Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Destroy Mode from various angles. The stabilizers in the back actually act

Destroy Mode from various angles.
The stabilizers in the back actually act as a support stand, making it easier to keep upright.

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Destroy Mode detail shots (1/4)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Destroy Mode detail shots (2/4)

Destroy Mode detail shots

Armed Armor DE with the tail-like stabilizers added

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - The newly sculpted parts are the stabilizers and the gray parts inside the

The newly sculpted parts are the stabilizers and the gray parts inside the Armed Armor DE.

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Inside the stabilizers are two wire leads, so you can bend and fix them at

Inside the stabilizers are two wire leads,
so you can bend and fix them at various angles.

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - The head antenna and weapon options are the same as the standard release Ph

The head antenna and weapon options are the same as the standard release Phenex.

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode from various angles (1/6)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode from various angles (2/6)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode from various angles (3/6)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode from various angles (4/6)

Unicorn Mode from various angles

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode detail shots (1/4)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode detail shots (2/4)

Unicorn Mode detail shots

Leftover parts

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode flying pose (1/4)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Unicorn Mode flying pose (2/4)

Unicorn Mode flying pose

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Various poses in Destroy Mode. Getting it onto a stand is incredibly diffic

Various poses in Destroy Mode.
Getting it onto a stand is incredibly difficult.. T_T

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) - Alongside the standard release MG Unicorn Gundam Unit 3 Phenex. The gold co

Alongside the standard release MG Unicorn Gundam Unit 3 Phenex.
The gold coating has a richer, deeper color to it.
And for the record, just getting these two standing properly (…) for a comparison shot is quite the challenge in itself.. -_-

This kit is the MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.), released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. Based on the standard release MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex, it adds newly sculpted stabilizers to the bottom of the Armed Armor DE. The gold coating is richer and deeper in color compared to the standard Phenex, giving it a sharper and more premium-looking finish overall.

The stabilizers unique to the Narrative Ver. have two wire leads inside, making it easy to bend and hold them at various angles. On top of that, they actually help support the Phenex's body from behind — which was always a durability concern — so standing it upright is more stable than with the standard MG Phenex. The coating color also comes out closer to a realistic "gold," giving it a genuinely gold-plated look. That said, the MG Unicorn/Phenex body itself is still structurally shaky, so getting dynamic poses out of it isn't easy. T_T

The standard MG Phenex already had serious durability issues from the start — despite its stunning looks, it was nearly impossible to even stand upright, and it drove people absolutely crazy. This kit is no different, especially when it comes to mounting it on a stand — the joint parts are so flimsy that it barely holds, and in my case I ended up slapping on a ton of double-sided tape just to get it to stay put for photos. (Felt like it took an hour just to get a few shots..) If you want to keep it on a stand for any length of time, you're probably going to have to glue it down firmly, and honestly you might be better off just using the stabilizers as a rigid support and leaving it standing on its own.

I was genuinely worried about the durability here — the Armed Armor DE sits higher than on the standard MG Phenex, and with the stabilizers added on top of that, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. But the wire leads inside the stabilizers are stiff enough to actually provide some support, so standing it upright ended up being easier than expected. Either way, it's a kit with top-tier gold coating and a stunning design, so as long as you find a way to deal with the stability issues, it's a pretty satisfying build. :-)

MG Unicorn Gundam 3 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) | 2018.11 | ¥13,700

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.