Bandai Hobby - Gundam UC - #100 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode), Bandai Spirits HGUC 1/144 Model Kit

I was surprised by the level of detail in this High Grade 1/144 Unicorn Gundam! I did hope that it could transform, but this version does not. I have come across some 1/144 scale models online that they say transform from Unicorn to Destroy mode, but they are expensive, seem to be online exclusives hard to get outside of Japan. Well, understandably it's not a big deal to me. You do have to be careful with the V-fin as you take it off the tree. Too much pressure can easily snap it. I've made this mistake a few times. The pose-ablity is good! You get a little extra movement at the shoulders, 90 degree bend at the knees, decent movement on the head and arms. The shield can attach to the arm or the backpack. You get a little ammo pack that can attach to the skirt armor at the back. There are 4 beam saber handles, but no beam sabers. It seems that you have to buy the 1/144 High Grade Unicorn Gundam in its Unicorn mode in order to get the beam sabers, but if you have more gundams, you can easily use one from them. The pyscho-frame is clear red color, and it really looks nice. There are a few bad nub marks to watch out for, so be ready to cut, file, sand them down, etc to get rid of them. There are a few stickers which I really like! I am not a fan of stickers. The stickers go on the eyes, 2 white shoulder parts, the gun scope, and the light on the head. You will have to paint the ammo pack if you want the colors to match the anime. Other than that there is really not much need to paint or panel line this kit, which is an added bonus for me! I don't like to paint either. I also bought the 1/144 Banshee Destroy mode High Grade, and 1/144 Banshee Norn High Grade kits. They both are the same height, and they both are a little taller than the Unicorn Gundam Destroy mode. This is a very nice kit to add to your 1/144 scale Gundam collection!

I bought this model (which is not a toy as Amazon seems to think it is...) for a friend as a gift for the anniversary of the opening of his arcade. (The arcade features an awesome game called GUNDAM EXTREME VS.) He seemed to like it and once it was built it turned out really well. The only problem was that a part close to the split-horn snapped and had to be glued on but that's really minor. The model itself definitely benefits from a good lighting source in order to show off the psychoframe/NT-D in all its glory. Great for Gundam UC fans (well, duh..) Just don't expect MG quality and you won't be disappointed.

The Unicorn Gundam is a very striking mobile suit, the large v-fin and red psychoframe give it a kinda whimsical feel while the mix of blocky and angular design of the armor gives it that real world military machine feel. Bandai went all out in achieving the full look of the psychoframe here and that makes the build process very unique, the clear red pieces can be annoying to deal with at times due to it being hard to see where the pegs and slots are on them so they'll some trail and error involved in getting them snapped in just right, the little grey vents you'll add across the whole model are impressive to see on a HG usually they'd be be molded onto the piece requiring panting while this kit has nearly perfect animation accurately in it's color separation, the only parts that don't and well require paint are the head vulcans and the sensor on the back of the head (you're given a sticker for the front camera but not the back a odd omission), this brings me to a the strangest little decision Bandai made, the chest vulcans use a white sticker rather than have it sandwiched between two white pieces while they aren't that hard to apply they're a blemish considering the effort the designers went to get to in getting the mix of the red psychoframe and white armor without resorting to stickers. The second bizzare decision is the omission of accessories, you get four beam saber hilts and no effect parts, you'd think for the 200th kit they could at least include some. Overall this a great looking Gundam that will look striking and unique in your collection if the lack of accessories bothers you consider the full armor version.

While not a perfect kit in terms of the amount of accessories you receive, this kit is perfect for a beginner to Gunpla. From opening the box to starting to pose the final product, this kit took me a little under 6 hours to complete. The end result is incredibly satisfying.The amount of pieces gives the result a great level of visual intricacy, which works in tandem with the white and translucent red color scheme. The amount of sticker decals used is minimal and even if they dont look perfect close up, don't look too bad at a distance. The Unicorn stands at around 6 inches tall and while not very articulate, looks amazing in darn near every pose you put it in. A wonderful addition to my High Grade collection

This thing was a blast to build! I loved every second of it! There is one minor problem that A ton of people have though. the pegs that hold the beam saber hilts on the backpack are really thin and can break within a moment's notice. I bought The banshee and it too had this problem. Just be careful when you're taking off that part off the sprew. If it does break hey it's not really a big deal. a little glue on the beam saber hilt goes a long way. I used modelling cement on mine. It worked like a beaut. Hope you guys have fun with this kit as much as i did!