FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE is a series based on FW GUNDAM CONVERGE (without the text “CORE”) with added details. It started in 2015. FW GUNDAM CONVERGE started in 2010 as a figure collection produced by Bandai under their Candy Toy brand. It featured an ever expanding collection of Gundam related figures focusing on three main selling points which are attention to detail, plastic utilization and collectable values.
This article, like my previous one about Bandai Gashapon Quest Figures, is not about a strategic game. But certain elements are related to what a strategy game can have and thus I wrote this article.
Over the years I got myself a few of the FW GUNDAM CONVERGE packs only, since I am not a big fan of their figure sculpt and inflexible postures. Noticeably the Gundam figures have legs bend backwards creating a somewhat awkward post. Also, the figures themselves are not too mobile with limited joints movements as well.
Lately, I ordered myself a “FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE” set since something captured my attention. Bandai in recent years started making sets of various Gundam operation teams, namely those appeared in anime or games alike. They added more details in them and showed “team accurate” colours and decals. This is part of the “CORE” series with more details and depth. Excitingly, not just the colours but also the parts that’s provided in the set are team accurate. This is quite relevant to me because it feels like you can own a part of the history directly from the set rather than just collecting main character figures one by one. Not to say, you will have a hard time recreating any of the special operation teams by yourself.
FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes “White Dingo” Squad Set comes fully painted and ready for display
The set FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes “White Dingo” Squad Set is based on Gundam’s Earth Federation Forces military unit, White Dingo Team (codenamed AR-01). In the story they were deployed in Australia during the Gundam timeline One Year War. The story of this unit was first told in the game Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes, where they are the main protagonist. The game was produced by BEC (Bandai Entertainment Company) in 1999 for Dreamcast.
I bought this set from an online retailer. Normally, it should be a Premium Bandai (an official Bandai online shop) exclusive but I guess the exclusivity doesn’t apply outside of Japan. This was available for pre-order in May 2023 and I received my pack at around September of the same year.
Like most Japanese products, what captured me was how much details they put in their boxes and printed materials.
The printing on the product box is black and white and it came in a brown mail-order box. There are a bunch of things describing the figurines making it an interesting read. You can use Google Translate nowadays so that isn’t a big issue.
No printed materials inside the box
Interestingly, the contents in the box have no other printed materials but a bunch of sealed bags with the figurine pieces. In case you really need an instruction, it only came from the official online product page. Also, all the extra marketing materials as well were only on the product page which both I felt like were essential and entertaining. While I do appreciate not printing out the printed and included in the box, I do feel it should at least be linked via a QR code or some official yet permanent link. In case if you are wondering, I enclose the contents here for everyone to check out:
(Ref: from official product page)
(Ref: from official product page)
Next let’s look quickly at the product contents.
Satisfaction of owning a story accurate squad set – Reason of my purchase
Everything were well packed/ protected in the box by having every loose piece in their own pocket withing the bag.
The assembly is very straightforward. You just take out the pieces from their respective pockets and piece them together. And it only took me about 5-10 minutes to get up to this point at the bottom. Notice the only hard part will be to carefully cut out the 4 antennas of the GM and the support vehicle (already done) and that’s all. You slot in the pieces, pick and choose your weapons and nothing can go wrong otherwise.
And here we got a team ready to go. What is pleasing from the whole thing is once you put everything together, everything is so well painted already. And you get a piece of the Gundam history correctly coloured and ready for display.
Speaking of the “FW” (The text in front of the brand). FW denotes FUSION WORKS (フュージョンワークス) and initially I thought was a company who does the figures like a cross brand with Bandai. But I couldn’t find anything about it. So I suppose this has to be a division within Bandai who does all these amazing figures for them. But I did recall I had some old figures like 10 years ago which were done by FW as well. If I found one I will share them here. But it does sound interesting to have a division within the corporation who specializes.
Notice every figurine, including the vehicle comes with a black base. That resembles so much about tabletop miniatures. That brings me to my next point.
The biggest question for me for the FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE series: Is the collection part all there is to it?
With all these nice sculpts and accessories that kept being produced, there isn’t any gameplay made for them? And not to say, there weren’t any game rules that were developed by hobbyist is beyond me. If I am in my school days, I would have started one right there using these figures. All you need is a table, some terrains and you can play it like a simplified version of the tabletop miniature games like Warhammer 40K or BattleTech. I mean, you can change configurations too with change of weapons and accessories etc. They even made something to scale, like the below. That’s quite awesome.
Perhaps it isn’t easy to build a game and gather a crowd, or because it was already by itself a well build franchise that FW GUNDAM CONVERGE are positioned as merchandises from the already published anime, stories or games. Or maybe, is the scale or the impossibilities of making this product anything beyond collectible figures? I do think there are some potentials here if not making it big, perhaps something small like a minigame.
Or perhaps, it needs to be completely packaged and done very differently if it is to be made into a tabletop game. Like let people paint it on their own?
Releases/ collector’s guide
The entire series is listed in Bandai’s official FW GUNDAM CONVERGE brand page and there are way too many to list. So what I decided to do is to take a screenshot of the listing and share it here (linked from the picture below).
From FW GUNDAM CONVERGE official brand page
The reason why I have this Releases/ Collector’s Guide is because there are so many times when the project is over, companies pull out the contents and they are gone forever. So I intended to take a snapshot (and will try my best to update them) so anyone and myself included, can visit them from time to time.
FW GUNDAM CONVERGE squad specific sets
What attracted me was the squad sets because they bring tons of context into the sets. Here are the sets withing FW GUNDAM CONVERGE that are squad specific and I shall list them here. (Last updated Nov 9, 2023. Last product checked Apr 18, 2024.)
| Products | Price | Release Date* | Pictures# |
| FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE ジョニー・ライデンの帰還【プレミアムバンダイ限定】 FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM MSV-R RETURN OF JOHNNY RIDDEN [Premium Bandai Exclusive] | 4,750 Yen | Mar 2024 | Banner Figures Brochure |
| FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE ソロモンの白狼セット【プレミアムバンダイ限定】 FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE Solomon’s White Wolf Set [Premium Bandai Exclusive] | 5,450 Yen | Feb 2024 | Banner Figures Brochure |
| FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE 機動戦士ガンダム外伝 コロニーの落ちた地で… ホワイト・ディンゴ隊セット【プレミアムバンダイ限定】 FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes “White Dingo” Squad Set [Premium Bandai Exclusive] | 5,450 Yen | Sep 2023 | Banner Figures Brochure |
| FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE ソロモンの悪夢 302哨戒中隊セット【プレミアムバンダイ限定】 FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE Solomon’s Nightmare 302 Patrolling Company Set [Premium Bandai Exclusive] | 5,100 Yen | May 2022 | Banner Figures Brochure |
| FW GUNDAM CONVERGE:CORE 黒い三連星 高機動型ザクII&ドムセット【プレミアムバンダイ限定】 FW GUNDAM CONVERGE:CORE Black Tri-Stars ZAKU II High Mobility Type & Dom Set [Premium Bandai Exclusive] | 5,100 Yen | Apr 2021 | Banner Figures Brochure |
# Taken from https://www.bandai.co.jp/candy/gundam/converge/ & https://p-bandai.com/hk
FW GUNDAM CONVERGE SP (“Special”) figures
Another interesting thing to note, FW GUNDAM CONVERGE have some “hidden” SP (“Special”) figures. For example, FW GUNDAM CONVERGE 15 #91 is a GM Cannon with 2 styles. In normal colour scheme it is the one with the white head. Then the SP special colour is the red version shown in the middle below. The red GM Cannon is called “Red Head” which is known as the Jaburo Defense Force Type.
Where can I get FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE?
I managed to get them locally from some online shops. I believe you can do a search, and there should be plenty for you locally. Otherwise, your other options is eBay search with the keyword GUNDAM CONVERGE. Also, like my prior post about Bandai toys, the price is quite inflated. Perhaps it is harder to purchase in some areas of the world?
Anyhow, beware of the price range and get everything based on your budget and your wants and needs. Some prices will not go down and some if you are patient enough, you can get them cheaply.
Final thoughts
FW GUNDAM CONVERGE CORE “White Dingo” Squad Set was one that I bought because I love the small squad setting, how complete it is and it is quite displayable. Although I can imagine myself buying the same for miniatures like those in Warhammer and BattleTech, I can foresee myself not painting them and postponing the painting projects forever. The already painted and so well done colours, decals, figure sculpts made this a great buy for me. Now I can have the squad running and preparing for combat on my work table.
The collectible value is for sure there. It is only a pity there isn’t a game made for them.
Where are the strategy game elements?
Now what is there for the strategy game? I believe if any producer, no matter video games, tabletop games, toy makers who does a package like this it will be super attractive. Like, if you have a character in your game and you apply a squad “skin” to them as a package. Or if you make a set of miniatures and do just like this, but with all the stats and everything and it comes ready to play. Or all you need is to stick your own logo on it to begin the game. It will be amazing to do. And that’s for sure what I would do in the future if I ever design something. So this to me, is a very good reference.
I do think we can always draw inspirations from everywhere there is. And that’s why everything is so interesting. When I was young I don’t get as much resources and exposure to these, not even things globally sourced as well. But that will be another story to tell later.
Pros (Why It is awesome)
- Really detailed and nice looking figures.
- Specific and part of the Gundam story/ history.
- The recent ones with team/ squad settings are so cool.
- Great to put on your table/ shelf.
- I am keeping the box for sure!
Cons (What could be done better)
- Too many and almost impossible to collect. Oh no to my wallet!
- Doesn’t have a game for them which is a pity.
Further readings & resources:
- FW GUNDAM CONVERGE official brand page (Japanese & English switch available)
- Gundanium Gateway – Quick a nice fan page and updated too!
Please comment below what you think of FW GUNDAM CONVERGE. If you are enjoying it will you collect more? Do you look forward to what next for them? Are you like me, who wish this can be a tabletop game?
Written by NKBDL for Strategy Games Evolution, Nov 9, 2023 (Updated Nov 23, 2023. Last product checked Apr 18, 2024)
Disclaimer: All pictures shown on the article were taken by me from my own collections. For pictures that are linked out, and are very specific like those really rare items, I downloaded them from online auction websites and will reference them as best as possible. As these websites listings are quite dynamic it is very hard to keep a permanent link to them. If you found yourself to be the owner of such photos and I didn’t do my reference right, please contact me right away. Thank you!
I started this site so that anyone (including me) can come and learn about/ reference on interesting strategy game products, so being able to show and reference the right pictures meant a lot to me and my audiences. Of course I did put up some referral links so that I can continue to support this site and buy more products to review. So I shall let everyone know about this point too. Thanks again.
