Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Weapons loadout.
The kit comes with two beam dual sabers and a beam musket.

HGAC Leo-S - The beam dual saber handles can be stored on the side skirts, but the connection is weak and they tend to fall

The beam dual saber handles can be stored on the side skirts, but the connection is weak and they tend to fall off easily.

You can also remove the face to expose just the camera eye.

Body with only the camera eye exposed and the diffuser mantle removed

The diffuser mantle moves across a wide range with a nice, sweeping motion.

HGAC Leo-S - The five mantle covers on the shoulders each move individually. Interestingly, they're assembled while still a

The five mantle covers on the shoulders each move individually,
and interestingly, they're assembled while still attached to the runner guide, then snapped off afterward.
Assembling them one by one separately would be quite fiddly, but this method makes it nice and easy.

Leftover parts.

Limb articulation and shoulder movement

The unique hip joint sliding gimmick

The shoulders have a joint that allows them to raise upward.

HGAC Leo-S - Beam dual saber action (1/6)

HGAC Leo-S - Beam dual saber action (2/6)

HGAC Leo-S - Beam dual saber action (3/6)

HGAC Leo-S - Beam dual saber action (4/6)

Beam dual saber action

Beam musket action

Together with the HGAC Leo.

This is the HG Leo-S, released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. It's the mobile suit from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing Dual Story: G-Unit, based on the concept of a modified Leo. HGAC LeoTwo runners are reused from it, though a good number of those parts end up as leftovers, so over 80% of the parts are new — making this essentially a near-new-mold kit.

The main body itself is very similar in quality to the HGAC Leo, with excellent articulation and solid joint strength. The diffuser mantle does limit movement somewhat, but you can still pull off a variety of dynamic poses. The large diffuser mantle opens up at quite a wide angle upward, and the hold is firm enough to stay locked at just about any angle.

There's one interesting thing during assembly — the cover pieces on top of both shoulder mantles. Since five small covers each move individually, assembling them all at once would normally be a real pain. The solution here is to assemble them while still attached to a circular runner section on the shoulder, then cut the runner away afterward. It makes the whole process much simpler, and it's honestly a level of assembly convenience you don't often see in Gunpla.

For weapons, you get two beam dual sabers and a beam musket. The beam dual sabers come with separate handles specifically for storing on the side skirts. However, the connection with the side skirts is weak and they tend to fall off easily. On top of that, there's also a gimmick where you can remove the face to expose the camera eye underneath.

All in all, this is a solid, high-quality kit that lets you pull off some really cool and characterful poses. The box art and manual are both done up in full color just like a regular retail release, which makes me think it was originally planned as a standard release before ending up as a Club G exclusive. That does make it a bit of a hassle to get your hands on, but it's definitely a kit worth recommending. :-)

HGAC Leo-S | 2021.9 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.