Cyber Angels and Heralds not included
TL note: For more info on the themes, you can check our VBEX article (now slightly updated because the reference arts in the VBEX were not very readable).
Drytron Alpha Thuban & Gamma Eltanin & Zeta Aldhibah
Full art:
Drytron Alpha Thuban:
Wings and core:
Wings: “Sextant-like wings”
Core: “Armillary sphere-like core (their size and location changes depending on the star)”
TL note: The words “sextant” (六分儀, rokubungi) and “armillary sphere” (天球儀, tenkyuugi) both use the character gi “儀”, which is one of the two characters for the word for ritual (儀式, gishiki), adding to the word play of this ritual-based theme.
Translucent parts:
Drytron frame:
“Drytron frame (body of the draco constellation). The opposite side has the same star line. (Exposed as much as possible through the armor)”
Drytron Gamma Eltanin:
Description:
“Backpack/supply-aid type
Its core is at the top of its head”
Backpack:
“[These] come out”
Hand:
“Hand with a charging plug that comes out”
Proportions:
“I don’t know how much I should change the main body, so the proportions of the parts stay this way”
Drytron Zeta Aldhibah design proposal:
Wings:
Top: “Translucent parts”
Top right: “Barrier shield”
Core:
“Has an armillary sphere core like Alpha Thuban in its chest. It’s much smaller than Alpha Thuban’s core”
Weapons/Shields:
Left: “Axe that doubles as a shield”
Right: “Lance that doubles as a shield”
Applying the Drytron Frame:
Illustrator’s comment:
“The key to the design was the ‘Drytron Frame’ (the body of the draco constellation). By first realizing this, the subsequent ideas of ‘armor from which you can see the star lines’, ‘parts that can be associated with the constellation’ and ‘translucent parts so that the inner stars can be seen’ came to life, and the direction towards mecha bodies was immediately decided. I focused the most on designing them using lots of translucent parts similar to plastic model kits. Having said that, I hope one day they are turned into actual plastic model kits.”
Drytron Meteonis Draconids
Full art:
TL note: We have previously translated this reference art in our VBEX article (now updated).
Ursarctic Mikpolar & Miktanus & Megapolar & Megabilis & Polari
Full art:
Ursarctic Mikpolar:
Parts:
Left: “Prism cores”
Right: “The internal plate parts glow like a prism (the lines are only visible for the Synchros)”
Board:
“Paw board
Cold air comes out from the holes on its sides
Can form parts using ice”
Ursarctic Miktanus, 7-stars, asian black bear:
Crescent-shaped part:
Left: “Opens up”
Right: “A crescent-shaped part that emits energy waves which jam the enemy’s electric systems”
Alpha Thuban: “Dryyy~”
Crescent-shaped part and radome:
Crescent: “Always carries it on its back”
Radome: “Something like a radome”
Attack:
“A dexterous bear that can jam electric systems, but as a last resort: BEAR KNUCKLE (ATK 700)”
Ursarctic Megapolar:
Hammer:
Left: “Paw[-shaped] ice block hammer (with claws)”
Right: “Has this attached on its back”
Roles:
TL note: These are very tiny to read and there isn’t much context, but it’s very likely that these are, from left to right, “Mik: support”, “Mega: power”, “Trion: smart”. “Smart” here for Trion could either mean a “slender” body frame, or in terms of roles, compared to support and power roles, a role related to tactics/planning.
Ursarctic Megabilis:
Back side of the claws:
Ursarctic Polari:
Top: “Round tail”
Bottom: “Back side [of its hands]”
Ursarctic Septentrion
Full art:
TL note: The VBEX also had this reference art, with a few variations for the head, but the picture at the time was too small too read. We have updated the article with these scans. The notes are the same.
Prism core:
Chest:
“The parts on its chest and this part are black translucent parts”
Legs:
Left: “Slightly animal-like”
Right: “They aren’t just glowing lines: They are shaped so that the inner plates and parts are exposed”
Convertible claws:
“Buttocks” shoulder:
Top: “Big Dipper-like tail (left shoulder)”
Bottom: “The tip of the tail has a beam mouth that points to the North Star”
TL note: Just in case, both the reference art and the actual card have a “right” shoulder shaped like the Big Dipper, but this note is depicting a “left” shoulder.
Shoulder lid:
“Translucent parts on the front side (lid)”
Ursarctic Grand Chariot
Full art:
Sub-weapon: Beam cannon
Shoulder pad:
“Shoulder pad shaped like a bear head”
Main weapon and eyes:
Top: “Main weapon: A scythe modeled after the Big Dipper”
Bottom: “The inner structure of the eyes matches Ursarctic Septentrion”
Hands:
Top: “Regarding the shape of the hands, I took in the proposal from the illustrator of ‘Ursarctic Septentrion’ to make them look less villain-like and therefore made them more squared!”
Bottom: “Sliding arm gun”
Chest:
“Prism core attached to its chest”
Illustrator’s comment:
“This was my first time designing mecha(s) in tandem, along with the illustrator of Ursarctic Septentrion, and I hold a strong attachment to this theme. Personally, I love the smug bear face on its right shoulder. For those who love mecha, there’s a ton of components in the Drytron/Ursarctic world, and for the battleship ‘Ultimate Flagship Ursatron’ that was created later, [I/we] had the luxury to incorporate the most amazing components of both of them. I still vividly recall to this day how excited I was at the time.”
Ultimate Flagship Ursatron
Full art:
Tail:
Top: “Rudder (Fafnir tail)”
Bottom: “Rainbow glow (the core in its chest is the same)”
Empennage:
“Horizontal stabilizing empennage (Drytron wing)
The top side features a Big Dipper ladle”
Main wings:
“Main wing (Ursarctic bear paw)”
Description and cannons:
Top: “The fused form of ‘Drytron Fafnir’ and ‘Ursarctic Big Dipper'”
Bottom: “Equipped with 4 beam cannons in total, installed on both sides of the bridge”
Runways:
Top: “Runway exclusive for Ursarctics”
Bottom: “Runway exclusive for Drytrons”
Ultimate Bright Knight Ursatron Alpha
Full art:
Thanks to our anonymous contributors for the scans.
4 Comments
All this time I thought Gamma Eltanin had missile launchers on its back, but it is supplies.
That’s some sexy mecha art. Konami make a Mecha Game staring these pretty bois
3rd Ursarctic synchro boss monster please
I know it won’t sell because most people hate this archtype, but Drytron model kit would go so hard.