
(Not that it ever appears like this in the anime, of course.)

Another Kira Yamato figure included in the box. They all look pretty much the same

Straight build + seals photo, before panel lining.

Following the Aile and Sword, the Launcher Strike makes its inevitable appearance. Truth be told, the Launcher Strike is the least popular of the three weapon packs. It probably comes down to a lack of personality compared to the Aile Pack — which is front and center in the anime — and the stylish Sword Pack. Since the base body is completely identical to the Aile and Sword, the basic characteristics and articulation are 1/100 Aile Strike review.

First off, the molded color and color separation on the Launcher Pack are pretty solid overall, but areas like the wing-shaped sections on the shoulders are inevitably handled with seals. The seals don't look great color-wise and tend to peel off too. Unlike the Sword, which has a brighter base color, this one has a very dark base, so even if you do partial or full painting, you'll need to deal with the background color carefully before applying paint — a bit of a hassle. That said, the detail on the launcher itself is genuinely impressive. The color combination works well, and the sheer size of it gives it a great presence.

The biggest disappointment with the launcher is how limited the posing options are. The launcher support arm — which shares the same side-mounted structure as the Buster Gundam — doesn't have a very wide range of motion, so you're basically stuck with a pose where it's firing from the hip. That might actually be one of the main reasons the Launcher is the least popular of the three. The Sword alone gives you a huge sword, the Midas Messer, the Panzer Eisen, and various other weapons to mix and match, resulting in all kinds of dynamic action poses — so the Launcher just looks underwhelming by comparison. It's not a quality issue with the kit; it's more of an inherent limitation of the design itself.

It's probably the last one you'd pick if you had to choose just one Strike variant, but line it up together with the Aile and Sword and you've got a pretty awesome trio. Especially when all three weapon packs are combined into the Tri-Striker form — loaded up with everything — it looks seriously impressive. Not exactly a practical combat configuration, but it's got a ton of presence regardless.

There's nothing really wrong with the kit quality itself, but it's kind of a sad case — overshadowed by the other two just because of its comparatively underwhelming style. ^^;

1/100 Launcher Strike Gundam | 2003.3 | ¥2,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.