Bandai HG 1/144 RX-78GP02A Physalis Type MLRS

In almost all the reviews I've seen of gunpla kits, a lot of focus is placed on articulation. I really didn't appreciate it before, but I certainly do now - you really don't want your kit to just stand there. 

However, there are times when we have to disregard such things when choosing a kit to build; there are times when sheer badassery of the kit is enough to justify the purchase. Internet, say hello to the Physalis.

Excluding the photos in my panel lining practice post, I still haven't been able to post any of my Bandai kits. Even though the trend suggests otherwise, yes, I own and very much love my original kits. In addition to the previews, builds, and reviews I would also like to showcase my humble kits. 

This one in particular is still in progress as I have yet to put in the decals,  but even without them I still think it deserves to be on here first. These types of posts are going to be very picture heavy, so hang in there. 

Massive.

Stored behind the unit's massive shield is its main weapon - the Atomic Bazooka. You read that right. A-t-o-m-i-c. The shield itself is also designed to protect the unit against nuclear explosions. 

When not stored behind it's shield, the Atomic Bazooka attaches to an over-the-shoulder mount.

In its stock form, other than its bazooka, the only other weapons on the unit are its dual beam sabers shown here mounted at the hips. 

Despite its size, the Physalis is surprisingly agile. Each binder attached to its shoulder holds 3 high power thrusters that provide exceptional maneuverability.

A shot of the back of the unit. Here we see the rest of the thrusters as well as its backpack. More on this later. 

Massive unit; massive leg units. Obviously designed to support the unit's mass and handle recoil when operating the Atomic Bazooka.

These are probably my favorite part of this Gundam as it is very unique. 

Again, this really isn't a review, but let's go ahead and zoom into the kit and take a look at the details. For the sake of post length, I'll be reducing the size of some of the images from this point as even more pictures follow!

Even from a far, we can see that for a high grade there is a lot of detail on this kit. There are plenty of areas we can enhance by applying panel lines. I'll start applying decals once those are done.

 

Really good detailing on the upper body; the edges of each panel are really defined. All over the kit we can see tick marks and indents that add detail.  

I was actually expecting the 02 designation on the  shoulder of the unit to be a decal, it's really cool that it's isn't. On the arms of the unit, we can see some piston action (though I still can't help but wish that they would be a different color). 

A close up of the head unit and a shot of the right shoulder. Much like the left shoulder of the unit with the 02 designation, I like that the right one isn't just a flat piece; that one indented line contributes a lot to overall detail in my book. 

There's also some very nice detailing on the head which sports a gray v-fin. Yep, gray. The only yellow on this kit will be on the binders which need stickers, but that's alright. 

Another angle of the upper body of the kit. More tick marks and indentations which are simply asking to be panel lined (or painted to improve the color separation!). On the second picture we have a peek at the mechanism underneath the binders for moving the thrusters together. Say what? 

Check this out. That's right; the thrusters in the binder move in sync. For some of you who have experience with Master Grades, this may not seem very special, but this is my first time seeing anything like this. Blows my mind (okay I'm exaggerating - but this also makes me pretty excited for the Shin Musha). 

More shots of the legs and feet of the kit. More places asking to be panel lined. I also like the indentations on the back of the unit's knees, as well as the 'screw' on the side. 

Shots of the rear thrusters on the shoulder binders. Nothing special (took a lot of pictures, can't let those go to waste!). 

Photos of the shoulder mounted bazooka without the long barrel. I haven't seen the series where the Physalis was featured so I am unsure if it works just like a regular bazooka when in this mode (my first encounter with the Physalis was in the PS1 game - Gundam The Battle Master).

Photos of the shield. Kind of looks dull without decals but still looks quite detailed because of the very defined panel edges. The second and third picture demonstrate how the handle opens up to make way for storing the bazooka.  

Related: Just before this shoot, I actually thought I had lost the bazooka but decided to proceed with the shoot anyway. A few minutes into the shoot, where do I find the thing? Behind the shield.

Here we have the dual beam sabers. Nice green color on the beams. In the first photo, you'd probably think the beams attach to the wide end of the hilt (at least I did).

Nope - they go on the other end which makes having the unit hold them a pain. To equip them, you have to insert the hilt into the hand first, then place the beam so the hilt doesn't fall. Minor but annoying.

The assembled Atomic Bazooka. I have no words. A Gundam that acts as is a nuclear armament delivery platform; and it has a massive shield so it can just stand there and take the resulting explosion (albeit from afar).

Weapon of Mass Destruction

Don't mind the angle;  the Atomic Bazooka is taller than the Physalis itself.

How the shoulder mount supports this thing is nothing short of a miracle. The arm that allows you to move the bazooka is very stable.

Macro

There are two high grade variants of the Physalis - your basic GP02A which is armed with what I've shown you so far, and the GP02A Type MLRS. As the title suggests, what we have here is the latter. MLRS stands for Multiple Launch Rocket System.  

Dude

When the Atomic Bazooka is not needed in battle, the Physalis can be equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocky System to provide mid-range support in the field. The system is made up of 6-tubes, with 3 on each side of the unit's backpack.  

While an ammo capacity of 6 isn't really that impressive in combat, I think just the sight of this thing would be enough to make your enemy think twice before they attack. Or crap their pants.

Shots of the MLRS option for the backpack. I really like how the tube seals actually open to reveal the missiles inside. I was kind of hoping that the kit would come with actual missiles which you can stick into the tubes but I'm probably asking for too much from a high grade.

Very good detail; I would suggest painting the warheads to make them stand out more.

The tubes connect to the unit via polycaps hidden inside the backpack; 3 tubes on each side.

You can can 'conceal' the system by pushing down on the tubes. They fit perfectly between the backpack and shoulder binders of the unit. 

"Macross Missile Massacre" - okay maybe not a massacre since it only has 6 missiles but still..

I think I've pretty much gone through the entire 'tour' of this kit at this point. It's a little long and heavy on the images but hopefully it was informative, I guess? I intend to do more of these type of posts featuring my other kits.

In closing, I just want to reiterate that there are two high grade variants of this kit. The only real difference between the two in terms of features is the MLRS. If you do not own the stock GP02A, I highly suggest grabbing the Type MLRS instead; with a little parts swapping, you already technically own both!

And have I mentioned that this kit can equip/store its weapons at the same time? Yeah.

Dual wielding; Atomic Bazooka on standby. 

 

Physalis - ready.