Japan Release Date: June 2016
Price: 1944 JPY/ 14.30 USD/ 18.15 CAD
With three color and equipment variants in the anime, and even more in side-stories, the Impulse is a versatile addition to the Revive line. Let's see if it really is all it's cracked up to be.
First off, let's take a look at some of the runners. Unlike conventional High Grade kits, the runners here are very carefully sectioned. By excluding some sections of the runner mold, wasted material is minimized; in this case, there are zero unused parts.
From left to right, equivalent runners from Sword, Force, and Blast Impulse are compared.
Building Process: 8.5/10
Bandai has certainly been spoiling modelers these days with the ease of construction of their modern kits, and the Impulse is no exception. Most seams are hidden away, nub placement is fairly conscientious, and there is very good parts separation.
One thing I found odd was holes on the underside of the Blast Silhouette's missile launcher parts.
There could be all sorts of reasons as to why those holes are there, but it certainly makes painting much easier. Whip up a black wash and the paint will flow right where you need it when you dab the tip of the brush through the holes.
The build is very straightforward and quite accurate as far as colors go; you'll still need a few stickers to do it though.
Overall look: 8/10
This is a nice improvement over Strike, I must say.
There's quite a bit of color breaking up the white, but not so much that it looks too busy.Even the Silhouette Packs look great. The colors go very well the main MS's colors and essentially look like meaner and sleeker upgrades of the original three Striker Packs.
Compared to the 2004 HG releases, the proportions look much better and the lines are very crisp. This kit looks good right out of the box.
That being said, it will look even better with some paint and decals!
Articulation: 8/10
Being part of the Revive line, this model has very good articulation and its joints are nice and tight enough that it won't fall over despite the huge backpacks. Its arms don't have as much forward movement compared to most others though. Instead, it has much greater upward movement to accommodate the torso's transformation into the Chest Flyer.
Although it can wield most of its equipment without trouble, it can be rather difficult to position the arms to hold onto the Blast Silhouette's beam cannons. They're rather bulky and it takes a bit of fiddling to not make it look awkward.
Accessories: 7.5/10
Included in the Sword Impulse's package are two clear stands, a swappable torso for Freedom to recreate a scene from the anime, and an extra anti-ship sword with an exaggerated tip for use in said scene or to recreate its version of the iconic "Sunrise Stance" from the first opening of the anime.
Both the torso and extra sword are molded completely in white though, and while the extra sword has corresponding stickers, the extra torso does not. Unlike the previous HG release, all three include their own non-transformable Core Splendor and Silhouette Flyer; both molded completely in white.
Fun factor: 8/10
This will make a good display piece and sturdy it's enough that you can play with it, if that's your thing.Thanks to the tight joints, it can hold just about any pose you'd like despite the weight of the anti-ship swords and beam cannons.
Verdict: 8/10 - Gotta catch 'em all!
The Impulse is a great kit and worthy addition to the Revive line. It's very newbie friendly, yet holds potential should more experienced builders want to challenge themselves with it. You may choose to pick up just one or all three; either way, it’s sure to be an enjoyable build.
