I acquired Battle Gaia (together with Guard City) sometime in June 2011, talked about it in August 2011 and been meaning to do a full post with detailed shots of it before the end of 2011, but it didn't happen.
Battle Gaia is significant for various reasons. As the last release in Operation Combination (ie: TF-10, out of 10 giftsets), he is also the very final G1 Transformer released in Japan. The giftset also features all new box art for this figure, which is awesome by the way, unlike Guard City which features box art recoloured from C-76: Guardian.
Like I mentioned in my August post, Battle Gaia commands very high prices in the secondary market despite the Bruticus mold being recoloured for various post-G1 Transformer lines and the Bruticus colour scheme being officially reissued as part of the Transformers: Encore line in Japan a year or 2 ago.
In a MIB and complete state, Battle Gaia can go for as much as USD$1,800, putting it in the price range of a MIB Fortress Maximus!
Battle Gaia profile from TF Wiki
Battle Gaia (バトルガイアー Batoru Gaiā) leads the Decepticon invasion force, under orders from Scrash, aiming to take over Earth. His arch-nemesis is Guard City, who leads the Autobot forces against him.
He is composed of five Decepticons: Great Cannon (Onslaught recolour), Leyland (Swindle recolour), Sandstorm (Brawl recolour), Shuttle Gunner (Blast-Off recolour) and Target Hawk (Vortex recolour).
As a Free-Combiner, Battle Gaia's component robots can consciously rearrange themselves into new formations in response to a certain predicament. With Shuttle Gunner and Target Hawk as his legs in the Flying Formation, he can surge upward at incredible speeds. Using Sandstorm and Leyland as his legs in the Dash Formation, his running speed increases greatly. Accessing the Crash Formation with Leyland and Target Hawk as his arms, his destructive powers are greatly enhanced. And by creating the Fire Formation with Sandstorm and Shuttle Gunner as his arms, he can utilize all the fire-power of his individual components.
Without further ado, some photos!
Front of packaging
Close up of box art. Man, this is a beautiful piece of box art and with backgrounds to boot.
The 'full' box art.
'Free-Combination'
Back of box
Close up of combined form
'Free-Combination' concept diagram
Illustration of 'free combination' possibilities
Battle Gaia's tech spec values. With the exception of Intelligence (a '6', still not that stupid) and Rank ('8'), all his other stats are '10'.
Battle Gaia profile in Japanese.
Out of package with unused paperworks
Close up of styro tray insert. It's really neat how the Japanese arrange the inside of their giftsets, yes?
Close up of Great Cannon
Close up of Shuttle Gunner
Close up of Sandstorm. Hey, are you a triple changer? Pulling pages out of Blitzwing's book by turning into a tank, eh?
Close up of Target Hawk
Close up of Leyland
Close up of accessories, which for the most part, are differently coloured compared with Bruticus' parts.
Paperworks
Close up of instructions
Close up of unused sticker sheet (which I'm going to use pretty soon!)
Guard City MIB unused and Battle Gaia MIB unused
Close up #1
Close up #2
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Showoff ;)
ReplyDelete=) =) =)
ReplyDelete*drool* I'm really surprised that Takara never re-released him since those molds have been used a gazillion times over!
ReplyDeleteYes, really wonder why Takara didn't milk this particular colour variation... hahaha
DeleteWho knows, maybe there'll be an eHobby-exclusive reissue. After all, these are the only pre-movie Special Teams molds that HasTak didn't misplace.
DeleteWow, simply awesome!
ReplyDeletethanks mighty man!
Delete