Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Detail shots (1/4)

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - The weapons included are a beam gun and a laser torch. The beam gun is the same one that cam

The weapons included are a beam gun and a laser torch.
The beam gun is the same one that came with the HG Stargazer Gundam.

The thrusters on the back can be opened up.

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Articulation is pretty good, but it feels a little lacking when you think of it as the succe

Articulation is pretty good,
but it feels a little lacking when you think of it as the successor to the Astray?

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - The shoulder shape itself follows the Astray design, but instead of polycaps it uses ABS bal

The shoulder shape itself follows the Astray design,
but instead of polycaps it uses ABS ball joints like the Akatsuki Gundam.
End result is that both the articulation and the holding strength aren't great. T_T

Laser torch action

Action poses using the included 1/144 display stand

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Shooting pose (1/3)

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Shooting pose (2/3)

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Shooting pose (3/3)

Firing pose

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Flight poses (1/4)

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom - Flight poses (2/4)

Flight pose

Together with the HG Astray Red Frame.

This kit is the HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom, which can be considered the successor unit to the Astray. As you can tell from the look and color scheme, it clearly carries on the concept of the Astray Red Frame.

Compared to the Astray's dynamic, analog, samurai-inspired design, the Civilian Astray has shifted to a more angular and slimmer urban-style look. Design preference will vary from person to person, but while it's been cleanly refined overall, it somehow doesn't quite have the same presence as the Astray. The articulation is also impressive for an HG, but it's less dynamic compared to the Astray Red Frame and its siblings. I guess no younger sibling can quite match the older one, huh? ^^;

That said, purely in terms of style, it's a pretty distinctive unit. The unique backpack shape and the thruster deployment gimmick are things you don't often see on other kits. However, the snap-fit connection on the backpack section seems a bit weak — the clear parts tend to come apart easily — and some parts like the knee pieces also pop off a little too readily, which gives the overall build a slightly unpolished feel.

Either way, for a kit riding on the Astray's popularity, it ends up feeling a bit ordinary, and it doesn't seem to have caught on as much as you'd expect. Maybe no successor can top the original, but despite its sleek look, the high expectations make it feel like something's missing. Still, if you're into the Astray line or just drawn to its unique style, it's definitely worth building for its own charm. :-)

HG Civilian Astray DSSD Custom | 2007. 2 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.