Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

You can swap in a combat knife hand, but...
The molded color is way off~

The retractable beam gun on the back of the forearm is articulated and can be repositioned by hand.

HG Blu Duel Gundam - The shoulder weapon bay can be opened, but it's not articulated — you remove the cover, stand it up, and

The shoulder weapon bay can be opened,
but it's not articulated — you remove the cover, stand it up, and plug it back in.

Leftover parts from the original Duel Gundam.

Articulation is the same as the original Duel.

HG Blu Duel Gundam - Rail gun attack pose with the gun mounted on the inside of the right shield (1/3)

Rail gun attack pose with the gun mounted on the inside of the right shield

Retractable beam gun action

HG Blu Duel Gundam - Aerial action poses using the included 1/144 display stand (1/3)

Aerial action poses using the included 1/144 display stand

HG Blu Duel Gundam - Beam rifle action pose (1/3)

Beam rifle action pose

Combat knife action

HG Blu Duel Gundam - Beam saber action (1/3)

Beam saber action

Together with the HG Duel Gundam Assault Shroud.

Together with the HG Verde Buster Gundam.

Much like the HG Verde Buster Gundam, the Blu Duel Gundam has been released as a heavily armed upgrade kit based on the original Duel Gundam. It feels like an upgraded version of the Assault Shroud armor — the armor has gotten sharper and more refined, while the overall silhouette is bigger and more voluminous.

The rail gun that used to sit on the shoulder of the original Duel Gundam Assault Shroud has been moved to the inside of the right shield, the beam sabers are now mounted on the outside of both legs, and the shoulder weapon bay open gimmick returns in a new shape but works the same way. There are quite a few similarities in the overall loadout, just rearranged — so rather than feeling like a straight-up weapons upgrade, it comes across more like a design refinement.

On top of that, a new weapon gimmick has been added: a small retractable gun called the retractable beam gun on the back of the forearm, which can be swung out via a linked mechanism so the hand can grip it. There's also a new feature where you can swap in a combat knife-style hand.

And as you'd expect from a heavily armed unit like this, the armor does limit articulation quite a bit. That said, the sheer presence of all that weaponry means even a simple pose looks pretty decent. ^^

Anyway, if you were a fan of the Duel Gundam Assault Shroud, it might be worth giving the HG Blu Duel Gundam a shot — it's a sleeker, more refined take on the design. :-)

HG Blu Duel Gundam | 2006. 9 | ¥1,600

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.