Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

HGUC Victory Gundam - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. Just as expected, it's a very compact little kit.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
Just as expected, it's a very compact little size.

Upper body, front / rear

Cute little head

Legs

The Core Fighter isn't a combination/separation type — it's simply included as a separate build.

HGUC Victory Gundam - Core Fighter. Oddly enough, the Core Fighter on this HGUC Victory Gundam feels like the tolerances were

Core Fighter.
Oddly enough, the Core Fighter on this HGUC Victory Gundam feels like the tolerances weren't designed very well... (you'll know what I mean once you build it)

Underside

Several of Victory Gundam's signature beam weapons are included.

The way the shield attaches is exactly what I expected.

Articulation is pretty good!

Shoulder range of motion is decent too.

A natural kneeling pose

Beam rifle + beam saber action

HGUC Victory Gundam - Beam rifle mid-air firing pose (1/3)

Beam rifle mid-air firing pose

HGUC Victory Gundam - Beam saber charge pose (1/3)

Beam saber charge pose

HGUC Victory Gundam - Spread beam saber action (1/3)

Spread beam saber action

Together with the MG Victory Gundam.
The proportions feel almost identical.

Compared to the HGUC First, it's really small and slender.

Straight build

Victory Gundam has finally made it into the HGUC lineup! The overall construction and framework is similar to the Wing, X, and G Gundam kits that were reborn under the HGAW and HGFC titles. Part of that is down to sharing the same polycaps, but the overall design concept just feels pretty much the same across the board. Of course, the difference is that Victory Gundam gets to proudly carry the HGUC title ^^

First off, Victory Gundam is only 15 meters tall in-universe, so it comes out as one of the smallest and most compact kits in the 1/144 scale. Small as it is, the color separation is every bit as good as any other HGUC — it feels like the design colors are reproduced almost perfectly from head to toe, so the clean look and feel after a straight build is really satisfying.

On top of the clean color scheme, the latest articulated polycaps are used throughout, giving the joints excellent flexibility and solid strength. The feel of posing this thing is honestly some of the best fun you can have with any HG-class kit. It's a similar vibe to God Gundam and X Gundam since they share the same polycaps — but the simpler design makes it even easier to handle.

The Core Fighter for Victory Gundam isn't a combination/separation type — instead, you get a completely separate one to build on its own, which seems like the right call given the scale. That kind of detailed transformation gimmick is really something for RG-class kits to handle; cramming it into an HG would probably feel a bit awkward. By giving up the combination/transformation, the main body ends up with a really solid, satisfying feel when you pose and lock it in place.

There are a few downsides though — the yellow head antennae are extremely fragile and snap very easily, so please be careful when assembling. I tried to be careful myself, but they broke with a depressingly effortless snap T_T In particular, when you're fitting the Core Fighter's head section in, the tolerances seem off and it doesn't slide in smoothly, so there's a very real chance you'll apply too much force and break something. I'd say roughly half the people who build this will snap them, so everyone needs to handle them with extra care.

Anyway, aside from those fragile head antennae, this kit really does show you what a clean, quality build looks like — it's a top-notch HGUC that I'd rate A++ for both the fun of building it and the satisfaction of the finished product. If you're a Victory Gundam fan, it's obviously a must-have, and even if you weren't particularly interested before, it's a recommended kit that'll give you a really rewarding, satisfying build. :-)

HGUC Victory Gundam | 2013.11 | ¥1,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.