[Review] 30MM AC6 RaD CC-2000 Orbiter Nightfall/Raven

30MM Armored Core VI Nightfall Review

Kit info

• Name : 30MM Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, RaD CC-2000 Orbiter Nightfall/Raven
• Brand : Bandai Spirits
• Original Price : 3,850 JPY
  
• Release Date : 2024/09
• Link : Scalemates, Download instructions [pdf, 10.3MB]

Story

Raven's AC is a dark tan-grey biped known as NIGHTFALL. It is a modified RaD C-2000 Scout AC armed for all ranges, with a pile bunker in its left arm, a double-barreled grenade cannon, a three-cell dual missile launcher and an assault rifle. In the game reveal, MG-014 LUDLOW is only seen and equipped in the right weapon bay.

NIGHTFALL is the poster AC of ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON. It was prominently featured in the game's reveal trailer, along with the second gameplay trailer and an extended sneak peek. It is available as a figure in the Collector's Edition.

It mainly uses the rifle and explosives as suppressing fire, then the pile bunker will destroy the staggered target. The assault armor acts as a defense tool against melee weapons, when this works, NIGHTFALL charges the pile bunker to perform a counter attack.

[Source : Armored Core Wiki]

What's in the box (sprues and other parts)

A1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Light Tan]
Contains armor parts for Core and part of legs.

A2 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Gray]

B1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Light Tan]
Contains part for the head and armor for arms, legs and shoulders.

B2 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Light Tan]
Contains part for the alternative head and armor for opposite side of arms and legs.
(Meaning most of the arms and legs are identical in construction on either side.)

C1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Dark Brown]
Contains some exposed mechanical parts like boosters or hands, etc.

C2 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Dark Brown]
Contains same parts as C1-7~17.  Meaning those parts on either side of the mech is the same.

D1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Dark Gray]
Mostly frame parts or exposed mechanical parts.

D1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Dark Gray]
Contains duplicates of parts D1-11~33.

OA : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Gray]
Contains weapons RF-025 Scudder assault rifle and Songbirds grenade cannon.

OB1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Gray]
Contains weapons PB-033M Ashmead pile bunker and BML-G1/P32DUO-03 dual missile launcher.

OB1 : New tool sprue for Nightfall [Gray]
Contains duplicate parts for pile bunker and dual missile launcher. Also contains parts for "fired" version of the pile bunker.

Sticker sheet is included and provides Raven's emblem in 3 sizes.

Fold-out style instruction manual is provided. [Colored on one side, monochrome in the other]

My kit also came with 30ML related catalog. It had some nice AC6 related artworks inside.
(Download pdf, 16.2MB)

Detailed Parts & Build Review (Main unit) 

Head unit (HC-2000/BC Shade Eye)

The head is constructed from ten components, featuring a neck joint with a rotational base and a ball joint at the top, which is somewhat complex according to the standards of the 30MM series.

Detail is excellent even for modern Bandai HG/30MM kits. 

The kit includes an additional head with the visor in place, eliminating the need to exchange parts for the head unit's alternate mode. Instead, you can simply switch the entire head to display the unit with the visor down, which is quite convenient.

The alternative head design features the visor shifted from the back to the front, with the antenna on the left side being lowered.

Core unit (CC-2000 Orbiter)

The core unit's center comprises 13(!) parts, featuring a multitude of external and internal details rendered in various colors.

Each side part consists of five components, which means the core assembly comprises a total of whopping 23 parts. The side parts are asymmetrical, with the left side featuring an antenna.

Similar to the head unit, the detail is remarkable, and the use of various colored parts is done efficiently to provide the complex design with the necessary vibrancy.

Arm unit (AC-2000 Tool Arm)

The entire arm assembly is constructed without any C-joints, which are often the bane of 30MM enthusiasts due to their tendency to lose stability. Only the shoulder armor parts utilize C-joints. The arm can rotate 360 degrees just above the upper arm, and the wrist is also capable of a 360-degree twist.

Shoulder parts also include some impressive detail with a lot of internal and external parts. 

Both arms are nearly symmetrical; however, the left arm includes an additional hardpoint and hydraulic lines for attaching the Ashmead pile driver.

Leg unit : 2C-2000 Crawler

Well in typical Gunpla/30MM these would be considered waist and legs but AC universe consider these as one unit. So here it goes...

Hip joint uses combination of ball joints and 3mm pegs so it give you some freedom with leg positions. But it is somewhat hampered by bulk of the legs.

As with the arms, legs don't use C-joint so you can expect better stability than typical 30MM kits. The hip and the knee has a peg joint and the ankle has a ball joint.

Both legs inner construction is symmetrical.

Most of the outer armor is also symmetrical.

While ankle armor and feet are usually very simplistic in 30MM kits this kit has quite an elaborate construction.

Ankle guard uses some sort of micro-peg connection, which is somewhat easily dislodged but as it won't go under any significant force it is okay. Feet are connected with ball joints. The ball joints allows 6-axis of rotational freedom but due to bulk of the armor range of motion is not that great. (More on that later.)

Hip joints on the legs are quite complex for a 30MM kit. It has a rotating joint part which connects to the hip perpendicular to its rotational axis. So it can rotate in two axis. However legs don't support rotation on their longitudinal axis. 

Booster unit : BST-G1/P10

Well, these are only small parts but AC games let the user customize units by swapping out boosters apparently so here they are in separate section.

Simple yet detailed construction.

Boosters are connected to the 3mm holes in the back. Note that core unit does not have 30MM compatible backpack holes. 

end

Detailed Parts & Build Review (Accessories)

RF-025 Scudder (Assault rifle, right hand)

The rifle is composed of three main parts.

Even with a low number of parts, the detail is remarkable.

The balance of the rifle may feel awkward for those accustomed to assembling Gunpla, as AC units are designed to be highly mobile weapons platforms, akin to small and agile mobile armors, rather than humanoid robots, making the difference in style understandable.

PB-033M ASHMEAD (Pile driver, left hand)

The pile driver features a more elaborate construction than the rifle; however, it unfortunately lacks moving parts.

The pile driver consists of three parts; the middle section will be repurposed for the weapon's "fired" state.

As you can observe, this is a construction tool. Indeed, it is utilized to deconstruct stunned enemy units within melee range.

The left arm features a 3mm peg designed for attaching the pile driver, complete with hydraulic pipe detailing for this equipment.

This weapon can also be displayed in a "fired" state, which involves constructing additional components and replacing some existing parts.

The kit includes separate front and rear sections for the "fired" state.

Then, disassemble the pile driver in "standby" mode and repurpose the middle section. The "magazine," a small square part in the center, is reinserted in an alternate position to signify the fired state.

Completed the "fired" state of the pile driver and the leftover parts from the "normal" state.

The unit comes equipped with a "fired" pile driver, but unfortunately, it lacks the ability to transition between states. Had it been designed on a larger scale, Bandai might have been able to include a fully functioning pile driver.

SONGBIRDS (Grenade cannon, right back)

Despite its simple design, a considerable number of parts are utilized in the grenade cannon.

Detail is also nice on this weapon too. 

The kit comes with a joint part to attach the cannon to the back of the unit.

The cannon attached to the unit.

BML-G1/P32DUO-03 (Multiple missile launcher, left back)

Due to the weapon having multiple missile pods, it has quite a lot of parts.

Right and left sets of pods are symmetrical but all three in a set are slightly different due to different attachment points. 

I'm not familiar with AC6 so I don't how this pods operate but it'd been better if Bandai gave us alternate "open/firing" mode of the launchers.

The launcher also uses similar joint part for attaching it to the back of the unit.

Missile launcher attached to the unit.

Articulation

If you're expecting the articulation of a standard Gunpla or 30MM kit, you might find this kit somewhat restricted. However, in the context of AC games where these units primarily serve as highly mobile weapons platforms, their articulation is quite sufficient. The unit should manage well, provided you don't attempt any overly extreme poses.

Despite the ball joint offering complete rotational freedom, the arm can only be raised to a certain extent due to collisions between the shoulder components.

The collision between shoulder parts mentioned earlier also restricts the shoulder's movement from front to back. However, this limitation is common in most Gunpla or 30MM kits, so I don't consider it an issue.

The elbow joint is quite limited, only moving from "slightly bent" to "more bent." While I didn't anticipate it would fold completely like some MG Gunplas, the inability to extend fully was unexpected. However, as AC units are mobile weapons platforms, they have no issue aiming a gun at the target, which is satisfactory.

The upper arm is attached to the shoulder with a peg joint, allowing it to rotate freely on its axis.

Interestingly, the hands are attached using a peg joint, allowing rotation only on their axis, unlike the hands on most model kits which feature a ball joint or multiple joints for additional side-to-side or up-and-down movement. While this may be suitable for AC units, it limits customization options, as wielding two-handed weapons becomes challenging without wrist articulation.

Also there are no extra hands provided. I know, weapons platform = no expressive open palm, I guess.

The hip joint boasts exceptional front-to-back articulation, thanks to the very slim waist section and the absence of any skirting armor on the midsection.

Attempting to lift the leg sideways, you can raise it to approximately 45 degrees before encountering interference from other parts.

Ball joints allow for some leg spreading, but the range is limited. Since the legs lack a rotational joint, that's the maximum extent they can be spread.

The knee bends only up to approximately 80 degrees.

The feet are on ball joints, yet the bulkiness of the parts restricts movement beyond a certain range from its neutral position.

Ball joints also enable some side-to-side movement in the feet albeit minimal.

end

Compatibility with other 30ML kits

Size Comparison

Nightfall standing against other kits in 30ML series. It is comparable to 30MS kits which are somewhat bigger than traditional 30MM kits.

Parts compatibility

Limbs and heads are interchangeable with most 30MM series kits. Whether it'll look good is another matter though. Here you can see results from mixing with OG Alto.

Mixing with Alto Ground type gives you much better looking result IMO. You can borrow ground type Alto's treads and make a treaded version of Nightfall mech.

Baskyrotto is very good donor because it shares similar core (chest) design. However, legs were not compatible because Baskyrotto uses non-standard hip joint configuration. (Baskyrotto uses pegs on the legs and holes on the hips, contrary to the standard configuration found in most 30MM kits.)

Various 30MM/HG weapons mounted on Nightfall. Baskyrotto's rifle on the right hand, HGBC Giant Gatling on left arm (3mm peg for pile driver is utilized here), and two rocket pods from 30MM Heavy Weapon options kit on the back. 

I was preoccupied with whether I could, I didn't stop to think if I should.

Swapping heads and limbs with 30MS kits is possible, but whether it looks good is a completely different matter. Some hair styles will collide with the core unit so I had to use Luluce, which had most of the hair tied up in a ponytail.

Using AC limbs on a 30MS body seems to work quite well. Nightfall's legs fit nicely on Neveria's body, but I encountered difficulties when attempting to attach them to Luluce's body. It appears that the shape of the lower body may play a role in this compatibility issue.

Image Gallery

Conclusion

I usually don't follow pre-release information too much because I like being surprised. All I've seen or known was some images and that the fact that AC6 is a popular video game. (I've played some of the older AC games when I was young, but my memory is very hazy. My childhood jam was Mech Warrior 2 and it's spinoffs.)

Well, this kit was a surprise. I had some expectation for this kit as a 30MM kit but it was totally defied. Does it have simple and easy construction that can be done in 30 minutes if you hurry? I don't think so. It is covered with 3mm holes and pegs that let you attach anything and everything that you want? Unfortunately not. It does have part compatibility with 30ML kits so that you can freely exchange heads and limbs but not as compatible as regular 30MM kits. (Standard 30MM kits mostly share joints within the limbs so you can mix upper arms from one kit with lower arms from other, etc.) 

That being said, the kit is outstanding, boasting striking external details and impressively intricate internal features that are visible through the occasional gaps. The construction is robust and enjoyable, though it is somewhat complex.

I haven't built another 30MM AC6 kit yet; the Steelhaze is in my stash, but I haven't assembled it, so I can't provide definitive insights on parts interchangeability between AC6 kits. However, I anticipate fascinating outcomes. The game, which is the source material, focuses on customizing mechs with various parts, so I believe the upcoming AC6 series of kits and accessories will satisfy that urge quite well.

I strongly recommend this kit. Whether you're a fan of the Armored Core series or not, the kit stands out as a robust mecha model. If you own any 30ML kits, you can experiment with numerous fantastic (and sometimes nightmare inducing) combinations. That's the real joy of collecting 30ML kits, isn't it?