ES Gokin #26 Vehicle Voltron
Action Toys included a multi-paged colored manual! Plus we get the vehicle names in English, Japanese and Korean, you don’t see that with other Gokin toy lines.
In Dairugger XV, the team names are named after their respective team leaders.
Aki Team (Air Team)
-Rugger 1 (Command Jet Explorer/ head) – Piloted by Aki Manabu/ Jeff Dukane
-Rugger 2 (Strato Weapons Module/ upper torso) – Piloted by Kai Shinobu/ Rocky
-Rugger 3 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ right upper arm) – Piloted by Shota Kreuz/ Wolo
-Rugger 4 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ left upper arm) – Piloted by Mutsu Yasuo/ Chip Stoker
-Rugger 5 (Falcon VT Fighter/ chest)- Piloted by Patty Elington/ Ginger
Rugger 1 (Command Jet Explorer/ head) – Piloted by Aki Manabu/ Jeff Dukane
Rugger 2 (Strato Weapons Module/ upper torso) – Piloted by Kai Shinobu/ Rocky
For the Advanced Recon Helicopters (Ruggers 3 and 4), the set comes with optional larger propeller blades to make them look more proportional. Note that you will have to swap in the smaller blades back in place when you form the Strato Fighter (Akirugger).
Rugger 3 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ right upper arm) – Piloted by Shota Kreuz/ Wolo
Rugger 4 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ left upper arm) – Piloted by Mutsu Yasuo/ Chip Stoker
Rugger 5 (Falcon VT Fighter/ chest)- Piloted by Patty Elington/ Ginger
Remember to anchor in the Rugger 5 into place by pegging it into the Rugger 1’s dorsal fin.
While it’s not clear on the manual, you will have to push this connector block out of the Rugger 2 in order to connect it to Rugger 1.
Kurugger (Strato Fighter)
Keats Team (Sea Team)
Rugger 6 (Comms module/ mid torso) – Piloted by Miranda Keats/ Cric
Rugger 7 (Space Prober/ right thigh) – Piloted by Kaga Haruka/ Lisa
Rugger 8 (Space Prober/ left thigh) – Piloted by Katz Saruta/ Tagor
Rugger 9 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ right lower leg) – Piloted by Izumo Tatsuo/ Shannon
Rugger 10 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ left lower leg) – Piloted by Karateya Baros/ Zandee
Rugger 6 (Comms module/ mid torso) – Piloted by Miranda Keats/ Cric
Rugger 7 (Space Prober/ right thigh) – Piloted by Kaga Haruka/ Lisa
Rugger 8 (Space Prober/ left thigh) – Piloted by Katz Saruta/ Tagor
Rugger 9 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ right lower leg) – Piloted by Izumo Tatsuo/ Shannon
Rugger 10 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ left lower leg) – Piloted by Karateya Baros/ Zandee
Some parts adding is required here for the Multi-wheeled explorers’ antennae
Kairugger
Walter Team (Land Team)
-Rugger 11 (Jet radar station/ hips) – Piloted by Jack Walter/ Cliff
-Rugger 12 (Rotating Personnel Carrier/ right arm) – Piloted by Kirigas Moya/ Cinda
-Rugger 13 (Armored Equipment Carrier/ left arm) – Piloted by Chakker Mack/ Modoch
-Rugger 14 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ right foot) – Piloted by Izu Tasuku/ Marvin
-Rugger 15 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ left foot) – Piloted by Nagato Kazuto/ Hutch
Rugger 11 (Jet radar station/ hips) – Piloted by Jack Walter/ Cliff
Rugger 12 (Rotating Personnel Carrier/ right arm) – Piloted by Kirigas Moya/ Cinda
Rugger 13 (Armored Equipment Carrier/ left arm) – Piloted by Chakker Mack/ Modoch
Rugger 14 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ right foot) – Piloted by Izu Tasuku/ Marvin
Rugger 15 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ left foot) – Piloted by Nagato Kazuto/ Hutch
Before combining the Land Team into the Rickrugger, you’re supposed to remove the wheel sections of the arm units and replace them with “covered” pieces.
Note that each arm has specific covers, you can’t mix and match the pieces.
Rickrugger
Armored Fleet Dairugger XV Go!
Ready to form Voltron!
Activate Interlocks!
Form feet and legs!
Form arms and torso!
And I’ll form the head!
Voltron
Constructed on Earth and primarily intended for the defense of the Galaxy Alliance’s ship, the S.S. Explorer, Voltron is formed by combining all 15 space vehicles. The S.S. Explorer’s primary mission is to find new worlds for the alliance’s growing population to inhabit. While Voltron is immensely powerful and capable of destroying an entire fleet of Drule Empire ships by itself, it can only operate for a maximum time of 5 minutes before running out of energy.
Dairugger attacks
-Wing Beam (beams fired from Rugger 5’s wings)
-Hand beams (beams fired from Voltron’s fists)
-Denji Muchi (Electromagnetic Whip / Ray-Beam Whip)
-Spin Cutters (Spinning Laser Blades)
-Shot Arrow (Solar Combat Spear short form)
-Dairugger Lancer (Solar Combat Spear long form)
-Dairugger Sword (Blazing Sword)
Wing Beam
Spinning Laser Blades
You’ll need to use these specific hands in order to hold the Spinning Laser Blades.
Solar Combat Spears (short form)
The Solar Combat Spears are ejected from the sides of Ruggers 9 and 10.
Solar Combat Spear (long form)
You’re supposed to disconnect the spears at this junction in order to be able to slot them into Voltron’s hands.
Ray Beam Whip
Blazing Sword
The set comes with an extension for the sword handle, so Voltron has the option to hold the sword with both hands.
Display stand
Almost similar to the Lion Voltron stand, the only difference is the modified adapter for connecting to Vehicle Voltron.
To connect Vehicle Voltron the stand you’ll have to pluck out the groin cover on the figure first.
Optional connector plate for locking two different bases together.
With ES Gokin # 25 Lion Voltron
They look really, really great together!
The Good
Diecast parts include:
-Sections of the torso (Strato Weapons Module)
-Main leg joints
-Lower legs (Multi-wheeled explorers)
-Feet (All-Terrain Space Vehicles)
-The post for the display base
The weigh in:
-Rugger 1 (Command Jet Explorer/ head) – 27 Grams
-Rugger 2 (Strato Weapons Module/ upper torso) – 66 Grams
-Rugger 3 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ right upper arm) – 13 Grams
-Rugger 4 (Advanced Recon Helicopter/ left upper arm) – 14 Grams
-Rugger 5 (Falcon VT Fighter/ chest)- 5 Grams
Rugger 6 (Comms module/ mid torso) – 12 Grams
Rugger 7 (Space Prober/ right thigh) – Less than 1 Gram
Rugger 8 (Space Prober/ left thigh) – Less than 1 Gram
Rugger 9 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ right lower leg) – 46 Grams
Rugger 10 (Multi-wheeled explorer/ left lower leg) – 46 Grams
-Rugger 11 (Jet radar station/ hips) – 32 Grams
-Rugger 12 (Rotating Personnel Carrier/ right arm) – 10 Grams
-Rugger 13 (Armored Equipment Carrier/ left arm) – 10 Grams
-Rugger 14 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ right foot) – 59 Grams
-Rugger 15 (All-Terrain Space Vehicle/ left foot) – 59 Grams
Kurugger (Strato Fighter) – 124 Grams
Kairugger – 110 Grams
Rickrugger – 169 Grams
-Dairugger stands roughly 6.75 inches tall and weighs 472 Grams.
-Fully colored manual!
-Manual features an English, Japanese and Korean contents list! Why can’t the SOC toy line do this?
-Chromed weapons!
-Having the Ray Beam Whip be made of wire was a clever choice!
-Butterfly shoulder joints are present and make this figure much more versatile!
-Like the Lion Voltron, this figure features a mid-torso ab crunch joint as well.
-Wheel replacement pieces for the forearm units for cartoon accuracy.
-When formed the connections are very solid.
The Bad
-A part of me wishes this huge plate was removable, it kinda sticks out like a sore thumb when Voltron’s combined.
-I can’t say I like how the knee joint was executed on this figure. It looks kind of odd.
-While I like that the weapons are entirely chromed, the handles being chromed do worry me a bit. Having Voltron holding the chromed parts over long periods of time while displayed might be an issue down the road?
-Similar with the ES Gokin Lion Voltron, no LED gimmicks here.
-Lol.. I would’ve preferred the thighs to weigh more than 1 Gram. Ah well…
The Ugly
-Disconnecting the forearms can be a bit sketchy. Just try to rotate the forearms until you can feel the gutters line up with the connectors to disconnect. The canals should’ve been a bit more clearer to make disconnecting the parts easier.
Overall, a pretty amazing set. I think I got more “bang for my buck” with this set than with the ES Gokin Lion Voltron, if only for the sheer number of individual parts and weapons present here. While it’s very good, it’s not quite perfect. I think the execution of the forearm connectors should’ve been done a bit better (they’re difficult to disconnect). The knee joint design also irks a bit when I see it from certain angles. These aren’t quite dealbreakers but they do detract from what could’ve been a perfect release from Action Toys.
Gold
