Armored Core Model Kits: A Guide

Armored Core Model Kits

Armored Core Model Kits - A Guide

Published on: July 8, 2024 by The HLJ Team

Armored Core Model Kits - Build Iconic Mecha!

The Armored Core game franchise had been dormant for a while in the 2010s, but since the release of Armored Core 6: The Fires of Rubicon from industry giant FromSoftware last year, we’ve seen a renewed buzz surrounding the series from both new and veteran fans.

In the hobby world, Armored Core kits are certainly nothing new, but they’ve also gained traction in the last couple of years. With kits for Armored Core mechs now being actively produced by both Bandai and Kotobukiya, fans of the series now have more choice than ever before if they want to build and display these iconic mech designs!

Whether you’re an Armored Core fan looking to know a bit more about the model kit options available, or someone who has never even dipped their toe into the world of Armored Core, in this blog, we’ll dive into the Armored Core series, why it’s a great fit for Plamo, and offer some recommendations on the few places you could currently start, and also offer some information about what’s next for Armored Core model kits!

The Armored Core Series

Armored Core is a series that began back in 1997 on the original PlayStation console. It’s a third-person action game series with a focus on mech combat, and since the first release, it’s been popular amongst both action game and mecha fans alike.

Even since the beginning, Armored Core has been consistently praised for representing high-octane mecha action effectively in its gameplay systems and aesthetics. It was an early hit for developers FromSoftware, who would later become acclaimed for their work on the infamously challenging dark fantasy RPGs Dark Souls, its sequels, and the latest open-world reinvention of that genre, Elden Ring. Even in the wake of their success creating a whole new RPG genre, FromSoftware returned to the Armored Core franchise with the sixth entry, Fires of Rubicon, in 2023, once again breathing new into the series.

Armored Core has changed a lot since it got started in terms of its game design and narrative, but one thing that’s stayed consistent throughout the history of the Armored Core series is a commitment to creating original mecha designs. There’s some immaculate mechanical design across every title, with the series developing its own unique style for the ‘Armored Core’ mechs that are at the core.

It’s for this reason that Armored Core has found itself quite at home in the world of plastic model kits. Although Armored Core plastic model kits have been produced throughout the 2010s, the series has received renewed attention since the release of the sixth game last year, which has spurred the continued success of two different lines of model kits.

Kotobukiya’s Armored Core Kits

The acclaimed model kit manufacturer Kotobukiya has been producing Armored Core Kits for a while now, with the same quality and standard that you might already expect from the maker. Since 2014, Kotobukiya have tackled different kit designs, and in the last couple of years alone, have even been committed to reissuing older kits with additional parts and design revisions.

The last year alone has seen Kotobukiya release kits from throughout the franchise’s history, including kits like the sleek LINEARK WHITE-GLINT, the BFF 063AN AMBIENT from Armored Core: For Answer, the CO3 Malicious R.I.P.3 from Armored Core V and even the ALGEBRA SOLUH BARBAROI from Armored Core IV.

The Kotobukiya Armored Core kits are all at 1/72 scale and offer a huge amount of detail and customizability. 1/72 is an excellent scale for these titanic, heavily-armed mechs, and especially if you collect and build a number of Kotobukiya kits, they’ll look excellent together on your shelf.

If you’ve had experience with building other types of plastic model kits, perhaps even Kotobukiya’s particular style of model kits, you’ll probably have a great time with Kotobukiya’s Armored Core offerings. This is especially true if you want to collect kits from the entire history of the Armored Core series, as Kotobukiya hasn’t limited itself to any particular title in the series.

30MM Armored Core Kits

You might already be familiar with the 30MM series, Bandai’s lineup of original mecha kits. For those who enjoy 30MM’s original designs, it’s a series that releases simple kits and option parts very regularly, and offers a lot for those who crave original designs outside of gundam. 30MM is also a series that encourages kit bashing designs together to create your own mecha with the available parts, with each kit being compatible with all other 30MM products.

In the near future, the 30MM series is collaborating with Armored Core VI to create a range of kits in the 30MM series based entirely on the newest Armored Core mecha. Although these kits aren’t out yet, because 30MM has a long history, we essentially know what to expect from these upcoming releases.

These upcoming 30MM Armored Core kits are based only on the sixth Armored Core title, and four kits have been announced so far: the iconic RaD CC-2000 Orbiter Nightfall and RaD CC-2000 Orbiter, the impressive four-legged Balam Industries BD-011 Melander Liger Tai and even the the Schneider Nachtreiher/40E Steel Haze.

Much like the 30MM series, we can expect these kits to be both quality and perhaps somewhat more accessible in terms of how easy it is to build than other similar kits. If you’re newer to the Armored Core series and started with Fires of Rubicon, or if you’re newer to model kit making in general, pre-ordering these to start your Amored Core Model Kit journey could be a good choice!

With Armored Core’s growing popularity, we expect to get more information about Armored Core kits in the future, perhaps with new makers joining in on the hype. For now, Kobokiya’s lineup of AC kits, plus the 30MM series, represent the two ways you can get into building a model of your favorite Armored Core unit, so why not give them a try? Click below to explore our selection of In Stock and Preorder Armored Kits, and stay tuned to HLJ.com for all of your hobby needs!