Kit Review

Straight build + decals

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. The design spec is 35.3m, and the kit measures about 25cm l

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
Design spec is 35.3m, and the kit measures about 25cm long — it's quite a hefty size.

First, the mobile form..

Close-up detail shots

The detail is really outstanding.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The mono-eye part uses a piece shaped like that... it almost feels like you'd need to stick an LED

The mono-eye part uses a piece shaped like that... it almost feels like you'd need to stick an LED in there.

The long, intricate gun barrel

Look closely at the arms and you'll see they're Zaku arms.

There are also rubber wire parts included.

Wow.. the back is incredibly detailed too..

The underside. The underside is surprisingly quite bare.

The wheels are fixed and don't actually roll.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The caterpillar track detail is decent enough. It would've looked even cooler with a plastic chain

The caterpillar track detail is decent enough. It would've looked even cooler with a plastic chain-link style, but
then assembly would've been a nightmare like the Magella Attack..
The Hildolfr uses rubber tracks so assembly is super easy :-)

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Remove the armor panels on the front and rear sides and you can see the wheels. But the armor pane

Remove the armor panels on the front and rear sides and you can see the wheels.
But the armor panels don't hold on very well and tend to fall off easily.
Gluing them down feels like a bit of a shame though.. hmm..

The crane(?) mounted behind the shoulder is articulated with 4 joints.

It does move across a wide range like that, but.. it feels a bit loose.

Arm articulation. Using those bare, skeletal joints, the arms move across quite a wide range.

The gun barrel elevates about 45 degrees upward, and the waist can rotate in all directions.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Now then, shall we try transforming it into tank mode? Perhaps because it's an EX kit, the transfo

Now then, shall we try transforming it into tank mode?
Perhaps because it's an EX kit, the transformation is done by swapping out the central body parts.
It could've been done as a full transformation without part-swapping, but since this is an EX model that prioritizes proportions...

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The lower body is made up of three separate sections. It's not like it splits into head, thorax, a

The lower body is made up of three separate sections.
It's not like it splits into head, thorax, and abdomen like an ant or anything.. ^^;;

The front and middle sections.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The rear section. Oh, by the way, that part indicated by the red arrow in the right photo... the s

The rear section. Oh, by the way, that part indicated by the red arrow in the right photo... the structure attached at the back actually
needs to be popped on and off during transformation and moved over to the waist area in mobile form..
but that part is a bit loose and keeps falling off, so I just went ahead and glued it;;
It's not really a visible area anyway, so.. (That's my excuse!)

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - So, to switch between tank mode and mobile mode, you have to go through this kind of disassembly a

So, to switch between tank mode and mobile mode, you have to go through this kind of disassembly and reassembly process.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The transformation between the two modes is achieved by swapping out the connector piece in the mi

The transformation between the two modes is achieved by swapping out the connector piece in the middle of the body.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - To transform into tank mode, the front waist part from mobile mode needs to be moved and attached

To transform into tank mode, the front waist part from mobile mode needs to be moved and attached to the front of the tank.
In other words, what should naturally slide up from the waist area during transformation has to be done manually as a part swap instead..
That's just how it works with this swap-style transformation.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The crane that was behind the shoulder gets rotated all the way to the front, and the armor on the

The crane that was behind the shoulder gets rotated all the way to the front, and the armor on the side of the shoulder is rotated 90 degrees.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The machine gun that was held in the hand gets stowed in the rear mount, and the magazine can be d

The machine gun that was held in the hand gets stowed in the rear mount,
and the magazine can be detached separately and stored inside the shoulder side armor.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - In tank mode, the arms tuck away like this. As you can see, you need to remove the hands to transf

In tank mode, the arms tuck away like this. As you can see, you need to remove the hands to transform into tank mode..

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Simple swap-transformation into tank mode complete. The transformation is easy.. In the end, the m

Simple swap-transformation into tank mode complete. The transformation is easy.. In the end, the middle waist connector piece and the hands from mobile mode are left over.

Tank mode.

Ahh.. from the side it's gotten really slim~.

The flattened body. In tank mode, the mono-eye section (red arrow) is closed.

Looking down from above, the detail is breathtakingly intricate..

The shoulder side armor layers up like this to form overlapping defensive shields.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - The structure at the rear of the body can also be moved like this. And while we're at it, let's ge

The structure at the rear of the body can also be moved like this.
And while we're at it, let's get a shot of the detail underneath it too!

With the gun barrel raised.. siege mode?

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Two machine guns are included, but there's only one magazine; The second machine gun body is essen

Two machine guns are included, but there's only one magazine;
The second machine gun body is purely there so you can stow it in the rear in tank mode without having to separate the hand from the machine gun —
it's essentially just a bonus piece thrown in.

Two types, four 1/144 scale ground crew figure are included.

Some action pose~s

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Recreating an action scene from Igloo together with the limited edition HGUC Igloo version Zaku II

Recreating an action scene from Igloo together with the limited edition HGUC Igloo version Zaku II Semovente spec.
In episode 2 of Igloo, it goes up against those yellowish Zakus (captured by the Federation).
One shot is converted to black and white just for fun.

Showdown..

Recreating the scene of getting hit by the cannon ^_^;; That's gotta hurt..

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Together with the EX Magella Attack, another tank-type kit. They're both 1/144 scale but the size

Together with the EX Magella Attack, another tank-type kit.
They're both 1/144 scale but the size difference is enormous. Hildolfr wins!

Together with the Igloo-related HGUC kits in the same scale.

It's an Igloo original kit, alongside the HGUC Juaggu.

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr - Together with the Igloo version EX series. Every single Igloo-related kit is top quality — they're

Together with the Igloo version EX series.
Every single Igloo-related kit is top quality — they're all absolutely obsessed with detail.

The Hildolfr has FINALLY been released as an EX model.
Personally, I feel like this EX model series exists for the sole purpose of the Hildolfr!! (A bit of an exaggeration, but..)

There's been a lot of debate over whether "Hildolfr" should be pronounced "Hildolf," "Hildolfr," or "Hildolbeu".. For now, the Japanese name used in the show goes with "Hildolfr" and that seems roughly correct pronunciation-wise. Personally I find "Hildolf" easier to say, but.. ^^;

For those who've watched the outstanding CG animation MS Igloo series, if you had to pick the most memorable mech, it would almost certainly be the Hildolfr that appears in episode 2. The Juaggu is great, Jormungand is decent enough.. and there's the Oggo too, but nothing sticks in your mind quite as strongly as the Hildolfr.

Part of that is because ground-based tank weapons — setting aside MSV units like the Magella Attack and Zaku Tank — are a rare sight, and the fact that it can transform into a mobile form is unique, and the sheer size and massive gun barrel are impressive, and its dramatic portrayal in the show is something else.. In a word, this thing has serious charisma.

Anyway, it was a mech that grabbed the attention of Gundam fans the moment it appeared, but there was also a big question of whether it would ever get a plastic model release. But there's no way Bandai would let something this popular slip through their fingers.. and with the arrival of the ultra-high-quality HGUC Juaggu, Igloo version kits started rolling out in the EX line too.. and after building up enough momentum, the EX Hildolfr made its grand entrance.

Before the Hildolfr got a plastic model release, fans were wondering what scale it would come out in. 1/100 would be way too big for a kit this massive, so 1/144 seemed like the right fit — but then the question was, would it be HGUC or EX Model? The Juudau (Judau's) kit came out as HGUC, so HGUC was definitely on the table... but given the nature of the kit, the EX Model lineup seemed like the better fit too.

Sure, they're both 1/144 scale, but HGUC and EX Model have pretty different concepts. HGUC is more mainstream and easy to build, but generally delivers a safe, "budget-friendly" mid-level of detail. EX Model, on the other hand (though it varies a lot from kit to kit), is a lineup that lives and dies by detail, precision, and proportions rather than ease of assembly. Which is why it costs more, of course. ;

Anyway, the general consensus started leaning toward an EX Model release, and sure enough, that's exactly what we got. An EX Model release was expected to be far superior in terms of detail and proportions, and it delivered — coming out as a high-quality kit that lives up to those expectations.

That was a long intro, but the EX Hildolfr comes in at a somewhat awkward and pricey ¥6800 — though it is a large-scale kit that's rare to see in 1/144 (the Den'an Zon aside!). The box is big, and the kit itself is quite sizable too. ^^ And that large frame is packed with panel lines and molded detail in every nook and cranny~~~ But unlike military model kits or the more finicky UCHG kits, the detail here is precise and well-defined while still being totally manageable to handle — just the right level.

When it first came out, some people were disappointed that the transformation between mobile and tank form was done via parts-swapping rather than a built-in transformation mechanism. But that's pretty much the standard approach for EX Model, which puts proportions first. Thanks to that parts-swap system, both the tank form and mobile form end up looking clean and well-proportioned. And the transformation process itself isn't all that difficult, so... ^^

I was kind of hoping the caterpillar tracks would be the linked plastic-assembly type like on the Magella Attack, but they went with plain rubber tracks with standard detail instead. The linked-style tracks you see on high-end military kits look absolutely killer in terms of detail and proportions, but they're a pain to assemble and drive up the cost. The Magella Attack's tracks looked amazing too, but the assembly method was a bit of a headache. Going with rubber tracks does make the build process a whole lot smoother though.

The Hildolfr is a bit different from other EX kits in a few ways. The color scheme isn't all that complex to begin with, but for an EX Model, the color separation is surprisingly thorough — just building it straight out of the box gives you a pretty convincing look that matches the design specs and the anime feel. Add in the generous amount of waterslide decals on top of that, and it really comes together nicely. Painting it would obviously look even better, but you can tell there's a real effort here to appeal to straight-build fans too.

The biggest strength of the EX Hildolfr is definitely the outstanding detail and molding that makes full use of the design specs. On the flip side, being an EX kit, the parts fit is a little looser than your average Gunpla grade. The build itself is almost entirely snap-fit so you don't need glue, but if you handle it a bit roughly, parts can pop off here and there. The side armor in particular tends to fall off easily — and for some reason it feels like a waste to just glue it down... Also, the excavator-like structure on the back of the shoulders feels a bit loose, which is a bit of a shame. That said, this kit is really more of a display piece by nature, so it's not really a dealbreaker.

Overall... "Just the fact that it got made at all is something to be grateful for!" (^_^) — and on top of that, they made it look this good, so even more thanks for that. Coming out as an EX kit, it shows off a level of delicate detail you rarely see in other Gunpla, and in terms of quality, design, and character, it's hands-down the BEST kit in the EX Model lineup. If you've been drooling over the Hildolfr after seeing it in Zeon's Minelayer, don't hesitate — just grab one while you can. It's pricey, but it sells out fast!

EX Model YMT-05 Hildolfr | 2007.3 | ¥6,800 | 1/144

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.