Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - Detail shots (1/4)

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

There are 3 articulation gimmicks around the beam rifle's grip.

You can fold it up completely like shown and mount it on the back.

The shield also has a built-in grip on the inside that you can hold like a rifle.

With the back wings removed, you can mount the shield and beam rifle.

Two beam parts are included, but...

They're meant to be attached as beam blades when you remove the wings, as shown above.

You can pull out the fixing pin inside the wing and attach it to the forearm.

Probably because the transformation gimmick was left out, the articulation is pretty good.

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - Aerial firing pose (1/3)

Aerial firing pose

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - Two-handed firing pose. The left hand only comes with a fist with a hole in it, so it doesn't look

Two-handed shooting pose.
The left hand only comes with a fist with a hole in it, so it doesn't look great when supporting the rifle.

Wings with beam blades attached and mounted on the arm.

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - You can recreate the Phoenix Burst firing scene by combining the backpack and shield. (1/3)

You can recreate the Phoenix Burst firing scene by combining the backpack and shield.

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam - Together with the HGUC Z Gundam. Dropping the transformation gimmick has made the overall look much

Together with the HGUC Z Gundam.
Dropping the transformation gimmick has made the overall look much more refined.

The Lightning Z Gundam — essentially an MSV take on the Z Gundam — has been released as part of the Build Fighters HG lineup. As you can see, the overall design concept and color scheme are lifted straight from the original Z Gundam, but it's been given a modern level of detail and sculpting to become an MSV-style kit.

Being a design refined with a modern sensibility, it looks far more flashy and powerful than the Z Gundam just going by appearances alone. And since this is an MS-only kit with no Waverider transformation gimmick, the proportions look much more solid and stable too. Giving up the transformation seems to have also improved the articulation quite a bit.

In place of the transformation, you can detach the wings, attach beam blade parts, and use them as weapons — and if you combine the shield as well, you can even recreate the Phoenix Burst Systems armament. The one downside is that both hands only come as fists with holes in them, so even though there are plenty of poses that require a two-handed grip, one hand ends up looking awkward. It really shouldn't be that hard to throw in one or two extra hand parts in a different style — it's one of those moments where the stinginess feels a bit misplaced.

The weapon loadout is simple, so you can't pull off a huge variety of poses, but the distinctive design and armaments give it a really fresh feel — like a cutting-edge modern take on the Z Gundam. The basic quality in terms of color separation, articulation, and joint strength is all solid, and it's genuinely fun to build, so this is a kit I'd recommend not just to Build Fighters fans but also to anyone with a soft spot for the Z Gundam — definitely worth picking up for the fun of it. :-)

HGBF Lightning Z Gundam | 2015.7 | ¥2,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.