OLD Victory Gundam 1/144 V Abigor

Release 1993.10

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Box side view

Runners

A noticeably larger box compared to other 1/144 kits

Standard polycaps and background card

Parts diagram

OLD 1/144 V Abigor - Manual & design specs on the back of the card (1/3)

Manual & design specs on the back of the card

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's 1/144, but it feels more like a 1/100-sized kit.

Comes with a non-clear stand.

Limb articulation

Beam cutter & beam scythe action

With the background card. The body is so big it covers most of the background. -_-

Background card action

Remove the forearms and hands for transformation.

Remove the thigh parts and swap in the folded-leg pieces, then...

Raise the fin(?) on the back and the transformation is complete.

Transformed into Mobile Armor mode

Underside

With the 1/144 Contio.

With the 1/100 V Gundam. As you can see, even at 1/144 scale it's practically 1/100 size.

With the background cards from the 1/144 V2 Gundam, Shaitarn, and Gun Blaster.

These four kits share a continuous battle scene that connects across all four background cards.

V Abigor is the 12th kit in the old 1/144 V Gundam series. It's technically 1/144 scale, but in-universe it's a large unit closer to 1/100 size — and the box is noticeably bigger than the other 1/144 kits to match.

Since this is a unit that's just a different size class altogether, it doesn't use the shared polycap frame common to the 1/144 V series — it has its own separate polycaps instead. The series' signature clear stand and beam parts runners are also absent, replaced with standard plastic parts. That said, the background card display system is carried over just the same, and this kit includes a background card featuring a battle scene that connects as the 4th piece following the three kits released just before it.

With a kit this big, joint strength is always a concern, but for an old-style kit it's actually not bad at all. The arm and leg articulation is surprisingly good — probably helped by the lack of a skirt design — and the sheer size of the kit means you can pull off some pretty dynamic poses.

The signature Mobile Armor transformation is also included, though it's a fairly simple affair — you swap out the forearms and thighs to shorten the limbs and lay it flat. Nothing spectacular, but it's nice that the feature is there at all.

All in all, the V Abigor is a pretty unique entry in the 1/144 V lineup with decent quality for what it is — but the real issue is that the looks just aren't that appealing. The molded colors have a candy-toy feel to them, and honestly it's not what you'd call a good-looking kit. Unless you're a die-hard V series fan, it's probably not something that'll make you reach for your wallet. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.11.11]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.