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Hey, everybody, it’s DrunkWooky back with another Figure Review! Today I’m taking a look at the Gundam Universe GU-06 Deathscythe 6 inch action figure. A while back, I reviewed GU-01 RX-78-2 Mobile Suit Gundam and compared it to its Robot Spirits counterpart. If you want a good overview of the differences between the Robot Spirits line and this new Gundam Universe line, head on over there. A lot of what I had to say will probably apply to the line as a whole.
In short, Gundam Universe is an action figure line that was released this year and fills that approximately $20 price range occupied by Star Wars Black Series, Marvel Legends, to a lesser extent McFarlane’s Fortnite offerings, etc. This seems to be where most of the budget collectors figures are seeing sales right now and the behemoth Gundam brand apparently wants in!
So far, there have been 2 waves in the Gundam Universe line. Wave 1 included Mobile Suit RX-78-2, RX-0 Unicorn Banshee, and Wing Gundam. Wave 2 contained RX-0 Unicorn, Barbatos, and this figure, Deathscythe.
Gundam Universe GU-06 can be ordered at these fine retailers:
Packaging:
The packaging is a handsome, clean presentation that gives you an immediate idea of the character inside. The graphics match fairly closely with the RX-78-2 packaging and the rest of the line. Accordingly, if you like displaying your boxes, you can do a “bookspine” type of display of the side panels in sequence GU-01 through GU-06. I do like that the color scheme has been changed up between the different robots to match their color schemes and characterization. Black matches Deathscythe in an obvious sense, but the blue from the RX-78-2 packaging would have been a total mismatch. I still kind of wish for a bigger window on the front, but the big front panel graphics are starting to grow on me now.
The packaging is also collector-friendly, requiring only one piece of tape be cut or removed to get inside to the figure. So, if you want to store your figure in its box when not on display, you can do so. Removing this figure from the box won’t cause major damage to the original packaging.
Accessories:
Deathscythe comes with a forearm mounted shield which slides open to reveal a beam weapon, his namesake scythe, with attachable beam blade, a pair of interchangeable weapon-holding hands, and a Tamashii Stage Act stand adapter (the gray hook in the photo above). Unfortunately, a stage act stand is not included.
There are over-achievers in this 6 inch category who provide tons of accessories, but I’d say this is about par for the course at this price point.
The scythe slots nicely into a holster-type hook on the back of the robot’s waist. Additionally, the head of the scythe where the beam blade attaches is articulated, which is a nice element to play with while posing!
Deathscythe’s shield attaches to either forearm and pops open to expose another beam blade. All-in-all a nice set of accessories, but I can’t help but feel like translucent beam effects would put this figure line over the top into a stellar value for the price point! The sculpts on both the scythe blade and the shield beam weapon are great, giving a sense of action and flickering beam energy, but I wish we could make out some of the robotics behind. That would lend these figures a slightly more realistic and cinematic effect.
I also couldn’t help notice the two gray posts conspicuously rising behind Deathscythe’s head. I think, if I remember correctly, this is where the “Hell” variant wings attach to this mobile suit. Is that a contemplated add-on in the future? Here’s to hoping!
Articulation:
Like I said in my RX-78-2 review, this Gundam Universe line basically gives you the points of articulation in a standard Marvel Legends or Star Wars Black Series figure. The head is set on a simple ball joint, shoulders are on a ball and swivel, elbows are a double-swivel, wrists are on a simple single ball joint, the waist is a swivel joint that, theoretically could swivel 360 degrees, hips are on a single ball joint per leg, knees are a single swivel, and the ankle is on a ball joint.
Deathscythe has a lot of ornate armor which gets in the way of his articulation. So his poses are more limited than RX-78-2 and look a little bulkier. Some additional points of articulation that Deathscythe sports are an independent shoulder pad which pops over the shoulder joint. That helps his shoulder armor move out of the way when posing. Deathscythe also has poseable “skirt” armor over the waist, accommodating leg movement, and those cuffs around the ankles that move with the foot articulation.
For the most part, he could pull off some dynamic scythe-swinging poses, but it was hard to get more imaginative movement from him. The double-swivel elbow is a bit of a waste because the robotic forearm gets in the way of full range of motion. Deathscythe’s head also isn’t going to title very far up when you get him into a Superman-style flying pose.
Sculpt:
Deathscythe’s sculpt rivals a lot of the Robot Spirits entries and you won’t get any complaints from me. The whole body is covered in rivets and divuts, different reliefs, and small details. I especially like the small tooling on the head. His head cannons, chin, eyes, and face plate all have fine detailing and there isn’t much that takes away from the realism being sold here. If I had to search for a complaint, it would be the simplistic looking hands.
Paint Application:
Gundam Universe favors casting pieces in the color means for that piece over paint application. Having said that, it looks like there are areas of yellow and light gray accents throughout the armor. There are also small details in red, black, and green on the face and the waist armor. These details are all cleanly applied. I can’t tell if the eyes and head dress colors are stickers or paint, but they’re well-centered, crisp, and clear. I do wish the yellow and gray paint at the bottom of the shoulder armor was carried through to the interior of the shoulder armor, but the line where those paints end it crisp enough that it isn’t a huge problem.
So far every release from this line has had a “fresh off the production line” clean look. That is to say that any weathering or battle damage is being left up to the consumer to add.
Value:
In the end, Deathscythe is a decent figure at a decent price. His articulation and range of motion leave a little to be desired, but he’s a great value at just over twenty bucks. Personally, this robot probably isn’t my favorite member of the Gundam Universe line so far, but I think it would be great for a fan on a budget. At less than half of the price of the Robot Spirits figures, you get most of the pros of those figures without a whole lot of added cons.
Another strong entry in an otherwise strong Gundam Universe line. I can’t wait to see which suits are planned for wave 3!
