Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. The body itself is quite small.

Upper body close-up

The head.
Green clear parts are used, so it already looks pretty good even as just a straight build.

HG GN Archer - Arms, legs, and weapons. (1/3)

Arms, legs, and weapons.

The massive backpack section.

HG GN Archer - The flight backpack attaches to the rear end, and it's detachable. The reason it's detachable.. will be shown

The flight backpack attaches to the rear end, and it's detachable.
The reason it's detachable.. will be shown at the very bottom. ^^

Just the main body compared to a cigarette pack.. it's really tiny and cute. ^_^

Main body only — front and back.

Aww, so cute... *_*

Thanks to the knee transformation gimmick, the articulation looks pretty impressive..

HG GN Archer - Action shots on a stand. Note that a stand is not included with this kit.. (1/4)

HG GN Archer - Action shots on a stand. Note that a stand is not included with this kit.. (2/4)

Action shots on a stand.
Note that a stand is not included with this kit..

HG GN Archer - Another pose.. looks pretty cool. (1/4)

HG GN Archer - Another pose.. looks pretty cool. (2/4)

Another pose.. looks pretty cool.

HG GN Archer - The first step to transforming into flight mode is to fold the stabilizers on the back 180 degrees and flip th

The first step to transforming into flight mode is to fold the stabilizers on the back 180 degrees and flip them upward.

Then bend the elbows forward..

Fold the feet down and bend the knees.

Then rotate the backpack downward.

HG GN Archer - You need to lock the rifles into both hands.. but this is easier said than done. They tend to fall out when fl

You need to lock the rifles into both hands.. but this is easier said than done. They tend to fall out when flipped upside down.
As a workaround, push both backpack sections inward and spread the legs outward
to clamp the rifles from both sides, and they'll stay in place well enough. ;;

Hmm.. the post-transformation pose is a bit sad, as expected..
It gives off a similar vibe to the Re-GZ.

Top and bottom views after transforming into flight mode.

To mount it on a stand, you need to attach the connector part onto the belly button(?).

Stand on!

Enjoy it from various angles..

HG GN Archer - Together with its companion kit, the Arios Gundam. The size difference is pretty dramatic~ The GN Archer body

Together with its companion kit, the Arios Gundam.
The size difference is pretty dramatic~
The GN Archer body really is tiny and cute..

After transforming into flight mode.

HG GN Archer - To combine them, you first need to plug the large dedicated connector part into the Arios Gundam's belly butto

To combine them, you first need to plug the large dedicated connector part into the Arios Gundam's belly button, then place it on the stand.
The center of gravity seems to be heavily shifted forward.

HG GN Archer - Then attach an additional separate connector part to the top of the Arios in its transformed form, and fold th

Then attach an additional separate connector part to the top of the Arios in its transformed form,
and fold the tail fins downward to set the GN Archer on top.

Alright, time to mount up..
First, plug the nose section into the connector part..

HG GN Archer - Then at the rear, connect the GN Archer's own connector part with the large connector part attached to the Ari

Then at the rear, connect the GN Archer's own connector part with the large connector part attached to the Arios.

HG GN Archer - Ta-da. Combination complete. Viewed from the side, it's long and slender. It looks more like it's just riding

Ta-da. Combination complete. Viewed from the side, it's long and slender.
It looks more like it's just riding on top rather than actually combining.. but hey. *cough*

Enjoy it from various angles as well.

With the dedicated connector parts attached, it can stand on its own on a flat surface.

Together with the HG 00 Gundam.

The GN Archer actually has a connection with the 00 Gundam too..

If you detach the GN Archer's backpack from the rear end and plug in a separate connector pin..

HG GN Archer - It can combine with the 00 Gundam like this, according to the lore. (But what about the 0 Raiser?!?) The backp

It's also set up to combine with 00 Gundam like this. (But what about the 0 Raiser?!?)
The backpack is a bit heavy, so you do need to shift the legs back a little.

00 + GN Archer action~

The GN Archer — a unit that's kind of like the 0 Raiser to 00 Gundam — has been released first in HG form. In the show it's set up as a support unit that combines with Arios Gundam in flight mode, but it can also operate independently in MS mode. Up until this kit's release, it hasn't really had any standout moments in the show despite the early hype though..

The GN Archer is a unit that mounts a large backpack on a small MS frame and can transform into a flight mode. The body itself is really tiny — it looks small next to pretty much any other 1/144-scale unit — but that small size gives it a really compact and cute feel. It's piloted by a female pilot in the show, and you can tell the unit itself has a feminine design to match.

Despite its small size, it uses the new polycaps so the joints are plenty sturdy. I was worried that huge backpack might tip it over backwards, but the backpack itself is so large that it actually acts as a ground support, so it's basically impossible for it to fall back.

The highlight of the GN Archer is that red backpack — but as you can see from the parts diagram, it's made up of a surprisingly simple set of parts. That said, once it's built it doesn't look nearly as simple as you'd expect, and there's definitely some skill in Bandai's approach of getting maximum effect from minimum parts. It's a pretty different philosophy from Kotobukiya's style of splitting things up into a bewildering number of pieces.

The transformation process is very straightforward, and the result looks pretty decent — but the beam rifle that attaches underneath in flight mode doesn't lock in very well. If you don't seat it carefully and press it in from both sides, it tends to drop right out, which is a bit of a letdown.

As per the setting, it can also combine with Arios Gundam's flight mode, and you'll need two separate connector parts for that. The connection itself is nice and solid, which is a relief. It might not be the most combat-effective combined form, but it's big and colorful and definitely looks impressive.

The GN Archer's backpack can also be detached and combined with the HG 00 using a separate connector part — whether that'll actually happen in the show remains to be seen. Honestly, I think it looks even cooler than the 0 Raiser. ^^;

Overall, like most of the Season 2 HG Gundams, it's a clean and solid kit. It doesn't have much screen presence so it lacks a bit of charisma, but at a reasonable price it's a charming, compact, and cute little kit. :-)

HG GN Archer | 2009. 1 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.