Large kits and sets are not uncommon as far as SMP [Shokugan Modeling Project] releases go. Take a good chunk of Super Sentai carrier vehicles or King J-Der from GaoGaiGar. I mostly pass up on these due to their sheer volume or cost, or I’m just not a fan of the designs. But just a couple of months ago, they announced the ¥27,000 Hyperlion set from Super Robot Wars OG, and I decided to put that on pre-order. Now they have an even larger and more expensive set, this time from Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and I might put this again on pre-order.
I’m taking about the SMP [Shokugan Modeling Project] AAP07: Balteus and it is a massive thing, they even have the measurements to support this claim. This release is the second of four projects as part of the brand’s 10th Anniversary.
Since I don’t play any of the games, I had to do a quick online search for Balteus, which reveals that this Armored Core is the boss in the final Chapter 1 mission “Attack the Watchhpoint.” The unit itself is a mobile platform with incredible manuverability despite its size. It also utilizes a circular rail system around its body where multiple missile launchers and flamethrowers are mounted. I’ve included a gameplay video below for reference.
The kit itself is quite sizeable, just check out the dimensions they’ve released for this thing.
SMP Balteus clocks in at 320mm wide, 220mm tall, and 450mm deep. They’re basically recommending an available 500mm² space to display this kit. While the colors may seem muted, they’ve confirmed that it the kit will have excellent part separation, allowing accurate reproduction out of the box. Of course, you’d want to weather it to be accurate to how it looks in the game.
Seen here are the pair of variable ultra-high temperature flamethrowers deployed along the circular rail assembly. They can be displayed both as deployed or in storage when not in use. Several launchers and cannons are also mounted on the extra large rear unit with moving parts recreated for complete accuracy.
It won’t be the Balteus without the 156 missile launchers that launchout from the large backpack unit to form even more rings in addition to the circular rail system. The missile launchers come in four components, two with four half-rings and another two with three half-rings each. All of them can be splayed out to replicate how each were deployed during the boss fight.
Helping to enable all these display options is the included dedicated stand which supports the kit on five points. What makes this stand unique is how each support stand can be adjusted to provide forward and sideways tilts for varying display angles.
These are everything that comes with SMP Balteus, where besides the aforementioned accessories, you can see the multiple support stand parts to display the kit in various angles.
I am curious with the way Bandai and Bandai Spirits handles the Super Robot Wars and Armored Core VI licenses. Both franchises having representations as hobby and candy toy model kits. That’s not saying one is better than the other, but the engineering and design approach of these departments are definitely different, leading to equally different building experiences, hence my curiosity with this kit. That curiosity will come at a hefty price though.
SMP [Shokugan Modeling Project] AAP07: Balteus
April 2027 / ¥45,500
Premium Bandai Exclusive
