The Star Build Strike Gundam, main Gunpla of Builder Iori Sei and Fighter Reiji, is the upgraded version of the Build Strike Gundam from the currently airing series Gundam Build Fighters! Boasting the Universe Booster that manipulates Plavsky Particles, the Star Build Strike Gundam is truly a force to be reckoned with.  I had the opportunity to pick this up early from my recent Japan Trip and here’s how it fares.
Looks: 8/10
You can definitely tell that the Star Build Strike is a lot flashier as compared to the original Build Strike or Build Gundam Mark II. While it is slightly smaller, the Universe Booster retains similar armaments to that of the Build Booster. The predominant color this time is white, with hints of clear pink.
The main body is rather unchanged as the base kit is still the Build Strike. However, there is a vent covering near the center of the torso where the Universe Booster attaches to. The shield gets an upgrade called the Absorb Shield. This attachment absorbs incoming beam attacks and charges up the Star Build Strike so that it can use its Discharge system.
The most appealing part of this kit would be the new Plavsky Wing effect parts. This effect parts are representative of the new Discharge system which gives the Star Build Strike wings similar to that of the Victory 2 Gundam. I like how the wings are molded in this kit as it really does looks like the wings you see in the anime.
While the Star Build Strike seems impressive, it takes quite a bit of effort on your part to get it accurate to the suit’s actual colors. The Universe Booster is a major offender here being molded in only one color so you’ll have to add in the details yourself. While the kit does provide stickers to fill in the details, it is just not enough as there are quite a few areas which still lacks the correct color. I will forgive it because this is a HG kit.
Articulation: 8/10
Just like the original Build Strike, the Star Build Strike’s arms can bend all the way inwards as many MG kits do too. The legs can bend all the way in as well which allows for a wide variety of poses. Even with the Plavsky Wings, they do not hinder the articulation much.  The railguns on the Universe Booster can be posed without much interference as well. It can even replicate the famous baseball pose from episode 13!
Speaking of the Plavsky Wings, the main 2 wings can be posed as well! I really appreciate that it can be posed in quite a variety of positions and still manage to look good.
Weapons: 7.5/10
This suit comes with a very standard set of weapons;  beam sabers, beam rifles, shield and a mounted pair of cannons. The Star Beam Rifle is the suit’s main ordnance. The Rifle can be switched between three different modes and can also combine with the shield for increased power. Just like the suit, the rifle also looks pretty flashy with its three gimmicks. It’s a shame that it is only molded in gray when the rifle actually has quite a fair bit of white.
The other main weapon is the Absorb Shield. It is pretty simple to build as the new part is simply placed over the older shield’s grooves. You are given the option to display it closed or open which is pretty neat. Once again it suffers from the fact that the stickers aren’t enough to display it in the correct color.
Fun factor: 8/10
The Strike Gundam is one of the more timeless Gundam designs many won’t get tired of seeing, so it’s really fun to build the Star Build Strike. However, if you have built the original Build Strike recently, might get a little bored because the base of the kit is exactly the same albeit with one add-on.
The Universe Booster is really fun to build though as it is smaller and a lot simpler in construction than the Build Booster so you won’t have any mishaps making this. One good point with this is that unlike the Build Booster, the Universe Booster’s joints has a peg that secures the cannon in place so even after a long period of time the cannons can still stay up even after being worn as time goes.
Extras: 7/10
The Star Build Strike Gundam comes with a stand! Everyone loves a free stand with their Gunpla to do aerial poses. This new stand also comes with pegs to place all the unused pink pieces that are replaced for the Plavsky Wings parts used on the suit. You are also given the original leg pieces for you to build the original Build Strike if you wish to do so.
This kit lacks one semi-important piece however; The Plavsky Power Gate. The Power Gate is the yellow pieces that the Star Build Strike uses to enter Discharge mode. You can only get the Power Gate parts if you purchase the separate Universe Booster kit. It does add to the flashiness of the Star Build Strike though!
Overall: 8/10
The HGBF Star Build Strike is an impressive HG kit showing the developments of HG as of late. While it suffers from not having the exact color as in the anime, this can be rectified with a little bit of paint work. You might want to consider getting the standalone Universe Booster set if you already have a Build Strike but you will miss out on the Plavsky Wings effect parts.
It is definitely a must get for those who enjoy watching Gundam Build Fighters!
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