GBT#18- XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe

Way back in the year 2000 when Gundam Wing first debuted on Toonami, all of the Gundams had my attention from the get go.  But there was one every kid in school wanted to pilot.  It wasn’t the one that could transform.  It wasn’t the one with all the big guns.  No it was the one with the giant green beam scythe with armor that looked like a true bringer of death…cause you know the name.  Point is, Duo Maxwell’s Gundam Deathscythe was my very first favorite Gundam and it still holds a special place in my heart.  Honestly I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to do a Gunpla build of it but the time has come to give it a go.  As a life long Deathscythe fan, the pressure could not be greater…but once I got to actually building this one, I felt like I was 13 again getting into Gundam Wing for the first time.  So how’d this turn out?

 
Suit History

After the assassination of Colony Pacifist Heero Yuy in After Colony 175, a group of rebels began construction on Mobile Suits meant for revenge against the organization responsible, OZ.  In After Colony 195, five Gundam Mobile Suits were sent to Earth.  One of those suits was the XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe, built by Doctor S and piloted by Duo Maxwell.  The Deathscythe was built for stealth and close combat, being equipped with a pair of Hyper Jammers that could mask itself from enemy radar.  It’s signature weapon was its massive Beam Scythe, which could cleave through most Mobile Suits in one blow.  The Deathscythe would later be designated Gundam 02 by OZ and would eventually be heavily damaged in space combat with OZ’s Taurus Mobile Dolls.  While Duo would be rescued by fellow pilot Heero Yuy (codenamed after the fallen Pacifist Leader), the Deathscythe would meet its end during a weapons demonstration of a high powered Beam Cannon conducted by undercover Gundam Pilot Trowa Barton.  The remains would be collected and eventually used as a basis for the Deathscythe’s successor, the XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell.

Build Experience

When youre putting together a Gunpla of one of your all time favorite Gundams, you wanna take extra special care with it.  I wish I could say I followed this wisdom because I did nearly break one of the Heat Jammers on the backpack and I did snap the mini Scythe that’s supposed to go on the lower back, that kind of sucked.  But before I made those mistakes, I still had a huge look of glee on my face putting Deathscythe together.  The jet black upper body looks so shiny and intimidating and the gold flourishes you can attach as parts work way better than if you were applying decals.  The Scythe itself looks pretty good too though I’m surprised it lacks a super over the top beam blade like the old Action Figure Model Kit I mentioned in the intro.  Once assembled, man I got chills.  I built my own Deathscythe.  The only real problem I had was with posing.  The joints feel so stiff, especially the legs.  I feel like it takes more effort than usual.  The arms definitely popped out when I was trying to recreate one of Deathscythes most iconic poses.  This might be the Gunpla that felt the least loose and poseable that I’ve worked on, something you don’t want to hear when dealing with a Gundam known for making over the top bad ass poses.  The Buster Shield looks awesome but trying to get the arm positioned properly was where I had the most times it popped out of its side socket.  Once they’re pulled off however, well the accompanying pictures speak for themselves I think, this is such a Boss Gundam. 

Conclusion/Rating

My love for Deathscythe knows no bounds and now that I have completed a proper Gunpla model of it, I can say for certain I am a true and proper fan of the Gundam.  Is it perfect?  Close to it but not completely.  The plastic material is some of the best I’ve worked with and its black coloring is just plain perfect, along with the gold attachments for the shoulders head and shield.  If only this thing was better made to pose and flex, it would be perfect (plus those two little hiccups that were really my fault.  Overall, I still built a Deathscythe and it looks freaking awesome.  This Gundam is the reason I fell in love with Gundam in the first place and now it’s part of my ever growing collection.  No other way to close this one out than to quote Duo Maxwell himself, “The God of Death is back from Hell”…and now he’s on my mantle.
 
8/10

Next week, we jump back to the Universal Century to look at another selection from Char Aznable’s impressive collection of custom Mobile Suits.  It’s the penultimate episode of GBT’s Second Season, Next Thursday at the Gundam Anime Corner.