While there were a lot of kits revealed during yesterday’s batch, only a couple got me really excited. And this includes the HGCE Destiny Gundam Spec II + Zeus Silhouette set from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM. Not only is the HGCE Destiny Gundam one of the best High Grades out there, despite being released in 2019, but it comes with this massive add-on that would really require more shelf space than the usual.
This is how Destiny Gundam Spec II looks with the Zeus Silhouette equipped to it. Most of the new armor pieces are mounted on the lower half to provide more than extra maneuverability with the massive cannon it has to carry. Additional armor is also attached to the torso though I’m not the biggest fan of the conspicuously placed yellow discs.
Now take a good look at the kit up close.
Then take a wide look at the whole kit, including the aptly named Large Linear Cannon because of how long it is. Its length alone is literally double the height of the Destiny Gundam.
How long, you ask? When transformed in ‘cruiser’ mode, it extends that length to approximately 500mm, like literally half of a meter. And the kit will include stands to support displaying this thing because there’s no way it can stand on its own with those numbers.
Although I want to take a second guess of it not able to stand on its own as one of its advertised features is being able to ‘deploy’ the ends of the leg armor. And by deploy they meant folding it vertically for those dynamic poses. I’ll probably check if you could put them in a more neutral pose that would allow you to display them standing. It would still need the stands but for the sake of how I photograph kits for this site, getting the kit in a neutral standing pose would be much appreciated.
Oh, and thanks to the inherent engineering of the HGCE Destiny Gundam, it should be able to hold the Large Linear Cannon without any issues.
Other features of the Zeus Silhouette include the detachable nose cone section when docked with the Destiny Gundam Spec II, and several opening hatches to reveal hidden missiles. I’m not sure if all of them actually open or would require replacement parts, but the details are appreciated regardless.
As for the Destiny Gundam Spec II kit, it’s expected to be exactly the same as the 2019 release with minor color changes. The light gray of the original has become darker, around the same tone as the Legend Gundam, and the light blue parts for both the chest stripe and the anti-ship sword are now in that lighter shade of gray. I just built this earlier this year and I can say that this is a great kit that requires no major changes.
Good thing I didn’t go with the Metal Robot Spirits version which was announced much earlier. Not only is it a lot more expensive, but the aesthetic wouldn’t really match with the rest of my collection, which are mostly kits. Now, if you’ve seen SEED FREEDOM, then you’ll recall how the Zeus Silhouette was first used by the Akatsuki Gundam before Mu passed it to Shinn. With the announcement of the RG Akatsuki Gundam, many asked the question of its compatibility with the Zeus Silhouette. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wonder long as Bandai did confirm that connector parts for the RG Akatsuki Gundam will be included in the Premium Bandai exclusive RG Shiranui Pack.
I’m not really interested with the RG Akatsuki kit so I’m totally fine just getting this guy.
HGCE Destiny Gundam Spec II & Zeus Silhouette
November 2024 / ¥7,200
Order via HobbyLink Japan
