Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - Detail shots (1/4)

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Rear view with the container removed

The standard weapons loadout is well covered.

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - The gimmick of disassembling the 180mm cannon and storing it in the container is perfectly re

The gimmick of disassembling the 180mm cannon and storing it in the container is perfectly reproduced.

The backpack's mounting gimmick for attaching the container.

The beam saber handle stores on the side of the leg.

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - Four hands are included in total, but only the hand holding the beam rifle has a different mo

Four hands are included in total, but only the hand holding the beam rifle has a different molded color...

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - The old polycap had a frequent shoulder joint popping issue, so the shoulder polycap parts ha

The old polycap had a frequent shoulder joint popping issue, so to fix this,
the shoulder polycap parts have been replaced with plastic parts of the same shape.
Thanks to that, the shoulders don't pop out anymore. ^^

The articulation is the same as the Blue Destiny EXAM versions.

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - The iconic poses of the Gundam Ground Type are pulled off stably. (1/4)

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 - The iconic poses of the Gundam Ground Type are pulled off stably. (2/4)

The iconic poses of the Gundam Ground Type are pulled off stably.

100mm machine gun two-handed firing pose

Beam rifle aerial firing pose

Beam saber action

Together with the HGUC Gundam Ground Type (left) released in 2007.

Together with the HGUC Blue Destiny Units 1, 2, and 3 EXAM versions.

Straight build

This kit is the HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2, an upgraded version of the kit that came out back in 2007. It's a continuation of the HGUC Blue Destiny Units 1, 2, and 3 EXAM versions that were released just before it, and shares the same basic construction.

The issue is that this kit has the exact same name as the 2007 HGUC Gundam Ground Type, which can cause confusion for buyers. In the case of the Blue Destiny, the "EXAM version" suffix makes it easy to tell them apart, but for the Gundam Ground Type, unless an online shop specifically notes it, you'll probably have to look at the box art to figure out whether it's the 2007 or 2018 release.

Either way, it really should have had some kind of additional name — like "Revive version" or "v2.0" or something. For this review, I've gone ahead and added "ver.2" to distinguish it from the original 2007 release, so please keep that in mind.

As mentioned above, following the new releases of the HGUC Blue Destiny kits, the Gundam Ground Type has also gotten an upgraded version using the same structure. The original 2007 kit was already pretty solid, but naturally the new release coming out over a decade later does feel a bit higher quality. That said, as you can see in the comparison photos, the difference isn't dramatic just looking at the exterior — it's more of a subtle sharpening of the edges here and there.

The articulation and joint strength are both solid, and the various weapons along with the container and 180mm cannon storage gimmick are all faithfully reproduced. One notable change is that the shoulder polycaps have been replaced with plastic parts of the same shape. One of the commonly cited downsides of the newer polycaps was that the shoulder polycaps were weak and prone to popping out, but switching to plastic parts seems to have resolved that nicely.

It does feel a little like an upgrade version that came along as a bonus alongside the Blue Destiny releases, but either way, it's great that the Gundam Ground Type has been renewed to current quality standards. :-)

HGUC Gundam Ground Type ver.2 | 2018.4 | ¥1,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.