Exia: HG vs RG
If you want the Exia and cannot decide between the High Grade (HG) and the Real Grade (RG) version, here they are side by side on the things that actually change your decision: size, detail, how hard the build is, price, and who each one is really for.
GN-001 Gundam Exia
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GN-001 Gundam Exia
MG-level engineering shrunk into a 1/144 frame, and the hip joint pays the price for it.
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What changes between HG and RG
Both are 1/144, so they take up the same shelf space, but the detail gap is large. High Grade is the affordable, quick, forgiving build, sometimes leaning on stickers for color and varying in articulation across its long history. Real Grade squeezes an inner frame, near-complete molded color separation, and realistic decals into that same small footprint, so it looks like a scaled-down real machine, at the cost of tiny, sometimes delicate parts and a fussier build. Go HG for value and ease, RG when you want maximum detail without stepping up in size.
Get the HG if
you want this suit affordably, want to finish it in an evening or two, or plan to build several kits without breaking the bank. It is the easy, everyday yes.
Get the RG if
you want the most detail you can get in a small 1/144 footprint, you are past your first few kits, and fiddly, rewarding assembly with a decal sheet sounds like the fun part.
We have graded the RG version at 8.1 out of 10. Read the full review above before you decide.