Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Remove the clear effect parts..

...and you can form the Star Cross weapon configuration as shown above.

The hand-held weapon is made up of 2 parts..

SDBF Star Winning Gundam - By swapping the combination as shown, you can use them as the Mega Blade (left) and Beam Machine G

By swapping the combination as shown, you can use them as the Mega Blade (left) and Beam Machine Gun (right).

Some cute eye stickers are also included, but they're not really my thing.. ^^;

Together with the SDBF Winning Gundam.

SDBF Star Winning Gundam - Beam Machine Gun firing pose (1/3)

Beam Machine Gun firing pose

Mega Blade pose

Transformation

First, separate the body for the various transformations..

After fitting the visor over the eyes

Spread the nose and wings, then attach the head antenna on top.

Core Fighter complete.

You can also attach the Mega Blade to the underside.

To achieve the flight mode, rotate the lower body 180 degrees and lower the shoulder armor.

Then plug the Core Fighter into the front and you're done!

SDBF Star Winning Gundam - Transformed into flight mode. (1/2)

SDBF Star Winning Gundam - Transformed into flight mode. (2/2)

The transformed flight mode.

You can also attach the backpack unit (Gun Bits, Guard Bits) to the rear.

To transform into Real mode, disassemble all the backpack parts from the SD form.

The Real mode head is stored inside the oversized SD head.

After attaching the small head antenna to the head..

Insert the waist parts — previously used as the backpack center — between the upper and lower body.

Next, detach the arms and feet..

Use the Gun Bit sections as legs,

and reassemble the Guard Bit sections to use as arms.

SDBF Star Winning Gundam - Transformation to Real mode complete! (1/3)

Transformation to Real mode complete!

Articulation is a bit iffy~ due to the transformation gimmick.

Action~ pose

Mega Blade action

Beam Machine Gun action

The second kit in the quirky SDBF category has arrived — it's the Star Winning Gundam, an upgraded version of the previous Winning Gundam. It's classified under Build Fighters, but rather than HG, it falls into a special SD lineup. And interestingly enough, the Star Winning Gundam also comes with a transformation feature into an HG Gundam-style form.

In SD form, the overall layout feels pretty much the same as the Winning Gundam — the head transforms into a Core Fighter, and it combines with the body to form a flight mode, just like before. Being an SD-style kit, articulation isn't great, but it's got so much stuff hanging off it that even small poses look pretty cool. The dedicated weapon can be configured in two ways, usable as either the Mega Blade or the Beam Machine Gun.

The real highlight of the Star Winning Gundam is its transformation into Real mode — the Gun Bits and Guard Bits mounted on the back are repurposed as arms and legs, while the backpack center becomes the waist, turning it into a proper(?) HG-style MS. Once you've got it in HG form, it actually looks pretty convincing. That said, the transformation gimmicks leave each joint's range of motion a bit awkward, so posing isn't the easiest. The legs in particular tend to pop off during movement, so you'll want to be careful when going for airborne poses.

The idea of transforming from SD into HG form is genuinely clever and makes this a really fun kit to play around with. The stability and articulation after transformation leave a little to be desired, but the proportions are good enough to make up for it. Either way, it's such a unique concept that it's definitely worth recommending to Build Fighters fans and Gunpla fans in general — give it a shot! :-)

SDBF Star Winning Gundam | 2015.2 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.