SOUCHAKU-HENSHIN KAMEN RIDER SERIES

SH KAMEN RIDER KABUTO SERIES GE-14 Masked Rider Sasword (6/2006)

  

MASKED RIDER

KUUGA

 

MASKED RIDER

AGITO

 

CLASSIC

MASKED RIDERS

 

MASKED RIDER

RYUKI

 

MASKED RIDER

FAIZ

 

MASKED RIDER

BLADE

 

MASKED RIDER

HIBIKI

 

MASKED RIDER

KABUTO

 

Kamen Rider Sasword - Rider Form

 

Bandai released Souchaku Henshin Masked Rider Sasword in June of 2006 as part of Kamen Rider Kabuto Series. The new series is returning to the modern Kamen Rider designs and theme after the huge departure with last year Hibiki series. Kamen Rider Sasword is the forth Rider to appear in Kabuto TV series. Masked Rider Gatack has a stag beetle motif and his design is very similar to Kabuto (who is also based on beetle)

 

SH Kamen Rider Sasword uses all new core body designed specifically for the series (something that Bandai has been doing which is very nice since it does allow for better looking figure). The paint job is excellent on Sasword and the armor pieces all fit well.

Kamen Rider Sasword - Masked Form

 

Kabuto series design element for Masked Rider is that the Riders have two distinct forms, the first mode when they first transform which is known as the "Masked Form".  The "Masked Form" is a bulky with heavy mechanical cocoon like appearance. This form is used mainly to withstand and fight off the initial onslaught of the Salis Worm Troopers (lower class peon-type Worms) or other Riders (tradition of modern day Riders, they always have to bicker among themselves). When the Worm mutated to the higher level (by coming out of their carapace outer shell), the Rider then used the "Cast Off System" and the outer "Masked Form" shell then break apart and reveal the hidden more agile "Rider Form". While the Masked Mode is not very Kamen Rider-like, it is very nice alternate mechanical looking Kamen Riders and I really like the design theme of making the Riders a mechanical version of the Worms by having the Masked Rider also breaking out of the shell to reveal the speed-up form.

 

 

Sasword shared the same core body as the other SH Kabuto series figures with a few part remold specifically for Sasword. Sasword theme is scorpion and he is probably one of a more interesting looking rider since Ryuki series especially in his Masked Form. 

 

 

GE-15 Souchaku Henshin Series Kamen Rider Kabuto - Masked Rider Sasword

Release Date : 6/2006

Retail Price : 3000 Yen

The packaging is similar to that of Kuuga and Agito series. Due to dual forms of Kabuto Series Masked Riders, Bandai includes both armors set and a dummy body to hold the unused armors.

Unmasked Mode

Like other SH Riders figures, the human body underneath can look out of proportion and is solely intended for display with the "cloth" (Rider Armor) on. The core body is similar in style as the body used since the original Saint Seiya Cloth line, however for the 2004 SH line, Bandai have retooled the body to make it more modern. While the head still appears too small due to having to accommodate the mask, this removable "armor suit" however, is one of the aspect that drawn me to this line. The ability to "henshin" into the Rider form make these SH figures a lot like small version of Henshin Cyborg or the RAH costume hero.

Accessories